Bad Religion – Many Christians Endorse Heretical Beliefs Without Realizing It

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• More than half went on to indicate that Jesus is “the first and greatest being created by God,” a heresy known as Arianism, which the Council of Nicaea condemned in 325 A.D.
• Seventy percent of participants–who ranged across socioeconomic and racial backgrounds–agreed there’s only one true God. Yet sixty-four percent also thought this God accepts the worship of all religions, including those that believe in many gods.
• Two-thirds admitted that everyone sins a little bit, but still insisted that most people are good by nature, which directly contradicts scripture (“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” and “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Romans 3:23; Jeremiah 17:9).
• Over half said it’s fair for God to exercise His wrath against sin, but seemed to waffle about which sins deserved wrath (not theirs!). Seventy-four percent said the “smallest sins” don’t warrant eternal damnation, in contrast to Jesus’ half-brother, who when writing at the Holy Spirit’s inspiration taught that even one infraction of God’s law is enough to sink someone.
• A full 60 percent agreed that “everyone eventually goes to Heaven,” but half of those surveyed also checked the box saying that “only those who believe in Jesus will be saved.”

• Seven in ten evangelicals–more than the population at large–said that Jesus was the first being God created.
• Fifty-six percent agreed that “the Holy Spirit is a divine force but not a personal being.”
• A huge increase in evangelicals (28 percent, up from 9 percent) indicated that the Third Person of the Trinity is not equal with God the Father or Jesus, a direct contradiction of orthodox Christianity.
• By definition, evangelicals in this survey believed that “only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.” Yet nearly half agreed that “God accepts the worship of all religions including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.”
• Two-thirds of evangelicals–more than Americans in general–said Heaven is a place where all people will ultimately be reunited with their loved ones. Many of these folks evidently see no contradiction between their casual universalism and the evangelical creed that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone.
• Two out of five evangelicals say “worshipping alone or with family is a valid replacement for regularly attending church”.

The post Christian Dunces first appeared on The Balanced Life: Bible Study and Christian Bible Discussion.

1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Thoughts

God loves us so deeply that he have the apostle John a glimpse into the future through Jesus.  This is so that John could write for us living in the future to understand prophecy and things concerning the end of this world as we know it.  It is the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Studying the Word of God is important to anyone that wants a serious walk with God.  Therefore God blesses anyone that reads this prophecy and those that hear the prophecy.  Equally important, we are not to simply be hearers and readers of the  Word of God, but also we are to “keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (vs. 3)

1:4 There were seven literal churches in Asia to which John directed this letter. Seven is also a symbol of perfection, wholeness, or completeness in prophecy. The term “seven churches” indicates the whole or complete church through all ages. The “seven spirits” denote the perfect Holy Spirit of God.

John is writing to the churches as a brother in Christ and indicates that he is at Patmos, a prison for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  It brings to mind the verse in Revelation 14:12, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”  This is speaking about those that worship the creator God.

1:5 Christ’s death on the cross bore witness to the truth of the righteousness of God’s character and of Satan’s malignant lies. Jesus is our “faithful Witness” “that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”  View more here.

1:10 John at Patmos on the Sabbath was taken in the Spirit and heard the voice of God telling him to write what he sees and send to the seven churches in Asia.  When he turns to look, he sees seven golden candle sticks.  (John was “In the Spirit,” meaning he was in vision, “on the Lord’s day.” The only day the Bible calls “the Lord’s Day” is the seventh-day Sabbath. Isaiah 58:13; Mark 2:28; Exodus 20:11. Of all the eight times that “the first day” [Sunday] is mentioned in the New Testament it is never called holy, blessed, the Lord’s day, or anything but a common working day.)

Also significant is what John sees as it appears that he is looking into the inner sanctuary or the holy place in heaven.  The mention of the golden candle sticks seems to place Jesus here ( “the lampstands of pure gold (five on the right and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary); the gold floral work and lamps and tongs.” (1 Kings 7:49)

Also significant is that Jesus appears “like the Son of Man, ” meaning that he is forever connected to his human form.

John fell at His feet as dead.  We can sense the love of God here in these verses.  He laid His right hand, the hand of power upon John and tells him not to fear.

1:18 The word here translated “hell” is the Greek word “Hades” which literally means the “grave or abode of the dead.” Jesus alone has power over life and death. 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. Christ demonstrated His mighty power over the grave by raising the dead to life and through His own resurrection. Death is not God’s original plan; it was the result of the sin of Adam and Eve. Jesus plans to restore things to the way He meant them to be. He promises to destroy this curse (1 Corinthians 15:26; Revelation 20:14) so that no one will ever die again. (Read More)

1:20 “The seven churches.” These messages have multiple applications. First, as a literal message for the historical churches to which they were addressed. Second, more broadly, the reproofs, commendations and promises apply to present day church congregations that have the same characteristics as the churches to which they are addressed. Third, to individual Christians who have those same traits. Last, each is a prophecy representing seven periods in the history of the Christian church from John’s day till the end of time, just like the time prophecies in Daniel. Each of the seven churches is symbolic of what God’s people would face during the succeeding periods of its history. (Amazing Discoveries).

Churches

[ultimatetables 1 /]

Table found at Amazing Discoveries

The post Revelation Of Jesus Christ first appeared on The Balanced Life: Bible Study and Christian Bible Discussion.

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The following subject has to do with another fascinating time period. Revelation’s 1,000 years of peace. Often this is referred to as the “millennium” in the religious world although that word is not found in the Scriptures. It comes from two Latin words: “Milli” meaning 1,000 and “Anum” meaning years.  Often the millennium is referred to the 1000 years of peace.

Recently this subject has been popularized more than ever before, and that has some significance. Some say it will be a great time of peace on earth where all men will be as one, and all will have a second chance to accept Christ. Others say it’s a time of peace for the Jews with no war. Again, with all these different ideas, we need to let the Word of God speak. You will see how very simple this whole subject is, for God’s Word is always simple if you let it interpret itself.

As Jesus returned to heaven, He gave the wonderful promise that has been the hope of Christians ever since. John 14:1- 3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Jesus is coming again!

When Jesus comes, there will be two classes of people on earth. The righteous and the wicked. In Isaiah 66:5 you can read of these two classes. “Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.“

He will come to the “joy” of some, and the “shame” of others. Let’s be a part of that group of “joy.”

Isaiah described this group of joy and their testimony in Isaiah 25:9, “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” The other group of shame is contrasted in Revelation 6:14-17,”And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” We won’t want to be part of that group!

It’s important that we understand that when Jesus comes, every person’s case is decided, there will be no second chance. The second chance is a false deception Satan has brought in to lull people into false security. Revelation 22:11-12 teaches before Jesus comes all will have made a choice, and every individual will either be saved or lost. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

As Jesus comes. He will usher in this 1,000 year period. The second coming marks the beginning of the millennium. Revelation 19 gives us a symbolic picture of His coming. This chapter precedes chapter 20 which tells of the millennium. So let’s turn to Revelation 19 for a moment and see. Revelation 19:11, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” Here is a symbolic picture of Jesus coming on a white horse. Verses 13-15 continue with all heaven coming with Him. “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” The sword proceeding from His mouth represents the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” and Hebrews 4:12, “17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”).

Then verses 17-18, “And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.” We see here the same wicked who cried for the rocks and mountains to fall on them as Jesus comes (Revelation 6:14-17). The fowls are filled with their flesh. Then in verses 19- 20 we see something interesting. “And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.” God singles out the Beast and the False Prophet from the rest of the wicked, and places them in “a lake of fire.” while the rest of the wicked are destroyed. Verse 21, “And the remnant were slain with he sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

Let’s turn to Matthew 24 and read what Jesus Himself spoke in regard to this matter. Matthew 24:27- 28, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” The second coming will bring death! Read on in verses 29- 31, “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. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” All the tribes “mourn.” So it’s clear that before the millennium begins, Jesus will come in power and glory and all these events take place as follows:

1. Second Coming
   2. First Resurrection
   3. The Rapture
   4. Wicked Slain
   5. First Death
   6. Fowls Feast
   7. A lake of fire for the Beast and False Prophet.

Let’s pick up immediately from that point then and go right into Revelation 20:1- 3, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” Satan is bound for 1,000 years, and then after the 1,000 years is past, he is loosed a short season. Notice verse 3, “that he should deceive the nations no more.” That must mean, then, that he is deceiving them now ! But Praise the Lord, the devil’s work is going to come to an end! Sin will cease and the devil will be forced to stop his work! All will come to an end!

Then in Revelation 20:4 the picture changes to another group. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” The righteous live and reign with Christ during the 1,000 years. What about the wicked who were destroyed we read about a few minutes ago! Revelation 20:5, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” They lived not again until the 1,000 years were over. This is the first resurrection. This is the one we want to be in! For Revelation 20:6 says we are “blessed” if we are in this one. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

Now let’s get the four keys that will make this subject so clear that any child could understand it. We studied in the beginning that there will be only two classes of people on earth–the wicked and the righteous. These come in two ways though, living and dead. So we actually have four classes:

1. Righteous Living
   2. Righteous Dead
   3. Wicked Living
   4. Wicked Dead

Today we have many classes which are man made. We separate by race, education, financial status, et cetera. But God doesn’t look at people that way, and we’re foolish if we do. He is no respecter of persons, and in His eyes there are only four classes. All man-made divisions will be as the dew before the sun. All people in the world will be in one of four classes, and Christ’s coming will settle each groups destination.

There will be two resurrections as we read in this chapter, the first and the second resurrection. To establish this further let’s hear Jesus’ own words regarding this. John 5:28-29, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” There is a resurrection of “life” before the 1,000 years, and a resurrection of “damnation” after the 1,000 years.

Let’s cover first then the resurrection of life for the righteous. First Thessalonians 4:16- 17, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” That’s why Jesus said in John 14:1- 3, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” At this time all the righteous from Adam to those living at the end of time will go to heaven–both the righteous living and righteous (resurrected) dead. So that takes care of the first two groups. They are in heaven during the 1,000 years.

Next we have the wicked living. We read earlier that they cried for the rocks and mountains to fall and hide them. Let’s see why. Second Thessalonians 2:8, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” They are destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming. A wicked man cannot see God and live. No sin can live in God’s presence. That’s why Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8.

Let’s see what Jesus also said in Luke 17:26- 30, “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” It “destroyed them all.” Note verses 36- 37, “Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.” “Where the eagles are gathered” just like Revelation said. One more verse to make this crystal clear. Isaiah 13:9, “Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.”

And then we have the last group, the wicked dead. They just stay dead until after the 1,000 years. Revelation 20:5, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.” Now let’s review. The righteous living are caught up to heaven, and the righteous dead are resurrected and also go to heaven. Then they live and reign with Christ. The wicked living are destroyed, the fowls eat their flesh, and the wicked dead stay dead.

So then, who is left alive on earth after the second coming and beginning of the millennium? Not one. The millennium is not an era of peace and progress, with no war on earth, but actually a time of total desolation. Several Bible prophets foresaw this earth during the millennium and described it. Notice Jeremiah 4:23- 28, “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.” After Jesus comes, the power of His coming leaves the earth desolate. All the cities leveled and darkness covers the earth. Yet God says “He will not make a full end.” Why? Because the 1,000 years must pass and then comes the full end.

Isaiah 24 gives a similar picture. Verses 1, 3- 5, 19, 20, describe the earth in chaos. “Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.” Then verses 21- 22 says the wicked are gathered in the “pit.” “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.” Satan also is bound in the pit (Revelation 20:3). And after many days (1,000 years), they will be visited for their final destruction. You may wonder, “What is the pit?” The word in the Greek is “ABUSOS.” In the Septuagint Scriptures it is used in Genesis 1:2, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” This earth in a state of darkness and void is the “pit.”

Let’s establish that further in Isaiah 14:12- 14, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou rut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” Here we see Satan has always had an obsession to be God. But notice what will happen to him. verse 15, “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” He will be brought down to the sides of the pit.“ Then verses 19- 20, “But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden underfeet. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.” Again Satan joins the wicked in the pit, but does not join them in burial. And so the pieces fit together perfectly. Satan is bound to this earth in a state of darkness and ruin not with a literal chain, but with a chain of circumstances. What are the circumstances’! The devil is effective only when he has someone to tempt. He needs people. But now there is no one. AII the righteous are in heaven, and the wicked are all dead. At last sin will cease.

Satan then has 1,000 years to contemplate. What is he going to do? The earth is covered with darkness, dead bodies are everywhere, and all is absolute desolation. Satan is now forced to live with himself for 1,000 years with no one to deceive at all–just thinking, thinking, thinking.

I suppose, that he’ll think about the people he tempted while here on earth. Maybe he remembers a poor man who was addicted to alcohol. He remembers how that man struggled with the habit, and how he fell again and again into the gutter. Yet he got up, tried to clean himself up and came back to his family and asked them to forgive him and give him another chance. The poor fellow failed again and came back again. Until one day he met Jesus. A little flame of hope was sparked as he heard of God’s unconditional love and willingness to forgive. His heart was filled with peace and power as he stepped out in faith and accepted Jesus. His life was changed, day by day he grew, and overcame, until Jesus came and took him home. The old devil knows that that man is not here on the earth; he’s up in heaven during the thousand years. All because he dared to take his stand for Jesus.

Then suddenly perhaps the devil looks down, and maybe there`s just a small bit of light in that area and he looks upon the upturned face of another man. A man who was slain by the glory of God. He recognizes the man. It is someone he knew very well while he still lived here in this world. He was a good moral man. Everybody liked him. He was honest, and he paid his debts. There were times this man really wanted to make a decision to follow the Lord all the way, but the devil was right there to say, “No, No, No. Wait. Don’t do it now. Just give yourself a little bit more time. Things will look better. You’ll have a better chance later.” So that man did not make his decision, and now theres no hope at all for the man on the ground. He never had the courage to follow Jesus. He lost everything!

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

You ask, “What will the saints do in heaven for 1,000 years?” Revelation 20:4, 12, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” We are going to be set on thrones and judgment will be given us. You see, there will be three surprises when you get to heaven:

1. You’re there.
2. A lot of folks will be missing you thought would make it for sure.
3. A lot of folks you knew would never make it, did!

God will take all the saints, those who here were oppressed and looked down upon, those who were tempted and tried, all who were faithful to Jesus, and He will say. “You judge.” And for 1,000 years we will be able to see and know God’s justice. You see, Satan has accused God of not being fair, and to be sure, God will say,”Okay saints, you open the books and see.” Let’s say you know someone you thought should be in heaven and isn’t and you ask, “Why Lord?” God will say “check and see.” And as you do, you will see God is just and good! Turn to 1 Corinthians 6:2, “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?” The saints will judge the world. Verse 3, “Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” We will also judge angels, that’s the fallen angels. Second Peter 2:4, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” Gods character of love and justice must be vindicated before the entire universe–for 1,000 years. God is in no hurry and we won’t be either. Malachi said it this way, Malachi 3:17-18, “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them,  as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” We will return and judge. What a day that will be, for 1,000 years enjoying heaven, forgetting heartaches. One thousand years without a sneeze, headache, eyeglasses, pills, crime, accidents, or pain! Basking in the sunlight of God’s love for 1,000 years! Time heals. During this time, God will wipe away all tears. Whatever holds you back from following Jesus on this earth now, let it go. What is it worth compared to all eternity?

Then after 1,000 years we are going to come back down to this earth. You see, God created this earth to be inhabited. The devil has seemingly held up that plan for a few years, but not ultimately. Jesus said in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” The meek will inherit the earth. Today, the proud and the wealthy seem to have inherited it. But one day, Christ will come with His people, and they will inherit the earth.

Let’s go back to Revelation and see this, Revelation 21:1- 2, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Notice New Jerusalem comes down, the heavenly (Hebrews 12:22). This great city will come down after the millennium. It’s an awesome city over 350 miles high, wide, and long (Revelation 21:16). God’s people will be inside. The prophet Zechariah says it will land on the Mount of Olives. Then the final events of earth’s history take place.

As the New Jerusalem descends from heaven, the rest of the dead rise in the second resurrection and we enter the “short season” spoken of in Revelation 20:5, 7, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.” Satan is loosed now because the wicked have been resurrected and he has people to work with. Revelation 20:8, “And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.” The majority of people are here–all the wicked from all the ages. The devil deceives them now that God has raised them from the dead and convinces them they can take the holy city. With warfare, they go up against the city and try to capture it.

Imagine going up to this city. The walls are transparent. The saints are inside, but those who refused to do God’s will are on the outside. Each of us will be either in or out. In their rage, they try to take the holy city, and then our great King of Kings at last puts an end to sin. Revelation 20:9, 14- 15, “And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” That’s hell-fire and it puts an end to sin. Praise the Lord! Then out of this sin-sick world, which God will purify with fire, He will create a new earth. Isaiah 65:17-19, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy, And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.” Revelation 21:1- 4 paints a beautiful picture of it. All is new. In our new home, we will live as it was in the beginning. We will each have a city mansion and a country estate, in the beauty of heaven, we will not remember this former earth. There will be no temptation or sin. May God give us the grace to count everything but loss, except to be ready for that day!

The post Prophecy 12 – The Millennium first appeared on The Balanced Life: Bible Study and Christian Bible Discussion.

One of the greatest evangelists that ever lived was Dwight L. Moody.   He decided to start reading the Bible to see how often the second coming of Christ was mentioned.  To his amazement, he found over 2500 references!.  Thus making it one of the most important truths of the Bible.

As we studied in our first and second study, we saw that our present world is nearing its end and the only hope we have lies in the soon return of our Savior.  And though the future of this world may be dark, we are continually reminded of God’s promises.  One of my favorites is Isaiah 46:9-10, “Remember the former things of old:  for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times and the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.”  Here God clearly says He alone is God, the only one that can declare the end from the beginning!

When Jesus came as a babe in Bethlehem to die for our sins.  All the religious people in Jesus’ day had the Old Testament of the Bible just as we have today.  We also see in the Old Testament many verses that told those people exactly how Jesus would come, when He would come, and in what manner He would come.  And yet, the vast majority of religious people missed His first coming.  Why?  For two reasons.  1. Few were reading the scriptures and seeking truth. 2. The religious leaders had created a teaching that was false.  By pulling a few texts out of context, and ignoring many others, they taught a pleasing false doctrine that deceived millions.  We can learn much from this, for history often repeats itself.

Jesus also realized this.  This is why in Matthew 24:4 when the disciples asked Him about the signs of His coming at the end of the world Jesus’ first words were: “Take heed that no man deceive you.”  That’s good counsel!

In the book of Daniel we find one of the most dramatic prophecies in the Bible about the coming kingdom of God.  Here God predicts the rise and fall of earth’s nations, beginning in Babylon’s time, to the end of time and the second coming of Christ.  Daniel is a captive Israelite  in Babylon.   It is established in Daniel 1: 9, that  God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.”   He was highly educated and occupied one of the highest positions in the government.

In Daniel 2:1 King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream.  The dream was so vivid that he woke up startled.  However, he could not remember what he dreamed!  So he summoned his magicians, and astrologers, and demanded to know what he dreamed, and the interpretation of that dream!  Of course this was impossible, and as they discussed this, the king became aware that he had a lot of worthless men on his payroll.  So he decided to kill them all (verse 12).  As his army captain gathered these men, they came to Daniel.  Daniel was surprised at this hasty decree of the king and quickly went to ask him for time (verse 16).  As Daniel prayed, God revealed the vision to him during the night (verse 19), after which Daniel went before the king.  We pick up the story in verses 26-27, “The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?  Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king.”

But in verse 28-29 Daniel then gives the glory to God.  “But there is a God in heaven that reveals secrets, and makes known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;  As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that reveals secrets makes known to thee what shall come to pass.”

Notice here this vision is for the “latter days”, so this vision is especially for us.  Daniel now reveals the dream.

Daniel 2:31-36, “Thou, O king, saw, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.  Thou saw till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.  Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.  This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.”

Let’s allow the Bible to interpret this.  What does the head of gold symbolize? Verses 37-38, “Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.  And where-so-ever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.”  Clearly this represents Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian kingdom.  This kingdom ruled from 606 B.C. to 538 B.C. (539 BC: Cyrus of Persia sacks Babylon and frees the Jews)

What do the breast and arms of silver represent? Verse 39 (first half), “And after thee shall rise another kingdom inferior to thee.”   The next kingdom was the Medo-Persian empire.  Daniel 5:28, “Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” Just as silver is inferior to gold, Medo-Persia was inferior to Babylon, yet overthrew it in 538 B.C. and ruled until 331 B.C.  (331 BC: Alexander the Great conquers Persia (battle of Gaugamela) and destroys Persepolis, ending the Medo Persian dynasty)

Next we have the belly and thighs of brass.  Verse 39 (last part), “and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.”  The third kingdon to rule the earth was Greece.  Under Alexander the Great, they quickly conquered Medo-Persia in 331 B.C. and ruled until 168 B.C.

Finally we have the fourth kingdom of iron.  Verse 40, “And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.”  The forth kingdom was Rome.  It ruled from 168 B.C  to 476 A.D.  A powerful kingdom that for over 600 years ruled the world.  (The king of Illyria, Gentius, in Greece is defeated at Scodra by a Roman force under Lucius Anicius Gallus and then brought to Rome as a captive to be interned in Iguvium. This loss removes Illyria as an important ally for Macedonia and effectively weakens Perseus of Macedon in his battle with Rome.)

In perfect fulfillment we see today that there have only been these four world kingdoms that impacted God’s people since the days of Babylon.  But now the prophecy gets more amazing, as God prophesies the next events.

Verse 41-42, “And whereas thou saw the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou saw the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.”  God says Rome the forth kingdom will be divided, like the feet and toes, with some divisions weak and some strong.  History confirms this, for when Rome fell in 476 A. D., it did not fall to another world kingdom, but rather was conquered by the Barbarian tribes from the north.  Rome then divided into 10 other kingdoms.  The ALAMANNI (German), VISIGOTHS (Spanish), FRANKS (French), SUEVI (Portuguese), BURGUNDIANS (Swiss-Austrian), ANGLO SAXONS (English), LOMBARDS (Italian) and the HERULI, VANDALS, and OSTRO-GOTHS.  (These last three no longer exist)

Here again we see the amazing fulfillment of prophecy, yet, it gets more dramatic. Verse 43, “And whereas thou saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.”  Here God predicts that these kingdoms would intermarry, but never unite.   Think how many men throughout the ages have tried to prove God wrong and unite Europe.  Charlemagne, Hitler, Stalin, Napoleon and others.  Yet all these men, with their mighty armies were stopped dead by seven words in the Bible.  “They shall not cleave one to another.”  It’s wonderful to know that there is a God who is still in control of the world.  We constantly hear of the “New World Order,”  The European Common Market, or New Age Universal World:  But God’s Word stands true, and God says there will never be a one world government.

The stage is set, all is in place and God’s kingdom is next, let’s read it.  Verses 44-45, “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.  Forasmuch as thou saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”

God says in the days of these kings (kingdoms), He will set up His kingdom, which will stand forever!  Everything is in place.  The next world kingdom will be God’s!  Revelation paints a beautiful picture of the coming kingdom.  Revelation 21:1-5, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

As we look forward to this promise being fulfilled we can also anticipate Jesus’ first promise to come again.  John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

We can be sure of one thing.  The devil doesn’t want you to think about it.  If he tried so successfully to deceive people about Christ’s first coming, you can be sure he will try harder to deceive people about Christ’s second coming!  Jesus foresaw this and in love revealed the two deceptions that would be most prominent regarding His second coming.  Matthew 24:24-26, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.  Behold, I have told you before.  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.”

Notice, the first deception, “He is in the desert.” Christ is here, one can go out to see Him.  Today with all the false Christs, and the NEW AGE we hear this constantly.  The second deception is more subtle.  “He is in the secret chambers.”  When it comes to this important truth, and people speak of Jesus coming in the “secret chambers,” don’t believe it!  Amazingly this “secret” coming of Jesus is also a very popular teaching today, even in Christian Churches.

How can you not be deceived?  The Bible gives five crystal clear facts of how Jesus will come.  With these five biblical facts, no one ever needs to be deceived.  Let’s review them.

FACT 1. IT WILL BE LITERAL!

Acts 1:9-11, “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”  This was after the crucifixion and Luke 24:39, “Behold my hands and feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”  This tells us Jesus had a real body with flesh and bones.  There are five words to notice here: 1.  Beheld 2. Sight 3. Looked 4. Gazing 5. Seen.  These all indicate a literal scene.  And the angel said, “as He left, so He will return.”

FACT 2.  IT WILL BE VISIBLE!

Revelation 1:7 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”  Every eye on earth will see Him.  Both the wicker and the righteous.  Matthew 24:30, “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.”  This is something that Satan can never counterfeit.

FACT 3.  IT WILL BE AUDIBLE!

Matthew 24:31, “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”  The trumpet will sound!  And it’s going to sound so loud it will even penetrate the graves!  First Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”  What a wonderful day as Christ comes and we are caught up (raptured) to meet Him, to be re-united with our loved ones and forever live in the mansions and glories of paradise He has prepared.

Let’s take a moment here to address Jesus’ warnings.  What if they say “He is in the secret chambers”?  Today, this false theory is growing.  The “secret” rapture of God’s people is being taught.

In the last two Bible passages we have just read about the rapture.  It takes place as “all the tribes mourn, ” as they “see Him come in the clouds, ” with “power and great glory, ” the angels are “blowing trumpets, ” the Lord “shouts” the “voice of the archangel” is heard, and the resurrection takes place as God’s people are raptured and taken to heaven.  Does that sound secret?  Absolutely not!  The secret rapture theory is a most dangerous teaching for it lulls people into a false security.  It is an exact parallel to the false teachings about Jesus’ first coming which deceived millions of people.  It sounds pleasing, but was not biblical.

Let’s briefly review the false teaching of the secret rapture.  It follows these four basic errors.

Jesus will come secretly and rapture only the saints.

Following will come seven years of tribulation in which all who missed the secret rapture will have a second chance to “get right with God.”

In the middle of the seven year tribulation, the Antichrist is to appear.

After seven years Jesus will come again and end all things.

None of this is taught in the Bible.  It is contrived from a few texts. The first we read in our last study but will review again.  2 Peter 3:10.  “The Lord will come as a thief in the night.”  Interestingly this text is only half quoted and twisted to make one believe that Jesus is coming secretly.  Let’s read the whole text and context.  2 Peter 3:3, 4, 10, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”  Obviously a thief in the night does not mean “secretly” for there is “a great noise,” the “heavens pass away,”  and the “earth is burned up!”  Now one can see why secret rapture teachers never read the entire text!  The point here is the Lord will come when people who are scoffing least expect it.

The second text quoted is always Matthew 24:40-41.  “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”  Again this is taken out of context to try to support a secret coming of Jesus.  A simple look at the verses make it clear that a secret coming is not even under discussion.  The Bible is simply saying, when Jesus comes some are taken, others are left.  Obviously the righteous go to heaven and the wicked remain.  Look at the context.  God draws a parallel between Noah’s day and the second coming.  Matthew 24:36-39, “But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”  In Noah’s day some were saved in the ark, others were left for destruction (verse 51).

The seven-year tribulation will be thoroughly studied in the next Tuesday’s study.  However, we can now ask the question, Will there be a second chance?  Obviously not.  Let’s see what the Bible says.  Revelation 22:11-12, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”  Every case is already decided when Jesus comes.

Next, when is the Antichrist to appear?  During the final tribulation only?  Not according to the Bible.  Antichrist or “the beast” is a power, a kingdom, and a false spirit that has been active since Jesus Christ.  Not some ambitious man who will suddenly appear at the end.  Notice 1 John 4:3, “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”

Revelation 16:10, “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain.”

Paul clearly tells us the second coming of Jesus and rapture would not take place until Antichrist, and the man of sin had accomplished his work.  Second Thessalonians 2:1, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him.”   Here Paul clearly identifies the second coming and the rapture.  Now notice verses 3-4, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”  Paul clearly says that day (second coming and rapture) will not take place till the man of sin is revealed.  And then in verse 7 Paul says this power is already working.

I dont’t have to worry about the tribulation.  I wont be here.

In case I miss the secret rapture, I still have seven years to make it to heaven.

I don’t have to worry about worshiping or following the Antichrist Beast because I wont be here.

Following this false security millions of people are being led astray just as in Christ’s day.  Let’s follow the truth.

We have found out that the second coming will be literal, visible and audible.  Let’s get the next fact.

FACT 4. IT WILL BE A GLORIOUS EVENT!

Psalm 50:3, “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.”  Compare that with Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”  He will come and not keep silent, but will come in the glory of the Father with all the angels – certainly not secretly.

FACT 5.  IT WILL BE A CLIMACTIC EVENT!

Matthew 24:27, “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”  As lightning from East to West!  The second coming will be the most wonderful event of all time!  Families will be re-united, no more death, or sorrow, or pain. No more sin or temptation.  Praise God!

There will only be two groups the day that Christ comes.  Those that are unjust, and filthy, and those that are righteous, and holy.  Revelation 22:11, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”

The anguish of the first group is portrayed in Revelation 6:14-17, “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”  Oh let’s not be in that group!  They are afraid when Jesus comes because they never made the decision to follow Him or His Word.

However, there is another group who is ready.  Their joy and anticipation of Jesus’ coming is found in Isaiah 25:9, “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”  What a testimony!

As we are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, we begin our journey back to heaven.  In John 14: 1-3, Jesus promised each a mansion that He has prepared.  Our minds cannot even begin to comprehend the beauty and glory of our heavenly home.

Let’s take a look at this incredible city, New Jerusalem.  Its size is immense, approximately 375 miles long, high and wide.  Revelation 21:16, “And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.”  The city itself is made out of solid gold with a wall of jasper surrounding it Revelation 21:18, “And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.”  It sits on 12 foundations, each one made of a separate precious stone. Revelation 21:19-21, “And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.”

Heaven is beyond comprehension.  Try to imagine a place where there is no hatred or stealing; a place where you will never be tired of sick.  No more loneliness or fear, all war will cease forever.  Sin in all its ugly forms is gone.  God makes some wonderful promises to us.  The Lord Himself will live with us Revelation 21:3, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”

There will be pleasure and joy forever Psalm 16:11, Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

All will be physically whole, the deaf will hear, the blind will see, the dumb will speak and the lame will run Isaiah 35:5-6, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.  Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”

Philippians 3:21, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

Words cannot describe the glories of Heaven, pen cannot write, nor can your greatest thoughts begin to imagine what God has prepared 1 Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

This is the great future that God wants us to focus, not on the temporary, unstable and passing things of this earth.  A preacher once asked, “Is this sinful world your home, or just a motel?” As Jesus said, “Lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28.

The post Prophecy 8 – A Kings Dream – The Coming Savior first appeared on The Balanced Life: Bible Study and Christian Bible Discussion.

In our last lesson we learned about the war in heaven and the fall of Lucifer.  In heaven his name was Lucifer, but once fallen his name became Satan, or the devil or also “that old serpent”.  Isaiah 14:12, Revelation 12:7-12, Ezekiel 28:13-18.

We then learned that Satan is cast down and is angry because he knows he has a short time.  Revelation 12:12.  When Satan saw he was cast out of heaven, he began to persecute.   Rev12:13

Rev 12:17  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Our study today is about wisdom.  As we study the Bible, we cannot help but notice that there is history in there, stories of morality, prophecy and warnings, promises to us from God and miracles performed.

With so many important things included in this important book, we need wisdom and understanding .

James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Read Proverbs 1:7. What is wisdom? What is “the fear of the Lord”?

How do these two concepts relate to each other?

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“Wisdom” here is defined as a religious experience. It is related to the fear of the Lord. This important concept of the Hebrew religion is key to Proverbs. Not only does it occur repeatedly, but it also frames

the entire book (Prov. 1:7, 31:30).  The fear of the Lord has nothing to do with the superstitious and childish fear of divine punishment.  Instead, it should be understood as the acute consciousness of God’s personal presence at all times and everywhere. The fear of the Lord had characterized the people’s reaction to God’s revelation at Sinai (Exod. 19:16, 20:20), just as it explained their commitment to be faithful and to love God in response to His covenant with them (Deut. 10:12).

Basically, to fear God means to be faithful to God and to love Him.  The phrase “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of . . . wisdom” means that wisdom originates in this “fear.” The Hebrew word for “beginning” (reshit) points to the first word introducing the Creation story (Gen. 1:1). The first lesson of wisdom, then, deals with understanding that God is our Creator, the One who gives us life and breath, and that He is always present—a God of love, and justice, and redemption (John 3:16, Ps. 89:14, Heb. 9:12).

We are told to love God and also to fear Him. How do these two concepts relate to your own experience with the Lord?

Proverbs 1:8–19. What two contrasting ways of “education” are presented in these verses? What’s the basic message here, not just for parents, but for everyone who fears the Lord?

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Education is, first of all, a family matter, and true education comes,  first and foremost, from the parents. In these verses, this education is called “instruction” and even “law.” The Hebrew word for law, torah, means “direction.” The parents are to point their children in the right direction. In contrast, the other type of “education” is not identified, not given a name. It is simply acknowledged as the voice of sinners, which leads in the wrong direction.

Also, the words “my son,” not to be taken in a gender exclusive sense, are repeated many times, emphasizing parental instruction. Each parent—“your father,” “your mother” (NKJV)—is clearly identified in the singular and is personally involved, while the other camp is an anonymous plural, “sinners.”

The best argument on behalf of family education is its results. These are the inner qualities of character, which are like ornaments on the head and around the neck. In the Middle Eastern culture, precious collars and bracelets were passed on from parents to children as a heritage of value. Education matters more, though, than material riches. The time spent with our children will be of much greater value for them than the time spent at our businesses. Also, the reference to the neck and the head, which is the individual’s face, suggests that education will shape his or her personality. In the way of fools or sinners, only the feet (Prov. 1:15) are mentioned, as if the wayward son had lost his identity.

How can we learn to resist the temptations that culture, society, friends, or even family might throw our way?

The Call of Wisdom

Read Proverbs 1:20, 21. How is wisdom presented here? What are we being told?

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While the sinners “lie in wait” and “lurk secretly” (Prov. 1:11, 18,NKJV), wisdom “calls aloud outside” (vs. 20, NKJV), “cries out in the chief concourses” (vs. 21, NKJV), and “speaks her words” (vs. 21, NKJV). Wisdom is here personified, and her offer is given to the man and the woman on the street. It is for everyone in the real business of life. Amid the noise and rancor of so many products and so many sellers, the call of wisdom must be loud; otherwise, she would not be heard against the clamor of so many other voices.

Read Proverbs 1:22–32. What is the result of rejecting wisdom?

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The reason that people reject wisdom has nothing to do with wisdom itself and everything to do with the character of those who reject her. These are described as arrogant and disdainful (Prov. 1:25; compare vs. 30), as if they know better. The implication is that wisdom is for the naive and the simple. And yet those who reject wisdom are simple and naive; they are fools who “hate knowledge” (Prov. 1:22, NKJV; compare vs. 29).

Those who reject wisdom will reap the fruit of their rejection. Having refused to choose the fear of the Lord, they will have to be content with themselves: they will be “full with their own fancies” (Prov. 1:31, NKJV). When we reject wisdom from above, we often end up with the fables and lies that we fabricate for ourselves, or the fables and lies that others fabricate for us and that we so readily accept. In this way, we replace God with idols. Ironically, those who despise religion, mocking those they judge as simple and naive, often are superstitious in their own way, placing value on the most fleeting and useless of things that, in the end, can never satisfy the most basic needs of the heart.

Read Proverbs 1:33. Given the context in what came before, what promise and hope are found here for us? How is this promise manifested in our own experience?

Next week Tuesday Study “Daily Deployment, The Armor of God.” Ephesians 6

The post Prophecy 2 – Beginning of Wisdom first appeared on The Balanced Life: Bible Study and Christian Bible Discussion.

Prophecy Study 1
The World As We Know It

Recently in a discussion where I was sharing my faith with colleagues, I was asked, why is there so much evil, so much death and suffering in the world?  It seems that everywhere you look, there seems to be terrible things happening, natural disasters, personal suffering and lawlessness.

This is the world as we know it.  Sometimes life is a struggle, and in our struggles we witness around us violence, trickery, dishonor, hatred, disease and death, poverty and helplessness, greed and abuse.

The Bible tells us of a time when this was not the case, where the world was not as we know it.  Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.”  Genesis 1:29, “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”

Read Genesis 2.  How do we understand what the world was like right after creation.  Compare it to today.

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Genesis 3 starts with the serpent.  Who is the serpent? Read

Revelation 12:9, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”

and

Revelation 20:2. “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.”

It seems that Satan was once in Heaven.

Read Luke 10:18. “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”

How do the following verses help to give a better picture of what happened in heaven that led to Satan’s fall?

Revelation 12:7-12  “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

Isaiah 14:12-14  “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

Ezekiel 28:13-18  “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.  Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.  By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.  Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.”

Selfishness seems to be the original sin.    It seems he Satan had an “I” problem.  Isaiah 14:13-14, “…I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

It also seems that heaven rejoiced once Satan was kicked out of heaven.  In contrast, there is a warning for the earth, Revelation 12:12. “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

We are affected here on earth.  From a perfect world, with perfect creation, God was able to commune face to face with a perfect people.  Today, sin has ravaged this planet and all that lives here.

What can you observe in our world today that tells you that something is not quite right?  Are there any indicators that show that mankind is running out of options to solve problems facing us?  And why?

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Interesting fact:  Headaches are typically caused by stress or tension (Although they can also be cause by other factors).  Just dealing with the stresses of life, humans consume annually approximately 35,000 metric tonnes of Aspirin, enough to make over 100 billion standard aspirin tablets every year.

The post Prophecy 1 – The World As We Know It first appeared on The Balanced Life: Bible Study and Christian Bible Discussion.