Our story told through a 1,000 different colours, lenses and voices...
until you KNOW the story, YOUR STORY.
Our story told through a 1,000 different colours, lenses and voices...
until you KNOW the story, YOUR STORY.
Part 1 pdf ready for download
The Only Begotten SON of God - Part 1
Part 1:
- Elohim
- The Word
- The Angel of the LORD
- The Angel of God
ELOHIM AND THE GRAND PLAN
In the beginning, Elohim—Gods, existed.
Isaiah recorded God’s exact words. He said, “I am the LORD [YHWH], and there is no other; there is no God [Elohim = masculine plural] but Me. I will equip you for battle, though you have not known Me, so that all may know, from where the sun rises to where it sets, that there is none but Me; I am the LORD [YHWH], and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:5-6).
A side note: YHWH is the Christian pronunciation of God’s name; others prefer YHUH. The modern-day use of the letter “W” was introduced in the 8th century. In the Roman alphabet the letter “V” represented both the “w” and the “u” sound. The Old English language made a distinction between the “v”, “u” and “w” sounds. The monks translated the Anglo-Saxon Runes through the Roman language to Latin. The letters “v” and “u” were added into the Latin alphabet but a “w” was not. So, the monks placed two “uu” or “double u” together forming the “w” sound. This explains the slight difference that occurs in the pronunciation of God’s name. It is preferred by some scholars as YHUH, which when saying God’s name is an exercise of breathing in and out—the breath of life.
It is acknowledged in Isaiah 45 of the existence of more than one God by the use the word Elohim. There are Gods. A distinction among the existence of the Gods is what YHWH is making very clear. “There is no Elohim but Me.” There is no other among the Gods like Him. He is actually the source of all Elohim—Gods. He is clear about exactly who He is. He provides His name, YHWH, translated as LORD. YHWH is unique, a one-of-a-kind among the Gods. He is the Supreme, the Almighty God.
While two Gods were present at creation, only the Great God has the awesome power to command beginnings from nothing. However, the Supreme God can give to another Being this astounding power. Through the second God, the power of creation was given. Everything in heaven and on earth was created through the second God and remains sustained by him to this day. Together, they are building the God-family.
The structure of the God-family demands righteousness and perfection. Both Gods worked together to formulate and engineer the grand plan for the birth of the God-family that will form the holy, royal, ruling God-family kingdom over all creation and future expansions for all eternity. The second God is the image of the Great-Creator God who is the perfection of law-keeping Kingship and righteous Lordship. The two creations: heaven and earth were intentionally created at different times with different expertise. The first creation in heaven was created to become experts in kingship—law and order, while the second creation on earth is being molded to mature into experts in lordship—priests and priestesses—grace and righteousness.
The second God is the holder of many crowns. He is Jesus Christ, Yashuah HaMashiach. Every detail of every step in the process of the grand plan for the birth and establishment of God’s family kingdom is essential to its indestructible composition and eternal longevity. Jesus Christ is at the centre; he is the cornerstone; he is the capstone; he is the anointed King over all kings and Lord over all lords serving the one and only Great, Creator God. He accepted his role before the beginning of God’s family kingdom and put both, his physical and eternal life, on the line to save and prepare the second creation for their immense calling and pre-prepared offices. This unique creation was made to become living grace—lords, while the first creation was created and prepared to be the eternal expression of living law—kings. The two roles bound together are the image of the Great, Creator God who is the ultimate KING and LORD—law-keeper and grace-giver.
The role accepted by the second God is comprised of many essential components, all revealed in the scriptures. The Bible is a master piece of writing illustrating the length, depth and breadth of Almighty God’s love for all creation expressed in His transparency, unveiling His grand plan in the scriptures for all who yearn to know Him. They will search and find wonders unknown to carnal man, truths that will excite the God-fearing believers and discover and participate in the riveting, never-ending, forever-budding expansions to come.
THE WORD
The Word—complete knowledge of Almighty God
The first significant identifier of the roles of the Son of God in the New Testament was spoken by the Apostle John. He addressed Jesus Christ as the Word. It is a title that personifies a Being rich and complete with the knowledge of Almighty God: His very being, His essence, His character, His law and His ways. It also includes being the Communicator of God and having God’s power to speak commands and creation obeys.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (John 1:1-2). This scripture identifies Jesus Christ as the other God with the Almighty God in Genesis one.
This Being titled as the Word was identified and announced to creation as One who is complete with the knowledge of everything that is God. He is with God; he is also a God and existed prior to the beginning of creation in heaven and on earth. It is through this One that creation was made and continues to be sustained. It is through this One that everything about the Great-Creator God can be known. He is the Speaker of God.
“All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3).
The Word, who became the Son, has the power through his voice to command and creation obeys.
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3).
THE Word of the LORD—Messenger from the Great-Creator God
Many times, the Word delivered messages from Almighty God to Abraham. He delivered God’s message to Abraham in person and by speaking directly out of the heavens. He spoke in visions and in dreams all according to how God Almighty wanted.
The Word of the LORD—in a vision
“After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1).
The Word represented the Most High LORD in a visible format, communicating Almighty God’s message of assurance and support for Abraham.
The Word of the Lord—in person
“Then the word of the LORD came to Abram, saying, ‘This one will not be your heir, but one who comes from your own body will be your heir’” (Genesis 15:4).
Engaging with the spirit world was a common experience for Abraham. Job experienced many long conversations with the Almighty God, directly. The Messenger of the LORD manifesting himself through visions and in person was an everyday event for many people in the ancient world, even outside of God’s people. King Nebuchadnezzar received messages from the Almighty God, either directly or through His Messenger. It was not a strange event to engage in a conversation with the Great-Creator God through His messenger, the Word or for the nations, in ancient times, to communicate regularly with their heavenly rulers.
The word of Sarah’s conception and birth in her old age
“The LORD appeared to Abraham near the large trees of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent… Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. So, he quickly left the entrance to his tent to greet them. He bowed low to the ground. ‘My Lord,’ said Abraham, ‘if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by’” (Genesis 18:2-3).
Verse two begins with the LORD (YHWH) appearing to Abraham. When Abraham addressed the lead figure of the three men, he identified the leader in lowercase “Lord.” He recognized that the lead messenger was not the “LORD” in all capital letters—the Great-Creator God, but His messenger, His communicator—the Word. Abraham understood that these three men were not mortals. He responded by bowing low to the ground, then addressing the leader as “My Lord” and finally, asking if he was seen in a favourable light before him, that he would stay and eat.
Moses wrote the book of Genesis and fully understood the method of communication used by the Great-Creator God. Moses recorded God’s words to the ancient Israelites, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live” (Exodus 33:20).
The leader of the three men identified by Abraham as “Lord” spoke the words given to him by the Great-Creator God. Then the leader of the three men said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year. Your wife Sarah will have a son. Then the Lord [note lower case is used] said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Will I really have a baby, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for me? I will return to you at the appointed time next year. Sarah will have a son’” (Genesis 18:10, 13-14).
These are all the direct words of the Great-Creator God spoken to Abraham through God’s Angel Messenger.
The word of the judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah
“The LORD also said, ‘The cries against Sodom and Gomorrah are very great. Their sin is so bad that I will go down and see for myself. I want to see if what they have done is as bad as the cries that have reached me. If it is not, then I will know” (Genesis 18:21).
Two angels leave to witness the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham remains with the leading Being to plead for the righteous who may live in Sodom and Gomorrah. He understands that the leading Being is the direct messenger of the LORD Almighty. Abraham addressed this Being, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”
The leading Being spoke the word of the LORD Almighty, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
“When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home” (Genesis 18:32-33). The Being left when there was no further messaging; “he [lowercase] left.”
Jesus is the Word who spoke only the words of the father
When Jesus was mortal on earth, he spoke only the words of the Father. “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and how to speak. And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say” (John 12:49-50).
Jesus is the Word. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
Voice from heaven
The eternal Being with the Great-Creator God, titled the Word, is also addressed by God as the Angel of the LORD.
“And the Angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham’ and he said, ‘Here am I’. He said, ‘Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now, I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me’” (Genesis 22:11-12).
From out of heaven, the Angel of the LORD spoke the commands of the Great-Creator God. Frequently, in ancient times, God spoke directly to creation on earth as He did with Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Enoch, Noah, Job, and Gideon. It was such a common occurrence that it was taken for granted.
The Angel of the LORD spoke to Abraham, again. “And the Angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time and said, ‘This is what the LORD says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son [heir], indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies’” (Genesis 22:15-17).
God’s instructions for Abraham to sacrifice of Isaac, his only heir, was a test of Abraham’s trust and faith in Him. Abraham was prepared to complete the task. The image of a sacrifice, the life taken of the only family-heir, was a prophecy of the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is the only Heir of God Almighty. Since, there was no benefit in the sacrifice of Isaac’s life because he was not a perfect, qualifying offering, God provided a substitute according to the practice of the sacrificial system in place. Abraham proved that he was fully dedicated to the Great-Creator God, so, God made an unconditional promise to bless him abundantly. Through Abraham, the Holy Son of God would be born and he would be a father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:4).
The Angel of the LORD and Hagar
The Angel of the LORD was involved in every issue arising out of the family of Abraham, during ancient times to the present. Sarai gave Hagar to Abraham with the intent to impregnate her because she was barren. Hagar conceived and began treating Sarai with disrespect and Sarai responded harshly. Hagar eventually ran away.
“Now the Angel of the LORD found Hagar by a spring of water in the desert—the spring along the road to Shur. ‘Hagar, servant of Sarai,’ he said, ‘where have you come from, and where are you going?’ ‘I am running away from my mistress Sarai,’ she replied. So the Angel of the LORD told her, ‘Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.’ Then the angel added, ‘I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count.’ The Angel of the LORD proceeded: ‘Behold, you have conceived and will bear a son. And you shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard your cry of affliction. He will be a wild donkey of a man, and his hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand against him; he will live in hostility toward all his brothers’” (Genesis 16:7-12).
The Angel of the LORD found Hagar. That language used in this verse points to a guardian figure searching and finding. It can appear that the Angel of the LORD is speaking his own words, but Hagar makes it very clear that she, too, understood the Angel of the LORD was a messenger of the Great-Creator God. Moses recorded, “So Hagar gave this name to the LORD who had spoken to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘Here I have seen the One who sees me!’” (Genesis 16:13)
Moses recorded her words with the “LORD” in uppercase. She knew the Angel of the LORD present was speaking the words of the Great-Creator God. She was a servant girl from Egypt. Abraham’s God was not the god of Egypt. She was not a free woman, not directly blessed by the God worshipped by Abraham and Sarah. She was vulnerable and at their mercy. After being mistreated by Sarah, she ran away seeking escape from harsh treatment. She was found in the wilderness where God spoke to her through the Angel of the LORD. There she was told that she was pregnant and though a mere servant girl, a son would be born and her son would seed a great number of descendants.
She and her son would not fade into insignificance. The Great-Creator God promised her the blessing given to a free people, “As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation” (Genesis 17:20).
Hagar was comforted by God—the God of Abraham whom she had come to see through His Messenger by a well—a deep storage of water, in the wilderness—that place untouched by man—that place where people go to draw near to the Great-Creator God. “Therefore, the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; it lies between Kadesh and Bered” (Genesis 16:14).
Beer-lahai-roi [well of the living One that sees me] has been studied with varying interpretations because the name is unique and the meaning is spiritual. It was named by Hagar to describe her revelation in the wilderness when she came to know the God of Abraham from a spiritual perspective, as if she had the inflowing of God’s Holy Spirit imaged with her by a well, the source of water—the image of God’s Holy Spirit. She learned that eternal life was accessible to her and her descendants as she knew it was for Abraham and Sarah. The Angel of the LORD was the Messenger of this very significant revelation—the news that she and her son and his descendants will live and become a great nation.
It is also important to note God’s prophecy that Ishmael would father twelve rulers. The number twelve signifies perfect government. Ishmael was circumcised with Abraham when God made a covenant with Abraham. “You will undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you” (Genesis 17:11). Physical circumcision is the representation of a humble, broken heart dedicated to serving God. Every male under Abraham’s leadership was required to be circumcised—that is, dedicated to the God of Abraham. Ishmael was circumcised; he was dedicated to the God of Abraham.
Still in the future, the descendants, under the millennial reign of Jesus Christ will worship the God of Abraham and obey His Son, Jesus Christ, and rule righteously—perfectly, as God’s use of the number twelve indicates. The great blessing Hagar received was the prophecy of eternal life for her, Ishmael and his descendants who repent of sin and accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
The Angel of the LORD, the Man
“So, Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he struck the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it as they wrestled. But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’ Then the man asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Jacob,’ he answered. Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.’ ... Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘It is because I saw God face-to-face, and yet my life was spared’” (Genesis 32:24-28, 30).
This story of Jacob wrestling with a man was really the Angel of the LORD who is the second God present at creation. It was recorded by Hosea when he was prophesying God’s reprimanding words to Judah and Jacob, all twelve tribes of Jacob. He urged them to return to God and stop their bad behaviour.
“In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel, and in his vigor, he wrestled with God. Yes, he struggled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and begged for His favor; he found Him at Bethel…” (Hosea 12:3-6).
Jacob sought God’s protection from his brother, Esau. He searched, likely in prayer, and found God. It was the Angel of the LORD, who is a God, and was present in form, at Bethel. Jacob entered into a wrestling match of words and grappling the Angel to remain until it was clear and fully understood that he will be forever faithful to the God of Abraham. His life and the lives of his family and household depended on the Angel accepting his dedication of service to the LORD Almighty. As hard as the Angel pushed away, Jacob pulled him closer. Jacob would not nor could not be stopped, so grace and life was extended to him. The words uttered confirming this promise were, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome” (Genesis 32:28).
The name, Israel, means prince with God. The overcomers will all be royal members of the God-family. “Those who overcome/are victorious will inherit all things, and I will be their God, and they will be My descendants/children” (Revelation 21:7).
The Angel of the LORD, Protector
Jacob encountered a number of interactions with the Angel of the LORD. He grew to rely on the Angel and considered him to be the conduit of protection from the LORD Almighty. When Jacob blessed Joseph, he said, "May the God before whom my fathers: Abraham and Isaac walked faithfully, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who has delivered me from all harm, bless these boys” (Genesis 48:15-16).
For Jacob, God shepherded him and the Angel protected him. Almighty God and the Angel of the LORD work together as one. From ancient times, Almighty God was pointing to the Saviour of mankind, a man they could see, their Messenger from God, their Guardian and Protector.
The Angel of the LORD, holy
Moses saw the Angel of the LORD and heard God; both were together in the burning bush.
“Now Moses was tending the flock... There the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up... When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, ‘Moses, Moses’ and Moses said, ‘Here I am.’ ‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground...’” (Exodus 3:2,4-5).
The Angel of the LORD was visible—he “appeared to him.” In a display of supernatural power, the fire of Almighty God appeared to Moses in a bush. The figure of the Angel of the LORD was visible to Moses and the voice of Almighty God was heard by him. The presence of Holiness purified the ground and Almighty God warned Moses when he approached the burning bush, to take off his dirty sandals (dust and dirt as symbols of sin) because he stood on holy ground. A similar event occurred when the Commander of God’s army presented himself before Joshua.
“‘I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.’ Then Joshua fell face-down in reverence and asked Him, ‘What does my Lord have to say to His servant?’ The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so” (Joshua 5:15).
Sinners must be clean to stand before Holiness. God began to teach Moses and Joshua the difference between the roles of Kingship and Lordship.
Job recorded Satan coming with the sons of God before the throne of God even with all his darkness and he was not turned away.
“One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them” (Job 1:6).
Satan regularly comes before God, day and night bringing charges against the overcomers of God. “For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God, day and night, has been hurled down” (Revelation 12:10b).
Satan is allowed to come before the Almighty God even as God’s enemy covered with sin and lawlessness because the place of God’s throne is the centre of His law courts where mistakes are corrected. Satan comes to discuss God’s law with Him; he is always working to set a precedent and modify God’s law to suit himself. He attempts to justify himself by hiding his errors in the folds that he makes from twisting and bending God’s law.
God’s throne is the centre of all legal matters. It is the place where the accused, the law-breakers are brought and where accusers seek justice. In contrast, the centre of God’s temple is the Holy of Holies where He sits on the Mercy Seat. This space is the most holy space where only the perfect—the pristine can enter. On earth, the High Priest, who represents Jesus Christ, enters the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, when, still in the future, God’s people will be atoned for their sins.
The role of king involves the establishment and enforcement of rules and rights for the benefit of the subjects and safety of an expanding dominion. The role of Lord is the preservation of righteousness and holiness. The two roles will be bound to work together as one with equal authority under the reign of Jesus Christ to ensure that rulership is righteous, honest, truthful, just, and gracious.
The Angel of the LORD, a God!
The Angel of the LORD met with Gideon and performed the priestly function of a burnt sacrifice.
“Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the Angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. When Gideon saw that he was the Angel of the LORD, he said, ‘Alas, O Lord GOD! For now, I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.’ The LORD said to him, ‘Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die’” (Judges 6:21-23).
In this story, Gideon is talking with both the Angel of the LORD and the LORD Almighty. The LORD Almighty waits with the Angel of the LORD under the oak tree while Gideon prepared an offering. “Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him [the LORD Almighty] under the oak” (Judges 6:19).
When the Angel of the LORD vanished, suddenly Gideon realized that the Angel of the LORD is more than an ordinary angel (messenger), but a God—divine. “O Lord GOD!” he said. He remembered the words of Moses and feared that he would die. Moses said, “Now, show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18) God said, "You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). Gideon remained talking with someone that he called ‘LORD’ (written in all uppercase). He tested the Invisible asking for proof. “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really YOU talking to me” (Judges 6:17).
The LORD was invisible only His voice could be heard. Gideon did not fear for his life when talking with the LORD, but feared the face-to-face contact with the Angel of the LORD. The Almighty God reassured Gideon, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die” (Judges 6:23).
The Angel of the LORD is not the LORD Almighty who is a consuming fire of light.
THE ANGEL OF GOD
The Angel of God—law and obedience
Moving through the Old Testament we see references to the Angel of God. God was very clear with Moses to distinguish his title of God Almighty from the title of LORD Almighty.
God Almighty was in a battle against the god of Egypt who was working through the human pharaoh and his magicians. He said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for because of My mighty handhe will let the people go; because of My strong hand he will drive them out of his land.’ God also told Moses, ‘I am the LORD. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name the LORD, I did not make Myself known to them” (Exodus 6:1-3).
The history of gods ruling over the nations in ancient times has been mythicized by wayward scholars. Heavenly rulers were given kingship over the nations at the time of Babel. These heavenly rulers were once God Almighty’s finest law-keepers and experts on His law. They were to teach the nations God’s law and to teach them to live His way. Unfortunately, creation struggles to remain righteous when given access to great power. All of the heavenly rulers over the nations rebelled against the Almighty God leaving Him to prove to His people His supremacy over all gods. The exodus out of Egypt was the most powerful example of the God of Abraham’s strength above and well beyond any god. The people needed to witness His supremacy before they began to believe and trust Him.
God Almighty holds two distinct titles: GOD, of which, He is the supreme above all gods and LORD. God is His legal title as Creator to create laws and rule as King. LORD is His anointed title as Most High Priest executing righteous judgement, forgiving sins and extending grace. The Angel of God is the representative of the King over all creation. The matter God had with the heavenly ruler over Egypt was his fall into lawlessness and his false claim to be the Great-Creator God. The focus God has with Pharaoh is a legal matter—his lawlessness into sin. The Angel with God is the Angel of God because of the role focus in this incidence.
God called Pharaoh out for his rebellion against Him with all his claims to be equal to or higher than the only Supreme God.
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself” (Ezekiel 29:3).
This life-source of Egypt was essential for all their economic strength and power. Pharaoh claimed to have been the Creator of this life-source, which implies a spiritual element as if he was also the eternal Life-Giving-Source for Egypt equal to Almighty God, Himself.
Pharaoh acknowledged the God of Israel as the Supreme God when the Egyptians suffered plagues that they could not prevent or halt and when they suffered the complete loss of their military force consumed in the Red Sea while chasing the Israelites.
“At morning watch, however, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians from the pillar of fire and cloud, and He threw their camp into confusion. He caused their chariot wheels to wobble, so that they had difficulty driving. ‘Let us flee from the Israelites,’ said the Egyptians, ‘for the LORD is fighting for them against Egypt!’ Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.’ So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state. As the Egyptians were retreating, the LORD swept them into the sea. The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had chased the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived” (Exodus 14:24-25, 26-28).
Under God’s title of the Most High God, he executed legal judgement against the heavenly ruler over Egypt and the people under his rule. Pharoah admitted to sinning. “Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. ‘This time I have sinned,’ he said to them, ‘The LORD is right, and I and my people are wrong… When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again. He and his officials hardened their hearts’” (Exodus 9:27, 34).
They were covered in sin and sentenced to die.
The Angel of God, legal protector of Israel
“When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His servant Moses” (Exodus 14:31).
The LORD Almighty has every legal right to demand His people to be released from under the servitude of Pharaoh. He is their King. They are His inheritance, His subjects (Deuteronomy 32:9). When the Israelites demanded a physical king after Samuel retired from being their judge, God gave them what they wanted but He did not abdicate His Kingship over them. He gave them a vice-regent, Saul—a Benjaminite. King Saul forgot whose throne he was sitting on and reigning from, so, God gave it to King David who never forgot. God has journeyed His people into hardship and into riches. All of their journeys are engineered into molding His people into righteousness to form a kingdom of holy, royal priests.
The great exodus out of Egypt was captured into memory to this day. The Angel of God was with the Almighty God protecting the Israelites when they were waiting for the parting of the Red Sea. They were cornered with only one way out—through the Red Sea without boats, with babies, young children, women and all of the herds with them. It seemed impossible for the Israelites but easy for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was part of God’s plan to show them His mighty power and the heavenly ruler over Egypt who in not comparable to the Almighty God could do nothing to stop Him. To protect them prior to the parting of the Red Sea, the Angel of God moved from leading them to stand between them and the Egyptians.
“And the angel of God, who had gone before the camp of Israel, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from before them and stood behind them, so that it came between the camps of Egypt and Israel. The cloud was there in the darkness, but it lit up the night. So, all night long neither camp went near the other” (Exodus 14:19-20).
During the Israelites’ journey out of Egypt and wandering in the wilderness, the Angel with God was always present. God assigned this Angel to lead them and protect them along their way.
“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared” (Exodus 23:20).
This is no ordinary angel. This Angel has authority to forgive or not to forgive sins. "Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him” (Exodus 23:21).
In ancient times, Almighty God was pointing to their Saviour—the Angel of God. “He will not forgive your rebellion” indicates that this angel has power to judge and sentence; he is no mere messenger. “My Name [YHUH] is in him” reveals his identity. His name is YaHUSHa.
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The Only Begotten SON of God - Part 2
THE LAMB
The rebel heavenly rulers over nations on earth were not briefed
Mankind’s fall into sin cut them out of God’s family and reduced them to slaves to sin with no opportunity for eternal life. From before creation, Almighty God knew the outcome. Our gracious Father engineered mankind’s saving plan and wove all of the details into the tapestry of time. Creation in heaven were not briefed on all of the details. The prophets of old longed to know the full details. God’s gracious salvation plan for mankind remained a conundrum for hundreds of years.
The Apostle Paul knew and said, “Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:6-8).
These rulers referred to in I Corinthians 2 are not mortal rulers. Pilate could not find a basis for a charge against Jesus. He went before the Jews and tried to release him. Once more Pilate said, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him” (John 19:4). The Jewish chief priests and officials rejected Jesus’ release. “Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar’” (John 19:12).
Finally, Pilate said, “Here is your king.” But the Jews shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” (John 19:15)
“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’ All the people answered, ‘Let his blood be on us and on our children’” (Matthew 27:24-25).
The rulers of this age are the heavenly rulers given kingship over the nations at the time of Babel. These rulers are fallen sons of God, once-honoured members of God’s courts in heaven who have allied with Satan, now working against all of mankind even those serving him. Satan wants all mortals to be destroyed physically and spiritually. Remember the scripture, “In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones” (Matthew 24:22).
The great sacrifice
The Messiah’s redemptive sacrifice won mankind’s freedom from the rogue heavenly rulers and their determination to keep mankind on the path of destruction—eternal death. Christ’s blood—a sacrifice without defect won him master over mankind. They are bought and paid for.
The leadership, these rogue heavenly rulers had was originally given to them as an inheritance from God at the time of Babel, but they lost their rulership because Jesus Christ, the last Adam was successful. He paid the penalty of mankind’s sins. They lost the battle over the nations. Jesus won. They were taken captive and paraded before the imprisoned in Sheol, inner earth, where they, too, remain.
“This is why it says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men. What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?’” (Ephesians 4:7-8)
Judgement has taken place. Satan lost, as well, and he has been condemned.
“But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned” (John 16:7-11).
When scriptures identify Christ as the “Lamb,” they are pointing to the power of kingship he won by paying the price for the sins of mankind. Only one Being was found worthy to save mankind—the One who would not sin. The One who remained humble and strong, loyal and faithful to Almighty God under extreme distress and constant temptation.
“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look inside it” (Revelation 5:2-3).
Jesus Christ was passing through from earth to heaven when the Apostle John saw this troubling moment. He knew that if the scroll wasn’t opened, then, Jesus failed to save mankind. God Almighty was clear through scripture, to declare that no angels or rulers in heaven qualified. Jesus, the Messiah put both his spiritual and physical life on the line. If he had sinned while a mortal on earth, he would have fallen under the same legal penalty imposed on all of mankind. He would not have been resurrected back into his glorious body. The Apostle John wept and wept. His mind was likely racing wondering if his beloved friend failed.
“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.’ Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth” (Revelation 5:5-6).
The Apostle John saw a lamb covered in blood. His redemptive sacrifice qualified him to be worthy to open the seals. Nobody in heaven or on earth has ever qualified to be worthy to redeem people through their death. Almighty God foreknew that His Son would be the only one who would be successful.
“But with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot. He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake. Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God” (I Peter 1:19-21).
THE UNIQUE, BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD
Unique, one-of-a-kind Son of God
The Son of God is unique to all creation in heaven and on earth. He is one of a kind—unique.
“For God so loved the world that He gave the only begotten Son, so that everyone believing in Him should not perish, but should have eternal life” (John 3:16).
The words “only begotten” points to the Son’s exclusiveness—one-and-only Son who existed before creation in heaven and on earth. He is one-of-a-kind. This Son is different from the existing sons of God in heaven.
Job recorded the excitement of the “morning stars” and the “sons of God” at the re-creation of earth. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations? ...On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:6-7)
Jesus Christ described himself as the “bright Morning Star” in Revelation 20:16. It appears that there are multiple morning stars in heaven and Jesus is the “bright” One.
The sons of God in heaven are also referred as gods, of which, Almighty God—the Most High is above them all. “For you, LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods” (Psalm 97:9).
King David understood the spiritual creation in heaven. “For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:3).
Job recorded the regular interactions the Almighty God has with His sons in heaven. “Again, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD” (Job 2:1).
A careful read of scriptures notes the use on “only son” applied by Abraham in reference to Isaac. Abraham was referring to his only heir, his only son from Sarah, his only covenant son. He had multiple sons. He had Ishmael from Sarah’s servant, Hagar and after Sarah died, he remarried and had six sons from Keturah. His only heir of all these sons was Isaac (Genesis 22:2 and Hebrews 11:17).
God’s begotten Son is also God’s only heir from the world in heaven. Repentant mankind are heirs of God and co-heirs under the only begotten Son.
“And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:17).
There are many different types of life forms in heaven recorded in the Bible. Some that are known are: the four living creatures, Seraphin, Archangels, 24 elders, sons of God, host in heaven, morning stars, the bright Morning Star, the begotten Son through whom creation was made and for whom it was made.
It was planned from the beginning that this Son would receive the kingdom.
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
This unique Son is involved in the creation, the establishment and finalization of every part of God Almighty’s plan for His eternal God-family kingdom. He is the foreknown King over all kings and Lord over all lords. “For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16).
Almighty God is working to provide this Son with strong leaders to help Him reign over the ever-expanding, eternal God-family kingdom. God gave His most skilful experts in His heavenly court rulership over the nations at the time of Babel, when mankind began wandering back into the sinful ways before the great flood. These heavenly rulers were instructed to teach the people of the nations obedience to God’s law and His ways. But, to God’s great disappointment, all of these heavenly rulers failed. If any of these heavenly rulers remained obedient and righteous, they too, would have been heirs of the kingdom. They became rebels with Satan, working to overthrow Almighty God and the Saviour of mankind.
Wars in heaven and on earth
The battles fought for the control of God’s kingdom go back in time and have continued to this present day. Satan is allied with the final beast and false prophet described in Revelation. They will attempt to usurp all power from the Lamb, but they will fail.
“They [the 10 kings] have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. They will make war against the Lamb” (Revelation 17:13).
The ten kings and the beast will seek to regain their kingship over the nations on earth by warring against the Lamb—the King who won the authority on the cross.
“But the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (Revelation 17:14).
His name saves
No other name can save mankind. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
“Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).
God Almighty has given Jesus Christ all power so that he can restore all things to how they were before iniquity was found. The ten kings, the beast and Satan combined cannot match the Messiah’s all-mighty power.
THE SON OF MAN
The birth into the God-family is a process. With the focus on creation on earth, the apostles taught the growth development from a new birth—the image of a spiritual birth while still mortal, babes in Christ—the image of developing because Christ’s Spirit is in you, mature adults—living the image of God able to distinguish right and wrong and choosing righteousness.
PROCESS: 1. Born Again, New Birth
“Jesus replied, ‘Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?’ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:3-7).
The Word of God, the Angel of the LORD was miraculously born into mortality. He experienced mortality fully. He walked in the steps of humanity completing each process for humans that gives you entry into the God-family kingdom.
He was baptised with water and received God’s Holy Spirit. “At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?’ ‘Let it be so now,’ Jesus replied. ‘It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.’ Then John permitted Him. As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!’” (Matthew 3:13-17)
Jesus set the example for all of mankind. The process of maturing spiritually begins with baptism by water and the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit. Without the completion of this step, a spiritual birth cannot take place. Not only did Jesus set the example for all humanity, he became mortal to become part of creation on earth. He became a son—a descendant of mankind, so that he can call us brothers and sisters—all from the same family.
“In bringing many children to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters” (Hebrews 2:11).
This family in the making are all tried, tested and perfected. They are all strengthened and solidified in their faith, loyalty and love for Almighty God, His law and His way. There will never be a betrayal or rebellion from this perfected family.
PROCESS: 2. Babes in Christ
Babies cry out for milk. Feedings are frequent. Growth is quick. Strength is consistent with the food intake. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (I Peter 2:2).
It is critical to the survival of an infant to grow out from drinking only milk. They begin by being totally dependent on the teachings of the spiritual mature. These people cannot yet distinguish between right and wrong. “For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness” (Hebrews 5:13).
Infants are still very much part of the world. “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ” (I Corinthians 3:1).
The meaty topics of God’s word cannot be tolerated by the babes in Christ. They are still touched by the traditions and cares of this world. They are tossed to and fro by all sorts of misconceptions and ignorance preached by weak and wayward teachers.
It takes time for spiritual maturity. The fascinating Law of Christ teaches patience and kindness towards our brothers and sisters, each maturing at different rates in different circumstances.
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on his opinions” (Romans 14:1).
PROCESS: 3. Maturity into adulthood
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
The baptized who receive the Holy Spirit of God, who are taught the law and word of God must mature into a spiritual adult. Christ anointed teachers to bring everyone into the full maturity of Christ. “And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head” (Ephesians 4:11-15).
The spiritually mature are skilful and strong. They recognize the difference between right and wrong. They choose righteousness and reject wickedness.
“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14).
From a mortal youth, Jesus matured exceedingly quickly to image the Father in heaven. He fulfilled every process that is required for mortals to become children of God in His God-family kingdom.
PROCESS: 4. Transformation into an eternal, glorious body
“For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29).
Jesus was resurrected from the dead and transformed back into his eternal, glorious body. He is the first of all mortals to be glorified among mankind. He is our eldest brother in the God-family. Jesus Christ is the first resurrected of the first resurrection—the better resurrection.
“But now Christ has been raised out from the dead, the firstfruit of those having fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him” (I Corinthians 15:20-23).
A man introduced sin and death; another man re-opened the door to spiritual healing and eternal life. “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead” (I Corinthians 15:21).
No other being was successful in bringing salvation to mankind. Only through the Son of Man can eternal life be accessed. His spilt blood outweighs any other sacrifice.
“For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Hebrews 9:14)
The Son of Man is the only source to life-eternal.
“No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:13-16).
The power in Christ’s name is divine. “Then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10, 12).
The nations on earth will be angry when Christ returns. They will have surrendered to the beast accepting slavery as the new norm. They will choose the alien technology that extends life and continue to spread hatred towards everyone who chooses differently from them.
God’s plan cannot be thwarted. Almighty God alone takes His plan to the next step. While the nations sink deeper and deeper into darkness, the time will come to resurrect the righteous. “The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth” (Revelation 11:18).
At Christ’s return, he will resurrect the righteous. The first resurrection will be those that belong to Jesus Christ and Almighty God.
“Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. ‘They will be mine,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘in the day when I make up my treasured possession.’ I will spare them… And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not” (Malachi 3:16-18).
The men and women of the first resurrection will rule with Christ for the duration of his millennial reign.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their right hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4-6).
The righteous dead will be resurrected first, then the saints who are still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet Jesus Christ.
“For the Lord himself will come down from Heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first, after that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words” (I Thessalonians 4:16-18).
When all of the righteous are changed into their glorious bodies after the second resurrection into transformation, death will be defeated. Righteousness will be victorious.
"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory" (I Corinthians 15:51).
First of the firstborn
The Son of Man was resurrected first to teach mankind and creation in heaven that he has pre-eminence; he is the head of the God-family (under Almighty God). He is the beginning of the God-family and the firstborn from creation on earth. The sons of God and angels in heaven are not the beginning of this God-family. The righteous will be brought into this God-family at God’s set time.
“And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have pre-eminence” (Colossians 1:18).
“I will indeed appoint him as My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth” (Psalm 89:27).
The Son of man was first spiritual and gave up his spirituality to become mortal for a time. A Saviour was incorporated into God Almighty’s grand plan before creation began. The image of God is comprised of two roles: King and Priest. Creation on earth is destined to become a creation of holy, royal, priests. Experts in this role must experience sin and suffer in order to learn patience, kindness, goodness, compassion, and love for one another. This is a role that is can only be perfected through a process of growth pains and suffering into spiritual maturity. The Son of man was made perfect through this suffering. He is as much a member of mankind as he is a spirit being in heaven.
“And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62).
The reference to a Son of Man seated at the right hand of God Almighty—not the Son of God or God seated at the right hand of God Almighty, elevates all of mankind by Christ’s association with mankind as a family member. It is indicative of their role, as a creation of priests, which must be exceptionally important to the LORD Almighty.
The great calling of mankind
King David pondered why God Almighty cares for mankind putting all of mankind into the same category with Jesus Christ, son of man. Psalm 8:4 speaks inclusively of Jesus Christ and all of mankind. “What isman that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:4-5).
The Apostle Paul unveiled a mystery in Psalm 8 which was recorded in Hebrews 2:5. “For it is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.” God’s kingdom is the world to come and the angels will not be controlling it.
The Apostle Paul then quoted from Psalm 8, and said, “But somewhere it is testified in these words: ‘What isman that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor and placed everything under his feet.’ When God subjected all things to him, He left nothing outside of his control. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:6-10).
Jesus is crowned with glory and honor because suffered death on the cross. Suffering brought him to perfection. Many of the faithful believers suffered persecution and death from the hand of Wickedness. In the future, the Great Harlot will fill her cup with the blood of the saints. Jesus said that those who are prepared and willing to give their life, remaining faithful and loyal to God, will get life.
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you… But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear that name” (I Peter 4:12-14,16).
When believers suffer because they are following Christ, they will share with Jesus Christ in his highly honoured office, ruling in the God-family kingdom. This is how King David could marvel. He saw that believers will also be crowned with glory and honor.
The Apostle Paul continued, “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers… For surely it is not the angels He helps, but the descendants of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:10-16).
A quick note of importance, “If you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).
The Apostle Paul double downs to press his point that the angels will be the servants of the repentant and humble mortals who receive eternal life. “Yet to which of the angels did God ever say: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet?’ Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:13-14)
THE SON OF GOD
Today: My Son, Your Father
It is a mystery that God Almighty declared that the God with him at the creation of heaven and earth is His Son on a specific day—today. Which day was “today”?
It appears that a relationship change took place when Jesus was raised from the dead. On that day, the God-family birthed the eldest son, Jesus our Messiah. It was a glorious moment. If the Word, who gave up his glorious eternal body to become a mortal for a time, had sinned while physical and vulnerable, he would not have been resurrected back into his glorious eternal body. He likely would have been resurrected to be judged and sentenced for destruction. The Word who became the Son of God put his eternal life on the line to save all of mankind. Indeed, his complete obedience to God brought him into perfection. He could not be tempted to sin. He loves righteousness and hates wickedness.
“He has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: 'You are My Son; today I have become Your Father’” (Acts 13:33).
Many more children of God will be birthed and adopted into God’s family kingdom.
“For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29).
God is not limiting His children only to His people, rather all people on earth who repent, get baptised and receive and accept the lead of the His Holy Spirit within them.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:14-17).
This Son of God inherited rulership over all the nations on earth. His redemptive sacrifice paid the price of the sins for mankind, now all of mankind have been purchased by Christ by his blood.
“I will proclaim the decree spoken to Me by the LORD: ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father. Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession’” (Psalm 2:7).
The angels in heaven do not seem to have the honoured relationship that Jesus Christ was awarded from the Father in heaven, upon his resurrection.
“For to which of the angels did God ever say: ‘You are My Son; today I have become Your Father’? Or again: ‘I will be His Father, and He will be My Son’"? (Hebrews 1:5)
“So also, Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the One who said to Him: "You are My Son; today I have become Your Father. And he says in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek’" (Hebrews 5:5-6).
Jesus Christ was designated by the LORD Almighty as a High Priest in the highest order. God’s people remain destined to become a kingdom of holy, royal priests. Jesus Christ will be the High Priest over the kingdoms on earth; he will also be King over all of them. Creation in heaven will serve the kingdoms of priests on earth. Mankind was created to become a church-kingdom on earth. The LORD Almighty has made it clear that rulership must be bound with grace, love, patience, kindness, tolerance, compassion and goodness.
The Son is the visible image of God Almighty. He rules with love and firmness; he forgives sins, heals and gives life; he teaches the law and way of God that brings life and leads to eternal peace and happiness.
THE LION OF JUDAH
Royalty and Kingship
“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals” (Revelation 5:5).
The image describing Jesus the Messiah, as a lion, points to his royalty and ruling role as a King in the family. It also is an illustration of his strength to devour his enemies. Jesus’ enemies are the fallen heavenly rulers, powers and principalities. These are the only enemies that the Apostle Paul said that mankind should concern with (Ephesian 6:12).
Jacob, the patriarchal father of the twelve tribes of Israel, passed over his three eldest sons: Reuben, Simeon and Levi, giving the birthright sceptre to his fourth son, Judah. In him, he saw the rise of the Saviour of mankind, the King that would reign over all kings and Lord over all lords.
“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk” (Genesis 49:8-12).
After this evil age, Jesus the Messiah will rule teaching the nations God’s law and His ordinances. There will be no deviating away from law and order. “And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron sceptre. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Revelation 19:15).
The sword: God’s law and His word
The sword represents the word of God (Revelation 1:16, Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 6:17). The returning Saviour will use the word of God to strike down the nations. He will declare their sins, judge the leaders and the people. He will remind them of the great witness by the saints that is yet to be completed, warning and urging them to repent and turn away from their sins.
Through the power of Almighty God, the Son spoke and creation came into being (Hebrews 11:13), in the same way, he will speak the truth against them and they will be subdued, judged and sentenced. Like grapes in a wine press, the unrepentant will be crushed. The fury of God will be executed and the wicked will be dashed into pieces and crushed under foot (Psalm 2:9). The Messiah’s return will be marked by great power and radiant glory.
The fearful roar of a lion
Solomon’s wisdom will become history when Jesus Christ returns with in power and glory to overthrow Wickedness once and for all. “The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life” (Proverbs 20:2).
Both Almighty God and the Son, Jesus Christ are described as a lion in scripture. Their call is like the roar of a powerful lion. The God of the ten tribes of Israel, identified under their ancient leader’s name—Ephraim, living in the West and western Europe, who are slow to repent even after the great witness during the great tribulation, will be humbly grateful because God will have compassion on them. Almighty God will roar like a lion. They will feel the moving blasts of His power and they will return to Him, weeping and begging for life.
“‘I will not execute the full fury of My anger; I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim. For I am God and not man—the Holy One among you—and I will not come in wrath. They will walk after the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west. They will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria. Then I will settle them in their homes,’ declares the LORD” (Hosea 11:9-11).
A mighty angel in Revelation will roar like the voice of Almighty God—powerful and commanding. “Then he cried out in a loud voice like the roar of a lion. And when he cried out, the seven thunders sounded their voices” (Revelation 10:3).
The powerful roar of the lion draws everyone’s immediate attention. “The lion has roared— so who isn’t frightened? The Sovereign LORD has spoken— so who can refuse to proclaim his message?” (Amos 3:8) A time is on our near horizon when Almighty God will again engage directly with mankind. From out of the vast blue sky, the powerful roar of God’s will be heard and the whole world will immediately stop and listen.
Lions are fearless. The Lion of Judah is intrepid and will stop at nothing to destroy his lawless enemies. He is King over all kings and Lord over all lords. He is awarded the sceptre because of his great courage, strength and determination to cleanse all creation of wickedness. “There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk: the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him” (Proverbs 29-31).
Having the heart of a lion is fearing nothing. Believers have Almighty God and their Saviour as their protectors. Nobody can be successful against them (Romans 8:31). “Then even the valiant man, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and that those who are with him are valiant men” (II Samuel 17:10). This verse details that moment in time when King David’s son, Absalom, was out to take the throne of Israel. His father, King David, was a highly trained and a courageous warrior with a heart of a lion who served and revered his God, the King of Israel. He was in the habit of putting his life on the line to do God’s will.
As the lion is the king of the animal world, so Almighty God is the ultimate King above all creation and Jesus Christ the anointed King over all creation in heaven and on earth.
“They shall go after the Lord; he will roar like a lion; when he roars, his children shall come trembling from the west” (Hosea 11:10). The slow-repenting people of God will finally awaken to reality. They had forgotten their God—the Great and All-Powerful God and His Son, their Saviour. At a time of great distress, they will be mocked and ridiculed, taken into captivity, sold and purchased. During this horrific time, they will cry out to the Almighty God—the God of Israel.
They will plead with Christ. Like Jacob, returning home, they will wrestle with him begging for his favour and the blessing of eternal life. God and Christ will have mercy on them. God said that He will have compassion on Jacob and choose Israel again (Isaiah 14:1). Their renewed passion for righteousness, now seeing with their own eyes the existence of God and their Saviour, they will be like their King—a lion destroying their prey.
“And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver” (Micah 5:8).
Samson’s story
Revelations of the Messiah of mankind are hidden in the stories of the Bible from ancient times. The Messiah’s redemptive sacrifice provided a source of life, spiritual teaching and growth into maturity with the Spirit of Christ in each repentant believer. A riddle that has teased scholars for hundreds of years is a leading story in Samson’s life. He killed a lion and sometime later, he passed by the carcass and saw a hive of bees among the decaying body. He reached in and ate some of the honey.
“Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring” (Judges 14:5).
“After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey” (Judges 14:8).
Many of Samson’s life events have a spiritual lesson. The lion Samson killed is a mirror of God’s people and really all of mankind because everyone has sinned, hence, participated in the death of Jesus, our Messiah—the Lion of Judah. Our sins, whether intentional or through deception, have a penalty of death. Jesus paid the price. His redemptive sacrifice has opened the door again for eternal life for all of mankind; the choice is theirs. Spiritual growth is essential. Honey from the carcass of the lion is a mirror of eternal food that when consumed strengthens and provides the sustenance for spiritual maturity to dying people. It is not a natural habitat of a hive of bees to live in a carcass. It is not possible for eternal food to come out of spiritually dead people; hence, the wonder of Christ’s death is a one-time event!
One Teacher
Only the death of Jesus Christ provides the mechanism for eternal food for mankind. He is their only Teacher.
“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:8, 10-11).
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The Only Begotten SON of God - Part 3
FROM A STUMP OF JESSE TO A ROOT
Stump of Jesse
King David was promised that the eternal King and Saviour of all of mankind will come from his family.
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1).
Isaiah recorded in verse one, of chapter eleven, a reference to the “stump of Jesse.” It signifies a dying people; all that is left is the stump. However, a shoot comes out of the dying stump and from that shoot a branch that bears fruit. The shoot described by Isaiah is the Messiah and from him, spiritual growth is made possible where fruit—righteous people will mature and do good works.
God is showing through the language used that His people were dying spiritually; a stump only remained. They needed a Saviour so that they could be reborn, bear the fruit of good works, faithfulness and righteousness.
The prophet Isaiah refers to the “root of Jesse” because the roots of every plant provide the stability and life of all growth above it. David was the last son of Jesse and the first son to grow spiritually.
“When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. . . . Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (II Samuel 7:12-16).
Root of Jesse
From a dying stump, the house of Jesse was given life and roots began to grow again and righteous leaders rose up.
“On that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:10).
“On that day” is an exact point in time. “On that day” is the time at the end of the great tribulation. The slow-repenting twelve tribes of Israel will finally bend their knee and acknowledge the anointed Kingship of Jesus Christ. These are the foolish virgins in Matthew 25 who “at that time” were sleeping along with the wise virgins. Both groups awaken during the end of the great tribulation. The wise had the essential spiritual maturity to be invited by Jesus Christ to attend, as guests, the wedding supper. These two groups: the foolish and the wise are not the Bride of Christ. She is a separate group who did not fall asleep. This group of men and women continued to overcome and grow spiritually so that when “that day” came, they were ready.
The “root of Jesse,” is no longer referred as the “stump of Jesse” because “on that day” a strong spiritual leader will be present, Jesus Christ, will have returned. He is the life-giving root who will sprout, grow tall and produce branches bearing fruit. From him, men and women will mature spiritually, become leaders who will work with him to teach God’s people and all people God’s law and His way. The nations of the world will inquire about the arrival of this Spirit Being after witnessing the peace and joy people enjoy under his rule.
SON OF DAVID
Jesus’ proclamation to be a son of David is his prophetic acknowledgement to have the sceptre promised through the family-line of David, the long-awaited Deliverer fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies and honoured title as healer and life-giver of all of mankind.
“A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly” (Matthew 15:22). This Canaanite woman believed that Jesus could and would heal. Addressing him, she acknowledged also his royal-line by adding “Son of David” acknowledging him the King over all kings.
Two blind men cried out to Jesus, addressing him as both priest and king—Lord, Son of David. They asked for their eyes to be opened. “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and at once they received their sight and followed Him” (Matthew 20:32). A double meaning of “eyes to be opened” is apparent because these blind men were healed both physically and spiritually; they followed Jesus.
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16). Jesus of Nazareth is the prophesied root from the stump of Jesse and the Offspring of David; he was before the birth of David and after his birth; his existence goes beyond David.
LORD JESUS
“But when they went in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus” (Luke 24:3). In particular, the title of Lord was applied to Jesus after his resurrection. He died for the sins of mankind; he bought them with his blood; he is their Saviour, their healer, their life-giver, their High Priest.
Lord, High Priest
“Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess” (Hebrews 4:14).
Fortunately, mankind has a high priest who understands the weaknesses of being human. “For this reason, He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:7).
Again, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
Lord and King
Thomas, the doubter, learned this important lesson quickly. “Then Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’" (John 20:27-28) Thomas believes after he sees the wounds on Jesus. Then he acknowledges Jesus as both his Saviour and a God that he will come before and bend his knee.
Lord and Messiah
“For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right handuntil I place Your enemies as a footstool of Your feet.”' Therefore, let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!” (Acts 2:34-36) God declared that Jesus is both High Priest and Saviour.
Jesus, Lord of all
Since Jesus is the Saviour for all of mankind, he will be the One to offer them grace, forgive sins, heal them and give them life. God Almighty does not show favouritism. “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism, but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right. He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all’” (Acts 10:36).
Lord of the Sabbath
“He entered the house of God, took the consecrated bread and gave it to his companions, and ate what is lawful only for the priests to eat. Then Jesus declared, ‘The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath (Luke 6:4-5). What Jesus was stating was that he is a priest—Lord, even Lord of the Sabbath, meaning by keeping the Sabbath and resting from work, you are spending time with him, the Lord who saved you through his redemptive sacrifice. The Sabbath is the indicator that a special relationship exists between those resting and the Creator and their Saviour, through whom they were created. The Sabbath is also a sign between the LORD Almighty and the Lord Saviour and those who rest on that Day that they are made holy by the LORD Almighty in ancient times, and now the Lord Saviour who paid the price for their sins. “Also, I gave them my Sabbaths as a sign between us, so they would know that I the LORD made them holy” (Exodus 20:12).
Jesus Christ is mankind’s High Priest. He has the power to judge, forgive, give grace and life eternal. People who choose to work on the seventh day, are choosing to remain in rebellion against God. These people are changing six days of rebellion into a full seven days of rebellion, picturing no period of time when mankind repents to obey God and bend their knee to Jesus Christ. It is an indicator that they will rebel during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. These rebels will be judged and destroyed. “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God, for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:9-11).
Keeping the Sabbath holy has a direct correlation to refraining from sin. "How blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who takes hold of it; Who keeps from profaning the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil" (Isaiah 56:2).
God’s house is a house of prayer for ALL nations. “And FOREIGNERS who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, and love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, and all who KEEP THE SABBATH WITHOUT DESECRATING IT and who hold fast to my covenant—THESE I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS” (Isaiah 56:6-7).
Those who joyfully keep the Sabbath with reverence to the Eternal God will be blessed generously by God.
“If because of the Sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to FEAST ON THE INHERITANCE OF YOUR FATHER JACOB." The mouth of the LORD has spoken” (Isaiah 58:13-14).
THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST IN YOU
Before Jesus died, he said to his disciples that he must go so that the Comforter can come.
“I have told you these things so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me. But I have told you these things so that when their hour comes, you will remember that I told you about them. I did not tell you these things from the beginning, because I was with you. Now, however, I am going to Him who sent Me; yet none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going? Instead, your hearts are filled with sorrow because I have told you these things. But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned” (John 16:1-12).
While Jesus would have dearly loved to stay with the disciples and held them, he knew that his return to heaven would then provide a greater source of help to the disciples. On Pentecost, God opened the door for His Holy Spirit to come upon this new church of people. God’s Holy Spirit now flows from Him, through Jesus the Messiah, to all people who repent and are baptized. This Spirit flowing from Almighty God is the Comforter and Spirit of Christ creating a new person.
Create in himself a new man in place of two
Through the Messiah, God’s Holy Spirit births a new being with Christ in them. Jesus said, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him” (John 14:19-21). Total unity will be achieved. The Son in the Father, the saints in Christ and Christ in the saints.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (11 Corinthians 5:17-21).
The man, Jesus Christ, our Comforter and Mediator
The Spirit in Jesus, our Messiah, is God’s Holy Spirit. It is our Comforter and Mediator.
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (I Timothy 2:5). Christ is identified in this verse as “the man” because he suffered the temptations and human battles experienced by mortals and understands our struggles.
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (II Corinthians 3:18).
Christ’s Spirit within us, is the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit through him. It comes with the added benefit of Christ interceding for us. He has the knowledge of our difficulties as mortals and our handicaps against the evil spiritual rulers, powers and principalities. He understands the continual attacks from Satan who deceives and tries to force wickedness upon us.
“But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10).
Earthen vessels house the Spirit of Christ
The spiritual new birth is already forming while in mortal decaying bodies. The Spirit of Christ is alive within shining out the knowledge and glory of God. “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassingly great power may be from God, and not from us” (II Corinthians 4:6-7).
The great prophets of old pondered feverishly how God was going to transform repenting people into righteousness. His beloved Son is means through his Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God.
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me” (Colossians 1:27-29).
The Spirit of Jesus engages with God’s servants
The Spirit of Jesus engages with God’s servants, directly. “After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia. And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them” (Acts 16:6-7).
THE RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE
The riders on horses in Revelation symbolize their victories in the battle of evil against good. They are warriors and commanders of military forces. The white horse with the rider holding a bow who is successful in spreading of false religion throughout the world by false Messiahs wearing a crown of authority. The Antichrist to come and the false prophet performing miracles, soon to come, will deceive many people. They are set on the complete destruction of all of mankind.
“For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many (Matthew 24:5).
The fiery red horse with the rider taking peace from the earth is promoting war. All leaders worldwide pursuing and engaging in war are puppets of the rider on the red horse who hold a large sword, stirring up strife, setting countries against each other, and lying to people through their leaders and every other means possible.
The black horse with the rider holding a pair of scales controls the world’s commerce. Financial corruption, insider trading, price fixing, money laundering, debt promotion, government inflation, unemployment, financial loss, poverty and severe unnatural weather patterns destroying homes, towns, businesses, crops, orchards and farmland.
The pale horse with the rider named Death, and Hades following, describes a spiritually unhealthy, dying state, which occurs when people are lured back into sin and become imprisoned in Hades. After Satan and his beastly coalition are thrown down to earth, lawlessness and wickedness will cover the earth like dust. The nations will surrender to this alien arrival. They will witness the immense power of this alien spiritual force and they will say, “Who can make war against it?” and “Who is like this coalition of forces?” (Revelation 13:4)
God’s people will open the Bible to Revelation panicking to understand the scriptures that forewarned them of this beastly arrival.
The seals Jesus, the Lamb, opened unveiled events that would take place from the time of the redemptive sacrifice of mankind and his return. The rebel spiritual forces on earth and in heaven are working feverishly to destroy mankind and prevent their awakening to reality. Returning to worship the Almighty God, their God and acceptance of Jesus Christ as their Saviour will be attacked with every kind of deception.
God Almighty planned from before creation, to offer all of mankind wonderful, eternal positions in His God-family kingdom. The rebel heavenly forces are working to prevent the knowledge from surfacing. They are propagating false religion; they are keeping nations at war—people one against each other, nations against each other; they are impoverishing the people through economic corruption of mass destruction; they are flipping right into wrong and wrong into right leading people into spiritual confusion. Jesus said that these events are only the birth pains of what is yet to occur.
A spiritual war is at play. Jesus, the anointed King over all kings and Lord over all lords, will arrive on a white horse with the sword of judgement against all of the rebel, heavenly forces. The description of a white horse is a picture of victory; the sword is the spiritual word of God. He will convict the rebels and destroy them single-handedly because the Almighty God has given him all power to restore all things to how it was before iniquity was found.
THE LIVING CAPSTONE
The reference to “capstone” in scripture points to the return of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. He is imaged as a stone because of the strength and durability of stones.
Jesus was resurrected and the Apostle Peter reminded believers that Jesus is a living Stone.
“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him” (I Peter 2:4).
When Jesus died, his redemptive sacrifice qualified him to be the leader for all leaders to follow. His love for righteousness and hatred of wickedness, keeps all those under his rule from wandering into darkness. His leadership has laid the cornerstone for the structure of the kingdom of God. His return will be the capstone holding the whole structure of God’s kingdom firmly in place for all eternity.
God’s people will rejoice. “What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’” (Zechariah 4:7)
Zechariah recorded God’s word. “What are you, O great mountain?” That descriptor of a great mountain is the world governments ruling lawlessly under Satan’s influence. Zerubbabel will be with Jesus Christ to witness the total destruction of the rebel world-ruling government on earth. It will be flattened and crushed. He will have the honour of presenting Jesus Christ, King of all kings and Lord of all lords, shouting “Grace, grace to it!” It will be a display of riveting events of great joy.
Foretold to the Jewish religious leaders that the good leader they sought to kill is their long-awaited Saviour of whom they rejected. Their arrogance blinded them from recognizing all of his miracles and good works. “Then know this, you and everyone else in Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you completely healed. He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone’” (Acts 4:10-11).
The Jews will receive grace
The Jews who have still to this day, rejected Jesus Christ will come to bitterly weep when the veil of stupor is lifted and before them, their loving Saviour-King and Lord saves them from destruction.
Almighty God will awaken them during their time of extreme distress. Hostile powers will surround Jerusalem. Through the strong arm of Almighty God, anyone who crosses the boundary line into Jerusalem will totter like a drunkard and fall. Jerusalem at that time will be like a cup of wine that sends those who drink from it reeling and tottering incapable of defending themselves or escaping. God’s enemies will plan to destroy Jerusalem.
“On that day, when all the nations of the earth gather against her, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who would heave it away will be severely injured. On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and every rider with madness. I will keep a watchful eye on the house of Judah, but I will strike with blindness all the horses of the nations” (Zechariah 12:3-4).
The Jews will recognize the supernatural events protecting them then “The leaders of Judah will say in their hearts: ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the LORD of Hosts is their God.’ On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among the sheaves; they will consume all the peoples around them on the right and on the left, while the people of Jerusalem remain secure there” (Zechariah 12:5-6).
“Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south. You will flee by My mountain valley, for it will extend to Azal. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with Him. On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a day known only to the Lord, without day or night; but when evening comes, there will be light. And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike. On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone” (Zechariah 14:3-9).
The Jews will see and experience the goodness of the Great God of Israel and their Saviour as both work to protect them during their darkest hours. “The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and of the people of Jerusalem may not be greater than that of Judah. On that day the LORD will defend the people of Jerusalem, so that the weakest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the LORD going before them. So on that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:7-9).
God will give grace to the Jews, the house that rejected grace seeking only to enter into eternal life through works and strict obedience to their laws. Jesus tried to guide them back to keeping God’s law but they would not listen. They rejected him; they rejected grace. God placed a veil of stupor over them until all of their brothers from the house of Israel, who became known as Christians, have been re-grafted back into the covenant family. The last rescue of God’s people are the Jews who rejected the capstone. Christ will give them grace and they will humbly accept it.
“Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son. On that day the wailing in Jerusalem will be as great as the wailing of Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo” (Zechariah 12:10-11).
The ROCK, the Rock
Almighty God is often described in the Old Testament as the Rock—the infallible strength and power, guiding and protecting His people. His federal government is described as a great mountain.
“There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God” (I Samuel 2:2).
The nations in the time of Babel, were given skilful and knowledge-rich heavenly rulers to guide them back onto the righteous path. None of these heavenly rulers come close to the Almighty God—the God of Israel.
“For their rock is not like our Rock, even our enemies concede” (Deuteronomy 32:31).
Samuel, ancient Israel’s faithful leader knew the God of Israel. He declared, “My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation. My stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence” (II Samuel 22:3).
King David knew the throne upon which he sat belonged to the Great King of Creation. Almighty God gave Himself an inheritance—kingship over the descendants of Jacob at the time of Babel. Though Abraham was not yet born for another 200 years after that time, God waited patiently knowing that from the seed of Abraham, a people could be molded and transformed. King David leaned on his Great King for guidance and direction. “He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation’” (Psalm 89:26).
King David urged his people to call out and lean of the Great God, their Creator. “On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” (Psalm 62:7-8).
The Almighty God is perfect in wisdom, judgement, and justice. The leaders of the world both the heavenly and mortal rulers are faulty, self-glorifying, self-directed and self-reliant. They lay heavy weights on the people and the people groan. The Almighty God will bring relief, righteousness and peace. “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
Traveling with the God of Israel, throughout ancient times was the Angel of the LORD, the Word, the Teacher. Ancient Israel was taught God’s law and His ways, but they still failed.
“They all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were drinking from the spiritual rock accompanying them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness” (I Corinthians 10:3-5).
The Rock struck by Moses, during ancient Israel’s travels in the wilderness, symbolized the death of the begotten Son of God who would save them. Water flowed out from that Rock and they all drank. That water symbolized the outflowing of God’s Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ for all of mankind to drink.
“Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink." So, Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel” (Exodus 17:6).
“Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink” (Numbers 20:11).
The outflowing of God’s Holy Spirit gave life to the congregation and even their livestock benefited. Christ’s redemptive sacrifice will benefit all species on earth.
King David remembered. “He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert” (Psalm 105:41) and “He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas” (Psalm 78:15).
Jesus Christ is the rock—the strong leader to follow.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).
Jesus Christ is the foundation of eternal stability and strength. “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 3:11).
Like Father, like Son both are the Rocks for mankind to build on and establish their righteousness.
THE FIRST AND THE LAST
Jesus Christ, the First and the Last
Jesus Christ is the first stone to be laid forming the cornerstone of the God-family kingdom. He is the last stone, the capstone, who will finalize and complete the structure of the holy, eternal, royal-ruling God-family kingdom.
“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13-14).
From the moment God chose Abraham, the beloved, the only begotten Son of God worked intimately with the LORD God to speak to God’s servants on earth and spread the word of God. He will bring all repentant believers into his state of righteousness. He is the first born into this God-family kingdom. He is the leader for all creation to follow. He is the anointed King over all kings and Lord over all lords. He will close out this evil age with his one-thousand-year reign. He will complete God’s plan and establish a model nation of priests for all nations to follow. He was with Almighty God from the beginning and he will remain loyal and faith to his Father—our Father, the Supreme and Awesome Most High God for all eternity.
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life” (Revelation 2:8).
All that Jesus Christ has done was to help creation on earth. “Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14)
The Messiah urges people to repent and receive God’s Holy Spirit because important and highly valued positions await them in the holy God-family kingdom.
“In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).
“Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” (Matthew 25:34).
God Almighty—the LORD God, the First and the Last
Jesus Christ walks in the footsteps of his Father—our Father in heaven. Almighty God is the first of the First and the Last.
“Who has performed this and carried it out, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—the first and the last—I am He” (Isaiah 41:4).
All things are possible for the Almighty God. He engineered mankind’s walk into righteousness; He knew the outcome of creation before He began to create through His Son. Almighty God is unique in every aspect of His being.
“Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: "I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me” (Isaiah 44:6).
God pleaded with His people in ancient times to recognize their King and His unique Supremacy over all that exists. He is their Highest High Priest—the LORD, King and their Rescuer.
“Listen to Me, O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have called: I am He; I am the first, and I am the last” (Isaiah 48:12). Almighty God was very clear. He is the first Almighty God and no other God will come after Him that is like Him.
"You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may consider and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, and after Me none will come” (Isaiah 43:10).
Again, “Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: "I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me” (Isaiah 44:6).
The heavenly rulers given kingship over the nations at the time of Babel, all turned from obeying the Great God. Upon receiving their kingship over the nations, each in a short time claimed to be the Supreme God—the One to be worshipped. Confusion rose and spread across the planet. The Almighty God who chose the descendants of Jacob has His subjects at the time of Babel,
beseeched His people to recognize His great power, His wisdom, His compassion and His love. Ancient Israel was caught up into self-glory, self-direction, and self-reliance after watching the nations ruled by then, rebel heavenly rulers and they craved what they saw. A humble kingdom of holy priests was not what they desired.
Ancient Israel will be last, last-days Israel will be first
Jesus prophesied, “the first will be last and the last will be first” (Matthew 20:16, Mark 10:31, Luke 13:30). Most of ancient Israel will be last to enter into God’s kingdom. The believers in the last days will be first. They were not present for the great miracles Almighty God performed when Israel left Egypt; they were not present when Almighty God fed ancient Israel manna in the wilderness; they were not present to witness the sun and moon stand still when Joshua called out to God to halt time so they finished the battle at Jericho in one day. They were not present to witness the countless miracles of Jesus healing and teaching people; they were not present to hear the voice of God from heaven say, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). The first to be resurrected are those in the last days who have faith in what they have not seen; they trust their Father in heaven, they recognize Him, honour Him and serve Him. They know their Saviour and they all follow him in humble devotion. The last will be first and most of the first will be last to enter into the humble, holy, royal-ruling, God-family kingdom.
THE ONLY BEGOTTON SON OF GOD
Almighty God is one-of-a-kind. He is the first and the last because there will never come a God anytime in the future of His Kind. He is the first and the last of His kind. The only begotten Son of God is also, one-of-a-kind. He is unique from all creation in heaven. He, too, is the first of his kind. He existed before creation; he was first a spiritual Being then made mortal to return to his original glory. He is the last because there exists no other Being like him nor ever will come in the future. He is the first and the last of his kind.
The only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, has conquered and overcome; he has been perfected and readied, he alone is King over all kings and Lord over all lords in all creation. He only is the Word, the Angel of God and the LORD, the Lamb, the Son of God and man, our High Priest, the chief cornerstone and living capstone, the righteous rider on the white horse with the sword of God’s law. He truly is the first of his kind and the last; no one will ever match his achievements. His crown is layered with successes, brilliance, goodness, humility and love. He is God like his Father—our Father. He is the irreplaceable, begotten Son of God.
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THE ROYAL RULING THREE
One of the many wonders of creation’s Great God is His ability to know the future. From this knowledge, our Creator formulated plans for a family-kingdom—a holy, royal, ruling God-family. He foreknew the great fall in heaven and its influence over earth, pulling mankind into sin with them. He foreknew the weakness of His people that He gave to himself as an inheritance—His kingship over them. He foreknew the redemption of mankind and His gift of grace. He foreknew the rise of a Queen, wife of His beloved Son. The rise of an everlasting family-kingdom over all creation in heaven and on earth was foreknown. The ruling-three: God the Father, God the Son and the Bride/Wife of the Son was foreknown before creation. Accepting Christ’s offer of redemption and God’s gift of grace to be family members in the holy, royal, ruling God-family remains a choice for all of mankind, today.
Scriptural proofs to key questions uncover God’s foreknowledge and His maneuvers to fulfill His plan for an impenetrable and sound eternal God-kingdom comprised of repentant, righteous mankind and tested, righteous spiritual beings in heaven.
- What scriptures unveil the foreknowledge of God?
- Who is the Bride, Christ’s Wife-to-be?
- Who are God’s people?
- Who are the ten virgins in the parable in the book of Matthew?
- When will all of mankind be called to awaken from their darkened state?
KNOWN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD: DARKNESS AND SIN
Before the creation in heaven and on earth began, the Son of God accepted the role of Saviour of mankind knowing sin would enter and cover mankind on earth.
“For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you” (Isaiah 60:2).
“But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot. He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake” (I Peter 1:15-20).
Before the creation in heaven and on earth began, the Son of God accepted the role of Saviour of mankind knowing sin would enter and cover mankind on the earth.
“For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you” (Isaiah 60:2).
KNOWN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD: A SACRIFICE
The beloved Son of God was prepared to put his spiritual life on the line to save mankind. No greater love has been expressed than when the Son accepted to be the sacrifice to pay the price for the sins of mankind—before creation began.
Through the Son’s perfect sacrifice, the Great Creator God has implemented grace, wrapping His legal structure in compassion, patience and love. Everything was foreknown to the Father in heaven. This was the most effective way to test and fortify in righteousness the souls that would comprise of God’s holy, royal and ruling family—for all eternity.
KNOWN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD: GRACE
“For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In loveHe predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One” (Ephesians 1:4-6).
KNOWN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD: SALVATION FOR MANKIND/THE SECOND CREATION
God’s kingdom ruled by Jesus Christ, the beloved Son, has not yet been established. Every member of this eternal royal, holy family has not yet been realized; it is still being determined and formed. At the completion of the set time, the first born into God’s kingdom will be a breath-taking event and a fearful awakening for those who remain mortal.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” (Matthew 25:34).
People called by God and chosen because they have faith in the promises of God. They will live forever as members of the ruling, royal God-family.
“When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).
“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life” (Ephesians 2:10).
All of this was foreknown by God, our Father in heaven and every attempt made by Satan to destroy mankind has been used by God to mold, test and strengthen those who accept the guiding hand of God.
“He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
Grace is the gift God has woven into His perfected kingdom that stands as a fortress of law. Grace is core to God’s fortress-kingdom that radiates out good will and love to all, everywhere.
KNOWN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD: THE ROYAL, RULING THREE
This kingdom was planned before creation began. It has been designed to be led by a divine three: God Almighty as supreme head, Jesus Christ second and King over all kings and Lord over all lords and third will be the Bride/Wife—the body of Christ. These three will rule over all creation in heaven and on earth.
WHO IS THE BRIDE/CHRIST’S WIFE-TO-BE?
Indeed, the big question is WHO.
All of mankind has been purchased by Jesus Christ through his redemptive sacrifice on the cross. From within this large body of people on earth, a small group, throughout time, have developed an eternal bond through faith and belief. These are the men and women who will form the Bride/Christ’s wife-to-be.
This body is referred to as his church—a theological body, but not everyone in “the church” will be the Bride/Christ’s wife-to-be. Among the mysteries of God spoken of by the Apostle Paul, the relationship of the Son with a theological body of men and women referred to as “the church” is mirrored in the loving and righteous relationship of a married man and woman. The Apostle Paul unveiled this profound mystery.
“For we are members of His body. For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:30-32).
Christ will marry the church—the saints within a theological body of people who remain faithful even until death during times of peace and great distress. This body of men and women will rise up above the average member with qualities and strengths that are rare and precious to God.
Christ’s death on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of all of mankind. It also paid the dowry for a special body of men and women. The gift of grace has been given. These theological specialists will be the first to be transformed into their glorious and radiant eternal bodies.
The wedding will take place after Christ returns to earth. At this time, the whole earth will be in turmoil before the royal wedding. The last few minutes of the great battle will be a time when an extremely distressed rebel alliance of fallen heavenly rulers will be raging and grabbing to hold onto their power over the earth but fail as they attempt to subdue the might of Jesus Christ, the King over all kings and Almighty God. These heavenly rebels fight as if it could be possible to overthrow the Supreme Great God.
God’s wrath will bring an end the great prostitute riding the beast. She will be overthrown by the fallen beastly alliance from heaven. This great prostitute is a theological entity that lures people into worshipping false gods, practicing heinous rituals and believing a false salvation plan. “In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on earth” (Revelation 18:24). This masquerading church preaching a false theology will be ruthless and relentless.
The beastly alliance wants full control and all power. This woman on their back is a thorn in their flesh. “And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and burn her with fire” (Revelation 17:16). After the beastly alliance unveils her “nakedness,” which is God’s image for wrongful behaviour, they destroy her. For God will “put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God’s words are fulfilled. The woman you saw is the great city that rulers over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:17-18).
This great city will come into a clear view soon. The saints will declare God’s truth, His word. They will stand strong against her lies and deception. They will proclaim the testimony of Jesus and remain the formidable force against her.
When this religious rival is destroyed, the Lamb—the One who won the rulership over the nations through his perfect and redemptive sacrifice on the cross, will then fight against the rebel beastly coalition. “With him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (Revelation 17:14). These called, chosen and faithful followers are seemingly those in the first resurrection. They are Christ’s bride who include those who fled under God’s protection into the wilderness for 1,260 days—for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach (Revelation 12:14b). These men and women will be made ready; the spots, wrinkles and blemishes—their theological imperfections will be corrected.
This body of people are described with the Philadelphia group who are kept from “the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on earth” (Revelation 3:10). The hour of trial corresponds with the same period of time that the ten kings who had not yet received a kingdom (promised previously), “for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast” (Revelation 17:12).
After the fall and destruction of the great prostitute, creation in heaven will roar with praises to Almighty God. Justice and vengeance will take place. The great prostitute will have attempted to replace God’s faithful church and enforce their own saving plan for mankind. Foolish Wickedness will feel the sting of Almighty God’s hand. Job understood and said, “I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). The archenemy of God’s faithful church will be judged, sentenced and destroyed.
The wedding of the Son of God is then announced, “‘Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.’ (For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints)” (Revelation 19:6b-8).
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE INVITED TO THE WEDDING BANQUET?
Immediately after the wedding of Christ and his bride is announced, an important message is delivered. The angel with the Apostle John said, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God’” (Revelation 19:9).
A different group of people are invited in to the wedding banquet. Who are these people?
The parable of the ten virgins is key to identifying those who are invited into the wedding banquet. “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10).
THE BACKSTORY
The parable of the ten virgins holds many deep secrets about God’s people. They have a very long history of rebellion against their King, the Almighty God. The lineage of these people began with Abraham, Isaac and from Isaac the lineage went through Jacob, not Esau, and from Jacob twelve sons. These twelve sons carry the long history of people who were known as Israelites comprised of twelve tribes. In a revolt against the high taxes imposed on the people by King Solomon, their kingdom fractured under the reign of King Rehoboam into two houses [Judah and Israel] in 922 BCE. The house of Israel fell due to their continual rebel leadership who opposed God. They were eventually divorced from the covenant family. The ancient prophets were distressed by the fracture and falling kingdom and longed to see the prophesied Saviour who would come to save them and restore all things. The Son of God, Jesus Christ died on the cross and paid the penalty for sin allowing the divorced house to be redeemed and brought back into the covenant family, together again, with the house of Judah. While the kingdom remains fractured today into twelve nations, each with their own language, all of them are redeemed along with the nations of the world. God’s focus is to continue with His plan to re-unite the kingdom of Israel. He is working to establish a kingdom of holy, royal priests comprised of all twelve tribes, today, twelve nations who will be a model of righteousness for all nations on earth under the rulership of Jesus Christ.
TEN VIRGINS, GOD IS NOT TALKING TO ALL TWELVE
The parable of the ten virgins should be twelve virgins if God was talking to all twelve tribes, but in the parable, He is talking only to ten redeemed groups. They are identified as “virgins” because they are redeemed, no longer worshipping fallen gods in heaven. Two redeemed groups are different from the ten. They are not asleep at that time.
The parable begins with “At that time” the kingdom of heaven is like ten virgins. “At that time” is identifying exactly when two virgins are not asleep, but actively overcoming. They remember the words of God, “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son” (Revelation 21:7). Ten redeemed groups of God’s people will have fallen into complacency. They are not overcoming today. They will awaken fully around Christ’s return realizing their lack of spiritual growth.
“At that time” a lot of highly significant events happen. God’s people will enter into the great distress of Jacob’s trouble—the Great Tribulation.
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time” (Daniel 12:1).
God’s people will awaken in a fright. Fifty percent will regret their complacency, but be grateful for God’s enduring mercy. They will be able to rekindle their passion for God’s word and his law and prove their faith before Jesus Christ, the groom. Fifty percent will recognize their total neglect of the word of God and his law and hasten to learn and prove some level of faithfulness. The foolish will not enter the wedding supper of Jesus Christ and the bride, but come into judgement before Almighty God with tears and supplications. These foolish, will come from all of the twelve tribes from the house of Israel and the house of Judah and beseech Almighty God for forgiveness and grace.
“In those days, at that time, the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Yahuah [YHWH], their God. They will ask the way of Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten” (Jeremiah 50:4-5).
Almighty God in His great kindness and love for His people, He will forgive them and save them. These are the people who will have been taken into captivity and scattered among the nations and slaves. They will be ridiculed and heavy mocked. Almighty God will have compassion on them.
“At that time, I will gather you; at that time, I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes" (Zephaniah 3:20).
In vengeance, Almighty God will repay them for their extra suffering under the oppression of the nations where they were sent. “At that time, I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame” (Zephaniah 3:19).
The whole world will learn that the God of the twelve nations of Israel is the Supreme God, the Almighty. “For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations. And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land. They have also cast lots for My people, traded a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine that they may drink” (Joel 3:1-3).
God’s people will bend their knee before their Creator, the Great God of all creation. “At that time, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be My people (Jeremiah 31:1).
The people from the two houses: Judah and Israel imaged as ten virgins will not be part of the first resurrection but return home to the land of their patriarch, Jacob and establish a righteous kingdom under the millennial reign of Christ.
This evil age is working to distract and entangle people into the cares of this world. Soon, the great harlot will rise and offer mankind an alternative saviour. With miracles and wonders, this evil character will lure mankind away from God. The faithful will not be deceived. During this time, they will be warning people against engaging in her trade. Mankind has only one Saviour, the Son of God.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (I John 5:3-5)
Overcoming is placing Almighty God and His word and Law first and living by it. Overcoming is nurturing a close relationship with Almighty God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Overcoming is the bending of our knee in humble service before our Great Creator and Saviour. Overcoming is loving God, our Saviour and one another. Overcoming fortifies our faith and trust in God.
God will have compassion on the ten virgins. Both groups will be saved.
“For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and settle them in their own land. The foreigner will join them and unite with the house of Jacob” (Isaiah 14:1).
God references Jacob separate from Israel. Rember in Isaiah 14, God refers to “them” not “him.” Being identified under the name of Jacob are the foolish fifty percent who had not overcome in time for the wedding banquet. The patriarch Jacob’s name was changed after he wrestled with the angel of the LORD for a blessing—the blessing of life, saving from his war-like brother Esau and warriors with him. Jacob knew the angel of the LORD was key to his saving. His determination was recognized and the angel changed his name to Israel.
Then the man [the angel of the LORD] said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed” (Genesis 32:28).
Hosea recorded, “In the womb he grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor” (Hosea 12:3-4).
The begging for eternal life and favour will be made by all of the returning twelve tribes of Israel who are not part of the first resurrection. The reality of eternal life, Almighty God, Jesus Christ and the witness of the transformation from mortal to spiritual of those in the first resurrection will cause these twelve tribes to grab onto Jesus Christ, the Old Testament angel of the LORD and beg for life eternal. They will weep; they will submit in reverence to their God and Saviour.
“In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance” (Jeremiah 3:18).
God will gather them to the north and judge them according to His law. They will be gathered to that direction because God's throne and His law courts reside in the north in heaven. Directions have meaning to God. His temple is in the east. Rebels are pushed to live in the west and law-breakers are thrown down south, deep underground in inner earth.
God provides clear detail through Ezekiel. “And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face. Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD. I will make you pass under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the covenant. And I will purge you of those who rebel and transgress against Me. I will bring them out of the land in which they dwell, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 20:35-38).
God will choose Israel, the overcomers and have compassion on those who have not yet fully overcome. He will bring both groups into His Holy Land under the rule of Jesus Christ.
Our loving God assures His people. “But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1).
Notice God is reminding the people who have not yet fully overcome that He is their Creator and Israel, the overcomers, are formed—molded by the very hands of God through Jesus Christ into a new person—a humble servant of God.
Despite the troubled journey of God’s people: their rebellions and their race for self-glory, self-reliance and self-direction, God endured and never rejected them. “But you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend— I brought you from the ends of the earth and called you from its farthest corners. I said, ‘You are My servant.’ I have chosen and not rejected you” (Isaiah 41:8-9).
Into the 21st century, the West and western Europe may have forgotten that the whole book of Hosea is addressing them with the Jewish house of Judah.
God foresaw them coming from the west where He pushed them. “They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west” (Hosea 11:10).
Some might say, “that is not us.” Hosea recorded God’s force like the infamous, powerful east wind that pushes everything in its path west. “The guilt of Ephraim [the ten tribes of Israel, the house of Israel] is stored up, his sins are kept on record… he is a child without wisdom… Though he flourishes among the reeds, an east wind will come. The wind of the Lord coming up from the wilderness; and his fountain will become dry and his spring will be dried up; it will plunder his treasury of every precious article” (Hosea 13:12a, 13b, 15).
God admits to pushing them westward. In that day, God prophesied, “Like an east wind I will scatter them before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity” (Jeremiah 18:17).
God’s temple is located in the east. God’s use of imagery points in the direction of his temple—His place where righteousness rules. So, in God’s righteous judgement, He has pushed the house of Israel in the opposite direction of Him over hundreds of years because they persisted on living the way they wanted to live—in sin.
The east wind pushes westward. They were pushed so far westward, that they became identified as the West and western Europe. China is located in the east, but it is not identified under the sole name of the East. No other country on earth can be solely identified with the name of a specific direction. The West is known as a specific group of people—all of the English-speaking people who, combined, are the house of Joseph, leader of the ten tribes of Israel. God pushed the leading house of the ten tribes westward, all the way to the edge. It is indicative of how far they had fallen away from God at one time. All of the countries that comprise the West, will repent and return to worship God Almighty forever never to fall away again. Western Europe will follow them.
Again, Hosea recorded God’s prophecy, “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon, he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon…” (Hosea 14:4-6).
God foresees His people maturing spiritually, sending down roots like cedar trees deep and stable. The fragrance of the cedar tree deters pests; the fragrance of spiritually strong and stable individual deters evil. The splendor of an olive tree is that it bears fruit well into its old age; the spiritually mature individual will be a priest/priestess of righteousness living well into their old age. All this begins in the west. “In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God. The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader [King David] and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel” (Hosea 1:10b-11).
God added, “Say to your brothers, ‘My people,’ and of your sisters, ‘My loved one’” (Hosea 2:1).
A NEW HEAVEN AND NEW EARTH
Despite so much that ancient Israel was given from God, they rejected the great calling to become a humble kingdom of holy, royal priests.
Into the 21st century, the people of Israel will beg and weep to become God’s model kingdom of humble, holy, royal priests. Those who wrestle with Christ and prevail and be welcomed into God’s eternal, holy, royal, ruling God-family.
The new Jerusalem will be comprised of the spiritual strength of the mother church for all eternity. These people are the wife of the Lamb. The angel said to the Apostle John, “‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb,’ and he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:9-10).
The foundation of this mother church will be the prophets and prophetesses, the righteous judges in ancient times, righteous kings of old, the apostles, the saints and all men and women who have died under duress or persecution standing unmoved in their faith and trust in God. Every member will form layers upon layers of strength. Their radiance and glory will be intensified as the unified body works as one. They will be part of the highest government in all existence participating in decisions, operations and future planning with Almighty God and Jesus Christ.
“And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head” (Revelation 12:1).
This image of a woman is describing a radiant and glorified church comprised of members from all twelve tribes of Israel exercising rulership. She is wearing a crown. The number twelve is symbolic of a perfect government. This body from all twelve tribes will exercise perfect leadership and governance. The formation of this church is a great sign in heaven—a clear picture of the success that a theological body of men and women who will rise up out of darkness and mature to lead all churches [the lesser lights] forever.
“She was pregnant and crying out in pain and agony of giving birth… The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, ready to devour her child as soon as she gave birth. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter” (Revelation 12:2a, 4b-5a). This pure church gave birth to the Son of God, the redeemer of mankind, the King over all kings and Lord over all lords. It embraced and upheld the theology of God.
“The woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days” (Revelation 12:6). The body of men and women in the last days will be protected on earth in a place where they can be corrected and cleansed of all misunderstanding and misconceptions of scripture.
“The woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time” (Revelation 12:14). This church is given God’s supernatural power, the wings of a great eagle, to fly from the presence of the serpent where she is taught for three and a half years.
“And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea” (Revelation 12:17).
The daughter churches of this mother church are not part of the bride because they are asleep; they are not overcoming at that time. They will awaken during the Great Tribulation and return to their Hebraic roots, teaching and living as Jesus did on earth. They will be attacked by Satan because they are keeping the commandments of God and holding to the testimony of Jesus. They will be strengthened during this time of trouble; they are the “Israel” in the book of Isaiah and the overcoming people during the time of distress.
God’s plan cannot be thwarted; He will succeed. His people will become a holy kingdom of royal, ruling priests/priestesses. The wife of Christ will be coronated a Queen and she will rule with her husband, the King over all kings, and Lord over all lords. His Queen will specialize in theological righteousness, which will be tightly woven into God’s law and result in the application of love—God’s love.
Our Great Creator will sit on His throne watching the growth of His family-kingdom through the righteous leadership of His Son with his radiant Queen-wife-mother church. God’s Holy Spirit will flow generously from Him through His Son out into his wife and to all members of the God-family. New creations will take place. The family-kingdom will expand with no limits, no boundaries growing and expanding exponentially into countess many reflecting the full image of the Great God.
Go to the Studies page for the pdf
God's 10 Mysteries: nine and ten
MYSTERY #9: THE MYSTERY OF "INIQUITY/LAWLESSNESS"
As the "Mystery of our Godliness" is Christ who came in the flesh, so the "Mystery of Iniquity" is a hybrid life form, a “son” of Satan—the Antichrist who is the little horn in Daniel who will appear for all of the world to see. He is the mystery of lawlessness—his vile spirit will be poured out and absorbed by those who refuse the truth—who rebel against Almighty God and Jesus Christ. The Antichrist, the little horn, is a rebel spiritual being who will manifest himself in a glorious fashion coming down from heaven claiming to be the saviour of all of mankind.
The Archangel Michael restrains this vile character today, but when he receives the order to step away, the people on earth will see and experience a type of wickedness so terrifying and horrible they will shudder and hide. “And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way” (II Thessalonians 2:6-7).
Daniel recorded this 21st century event. “At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered” (Daniel 12:1).
The inhabitants whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the earth will rejoice and lavishly worship the beast, taking his mark of loyalty to lap up corruption and deceit (Revelation 13:8).
We see people today bent on destruction. They knowingly participate in all sorts of financial corruption, wrongful activities, strange practices and many openly worship Satan. When Jesus said, “Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing” he was referring to all of the spiritually lost people then and today.
God’s plan is meticulously marked. The mystery of iniquity/lawlessness will be revealed at the time Almighty God has planned. The Apostle Paul said that lawlessness is already at work. Into the 21st century, it is referred to as lawfare—the weaponization of the legal system. Corrupt and evil, powerful people are operating above the law and being protected by rogue judges, politicians, police and the vast array of supporters with them. The law does not restrain them from achieving what they want; they are not charged or convicted. They twist the law to bring charges against innocent people to destroy them financially and prevent them from going against them. They bring charges when there is no victim or offense. They create charges out of nothing to attack and neutralize their opponent. They are ruthless and relentless. They have no shame in their actions or remorse, instead their lawless actions do not end even when they achieve their outcome. They serve the mystery of iniquity.
The heavenly rebels know God’s Law; they are experts. The little horn in Daniel—the Antichrist will attempt to twist and abuse God’s Law to try to set a precedent that will pardon him and his allies of their lawlessness. Almighty God keeps His own Law. They will falsely accuse Him, try to change the interpretation of His Law to convict Him and Jesus Christ. God, the Supreme and All-Powerful God will allow this rebel success for a time in order to convict him and his allies with Satan and all who in heaven follow this rebel. God is testing creation in heaven as well as the people on earth.
Planned before creation, Almighty God foreknew the outcome of all things. A rebellion in heaven was foreknown. God, the Great Creator, drew up the set times within His grand plan for creation in heaven and on earth. God allows choices. With choices are consequences—blessings and curses. God Almighty knew rebels would try to usurp His rule. He knew He would have to build a legal case against them. He knew it would involve a terrifying war in heaven that would spillover onto earth. Mankind will be rudely awakened when these rebels arrive on earth.
Daniel described this rebel little horn in detail. He will grow in might and power in heaven and sit as a king for a time, times and half. He will play the key role in the final battle on earth. Satan will hand over his throne, power and great authority to the little horn (Revelation 13:2b) and watch on the side lines. “He [the little horn] will speak out against the Most High and oppress the saints of the Most High, intending to change the appointed times and laws; and the saints will be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time” (Daniel 7:25).
One of the key words in that verse is “intending.” The little horn will speak against the Almighty God and persecute the saints with the intension of perverting the authority of the Supreme God and trumping up false charges full of lies while persecuting the saints forever if he could because they stand strong with the Great Creator, the Supreme, Almighty God. The saints who survive will suffer mockery, ridicule and intense persecution from the little horn—the Antichrist with his coalition of fallen, heavenly rulers.
At this time, the little horn of Daniel will behave like a cornered beast desperately trying to change the times allocated by Almighty God who, alone, has allowed a time of great distress into His grand plan for all creation in heaven and on earth. He will also try to change laws—God’s laws that lead to God’s judgement and sentencing. He will try, through twisting and perverting God’s Law, the creation of his own rules to set a precedent that would allow for his pardon and the freeing of his rebel allies, will be attempted. He will fail because he is not the God of all gods; he is not the eternal Law-maker, he is not the Great Creator and he cannot alter God’s plan.
Time, times and a half has been allocated to the little horn at the close of this evil age to test the loyalty of all creation in both heaven and on earth. He will be successful only because he is allowed this set time. What God has determined must take place (Daniel 11:36b).
During the three-and-a-half-year reign of terror of this little horn—the Antichrist, he will:
· Rise in power in heaven and war against the army of the heavens
· Enjoy some success, “throwing some of the starry host down to the earth and trampling on them” (Daniel 8:10)
· Set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the army of God [Jesus Christ] and stop his daily work bringing it down to insignificance (Daniel 8:11).
This event will try the faith of Christians everywhere. Always remember, God is in charge regardless of events that are allowed to occur for a short time. God is building a legal case against all who war against Him.
The little horn—the Antichrist will:
- Do as he pleases
- Exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods
- Be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined by Almighty God must take place.
- Show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women [Jesus Christ], nor will he regard any god
- Exalt himself above them all
- Honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts.
- Attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god
- Greatly honor those who acknowledge him. Of course he will
- · Will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price” (Daniel 11:36-39). I guess everyone will have nothing and be happy.
- Come according to the working of Satan with all power and miracles and lying wonders
- Do every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing and they are perishing because they do not love the truth (II Thessalonians 2:9-11).
The Apostle John warned Christians to be aware of this vile character during the deceitful final years of this evil age who will declare himself to be the Saviour of mankind and a Creator.
"Who is the liar, but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son. Every one that denies the Son does not have the Father. The one who confesses the Son, truly has the Father also" (1 John 2:22-23).
The Antichrist will impersonate all of the unique origins and achievements of the true Saviour of mankind. He will claim to be a descendant from the line of King David. He will appear to be resurrected after being fatally wounded. He will bring a false Elijah to turn the hearts of mankind into complete lawlessness. He will make Jerusalem the capital of his world-ruling government and establish his rule with deceptive miracles and wonders that will be performed by the second beast, a false prophet. He will interpret the Mosaic Law through his own lens and proclaim world peace.
He will use God’s method of recognition and copy it. The faithful Philadelphia group of men and women are promised by Jesus Christ to have names written on their foreheads. He said, “I will put the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name” (Revelation 3:12b).
This rebel with place a mark on the right hand or on the forehead of those who commit to his system of business and lifestyle and worship him. "And the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the freemen and the slaves, allow it [the Antichrist's state religion] to give them a mark on their right hand, or on their foreheads: so that none can buy or sell, except they have the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of its name. Here is wisdom. Let him having reason count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and its number is six hundred and sixty-six" (Revelation 13:16-18).
The inhabitants on the earth who take the mark, or his name or number on their right hand or on their foreheads and worship the idol will be killed by Jesus Christ, the rider on the white horse (Revelation 19:20-21). The acceptance of a mark, name or number on their right hand or forehead is a wilful allegiance to live in their political and economic system. The worshipping of the idol of the beast is pledging loyalty to the head of the beast.
The mystery of iniquity/lawlessness is the establishment of a one-world ruling government where the supreme ruler will be the Antichrist described as the little horn by Daniel. He will work to establish his own interpretation of God’s Law and attempt to subdue the Almighty God and Jesus Christ to change the set times, to extend his own rulership beyond a time, times and half a time, which God Almighty has fixed in His grand plan for all creation.
This foolish rebel will fail. When this beastly coalition feels that have everything under their control, they will take their stand against Jesus Christ, Prince of princes. They will be quickly overpowered “not by human power” (Daniel 8:25b) but by the King over all kings and Lord over all lords.
These battles between very powerful spiritual beings will be visible to all people on earth. Watching the saints being subdued and persecuted during the great tribulation and the rebel spiritual powers taking control over the whole earth, will be terrifying for those who stand against wickedness. This beastly alliance will target the twelve nations that comprise of God’s people. Some will be taken into captivity, others killed, and all of them will be mercilessly mocked and belittled publicly everywhere. It will require, as Jesus prophesied, “patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints” (Revelation 13:10).
Put your trust in God’s plan. For a time, the work of Jesus Christ in heaven will be halted for 2,300 days and nights, the reign of terror of the Antichrist will be allowed for the set time, persecution, captivity, suffering and death, mockery and ridicule will target God’s people. All this is needed to awaken God’s people and bring them into a deep repentance and turn to Him. He will rescue them and His plan to establish His kingdom of priests will be achieved. This kingdom will be a light to the world and the nations will turn and ask to come in under the allegiance of the Great, Almighty God—their Creator.
The mystery of our godliness is the Holy Spirit of God flowing through Christ in you because you have accepted Jesus Christ as your saviour. You now can hear his voice and learn from him. The mystery of iniquity/lawlessness is the false Messiah attempting to establish a one-world government reign of terror for those who keep God’s Law and His way. These mysteries were fully understood by the Apostle Paul who taught them to the lost tribes of Israel. In love with the word of God, they carefully preserved his letters of instruction into the Bible that we have today.
PART 5
· The mystery of God’s will is the mystery of the restoration of all things
MYSTERY #10 THE MYSTERY OF GOD’S WILL IS THE MYSTERY OF THE RESTORATION OF ALL THINGS
The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 1: “And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Ephesians 1:9-10).
Mystery of His will, that is the will of Almighty God, reveals that at the end of the fullness of times, it is God’s purpose to restore all things, as they were before the rebellion of Satan and the fall of man.
“Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets” (Acts 3:21).
Compiled concisely, Chris Moen from LifeHope&Truth.com provides the sequence of events in the mystery of the restoration of all things:
THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS:
1. Christ’s returns in all His glory and the whole world sees Him. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29-30).
2. The first resurrection of the righteous who will rule with Christ for 1,000 years. They are the first to experience a fully restored relationship with God. “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming” (I Corinthians 15:22-23).
“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19).
Satan’s kingdom will be banished. “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out” (John 12:31).
3. A New Thing! Here God calls His restoration “a new thing” because it will be new for those experiencing it, and the relationship He will have with humanity will exceed the one He had with Adam and Eve. Though offered the opportunity to have the close relationship with God, Adam and Eve foolishly decided to make their own decisions apart from God. They turned their backs on the relationship that would have provided them peace and eternal life. (Chris Moen)
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing [restoring all things]! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:18-19).
4. Recovery from Sin. All who repent, all who call out on His name shall be saved. “And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (Joel 2:32).
5. A new covenant with Israel and the whole world. This new covenant, which represents having a peaceful, reconciled relationship with God, is not limited to Israelites. Eventually, as Psalm 22:27 notes, “all the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all families of the nations shall worship before You.”
My added point here is that the new covenant is simply repentant people willingly obeying all that has been already commanded. It is made possible by the outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit to everyone who repents. Now the stubborn heart of stone transforms into a heart of love. God’s law will be kept, peace will cover them and righteousness will prevail.
6. Lands and cities restored – the Millennium will be a period of massive rehabilitation over the earth. Once the sins of kingdom of Israel—that is, all twelve tribes of Israel, are forgiven, God will cause their land to be restored to beauty like the Garden of Eden.
“On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. … So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited’” (Ezekiel 36:33, 35).
21st century Israel—all twelve nations today who survive Jacob’s time of great distress will learn to obey God. They will marvel at the abundance and the beautification that God will bring to them. “O Judah and Israel, so will I save you, and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong” (Zechariah 8:13).
The God of Israel show compassion to these people who suffer captivity and repent. God foresees the blessings that He will bestow on them. “The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people” (Zechariah 8:12).
God warns these people again to live according to His law and way. “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgement in your courts; do not plot evil against your neighbour, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the LORD (Zechariah 8:16-17).
7. It will be a time of healing and long life. The Millennium will be a time of learning God’s ways. God’s government will be centered at Jerusalem and will gradually span across the globe as both spiritual and physical blindness are removed (Isaiah 11:9; 60:1-3; Micah 4:2-3; John 12:40).
Physical healing will bring spiritual growth. “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing” (Isaiah 35:5-6).
During this marvelous time God will bless people with long lives, affording them the opportunity to know their grandchildren and have sufficient time to learn and live God’s way of life (Zechariah 8:4-5).”
8. God’s Sabbaths will be restored. At the end of the creation week, God blessed, made holy and rested on the seventh day of the week (Genesis 2:1-3; Exodus 20:11). The same weekly Sabbath that was ordained at the beginning will be observed as a day of rest and worship for all peoples.
God’s annual Sabbaths will also be observed (Exodus 31:12-13; Zechariah 14:16-19). As God declares, “From one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me” (Isaiah 66:23).
9. Second resurrection When the thousand-year reign of Christ comes to an end, “the rest of the dead” (Revelation 20:5)—those who had previously lived and died not understanding God’s way of life—will have an opportunity to be reconciled to God. These people will be given an opportunity to learn God’s laws, repent of their sins, receive God’s Holy Spirit and eventually be granted eternal life (Joel 2:28).
God’s desire is for everyone to repent, to be reconciled to Him and to become part of His family forever. This period of time after the Millennium is often referred to as the second resurrection or the time of the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11).
10. New heavens and a new earth God announced through the prophet Isaiah: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17).
Hundreds of years later, Peter spoke of this coming event. After warning us to watch our personal conduct and to practice godliness in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ, Peter spoke of the coming “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (II Peter 3:10-13). This is yet another time of restoration.
The Greek word Peter used for “new” in verse 13 is ‘kainos,’ which refers to a state of freshness, as in renewal. The earth will thus be made “new,” or renewed or restored, by God. The heavens will likewise be made “new” by the same process. This future renewal of the current heaven and earth is described in Psalm 102:25-26 as if they were like an old garment being replaced with a new one. This will be the time when New Jerusalem comes down from heaven (Revelation 21:1-2).
11. All curses will be removed. When Adam and Eve rejected God’s instructions in the Garden of Eden, they lost access to the tree of life. They and all humanity, which followed their example of rejecting God, would temporarily be subjected to a curse on the earth, bringing a life of toil and the dying process. Because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, God said, “Cursed is the ground for your sake. … Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you” (Genesis 3:17-18; also see Romans 5:12).
God will eventually remove every curse on man saying, “There shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (Revelation 22:3).
Finally, because there will be no more sin, “there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things [will] have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
Paul explains that after the resurrection of all who have ever lived, the final curse and enemy of God’s creation—death itself—will come to an end (Isaiah 25:8; 1 Corinthians 15:26, 54). God the Father will then make the earth His home as well. As a voice from heaven announces in conjunction with the arrival of the new heaven and new earth, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).
12. Tree of Life is offered again. When Adam and Eve were removed from the Garden of Eden because of disobedience, they lost access to the tree of life, which represented eternal life. Adam and Eve’s descendants—all humanity—likewise lost access to this tree because of their sins.
Part of the restoration, as Jesus Christ explained, is that this same tree of life will be made available again: “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7).
And speaking of those who would dwell in New Jerusalem, John wrote, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).
Final study point by Chris Moen. We have an awesome future. Christ’s glorious and triumphant return begins the majestic story of restoring all things. In the first phase, those who overcome in this age will be the first to obtain eternal life.
Then, as Satan is banished for a thousand years, God will begin pouring out His Spirit in abundance to all who repent of their sins. All nations will be taught that God’s way works. When God’s laws are kept, peace, joy, prosperity and longevity will follow.
Then a great multitude of people will be raised from the dead and offered eternal life for the very first time.
After that, a new heaven and a new earth will come into being. Every curse will be forever removed, and evil will be eradicated from God’s entire creation. God will make His home with mankind on the earth, and the tree of life will be made available again.
Speaking of this time, the One sitting on the throne says, “Behold, I make all things new. … It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 21:5-6).
God has revealed His wonderful plan to those faithful believers who anticipate the coming “times of restoration of all things.” Now this study was done by Chris Moen at lifehopeandtruth.com.
http://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/end-times/restoration-of-all-things/
Summary of the mysteries of God
The Apostle Paul found ten mysteries of God. It all began with Jesus Christ’s conquest over sin which set into motion God’s redemption plan for mankind. The ancient prophets knew that God’s people would be redeemed, but the mystery throughout time was how? How would the divorced house of Israel be redeemed? How would the Jews come to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour? How would all of mankind be saved?
God’s legal system is the core structure of all creation. Satan snared Adam and Eve into sinning. They thought they knew best. They with all of their children throughout time fell under the Law of Sin with the penalty of death. Jesus Christ’s sacrifice of his sinless life paid that penalty for mankind. God Almighty resurrected him and he was anointed King over all kings and Lord over all lords.
A very important point rarely reviewed, is the overthrow of these gone-rogue heavenly rulers given kingship over the nations at the time of Babel. Jesus Christ won their rulership; he dethroned and imprisoned them. The rulership over the nations changed hands when a perfect Saviour was successful.
The Great Tribulation, Jacob’s time of trouble, will complete the legal case against all but one of the remaining rebel heavenly rulers allied with Satan. The world is not prepared for what is coming. It will be like a time like no other on earth since the nations were established at Babel.
After this event, the bride, a special, faithful body of men and women, will marry Christ. They will rule together, as a monarchy over the two realms: heaven and earth. They will form a royal ruling body of three: God our Father in heaven as supreme head, Jesus Christ as the body of God and head of the bride.
The kingdom of Israel is presently fractured. Twelve nations, each speaking a different language, comprise of the whole kingdom of Israel. All but the Jews, have forgotten their roots. Jesus Christ will teach them which tribe they are descended from. They will then understand why they were targeted by the beast for three and a half years. A great religious revival will burst out from within these people and they will repent and call out to their God. In compassion, their God will rescue them, take them home and reunite them. From this priestly kingdom, all of the people from the nations will come to know God and be grafted into the covenant family, as God’s kingdom through Jesus Christ grows to cover the earth. This great King will restore all things to how they were before iniquity was found. Then he will bend his knee before the Almighty God and hand over the supreme rule to his Father, our Father.
The birth of this new beginning will not come without difficulty. Satan, the Antichrist, the false prophet along with their nasty coalition will lead the great battle, but they will fail. When all things are restored, God will create a new heaven and earth and He will come down to live with mankind. He will wipe away all our tears and over time, all the pain and suffering caused by wickedness will be forgotten. Life will prevail, death will be conquered once and for all.
Only the last Adam was successful, the Son of God, Yashuah Ha Mashiach. He is a unique Son of God begotten from the Father. His love for righteousness abounds; he put both his spiritual life and physical life on the line to save mankind and his kingdom. His many crowns (Revelation 19:12) testifies to his many achievements. He is our eternal example. Jesus Christ, Yashuah Ha Mashiach, is the same yesterday, today and forever—follow him wherever he goes and you won’t be disappointed.
Into the 21st century, God’s mysteries are no longer hidden, but what remains the greatest mystery is the massive blindness among God’s people. Eternal life is now available to everyone who repents. Mankind is destined to become royal, ruling heirs under the Great Creator King and His Son. God has not yet begun expanding the kingdom beyond the God-family. It will be an ever-expanding kingdom where creation will be an every-day event in worlds complete with peace and full of love. And yet, God’s people come and go today—everyday, often without a single thought on this so very great calling. That is the greatest mystery of all!
Download the pdf from the Studies page
God's 10 Mysteries: five to eight
- MYSTERY #5: THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL
The house of Judah and the house of Israel split around 931 BCE and remain split today. Yet, despite the animosity and competition between them that persisted throughout the ages, a re-unification into one kingdom is prophesied. It has begun already on a spiritual level through the repentant people of Israel and Judah. Their kingdom will expand to include all people in the world. We are all heirs through Christ, entering into God’s kingdom through the gates of Israel. Christ is building his church and an intimate relationship is forming. The relationship that a husband and wife share, is a mystery rarely understood.
God’s people are a church married to Christ, the One who purchased them.
· God created intentionally the intimate relationship between a husband and wife to reflect the spiritual equivalent, that is, the intimate relationship between Christ and his church: The Apostle Paul understood the mysteries of God and taught, “For we are members of His body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will becomeone flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:30-32).
There exists an order of authority that must be realized and upheld. Christ is the supreme head of the church; he is their only Teacher. Almighty God is supreme head of Christ and the church.
· One body with Christ as the head: “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy” (Colossians 1:18).
“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:3).
“And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church” (Ephesians 1:22).
God’s people have always been destined to be a holy kingdom of royal priests who will rule with Christ.
God speaking to ancient Israel through Moses said, “Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites. So, Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him” (Exodus 19:5-7).
Ancient Israel was commissioned by God to become a church of priests, obey Him, hence, live righteously, then they would become a precious and holy people who would be anointed as a kingdom of priests for the nations as a witness of righteous living and turn the nations to desire to know the Almighty, the Great Gracious God, their Creator.
God’s plans cannot be thwarted despite the rebellion of His people. He will succeed as the Apostle Peter again reminded God’s people that they would still become a kingdom church of holy priests. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9).
God’s people are a kingdom of twelves nations today, who will repent fully to bend their knee before Jesus Christ and God Almighty and accept the anointing as a church of holy priests, every one of them in the kingdom of Israel.
· The righteous will reign with Christ: “If we endure, we will also reign with him” (II Timothy 2:12).
“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
God’s people will be a righteous kingdom of priests.
· God still loves Israel—Judah and Israel (10 tribes): “O Jacob, O Israel, Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine... you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you” (Isaiah 43:1).
“I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel” (Isaiah 46:13).
“In that day, the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand by the sea, only a remnant will return” (Isaiah 10:20).
God has already identified the tribes who will hold highly honoured positions in his kingdom.
“Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:
12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,
12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,
12,000 from the tribe of Gad,
12,000 from the tribe of Asher,
12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,
12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,
12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,
12,000 from the tribe of Levi,
12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,
12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,
12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,
12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed” (Revelation 7:3-8).
· A great multitude from ALL nations will repent: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9)
· The overcomers enter into a marriage with Christ: The Apostle Paul feels the joy of this upcoming relationship with Christ, sharing it with the once-divorced people of Israel, “For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ” (II Corinthians 11:2).
The precious relationship of a husband and wife will be amplified when all is fulfilled. The Apostle Paul foresaw the cleansing and glorious changes take place when the saints are purged of their misunderstandings and misconceptions of God’s word. They will become perfect in God’s word because Christ will be in them. “He did this to present her to himself as a radiant church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault” (Ephesians 5:27).
The Apostle John saw Christ’s Bride and hearing the angel he recorded, “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God’” (Revelation 19:7-9).
It is an interesting note that in the parable of the ten virgins, only the wise were invited to the marriage supper.
When all things are restored by Jesus Christ, then a new home is made for creation in heaven and on earth ruled by the King over all kings and Lord over all lords with his Queen. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:1-2).
The prophets, the saints, the righteous in the first resurrection will be elevated to rule with Christ and enter into an intimate, holy, ruling relationship like that of the marriage of a man and a woman. The body of men and women will be honoured as a Queen ruling with her King from within a holy priesthood kingdom. There will be no other kingdom in all existence equivalent to this tightly bound relationship of this husband and a wife, a king and lord with his complementary queen and priestess. It is a wonder and a mystery revealed where few still do not understand.
PART 3
· The mystery of the gospel
· The mystery of Christ in you will be studied.
MYSTERY #6: THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL
“This mystery is that through the gospel, the Gentiles [the divorced ten tribes of Israel] are heirs together with Israel [the Jews] members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6).
To clarify, it should be noted here that the Jews were the house of Judah throughout ancient times. They took the name Israel because they believed they were then the only remaining members of the ancient kingdom of Israel. They, like the prophets of old, did not know how the fallen house of Israel who became called Gentiles with the people of the world, could be saved and brought back into the covenant family, let alone, the pagan and heathen people from the nations of the world.
The New Living Translation provides a clearer understanding of Ephesians 3:6: “And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News/the gospel share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.”
The gospel is the testimony of Christ. Believing the gospel will bring all the promises Christ has made, such as, eternal life, rulership either with him or under him, riches beyond measure, peace and a close relationship with Almighty God, the Great Creator.
THE GOOD NEWS!!
• Keeping His own Law, Almighty God devised a plan to save mankind.
• Jesus Christ was successful!
• Through God’s legal system, Christ paid the penalty of mankind’s sins.
• Jesus Christ purchased mankind, through his shed blood.
• Jesus Christ won the kingship over mankind.
• Mankind is eternally indebted to Jesus Christ.
Unknown until the right time, Christ’s perfect sacrifice would pay the price of all the sins of the world and give him legal ownership of all people on earth, overthrowing the rebel rulers over the nations. Christ brought all people out from under the penalty of sin. He is their Judge; he is their Saviour; he is their King. Now, all people share together in having Christ in them—his perfect Spirit within. This makes possible the understanding of God’s Law and His ways. Righteousness will prevail and wickedness will die.
The mystery of the gospel unveiled the revelation of how the divorced house of Israel would receive redemption of sin and the introduction to grace from God through Christ’s sacrifice. The prophets of old trembled when the house of Israel was divorced by God. They were given strange prophetic images and visions pointing to the reunification of the two houses and a great saving, but the mystery of how it all would come about was unknown, until the right time.
The lost 10 tribes (house of Israel) have been redeemed and are back into the family. This house of ten have become ten nations identified separately due to their ten different languages. Today, they have forgotten their roots, but tomorrow, Jesus Christ will show them exactly which tribe of the ten they belong to. The opportunity for the whole world to be grafted into the covenant family was always part of God’s plan.
King David lived during the reign of these fallen rulers over the nations. He was angry with them causing the nations to sin and their rebellion against God. He said, “Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, who boast themselves of idols; worship Him, all you gods" (Psalm 97:7).
“Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you” (Psalm 82:8).
The problem Almighty God had to resolve was a legal matter. He gave the nations heavenly rulers to teach them His Law and way. These heavenly rulers were the finest in His heavenly court, but all of them fell into rebellion. God operates under His own Law. He cannot take back what is legally given to these fallen rulers. God had to use His Law to win back rulership over the nations. God is teaching and testing creation in heaven, while moulding and perfecting creation on earth. He is using His Law to convict and sentence, to win and re-establish.
At the time that the house of Israel returned to the covenant family, the house of Judah rejected their Saviour. Their rejection has placed them now on the outside—outside of the saved covenant family. The taking of the gospel to the world was first offered to the Jews, but they rejected it. The early Christians were humble and begged to learn God’s Law and His way. Jesus gave the redeemed 10 tribes of Israel the task of taking the gospel to the world and they were humbly honoured. The house of Joseph led the way, sending missionaries preaching Christianity throughout the nations of the world. While the two houses remain fractured today, a re-unification is prophesied. It will take place at the beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
The key points of the mystery of the gospel that need to be established through scripture are:
- The divorced house of Israel received redemption of sin.
- The nations of the world received redemption of sin.
- The Jews rejected the Saviour of the world, but will come to realize their grave mistake and accept him, after all of the once-divorced house of Israel have come into the covenant family.
- The house of Israel and the house of Judah into the 21st century will re-unite into one kingdom that will bind for all eternity as a united kingdom.
- God’s people will become a holy kingdom of royal priests witnessing God’s way to all the world. All of them will know God.
- The nations of the world will see the peace and prosperity of keeping God’s law and living His way. They will of their own volition turn to worship the Almighty God.
- The nations of the world will enter through the twelve gates of Israel—an image of these people coming into God’s leadership through each of the twelve nations of Israel.
Paul was sent to the Gentiles (the once-divorced house of Israel—10 tribes): “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: ‘Go to this people and say, you will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.’ For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn and I would heal them.’ Therefore, I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!” (Acts 28:25-28).
Salvation is available to the whole world: “Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that ALL nations might believe and obey him” (Romans 16:25-26).
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
The Jews will accept a false saviour who comes in his own name, that is, one who comes in his own authority: Jesus said, “I do not accept glory from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him” (John 5:41-43).
Daniel recorded the terrifying end-time visions. A little horn will rise to power, the one who will come as the Antichrist will “set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host” (Daniel 8:10), he will halt the daily work of the Prince of the host in heaven and subdue it for a time (Daniel 8:11). This rebel will do as he pleases and “magnify himself above every god and say unheard-of things against the God of gods” (Daniel 11:36).
The vile and detestable behaviour of the evil ruler from heaven will awaken the Jews to whom they accepted as their saviour and they will repent.
House of Judah will receive grace: "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitterweeping over a firstborn. In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo (Zechariah 12:10-11).
Note John 19:36-37 “Now these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken. And, as another Scripture says: “They will look on the One they have pierced.”
In the last days, the two houses of Israel will return to God: “When you have multiplied and increased in the land in those days...the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel and they shall come together out of the land of the north, to the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your Fathers" (Jeremiah 3:16-18).
“In those days, at that time, the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Yahuah, their God. They will ask the way of Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten” (Jeremiah 50:4-5).
The two houses will become ONE kingdom forever: “I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in the hand of Ephraim and the Israelite tribes associated with him and the stick of Judah and the Israelite tribes associated with him and join them, making them a single stick of wood…I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them ONE nation in the land… there will be ONE king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms” (Ezekiel 37:18-22).
God’s people will become a holy kingdom of royal priests witnessing God’s way to all the world. All of them will come to know God.
The Apostle Peter reminded them of their calling given to ancient Israel after the Exodus. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9).
God’s plan cannot be thwarted. Job knew and said, “I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).
“All the peoples of the earth are counted as nothing, and He does as He pleases with the army of heaven and the peoples of the earth. There is no one who can restrain His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (Daniel 4:35).
Our God is the Almighty God, the Supreme, Great Creator of all living and what He sets out to do, He accomplishes.
Through the re-united house of Israel, the nations will come to know God: “When I brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself holy through them in the sight of many nations… I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares Yahuah (Ezekiel 39:24-29).
Through the 12 gates of Israel, that is, through each of the twelve nations of Israel, all repentant people will enter into the New Jerusalem: “It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel” (Revelation 21:12).
The world will listen and worship the Almighty God: “In that day there will be an altar to Yahuah in the heart of Egypt, and a monument to Yahuah at its border… the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge Him… The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Yahuah Almighty will bless them, saying ‘Blessed by Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance’” (Isaiah 19:19-25). The word “inheritance” means “kingship.” So, Almighty God will be King over His people, Israel, forever.
MYSTERY #7: MYSTERY OF CHRIST IN YOU
The understanding of Christ in you began on the day of Pentecost, with the receiving of the Holy Spirit. It was no longer reserved for those who would hold special responsibilities like the prophets, prophetesses and selected kings, but to everyone who repents. The Holy Spirit brings them into the body of God through Christ. Repentance, baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit is the process that transforms Christians, while they are still mere mortals, so they can be joined as one with God through Christ.
Christ in you is having the ability to put aside your own will and do the will of God, our Father because the Spirit of Christ is in you. An eternal unity will form bringing men and women into the body of Christ who is at one with Almighty God.
It is the responsibility of teachers to build up their congregations into the maturity and full measure of the stature of Christ, so that oneness will be achieved. “He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).
The order of authority within this “oneness” establishes God, our Father as the head reigning supreme, Christ is second in-charge—God’s body and head of the bride—his body, the men and women who are his church. The bride will hold the third position in the order of authority.
This formation becomes a single body comprised of multiple members who walk, think, and act as ONE. It is a unique oneness, where everything is shared and nothing is hidden. While we still live in the flesh, a mutual union of the Holy Spirit is brought together with the human spirit.
Christ, who has been given all power in heaven and in earth, will share his glory and position with his bride. Christ existed with his Father prior to the creation of heaven and earth. He is King over all kings in heaven and on earth. His bride and soon wife will be Queen ruling with him over all creation in heaven and on earth. Through a monarchy, they will bring the two realms together under one rulership. A wonder will be revealed when repentant mankind goes from dust and dirt to eternal life. This awesome calling remains a mystery for many Christians.
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
The key scriptures to the mystery of Christ are:
· “Oneness” is achieved through one Spirit into one body.
· The saved are dependent on the Saviour.
· A new creation is formed through the Spirit of Christ in you.
· Three become one.
· The symbolism of number three.
· The righteous will be resurrected in glory.
One Spirit, one Body: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:13).
“You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9).
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (I Corinthians 12:27).
The Spirit of Christ is the Holy Spirit of God Almighty. The Apostle Paul is directing Believers to lean of Jesus Christ and follow him. He is the tested rock that will not fail.
The saved are dependent on the Saviour: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).
A new creation is formed through the Spirit of Christ in you: “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17).
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature” (Galatians 6:15).
The new creature is a law-abiding, humble, righteous individual. A God-revering and God-obeying Believer who walks by faith with complete trust in the plan Almighty God engineered for all creation on earth.
The God-instituted practice of circumcision was a physical ritual mirroring deep repentance and an eternal desire to live righteously. The new creation is the living of righteousness made possible by the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ in you. It supersedes rituals that cannot bring spiritual change.
The Father and the Son are ONE in total unity: Jesus said, “My Father, who has given them [the saints] to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the FATHER ARE ONE” (John 10:29-30).
“But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don't believe me. Then you will know and understand that the FATHER IS IN ME, AND I AM IN THE FATHER” (John 10:38).
“Believe me when I say THAT I AM IN THE FATHER AND THE FATHER IS IN ME; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves” (John 14:11).
Jesus teaches Believers about the very core of the God-family. It is a family in total unity.
“I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be ONE AS WE ARE ONE” (John 17:11).
“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I IN THEM AND YOU IN ME, that they may be PERFECTED IN UNITY, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:22-26).
God’s Holy Spirit will flow out through Jesus Christ into all Believers and they will become totally unified, understanding God’s Law and way, living perfectly through the Spirit of Jesus Christ in them, following Jesus wherever he goes.
The symbolism of the number three:
Bullinger states, “THREE, symbolizes that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire. All things that are divinely complete are stamped with this number three” (Bullinger, ‘Number in Scriptures’ p. 95).
Throughout the entire Bible, the number three is expressed as a significant marker to state that an event along God’s plan has been completed in its entirety.
The righteous will be resurrected in glory: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things, for you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:2-4).
From rags to riches: This fused unity—oneness where God, our heavenly Father is the HEAD, Christ is His BODY AND HEAD of the bride, and she is Christ’s BODY is the upcoming RULING FAMILY OF THREE. This royal body of three working as ONE will complete the holy, divine leadership. God’s Holy Spirit flows out filling Jesus Christ completely; it saturates the men and women within Christ’s body because they are in him. It is God’s Holy Spirit that is the Spirit of Christ teaching and encouraging the saints.
Jesus said, “But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).
Jesus, our Messiah, had to die [pay the penalty for us], be resurrected [return to his glory verifying the promise of our resurrection as he is the first of the first resurrection] and return to heaven to fulfill his role as Intercessor in heaven advocating to the Father in regard to the short comings of the church until his return. His Spirit is our Advocate, our Comforter and our Teacher.
It is Jesus Christ who will judge the world. “And when He comes, He will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment. In regard to sin, because they do not believe in Me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned” (John 16:8-11).
Christ convicted Satan, the prince of this world. The legal case of Satan’s crimes against humanity has gone to God’s court and he has been sentenced. His activity today remains until the allotted time is complete.
The resurrection of those who have Christ in them is sure. Nearly beyond comprehension is the realization that repentant mankind will be changed from dust and dirt [rags] to spiritual eternal life [riches] in a matter of a twinkling of an eye.
PART 4
· The mystery of our godliness
· The mystery of iniquity/lawlessness
MYSTERY #8: THE MYSTERY OF OUR GODLINESS
The mystery of our godliness is Christ in you.
“Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (I Timothy 3:16).
Godliness was a hot topic during Jesus’ time on earth. The Jews were fixed on keeping the Mosaic Law, Old Testament rituals and the added rules and regulations of their elders. This was not all together wrong. The laws are good, but without God’s Holy Spirit, the deep spiritual meanings that change a heart of stone to a heart of love is not attainable. Receiving of God’s Holy Spirit is the critical essence to spiritual maturity.
Jesus Christ made it possible for all of mankind to reach the spiritual maturity essential for God’s family-kingdom. Accepting Christ’s sacrifice and his leadership will open the outflowing of God’s Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ into every believer. Because Jesus Christ purchased mankind and he owns all of them, God’s Holy Spirit through him is having Christ in you—he receives the credit for the spiritual maturity of all of mankind because he paid the price and he is their only fully-qualified Teacher.
This change out of the fleshly matters to live solely in spiritual matters was a teaching the Apostle Paul understood very well. He comprehended the flow of God’s Holy Spirit and the leadership of Christ in you. “You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9).
This union with Jesus Christ is essential to spiritual maturity. He is the example to follow and living as he lived brings unity. “But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit” (I Corinthians 6:17).
Spiritual maturity is a process. The Apostle Paul fully understood the growing into the fullness of Christ. It is not fully understood by Christians today that after Jesus’ resurrection, he descended to inner earth, taking with him captives, rogue heavenly rulers who lost their authority to rule over the nations, and from the booty of his conquest, he gifted the authority that the overthrown heavenly rulers had to teach the nations God’s Law and His way, to leaders in his church to preach the truth, the good news of salvation, the peace in keeping God’s Law and the love that results from living God’s way. These church teachers school the congregation only on what Christ taught them. They are not to be the interpreters of theology. Jesus Christ is the example and only source because he is the Word.
Jesus said, “Don't let anyone call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters… Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ”(Matthew 23:8, 10).
When Jesus gave the authority to his church leaders some to be apostles and prophets, others to be evangelists, pastors and teachers, it did not give these leaders authority to interpret scriptures differently to how Jesus lived when he was on earth. “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus kept the Law of God; he kept God’s Holy Days; he did the will of the Father and he spoke the words that the Father gave to him; he did not change anything.
The hundreds of differing interpretations of scripture by the Christian churches has brought division, not unity. The core purpose of these teachers is “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).
Christ does not want the congregation in his church to remain babes “tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:15-16).
Different roles have been given to the men and women in Christ’s church. Each doing their own part exactly as Christ wants it, will bring growth and maturity within the church. It is essential that all leaders in the church, men and women, are praying fervently to ensure what they teach is exactly what Christ teaches, which is exactly what the Father instructs. Only then will unity abound bringing together in the fullness of Christ the spiritually new born members of God’s family.
Having Christ in you is looking to Jesus Christ is our only example. Follow him wherever he goes. To look to theologians or bishops as the experts having a full understanding of the word of God, will lead to errors. Humans are faulty; they make mistakes; they have misunderstandings and misconceptions. Even the Bride of Christ has spots, wrinkles and blemishes. These faults and mistakes will be corrected when she flees into the wilderness from the dragon.
The time of her perfecting will be in the wilderness, is an image that describes a place where the “natural environments on Earth have not been significantly modified by human activity.”
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilderness) The wilderness is God’s use of imagery describing a place on earth where spiritual growth can take place because the influence and controls of Wickedness will not be present to persecute, put up barriers or oppose them in any way.
“When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach” (Revelation 12:13-14).
The woman, the Apostle John saw, was an image of the Bride of Christ, the faithful church—mother of all churches. Still a future event, this body of men and women will be directly targeted by Satan when he is thrown out of heaven falling down to earth. Demoted again, he will be a raging lunatic. He will target the people who are ready and waiting for Christ’s return.
This mother church will not yet be perfected, but during the three and a half years in protection, they will learn directly from Jesus Christ and their spots, wrinkles and blemishes—their misunderstandings, misconceptions, and errors of scripture will be removed. Riveting excitement will fill all of heaven and like roar of rushing waters a great multitude will shout “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints)” (Revelation 19:6-8).
This body of men and women know they have spots, wrinkles and blemishes and lean on Jesus Christ for knowledge, understanding and God’s wisdom. They are listeners and ready to learn and change. In contrast to the Laodicean body of people who proclaim that they are rich and are need of nothing but are truly wretched pitiful, poor, blind and naked—they don’t have a solid foundation of the word of God but claim they do; their understanding of God’s word is impoverished; they cannot see differently to what they preach and their behaviour is not righteous (Revelation 3:17).
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:3). Born again Christians need to humbly listen and learn with the pliable mind of a child, while testing and proving, so that they are not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.
Jesus Christ is the only example to follow. At the time of the disciples, the people worshipped other gods, the heavenly rulers over the nations. Shrines were built on corner streets everywhere; offerings were given. All of those practices faded over time, after Christ marched his captives to their prison in inner earth. The fear of disobeying these rebels faded as their power ended, the violent storms stopped, the curses failed. Jesus Christ won the authority of the nations and God’s people. He only is the example to follow, full of grace and truth.
The Apostle John wrote, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
This Son of God is truly the only Son of his kind. Strong’s concordance provides insight into the meaning of “only begotten”. Monogenes means “one of a kind”—“a single kind” “one of a class”. I would add “one from its own type of birth”. The creation in heaven has many sons of God.
“God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the ‘gods’” (Psalm 82:1).
“Again, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD” (Job 2:1).
Almighty God remains the Supreme God over all gods. “For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:3).
So, This Son, Jesus—Yashuah, is truly a unique Son. So, follow him wherever he goes.
Download the pdf from the Studies page
God's 10 Mysteries: One to four
The Apostle Paul’s famous words were, “I tell you a mystery.” He unveiled ten great mysteries. He said, “So, let a man regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries” (1 Corinthians 4:1).
So, what are these mysteries? Are they relevant into the 21st century? With the countless books written by Biblical scholars and the vast dispersion of information through the internet, do these mysteries remain hidden today?
This study will discuss all ten of God’s mysteries through a five-part series and pull them out from the shadows where Satan is bent on keeping them from creation on earth.
PART 1
• The mystery of the crucifixion of Christ: forgiveness of sins and the overthrow of rebel gods
• The mystery of the resurrection: the transformation from mortal to eternal bodies
• The mystery of the redemption of the divorced house of Israel, the lost ten tribes
MYSTERY #1: THE MYSTERY OF THE CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST
The Apostle Paul said, “Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (I Corinthians 2:6-8).
The Apostle Paul understood all of the great mysteries detailing the wonderful destiny of mankind. He is clear that he is not talking about the wisdom of this evil age or the wisdom of the rulers of this age. The rulers of this age are the heavenly rulers given kingship over the nations at the time of Babel. These rulers are fallen sons of God allied with Satan, who are working against all of mankind even those serving him. Satan wants all mortals to be destroyed physically and spiritually. Remember the scripture, “In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones” (Matthew 24:22).
The redemptive sacrifice of Jesus our Messiah is only partly understood by Christians. Yes, the offer of eternal life is again a choice for mankind, but that is not the full story. During the great tribulation, ancient rulers will arrive on earth again and their blasphemous practices will be mandated. This portion of the mystery of the crucifixion of Christ remains hidden from most Judeo-Christians. Preparation is essential. Satan is doing all he can to mythicize the ancient practice of all nations on earth of worshipping gods. This knowledge has been bundled up and placed into movies and comic books to entertain the public with super heroes and heroines with extraordinary abilities that are admired and desired by mortals. They are being programmed to worship these rebel gods, again. The book of Revelation prophesies the response of the nations of the world who will surrender and turn against God’s people—the target of the beast’s rage and hatred. This mystery is more relevant today than it was yesterday or in ancient times.
Understanding the mystery of the crucifixion of Christ, goes back to the beginning of creation on earth. Eve was deceived and acted on Satan’s word. Adam knew better but acted falling into Satan’s trap to desire more power and authority beyond what was given to him to satisfy his carnal desire to self-direct, be self-reliant and revel in self-glory.
Mankind’s fall into sin cut them out of God’s family and reduced them to slaves to sin with no opportunity for eternal life. From before creation, Almighty God knew the outcome. Our gracious Father engineered mankind’s saving plan and wove all of the details into the tapestry of time. Creation in heaven were not briefed on all of the details. The prophets of old longed to know the full details. God’s gracious salvation plan for mankind remained a conundrum for hundreds of years.
The core piece to the salvation-plan puzzle is knowing who is already the victor and who is the known loser of the great battle at play, today. Who could successfully conquer the rebel gods ruling over the nations? How could it happen again that mankind became trapped under the thumb of rebel heavenly rulers? The ancient, great flood cleaned the earth of wickedness, and yet wickedness rose up again.
While it is understood that God is teaching and molding mankind, it is often overlooked that God is also teaching and testing creation in heaven. At the time of Babel, mankind began to return to the old sinful ways. God implemented a test. He gave the members who filled top positions in God’s legal courts in heaven an inheritance. God’s use of the word inheritance simply means ‘rulership’ which is hereditary when born out of a royal, ruling family. At the time of Babel, God separated the people on earth; He gave them different languages and territories AND a heavenly ruler—a son of God to guide and teach them God’s law and His way.
Moses recorded, “When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court” (New Living Translation Deuteronomy 32:8). God Almighty gave Himself an inheritance, that is, Kingship. He selected the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. “For the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9).
All nations on earth received a heavenly king to rule over them. All of these heavenly rulers began their rulership righteously, but within a short time, all of them rebelled against the Almighty God and taught the people of the nations to worship them.
King David was disgusted with the rebellion of these heavenly rulers. He urged them to repent.
"All worshipers of images are put to shame—those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!" (Psalm 97:7)
The heavenly rulers over the nations fell deep into pride and became filled with raging arrogance. Almighty God vowed. “I said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High. But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler”' (Psalm 82:6).
This is the story Satan is bent on keeping hidden from mankind on earth into the 21st century. These fallen heavenly rulers were not briefed on all of the details of God’s salvation plan for mankind. They were caught off-guard and exposed as they danced, mocked and ridiculed our Saviour on the cross.
“They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death. For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs. Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen, You have answered me!” (Psalm 22:13-21)
For more details on this topic, watch the video God against the gods on Rumble https://rumble.com/v4j8hk9-god-against-the-gods-the-final-battle-will-take-place-on-earth.html
The rogue heavenly rulers over of the nations did NOT see it coming; they are the rulers the Apostle Paul referred to. It was kept from them until the conquest was won. Christ’s perfect sacrifice paid the penalty of our sins and He won power and authority over the nations on earth from the rebel heavenly rulers, over two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ disarmed these rebel rulers and Satan mythicized them until remaining rebel rulers return described as the beast from out of the sea in Revelation.
Christ’s victory awarded him by the Father all power and authority in heaven and on earth. After Christ rose from the dead, he took those rebel heavenly rulers as captives and descended to inner earth, imprisoning them until judgement. Their authority became His booty and He gifted it to His servants: some he made apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and some teachers so that ALL the world will learn the way of God and come to know our Father in heaven. It was God’s plan, at the time of Babel, when God divided the nations among the members of His heavenly court that the nations would be taught the way of God by these highly trained, knowledge-filled heavenly gods. But those heavenly rulers turned against their Creator, the Great God and caused the nations to worship them and stray from the laws of God.
The scriptures tell the story.
· Rebel heavenly rulers were not aware: “None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY” (I Corinthians 2:8).
These rulers referred to in I Corinthians 2 are not mortal rulers. Pilate could not find a basis for a charge against Jesus. He went before the Jews and tried to release him. Once more Pilate said, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him” (John 19:4). The Jewish chief priests and officials rejected Jesus’ release. “Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, ‘If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar’” (John 19:12).
Finally, Pilate said, “Here is your king.” But the Jews shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” (John 19:15)
“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’ All the people answered, ‘Let his blood be on us and on our children’” (Matthew 27:24-25).
· Christ’s sacrifice paid the penalty of sin: “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that war against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having DISARMED THE POWERS AND AUTHORITIES, he made a PUBLIC SPECTACLE OF THEM, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM BY THE CROSS” (Colossians 2:13-15).
Christ’s sacrifice didn’t end the keeping of God’s commandments, rather it brought mankind back under the Law of God from out of Satan’s death grip to learn the details and intricacies of God’s law to keep them valuing the peace and order it brings. The heavenly rulers over the nations lost the critical battle. The public spectacle did not take place on earth, rather in inner earth before other captured and fallen heavenly rulers.
· Christ won, through conquest, the authority over the nations: “This is why it says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.’ What does ‘He ascended’ mean,except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the very one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things" (Ephesians 4:8-9).
Christ led captives away, those rebel heavenly rulers are still alive awaiting sentencing and he will lead many more to come, in that day.
“In that day the LORD will punish the gods in the heavens and the proud rulers of the nations on earth. They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon and punished after many days” (Isaiah 24:21-22).
· Christ has reconciled ALL things on earth and in heaven through His shed blood: “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Christ], and through him [Christ] to reconcile to himself ALL things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Colossians 1:19-20).
· Christ gave the authority, which he took as booty from his conquest over the rogue heavenly rulers and gifted it to his church: The booty was all about teaching God’s law and His way to mankind. “…some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of services, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we ALL reach unity in the father and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).
· Christ was given all power and authority on earth and in heaven: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’” (Mathew 28:18).
MYSTERY #2: THE MYSTERY OF THE RESURRECTION
Christ was resurrected from the dead by our Father in heaven. This resurrection is the affirmation that the righteous will also be resurrected, yet in the future. The resurrection is the mystery that death will be conquered and life will reign forever.
· "Behold, I show you a 'Mystery'; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory’" (I Corinthians 15:51-55).
“And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness will be as the stars for ever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).
The resurrection from mortality to eternal life was a great mystery at the time of Jesus on earth. The Jewish religious leaders battled against each other on this specific topic. The Apostle Paul unveiled this mystery and exactly when it will take place—at the last trump on the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah and he described the feeling of immediacy—an instant resurrection in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Jesus, born mortal, became the human example, the leader, the affirmation of all things wonderful and the one to resurrect and give life eternal to the repentant and righteous people of God.
“And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has released us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5).
Two resurrections are revealed in scripture.
· First Resurrection: “But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back” (I Corinthians 15:23).
“This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:6).
· Second Resurrection: “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended” (Revelation 20:5).
"I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9-10).
The first resurrection is the better resurrection. It is so relevant today to not only be hearing the word of God, but doing—living God’s way and securing a place in the first resurrection.
Jesus Christ, Yashuah HaMashiach will be the Judge.
“For He [Almighty God] has set a day when he [the Messiah] will judge the world with justice by that Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).
"For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22).
"And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42).
“On the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16).
When will this happen?
“When the thousand years are over… Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works… If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:7-15).
MYSTERY #3: THE MYSTERY OF THE REDEMPTION OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, THE LOST TEN TRIBES
God’s ancient mysteries may appear to be irrelevant into the 21st century. Not all of God’s people remember their ancient roots. The Jewish leaders, at the time of Jesus walked on earth, rejected the return of their brothers and sisters from the ten tribes of Jacob back into the covenant family. They muddied the waters so that their heritage would be forgotten for many centuries. The third mystery is the revelation that the ten tribes of Israel with a long history of rebellion against God, will repent and be redeemed.
A brief history begins when the ancient kingdom of Israel fractured into two houses over 3,700 years ago. While both houses sinned, only the house of Israel sinned relentlessly, exasperating God to the point of divorcing them. They were cut-off from the covenant people, no longer considered people of God. They became gentiles, people without hope. The house of Israel was doomed. It was a mystery to the prophets who searched the scriptures to discover how God could fix this devastating dilemma. Over time, the house of Judah followed the ways of the house of Israel. In God’s great mercy, His plan of redemption was activated from the beginning of time. Both houses will be redeemed: Israel will be saved and Judah will be strengthened. The Apostle Paul confirmed, “All of Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).
The special relationship God Almighty entered into with His people in ancient times was an intimate binding of two into one body. It typifies a marriage relationship. Two walking as one in total unity. It is a mirror of what will be achieved when men and women repent, receive God’s Holy Spirit and unify with the Spirit of Christ in them to keep God’s law and live His way. Unfortunately, ancient Israel failed.
· God married Israel: “They broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:32).
God pleaded, “Turn, O backsliding children, for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion” (Jeremiah 3:14).
God had no choice but to divorce the rebellious house of Israel. The mystery of their redemption was searched by the prophets. It was revealed when God’s grace was announced.
· House of Israel divorced: “I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet, I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery” (Jeremiah 3:8).
The adultery God is referencing is the rejection by Israel and Judah of God’s kingship over them and their worship of rebel heavenly rulers and the practice of their detestable ways. They wanted to be like the nations around them: fighting for superpower status, self-direction and self-glory.
Isaiah recorded God’s frustration. “This is what the LORD says: ‘Where is your mother's certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away’” (Isaiah 50:1).
This ancient house of Israel are not the Jews today. The ancient house of Judah are the Jews today. Ten tribes belong to the ancient house of Israel. This house is the lost sheep that Jesus was referring to when he said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).
The prophets understood the magnitude of the divorce. God’s gracious hand continued to work and mold repentant people. Ezekiel recorded the resurrection of ancient Israel when the Great Creator will give them His Holy Spirit.
“O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it,” declares the LORD (Ezekiel 37:14).
The ancient Israelites died fighting against God. They were a vast army. They will say when they are resurrected, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.” At this time, the saints will teach them; they will then understand and come to know the LORD, Almighty God.
God is unveiling all of the great mysteries. The Apostle Paul said that the divorced house of Israel will be saved along with all the world. But, in particular, the prophets wondered how God would save the rebel turned repentant house of Israel.
· House of Israel saved: “I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God, the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints, to whom God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles [the divorced Gentiles/10 tribes of Israel] the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26).
These repentant people embraced Jesus as their Saviour. They turned away from pagan practices and the worship of Oden and other rebel gods. No longer Gentiles, they became known as Christians.
“Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’” (Acts 26:28)
God’s people are being saved through Christ’s redemptive sacrifice by God’s grace. It is a big puzzle piece in God’s plan from the beginning.
The role of creation on earth as God’s priests must exercise grace, patience, kindness, compassion and love. It is essential for the expansion of God’s family in all eternity.
“Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly… you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles [both divorced ten tribes and gentile people in the world] are heirs together with Israel [the house that was not divorced by God], members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus… to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” (Ephesians 3:2-21).
The Jews at Jesus’ time were so constrained by their laws that there was no room for accepting grace, which caused them to reject the re-admission of their brothers and sisters of the ten tribes of Israel—the lost sheep.
· Christ sent to redeem the lost sheep of Israel: “He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel’" (Matthew 15:24).
· Christ sent his 12 disciples to the lost sheep of Israel: “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near’” (Matthew 10:6).
God’s work cannot be thwarted. His people will finish the work He assigned to them. They will become a kingdom of priests on earth. All twelve tribes will repent and become a bright light on a hill for the nations of the world to see.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14).
· Christ’s death canceled the written code and its regulations: Believers are no longer under the Law of Sin and Death. Upon repentance and baptism, they are back under the Law of God. “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, CHRIST, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge… continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and over flowing with thankfulness… God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:2-15).
The God of Israel will make it possible for His people and the people in the nations to obey His law and walk in His ways through the outpouring of His Holy Spirit. “‘Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:33).
When God said that the “written code” and “regulations” were nailed to the cross, He is saying that it was the redemptive sacrifice of Christ on the cross that no longer held mankind under the death sentence. Our sentencing has been cancelled. We are again free no longer slaves. The ancient Israelites will come to understand this when they are resurrected and God gives them His Holy Spirit; they will allow Christ to live in them and see the joy of living God’s law and His ways. They will enter into a better covenant with God that is for all eternity.
“Now, however, Jesus has received a much more excellent ministry, just as the covenant He mediates is better and is founded on better promises” (Hebrews 8:6).
This was foreknown. “They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten” (Jeremiah 50:5).
· House of Judah strengthened, house of Joseph SAVED: “I will strengthen Judah and save the tribes of Joseph. I will restore them because I have compassion on them. They will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God and I will answer them” (Zechariah 10:6).
“Don’t be ignorant of this mystery… ALL of Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25-26). “They were broken off because of their unbelief… but God is able to graft them in AGAIN” (Romans 11:20-23).
“I am going to take the stick of Joseph—which is in Ephraim’s hand—and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick. I will make them into a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand” (Ezekiel 37:19).
They will become a united kingdom for all eternity.
The mystery of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the wonderful news that life eternal is offered again, to mankind. It was also the triumph of the ages. Jesus, our Messiah paid the penalty of the sins for all of mankind. He also overthrew the rebel rulers over the nations on earth. Many of these rulers are presently imprisoned in inner earth with more to be captured after the great tribulation when they will be judged and sentenced by Jesus Christ, King over all kings and Lord over all lords.
Preparation for the arrival of the beastly coalition of rebel rulers on earth is crucial. They will perform miracles and their lies and deception will be toxic candy for those who are lured into their web. The rocky journey chosen by God’s people because of their superficial and fragmented relationship with Almighty God, their King, will continue through the great tribulation—Jacob’s trouble, until every knee bends to worship the Great God—God of all gods and those who refuse are purged.
PART 2
· The mystery of Israel’s blindness, that is, the blindness the Jews experience today
· The mystery of the church whether it is the kingdom of Israel, God’s people, or a separate body of people.
MYSTERY #4: THE MYSTERY OF ISRAEL’S [THE JEWS] BLINDNESS
The ancient house of Israel is not the same as the Apostle Paul’s reference to Israel in Romans 25, when he said, “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25).
In Romans 11, the Apostle Paul was referring to the divorced house of Israel as Gentiles. They were coming back into the covenant family through the sacrifice of Christ. They had lost their name hundreds of years ago when they were divorced by Almighty God and became known as Gentiles. They lived in rebellion against Almighty God, their King for many centuries suffering the curses of disobedience. In their despair, they repented. God’s generous grace and mercy was extended to them; they bent their knee before God and He redeemed them, welcoming them back in the same way that the prodigal son was received back by his father.
The house of Judah was known as Jews in ancient times. At the time the Jews started returning to Judea after their captivity by the Babylonians to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, they were criticized by people living close by who felt threatened by the returning Jews. They wrote a letter to King Artaxerxes.
“(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates: Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. And they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, restoring its walls, and repairing its foundations… When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them. Thus, the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia” (Ezra 4:11-12, :23-24).
The rebuilding of the temple by the Jews was halted but not for long and not without resistance. “Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose up and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them. At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, ‘Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?’” (Ezra 5:1-3)
The scroll containing the instructions allowing the Jews to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem was found and recorded in the Book of Ezra. “And a scroll was found in the fortress of Ecbatana, in the province of Media, with the following written on it: Memorandum: In the first year of King Cyrus, he issued a decree concerning the house of God in Jerusalem: Let the house be rebuilt as a place for offering sacrifices, and let its foundations be firmly laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, with three layers of cut stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid from the royal treasury” (Ezra 6:2-4).
Throughout the rebuilding of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, the returning captives from Babylon were called Jews. These are the same descendants of the Jews today.
The house of Judah returned to the Holy Land after their captivity because they acknowledged their sins and repented to Almighty God. In Daniel’s prayer, he acknowledged the sins of the house of Judah and even the sins of their brothers of the house of Israel.
“O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey His commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.”
“O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Therefore, the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favour of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth…”
“O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. Now, our God hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favour on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name” (Daniel 9:4-13, 15-19).
In Daniel’s prayer, he acknowledged the sins of both houses: Judah and Israel [near and far]; he recognized the curses of disobedience to God; he cried out for forgiveness and the restoration of the glory of God, the supremacy of His Name and humbly asked for His grace. When people repent, God Almighty responds.
“For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place” (Jeremiah 29:10).
“For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance” (Psalm 94:14).
“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not destroy you completely” (Jeremiah 5:18).
Daniel represented the faithful within all of Israel, both houses. The Jews returned to the Holy Land, rebuilt the temple and became the guardians of God’s Law, the holders of the oracles of God.
The Apostle Paul announced, “What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God” (Romans 3:1).
They became passionate for law, but their drive took them away from God’s Law to become enforcers of the traditions of the elders who added hundreds of regulations to God’s Law. It pulled the Jews away from God’s original path of recognizing that sin is inevitable without God’s Holy Spirit, which comes from God through Jesus Christ. They couldn’t accept grace because they were bent on obtaining salvation through works, something they controlled.
The concept of grace and forgiveness of sins was out of their control so the religious leaders rejected it and Jesus, who proclaimed it. The Apostle Paul, once a strict Pharisee understood the legal-chains binding the Jewish teachers of law and taught, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
“So that no one may boast” is a key point in that scripture. All people on earth have sinned; no one can boast of their own righteousness and elevate themselves above another. A humble and repent heart is the foundation of great strength and precious to Almighty God.
The Jewish priests were stuck on adding laws upon laws, rules upon rules. “Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?’” (Matthew 15:3)
“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men’” (Matthew 5:8-9, Isaiah 29:13).
“‘You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, ‘You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!” (Mark 7:8-9)
The religious leaders became exceedingly self-righteous and self-glorifying. This pendulum swing went in the direction of the rebel rulers in heaven. Jesus warned his disciples, “Be careful. Be on guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6).
They rejected the Saviour, so God blinded them, but they will not remain blind forever. God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see until the number of their brothers [the once-divorced gentiles of the 10 tribes of Israel] have come into the faith. Then, God will lift the veil and they will cry out for grace and weep bitterly, when they realize that they authorized Christ’s death on the cross. God will give them mercy and grace.
“Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son” (Zechariah 12:10).
Both houses that comprise the kingdom of Israel will repent fully during the Great Tribulation, Jacob’s trouble and return to Almighty God, their King.
“‘Therefore, do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the LORD, ‘nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid. For I am with you,’ says the LORD, ‘to save you; though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, and will not let you go altogether unpunished’” (Jeremiah 30:8-11).
In Jeremiah 30, God is talking to all twelve tribes. Israel will recognize their sins, accept their punishment and repent before Almighty God, trusting in Him and waiting for their deliverance.
“Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the LORD’s wrath, until he pleads my case and establishes my right. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his justice. Then my enemy will see it and will be covered with shame, she who said to me, ‘Where is the LORD your God?’ My eyes will see her downfall; even now she will be trampled underfoot like mire in the streets” (Micah 7:8-10).
“In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance” (Jeremiah 3:18). All people on earth will come to learn that there is NO ONE who can make this journey on earth without sinning. All of mankind need God’s mercy and grace.
The key points in the mystery of the blindness of Israel, the Jews today:
- The once-divorced Gentiles [lost 10 tribes of Israel] are no longer cast off: “Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy’” (I Peter 2:10).
- Judah will not be able to identify their Savior, until all of their brothers from the 10 tribes have accepted Christ and repented.
"I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until, the 'full number of the Gentiles' has come in" (Romans 11:25).
- The house of Judah like the house of Israel live in disobedience and need grace: “Just as you [10 tribes of Israel] who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they [the house of Judah] too have now become disobedient [rejected Christ as their savor for a time] in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you [the 10 tribes of Israel]. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them ALL (Romans 11:30-32).
- House of Judah will receive grace. "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly overHim like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo (Zechariah 12:10-11).
- Note John 19:36-37 “Now these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of His bones will be broken.’ And, as another Scripture says: ‘They will look on the One they have pierced.’”
This was foreknown. “They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten” (Jeremiah 50:5).
Go to the Studies page for the pdf
Gog and Magog
Gog of Magog is more than a story, a tale, or folklore. It is a prophesied profound event still yet to be fulfilled.
Andrew Gow, Professor at the University of Alberta states, “The appearance of the lands of Gog and Magog in many early maps is one the most interesting and enduring examples of Biblical lore being translated into the cartographic medium.” (Gog and Magog on Mappaemundi and Early Printed World Maps: Orientalizing Ethnography in the Apocalyptic Tradition, published online on January 1, 1998, p. 23).
Scrolls and transcripts of the book of Ezekiel and Revelation were read by Christians, hundreds of years ago. The prophecy of Gog and Magog burned a lasting impression in their minds to such a degree that Gog and Magog, though not known to them, received a place on their maps by the cartographers. Christians understood the prophecy of a future attack where Judeo-Christians will be a target for destruction.
The old maps move the territory of Gog and Magog from west of the Caspian Sea to north-eastern China.
Andrew Gow wrote, “In 1241 CE the hoards of Ghengis Khan swept out of Asia destroying and conquering everything in their path. The brutal, efficient, and alien Mongols must surely have seemed to be the wrath of God unleashed – the prophesied end of days had come and with it, Gog and Magog. One Russian chronicler says: “In those times there came upon us for our sins unknown nations. No one could tell their origin, whence they came, what religion they professed. God alone knows who they were, God, and, perhaps, wise men learned in books.” (Andrew Gow, Excerpt from Gog and Magog on mappaemundi and Early Printed World Maps: Orientalizing Ethnography in the Apocalyptic Tradition page 24).
Andrew Gow continues, “The period of the Mongol invasions lasted roughly from 1241 to 1285 CE. Nonetheless, after devastating the Chinese Empire, sacking Baghdad, laying waste to Russia, and storming into Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, and Poland, the invincible hoard simply vanished ... or so it must have seemed in Europe. In fact, beset with internal political turmoil and the death of the Great Khan, the hoards retreated to Central Asia in order to reorganize. At this time Europe, who had yet to rediscover Ptolemy and truly develop a modern cartographic tradition, wasn’t actively making maps, but when it did, a place of origin Tartars or Mongols (Gog and Magog) would have to be identified.” (Andrew Gow, Excerpt: Early Printed World Maps: Orientalizing Ethnography in the Apocalyptic Tradition, p. 25).
So, were these Mongolians, Gog and Magog in the Bible—the kingdom in the far north, the great destroyers who are prophesied to attack God’s people—the Jews, the Christians?
The invasion of Ghengis Khan between 1241 and 1285 CE was terrifying and devastated Asia and Europe. The letters of the Apostles were not yet collated and published. The Christians relied on hearsay and so, a mystery horde of people with a prophesied dark tale would secure themselves a territory on maps lasting hundreds of years. Cartographers listened to monks, bishops, merchants and travellers and from them, maps would emerge. Alexander the Great held a leading role in his legend of his successful battle to imprison this horde of wild cannibals.
Andrew John Boyle of medievalists.net states, “The legend of the enclosing of these peoples behind a wall of brass and iron from which they will break out at the end of the world has been traced back to two passages in Josephus, in one of which he equates the Scythians with Gog and Magog while in the other he speaks of a pass, apparently in the Caucasus area, which Alexander had shut up with iron gates. Of the legend itself there appear to have been two main versions: that in Pseudo-Methodius, from which it passed into Western recensions of the Alexander Romance: and that in the Christian Legend concerning Alexander, which was incorporated into the lost Arabic version of the Romance and which is preserved in its derivatives, with particular fidelity in the Ethiopic version.
In the Christian Legend concerning Alexander, an apocalyptic work composed by an unknown author or authors in northern Mesopotamia at some time between A.D. 629 and 636, the story of the enclosing of the peoples of Gog and Magog (identified with the Huns) runs – somewhat abridged – as follows. After his journey to the Land of the Rising Sun Alexander travels northwards through Armenia into the southern Caucasus. He asks the natives: “Who are the nations within this mountain upon which we are looking?” They reply that they are the Huns and that their kings are “Gog and Magog and Nawal the kings of the sons of Japhet…”. And upon hearing their description of these savage and cruel peoples and their repellent customs, he orders a great gate of brass and iron to be constructed to close the gap in the wall of mountains and confine the nations of Gog and Magog within them. Upon the gate he causes an inscription to be engraved in which he prophesies the future incursions of the Huns, one of which was to take place “at the conclusion of eight hundred and twenty-six years”.
https://www.medievalists.net/2013/09/alexander-and-the-mongols/
This study will now reference the journal written by Andrew Gow on Gog and Magog on mappaemundi and early printed world maps.
He followed the Christian’s fear of Gog and Magog and where these terrifying people lived as they migrated westward out of the Caucasus region.
The tale of Gog and Magog congealed with the Alexander legend of later antiquity when he claimed to have trapped a vast dominion of wild cannibals with vile customs. The legend tells of Alexander driving them between two mountains and calling out to God to push the two mountains together to destroy this terrifying and aggressive people to prevent them from destroying the rest of the people on earth. Andrew Gow states, “This story found its way not only into later versions of the Alexander legend, but also into the Qur'an and the influential Greek Revelations of Pseudo-Methodius, which date from the end of the seventh century” (Gow, p. 62).
During this time when knowledge was incomplete, many lands on earth remained undiscovered with only hints of far-away tribes and strange kingdoms. Folklore remained the common means of learning and their imaginations which were kept alive through tales from afar.
Andrew Gow adds, “Around 700 CE, this latter text [The Apocalypse of Pseudo- Methodius] was translated into Latin by the monk Peter in Merovingian Gaul and very widely disseminated in the west, where it became a standard of Christian apocalypticism. In this version, the unclean peoples originally thought to have been enclosed by Alexander were identified with Gog and Magog, the apocalyptic destroyers of Ezekiel 38-39 and Revelation” (Gow, p.63).
Every generation of Christians has believed the end of this evil age will end in their life-time. The Apostle Peter warned them. “The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray” (I Peter 4:7). The Apostle James also wrote, “You, too, be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the Lord's coming is near” (James 5:8). Setting this warning in stone, the Apostle John wrote, “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour” (I John 2:18). With many false saviours claiming to be the Messiah, the proof was evident—the end is near. Gog and Magog remained on their watch to this day.
Where is the kingdom of Gog and Magog? The territory of these illusive people appears on the old maps. Cartographers used many sources that added details to their maps.
Andrew Gow states, “Important sources for traditional cartography are to be found in literary, exegetical, and theological texts, and in many other contexts. Out of these grew mapmakers' depictions of the legendary peoples Gog and Magog. The sheer antiquity of this tradition' suggests that even before the West had very much of a clear identity, the Gog and Magog story was part of the rich fund of story and lore inherited from antiquity and cherished—if somewhat tattered by frequent handling—until the advent of more skeptical and critical approaches to tradition and authority” (Gow, p. 65).
The Cottoniana/Anglo-Saxon medieval map places Gog and Magog west of the Caspian Sea. This map dates around 995-1050. These Caucasian peoples placed Gog and Magog north of their present homeland in the Middle East.
“The Cottonian map places Gog and Magog hard by the northern ocean, west of the Caspian Sea and the Ten Lost Tribes appear in the Middle East. The map’s author had not yet identified these peoples with one another. The two legends are treated separately, as in patristic literature. With regards to the presence of the Tribes of Israel within the corpus of extant medieval mappaemundi this feature is found only on the Cottoniana, Sawley and Hereford maps. The Cottoniana map shows nine of the twelve tribes, located on either side of the Jordan, with boundaries between each people heavily marked” (p. 5).
(https://www.myoldmaps.com/early-medieval-monographs/210-anglo-saxon-or-cottonia/210-cottoniaanglo-saxon-.pdf). Author: Priscian‘s Periegesis
The territory of Gog and Magog appear in the London Psalter map. It is dated around the second half of the 13th century. It is recognized as a visualization of Christian texts where Jerusalem is located in the centre and hell at the bottom with Paradise at the top of the circular map.
The territory of Gog and Magog is shown illustrating the legend of Alexander the Great who imprisoned these terrifying people with a wall and gate to be released, according to Christians, at that time the Antichrist appears.
Western Christians identified themselves as God’s people who feared the prophesied attack. “However, throughout this period, Gog and Magog usually appear in the far north and/or east, often in a separate peninsula or surrounded by a wall, a mountain chain or gate and kept in by a gate. Later medieval and early modern maps continue the tradition, but with significant differences” (Gow, p. 68).
The Alexander legend filled maps made by cartographers showing the territory of Gog and Magog on a peninsula surrounded by mountains, locked behind a wall, or surrounded by water.
The Ebstorf map is a visual example again of their belief in the legend of Alexander the Great. Andrew Gow states, “An extensive area of northern Asia is cut off by the sweeping curve of the Caucasus. Its principal feature is a territory that projects as a rectangle into the cosmic ocean. This is the home of the dreaded man-eaters Gog and Magog, symbols of all the hordes of oppressors that might at any time overwhelm peaceful humanity. The castellated lines indicate the walls that Alexander the Great was reputed to have built here for extra protection. Gog and Magog are shown on the Ebstorf map as cannibals; they are pictured in the midst of a northeastern area walled-off by mountains through which a passage, named Porte Caspie, leads. The creatures are eating human body parts (recognizable as feet and hands) and drinking the blood flowing out of them; a footless, handless victim is also depicted. According to the caption, Alexander enclosed two wild nations, Gog and Magog, who will be the companions of Antichrist.
They eat human flesh and drink human blood.” (Gow, p. 72)
Gog and Magog have captured the attention of people all around the world. An understanding of scriptures was lacking as the fear of Gog and Magog spread.
Many old maps placed Gog and Magog northward of civilized peoples.
The Catalan world atlas depicts Gog and Magog in the northeast corner of Asia enclosed by the Caspian Mountains.
The Borgia map dated approximately 1430, places Gog and Magog in the far east within a square area surrounded by mountains and fortifications.
“The Benedictine monk Andreas Walsperger of Constance made a world map in 1448, placing Gog and Magog in the far northeast.
The Genoese world map of 1457 “places Gog and Magog surrounded by mountains in a territory north and east by an ocean called Scythia ultra Ymaum montem.
Fra Mauro, a Camaldolese monk produced the mappaemundi with his assistants, finished in 1460 places Gog and Magog outside of the area of the Caspian Sea. Andrew Gow provides the details. “I conclude that these [enclosed] peoples are a long way from the Caspian Mountains, and are surrounded by impassable mountains and by the Ocean Sea as though by three cords, and they are under the reign of Tenduc, and are called Ung and Mongul, which the common people call Gog and Magog, thinking that they are those who will break out at the time of the Antichrist” (Gow, p. 80).
Juan de la Cosa who accompanied Christopher Columbus on voyages to the Americas mapped the world placing Gog and Magog in the far northeastern corner of Asia, enclosed by a great semicircular river split by a broad moat.
One 1535 map of eastern Asia labels the northeastern coast "AMAGOCH"; in the ocean off the north coast of China.
Gerard Mercator's 1569 Duisberg map cites Marco Polo: "Mongul which we call Magog.”
Over time, the territory of the feared Gog and Magog people was moved out of the Caspian Sea area to north-eastern Asia.
Andrew Gow added, “One reason for the continued popularity of this medieval theme may be the surge in apocalyptic expectations around the beginning of the century, reflected in the burgeoning pamphlet literature of an apocalyptic nature: prognostications of floods and the end of the world had been popular since the 1470s; rumours of the Ten Tribes leaving their eastern places of exile to free their co-religionists in the Christian diaspora circulated among Jews all through the fifteenth century and reached Christian circles in the early sixteenth century. The publication of new editions of the Revelations of Pseudo-Methodius, such as Michael Furter's 1498 Basel edition, which includes a dramatic woodcut of Gog and Magog breaking out of their rocky confinement (labelled "How Gog and Magog, leaving the Caspian Mountains, capture the land of Israel), must have contributed a good deal to raising the apocalyptic temperature, as did (in Germany) the perennially popular "Antichrist-books," a genre of popular apocalyptic exegesis related to the vernacular Historiated Bibles that dates back to the late fourteenth/early fifteenth century.” (Gow, pages 84-85).
As time passes, the territory of Gog and Magog has changed and they remain the illusive enemy for all the people of Israel and all people on earth.
Andrew Gow concluded, “It might be argued that their gradual relegation to the far north-eastern corner of Asia, to an area largely unknown to Europeans, explains their survival on maps… The slow emergence of a more empirical approach to mapmaking, founded on the assumption that personal experience of a place was more credible than ancient tradition, pushed Gog and Magog to the outer margins of the world, to the ends of the earth where Marco Polo surmised, they must be-since they clearly were not anywhere the mapmakers' informants had visited (cf. Mauro). Tradition was being contested, yet it sometimes masqueraded as empirical evidence.” (Gow, p. 88).
God Almighty has a lot to say about Gog of Magog. Gog is a chief prince, like the archangel Michael and very powerful. He rules the territory of Magog, which is located in the far north, like God’s throne.
“Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.Prophesy against him and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with all your army—your horses, your horsemen in full armor, and a great company armed with shields and bucklers, all brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush, and Put will accompany them, all with shields and helmets, as well as Gomer with all its troops, and Beth-togarmah from the far north with all its troops—and many nations with you with you” (Ezekiel 38:2).
From this verse, it is understood:
- · Gog is ruler over the land of Magog. Old maps have shown that God’s people have anticipated the invasion against them by Gog and his hordes. They have never been able to identify the location of Magog. The maps placed them to the north of where the ten tribes and Christians lived. As they migrated, the territory of Magog changed on the maps. Gog and Magog were placed in the unknown places northward. Today, all territories on earth are inhabited and known; there does not exist a territory called Magog, or a people who could be identified as the people of Magog.
- Princes exist in heaven. The prince in heaven ruling over Persia resisted the angel, Gabriel, from reaching Daniel for twenty-one days. He was apprehended with the kings of Persia in heaven.
- The angel Gabriel spoke of warring against the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece (Daniel 10:20). After relaying God’s message to Daniel, he would fight against the prince of Greece when Greece on earth had not yet risen to power. These princes have named their ruling territories on earth with the same name as their pre-existing dominions in heaven.
- Gog is a chief prince specifically over Meshech and Tubal. Like Michael, a chief prince, Gog is, too, a very powerful ruler in heaven. He is their commander.
- Jesus Christ is the Prince of princes. “Through his craft and by his hand, he will cause deceit to prosper, and in his own mind he will make himself great. In a time of peace he will destroy many, and he will even stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be broken off, but not by human hands” (Daniel 8:25).
The ruler imaged as the little horn in the book of Daniel will not be overthrown by mortals. Only a very power spirit ruler will be able to take down this powerful rebel. During the great tribulation when Satan and his beastly coalition are ruling on earth for all eyes to see, scriptures referring to mankind’s only enemy will be clearly understood. The Apostle Paul said, “We fight not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, powers and authorities in both heaven and on earth” (Ephesians 6:12).
The archangel Michael is a chief prince. “At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress, the likes of which will not have occurred from the beginning of nations until that time. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered” (Daniel 12:1).
“However, the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:13).
Jesus Christ is a chief prince. “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (I Thessalonians 4:16).
Ezekiel 38 reveals:
- Gog has an army.
- Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, Bethtogarmah will accompany him when God Almighty declares battle against him. These are all rebel rulers in heaven who inherited these nations on earth, they will be called to war by Almighty God after Christ’s Millennial reign. God Almighty will destroy all rebels both heaven and earth prior to the creation of a new heaven and new earth for His righteous family.
- All of these allies of Gog will come from the far north. Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, Bethtogarmah are not located in the north on earth. Their rebel heavenly rulers, however, are in the far north in heaven.
“You will come from the far north, you and many nations with you” (Ezekiel 38:15).
God is referencing Gog and his hordes separate from “the many nations with him,” which will come from all the four corners of the earth.
God’s throne is located in the far north. In a vision, Ezekiel saw God on His throne. ““I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north – an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light” (Ezekiel 1:4).
God’s throne and His law courts are founded on Mount Zion, in the far north. “A Song; a Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King. God, in her palaces, has made Himself known as a stronghold” (Psalm 48:1-4).
God’s throne appears to Ezekiel from out of the north. “Above the expanse over their heads was the likeness of a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and on the throne high above was a figure like that of a man. From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire within it all around. And from what seemed to be His waist down, I saw what looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him. The appearance of the brilliant light all around Him was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking” (Ezekiel 1:26-28).
Satan planned and plotted to raise his throne into the far north to be an equal with Almighty God. “You said in your heart: ‘I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High’” (Isaiah 14:13-14).
- The many nations that ally with Gog come from the four corners of the earth.
“I will execute judgement upon him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrents of rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. I will magnify and sanctify Myself, and will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 38:22-23).
God will execute judgement on three separate groups:
- Him, Gog
- his troops
- the many nations with him.
Almighty God, the God of the twelve tribes of Israel unveils the time when He will personally call Gog to war. “After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, now all of them live in safety” (Ezekiel 38:8-9).
These two scriptures disclose the time of this event:
- After many days when God’s people live peacefully, obeying His law and living righteously. They have recovered from warring. This event hasn’t taken place yet.
- God will call Gog of the land of Magog to war.
- God’s people will be living peacefully and war is not an option.
- These people of God were gathered from the nations. They were once taken captivity and rescued by God during the second great exodus. This event hasn’t taken place yet. The oppressive captivity by Satan’s beastly coalition remains a future event. God’s great rescue is unfulfilled.
- The description of the mountains of Israel is God’s use of imagery to describe His great government that will supersede all governments on earth. God’s government on earth remains to this day, desolate. Only the arrival of Jesus Christ can re-establish God’s government on earth. This too, remains a future event.
None of the nations of 21st century Israel, the twelve tribes from ancient times, live in peace and safety today. None of the nations of 21st century Israel obey God’s law and live righteously. God is yet to bring them to their knees, humble them and bring them back into His covenant. He will not allow any rebels among His people to enter the Holy Land. “I will take note of you as you pass under my staff, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 20:38).
Ezekiel 38 remains a future event. Revelation unveils the exact time of this event. “When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations—in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore” (Revelation 20:7-8).
From across the earth, people from all the nations will join Gog and his hordes from the land of Magog.
This event will take place at the end of Jesus Christ’s millennial reign on earth. One final battle remains. Jesus Christ will reign King over all kings and Lord over all lords. His death on the cross purchased all of mankind. He is the great spiritual ruler over all creation both in heaven and on earth. Mankind will be introduced to the spiritual world during Christ’s rule on earth and God’s word will cover the earth. Satan will be released and God will call to war Gog of the land Magog with his hordes in heaven to test mankind. Mankind will be fully aware of life in heaven—the great number of angels and heavenly rulers over vast dominions. This final battle will be lost by Satan and Gog with his hordes before it begins. The great power of Almighty God will in an instant destroy them and the people in the nations will see very clearly who the Great God is—the only Supreme Being in all existence. God Almighty will then say, “I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 38:23). God Almighty concludes by using His title, LORD. His judgement of destroying the wicked heavenly beings and rebel people on earth is His priestly role in action. Both, God’s people living in Israel and the nations, will recognize the righteous judgement of Almighty God when Gog and those with him attack innocent people living in peace and harmony.
The nations on earth will recognize the horror of the attack by Gog and those with him. “O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 38:16).
God Almighty then takes the time to teach all people in the nations on earth why His people went into captivity and He allowed them to suffer. “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them. From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them” (Ezekiel 39:21-24).
God Almighty will punish His wayward people and they repent and cry out to Him. He will have compassion on them and bring them back to Him. “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord” (Ezekiel 39:25-29).
The prophesied attack by Gog and his allies will be no surprise for the people living in Israel during the millennial reign of Christ. They will anticipate it. They will be ready placing all of their trust in the God of Israel who will protect them in a grand way. “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Are you not the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel? At that time, they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them” (Ezekiel 38:17).
Now for centuries the tribes of Israel, the Judeo-Christians feared Gog and his allies. But at the end of Christ’s millennial reign, they will rest and watch their God display power beyond all living.
These all remain future events. God will rescue His people from out of the nations and display His great power in a second exodus that will be remember forever. He will bring His people back to the Holy Land and during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, they will mature spiritually, trust in the God of Israel and serve Him.
The result of the final battle is that all creation in heaven and on earth at that very moment will know that there is ONE, HOLY SUPREME and ALMIGHTY GOD. All attempts to overthrow Almighty God will be futile. All creation will know that YHWH is LORD. Satan is not LORD, Gog is not LORD, the Antichrist is not LORD and all previous contenders are not the LORD. The God of Israel is the LORD. He is their God and they are His people, along with all of repentant mankind from all nations, tribes, tongues and people.
God Almighty is not visible to mortals; He requires faith and trust in Him. All creation in heaven can transform into visible beings. Mortals tend to put their faith and trust in what and who they see. God Almighty will establish His supremacy with mortals based on His undefeated power, might and righteous judgement. Mankind on earth will all know the Supreme God prior to their judgement when the books are opened.
The story of Gog of Magog has been feared by Judeo-Christians for millennia. It has been a mystery until the printing of the Bible. Now, all people everywhere in all countries can read the truth. There is no fear for people who worship the Almighty God; He will be completely protect them from this future attack.
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GOD against the gods: their alien arrival will bring their war to earth
ONE GOD REIGNS SUPREME
“The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloud burst, thunderstorm and hail. For Assyria will be shattered at the voice of the LORD; He will strike them with His scepter” (Isaiah 30:30-31).
The battle of Almighty God against the rebellious gods given rulership over the nations is evident in the remains peeking out of the wind-swept, sandy mounds across vast lands on earth.
21st century scholars refuse to acknowledge the reality of heavenly rulers over nations on earth. And yet, ancient civilizations knew and feared disobeying the god ruling over them.
Written on the cylinder of Nabopolassar, the king recorded, “When I was young, although I was the son of nobody, I constantly sought the sanctuaries of my lords the gods Nabu and Marduk. My mind was preoccupied with the establishment of their prescriptions and the complete performance of their rituals. My attention was directed at justice and equity. The god Marduk, the lord who fathoms the hearts of the gods of heaven and the netherworld, who constantly observes the conducts of mankind, perceived my inner thoughts and elevated me, … the servant who was anonymous among the people, to a high status in the country in which I was born. He called me to the lordship over the country and the people. He caused a benevolent protective spirit to walk at my side. He let me succeed in everything I undertook”
To future kings, King Nabopolassar said, “Any king, at any time, whether a son or a grandson who will succeed me, and whose name Marduk will call to exert rulership of the country do not be concerned with feats of might and power. Seek the sanctuaries of Nabu and Marduk and let them slay your enemies. The lord Marduk examines utterances and scrutinizes the heart. He who is loyal to Marduk, his foundations will endure. He who is loyal to the son of Marduk (i.e. Nabu) will last for eternity.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbFSuO7KHLY
Nabopolassar acknowledged his insignificant beginnings. He addressed Nabu and Marduk as lords, those who hold a priestly role and thought deeply on establishing their prescriptions, that is, instructions that bring healing and health, likely spiritual healing and health. It was shortly after that time of Babel, when mankind was returning to the old ways that brought the great flood. He admitted to putting his trust in Nabu and Marduk to slay his enemies as he believed in their good judgement and knew they could scrutinize his carnal thoughts and know his wayward heart. He was not set of seeking might and power, rather justice and equity recognizing the benefit of a “benevolent protective spirit walking at his side.”
King Nabopolassar’s son, Nebuchadnezzar, too, respected the gods ruling over Babylon. The arrival of the Jewish exiles introduced him to the Supreme God—God over all gods. This has been the challenge of Almighty God since Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden. The Supreme God is all powerful and His radiance is pure light preventing mankind from seeing Him and living. King Nebuchadnezzar experienced Almighty God’s power to humble the mighty. After his seven-year sentence to live as a wild animal drenched in dew and his gods that he worshipped were powerless to thwart the sentence, King Nebuchadnezzar declared across the whole of his kingdom, “The dominion of the Most High is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the people of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” (Daniel 4:34b-35)
King Nebuchadnezzar is represented as the head of gold in the great statue that symbolizes earth’s kingdoms used by God to illustrate the rapid progression of earth’s rulers into corruption and evil. The reign of king Nebuchadnezzar was precious because he acknowledged the God of Israel as the supreme and all-powerful God over all gods. The God of Israel saved Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the burning furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar declared, “I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way” (Daniel 3:29).
The gods have significantly less power than the Almighty God of Israel.
King Nebuchadnezzar said to Daniel when God gave him the meaning of the dream of the great statue, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the LORD of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery” (Daniel 2:47).
The battle in ancient times has always been a race for the rebel sons of God ruling over the nations to declare their supremacy over Almighty God.
BABEL, HEAVENLY RULERS GIVEN OVER THE PEOPLE ON EARTH
Lest we forget, a review of how it came about that the nations on earth were given heavenly rulers over them is a critical piece in the great puzzle that provides understanding into the battle Almighty God fights against the gods. The sons of God in His court in heaven were given rulership over the nations. At the time of Babel, God Almighty divided the people, gave them different languages and separated them from being a collective whole. The people were returning to the sinful ways that caused God to destroy mankind, except for eight people, with a great flood. God gave these people skilful and highly trained heavenly rulers from His headquarters, called Lebanon, in heaven.
“When the Most High assigned lands to the nations, when he divided up the human race, he established the boundaries of the peoples according to the number in his heavenly court” (Deuteronomy 32:8).
These heavenly rulers were once the most revered and honoured leaders throughout creation in heaven. Their reign over the nations on earth began well. Kingdoms rose with each heavenly ruler showcasing his talents and skill. But, in relatively a short time, one-by-one they became proud and arrogant and taught the people to worship them, instead of the Almighty God—their Creator. Ezekiel recorded God speaking to the heavenly ruler over Egypt, “Who can be compared to you in majesty?” (Ezekiel 31:2). To the king ruling over Assyria, God said to the king over Egypt, “Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon [once a leader in God’s headquarters in heaven], with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest; it towered on high. Its top above the thick foliage… The cedars in the garden of God could not rival it, nor could the pine trees equal its boughs, nor could the plan trees compare with its branches—no tree in the garden of God could match its beauty. I made it beautiful with abundant branches, the envy of all the trees of Eden in the garden of God” (Ezekiel 31:3, 8-9).
God described the heavenly ruler over Assyria as one of the most revered leaders in His heavenly court in the God-family named Eden. He was a son of God filled with God’s Holy Spirit who judged using the perfect application of God’s law and His righteous ways.
God joined these members of His heavenly court and gave Himself the descendants of Jacob as His people, to rule over them as their heavenly King and teach them His law and His ways. “But the LORD’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9).
Abraham was not part of the division of people at the time of Babel; he wasn’t born for another 200 years. The ancient peoples called on the name of the heavenly god ruling over them for help and strength.
GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT FILLED THE HEAVENLY LEADERS
All of the heavenly rulers were filled with God’s Holy Spirit and the people recognized the inferior abilities of the spirit of man compared to having the spirit of holy gods. The mother-queen of Babylon advised her grandson, the king of Babylon when the writing on the wall appeared and he was terrified. “O king, live forever! Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father, he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods” (Daniel 5:11).
The queen mother had witnessed Daniel interpret king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The kings said to Daniel, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you” (Daniel 4:9).
With help from heavenly gods, all of the people, at the time of Babel, departed to their new territories assigned to them by the Almighty God. People were assigned to modern-day northern Iraq where they established a city-state called Ashur, after their heavenly god, Assur.
“While Nineveh may have been one of its notable political capitals, Ashur was always its spiritual base. They called their domain mat-Assur which means land of Assur pointing to the god Assur whose shrine and later temple was the city’s main focal point. The people of Assyria considered that the land belonged to the god Assur. The mortal on the throne was only the vice-regent on earth.” (History with Cy).
MYTHOLOGY VS REALITY
Modern day scholars discredit the belief and worship of gods by the ancient people, but this was a reality and it is critical to understanding what rests on our near horizon—a time like no other on earth—a time a great distress unequaled nor ever to occur again (Matthew 24:21).
God watched the members from His heavenly court rule and saw them begin to stumble and sway. He warned them and corrected them helping them to return to God’s righteous law and ways. It wasn’t long with each of the members from God’s heavenly court ruling over the nations began to turn against Him. So, much so, that they raged against Him.
THE gods REBEL
God said to King Assur over Assyria, “By your messengers you have heaped insults on the LORD. And you have said, ‘With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon’” (Isaiah 37:24a). The descriptor of a mountain is God’s image for a federal government. This rebel ruler in heaven bragged about his military success of battling against the honoured and revered members of God’s central government and overthrowing them.
This vile heavenly ruler boasted, “I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its pines. I have reached its remotest heights, the finest of its forests” (Isaiah 37:24b).
All of the trees described by this rebel are images of the different leaders in God’s headquarters; His finest leaders have all been destroyed. While this rebel boasts and rages against the Almighty God, God said, “Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone” (Isaiah 37:26).
At the time that God spoke to this raging rebel, the Assyrians had surrounded Jerusalem. King Hezekiah prayed to Almighty God, the God of Israel for help and God said to this fallen ruler, “But I know where you stay and when you come and go and how you rage against me. Because you rage against me and because of your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came” (Isaiah 37:28-29).
The God of Israel, the Supreme God, shielded Jerusalem because the good king Hezekiah prayed to Him and pleaded for protection. The king and the righteous prophets put their trust in their God, and He saved them this time around. The kings of the house of Judah progressively defied God, which led eventually to their captivity by king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The terror seen in the Valley of Vision did not turn the senses of Judah to their God, instead they hardened to hearts and shouted in celebratory joy, “Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die!” (Isaiah 22:13)
Both houses of Israel: Judah and Israel went into captivity because of their evil ways and rejection of the LORD’s instruction. God used the wicked heavenly rulers over the nations to punish His people as well as the weaker nations led by fallen, rebel heavenly rulers.
THE MADE KING SENNACHERIB
The mad king Sennacherib was an image of the rebel and raging king Assur in heaven. “Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered?” The messengers of the heavenly king through earthly his king taunted the Jews in Jerusalem. “Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar? Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’” (Isaiah 37:11-13).
The gods of those fallen nations were not powerful enough to protect their earthly nations. The Almighty God used the stronger rebel kings to take down the weaker rebel kings.
God reminded the raging rebel king Assur, “Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it; in days of old I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, that you should crush fortified cities into piles of rubble. Therefore, their inhabitants, devoid of power, are dismayed and ashamed” (Isaiah 37:26-27).
Ancient Assyria was the rod of God’s anger against the rebellious northern houses of Israel and Judah. While Assyria brought the house of Israel to an end; it was Babylonian king that God used to take down the southern house of Judah and bring them into captivity.
THE GOD OF ISRAEL REIGNS SUPREME
King David understood the battle of God against the gods. He acknowledged the God of Israel as the supreme God above all other gods. “For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods”(Psalm 95:3).
King David was frustrated with the idols made by the people to call on the gods they worshipped. "Let all those be ashamed who serve graven images, who boast themselves of idols; worship Him, all you gods" (Psalm 97:7).
The gods ruling over the nations had taught the people to worship them as the Supreme God, the Creator. “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, you great monster lying among your streams. You say, “The Nile belongs to me; I made it for myself’” (Ezekiel 29:3).
King David pleaded, “Arise, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are Your inheritance” (Psalm 82:8). He was tired of the ancient rebellion. God assured king David that their rule will end but according to His timeline. “I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’ But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall” (Psalm 82:6-7).
God’s grand plan was to give the Son of God of whom He gave His great power to create heaven and earth and all that is in these two realms, a kingdom. It would be this Son of God who would demonstrate God’s perfect love and to take the beatings and pay the life-sacrificing price to save mankind on earth. Through his sacrifice, he won the decisive battle. Christ gathered and imprisoned the remaining rebel sons over the nations and took them to the lower parts of the earth, where they await judgment today.
“None of the rulers of this age [the principalities and power in high places] understood it, for if they had, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY” (I Corinthians 2:8).
Remember, “when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” (Matthew 27:24)
Note, Pontius Pilate was a Roman governor who declared Jesus’ innocence. It was the Jewish Sanhedrin that pushed for the crucifixion of Jesus.
The job God Almighty gave to these heavenly rulers was to teach the nations on earth God’s law and His righteous ways. They failed. Christ has won the kingship over all the nations on earth. He has already given the church within God’s people, the job that was given to the members of God’s heavenly court.
CHRIST REDEEMED GOD’S PEOPLE AND ALL OF THE NATIONS AND DISARMED THE REBEL gods over the nations—freeing them from their enemy. “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code [that is, the Law of Sin and Death is no longer applicable], with its regulations, that war against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross [Christ’s sacrifice paid the price for mankind]. And having DISARMED THE POWERS AND AUTHORITIES, he made a PUBLIC SPECTACLE OF THEM [the rogue sons of God], TRIUMPHING OVER THEM BY THE CROSS” (Colossians 2:13-15).
The Apostle Paul understood this 21st century mystery. “This is why it says: ‘When He ascended on high, He led captives [rebel heavenly rulers] away, and gave gifts to men [authority to teach the word of God].’ What does ‘He ascended’ mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the very one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fulfill all things" (Ephesians 4:8-10).
The silence of the gods for over 2,000 years is due to Jesus Christ imprisoning them. Satan took the opportunity to mythicize them so that mankind would only look to each other as the enemy and ghost their real enemies. The Apostle Paul said that mankind’s only enemies are the rulers, powers and authorities in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 6:12).
THE AUTHORITY ORIGINALLY GIVEN TO THE gods TO TEACH GOD’S WAY TO THE NATIONS WAS TAKEN AS BOOTY BY CHRIST AND GIVEN TO HIS CHURCH. “Some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of services, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we ALL reach unity in the father and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-13).
A time is coming; it is resting on our near horizon when fallen angels and rebel gods will be thrown out of heaven and arrive on earth to finish their war against Almighty God. “Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him… Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time” (Revelation 12:7-9, 12).
God’s people have been warned by Jesus, who said, “For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short” (Matthew 24:21-22).
The whole world will be astonished and follow this rebel alien force because it will be so powerful that all of the nations, collectively would not be able to overpower it. “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” The nations will surrender.
This alien invasion from heaven will come fully loaded with ten powerful rebel kings who will rule for one hour with the beast. “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive one hour of authority as kings, along with the beast” (Revelation 17:12). During this time, Mystery Babylon the Great, the great prostitute will surface on the international scene. She will be a religious body who will set up business, trading expensive goods for her wares. The merchants performing the exchanges will lavish in the profit from her business.
The ten kings will wait to receive their promised kingdom until the last days. God Almighty knew they would rebel against Him. He likely promised them rulership at the time of Babel, but they had to wait until He was ready to use them.
God’s people, both houses of Israel and Judah into the 21st century—twelve nations, will be the target of Satan, the ten kings and the beast. This horrific force will be like the oppressive blows of ancient Assyria. The king of Babylon will rise and “On the day that the LORD gives you rest from your pain and torment, and from the hard labor into which you were forced, you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended! The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows; it subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution” (Isaiah 14:1-6).
The Antichrist, the little horn in the book of Daniel, will take the lead. He will overthrow three of the ten kings and establish himself as the supreme ruler over the beastly coalition on earth. This vile character will surpass all previous rebels. “He will speak against the Most High and oppress the saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time” (Daniel 7:25). He will rise and set himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God (II Thessalonians 2:4b).
This will be a time of great confusion. The saints will have the truth and remain strong when the little horn reaches the “host of the heavens”—God’s army in heaven and battles to throw some of the “starry host”—radiant angels down to earth. It will set itself up to be as great as the “Prince of the host”—Jesus Christ and take away his daily work and his sanctuary will be considered inferior and ineffective. Jesus Christ works daily in heaven to forgive sins and intercede for mankind (Daniel 8:10-11), as well as, to lead the righteous angelic sons of God in heaven. This vile rebel will be allowed by Almighty God to be successful because God is testing the angelic sons of God in heaven as well as mankind on earth. Judgement will be in progress during this time.
The Antichrist, the little horn in Daniel, will attempt to change God’s law to acquit himself, along with Satan and those within the beastly coalition. This will be a terrible time when deception on earth will be a display of the work of Satan “in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (II Thessalonians 2:9-10).
The set time of God for these rebels is a time, times and half a time. They will not be able to change set times. The very moment that set time has ended, the courts in heaven will sit, and the power of the little horn will be taken away and completely destroyed forever (Daniel 7:26). It is impossible for creation to overthrow the Great Creator.
After that time of judgement, God Almighty will turn to His people and rescue them. “For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and settle them in their own land. The foreigner will join them and unite with the house of Jacob. The nations will escort Israel and bring it to its homeland. Then the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors. On the day that the LORD gives you rest from your pain and torment, and from the hard labor into which you were forced, you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended! The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers” (Isaiah 14:1).
It will happen “on that day” after God’s people are struck down. Their ally will betray them. They will be caught off-guard; they will be vulnerable and weak; unable to save themselves, then, they will look to their invincible and loving God.
“On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer depend on him who struck them, but they will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return—a remnant of Jacob—to the Mighty God” (Isaiah 10:20-21).
The reference to the remnant of Israel has always pointed to a small group of people within the kingdom of Israel. They are not the complete house of Israel, rather, a small group—the overcomers, who have always remembered Almighty God, the God of Israel. Joseph said to his brothers that he was sent ahead of them, though it was through his brothers’ evil actions that he ended up in Egypt, still by God’s will, to preserve a remnant on earth. He added his presence in Egypt was also to save them by a great deliverance (Genesis 45:7). Joseph was not preserving all of them, only a remnant, but all are saved by a great deliverance. I am making a distinction between two different groups of people.
God said through the writing of Micah, “I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will collect the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in the midst of its pasture—a noisy throng” (Micah 2:12).
God is very careful in His use of language. He will gather the people of Jacob and collect the remnant of Israel together, that is two groups of people. To gather people means they are scattered and brought together in one activity. To collect people means they are one-by-one coming together into a group over time as they reflect what the collector values.
The gathered and the collected people will become a very large group of people, excited to be united under the rulership of Almighty God. Christ will set them free from their captors. “One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate, and go out by it. Their King will pass through before them, the LORD as their leader” (Micah 2:13).
It is important to take some time to look deeper into God’s use of language that refers to Jacob and Israel as two separate groups. “Therefore, the LORD who redeemed Abraham says of the house of Jacob: “No longer will Jacob be ashamed and no more will his face grow pale. For when he sees his children around him, the work of My hands, they will honor My name, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and they will stand in awe of the God of Israel. Then the wayward in spirit will come to understanding, and those who grumble will accept instruction” (Isaiah 29:22-24).
These three verses are a complete sequence of God’s careful use of language.
· God’s first point: Abraham is redeemed
God began by identifying the patriarchal father of the house of Jacob, Abraham. God carefully pointed out that Abraham is redeemed—he is liberated. God is reminding His people that through Abraham, they too, are liberated because He, the Almighty God is their King—their Saviour.
“But the LORD’s portion is His people, Jacob His allotted inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9). God gave Himself an inheritance, kingship over the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob.
“The LORD of Hosts will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance" (Isaiah 19:25).
God’s people will always remain God’s inheritance. They were called to become a holy kingdom of royal priests. God will accomplish all that He has set out to do.
· God’s second point: The house of Jacob failed
God addressed the house of Jacob. Their wayward leaders, the national and religious leaders, failed and are filled with shame and feelings of powerlessness. Though they failed, God’s work continued uninterrupted. The descendants of Jacob are the work of God’s hands; they will become God-fearing and God-serving people.
· God’s third point: The wayward leaders within the house of Jacob will bend their knee to the God of Israel; not the God of Jacob.
God is making a very specific point by identifying Himself as the God of Israel—not the God of Jacob. God’s work is the bringing of His people into a people who fear and serve Him. The house of Jacob will bend their knee to the God of Israel because they acknowledge the miracle of transforming carnal man into God’s Holy Spirit filled and led people. Even the most stubborn people will bend their knee before the God of Israel—the God of the overcomers; the God who transforms people through trials and tribulation. The God who loves His creation and longs to give them His unique Holy Spirit that opens their eyes to recognize precious knowledge, enables their thoughts to reach unfathomable depths of understanding and empowers the application of His wisdom.
When Jesus Christ died and the veil was rent from the top down, direct access to Almighty God through the Messiah was made possible for all people. God has been working directly with people; these people are overcoming. These over-comers are Israel, like Jacob who wrestled relentlessly with the Angel of the LORD begging to be blessed—begging for protection from his brother Esau—begging for life. The Angel of the LORD changed Jacob’s name to Israel because he overcame. Jacob, at that moment, prior to re-entering the Holy Land mirrored his end-time descendants who will do the same prior to re-entering the land promised to their patriarchal father, Israel.
After God’s people repent “in that day” and they will say, “I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:1-2).
ONE FINAL BATTLE
During the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, one final battle will remain for God against rebel gods. Gog of the land of Magog and all his hordes in the far north of heaven will be called to battle against Almighty God. He and his hordes will have sat quietly for the duration of Christ’s millennial rule. God is preparing to create a new heaven and a new earth void of all rebels both in heaven and on earth. The time will come when God calls this heavenly force to arms. This violent but short battle will be anticipated by God’s people on earth because all of them will be obeying Him and know His word. God prophesied, “After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land” (Ezekiel 38:8-9).
This rebel heavenly force will lure many nations on earth to join him in the final attempt to completely wipe out God’s people and the foreigners with them. Satan will be released for the final battle. All who go against the Almighty God are the ultimate losers.
God prophesied, “This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused… In my zeal and fiery wrath, I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains… Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgement upon him [Gog] with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulphur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so, I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 38:18-23).
Nations who join with the rebel heavenly ruler and his hordes will die. The judgement is already known. God’s judgement will not be overturned; He is absolute.
Mankind’s only true battle has been against rulers, powers and principalities in heaven and on earth. As Satan tricked Eve, he continues to trick mankind into warring against each other. Americans have said for years: Russia, Russia, Russia, but truly, no nation on earth is the enemy. Know the real enemy because they will come in full force to attempt to totally obliterate all people on earth. It will be like no other time on earth before.
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Esau, Father of the Edomites, Father of rebels
God knows the end from the beginning. This supernatural ability gives Him the exactitude to plan and achieve precisely what He has set out to do without any hindrance or diversion. He knew that Adam and Eve would sin. He knew that He would take claim to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and reign over them. He knew they would reject Him and later search for Him. He knew that from the earliest beginning of His covenant with Abraham, within the family of Isaac, a people would choose to live driven to please self, to revel in self-glory, power and corruption without remorse. He knew one son from Isaac would overcome and his descendants would preserve God’s law and word while they, too, struggled to obey Him. He knew the two families will wrestle until the return of Jesus Christ. Their story is more relevant today than it was those many years ago.
TWO PEOPLES WILL BE SEPARATED
God said to Rebekah, “two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23).
- Separated: These two opposing boys within the covenant family will be separated to live apart unable to unite because their life choices are very different. One will remain in the covenant family that God made with Abraham and Isaac and the other will be separated to live outside of the covenant.
- Stronger: The stronger will be the self-serving body of people who remain superior during this evil age. The stronger brother mirrors a rebel people who will take, steal, deceive, bully and intimidate their way into leadership positions that they feel they are entitled to.
- Younger: The younger will wrestle for power until Christ returns. When the global control is lifted off the nations by Jesus Christ, the younger will gain power and rule over the older forever.
The two boys wrestled for the firstborn inheritance—rulership and great blessings while in Rebekah’s womb, Isaac’s wife. God revealed the time it begins, the time before their birth, mirroring the time before the birthing into God’s kingdom as spiritual children of God. Within Western Europe and the West, battles are taking place from within each country. Royal members, Prime Ministers and Presidents are working against the people, oppressing them and through irregular warfare, attacking them. These leaders are destroyers demonstrating a complete lack of patriotism. Who are these reigning rebel people—the older or the younger?
THE FIRSTBORN SON
God established the firstborn double blessing since ancient times because He is revealing the double blessing that He will give to those in the first resurrection. He also, linked the firstborn blessing to the firstborn chosen as His priesthood. It was an intentional mirror of the first men and women to be resurrected; they will be God’s priesthood serving Him in His temple.
“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast’” (Exodus 13:1-2).
Also, God does not want the father of sons from different wives, giving the favourite wife’s son the firstborn inheritance if he is not the firstborn of all the sons. God does not want the mirroring of this practice to become muddied allowing favouritism or any son to receive the inheritance. Only the righteous God-fearing men and women who will be resurrected at the first resurrection are God’s firstborn on earth in His kingdom; they will receive the double blessing. “When that man assigns his inheritance to his sons, he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife. Instead, he must acknowledge the firstborn, the son of his unloved wife, by giving him a double portion of all that he has. For that son is the firstfruits of his father’s strength; the right of the firstborn belongs to him” (Deuteronomy 21:16-17).
The firstborn mirror the first to be resurrected into God’s kingdom. An interesting discussion takes place between God and the king of Egypt
THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL IS GOD’S FIRSTBORN SON
God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that His people will be the firstborn in His kingdom. “Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son’” (Exodus 4:22). This scripture may sound odd for those who do not fully understand what God is telling Pharaoh. The heavenly ruler over Egypt was the one God was addressing when He declared His people to be His firstborn son. Egypt’s heavenly ruler was falling out of righteousness. He had taught the Egyptians that he was a Creator.
“Speak to him and tell him that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies among his rivers, who says, ‘The Nile is mine; I made it myself’” (Ezekiel 29:3).
The Nile River was the life-source of Egypt. Egypt’s king was declaring himself to be the creator of their life source. Almighty God was battling against this fallen, heavenly ruler. The staff is a symbol of authority. The magicians, using power from this fallen, heavenly king, turned their staffs into snakes. Aaron, through the power of Almighty God, turned his staff into a snake and it swallowed up all of the snakes of the magicians (Exodus 7:12). The message: The God of Israel has supreme authority.
The water of the Nile River and all water ways were turned to blood by God through Aaron’s staff. Life in the water died and a stench came out. The Egyptian magicians could also curse the water, but they could not heal it. The message: The Egyptian magicians can present a sacrifice of blood, but they cannot forgive sins. God is referring to these heavenly rulers over the nations on earth.
The plague of frogs that likely mirror the evil spirits that are prophesied to come out of the dragon, the false prophet and the beast (Revelation 16:13) came out of the Nile. This very river, Pharaoh claimed to have created became the cesspool of wickedness. The message: Pharaoh’s Nile River is full of evil spirits and the heavenly king of Egypt has no power to take them away (Exodus 8:8).
Pharaoh pleaded to have the frogs taken away. Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God” (Exodus 8:10). And Moses added, “The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile” (Exodus 8:11).
God’s point to the Egypt’s ruler in heaven was that he has failed to rule righteously and his people, the Egyptians on earth, will not be resurrected first into His kingdom. There was likely a chance for the Egyptian people and likely for any of the heavenly rulers over the nations to have their people on earth resurrected at the first resurrection, but all of these rulers turned against Almighty God and taught the people in all the nations on earth to worship them. Hence, the myriad list of gods—elohim worshipped all around the world.
EPHRAHIM, GOD’S FIRSTBORN
God has declared that His people will be the first to be resurrected into His kingdom. He has a salvation plan for all of mankind and it begins with the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus, born from the tribe of Judah in the kingdom of Israel. God is specific as to which house of the two, who will be first to be resurrected. Ephraim was given the leadership over the ten tribes of Israel. He was Joseph’s youngest son. God had prophesied that Ephraim will be His firstborn. These people from the ten tribes of Israel who accept Christ as their Saviour, the Christians will come out of the Great Tribulation weeping and begging for forgiveness and life eternal. They will be exactly like Jacob when he wrestled with the Jesus Christ, the Old Testament Angel of God. God will recognize their sincerity and they will be blessed.
“Behold, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, including the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor. They will return as a great assembly! They will come with weeping, and by their supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk beside streams of waters, on a level path where they will not stumble. For I am Israel’s Father, and Ephraim is My firstborn” (Jeremiah 31:8-9).
JESUS CHRIST, THE FIRST OF THE FIRSTBORN
Jesus was first born in his family on earth and consecrated to God according to God’s Law given to Moses. “And when the time of purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to the Lord”) (Luke 2:22-23).
Jesus Christ was consecrated to Almighty God into His priesthood on earth. He died and was resurrected; he is the first of the first resurrection. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (I Corinthians 15:20-22).
Also in Hebrews 1, “For to which of the angels did God ever say: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father”? Or again: “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son”? And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all God’s angels worship Him” (Hebrews 1:5-6). Jesus Christ is the first to be resurrected from mortals. He is King over all kings and Lord over all lords both in heaven and on earth.
GOD’S PRIESTHOOD: AN ADJUSTMENT FROM THE FIRSTBORN SON TO THE LEVITES
God made an adjustment in His selection of His priesthood when ancient Israel left Egypt. He selected the Levites to serve Him (Numbers 3). This change pointed to Moses given God’s Law and His Holy Spirit both essential for service to God. This tribe would be blessed with the essential components to serve Him. They remained God’s priesthood all through ancient Israel’s journey in the wilderness, into the Promised Land until they entered into captivity. God is likely to uphold this change in the future.
“But the Levites who went far from me, going astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their punishment… Because they ministered before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I swore with an uplifted hand concerning them that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity, declares the Lord GOD. They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed. Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of all the work for the temple and everything to be done in it" (Ezekiel 44:10, 12-14).
“But the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok and who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, are to approach Me to minister before Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, declares the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 44:15).
THE FIRSTBORN WHO LOST THEIR BIRTHRIGHT BLESSING
Not all of the firstborn sons received the firstborn, double blessing inheritance. Esau lost the firstborn double blessing and well as Rueben, Jacob’s firstborn son.
REUBEN
Jacob’s firstborn son was Reuben born from his mother, Leah. She was not Jacob’s beloved wife, but keeping with God’s Law, Reuben was destined to receive the double portion, firstborn blessing. He was aware of the firstborn birthright; but he wanted more. He attempted to establish his own ruling family line coming directly from him and exclude his brothers by taking one of his father’s concubines and impregnating her. Jacob understood the presumptuous attempt and took the firstborn birthright from him. He gave Judah the ruling sceptre passing over Simeon and Levi because of their war-like retaliation towards the people of Shechem in responding to the rape of their sister, Dinah. Judah proved his service to his father by putting his life on the line to protect Benjamin during his journey to Joseph in Egypt. The riches of the birthright blessings went to Joseph who proved to be a righteous God-fearing and God-serving son. This change in the giving of the firstborn inheritance was a God sanctioned decision because only the righteous, God-fearing and God-serving people will be in the first resurrection and receive rulership and great blessings.
ESAU
The loss of Esau’s firstborn birthright is a relevant study into the 21st century. Esau came to Jacob starving after coming in from the field. He approached Jacob and asked for a bowl of soup. Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright” (Genesis 25:31). Esau agreed saying, “Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?” (Genesis 25:32)
But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.”
So, he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. “Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So, Esau despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:34).
Esau did not understand the value of the birthright. While he believed that he would die imminently, the selling of the birthright was an easy payment for life. He relies on the food given to him by Jacob to revive him. That would become a prophetic act when the “older” is revived by the “younger,” still a future event.
Here, Esau mirrors the ungrateful ancient Israelites who had God Almighty—the Creator as their king, but they rejected Him. The nation of Israel was God’s inheritance; Israel became subjects to Almighty God. They took for granted the priceless gift of His perfect leadership, perpetual forgiveness and enduring love.
The resurrection described in Ezekiel 37 of the very dry, ancient bones of the whole house of Israel in the valley could take place just prior to the re-unification of the two houses of Israel after Christ’s return. Then, we will see the older serve the younger.
The “younger” are the repentant and humble, obedient and loving Israelites of the latter days who come out of the Great Tribulation who have been refined and tested by God. They will be stronger spiritually than the “older” who when resurrected say, “Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off” (Ezekiel 37:11b).
ESAU, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNGODLY AND UNREPENTANT MEMBERS OF GOD’S COVENANT FAMILY
Isaac sent Esau to hunt venison and make him his favourite meal, anticipating his death and planning to give Esau the firstborn inheritance. Esau arrived back from hunting and said, “My father, sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing” (Genesis 27:31).
Esau was not a polite and caring individual. He was gruff and commanding. “Sit up,” he said to father when he entered his room. Isaac was confused because moments earlier he thought he had blessed Esau.
When Isaac realized that he had not blessed Esau, he trembled violently. Esau burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said, “Bless me—me too, my father!” (Genesis 27:34)
The Apostle Paul understood the importance of BEING RIGHT WITH GOD, when he wrote, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or UNHOLY LIKE ESAU, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, HE WAS REJECTED, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears” (Hebrews 12:15-17).
It was God who rejected Esau, not Isaac. Esau did not value the birthright nor did he respect God. His marriage choices were a source of grief to both Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 26:35). Looking through the reflection into the parallel story, it is evident that Esau’s religious preferences, like many of the covenant people then and today, were not the ways of God. The people who reflect Esau will not inherit the blessings from God just because they are DNA Israelites of the covenant family.
Jesus said, “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:22-23).
Many Judo-Christians are not living righteously. They are living according to their own interpretations of God’s word.
THE OUTCOME CHANGED
Jacob believed that the birthright was his; he had purchased it for a single meal. Isaac may have known about that. If so, he did not validate the purchase. Rebekah was told by God, that the older [Esau] would serve the younger [Jacob]. This meant that the younger would receive the family birthright inheritance—rulership and blessings. It is highly likely that Rebekah shared that with Isaac when she was in turmoil and worried about losing her life due to the intense wrestling of the twins in her womb. Still, Isaac ignored her testimony. It is the work of God that Isaac had suffered blindness; it mirrored his spiritual condition being unable to see what lies ahead of him. He failed to ask God for guidance, knowing Esau’s behaviour and marriage choices.
When Sarah told Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away, it distressed him greatly. He went to God on the matter and God said, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (Genesis 21:11-12).
Rebekah worked to correct a direction that would bring chaos and destruction into God’s covenant family. She gave specific instructions to Jacob to dress and cover himself to deceive Isaac into believing that Jacob was Esau. This action pricked Jacob’s conscience and he said, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I’m a man with smooth skin. What if my father touches me? I would APPEAR to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing” (Genesis 27:11-12).
Jacob understood what the action APPEARED to look like if their true intentions was not known. In addition, Jacob feared being cursed because he knew his father had a relationship with Almighty God and power to bless or curse. Jacob was a God-fearing man who knew God.
When Esau learned that the birthright inheritance was given to Jacob, he went into a rage and planned to kill his brother. He did not acknowledge the vow he made upon selling his birthright for a single meal, instead his hatred for his brother spilled over onto his children and descendants for many years to come. This is a prophecy of family members hating and spreading hatred towards the God-fearing and God-serving people. Jesus prophesied, “They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me” (John 16:2-3).
It is no surprise that descendants of Esau have taken leadership offices throughout Judea during Jesus’ life on earth and likely continue to hold, key leadership positions today in Western Europe, the West and Israel. Herod the Great, client-king over Judea ordered the death of Jesus after he was born. He was an Edomite. His son, Herod Antipas ruler of Galilee ordered the beheading of John the Baptist. They are willing to kill to protect their rulership.
ESAU AND GOD
Esau may feel sorry for himself and continue to behave badly, but God did not abandon him. Before Isaac died, Esau packed up his family and everything he owned and moved away. God took care of him and gave Esau his own land, the area around Mount Seir where once the Horites lived. The Horites were a similar race of people like the Anakites who were very large and tall.
As God battled the giants for Israel, He first battled the giants for Esau and his children. “They were a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. The LORD destroyed them from before the Ammonites, who drove them out and settled in their place. The LORD had done the same for the descendants of Esau, who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites from before them” (Deuteronomy 2:21-22).
Though God gave him land, he was not satisfied. His story is about a people within the covenant family who refuse to repent, so God will not confirm the covenant with them. Their hatred for their own brother continues to burn into an unquenchable fire.
THE EDOMITES CONTINUE IN ANGER AND RAGE AGAINST THE DESCENDANTS OF JACOB:
God has prophesied His judgement on the Edomites for their uncontrolled rage. “For three sins of Edom, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because he pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all compassion, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked, I will send fire upon Teman that will consume the fortresses of Bozrah” (Amos 1:11-12).
THE EDOMITES WERE WILLING TO ENSLAVE THEIR OWN COUSINS: “This is what the LORD says: ‘The people of Tyre have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They broke their treaty of brotherhood with Israel, selling whole villages as slaves to Edom’” (Amos 1:9).
“For three sins of Gaza, even for four I will not turn back my wrath, because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom” (Amos 1:6).
THE EDOMITES WERE VIOLENT AGAINST THEIR COUSINS: “Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be cut off forever” (Obadiah 1:10).
“Thus says the Lord GOD: Because Edom acted revengefully against the house of Judah and has grievously offended in taking vengeance on them, therefore thus says the Lord GOD, ‘I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword’” (Ezekiel 25:12).
THE EDOMITES BECOME A TOTALLY CORRUPT PEOPLE:
“Concerning Edom Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman? Has good counsel been lost to the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan, for I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him at the time I punish him. If grape gatherers came to you, would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, they would destroy only until they had enough’” (Jeremiah 49:7-9).
EDOMITES TURN A BLIND EYE:
The Antichrist will “enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, EVEN EDOM, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon” (Daniel 11:41). These Edomites go untouched by the Antichrist. What type of alliance will they have with this beast power at that time?
But they will not go unpunished by God.
“In that day… Your warriors, O Teman, will be terrified, and everyone in Esau’s mountains will be cut down in the slaughter. Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be cut off forever… you should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune, nor rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of their destruction, nor boast so much in the day of their trouble” (Obadiah verse 10).
THE EDOMITES TRANSFORM INTO THE IMAGE OF WICKEDNESS AND UNREPENTANT ISRAEL:
“The LORD is angry with all nations… My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have devoted to destruction. The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat—the blood of lambs and goats, fat from the kidney of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah [the redeemed—accepted sacrifice] and a great slaughter in Edom [the unredeemed]… For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause. Edom’s streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch! It will not be quenched night and day; its smoke will rise forever [until its God-determined end]… No nobles will be left to proclaim a king, and all her princes will come to nothing” (Isaiah 34:1-12).
God is angry with all of the nations because they surrender to Satan and the beast. When they are thrown out of heaven and arrive on earth their display of power will be overwhelming. “One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast. They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?” (Revelation 13:3-4)
So, they surrender.
God’s day of vengeance will protect the redeemed [in Bozrah] and destroy the unredeemed in Edom [the place of rebels]. A concentration camp of types will appear and be referred to as Bozrah. There, the repentant and God-fearing people will be imprisoned. The reference of Bozrah may not necessarily be the physical Bozrah on earth rather an emblematic place where the God-fearing covenant people are held hostage.
The King James version states in Micah 2:12, “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of people."
Bozrah is mentioned only in the King James version. Other translations simply refer to a “pen,” which infers an enclosure for sheep—an image of a large apprehended number of righteous people imprisoned by ungodly family members. They are making lots of noise knowing their rescuer is on his way and they are mere moments away from their release and the ushering in of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
“One who breaks open the way will go up before them; they will break through the gate, and go out by it. Their King will pass through before them, the LORD as their leader” (Micah 2:13).
God’s use of King and Lord in the same sentence identifies Jesus Christ [King over all kings and Lord over all lords] is both their sovereign and religious leader. He is head of the state and the church.
Isaiah provides even greater details of this event. “Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments? Who is this robed in splendor, marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I, proclaiming vindication, mighty to save. Why are Your clothes red, and Your garments like one who treads the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone, and no one from the nations was with Me. I trampled them in My anger and trod them down in My fury; their blood spattered My garments, and all My clothes were stained. For the day of vengeance was in My heart, and the year of My redemption had come… And I trod down nations in my wrath, and made them drunk in my fury, and made their life-blood run down to the earth.” (Isaiah 63:1-4, 6).
Keil and Delitzsch provide a well-researched interpretation, “The meaning is, that no one joined Him with conscious free-will, to render help to the God of judgment and salvation in His purposes. The church that was devoted to Him was itself the object of the redemption, and the great mass of those who were estranged from Him the object of the judgment. Thus, He found Himself alone, neither human co-operation nor the natural course of events helping the accomplishment of His purposes. And consequently, He renounced all human help, and broke through the steady course of development by a marvellous act of His own. He trod down nations in His wrath, and intoxicated them in His fury, and caused their life-blood to flow down to the ground… all that is intended is, that Jehovah caused the nations to feel the full force of this His fury, by trampling them down in His fury… Not only is the name of Edom made covertly into an emblem of its future fate, אדם becoming אדם upon the apparel of Jehovah the avenger, when the blood of the people, stained with blood-guiltiness towards the people of God, is spirted out, but the name of Bozrah also; for bâtsar means to cut off bunches of grapes (vindemiare), and botsrâh becomes bâtsı̄r, i.e., a vintage, which Jehovah treads in His wrath, when He punishes the Edomitish nation as well as all the rest of the nations, which in their hostility towards Him and His people have taken pleasure in the carrying away of Israel and the destruction of Jerusalem, and have lent their assistance in accomplishing them.” (https://biblehub.com/commentaries/isaiah/63-3.htm)
The insight of Keil and Delitzsch
- None of the nations of the world, of their own free will, will be willing to stand up and support Christ’s vengeance against Satan and the beastly coalition and the redemption of God’s newly repentant people. [This group of people among the twelve nations of Israel into the 21st century is the last to repent. Their repentance involves a painful correction.] Christ then, will renounce all human help. We can understand now, why he will rule the nations with a rod of iron.
- In Christ’s great fury, he alone will take down the evil monster that grips the whole world.
- The reference to Ancient Bozrah is a picture of the ancient stronghold, a fort of the Edomites.
- It is the Edomite enclosure of God’s newly repentant people. Bozrah will become an emblematic reminder on Christ’s cloak of the crushing defeat of the ungodly.
- Christ will fulfill the last harvest in “Bozrah” [which will be the logo, the icon declaring the family who hate family members who serve Almighty God]. The final great harvest will bring destruction to the unrighteous people [the clusters of grapes] bent on serving Wickedness. They will be crushed by foot in the winepress outside of the city.
Revelation 14: “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe. So, the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes of the earth, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood that flowed from it rose as high as the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia.” (Revelation 14:18-20).
- The Edomites and the nations against Jesus Christ will take pleasure in harming and oppressing the newly repentant people of God. This is especially cruel because these people are young in their spiritual growth and need nurturing.
God’s repenting people will have the whole world against them. This has, I think, already begun internally. It poses the question, could most of the leaders and unelected officials in Western Europe, the West and Israel in the 21st century-today, be Edomites? Because the actions of our politicians are destroying our countries from within.
Klaus Schwab has publicly stated, “You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy.”
Jesus Christ will come to the rescue God’s humbled people at the end of the Great Tribulation. No nation on earth will support him, but in his great fury, he will take them all down by himself.
Scriptures in Revelation confirm this great end-time battle., “And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood that flowed from it rose as high as the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia” (Revelation 14:20).
Again, “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13).
And again, “And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Revelation 19:15).
The story of Jacob and Esau is about the national government leadership of two nations that came from Isaac. From this one story, two important decisions of God were revealed:
1. Determine the right nation for His headquarters.
2. Subdue the stronger: the “older” or the “younger.”
God is working to subdue the rebel human spirit to bring all of mankind to their knees.
THE RIGHT NATION
1. God sought to choose the nation that would be used to establish His kingdom on earth and from within that nation, His Son would be born. Of the two sons, Jacob was chosen who had twelve sons. God chose the nation that would overcome the desires of the flesh and choose to obey God willingly and eternally. From that repentant and humble nation, God would establish the rulership of His Son in the highest level of their government, Christ will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Ezekiel 17 records God’s plan for Christ. “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain heights of Israel, I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar” (Ezekiel 17:22-23).
The imagery of “cedar” represents the strong, tall, and evergreen—eternal leadership in God’s heavenly government.
Jesus, the Son of God is the “shoot” God chose from His heavenly government and He will reign at the highest level of government, the mountain heights, in the kingdom of Israel. This will be fully evidenced at the return of Christ when he rules as King of kings and Lord of lords.
WHO IS THE STRONGER?
2. The stronger during this evil age, has always been the bullies, the liars, thieves, those ignoring the law of the land and projecting their evil deeds onto others. These lawless people are prepared to take a life to secure their objective. The stronger was Esau and his descendants as well as the Esau-types within the family of Jacob, which became the kingdom of Israel.
Focusing on the Esau-types from within the kingdom of Israel, a review of their history reveals the “older” is the ancient Israelites who behaved like Esau, while the “younger”—modern Israelites who have access to God’s Holy Spirit behave like Jacob. The chosen nation has now become twelve nations of people into the 21st century, but they are not yet all refined like silver or tested like gold. Their time of trouble rests on the near horizon.
It will be a time of great trouble for Jacob, but scripture confirms that they will be saved out of it. Two-thirds may die, but a remaining one-third will be refined, tested and they will call out to Him acknowledging their sins. God will hear them (Zechariah 13:8-9) and He will save them.
Over 3,500 years journeying through time, finally in the latter days the descendants of Jacob will truly repent and enter into an everlasting covenant that will not be broken. The Ezekiel 37 resurrection of ancient Israel will likely occur in the 21st century, sometime after Christ’s return. The “older” and the “younger” together will come in an emotional heart-felt embrace like Jacob returning home embracing Esau. Esau at that time did not enter into any conflict with Jacob; his 400 men accompanying him remained still. This prophecy will be fulfilled. Jacob will take his inheritance of rulership and the remnant of Esau will submit in peace.
God will rebuild the kingdom of Israel and they rule over the small remnant of Esau and the nations on earth under Christ. “In that day I will restore the fallen tent of David. I will repair its gaps, restore its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear My name,” declares the LORD, who will do this. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes, the sower of seed. The mountains will drip with sweet wine, with which all the hills will flow” (Amos 9:11-13).
God has revealed the future thousands of years ago. “Edom will become a possession, as will Seir, his enemy; but Israel will perform with valor” (Numbers 24:18).
“Those from the Negev will possess the mountains of Esau; those from the foothills will possess the land of the Philistines. They will occupy the fields of Ephraim and Samaria, and Benjamin will possess Gilead” (Obadiah 1:19).
God’s repentant and humbled people, all twelve nations of the 21st century will receive an inheritance of rulership. The ancient fracture between the two houses of Israel will be healed.
“Then the jealousy of Ephraim [the house of Israel] will depart, and the adversaries of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will no longer envy Judah, nor will Judah harass Ephraim. They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines to the west; together they will plunder the sons of the east. They will lay their hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them. The LORD will devote to destruction the gulf of the Sea of Egypt; with a scorching wind He will sweep His hand over the Euphrates. He will split it into seven streams for men to cross with dry sandals. There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt” (Isaiah 11:13-16).
The firstborn blessing will be awarded to a humble, repentant, God-fearing and God-serving people—God’s early fruit. Only they will be part of the first resurrection and receive the firstborn inheritance of rulership with Christ and abundant blessings.
Download the pdf from the Studies page
The fascinating Law of Christ
In ancient times, God gave His people through Moses His Law. The foundation of God’s Law consists of the ten commandments. But God also gave His people many specific federal and civic regulations that brought judgement and resolution to everyday business and life in general.
GOD TAUGHT HIS PEOPLE HIS WAYS OF LOVE
God provided instruction between employers and employees, treatment between all people, farming practices, animal care, clothing manufacturing, honest business practices, caring for one another and your own body.
“Do not hold back wages of a hired man overnight. Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind… Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly… Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life…Do not mate different kinds of animals… Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed… Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material… Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it… Do not practice divination or sorcery… Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves… Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them… Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God… When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt… Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights… Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19).
God was teaching His people how to live righteously. He knew their success was limited. He knew they needed His Holy Spirit to fulfill the Law, after all, God’s Law is spiritual. It will not be valued by carnal-minded mankind. God would wait for Christ’s redemptive sacrifice before tearing the veil from the top down to open entry for individuals to know Him, the Almighty God—Great Creator.
God’s plan for creation on earth involves a development and growth into spiritual maturity. This process will ebb and flow like the tide. It was foreknown and inserted into the design, because God is molding a different creation from the first creation in heaven. He is creating a kingdom of priests, experts in righteousness who suffered from sin and have grown to hate wickedness. God will produce perfection in repentant mankind. The Law of Christ when applied assists this process of spiritual growth where judgement and condemnation are silenced and daily forgiveness through the intercession of Jesus Christ is given.
God’s time of rest symbolized in the weekly Sabbath has not yet come; He is hard at work. Mankind will experience to the fullest, the mire of wickedness. A time is coming, a time of great desperation, people will seek laws that protect them, sensitivity that is tangible, compassion that is felt, patience that will bring them to marvel in the light, long suffering that will soften their heart in gratitude. Repentant creation on earth will fully understand the pain and hardship of living in sin. God is both King and Lord. God’s first creation in heaven is comprised of kings and princes. His second creation on earth will comprise of lords and priests. Both creations are made in the image of God. Upon completion, creation on earth will radiate the glory of God.
God’s family is still in the making both in heaven and on earth. A great rebellion has taken place in heaven where one-third of that creation has fallen into iniquity, lawlessness. There is no saving plan for them; they have sinned knowingly. Their pride and arrogance have poisoned their thinking. God’s Holy Spirit is being drained from them; they will be destroyed.
Creation on Earth is a work in progress, also. God is molding people. He is working in stages. First, He will bring His people to their knees; they will become a model nation on earth. He is testing and strengthening them. He will purge and destroy the unrepentant. All the nations on earth will see their example and then God will pour out His Holy Spirit on earth.
During this work in progress, the Law of Christ is actionable. It is the principle of living as Christ lived. He lived by the Law of God, but he did not force that law like a dictator onto people. His leadership style was not tyrannical. He taught according to what the people understood and worked patiently to stimulate their spiritual growth. He healed, forgiving sins. He raised from the dead, giving life again.
THE APOSTLE PAUL SAW THE POWERFUL FORCES LEADING TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY
The Apostle Paul knew if he is to reach people and bring them out of darkness and onto the path of righteousness of God, he would have to address their traditions and passionate beliefs in order to rouse actual spiritual growth. He acquired their friendship by sacrificing his freedom, so that he would be a trustworthy guide for them.
He saw all of the laws at work. Not merely the fundamental laws that comprise of ten commandments, but the numerous forces operating to support God’s eternal governing structure. He knew Christ’s redemptive sacrifice freed him from the grip of spiritual death and from all of the codified opinions of the religious leaders from the past and into the present. All of the heavy burdens placed on the Jewish people disintegrated when Christ died on the cross. The veil ripped from the top down giving the congregation equal access to Almighty God through Jesus Christ. The hierarchical structure collapsed. The Apostle Paul limited his freedom willingly because he wanted to reach all people. He did not judge them, rather worked tirelessly to empower them into spiritual growth that could surpass him.
“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.” The Apostle Paul entertained discussions on the law, to win the Jews. The Jews were given the oracles of God—God’s teachings. They preserved the Law and the Prophets that we today refer to as the Old Testament.
In Acts, Paul’s dedication was recorded. “The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I have lived as a Pharisee” (Acts 26:4-5)
Paul understood the strict and disciplined practices held by the Jews by keeping the Law of God and their oral traditions of the elders. This quality prompted Paul to write “What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God” (Romans 3:1).
Almighty God entrusted the house of Judah with His Law and the writings of the Prophets. From this house, Jesus was born to be King over all kings. He will enforce the Law of God to ensure that love will become their governing foundation.
“To those under the law [those are the people under the law of sin and death as well as those still practising the oral laws and traditions of men] I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.”
The Apostle Paul may have fasted according to Jewish tradition and restricted his Sabbath travel based on the codified opinions of the elders to prevent grievances, while at the same time, introducing them to the revelation that they are now free from the Law of Sin and eternal death because now, the door is open again for eternal life. There will be a resurrection into eternal life in God’s family as equal members.
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28).
The Apostle Paul may have drawn their attention to the mirroring in the practice of animal sacrifices, which demonstrated the need for a Saviour and deep sorrow for their sins. Maybe also, then, pointing to grace.
Recorded in Hebrews, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire, nor did You delight in them (although they are offered according to the law)” (Hebrews 10:8). “Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3). “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body [the church is the body of Christ] You prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sin offerings You took no delight’” (Hebrews 10:5).
The Apostle Paul worked to unravel the Jewish traditions and separate them from the Law of God. Years of practicing the traditions of the elders brought the Jews into a toxic mindset that they thought they were above all people. Indeed, keeping God’s Law will bring all people close to God, but not to be elevated as to put down people when God has not called all people yet. The returning, repentant ten tribes of Israel play a critical and most important role within God’s grand plan. They were once divorced from the covenant family and yet, they are the first of all nations to receive God’s grace. Law without grace brings tyranny. Grace without law brings compromise.
The Apostle Paul tried to bring the people to understand the spiritual picture and subdue their drive for physical rituals as if to earn salvation. The practice of circumcision was introduced to ancient Israel by God. It is a mirror of an important spiritual principle. It symbolizes the ceasing of walking in the flesh—the cutting away of sinful behaviour to live righteously, walking in the spirit. The eliminating of sinful behaviour is painful. Since only men are circumcised, God is being very specific in the meaning of circumcision. He is declaring that men who live in wickedness will never be able to seed a righteous people. The church (the woman) may conceive, but the children will never walk in God’s ways. That brings meaning to God’s warning in Malachi where He vows to send Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Their wayward leadership has corrupted the children.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:5-6).
Throughout the Bible, God symbolizes sinful behaviour as actions of the uncircumcised—the wicked. Ezekiel 31 is a record of God describing the fall of one of the once-great leaders in His headquarters in heaven. God is warning the heavenly ruler over Egypt to self-reflect quickly because he is walking in the same footsteps as the fallen heavenly ruler over Assyria.
God said, “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes: ‘Who can be compared with you in majesty? Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest” (Ezekiel 31:2-3).
These rulers that God was talking to are not mortals; they are spirit beings. God concluded, “Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword. ‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes declares the Sovereign LORD’” (Ezekiel 31:18b).
God is prophesying the fall of the heavenly ruler over Egypt.
- He will be brought down = his kingship will be taken away from him.
- With the trees of Eden = with all the other fallen rulers in God’s family in heaven where the family home is Eden
- To the earth below = they will be cast out of heaven.
- You will lie among the uncircumcised = you will die with the wicked.
- With those killed by the sword = judged, sentenced—receive the death penalty for their violation of the Law of God.
The heavenly ruler of Assyria was already condemned by God.
- Assyria once a cedar in Lebanon = once a great law-abiding expert in God’s Law and leader in God’s headquarters.
- With beautiful branches = this leader expanded to provide important and needed supports for other family members in heaven.
- Overshadowing the forest = his leadership surpassed most of the leaders in God’s family.
Sadly, this once-great leader in God’s headquarters in heaven became proud and arrogant. This toxic condition pulled him away from God into a thinking that he was equal to the Almighty God. He tried to overthrow God, Himself.
The heavenly king of Assyria bragged, “With my many chariots I have ascended to the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its pines. I have reached the remotest heights, the finest of its forests” (Isaiah 37:24b).
God continues to use imagery when describing events in heaven because He is using earthly imagery to describe the magnitude of heavenly events. The heavenly king of Assyria has a dominion in heaven, likely having the same name as his kingdom on earth.
- His many chariots confirms that he has a military—a vast military.
- He ascended to the heights of the mountains describes his rise to a superpower status
- He ascended to the utmost heights of Lebanon identifies him as a significant member of God’s headquarters in heaven.
- He cut down its tallest cedars unveils his attacks on the other members in God’s headquarters and his success.
- The choicest of its pines describes the highly trained and knowledgeable members of God’s court.
- He reached the remotest heights reveals the expansion of his military reaching the third heaven where God has His throne and the place where the most righteous leaders are positioned.
This pompous being cannot hide from Almighty God. “I know where you stay and when you come and go and how you rage against me” (Isaiah 37:28). This “uncircumcised” rebel has fallen and is sentenced in the pit with all of the other fallen, judged and sentenced heavenly rulers.
When God dethroned the king of Assyria, He brought down all of the rebel members of His headquarters in heaven. “I brought it [king of Assyria] down to the grave with those who go down to the pit [the Abyss]. Then all the trees of Eden [members of God’s family], the choicest and the best of Lebanon [God’s headquarters in heaven], all the trees that were well-watered [once filled with God’s Holy Spirit], were consoled in the earth below” (Ezekiel 31:16).
The spiritual importance of circumcision is not the physical act but the spiritual devotion and eternal commitment to living righteously.
The Jews kept the practice of circumcision and they endorsed it as part of their signature. When God’s Holy Spirit is lacking, the practices implemented by God lose their spiritual meaning and it becomes merely a crude ritual. During the return of the ten tribes back into the covenant family, the Jews were forcing them to become “Jews” where the spiritual meaning of God’s practices was absent—unrealized and the practice became one on the list in order for them to qualify for eternal life based on their traditions and beliefs.
It is difficult for 21st century Christians to understand what was endured by the returning ten tribes of Israel because they had forgotten much of their ancient teachings and were heavily relying on the Jews for instruction. Jesus taught against the traditions of the elders because it nullified the Law of God. Paul unraveled the traditions, so that the ten tribes of Israel could focus on what truly constitutes right actions that justify them of sin and the overcoming that God desires for them to enter into His kingdom.
The Apostle Paul unraveled the Jewish push on circumcision. 119 Ministries explain this topic well.
“In the first century, certain sects of Judaism taught that Gentiles could not be “saved” and made part of God’s people unless they “became Jewish” through ritual conversion, which was a long process that included getting circumcised. Thus, “circumcision” referred not only to the surgical removal of the foreskin but also to having a “Jewish status” in the minds of many first-century Jews. Likewise, “uncircumcision” refers to having a “Gentile status.” With that in mind, we can understand Paul’s statement as such:
1 Corinthians 7:18-19
“Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised [Jewish]? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision [become a Gentile]. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised [a Gentile]? Let him not seek circumcision [to become Jewish]. For neither circumcision [being Jewish] counts for anything nor uncircumcision [being a Gentile], but keeping the commandments of God.”
Paul was not speaking against the actual act of circumcision but rather against Gentiles being pressured to convert to Judaism.
The false teachers taught that the Gentile believers must get circumcised in order to be saved and included among God’s people. We see this false doctrine also expressed in Acts 15:
Acts 15:1
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are
circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Essentially, the false teachers believed that the only way Gentiles could be “saved” was to “become Jewish” through ritual conversion.”
This controversy sparked what has come to be called the Jerusalem Council, in which the apostles ruled that Gentiles and Jews are “saved” in the same way—by grace through faith in the Messiah (Acts 15:7-11). (119ministries. https://www.119ministries.com/teachings/)
The Apostle Paul exercised the Law of Christ in strength to correct and re-establish God’s path of righteousness.
Into the 21st century, the Christians have their own traditions that conflict with the Law of God and hundreds of differing doctrines among themselves. Jesus Christ will bring both houses into unity at the beginning of his millennial reign. The nations of the world will see law and grace come together. These two forces at work will produce righteousness unseen within a kingdom ever on earth previously. A model kingdom will rise in God’s radiance and glory.
“To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.”
The ten tribes of Israel, once divorced by God, were characteristic of breaking the Law of God. They reveled in lawlessness for hundreds of years. Some of their disdain came from the abuse of God’s Law. In ancient times, they begged for grace, relief from the oppressive taxes imposed by Solomon. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, listened to his younger advisors and said, “Whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. Whereas my father scourged you with whips, I will scourge you with scorpions” (I Kings 12:11).
That tyrannical response burned into the hearts of the ten tribes and a declaration of war was made, a separation took place but not war by the command of God. The Apostle Paul understood their history clearly. He did all he could to correct the Jews, while guiding a people healing from ancient hurts to submit and keep God’s Law. The Law of Christ gave the Apostle Paul power to be patient, kind, compassionate, long-suffering to bring babes in Christ into maturity.
Into the 21st century, different barriers have risen. Like Naaman, who entered the temple of Rimmon with his master, bowed before that god, not of his free will but because his master leaned on his arm prostrating him as well.
“‘But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this’” (II Kings 5:18).
Naaman’s heart was in the right place, but living in this evil age often causes God-fearing and God-serving people into an action that bites their conscience.
Elisha understood the barriers believers endure. When Naaman explained his dilemma, Elisha simply responded, “Go in peace” (II Kings 5:19). His response eased the distress of Naaman’s troubled conscience. Barriers are everywhere. The Law of Christ recognizes the barriers; it takes away judgement and condemnation. Each individual will grow at their own pace and dismantle barriers accordingly. The Law of Christ is a focus on loving one another even while we are all still sinners.
“To the weak I became weak, to win the weak.” So many rules and regulations imposed onto the Jewish people over time trapped them into the belief that rituals save. The Apostle Paul didn’t eat meat offered to idols when he was with the people who would not eat it. He limited his freedom under God’s Law so not to offend those people who remained under laws imposed by man.
Into the 21st century, God-fearing people practicing the Law of Christ will not condemn or judge people observing Christmas and Easter though these celebrations have been Christianized from pagan holidays. They will expose them when they can. They may find it better to teach God’s Holy Days instead and the mysteries God has revealed for them and all of mankind. The wisdom of God will direct them. The Law of Christ will search out where truth can rise and shine brightly out of darkness to bring spiritual growth.
“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”
The Apostle Paul lived the Law of Christ. He sacrificed his freedom to establish friendship and trust. He exercised the new forces that came into action after Christ’s death. The outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit unveiled powers inaccessible to mankind previously. The offer of eternal life, the ability to overcome to live righteously, the peace that flows knowing God, trusting Him and believing that He will keep His word, and love are now the driving forces of God-fearing and God-serving people.
“I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings” (I Corinthians 9:19-23). The Apostle Paul loved as Christ loved. He was driven and self-discipled to save.
The Law of Christ is the wisdom of living under God’s law while loving and nurturing babes in Christ who cannot distinguish between right and wrong. Caring for people does not require anyone to denounce their faith or break God’s law. It is the gentle walk of love that recognizes the pitfalls and barriers everywhere in this fallen and dark world on earth that hinders repenting people, which at times, causes them to fall. Without judgement or condemnation, reach out and hold fast to help them up again.
CHRIST PROVIDED A DEEPER AND RICHER UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S LAW
God’s Law is not merely the ten commandments but a relationship with Him and one another. It is a commanding love for one another beyond human capability. Jesus taught God’s Law to his disciples elevating their understanding to see life with God and the depth of relationship it brings with Him and all creation.
Christ did not come to do away with the law or do away with some of the law. "Don't ever think that I came to set aside Moses' Teachings or the Prophets. I didn't come to set them aside but to make them come true” (Matthew 5:17).
Christ came to amplify the law. To merely refrain from adultery is obedience to the “letter of the Law,” but to obey both the spirit and letter of the Law, self-control must be exercised where even lusting becomes a violation of the spirit in keeping the Law of God.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).
Jesus called out the unjust actions of people in strength and forgave sins in gentility.
Certain scribes and Pharisees were trying to trick Jesus into saying something that they could hold against him. They had brought a woman caught in adultery. The man with her was not brought, which under the Mosaic Law both are guilty. The sin demanded both to be stoned to death. Every one of the scribes and Pharisees accusing the woman were guilty of a crime under the Mosaic Law, that would demand the death sentence. Yet, they ignored their own deadly sins, protected the co-sinner in the affair and demonstrated their bias also breaking the Mosaic law to drag a vulnerable person before Jesus.
“But what do you say?” they asked Jesus. At this point, Jesus stooped down and started to write in the sand. When he finished, he said, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then He bent down and wrote again. One by one, the people left (John 8:7–9).
Using the brilliance of God’s wisdom in his teaching, Jesus must have amazed the woman, who anticipated death by stoning, instead, she received grace directly from her Saviour. Her accusers did not receive forgiveness of sins nor the partner in the affair; they remain dying under the Law of Sin and Death. Jesus said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, Lord,” she answered.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more” (John 8:10-11).
Jesus had the authority from Almighty God, the Father, then to forgive sin. Her story of grace would have spread far and wide.
Jesus loved. He wanted to bring the Jewish priesthood out of darkness to become a humble priesthood serving Almighty God.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37)
CHRIST UNDERSTOOD GOD’S PLAN FOR MANKIND THAT THEY WOULD GROW INTO SPIRITUAL MATURITY
Jesus understands that people begin as babes in Christ, unable to distinguish right from wrong.
“For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:13-14).
CHRIST UNDERSTOOD THAT FREE AGENTS WILL EACH ACHIEVE VARYING DEGREES OF MATURITY
Regardless, while we were all sinners, Jesus died to save us all. God Almighty gave us His only heir to die for mankind. It was a great demonstration of his love for this creation on earth.
“But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
INDIVIDUAL CHOICE, VARYING GROWTH LEVELS
God does not force the same growth from everyone. He wants free will.
The principle of the varying degrees of spiritual maturity is seen in the parable of the talents. Three servants were given talents. “To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability… The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them” (Matthew 25:14-30).
The servant who gained five talents was praised. The master replied, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”
The servant who gained two talents was praised, also. The master replied the same, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”
The servant who gained nothing. The master replied, “You wicked, lazy servant!”
The master concluded, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And that worthless servant will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:29-30).
When God calls a servant, He will give them His Holy Spirit according to their ability. To squelch God’s Holy Spirit is to rob yourself of life eternal. All of the forces that were made available to repentant mankind after Christ’s death, can only be activated by choice.
The Law of Christ will bring each repentant individual back under the care of Almighty God. In time, this evil age will come to an end and all of mankind will know their Father in heaven, the only All-Powerful God—the God of Love. In the meantime, live in peace.
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The Antichrist and the antichrists
“For many will come in My name, claiming,
'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many.”
Matthew 24:5
MANY ANTICHRISTS WILL COME CLAIMING TO BE THE MESSIAH OF MANKIND
Jesus warned those following him that many will come declaring to be the saviour and deceive many. This scripture is often understood to be pointing to false prophets declaring themselves as a saviour, and rightly so.
However, from the broader view, Matthew 24:5 is also pointing to everyone in the healthcare industry who work to save lives without giving credit to all the healing properties God Almighty engineered in the human body and redirecting people’s faith towards human technologies rather than seeking the Creator. The healthcare industry also functions with the pharmaceutical companies promoting solutions that all to some degree have unhealthy side-effects. Medbeds may be the next disclosure to be unveiled in due time along with future exotic technologies.
Matthew 24:5 also points to researchers, bishops, scholars and “experts” who declare themselves as authoritative figures on information and truth. They turn the people’s attention to their theories and interpretations weaving in manipulated science and technology as their proof. Disinformation by nefarious characters is at work throughout the world adding to the many saviours of mankind who are injuring them and in cases, killing some.
MANY ANTICHRISTS WILL COME IN THE END TIMES
Two thousand years ago, the Apostle John said, “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour” (I John 2:18).
The Apostle John believed that he was living in the last hour over two thousand years ago because he was surrounded by people, his tribe’s people, who had rejected Jesus as their Saviour. This same consistency of faith will surround Christians in the last hour.
Family members, neighbours, cities and nations will follow a different saviour. They will do what they have ridiculed their ancient ancestry did those many years ago. Under the rule of beastly coalition, these rulers will demand worship. They will require the practice of making idols of gold and silver and setting them up in their homes to be used as communication conduits for favours and help. This new reality will come unexpectantly because knowledge of the spirit world is minimal. People worshipping gods in ancient times, making idols and worshipping them is viewed into the 21st century as a religious people believing and living in a mythical world. This is because there is no evidence of gods or angels engaging with mankind today. However, in ancient times, angels manifested themselves on numerous occasions.
Dark forces on earth are highly skilful at deceiving mankind. Deception will increase as this evil age comes to a close. When the beastly coalition of ten kings begin their rule on earth, they will not initially be completely wicked. The good these kings will do will cloak their evil actions.
“In the latter part of their reign [10 kings], when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise” (Daniel 8:23).
It will be deceiving when an alien arrival bringing mankind on earth healing technologies, exotic science, and wonders beyond their imagination extends their goodwill to them. Few will be suspicious because of their apparent favour.
THE ANTICHRISTS WILL DENY THE SON OF GOD
“I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist” (II John 1:7).
Many people do not accept Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God. They accept that he lived many years ago and though many witnessed countless healing miracles, incredible incidences of demon-possession removal and his teaching of the complete word of God. When he spoke with authority, they realized his exceptional knowledge of God’s word, yet, they still refused to acknowledge his supernatural abilities as having come from God Almighty.
Many, many scriptures have preserved the wonder the Jews experienced during Jesus’ life on earth. “The Jews there were amazed and asked, ‘How did this man get such learning without having been taught?’ ‘My teaching is not My own,’ Jesus replied. ‘It comes from Him who sent Me’” (John 7:15-16).
“When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
“The officers answered, ‘No one ever spoke like this man!’” (John 7:46)
Matthew wrote, “And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, ‘whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?’” (Matthew 13:54)
Luke recorded, “And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, ‘Is not this Joseph's son?’” (Luke 4:22)
Jesus wanted the Jews, his tribal people, to believe God’s message. He wanted them to scrutinize his actions and if his actions are those of Almighty God, then acknowledge it as being of God, at least. If his actions are righteous and his love for all people demonstrated in his miraculous healings, then give credit and make the connection. He came only to do the will of the Father, the Almighty God.
“If I’m not doing the things my Father does, don’t believe me. But if I’m doing those things and you refuse to believe me, then at least believe the things that I’m doing. Then you will know and recognize that the Father is in me and that I am in the Father” (John 10:37-38).
THE ANTICHRISTS WILL DENY THE FATHER WHO ALONE HAS SUPREME POWER
When people deny Jesus Christ as the Son of God, they also deny Almighty God, the Father. The Father and the Son are a united body of two separate spirit beings in a family relationship.
“Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well” (I John 2:22-23).
God designed the family relationship on earth to provide a mirror of understanding as He builds His God-family. Creation in heaven is part of the God-family; they are identified as “sons of God.” They are all, like the Son of God, individuals with free-choice, assigned roles and responsibilities.
Not all of the sons of God in heaven have kept their role and fulfilled their responsibilities. Some have intentionally chosen to operate beyond the authority given to them by Almighty God. Such beings are in deep trouble. “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day. In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 1:6-7).
The Psalmist knew and sang, “For you, LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods” (Psalm 97:9) and “For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:3).
Future events on earth, will unveil fallen sons of God who will demand worship from all of mankind. The “little horn” will go where all other fallen sons of God failed. He will declare himself the Supreme God. Denying the Father as the Almighty God and he will also unveil himself as the Messiah of mankind.
THE “LITTLE HORN” WILL CLAIM TO BE THE SUPREME GOD MESSIAH
When the “little horn” in Daniel arrives on earth, he will claim to be the Supreme God Messiah. His arrival will come in a storm. His battle against the ten kings of the beast will result in the overthrow of three of the kings. The remaining seven will surrender to him. The power he has to overthrow three of these kings will come directly from Satan who will give him his throne, power, and great authority.
The ten kings in Daniel 7 are the same ten kings in Revelation 17. A battle for supremacy takes place when these rebel kings are completely wicked. The “little horn” will come out as the winner.
The “little horn” is given a throne, power and great authority by the dragon.
The “little horn” becomes the leader of the last-days beast. He is the beneficiary of Satan’s throne, power and great authority. “And the dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority” (Revelation 13:2b). Satan steps out of this final great battle to give the beast as much strength as possible to collectively attempt to take down Almighty God and Jesus Christ.
The “little horn” becomes the ultimate recipient of power. “In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power… He will destroy the mighty and the holy people” (Daniel 8:23-24).
The “little horn” achieves such power that he goes to battle against God’s army in heaven.
“It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them” (Daniel 8:10).
The “little horn” is allowed success as God Almighty builds the legal case against him and the coalition. The attack on God’s army also tests the angels—sons of God in heaven, as to their loyalties. Mankind is likely going to witness this attack at some level. It will be terrifying for all creation in heaven and on earth. God’s enemies are spiritual, fallen sons of God who have had rulership over the nations on earth and remain in power in heaven, today.
Not all of the rulers in heaven have been overthrown and imprisoned in inner earth. For example, the king of Babylon in the last days, will oppress God’s people and with great fury, subdue the nations with unrelenting attacks. Even in heaven, this same king will attack righteous angels, sons of God to such a degree that they are relieved and very grateful when the king of Babylon is taken down by God. The ancient kingdom of Babylon on earth is nothing more than mounds of sand, yet the king of Babylon will wield great power in the last days. This king is a spiritual ruler not yet fully judged by God and shackled.
“On the day the LORD gives you [God’s people] relief from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: ‘How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression. All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing” (Isaiah 14:3-7).
The great war recorded in Daniel 10:1 takes place on earth and in heaven, at the same time during the last days. It will be a time like no other on earth, nor ever to occur again. The next verse records the reactions of the angels, sons of God in heaven who too, have suffered from the terror attacks of the king of Babylon. God’s imagery of different trees is used to identify the types of leaders in heaven victimized by the king of Babylon. “Even the pine trees [evergreen trees imaged for eternal beings] and the cedars of Lebanon [members in God’s headquarters] exult over you and say, ‘Now that you have been laid low [overthrown and humbled], no woodsman comes to cut us down.” The grave below [prison in inner earth] is all astir to meet you [king of Babylon] at your coming; rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you—all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones—all those who were kings over the nations. They will all respond, they will say to you, “You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us” (Isaiah 14:8-10).
The angels, sons of God feared for their own spiritual lives, relieved they declare, “No woodsman comes to cut us down.” Two different types of leaders are in the “grave below”:
1. PHYSICAL: The spirits of the kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, chancellors ruling over the nations on earth who have died over the centuries and are guilty of ruling wickedly are all imprisoned in inner earth awaiting judgement and sentencing.
2. SPIRITUAL: The heavenly kings given rulership over the nations are sitting on thrones in prison in inner earth. These fallen heavenly kings will say to the king of Babylon, “You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.” They will be disappointed to learn that another rebel leader in their coalition has fallen.
The 21st century descendants of Jacob, all twelve nations plus one, will be in great distress during the Great Tribulation. They will be the target of the wrath of these evil characters. It will be a time like no other on earth, a time when spiritual warfare will explode and spill over onto earth. Mankind will see, with their own eyes, God’s enemies. They will be terrified.
There are a series of events that must happen before Jesus Christ can return to earth.
- The great war—the rebellion in Daniel’s vision (Daniel 10:1)
- The gospel must go out to all people in the nations
- The man of sin must be revealed and the abomination of desolation
- God’s people will fulfill the 70-week prophecy
- 1,260 days, 1,290 days, 1,335 days
- The God’s court sits to judge and Jesus Christ takes down the beastly coalition
- God’s appointed times are completed in the appropriate sequence.
THE GREAT WAR BEGINS IN HEAVEN AND SPILLS OVER ONTO EARTH
The “little horn” will stand against the Prince of the host.
The rebellion begins in heaven. The “little horn” increases in power where he can lead his rebel army against the forces of Almighty God. “It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low” (Daniel 8:11).
This rebel set himself up to be as prestigious and powerful as the Commander of God’s army—Jesus Christ. God Almighty allows this to happen. Every event will begin and end at God’s appointed times. Mankind will witness this event and it will give rise to the title, Antichrist.
War will begin in heaven, where Jesus’ sanctuary is invaded and his daily practices are stopped. “Because of rebellion, the host [army] and the daily [Jesus’ daily practices in heaven] were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground” (Daniel 8:12).
The word “sacrifices” has been inferred and added to the translation after the word “daily” in Daniel 8:12. The Hebrew does not include the word “sacrifices.” The scripture is referring to the daily practices of Jesus Christ in heaven. Identifying Jesus as the Prince of princes, also places Jesus in heaven ruling over princes. Jesus is not yet ruling on earth. Daily, Jesus intercedes for mankind. Intercession for repentant mankind will be stopped for a time.
THE “LITTLE HORN” TAKES A THRONE IN HEAVEN
The “little horn” will exalt himself above all gods. He will set himself up as supreme, establishing himself to come before mankind in his own name—the one with supreme authority. “He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods… He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all” (Daniel 11:36-37).
This cocky rebel thinks he has obtained supreme power in heaven. God Almighty revealed through Daniel, “He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place” (Daniel 11:36).
GOD’S SET TIMES AND LAW WILL BE CHALLENGED
God’s established timeline cannot be changed by the “little horn.” In his pride and great arrogance, he will seek to do all he can to change it and God’s established law. He will try to pardon himself, Satan and the coalition members. “He will speak against the Most High and oppress the saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time” (Daniel 7:25).
The saints will be the target of his wrath knowing the battle for supreme rulership of God’s kingdom is at play. He will try to extend his rulership in heaven and on earth and change God’s law to place himself above God’s law and create rules for himself allowing him to do as he pleases without consequences—ultimate lawlessness. This is a war in heaven and on earth at the same time. This type of war has never occurred on earth before; it will be a time like no other.
THE SAINTS WILL BECOME PERFECT THROUGH SUFFERING AND RECEIVE GOD’S KINGDOM
God allows the saints to suffer because He is refining them; they are destined to receive His kingdom; they must be perfected. “Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time” (Daniel 11:35). Co-rulers with Jesus Christ, these saints will receive the supreme rulership of God’s kingdom for all eternity. “‘Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’ This is the end of the matter” (Daniel 7:27-28a).
WAR IN HEAVEN SPILL OVER ONTO TO EARTH, THE GOSPEL MUST GO OUT TO ALL THE WORLD
The Archangel Michael and his army will battle in heaven against Satan and his coalition. Satan and the fallen angels will be thrown down to earth because the Archangel Michael and his army will prove to be stronger (Revelation 12:9).
The “little horn” will oppose Jesus Christ and target everyone who obeys Almighty God and follows Jesus Christ. Many people will fall away from the truth. The spiritual forces in their face will weaken them. Jesus has warned believers to remain firm and they will be saved.
Jesus provided the end-time series of these events on earth. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” The gospel must go out as a legal witness to the whole world first. Christ will bring judgement on the world after the wrath of God is complete. They must be without excuse.
THE JEWS WILL ACCEPT A DIFFERENT MESSIAH
The “little horn” will claim to be the Supreme God Messiah who alone can intercede for mankind. Initially, the Jews will believe this Antichrist. Jesus warned them. “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him" (John 5:43).
Jesus came to earth, not of his own authority, but the authority of the Father in heaven. He came to earth to do the will of the Father, not his own will.
The “little horn” will appear on earth. He will be visible to all of mankind. Many will fall away from the faith upon seeing this rebel, claiming to be the Supreme God Messiah. They will know that some of the angels in God’s army will be destroyed, thrown down to earth for the world to see and then, crushed before them. “It threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them” (Daniel 8:10b).
The Apostle Paul forewarned believers that such a character would come and to beware. “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come. Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So, he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” (II Thessalonians 2:1-4).
THE SON OF DESTRUCTION
Judas Iscariot, despite knowing so much of God’s word having learned so much from Jesus, was a family-member who betrayed Jesus prior to his crucifixion. Jesus said, “While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled” (John 17:12). He was referred to as the son of destruction in this case. Family members who betray family members should know better, more than a stranger.
Another son of destruction will appear in the last days. “Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed” (II Thessalonians 2:3). This son will betray Jesus Christ by claiming to be the Messiah of mankind. He will be so much worse than Judas Iscariot; he will also claim to be the Supreme God of all creation. He will be the ultimate son [family member] of destruction. He will deny the Father and the Son claiming to be the Supreme God Messiah.
THE MAN OF LAWLESSNESS
This rebel is identified as the “man of lawlessness.” He must be close to approaching his death. Even Satan is described as a “man” prior to his death. “Those who see you will stare; they will ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble” (Isaiah 14:16). God said, “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain…’ but you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit” (Isaiah 14:13-15).
This is a spiritual war at play. Thrown out of heaven with Satan, this being will continue his lie until he is destroyed. He is the man ruling without law—a creator of chaos. He will decay according to the level he falls and like Satan, eventually die like mere men (Psalm 82:6).
NO MAN CAN SEE ALMIGHTY GOD AND LIVE
Many people will become confused when the beast is ruling on earth. Jesus said to the Jews, “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him” (John 5:43). Jesus told the Jews that he came to do the work of the Father through the Father’s authority and despite the countless miracles, his great work and perfect example, he was rejected. Jesus said that they will accept someone that they will see with their own eyes who claims to be the Supreme God—someone who comes in his own name and sit in the temple claiming to be God—knowing that no mortal can live after seeing the Supreme God in all His glory.
“But,” God Almighty said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live” (Exodus 33:20).
The Apostle John said, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father's side, has made Him known” (John 1:18).
The Apostle Paul said, “He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen” (I Timothy 6:16).
WHY WILL THE JEWS ACCEPT A DIFFERENT MESSIAH
This deception will only be for a time. The Apostle Paul stated, “What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they cannot see and ears so that they cannot hear, to this very day” (Romans 11:7-8). The Apostle Paul is talking about grace. It was a difficult teaching for the
Jews because they understood the importance of God’s law and they were convinced that keeping the law perfectly was possible for mankind.
The veil of stupor was due to the Jews rejecting Jesus, his teaching and their stubborn refusal to recognize his work on earth. The great job of taking the gospel to the whole world was offered to them first, but they rejected it.
“Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: ‘It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life; we now turn to the Gentiles’” (Acts 13:46).
It was then given to the repentant people of the ten tribes of Israel who were referred to at that time as Gentiles because that was the name for all people outside of the covenant family. The ten tribes are the prodigal son in scripture, who were once divorced from the covenant family but brought back into the family by Jesus. In the time of Apostle Paul, he referred to them as Christians.
THE SPECIAL CALLING OF THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH
In general, the house of Joseph who are today, the English-speaking West, took the lead to take the good news of God’s kingdom and the resurrection into eternal life for repentant mankind to the world. Missionaries have gone out, but the great witness that involves a legal testimony of their sins allying with Satan and the beast and God’s grace given to those who repent has not yet started. The ordinary men and women from the 21st century nations of Israel will ignite a religious revival that will never end. God’s law and His word will be taught to the nations of the whole world. They will be without excuse.
“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” (Matthew 24:14).
The West will be the main target of the “little horn” and his beastly coalition, especially those who follow Christ faithfully. Western Europe will see the gospel going to all the world and eventually join with the English-speaking West.
“You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22).
ALL ISRAEL, PEOPLE FROM ALL OF THE TWELVE NATIONS OF ANCIENT ISRAEL, WILL BE SAVED
While the West leads the way, to take the gospel to the whole world, a mystery will be unveiled. The Apostle Paul was clear, the Jews will remain blind “until the full number of the Gentiles [their brothers from the ten tribes of Israel, today, ten nations plus one] have come in. And so, all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:25).
The Jews knew their brothers from the ten tribes were divorced from the covenant family. They believed that they only would be saved through their strict adherence of keeping the God’s law and the many added laws of their elders. The Apostle Paul was clear that salvation is by, “grace, then it is no longer by works, if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6).
God foreknew that every man and woman would fall into sin. God’s theology is all about forgiveness, patience, kindness, compassion, peacefulness and love. God’s law teaches us about love that is manifested in His theology. Law without love is tyranny. It must be bound with love in order to lead in righteous rulership.
“God has bound all people over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all” (Romans 11:12). All of mankind have sinned. All of mankind will be offered grace upon their repentance. No person can shake their finger at anyone else.
God foreknew everything a long time ago, even before creation. He is teaching creation in heaven [the legal specialists] and on earth [the soon-to-become priestly specialists] the importance of their two roles that He will bind them together into one structure so that rulership in His eternal kingdom will be righteous. Creation in heaven will bind with creation on earth to work as one.
THE JEWS WILL AWAKEN
The Jews will awaken to their grave mistake. The veil of stupor will be lifted. They will weep bitterly realizing that they crucified the Son of God. “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).
Alas, they will be ashamed and terrified, until they see the hand of their God fighting for them. God Almighty will demonstrate the power of grace towards them. “On that day, declares the LORD, I will strike every horse with panic, and every rider with madness. I will keep a watchful eye on the house of Judah, but I will strike with blindness all the horses of the nations. Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts: ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong because the LORD Almighty is their God’” (Zechariah 12:4-5).
Grace triumphs over judgement. “There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you” (James 2:13).
GOD ALMIGHTY WILL BRING THE TEN TRIBES TOGETHER WITH THEIR BROTHERS, THE JEWS
Many of the people of the West and western Europe will be taken into captivity during Jacob’s trouble, the Great tribulation by the “little horn.” There the gospel will be taught, one-on-one, to the families where they are enslaved. When the time is complete, God will rescue them, a second time.
“Then it will happen on that day that the Lord will again recover the second time with His hand, the remnant of His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea” (Isaiah 11:11).
A second exodus is part of God’s plan and it will be glorious. The exodus out of Egypt that brought fear to all surrounding nations on earth will be a shadow compared to the mighty exodus to come.
“So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when they will no longer say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of Egypt.’ Instead they will say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives, who brought and led the descendants of the house of Israel up out of the land of the north and all the other lands to which He had banished them.’ Then they will dwell once more in their own land” (Jeremiah 23:7-8, Jeremiah 16:14-15).
These descendants of the house of Israel will fulfill the seventy-week prophecy.
THE SEVENTY-WEEK PROPHECY
God wants to save everyone among His covenant people, as well as, all people of the nations. He has strategically placed the calling of mankind in an order within His grand plan for creation in heaven and on earth. Many Biblical scholars focus on the timeframe of the seventy-week prophecy in Daniel 9. This study is a focus on what must be accomplished in the appointed time that God has given His covenant people to complete the processes for their entry and readiness into His kingdom.
“Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place” (Daniel 9:24).
Daniel 9:24 addresses all the people within the 12 tribes into the 21st century who are now twelve nations plus one. They have been given a limited amount of time for all of them to recognize sin, hate sin and stop sinning, live in perfect righteousness, fulfill prophecy and be ready to partake in the glorious anointing of God’s new temple. This is a monumental calling where little evidence of any achievement is visible today. They are to be the model kingdom in the Millennium. They will be the people to fulfill Daniel 9:24.
- Finish transgression = stop/imprison rebellion within your people/kingdom/all 12 tribes
- Put an end/seal up sin = hate sinning, imprison it, hinder it so that it is impossible to spread
- Atoned for wickedness = atone for sins that sin is removed out of the sight of God—blotted out, altogether set aside as the Day of Atonement pictures. Hence, on the Day of Atonement of the last year of this evil age, the remaining people of the 12 nations plus one of Israel who are not resurrected but come out of the Great Tribulation repentant, accepted Christ as their Saviour and accepted God’s grace will be atoned for.
The three above will be replaced by:
4. Bring in everlasting righteousness which comes from heaven as a gift of God.
Righteousness comes from heaven as the gift of God (Psalm 85:11-14, Isaiah 51:5-8).
5. Seal up vision and prophecy will occur when prophecy is fulfilled. Prophesied events
will become history, no longer a mystery or topic of interpretation.
Prophecies and prophets are sealed, when by the full realization of all prophecies,
prophecy ceases, no prophets any more appear.
6. Anoint the most holy is a divine anointing of a new sanctuary, prior to God coming
and filling it with His glory
This reference is to the anointing of a new sanctuary, temple, or most holy place. The anointing is the act of consecrating to be a holy place of the gracious presence and revelation of God. It is not a renewal of a previous holy place, but a new place of God's gracious presence among His people, a new sanctuary.
The Great Tribulation of terrifying leadership will draw people to cry out for saving. The oppression and the cruelty will be difficult to tolerate. Suffering brings perfection. “Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. From the time the daily is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days” (Daniel 12:10-12).
Again, the word “sacrifice” is added in the translation after daily. When Jesus is kept from doing his daily practice, mankind is in trouble. Only through the name of Jesus, can mankind be saved. The “little horn” will do all he can to bring mankind into an unredeemable state. Daily, Jesus intercedes for repentant mankind. One thousand two hundred and ninety days is 3 ½ prophetic years plus 30 days.
1,260 DAYS
Key events take place for 1,260 days.
- The ruling beast will oppress the saints for a time, times and half a time [1,260 prophetic days] (Daniel 7:25b).
- The oppression of the holy people is broken after a time, times and half a time [1,260 prophetic days] (Daniel 12:7).
- The woman [church] in Revelation is protected in the desert for 1,260 prophetic days (Revelation 12:6).
- The two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days (Revelation 11:3).
For 1,260 days the 21st century people will experience great distress. God Almighty is calling them back to Him, purifying the repentant and teaching them and the world the pure word of God through the teaching of the two witnesses.
1,290 DAYS
After a period of three and a half years, the military and religious oppression will be halted.
Daniel recorded a period of 1,290 days to begin when the daily practice of Jesus Christ is stopped to when the abomination that causes desolation is set up. A 30-day period is extended beyond 1,260 days. Like the eye in a storm, a period exists to get refuge.
Jesus urgently warned, “So, when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ described by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains” (Matthew 24:15-16).
The abomination that makes desolate may be an attempt of the “little horn’ to atone mankind into his order. This rebel will try to prevent the redemption of mankind. God is asking the wise to remain strong and unwavering. Jesus warned the Jews in Jerusalem to flee.
Sometime after 1,260 days Daniel recorded, “the court will sit, and his power [the power of the fourth beast] will be taken away and completely destroyed forever” (Daniel 7:26). Subpoenaed, judged and sentenced by Almighty God, the “little horn” will be found guilty under God’s law.
1,335 DAYS
The extended period of 45 days after 1,290 days could be the great, final battle when Jesus Christ stands on the Mount of Olives.
Suddenly, all directions are pointing, at one time, to the Saviour of mankind. His feet stand on the Mount of Olives; it is split east and west. Then the mountain moves one part to the north and the other to the south. All directions in motion simultaneously point to the return of Jesus Christ. From that location, everything on earth changes immediately.
Jesus Christ is the rock “not made of human hands” that will crush into fine dust the ancient structure to ruled earth since Babylon.
“By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes [Jesus Christ], and he shall be broken—but by no human hand” (Daniel 8:25).
The evil spirits that look like frogs come out of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet and lead the kings of the world into battle on that great day of the God the Almighty (Revelation 16:13-14). Jesus Christ will come with the saints and his army. His feet will split the mountain and a valley for escape rescues the faithful fleeing from the son of destruction. It will be a unique day without light, no cold or frost with no separation between night and day (Zechariah 14:7).
GOD ALMIGHTY AND JESUS CHRIST WIN
“On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem… the Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord and his name the only name” (Zechariah 14:6, 9).
Like the pompous “Assyrian” recorded by Isaiah, these leaders and their armies will be struck down by a flesh rotting plague. “Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other. Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—great quantities of gold and silver and clothing” (Zechariah 14:12-14).
God Almighty has a plan. Every step will be fulfilled in the appointed times. Trust and faith in our Father in heaven will be essential. Our Father knows best.
THE APPOINTED TIMES
Gabriel, the angel said to Daniel, “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time to the end” (Daniel 8:19).
The saints will be oppressed and some of the wise “will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time” (Daniel 11:35).
The fourth beastly coalition will fight among themselves. The king of the north and the king of the south will battle against each other. Imaged in the two legs, two feet and five toes on each foot of the statue in Daniel, these two forces will hate each other. “The two kings, with their hearts bent on evil, will sit at the same table and lie to each other, but to no avail, because an end will still come at the appointed time” (Daniel 11:22).
The final great battle on earth is meticulously timed by God. “At the appointed time he [the king of the north] will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before” (Daniel 11:29).
The nasty and brutal “little horn” will rise up and prosper in everything it does, but only “until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place (Daniel 11:36).
God Almighty has set the appointed times. He engineered the timeline sufficient to bring a solid case against the wicked, purify the faithful, and bring mankind into repentance. The courts will sit. The righteous will be given life and the wicked death. People will be without an excuse.
