Wednesday, October 30, 2013

10-30-2013 Vol. 7 Part 35 Book of Revelation (Revelation 14:14-20)

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Psalms 112:1-10 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies. He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor. The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.
Father God we praise you and give you the glory for all things. You are the potter and we are the clay. So I ask that you reshape all that read your lesson into a new creation. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Revelation 14:14-20 NKJV
This week’s lesson has more angels with messages for us, messages that are harsh. Verses 1-5 of this chapter are about salvation and eternal happiness; verses 6-13 are about not so good and what happens to those not accepting Jesus as their Saviour; and the verses this week are about God’s judgment. A judgment that is hard for the human mind to comprehend. The description of God’s wrath at the end of this lesson is one human’s don’t want to believe. So in studying this chapter I will remember it by the good, the bad, and the ugly.
14  Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man; White signifies purity, without blemish, and holiness and a cloud denotes glory. The Son of Man is in reference to the humanity of Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross at Calvary.
Having on His head a golden crown; This gold crown is a victor’s crown. Jesus is the only one that did or ever will defeat Satan. It is only through Jesus victory over sin that we can be washed in His blood and be redeemed. All we have to do is repent, ask forgiveness, and ask Jesus into our lives so we can be joint heirs with Him.
And in His hand a sharp sickle; This sickle of judgment in Jesus hand is not one that will be reaping in his saints, but one to reap the lost of the world into Hell. It will be the battle of Armageddon.
15  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
Here we have an angel coming out of the temple and announcing the time has come to remove evil from this earth. Angels not only are messengers it almost appears they are time keepers, but we know this can’t be true because God only knows the hour of things to take place. The first angel of this chapter preached the Gospel, the second announced the fall of Babylon, the third warned about taking the mark of the beast, and the fourth one here is announcing the battle of Armageddon. They are definitely messengers for God.
16  So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.
He who sat on the cloud is of course referring to Jesus and in His hands is a sickle to harvest the earth. He will remove the sinful from earth; it will be the beginning of the Battle of Armageddon. He will wipe out evil from among the people like a farmer removes the weeds from his field.
17  Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
Angel number five makes his debut also carrying a sharp sickle. This tells us not to take these things lightly. This reaping is being mentioned twice to get the attention of the reader. This verse also tells us that angels will also play a part in the Battle of Armageddon. They will be right there with Jesus and the Saints in this battle.
18  And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe."
This sixth angel came out from the altar, the brazen altar where sacrifices were made before God. This angel had the power over fire meaning it was one of his duties to keep the fire lit. It is no doubt the altar that was used as a model for the one Moses constructed. This angel stood in front of the altar and shouted for the fifth angel to thrust in his sickle to lop off the clusters from the vine. This angel is stating it is time; the end is here for the wicked to perish from earth. The grapes fully ripe meaning that evil is at its peak and it is time for something to be done.
19  So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
This angel isn’t harvesting grapes; he is harvesting souls, corrupt souls and throwing them in the winepress which is the judgment of God. The sentence of this judgment will be an eternity judgment carried out in the Lake of Fire. This judgment has been predicted for thousands of years.
Isaiah 63:1-6 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?— "I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save."  2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?  3 "I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes.  4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come.  5 I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me.  6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth." Lamentations 1:15 "The Lord has trampled underfoot all my mighty men in my midst; He has called an assembly against me To crush my young men; The Lord trampled as in a winepress The virgin daughter of Judah. Joel 3:12-13 "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.  13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow— For their wickedness is great."
20  And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.
And the winepress was trampled outside the city; This phrase actually refers to the battle of Armageddon and the many nations surrounding Jerusalem pressing in to destroy the city and the Jewish people. A winepress is a large vat or trough where grapes are crushed after being gathered. They are crushed by means of a press being turned down or the grapes trampled on by people to extract the juice. The juice flows out of a duct that leads to a large holding vat. The winepress is often used in the Bible as a symbol of God's wrath and judgment against sin. Another way to picture this that puts a chill down my spine is to think of a cardboard compactor or a car crusher. This verse is why I call this lesson, “the ugly”.
And blood came out of the winepress; This isn’t a press for grapes it is a press to destroy the wicked. This isn’t a very comforting scene being described.  So many people only want to think of God as love, kind, merciful, forgiving and He has no anger, judgment, or violence about Him. People that accept this about God are deceiving themselves so they can live a lifestyle they want and not what God wants of them. These people are deceiving themselves and live for their spiritual father, Satan. John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. God loves us as His creation/human being, but it is our sinful lifestyle that we inherited from Adam via Satan that he hates and as a result sends people to Hell that don’t accept Jesus as their Lord and King. The word hate equates to condemnation as stated in 1 John 3:14-15 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.  15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs; This is not a picture we want to embrace as human beings. How can this be, Jesus and this angel plunging in their sickle and destroying millions of people? It is because our God is a just God and his judgment is black and white with no gray areas. If a person places their faith in Jesus, they are saved, if not they are doomed.
How long is 1600 furlongs? Is a distance of about 175 miles and the depth of the blood would be approximately 5-6 feet deep. The picture painted here for us tells us that millions or billions will die.
To those not used to vivid descriptions of God's anger in judgment, these are disturbing descriptions. We as people dislike the idea of other people, even evil ones, being trampled like grapes. The depth and length of the blood flow provides a sickening scene of the sheer size of God's judgment. But unless we face the necessity of God's judgment, we will never see our desperate need for his mercy. A God with only a grandfatherly kindness would not inspire our repentance, obedience, or worship. God has promised a harsh harvest for those who reject him. Those who know God well enough to fear his wrath know God well enough to desire his grace. The crushing wrath of God is coming. Blessed are those who have had their sins forgiven.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my sins.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

10-23-2013 Vol. 7 Part 34 Book of Revelation (Revelation 14:5-13)

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Psalms 111:1-10 Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The LORD is gracious and full of compassion. He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. He has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
Father God we praise you and give you the glory for all things. Help us to absorb your words like a sponge absorbs water. Let your words shape us into a new creation. Help us be still so you can fight for us when we are in need. Keep us all safe, healthy, and in good cheer. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Revelation 14:5-13 NKJV
This lesson is all about three angels that John sees and their message is all about Salvation and God’s judgment. It could very well be the last call for salvation to those on earth during the last half of the Tribulation. The question being, will those alive at that time believe and place their faith in Jesus and what He did at the Cross for us?
6  Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven; What Heaven will this angel be flying in, the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Heaven? The Bible refers to 3 heavens: the first heaven is our atmosphere where birds, and aviation vehicles fly; the second heaven is outer space where the planets, stars, sun, moon, satellites, space ships, etc. are; the third Heaven is where God resides in the North above the other two heavens. It is the third Heaven that should be in the forefront of all minds and everyone’s life goal to get there and not be caught up in the things of the world or of self pleasure. The very first verse of the Bible tells us there is more than one heaven. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
First heaven: Genesis 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. Genesis 1:6-8 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."  7 Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.  8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.
Second heaven: Genesis 1:14-17 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;  15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.  16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.  17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, For more information on these three heavens see lesson; “Vol. 2 Part 1 “What Is Heaven Like According To The Bible”?” If you don’t have it you can find it on my blog dated 8-4-2010 at; http://jesus-christ-spiritual-food.blogspot.com/
Having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people; Moving on to this phrase of this verse then these questions come to mind; Is this angel seen by all on earth at the same time? Does this angel have wings like we think of angels? Is this angel hovering in the first heaven delivering the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Is this angel of human form and looks like you and me? These are all very good questions and the answers to these questions will one day be answered.
Here are two scenarios that I will throw out:
First being and angel, with or without wings, will appear in the sky and will be seen around the world by all, and this angel will preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the same Gospel the Apostles and all Born Again Saints of God preach. This Gospel will be heard in each person’s language. I believe this is very possible because when Jesus our Saviour was born didn’t many people of various nations become aware of this? On the day of Pentecost didn’t many people of many tribes hear the Gospel in their own language? Won’t we see Jesus and His Saints coming on white horses in the sky? All things are possible with God!
The second thought is one of man, this angel will look like a common man, standing at a microphone delivering the Gospel and being televised around the world from Jerusalem. So the problem with this is, will all on earth stop what they are doing and turn on the television?
This angel will deliver a final worldwide appeal to all people, to try and get people to recognize the one true Saviour of the world for all mankind, Jesus Christ. No one will have the excuse of never hearing God's truth.
7  saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."
Saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; This angel is not only preaching the Gospel, but is announcing the hour of judgment. “Saying with a loud voice”, denote urgency, I have something important to say, listen and pay attention. This angel is saying beware the next seven judgments are about to begin, meaning the seven vial/bowl judgments.
Worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water; This angel is also telling us there is only one God, the God that made all things and this is the God to fear because all other gods are false gods and lead to hell.
8  And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
What this angel is saying is, just as Babylon was the site of Earth’s first organized rebellion against God Genesis 11:1–9, it will be the site of the last great organized rebellion. As it began, it will end. The Israelites fell into idolatry which led them away from God and it will be through the Antichrist that forces Israel to worship the beast that will bring them back to God because they will refuse to worship the beast. They will wake up to the fact that they are going along with the Antichrist in sin against God and repent of their wrongdoing when the Antichrist demands all to worship him.
What actually is Babylon? Easton’s Bible Dictionary tells us this: In Revelation 14:8; Revelation 16:19; Revelation 17:5; Revelation 18:2, “Babylon” is supposed to mean Rome, not considered as pagan, but as the continuation of the ancient power in the papal form. Rome, pagan, and papal, is regarded as one power. “The literal Babylon was the beginner and supporter of oppression and idolatry... This city and its whole empire were taken by the Persians under Cyrus; the Persians were subdued by the Macedonians, and the Macedonians by the Romans; so that Rome succeeded to the power of old Babylon. And it was her method to adopt the worship of the false deities she had conquered; so that by her own act she became the heiress and successor of all the Babylonian idolatry, and of all that was introduced into it by the immediate successors of Babylon, and consequently of all the idolatry of the earth.” Rome, or “mystical Babylon,” is “that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:18).
So Babylon refers to being in bondage to the practice of worshipping anything other than God and Jesus Christ. Any person or religion that promotes a gospel of; if it feels good then do it; or prosperity meaning that God wants all of his children to have lots of money; or worshiping Buda; or worshiping idols whether it be of man or beast, past or present, are promoting Babylon’s doctrine which is of Satan. If it is not the message of the Cross meaning what Jesus did at Calvary for us, then it is a false gospel.
9  Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
These two verses can’t be separated because they speak of actions and results on an individual’s part. This third angel will be warning of God’s wrath if a person doesn’t turn from their wicked ways and repent. We have three angels delivering the same message of salvation in three different ways. Many times, if not all, when the number three comes up, deliverance is involved, if a person chooses to be delivered in this case. This third angel is the last call to repentance, otherwise if the people of the era of this verse refuse to heed the call of God and follow the Antichrist they will be doomed to Hell forever.
In the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb; This last phrase of these two verses raises a question in my mind. Will those that spend eternity in Hell be able to see God’s Holy angels and Jesus Christ in Heaven above as a constant reminder that they rejected Jesus? Would this be part of the torment? I suppose that is possible, but it is referring to the Great White Throne Judgment Revelation 20:11-15.
11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
Here again we are reminded there is a Hell and it is for eternity. There is no rest there, it is a place of constant pain and torture. A pain so great it will cause one to grind his teeth and wail out in agony. The torture could be from Satan’s beasts that are present, because a human form is a creation of God’s which would be a constant reminder to them of who put them there. They hate God and as a result, take their anger out on the souls that will be there. This is a strong message from this angel not to accept the way of the Antichrist and receive the mark of his name.
If the messages delivered by these three angels don’t put fear in the hearts of people and cause them to repent of their lifestyle and ask Jesus into their hearts, then nothing will. This is a message for all living right now to examine their lifestyle and if it isn’t modeled after Jesus Christ then repent and be saved.
12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
This verse is telling those that are Born Again Saints to have patience till the very end and remain faithful. Patience comes with salvation and this is an encouraging word from God to keep our eyes focused on the finished works of Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the Cross. It is only through this faith that one can keep the commandments of God by allowing the Holy Spirit the freedom to work within us. As human beings we are not capable of keeping the commandments of God because of being born with the sin nature. Any Born Again Christian knows this because of the change in their life when they rejected religion and lifestyle, and accepted Jesus as their Saviour. In that instant the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the person’s heart and places conviction upon the individual when they think about doing something that violates God’s Commandments.
This news about God's ultimate triumph should encourage God's people to remain faithful through every trial and persecution. They can do this, God promises, by placing their faith in Jesus and obeying the commands found in his Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. The secret to enduring, therefore, is trust and obedience through faith in Jesus Christ. Trust God to give you patience to endure even the small trials you face daily; obey him even when obedience is unattractive or dangerous.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'  "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them."
John states here that he heard a voice from Heaven speaking to him. This person that is speaking to him is the Holy Spirit. How do I know that? It’s because the rest of the verse states that, “Yes, says the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is telling John that those who die during the Great Tribulation, which will be many because they will die for their Saviour Jesus instead of serving the Antichrist, will have rest in the loving arms of Jesus. Their labors and works refer to their witnessing and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a result of their faith in what Jesus did for them at the Cross they will receive rest, eternal rest.
If you continually seek the answers of scripture, you have already heard God's truth and know that God's final judgment will not be put off forever. Have you joyfully received the everlasting Good News? Have you confessed your sins and trusted in Christ to save you? If so, you have nothing to fear from God's judgment. The Judge of all the earth is your Saviour!
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my sins.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

10-16-2013 Vol. 7 Part 33 Book of Revelation (Revelation 14:1-5)

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Psalms 110:1-7 A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord,"Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. The LORD has sworn And will not relent, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head.
Father God we praise you and give you thanks for all things. Take us and mold us into a new being like the potter does with the clay. Shape us into a being that will reflect your image to all around us. Keep us all safe, healthy, and in good cheer. Help us to place our faith in you totally for all things in our life. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Revelation 14:1-5 NKJV
Chapter 13 described the onslaught of evil that will occur when Satan and his helpers control the world. Chapter 14 gives a glimpse into eternity to show believers what awaits them if they endure, and also points out the wrath of God and what to expect to those that are not true believers. It states some pretty grime results.
1  Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads.
Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion; The lamb being referred to is Jesus Christ of course and Mount Zion is referring to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was built where there were hills and it was built on one of the highest to the southeast which is referred to as Mount Zion. This is where the temple was built in ancient times, which was the dwelling place of God. At some point in time there will be another temple built where the ancient one once stood. This will also be the center of the New Jerusalem one day, although this Zion being referred to is a Heavenly Mount Zion.
And with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand; This is the same 144,000 that we studied about in Chapter 7. Revelation 7:3-4 saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."  4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: Going back to the term Zion or Sion sometimes refers to the Church meaning those that are true believer or Born Again Saints. Not only is Jesus standing on Mount Zion he is also with His Church which is a glorious occasion, because it is the church of Israel, God’s chosen people. These are individuals, Jews, that were saved during the first part of the Tribulation.
Having His Father's name written on their foreheads; These individuals will have a name or a seal of God on their foreheads which will be a spiritual seal or mark only visible to the spiritual world. Just like those on earth right now that are Born Again have some type of identification to the spiritual world that they belong to God. Take Job for instance, Satan knew he belonged to God therefore Satan responded that God had a hedge of protection around him. Job 1:10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
2  And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.
This verse tells me that the music and singing in Heaven is such that it would give one on earth goose bumps. It has to be so grand that we as human beings can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like. If we could hear it when we are down and out, it would minister to our souls and uplift us instantaneously here on earth. So what is all this singing about? Let’s see if the next verse gives us a clue.
3  They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.
They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; This song they are singing could very well be Psalms 149 since it mentions a new song, the assembly of His saints, Israel rejoicing in their Maker, and Zion being mentioned. Psalms 149:1-9 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints.  2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.  3 Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.  4 For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.  5 Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds.  6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand,  7 To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples;  8 To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron;  9 To execute on them the written judgment— This honor have all His saints. Praise the LORD! This rejoicing is something to shout about in Heaven, because Israel will finally come home after over 2,000 years of rejecting Jesus. All the saints will be happy, the angels, the 24 elders, Jesus, God, and all in Heaven. It will be like the rejoicing when the prodigal son returned home.
No one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth; No one could understand this song but the redeemed. Anyone that has not been redeemed cannot fully understand the feelings and sympathies of those that have been redeemed. To appreciate fully the songs of Zion (redeemed church body); to understand the language of praise; to enter into the spirit of the truths which pertain to redemption; one must experience being redeemed by the blood of Christ. He must have the knowledge of what it is to be a sinner under the condemnation of law; he must have the knowledge of what it is to be in danger of eternal death; he must have experienced the joys of pardon, or he can never understand its true significance and the language used by the redeemed.
To try and put this joy into perspective have you ever been rescued from a perilous circumstance? Think about how a missionary person is delivered from being held captive in a prison of torture and then released; or someone pardoned at the foot of the gallows; or someone recovered from a dangerous illness; or someone pressing to their bosom a beloved child just rescued from a watery grave. People that experience such things will have an appreciation of the joy and triumph that comes from the life changing experience associated with salvation. All the joy ever experienced in the universe can’t match the joy of the redeemed standing on Mount Zion in Heaven and realizing they are saved.
4  These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.
These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins; These people, the 144,000 are true believers whose robes have been washed and made white in Christ's blood through his death and resurrection. In the Old Testament and even today, idolatry is portrayed as spiritual adultery, meaning that one proclaims to be a Christian by mouth but their actions are such that they pray, honor, and worship manmade saints and statues more than Jesus. The 144,000 being "pure as virgins" is best understood symbolically, meaning that they are free from involvement with the pagan world system. To remain spiritually pure, means resisting the seductions and idolatries of the present world; power, wealth, sexual immorality, greed, pride, etc. To do so requires daily application of God's Word, for it has a purifying effect on the mind and heart. It requires great commitment not to give in to these temptations. Verse 5 verifies their spiritual virginity.
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes; These 144,000 have come to know the truth and the truth has set them free and they take up their cross daily and follow the New Testament exclusively. They have denied themselves and placed their faith in Jesus Christ. They have given their all to Jesus. Many times in the New Testament Gospels Jesus tells us to give it all up and follow him, but it is difficult for many people to do. Just like Jesus told the rich man to go and sell all that he had and then come and follow Him, the rich man left with his head hanging down because he refused to part with his money. Luke 9:23-24 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. This is why the 144,000 follow the Lamb, because they have given it all to Him.
These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb; This is referring to the first of Israel being redeemed during the Tribulation. No doubt there will be many more Jews that will give their heart to Jesus during the Tribulation when they come to realize who the Antichrist is, but this 144,000 will be the first to accept Jesus as their Messiah. At the second coming of Christ there will be multitudes of the Jewish people forsaking their customs, rules, rituals, and laws, and accepting Jesus as their Messiah.
5  And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
This verse verifies the fact of the 144,000’s virgin state. This also holds true for anyone that gives their heart to Jesus not just the 144,000. There won’t be any deceit found in a child of God; no trickery; no foul language; no thievery; no using God’s name as an ordinary word, they will be viewed by God as an individual without fault because they are washed in the blood of Jesus our Saviour. It is what’s in a person’s heart that tells others they are a child of God. Mark 7:20-23 And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,  22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man." Our flesh and spirit are at war with each other all the time which makes it impossible for us as human beings to conquer sin on our own. That is why it was necessary for Jesus to die on the Cross for us and that is why we need to acknowledge this fact and ask Jesus into our hearts to rule and reign. Galatians 5:16-21 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,  20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,  21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
I’m going to make this a short lesson due to the fact the next verses are talking about angels flying in the midst of Heaven proclaiming the Gospel and the judgment of God.


Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."


Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my sins.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

10-9-2013 Vol. 7 Part 32 Book of Revelation (Revelation 13:10-18)

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Psalms 109:15-31 Let them be continually before the LORD, That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth; Because he did not remember to show mercy, But persecuted the poor and needy man, That he might even slay the broken in heart. As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water, And like oil into his bones. Let it be to him like the garment which covers him, And for a belt with which he girds himself continually. Let this be the LORD's reward to my accusers, And to those who speak evil against my person. But You, O GOD the Lord, Deal with me for Your name's sake; Because Your mercy is good, deliver me. For I am poor and needy, And my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like a locust. My knees are weak through fasting, And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness. I also have become a reproach to them; When they look at me, they shake their heads. Help me, O LORD my God! Oh, save me according to Your mercy, That they may know that this is Your hand— That You, LORD, have done it! Let them curse, but You bless; When they arise, let them be ashamed, But let Your servant rejoice. Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude. For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, To save him from those who condemn him.
Father God I ask that you be with each and every one of us this next week. Keep us all safe, healthy, and in good cheer. Help us to place our faith in you totally for all things in our life. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!
Revelation 13:10-18 NKJV
In this lesson we will be introduced to One World Order of Worship and Economics. I have to ask the question, how far off is one world economics with the state of many countries presently?
This was a tough lesson for me. With all the beasts mentioned I even got confused and had to eliminate one page and start over. I do hope I have been able explain this book so that one can understand it better. Revelation is a difficult book of the Bible to understand.
10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; This phrase is simply stating that the Antichrist will end up in captivity, Hell. Those in Hell are referred to as being in captivity in the Bible. All that follow the Antichrist, or are led by the Antichrist, will end up in Hell, because he will be deceiving them into believing he is the Messiah.  Deuteronomy 28:41 You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity. Ephesians 4:8 Therefore He says: "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." God will place a delusion over these people, they will believe the lies of the Antichrist, and will fight for his cause. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie.
He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword; This is telling us that those that follow the Antichrist and go out and wage war with Israel will perish and go into captivity. If they kill they will be killed and will suffer in Hell for eternity.
Here is the patience and the faith of the saints; This phrase of this verse is addressing the true believers now. John is first telling us what is going to happen to those that don’t believe with their hearts and now he is telling us what is going to happen to God’s Saints. Those that believe during this time of the Tribulation are encouraged to stay faithful and have patience knowing the reward will be eternal life in Heaven. They will go through great trials and persecution, but they must persevere to the end. There is no doubt that God’s Saints will be tortured in an attempt to get them to deny Jesus, or to proclaim the Antichrist is god. Some will die as a result of this persecution.
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; This is another beast that is similar to the first beast the Antichrist. This beast rises up from the earth meaning the people, just like the word sea is used. Many try to make the word “earth” into something spiritual, as well as the word “sea” in Verse 1, but they both come from the same source, masses of people. This is Satan’s version of the trinity; Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. Satan wants to be God, the Antichrist sets out to replace Christ; and the False Prophet attempts to imitate the Holy Spirit. Of course, the comparison is revolting, but this is Satan’s plan.
This beast is identified as the false prophet in Revelation 16:13 and Revelation 19:20 also. Revelation 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. Revelation 19:20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
So putting all these names together to help understand and keep these figures strait we have god the father (referred to as Satan and/or dragon), god the son (referred to as Antichrist, wounded beast, and beast), and god the spirit (referred to as false prophet and beast). A trinity of these characters is a frightening thought, isn’t it? Satan is always deceiving people and he uses miracles to get the job done as we will see in the upcoming verses. Satan replicates our God’s ways because he knows and sees the results of God’s work through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. When the Antichrist rises up, the captive beast will be set free to assist the Antichrist by means of miracles along with many other things. Just as God had a plan to execute when Jesus walked this earth, Satan has a plan to execute when the Antichrist walks this earth. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus, spoke through Jesus, and performed miracles through Jesus. The second beast will be trying to replicate the Holy Spirit through the Antichrist, because he gets his power from Satan.
He had two horns like a lamb; Here this man is referred to as a lamb, but a lamb with horns. A male lamb has horns but covered with hair and in order to see the horns, one must part the hair. In scripture a lamb always signifies Jesus, but here it signifies the smooth talking, kind, gentle, loving man, which he will be starting out. The phony act of this man is all part of a plan of cunningness, deceptiveness, lies, false claims, etc. to win the hearts of people especially Israel.
Spoke like a dragon; This beast will speak as if he had the Devil in him which he will because Satan will be whispering in his ear what to say, when to say it, and how to say it.
12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence; The power of this beast comes from Satan and not from the Antichrist. The false prophet exercises his power in the presence of the Antichrist to glorify him and not himself.
Causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast; By the False Prophet exercising his power in the presence of the Antichrist, however that will be, it will cause the people of the earth to think very highly of the Antichrist and as a result worship him. As stated we don’t really know how this will happen, but it will.
Whose deadly wound was healed; As explained last week in verse 13:3 the Antichrist will also get his power from a fallen angel that will be release and this is what this phrase is referring to. This fallen angel is locked away until the Antichrist emerges and then he will be set free. By him being set free his wound is healed. The book of Daniel talks about this fallen angel, which is the same fallen angel that assisted Alexander the Great in his Grecian take over. Daniel 8:18-25 NLT   While he was speaking, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. But Gabriel roused me with a touch and helped me to my feet.  19 Then he said, "I am here to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath. What you have seen pertains to the very end of time.  20 The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia.  21 The shaggy male goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king of the Greek Empire.  22 The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four kingdoms, but none as great as the first.  23  "At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power.  24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people.  25 He will be a master of deception and will become arrogant; he will destroy many without warning. He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power.
13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
This beast will have power to perform great signs and miracles to deceive people. This fire will be in the form of lightning and what will it do, we don’t know for sure. Could it consume a sacrifice like in Old Testament times? Could it consume people like lightning struck down two of Aaron’s son’s? However this happens it will be to deceive people.
Revelation 13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth—by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
And he deceives those who dwell on the earth—by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast; As stated above the False Prophet will do these signs in ways to promote and glorify the Antichrist to the world. Base on the last part of this verse, it could be that the False Prophet will be doing these things while the Antichrist is recovering from his wound.
Telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived; Here he is telling those on earth to build an image of the beast, the Antichrist.
The last part of this verse is telling us that the Antichrist will be injured somehow, so severe that he died or should have died, but is brought back to life. Maybe it is through this miracle that this beast promotes and uplifts the Antichrist in the minds of the people that he is indestructible and therefore promoted as the messiah? Whatever it is it will be grand in the eyes of people and they will believe.
15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
This False Prophet will be empowered to give breath and speech to the image that will be made. How can this be? Satan has many demon spirits at his disposal and through them it will appear that the image is alive and speaks. It will be by deception because Satan is a master at deception. God is the only one that can give life and all Satan can do is emulate life through his magic. Everyone has seen science fiction movies where a native tribe in the jungle has an image that speaks and has breath, but as the movie progresses the trickery is uncovered. This is how a breathing talking image will be made possible.
This image of the Antichrist will condemn those to death that will not worship the image. People will probably be brought in front of the image and when they refuse to worship, the image will sentence them to death.
This is how the one world order of worship will come about. There will be no other religion, only the worship of the image of the Antichrist.
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads,
Starting with this verse we see one world economics coming into being. It won’t be just for a particular class of people, but for all people. This mark I’ve mentioned before and it could be some type of tattoo, microchip, or something that can only be view by some type of scanner. We don’t really know, but I lean toward a microchip being implanted beneath the skin on the back of the hand or on the forehead.
17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
This verse tells us that a person will have to have this mark in order to buy or sell anything. This mark identifies those that belong to the beast, meaning Satan. Anyone taking on the mark is stating that they will follow the Antichrist anywhere including Hell.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.
This wisdom spoken of here is God’s wisdom. All are warned by this verse that if they take on the mark of the beast, then they are following man. The number 666 represents man and not God, or Heaven, or religion, or dispensation, but man. This man cannot give eternal life, only eternal death in the lake of fire.

Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Sinners Prayer; Pray this, and if you believe it with your heart, Jesus will save you!

“Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner.  I confess my sins to you; I am sorry for my sins; I repent (Meaning, desiring to turn from a sinful lifestyle.) of all my sins, and I am asking for your forgiveness of all of my sins.  I believe that only you can forgive sin.  I commit my life to you and ask you to come into my heart, direct, and take charge of my life.  I believe that you died to set me free from my sinful lifestyle and you rose from the dead to give me eternal life, and right now you are seated at the Right Hand of God Almighty. I believe you are the Son of God; the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and my Savior.”  I believe this and have faith you will make a new person out of me, by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart and lead me in a new life. In Jesus name I pray Amen.”  (John 3:16,17; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 5:11-14; 1:6-10) (Sin: Rom. 1:22-32; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-7)