From: TribulationPeriod.com
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PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 170
May 1, 2004
The Son Who Became a Servant to Save Us – Nr. 19
Isaiah 53:12 – Therefore will I divide him a portion with THE GREAT, AND HE SHALL DIVIDE THE SPOIL WITH THE STRONG; BECAUSE he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
I fully exposited on the first phrase previously, reaching the conclusion that “THE GREAT” was the fullness of the Godhead – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that the Godhead fully indwelt Christ’s sinless body.
Colossians 2:9 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
“BECAUSE” the man Christ Jesus: poured out his soul unto death, was numbered with the transgressors, bare the sin of all believers, and made intercession for their transgressions, he received the inheritance of all things possessed by “THE GREAT THREE IN ONE.”
Philippians 2:6-12 – Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. [9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: [10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; [11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Christ won the victory over sin and death. “The spoils” of the victory were all the creations of the Godhead, and Jesus has said he would share “the spoils” with those who were “strong” in the faith. So the question to one already saved in him by faith is this – How much of his heavenly inheritance do you want to claim by an ever increasing faith, one that goes stronger year by year? Will you be among those he judges to have been strong in the faith? The degree of the inheritance you will receive for having been strong in the faith in this life will last forever.
Colossians 3:1-4 – If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. [2] Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. [3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:23-25 – And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; [24] Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. [25] But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
Isaiah 53:12 –Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and HE SHALL DIVIDE THE SPOIL WITH THE STRONG;
Colossians 2:15 – And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
I Corinthians 15:57,58 – But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. [58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Galatians 6:7 – Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Hebrews 11:1,2 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. [2] For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Revelation 22:12,14 – And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. [14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
I Peter 1:3-8 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, [5] Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
I Corinthians 2:9-16 – 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. [10] But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. [11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. [12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. [13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. [14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. [15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. [16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Hebrews 12:2-4 – Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Philippians 2:5 – Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 170A
May 3, 2004
No Unilateral Plan Means a Stronger Forced Peace!
Last week, as I conducted a meeting in Michigan, I was surprised to see Likud support for Ariel Sharon’s plan for a unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip decline from a majority to a minority. The settlement occupants and their leaders exhibited a most effective massive show of distain for the plan, such that it was voted down by Sharon’s own party. If this plan, which was to produce a forced peace on Palestinians, is not initiated, I assure you that the plan replacing it will not only generate a forced peace, but will be much more undesirable to the Palestinians that the one Sharon has in mind. Under any new plan the security barrier wall will still be completed, but its course will be more like the one I presented in Prophecy Update 65C, and will weave its way in and out of the West Bank and Gaza Strip such that it includes many more of the settlement voters that caused the rejection of Sharon’s unilateral withdrawal plan. The Palestinians will lose more land and integrity under any settlement forced upon them by those who hold the view of the settlement occupants. It would be a much harsher “forced” peace placed on the Palestinians with, or without, the approval of the United States or any other government other than Israel itself, and it would also involve increased killing, arrests, and scattering of the terrorists while it was forcibly imposed on the Palestinian Authority.
Only 4 percent of the Israeli electorate belong to the Likud Party, which has some 193,000 voters, of which only 79,000 voted on the proposal, and of the 79,000 that voted, 41 percent voted for the proposal, and 59 percent voted against it. Prime Minister Sharon will continue to implement the unilateral withdrawal plan, with slight changes, and it is likely to be approved by a majority of the entire Israeli electorate if he can get it passed by a Knesset majority vote. If Sharon should be forced out as Prime Minister either by new elections or indictment by the Attorney General, his likely successor would be the former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I have admired Netanyahu and Sharon as leaders more than any of the crop during the last 20 years and, under the leadership of either, a “forced” peace will be implemented. In fact, under Netanyahu, it would be more “forced” than under Sharon. Even if another party were to gain power, which is very, very unlikely, the final act in the stage play of a false peace is about to be played out by a completed security barrier enclosing an unwilling nation of Palestinians, with the nation of Israel acting as a jailor believing he has peace with security. But that jailor is going to be shocked out of his false sense of peace and safety by a sudden Jihad surprise attack by an Islamic confederation, which will come south against the unwalled cities of Israel lying outside the walled in villages of the Palestinians. Israel will think it dwells safely with the Palestinians enclosed by walls, but their own cities will be overrun from the north. After the security barrier structure is completed, and enough time has lapsed for its effectiveness to have created an attitude of peace and safety among Israelis, then I expect the following scripture to be fulfilled.
Ezekiel 38:8-12 – After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. [9] Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. [10] Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: [11] And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, [12] To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 170B
May 5, 2004
A Democratic Government Cannot Stand in Iraq!
I was 100 percent in favor of invading Iraq and ending the reign of Saddam the Butcher, and 100 percent in the corner of those who wanted to see the Baath Party out of power, but I have consistently been 100 percent in favor of NOT trying to establish a democratic type of government like ours because such a government would only stand for a few months, and the cost of American lives would not be worth the price. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ESTABLISH A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN IRAQ THAT WILL LAST – IT WOULD ONLY LAST AS LONG AS A LARGE AMERICAN ARMY WAS IN PLACE TO ENFORCE IT, AND AMERICANS WILL CONTINUE TO DIE IN HIT-AND-RUN-ATACKS WHILE THEY REMAIN TO MAINTAIN SUCH A GOVERNMENT.
I could have gotten out of fighting in Vietnam, but I chose to go. I did not go because I believed we could win the war and establish a non-corrupt regime in the southern half of the country. I went because I believed it was essential to stopping the spread of communism to other countries in the Far East. The support the Soviet Union poured into Vietnam and Afghanistan broke the financial back of the communist monster, which led to the breakup of the Soviet Union, and its demise as one of two great world powers. I believe it was absolutely essential that we go into Afghanistan. Its unbelievable mountainous terrain and deep sheltered valleys made it the perfect terrain for a Taliban government to be the breadbasket of terror led by Osama bin Laden. And we simply could not eliminate the numerous terror camp training facilities and headquarters with missiles and air strikes, no matter how sophisticated the state of our technical expertise was at that time. And, for that reason, I am still in favor for troops to be maintained there in order to prevent a reoccurrence of the same scenario. Iraq is a flat land compared to Afghanistan, and, once we had deposed Saddam and crushed his regime, I knew we had the advantage of destroying any threat that arose against our interests in the region with missiles and air strikes following our withdrawal. I am 100 percent in favor of the worldwide war on terrorism, but 100 percent in opposition to attempting to form a democratic form of government in Iraq like ours in this generation. Sure, I wish it were possible, it is an idealistic, noble daydream, but we are fighting Islamic windmills with toothpicks, and the price in blood we are paying for it cannot be justified by a final result that will be marked by failure to see it fulfilled.
The real problem in Iraq began in 1932, the year I was born. Iraq was also born that year as the first of the League of Nations mandate states. So, after 1932, Iraq was formally independent. There was still, of course, a large measure of British influence and power there, but it was certainly independent earlier than any of the other Arab states. The British were largely responsible for the impossible attempt to merge together four major contentious groups into one state, the Shiite, the Sunni, the Kurds, and the Assyrians. It would have been far better to have four countries with separate borders than to attempt to put four wildcats into a sack and call the sack a state. And there are many other smaller groups of ethnic wildcats that also were placed in the sack. It was inevitable that a government would eventually come into existence that would be held together by absolute force of a dictator. It is most unfortunate that the dictator who finally grabbed power was Saddam. Most dictators are happy to rule their own country with an iron hand, but Saddam had illusions of grandeur to be the great Islamic messiah who would even exceed the greatness of Saladin the Kurd and, in the end, be ruler over all of the Arab world. The only real solution to the problem, generated in 1932, is to establish governmental borders that separate the four major ethnic groups, and let each group internally fight it out as to the kind of government they want. After the dust has settled you may only have two or three states continuing to fight each other for dominance, but they will be fighting each other rather than the United States and Israel.
The continuous argument I have heard echo across the world’s political scenario from before Operation Desert Storm through Operation Iraqi Freedom is this – DO NOT DISTURB THE STABILITY OF THE REGION! And everyone seems to agree on how important it is to NOT disturb it! I totally disagree! I was hoping we would go in, get rid of Saddam, his henchmen, and his Baath Party, then pull out as quickly as possible, and let all hell break loose between the Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, and many other ethnic groups that make up Iraq. They would not be able to concentrate on how much they hate us and Israel, because they would be too busy hating each other. Then, after the smoke and killing ended in a truce, Iraq would probably be splintered into three separate countries, Kurdistan dominated by Turkey, Sunnistan dominated by Syria, and Shiitestan as a part of Iran. As far as I am concerned, the more instability, political turmoil, and confusion we see among all of the nations of Islam, the better off the United States (the big Satan as we are called) and Israel (the little Satan) will be in the world’s fickle climate. If I thought there was any possibility of actually installing a democratic type of government in Iraq, then I would say it would be worth the price we are paying in American blood to do so, but it is a futile pipedream, no matter how noble it may seem to those who favor it. I have been a supporter of both father and son Bush in their presidencies. I do continue to admire them both, and will vote for the son in November. However, I do not agree with the idea of attempting to establish a democracy in the midst of Islam because it is impossible – admirable, but beyond the scope of possibility in this generation. We need to get out and let them slug it out among themselves. In any case, whatever happens, Iraq will be one of the tens associated with Daniel 2 & 7, and Revelation 13 and 17. The Lamb King of the soon coming Kingdom foretold in Revelation 17:14 is the King of the Kingdom found in Daniel 2:44 and 7:27, and he is the only one who can bring lasting peace and stability to the Middle East under a theocracy. The Old Roman Empire had a large southern flank that, at one time, included all of what we know as the Islamic nations stretching from Morocco to Iran, which number more than the ten required to choose from as being the toes or horns in Daniel and Revelation.
Daniel 2:42,44 – 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. [44] 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.
Daniel 7:24-27 – And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. [25] And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. [26] But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. [27] And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Revelation 13:1 – And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Revelation 17:12-14 – And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 171
May 7, 2003
What Will Church Members Do in the Millennium? Part 1
I recently received a query from a Pastor and his wife asking the question, what will WE be doing in the 1000 year reign of Christ on the present earth, and in the age of the New Jerusalem, which continues eternally. I am very glad they said WE, because that will allow me to answer the question in a narrow, more defined, manner. Why? Because I do not feel qualified to address the broad subject of how Christ intends to use the much, much, much greater number who will be there, that were never members of one of the Lord’s local New Testament Churches. That vast throng of believers will make the local church members look like one pearl among the sands of an ocean. I was not born in the days of Enoch, or Abraham, or the tabernacle, or the temple. I became a part of a huge family, the family of God, when I was saved at age 12. I united with one of the Lord’s local New Testament Churches by baptism at age 23, and have been the pastor of the church at Dardanelle for 30 years. As you read this Update, please bear one thing in mind constantly – I WILL BE REPLYING ONLY TO THIS QUESTION: “WHAT WILL THE MEMBERS OF THE LORD’S NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES BE DOING IN THE MILLENNIAL AND HEAVEN AGES?” I WILL BE DISCUSSING ONLY CHURCH MEMBERS ACTIVITIES IN THESE TWO PERIODS.
The word disciple or disciples appears more than 270 times in the first five books of the New Testament. They appear in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. The word disciple or disciples never appears in the 22 books that follow these five books. Why? Because the mistake of redundancy is only made by humans, never by the Holy Spirit, and it would have been redundant to use the word in any of the Epistles. Why? Because all of the 22 Epistles were written to churches or members of churches, and church members were supposed to live as disciples. All men and women benefit from the entire New Testament, and all should read it, but the last 22 Epistles were addressed either to churches or church members, and should be interpreted in that context.
Since the Book of Revelation will be the source of much of my accounting of what church members will be doing in Christ’s Millennial Reign, I will point out that we are told in Revelation 1:4 that it was addressed to the seven churches of Asia.
Revelation 1:4A – John to the seven churches which are in Asia:
And, also please take note that the following expression occurs seven times in Chapters 2 and 3.
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
Then, in the last Chapter of Revelation, we find once again it was written to churches.
Revelation 22:16 – I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.
Please keep this in mind, since I only intend to deal with what the Spirit indicates church members will be doing during the Millennium.
What is a faithful church member? It’s most simplistic outline is found in the fifth book that frequently uses the word disciple or disciples.
Acts 2:41,42 – Then they (1) that gladly received his word (2) were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. [42] And (3) they CONTINUED STEADFASTLY in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
(1) They were eternally saved by putting their faith in God’s word.
(2) Then they were added to the membership of the local church at Jerusalem by baptism.
(3) Then they continued steadfastly in a local body that presented what the Lord had taught the apostles, assembled together in loving fellowship, observed the Lord’s Supper ordinance, and prayed for one another plus the work of the Lord.
These same characteristics for church members are also echoed by Paul and Jude.
I Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye STEDFAST, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Jude 1:3 – Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should EARNESTLY CONTEND for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
In this series I will deal with what the church member that overcomes will be doing in heaven. The one who is classified as overcoming meets the criteria of the three previous verses. The one overcoming will have freedom of access to the immediate presence of Christ, who is the tree of life, and paradise is where he positions himself in his millennial reign. He will position himself in the temple and city described by Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 40:2 – In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
Ezekiel 48:35 – It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.
Ezekiel 43:1-7 – Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: [2] And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. [3] And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. [4] And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. [5] So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. [6] And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. [7] And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile,
The Son of God has always been represented by the tree of life from the beginning of creation, and it has always been the desire of the Godhead that we partake of him.
Genesis 2:9A,16 – And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; THE TREE OF LIFE also in the midst of the garden, [16] And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
When we repent of our sins and put our faith in the tree of life, Jesus Christ, we spiritually eat his flesh and drink his blood, accepting them as the total offering for our sinful condition, and thereafter we are expected to continue to feed on him through his word as the source of our spiritual strength.
Acts 20:21 – Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
John 6:53-58 – Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. [54] Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. [55] For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. [56] He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. [57] As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. [58] This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
Jesus, as the tree of life, was not talking about literally eating his flesh and drinking his blood. He spoke of the spiritual partaking of him as Savior through acceptance of his sacrifice as the total atonement for all sins. He made this very clear by informing them he would soon ascend back to heaven, and, after having done so, he would not be available for them to eat his flesh or drink his blood.
John 6:62,63 – What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? [63] It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Eleven of the members of the first church, who were with him at the time he gave this discourse, were saved, had met the criteria of having been properly baptized, had continued as steadfast church members, and still desired to continue feeding on his word of life.
John 6:68 – Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
The tree of life, Jesus Christ, initially gives eternal life to the believer, then desires the believer to feed on him to grow in spiritual strength. This is the abundant life promised to a faithful church member. The church member, who has the characteristics of Acts 2:41 & 42, will continue to follow the Lord as his shepherd, daily letting the Lord lead him in and out while feeding on the word he provides each day.
John 10:9,10 – I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. [10] The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
The millennial reign of Christ is going to be a time of great learning by all of God’s children, and the closer a believer is positioned to the place where the tree of life, Jesus Christ, positions himself, the more he will learn from the lips of the Master, growing like a spiritual leaf on the tree, and the leaves will go out to share what they learn with the believers located outside the millennial city foretold by the prophet Ezekiel, as well as during the eternal heaven age of the New Jerusalem city that follows, which I will cover in detail in a future Update.
Revelation 2:7 – He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Paradise is the city where Christ positions himself in his millennial reign on this present earth. Following the millennium it is where he positions himself in the city of the New Jerusalem on the new earth. Ezekiel 40:2 and 48:35 is the paradise of the millennium, and Revelation 21:22,23 is the paradise of the final heaven age. But Revelation 2:7 refers to them both as representing the paradise of God where his Son, the tree of life, dwells.
Ezekiel 40:2 – In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
Ezekiel 48:35 – It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.
Revelation 21:22,23 – And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. [23] And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
The millennial reign of Christ is going to be a time of great learning by all believers. The Lord is not going to open up believer’s glorified sinless craniums and pour in all the things from the word they could, and should, have learned after they were saved, having the God given opportunity to do so. Christ set the example for all believers to follow.
Luke 2:52 – And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
So the millennial, for believers, will be a time of being taught, learning, increasing in spiritual wisdom and spiritual stature, and then teaching others.
This is by far the most difficult subject I have ever been asked to address. I did not attempt to address it until I had been the pastor of Dardanelle church for some 25 years, but during the last 5 years I have presented my views to its membership on millennial activities.
I am acutely aware that I will be flooded with questions as I present this particular series on the millennium, but I expect most questions will be answered by the end of the series, SO I WARN YOU, I WILL NOT REPLY TO ANY QUERIES ON THIS SERIES OR SUBJECT UNTIL IT IS FINISHED. I have become an old man with limited capacity to conduct the harsh work schedule I have followed over the last 30 years, and must present subjects to collective audiences, rather than taking time to repeat the same thing over and over again to many different individuals. In the future, if I receive similar requests, such as the one that prompted this series, I can simply refer the one sending it to my web site. This is the first in a long series, which I will issue on the Web Site as Prophecy Updates, Lord willing.
Special Prophecy Update Number 171A
May 9, 2003
The Future Judgments of Humans – Nr. 3
Third & Fourth Future Judgment of Humans
The Judgment of Those Saved in the Millennium
The Judgment of all the Lost of all the Ages
The key to this third judgment involves the consistent chronological pattern followed from Revelation 19:11 to 21:1, which begins with the return of Christ at the end of the tribulation period in 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.” He deals with the antichrist, the false prophet, and finishes off their armies in Revelation 19:19-21 – “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. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. [21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” Then the old Devil is cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years in 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.” He is released when the thousand years are expired, leads a rebellion against the people of the Lord, has his armies devoured by fire out of heaven from God, and is cast eternally into the lake of fire and brimstone with the antichrist and the false prophet, as detailed in Revelation 20:7-10 – “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, [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. [9] And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. [10] And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Thus far, a pattern of perfect chronology has been laid out before us – not one break in it. And it continues to be picture perfect right up to Revelation 20:15 – “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Now, we need to carefully examine Revelation 20:11-15 in this sequence of chronological events that begins in Revelation 19:11, and then continues in perfect contextual chronology for 26 verses to Revelation 21:1.
Revelation 20:11,12 – “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. [12] And I SAW the dead, small and great, STAND BEFORE God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
We see a group of men and women standing before God with the book of life and other books being opened, out of which they are judged according to their works. The book of life is open because the names of this group are in it – they are all those men and women saved during the millennial reign of Christ. They will be judged for rewards for their works, just as were the saved caught out more than a thousand years prior to this judgment. Following their judgment, they will be removed quickly from the great white throne locale. Then a second group will be collected from hell, the sea, and the grave and assembled before God
Revelation 20:13 – And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
The chronology has been perfect from Revelation 19:11 to 20:13, and it does not break down here. There must be two different groups judged separately at the Great White Throne! Why? (Verse 12 – “And I SAW the dead, small and great, stand before God”). (Verse 13 – “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:”). How could John have actually SEEN the group in verse 12 standing before God to be judged, if they were not resurrected until verse 13? The souls of all lost men and women are in hell. The souls of all saved men and women are in heaven. The bodies of both the saved and the lost are either in water graves (the sea) or in land graves (death). The particles of the bodies of the verse 13 resurrection, that historically held lost souls, are delivered from the dust or the liquid surface of the earth, and reunited with their souls that come up out of hell. But the first group in verse 12 represents those who were saved in the millennium, and their souls in heaven will be reunited with glorified bodies that were resurrected before those in verse 13. They will be judged separately from the lost. The lost of all the ages will appear before the white throne immediately after the millennial saved. All the lost of all the ages from Genesis through the millennium will be in the second group. All the names of the first group will be in the book of life. None of the names of the second group will appear there.
Revelation 20:11-15 – And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. [12] (Group 1) 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. [13] (Group 2) And the sea (water) gave up the dead (physically dead bodies) which were in it; and death (physically dead bodies in land graves) and hell (abode of spiritually dead souls) delivered up the dead (all the spiritual dead souls and physically dead bodies) which were in them (water of the earth, dirt of the graves on land, and hell): and they were judged every man according to their works. [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 171B
May 11, 2004
Two Different Places – Paradise & Abraham’s Bosom!
There are a lot of different ideas concerning Paradise and Abraham’s Bosom! I recently had a young man, on our E-mail prophecy update notification list present me a question about the soul’s “middle life” position, held by the late Dr. J.R. Graves, which involves Abraham’s Bosom in the Gospel written by Luke. I want to avoid having to address the same subject repeatedly to other individuals. So I will offer my opinion in brief form, concerning Abraham’s Bosom and Paradise, on this Update. I have listened to many different viewpoints on this subject, and we may never really understand it until we stand before either Christ’s judgment seat for the saved in II Corinthians 5:10, or the judgment seat for all the lost in Revelation 20:13 to 15.
II Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Revelation 20:13-15 – And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Luke 23:42,43 – And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. [43] And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise (PARADEISOS).
I have always taught a simplistic location for the word PARADEISOS, which is translated as Paradise in the New Testament. It is wherever the Godhead decides to locate, and it is now what some call the third heaven.
I have always taught that Abraham’s Bosom was found as a vast cavern in the upper mantle of the earth, and that the saved Old Testament souls were kept there until Christ actually shed the promised blood that freed them from the condemnation of God.
What I believe on the subject of Abraham’s Bosom and Paradise is basically contained in the time period from Christ’s death on the cross until he appeared to the two disciples, walking on the Emmaus Road, following his resurrection.
Event 1 – The man Christ Jesus dies and his Spirit, the Spirit of the eternal Son of God, leaves his dead body to begin a spiritual journey that ends at the resurrection of the man Christ Jesus, in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily.
John 19:30 – When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Luke 23:45,46 – And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. [46] And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
Event 2 – His Spirit proceeds to Abraham’s bosom, where the souls of most of the O.T. saints have been kept from Adam up to, and including, the thief on the cross. He proclaims the Gospel, which is the good news they have been set free from Abraham’s Bosom by this sacrifice, and that he, as the Messiah of Genesis 3:15, is going to carry them with him to Paradise because of their belief in that promise.
Luke 16:22-24 – And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; [23] And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. [24] And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
I believe that Abraham’s Bosom was a wonderful place of comfort under upper strata of the earth, where the souls of all the O.T. believers were kept until the actual blood sacrifice of Christ was shed to cover all their sins, but Christ himself descended down into their place of comfort, and took them into God’s presence in Paradise because his blood sacrifice had made the full atonement for what all the animal sacrifices only pictured.
Hebrews 9:11,12 – But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; [12] Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Romans 3:23-25 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; [24] Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: [25] Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of SINS that ARE PAST, through the FORBEARANCE of God;
Hebrews 10:11-14 – And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: [12] But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; [13] From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. [14] For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Event 3 – The Son justly removes the souls of the O.T. saved from Abraham’s Bosom, and JUSTLY carries all their souls into the heavenly Paradise of God. There, just as the law pictured it, the Son waves them before the Father as representing the first fruits of the harvest from Abraham’s Bosom, and God receives them. The sheaf waving was to be made on the Sunday following the Passover Sabbath, and a he lamb without blemish, of the first year, was to be offered at that time.
Romans 3:26 – To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
I Peter 3:18-20 – For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: [19] By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; [20] Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Ephesians 4:8-10 – Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. [9] (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? [10] He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Leviticus 23:9-12 – And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, [10] Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: [11] And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. [12] And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord.
Event 4 – After carrying the thief and all the Old Testaments saints to Paradise by his Spirit, his Spirit then returns to the tomb to resurrect the physical body he occupied until its death on the cross.
John 10:17,18 – Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. [18] No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Philippians 2:6-11 – Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. [9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: [10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; [11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Colossians 2:9 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
After his resurrection from the tomb in his glorified body, he is first seen by Mary Magdalene, at which time he made the following request.
John 20:17 – Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am NOT YET ASCENDED to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father; and to my God and your God.
He did not want to be touched by sinful human flesh until after he had ascended into the presence of his Father. It is also at this time that many souls of the O.T. saints are seen in Jerusalem, possibly in glorified bodies.
Matthew 27:53 – And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Event 5 – He ascends to heaven and then returns to the earth to make numerous appearances, beginning on the famous Emmaus Road with two disciples, and finally ending when he was taken up through a cloud into Paradise.
Acts 1:9-12 – And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. [10] And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; [11] 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. [12] Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.
I believe that Abraham’s Bosom has been empty ever since Christ cleared it out, and I believe that the souls of those who were saved after his resurrection have gone directly to Paradise solely on the basis of his completed sacrificial work as the Messiah. I believe those souls in Paradise are anxiously awaiting the time when their old bodies will be resurrected and changed, at which time they will be returning to occupy them.
Revelation 6:9-11 – And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar THE SOULS of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: [10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? [11] And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 171C
May 12, 2004
Just Like The Philistines Of Old!
Early this week the slaughter of an innocent American civilian on video has again, for the umpteenth time, let us wonder, which is worse, humiliation to cause Arab terrorists to give us information that could lead to the saving of American lives, or sawing off the head of an innocent man who has no information to give them. It has been said, “War is Hell!” The ACLU, PDQ, FOB, COD, IOU, WPA, CCC, ETC., are more than willing to pass judgment on any violation of human rights for the terrorists, who would love to saw off all our heads, but they, along with liberal political gain-seekers in our nation’s congress, are always anxious to call an inquiry into our faults, rather than those of the one’s we are in the process of engaging in a world-wide war of terror. It was claimed by the terrorists that it was done in answer to the humiliation their brother terrorists suffered in the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. If that is true, then what were the crimes of the American journalist, whose head they decapitated last year in Pakistan? And what were the crimes of all those Russian soldiers beheaded by the terrorists of Osama bin Laden during his reign of terror among the Taliban in Afghanistan? And, after they were decapitated, the Osama bin Laden terrorists would send pictures of them to their families in Russia holding up their heads, in order to break the resolve of the Russian people to continue to battle them. What was done to Nicholas Berg was unbelievably horrific in blood and gore. The video is titled, “Abu Musab al- Zarqawi Shown Slaughtering an American.” Liberal political sidewinders in Washington had long contended that no link has ever existed between the worldwide link of terrorism headed by Osama bin laden and the nation of Iraq. However, al-Zarqawi was given sanctuary in Iraq every time it got to hot for him in other parts of the terrorist empire. In the videotape, part of which was shown on Fox News and MSNBC, Nicholas is shown sitting on the floor with five masked men behind him, and one of the masked men reads a statement. In the portion of the tape that follows, which has not been seen in the United States, the terrorists push Michael to the floor, saw off his head as he screams, then lift his decapitated head aloft. That certainly seems a lot more violent that putting a collar around his neck in order to humiliate him to get information from him that could have saved Arab lives, but they knew he had none to give them. As they cut off his head, amid his horrible screams, they shouted, Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great), and then held Berg’s head in front of the camera.
The Web Site, on which the video was posted, Muntada al-Anar Islamist, is a clearinghouse for statements and tapes by Al Qaeda and Islamic extremists. At the start of the video a statement was read by one of the masked murderers to the effect that this American was being killed for the reported abuses suffered by Iraqi captives at the hands of American soldiers in the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. He went on to say: “So we tell you that the dignity of the Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib and others is not redeemed except by blood and souls. You will not receive anything from us but coffin after coffin, slaughtered in this way.”
If you think I am trying to say what was done by our guards in Abu Ghraib was alright, then you are quite wrong. The end does not always justify the means! For a very brief time in Vietnam I had contact with a ROK division on the Tuy Wa Pennisula. They always had information seemingly procured from captive prisoners, but they never seemed to have records of any prisoners. What the guards did in Baghdad was definitely wrong, and they should be punished for it. However, it should be remembered that these Islamists were not in prison for running a stop sign or getting a parking ticket. These jokers were terrorists, insurrectionists, and the worst kind of criminals. Does that justify the treatment of humiliation they were put through? No! But this big congressional investigation spurred on by the liberals in congress, who are jockeying for a new president, is like a tempest in a teapot when compared with the sawing off of an innocent American’s head in the name of their God Allah. I spent more than 20 years in the military, retiring from the USAF-NSA Security Branch in 1971 in Washington. From what I know of the CIA, DIA, PDQ, FOB, WPA, CCC, and the U.S. Army, what went on in the Baghdad prison was probably a breakdown in failure to monitor and supervise the guards from the rank of Brig. General downward. However, that is pure speculation on my part. So, let’s take actions against those involved in the humiliation to a degree that is commensurate with the degree of the offense. Having done so, and remembering we are in a real world-wide war with the worldwide Al Qaeda terrorist network, Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade, Hizbullah, PDQ, FOB, COD, WWW, PTA, CCC, and all points west, we should compare “humiliation” with “decapitation”, and quit using “humiliation” to justify playing a game of political football. Due to death, the American wasn’t able to suffer the humiliation of seeing his head hanging out of an Islamic hand, but I am sure he would have chosen being alive and humiliated, than being humiliated after death.
I titled this Update, “Just Like the Philistines of Old,” for a historical reason. The Palestinians and the Fatah terrorist group of Yassar Arafat have, at times, sent out the claim that they are the direct descendants of the Philistines, and that what is now known as Israel was originally named Palestine by the Philistines. It is hogwash that they are the direct descendants of the Philistines, and that the Philistines first named it Palestine. But since the Philistines did settle in the southwestern part of Israel along the sea coast, they claim the Gaza Strip is theirs, and because the armies of the Philistines did invade into parts of the West Bank during the time of King Saul, they claim the West Bank as their historical land. But what has been occurring, since Fatah and all the other terrorist groups have arisen, certainly makes it seem evident that even though they are not directly descended from Philistines, they sure do possess one of their characteristics. This is the biblical account of what they did to King Saul in the West Bank when they invaded it.
I Chronicles 10:8-10 – And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa. [9] And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people. [10] And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
So, now the Islamic terrorists are sending tidings unto their peoples of Islam that they have taken an American head, holding it up as a sacrifice to their God Allah. In the end Israel, under David, drove the Philistines back into their narrow little southwest corner, and won the war because God’s people did not lose heart in the face of atrocities. I only hope we will do the same. It is hard to win a war when you are your own enemy.
This paragraph was taken from the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper: “Nick Berg taught villagers in Ghana to make bricks, and helped people in Uganda chisel wells and bridges. As an independent businessman, He sought to climb metal towers in Iraq to repair communication antennas. “He was a technical wizard and humanitarian. He could have lived a comfortable life in Silicon Valley, but he was in Iraq helping people,” said a close friend. Berg was Jewish, recalling the videotaped killing of David Pearl in early 2002 by Islamic militants. Pearl was also a Jewish American.”
This deep intrinsic hatred of the Jews by Islam is the reason that the only kind of peace possible in the Middle East is a false one. After it finally arrives it will be broken later by a slaughter of more than three million Jews, and almost two million will be driven into the Negev wilderness. Jerusalem will be sacked and its inhabitants raped and slaughtered, but some three and one half years later the same two million in the Negev will return to defeat the antichrist and claim the Abrahamic Land Grant of Genesis 15:18.
Romans 11:32 – For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Romans 11:25 – For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
I Thessalonians 5:3,4 – For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Zechariah 13:8,9 – And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. [9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.
Zechariah 14:1,2 – Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Genesis 15:18 – In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Micah 5:6-8 – And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders. [7] And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. [8] And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 172
May 14, 2004
What Will Church Members Do in the Millennium? Part 2
Please read Prophecy Update Number 171, Part 1, in our Archives, before reading this Update. I am dealing with a very narrow part of a very complicated subject. I received a query from a church member asking, “What will WE (church members) be doing during the period of time known as the millennium?” I am NOT addressing what any other group of people from Adam to Armageddon will be doing, ONLY saved, local church members from Jesus to the first resurrection. I do not intend to discuss any other group of personages, because it is far too complicated and argumentative, and also because there is uncertainty on certain aspects of it in my own mind, even though I have studied it for many years. I am fully cognizant that all the saved of all the ages, both faithful and unfaithful, will be in heaven, but I am dealing strictly with all of the local church members, since the time of Jesus, who were saved, then submitted to baptism by immersion acceptable by God, and continued steadfastly as local church members to the end.
Acts 2:41,42 – Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. [42] And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. However, I will say this, what you see in verses 41 and 42 is what the Scriptures clearly teach you should do after you are saved by gladly receiving his word.
Please don’t get your feathers ruffled when you read this if you don’t fall into this category of believers I have clearly defined, because I am not referring directly or indirectly to you personally.
The Scriptures indicate that Satan and his vast demonic hoard will be separated from mankind for a thousand years following the battle of Armageddon.
Revelation 20:1,2 – And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. [2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Isaiah 24:21,22 – 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. [22] 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.
There is a clear distinction between the spiritual rulers, “the high ones” that dwell on this earth and in its immediate surrounding “first heaven,” and the flesh and blood “kings of the earth upon the earth.” There are two kingdoms on this earth, one invisible that has both good and demonic angels, and one visible physical kingdom made up of souls that dwell in bodies of flesh, through which the demonic angels make a continuous daily effort to keep lost souls from receiving Christ as Savior, and, if they have been saved, to keep their souls from serving Christ. The invisible kingdom during the millennium will be void of the presence of Satan and his demonic hoard on the surface of the earth, and man’s only real spiritual problem will be the sin nature he has from birth, having received it from Adam. If individual men and women during the millennial do not put their faith in the same Jesus I know, they will end up in the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:15 – And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Our physical eyes cannot observe the actions of the spiritual beings in the invisible kingdom. The rulers in the spiritual kingdom possessing evil characteristics are also mentioned by Paul, more than seven hundred years after the writings of Isaiah,
Ephesians 6:10-12 – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. [11] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness IN HIGH PLACES.
Isaiah 24:21,22 – 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. [22] 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.
This is the same PRISON out of which Satan will be loosed after the THOUSAND YEARS expire, which I believe is the same time span as AFTER MANY DAYS in Isaiah.
Revelation 20:7 – And when the THOUSAND YEARS are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his PRISON,
The Scriptures also indicate that some flesh and blood humans will survive the tribulation period and go into the millennial reign.
Matthew 24:21,22 – For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. [22] And except those days should be shortened, there should NO FLESH be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
The Scriptures also indicate that the saved shall return with Christ in glorified bodies to begin the millennium.
Matthew 24:29-31 – 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: [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. [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.
So the Scripture has flesh and blood humans mingling with glorified humans on the same planet. Or does it? How can salvation be by faith rather than by sight if the humans in flesh and blood bodies are constantly seeing the ones in glorified bodies they received at the first resurrection? Salvation has always been given by grace through faith and I do not believe it will be by another system of salvation in the millennium based on sight. If we are to have lost men and women in bodies of flesh, viewing men and women in glorified bodies throughout the millennium, then who among them would not accept Christ as Savior, seeing what he had done to the bodies of those who trusted in him from Adam to the end of the age in which we now live? No, they will also be saved by grace through faith! How is that possible?
As I set typing this article, there is an invisible kingdom around me filled with Satan’s fallen angels, as well as some of the angels who elected to follow God in a long past confrontation between Satan and God. About one third of the angels chose to follow Satan, and today live in this invisible kingdom that surrounds the earth in an envelop known as the first heaven. Some of them are reading what I am currently writing. I cannot see them, but they, along with some of those angels that chose to follow God, observe us every day of our lives. Satan’s angels were cast down to the first heaven because they voted him to be ruler, and consequently rode down to the earth on his political coattails, where they observe, influence, and afflict us today from a kingdom our eyes do not behold.
Revelation 12:4 – And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
I Peter 1:12 – Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
We live on an earth that has two kingdoms existing on it, a physical kingdom of flesh and blood humans, who can see, taste, touch, feel, or smell each other and all the material things of which it consists, but do not have the capacity to sense the spiritual beings and scenery by the five human senses. However, the fallen angels of God not only have the ability to see and speak to one another in the kingdom invisible to us, they have the ability to see us and hear all that we say, as well as all the things of our physical kingdom. In Old Testament times, and in the New Testament times prior to the completion of the New Testament, angels appeared to, and often had communications with, flesh and blood humans. They appeared as flesh and blood men to those who actually saw them, and the Scriptures did not picture them as being women or having wings. There is no scriptural evidence that men and women saw them after the first century, and if they do still manifest themselves as flesh and blood men, we would not be aware of it.
Hebrews 13:2 – Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
So, what do we have today on this earth? We have two kingdoms.
(1) A spiritual kingdom made up of Satan with his fallen angels, Gabriel with his messenger angels, and Michael with his mighty angels. And it is a kingdom that contains both good and evil. Sin exists in this kingdom due to the presence of the Devil and his angels.
(2) A flesh and blood kingdom composed of saved and lost men and women. The only good about it is Jesus living in the hearts of those who have been born from above by his Spirit. Sin exists in this kingdom in the flesh of all man, and in the souls of the unsaved.
Now, what will we have on this earth in the millennium after the Devil and his angels are cast into the prison of the bottomless pit for a thousand years? We will still have two kingdoms, but they will not have the same composition as the two kingdoms of today.
(1) A kingdom made up of Christ, all his saints, and all of the angels of God. It will have no sin in it, and all of its occupants will be fully visible and able to speak to one another. They will also be able to see and hear all that is going on in the other kingdom, and will also be able to influence its occupants without their awareness.
(2) A kingdom made up of saved and lost men and women. Even those possessing saved souls will still have sin in their flesh, but the Devil and his demonic hoards will no longer be able to work on them through the flesh from the prison of the bottomless pit. However, the 1000 year era will make one thing abundantly clear: that while the Devil and his influence on us has certainly been a real problem, the greater problem has always been our old sin nature, for which Christ paid the full price of redemption on the cross. Just as we are unable to see the inhabitants of the great invisible kingdom around us, neither will they be able see us in the invisible kingdom existing on the same planet with them.
And Jesus Christ will be the King of kings reigning over both kingdoms.
Zechariah 14:9 –And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
He will dwell in the millennial temple of Ezekiel 40 to 48, in the city of 40:2 and 48:35. It will be headquarters for both the visible physical kingdom and the invisible spiritual kingdom.
Ezekiel 43:4-6 – And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. [5] So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. [6] And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.
Ezekiel 40:2 – In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
Ezekiel 48:35 – It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.
Faithful church members will be given white robes and reign with him because of suffering they encountered in their obedience to him. Those who were saved, but avoided suffering by not being obedient, will be denied the right to reign with him.
II Timothy 2:11,12 – It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: [12] If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Revelation 7:13-16 – And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? [14] And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. [15] Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in HIS TEMPLE: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. [16] They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
This has to be during the millennial age of the temple, because there is no temple in the final heaven age of the New Jerusalem city.
Revelation 21:22,23 – And I saw NO TEMPLE THEREIN: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. [23] And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
In future Updates on this subject I will attempt to use Scriptures, largely from Revelation, to at least give an outline of the type of work faithful church members will be doing in the millennium in, and from, the spiritual kingdom, and it relates towards the inhabitants of the physical kingdom.
Special Prophecy Update Number 172A
May 16, 2004
An American Government Steered by Its Media Tail!
The bald eagle serves as the national bird of the United States, and is the only eagle native to America. The bald eagle’s scientific name is a long one, “Hallaeetus leucocepephalus,” which means “sea eagle with a white head.” The word “bald” did not always hold the same definition it holds today. At the time of the naming of the eagle, it meant “white,” or “white-headed.” The large wingspan of this species enables it to do very little wing flapping or pumping. Eagles use “thermals,” the rising warm air currents, which helps them to cover lots of territory while soaring. As the eagle flies, it spreads its tail feathers, in order to steer and maneuver itself in the air. The eagle’s tail is also used to help with quick landings and stability when walking or swooping down on its prey.
The eagle has a brain, a mind, that its tail responds to, and, as a result, the eagle is able to perform its role in life. The American Congress once functioned as it was directed by the majority mind of the American people, thereby responding to their mindset, and it was able to perform its role as the tail of the mindset of a majority of Americans. But the growth of a very powerful vocal media system developed into a huge liberal majority of offices, stations, companies, and corporations, owned by wealthy men and women of a strongly liberal bias, and its mindset began to be substituted for the man-in-the-street’s ideas that represented a quite different mindset. The constant bombardment of the rich, the mighty, and liberal intellectual viewpoint on the everyday man-in-the-street by a most powerful liberal media has, in the minds of many, degraded him to just a poor ole dumb redneck, someone who needs to be governed, not being intellectually or financially qualified to govern himself. Today, most congressional leaders are being guided by the fear of a very powerful organization of liberal news media that puts a constant fear into them of losing their congressional seats, because of unjustified media bias against their conservative viewpoints. I do not believe that the vast majority of this country is liberal, but the liberal media has such a powerful force of influence that it has most of the American public believing they are in a minority if they dare to take a stand as a conservative. I believe control of the American media by the highly vocal majority of liberal communication facets, has led a growing number of conservatives to lose heart, and to accept the unbalanced coverage and opinion as the real sentiments of the majority of Americans, which they are not. The freedom of speech right, which the liberals are so frequently hiding behind, is a wonderful thing, and some of us conservatives need to be vocal about our own viewpoints, and to strongly support those who hold our common viewpoints. The majority is supposed to rule in this country, but a liberal Supreme Court has catered to a marked minority mindset of the American people in the arena of anything referring to God in most types of public assembly, and is likely to overrule the majority mindset of the nation in eventually approving the union in marriages of the same sex. Well, silent conservative majority, are you going to remain silent, or do you plan to sound your voice at the ballot box? It is time for all conservatives to act as eagles, and stir up the nest. The Lord led Israel as the apple of his eye as long as she accepted him as God, but when she no longer desired him to be her God, she lost her favored status. We are not Israel, but the same God has watched over this country for a long time, and brought her through many bloody wars. If we continue our rejection of him as a nation, then we are likely to suffer his rejection of us as a nation. It is time to stir up the nest vocally and at the polls.
Deuteronomy 32:9-12 – For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. [10] He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. [11] As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: [12] So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
The United States, largely through the liberal media’s approval of ACLU actions as representing the will of the public in accepting separation of church and state as a valid reason for having “No God” references in public facilities, is guilty of sleeping acquisition to a liberal interpretation of the principle. We now worship a false unknown God that doesn’t offend anybody, the liberal’s God of political correctness in self-indulgence. Just to make sure there wasn’t some God they would offend, the Athenians made an altar to him. Maybe the ACLU will allow us to put up signs that say, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD, MAYBE, MAYBE NOT!
Acts 17:22,23 – Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. [23] For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
I suppose at all our public meetings we would not be offensive to the ACLU if we began our prayer, “Dear sir or madam, whatever the case may be, and whatever name you go by, if you are really out there, ……..etc.” This great and mighty country is about to go down the tubes if the God that made us what we are leaves us on our own. We should not be afraid of offending those who do not believe in the God that has watched over us since our forefathers came to this country, but we must jolly well be afraid of offending him. His Son is soon to return, and this is certainly no time for this country to offend him by trying to demonstrate we are not a nation that can say, “In God We Trust.”
Psalm 2:10-12 – Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. [11] Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. [12] Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Special Prophecy Update Number 172B
May 18, 2004
Okey Dokie, West Bank – Hello, Gaza Strip!
More than four years ago I indicated that the only way Israel could ever have the pleasure of actually believing they had a “peace and safety” situation, would be if they actually believed they could control and maintain it by what I called a “forced” peace. More than two years ago, in Special Prophecy Update Number 65A, I announced that I believed Israel was putting into effect the old Yigal Allon Plan of 1968 under a new name, “Operation Defensive Shield.” I now believe Israel is pleased with its partial pacification of the West Bank terrorist groups by Operation Defensive Shield, and is now transferring the same plan, with adjustments for geographical, topographical, and border considerations, into the Gaza Strip with great fury. The original Operation Plan for the West Bank is quoted from Update 65A as follows: (BEGIN QUOTE)
“It appears that Israel is continuing to put into effect the old Yigal Allon “peace with security” plan he introduced in 1968, but which was never put into effect until March 29, 2002. I am convinced that Benjamin Netanyahu almost put in a modified version of it during his administration, but political pressures at that time kept him from initiating it. This current “Operation Defensive Shield” is a modified version of the original Yigal Allon plan to secure the borders of Israel from terrorists and/or militant attacks and/or exploits from within the West Bank.
The modified version is an overlay of the original plan. What follows is an outline of what it has already accomplished, and a description of what will happen if the process continues.
Step 1 – Go into the West Bank and destroy all the organized militant anti-Israeli groups and elements that are a threat to the existence of the State of Israel. Destroy the infrastructure by killing, arresting, or scattering its leaders and membership.
Step 2 – Do it first in the cities known to have the largest groups of such elements.
Step 3 – Withdraw from the cities, after initial disabling of such elements has been accomplished, and form a ring of security around each one such that all roads and trails into the city can be observed and controlled.
Step 4 – Go into smaller cities and areas and repeat Steps 2 & 3 for each one of them.
Step 5 – Allow the militant elements to regroup in the cities until intelligence can reveal their new locations in the city, then go in again and kill, arrest, or scatter them
Step 6 – Continue to actively follow Step 5, but begin to seek out the militants in the remote mountain regions of the West Bank, at the same time searching for the numerous weapons of death stored there for a future Jihad.
Step 7 – Once Steps 5 & 6 have been successfully completed to the degree that a “peace with security” is believed to have been accomplished, then complete what has been envisioned since Step 1. While Steps 1 through 6 are being accomplished be in the act of building a “zone of security” that encircles the entire West Bank. This “defensive shield” would take in as many fringe Jewish settlements in the West Bank as deemed possible to afford “peace and security” according to their location. Many of the Jewish settlements in the interior of the West Bank would have to be abandoned. My guess is that between 50 and 70 per cent can be kept inside the “zone of security.” The zone would be widest on the eastern side of the West Bank and would extend from the foothills of the Samarian Mountains to the Jordan River. It would be the narrowest on the western side of the West Bank. I suspect it might be as much as 12 miles wide in some places on the eastern side, and less than 2 miles wide in places on the western side.
All of this is what I referred to as a “forced peace” in the first prophecy we issued more than two years ago, which you may read in our Prophecy Archives. It is, simply stated, a plan that Israel warned it would implement if the Palestinians would not negotiate for peace. In other words, if you don’t want to give us a “peace with security” through negotiations, then we are going to force you to accept one we force on you so that we can have “peace with security” by isolating you from contact with us.” (END QUOTE)
The Israelis are now putting Operation Defensive Shield into furious implementation in the Gaza Strip with adaptations that take into consideration the special geographical, topographical, and political features found within, and around, its borders on the Egyptian Sinai and the Mediterranean Sea. The 7 Steps involved in this phase of this particular version of Operation Defensive Shield follow. Most of the Steps are occurring now, and others will kick in later.
Step 1 – Temporarily divide the Gaza Strip into four sections in order to prevent armed Palestinians from passing from Khan Younis into Rafah. This will also prevent terrorists from escaping from Rafah into other areas, plus hindering the free passage of weapons within the zone.
Step 2 – Erection of blockades from the northern to the central Gaza Strip, and from the center to the south.
Step 3 – Place armored personnel carriers, backed by tanks, at positions of intermittent movement along the road between Khan Younis and Rahaf. This effectively cuts off Khan Younis from Rafah, which is bordered by the Green Line in the east, Gush Katif in the northwest, and the Philadelphia corridor in the south.
Step 4 – Conduct numerous IAF air strikes against individual terrorists, terrorist clusters, and buildings associated with any terrorist activity. Conduct frequent raids into the four sections of the Gaza Strip, which will involve a pattern of killing, arresting, and scattering terrorists, destruction of the complex maze of tunnels used to smuggle arms, and the demolishment of all homes of suspected terrorists or those houses connected to the tunnel complex.
Step 5 – Possible construction of a water canal, 200 feet wide, and 66 feet deep, from the Egyptian Sinai to the Palestinian side of Rafah, in order to prevent any future tunnels being built for arms smuggling and passage of terrorists from the territory of Egypt.
Step 6 – The possible erection of a wall to prevent Palestinians from firing at IDF troops.
Step 7 – Possible widening of the Philadelphia corridor between Egyptian territory and the Palestinians.
In numerous previous Prophecy Updates I have repeatedly stated that it has never been possible for Yassar Arafat, or the two leaders who have followed him, to control Hamas, Islamic Jihad, al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade, or any other terrorist groups in Israel. At times, he has not been able to control the Fatah, which is his own terrorist group. And, I have stated, from the beginning, any peace reached with Israel must be a false peace, and that it must be “forced” on the Palestinians, either directly or indirectly. “Directly” meaning by Sharon’s disengagement plan, and “Indirectly” meaning by forcing the Palestinians to accept Israeli terms through negotiation when they see it is to their advantage. Once the IDF and IAF break the back of the three major terrorist groups, whose strength has always been in the Gaza Strip, it may be possible for the latest Palestinian Prime Minister appointed by Arafat, to actually have sufficient control over these groups to the extent he can negotiated what will amount to a false peace with Israel. But, in either case, it will be a situation that has been forced on the Palestinians, and it will result in a peace the Israelis will believe is secure, based on their own ability to maintain it. After it comes, and after it holds together for a while, Israel will, for the first time since 70 A.D., actually believe it has “peace and safety.” And, with a peace having ended the long blood bath in Israel, so will the rest of the world’s individuals, who are not looking for the second coming of Christ, be looking forward to a long time of peace and safety on planet earth. But this false peace will suddenly be broken, and the world will suddenly be thrown into a state of chaos and shock from which it will not recover until the Second Advent of Christ at the end of the battle of Armageddon.
I Thessalonians 5:3 – For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Revelation 6:12 – And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Revelation 16:15,16 – Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. [16] And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Matthew 24:29,30 – 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: [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.
I Thessalonians 5:4 – But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 172C
May 20, 2004
Deadly Weapons Via The Egyptian Sinai!
In Update 172B I outlined a furious explosive extension of Operation Defensive Shield, launched first in 2002, into the Gaza Strip. The Israelis have labeled each new version of it with a new name, but each one has been an adaptation of the original version. Each new name is adopted using the original 7 guidelines of Operation Defensive Shield in Update 65A, but adapting them to the geographical, topographical, political, and terrorist characteristics in the zone under implementation. The name for the current one being conducted by the IAF and IDF in the Gaza Strip is Operation Rainbow, and, by the time this is put up on our web site, I suspect the Palestinian death count during it will be nearing 60.
In 1999 I took a special type of self-conducted tour to Israel. During my many trips to the Holy Land since 1952, many teachers of the Word had asked me to take them on a tour that showed the biblical places off the beaten tourist path, places that were difficult to include in a formal church oriented type of tour that, at times, would include elderly men and women, who were not capable of making such a tour. And so, finally, in 1999, I selected a small group of individuals and called it a “rough and ready” male tour for those I believed were capable of the physical stamina it would take to go to the top of Mount Herman in northern Israel, through the numerous headsprings of the Jordan River, under Jerusalem in its many tunnels, transverse its walls by walking on top of them, and to tour the vast wilderness of the Bible, which is called the Negev. We had a most interesting experience in the Negev involving weapon smuggling by the terrorists into Israel across by tunnels running under the border. During part of the tour we traveled the entire length of the western border of the Negev with Egyptian Sinai. The Egyptians have built a wonderful highway on their side, but since the Israelis do not encourage tourism in the rugged Negev, where most of their military defense contingency plan has been positioned, their road along the border left much to be desired. As we traveled from south to north along this road, we passed Markava tanks pulled off in defensive positions in ravines to our right, with cannons pointing toward the Egyptian Sinai, and army personnel poised to intercept any terrorists that might try to enter Israel on the surface. There eyes flashed a state of surprise that a bunch of American tourists, looking like the dead end kids, would be crazy enough to be driving along this barren stretch of road. Not once, during this stretch, did we come in contact with any other vehicle crazy enough to be on this road, and, to the best of my recollection, when we penetrated the interior of the vast Negev, where most of Israel’s military installations are located in accordance with their War Contingency Plan, which has the Negev as its evacuation area in the event of being overrun from the north, neither did we see any vehicles other than the two we had rented. Any time you go into a foreign country, if they see you have made an effort to learn their language, in most cases they are much friendlier, and more inclined to meet requests. I learned to speak conversational Hebrew for that reason. So, when we came to a road block south of the Gaza Strip, and were told we could go no farther, I conversed with one of the two guards in conversational Hebrew. He told me we could not go past that point because the Palestinians were digging tunnels and the road might collapse under us and expose the tunnel, at which time the Palestinians would kill us. I continued to plead with him, so he finally said, “You can go only if you possess weapons to defend yourselves.” Of course we had none, and by this time we were conversing in English, and I replied, as a joke, “Young man, my whole body is a weapon.” Both of the guards laughed, and then the first one said. “Oh, go ahead.” As we rushed back to our two vehicles, I told the group, “Quick, quick, move, move, go, go, out of here before he changes his mind.” But I could see when we waited for the second guard to lift the barrier bar, that the first one was on a “walkie talkie,” and he suddenly rushed out and stopped us, He had called his company commander, and he had been quite firm – No weapons, No travel north! In sports, some coaches say that the best offense is a good defense, but in war the best defense is a good offense. We made a video of our excursions in Israel that I will always value for the laughs we had together there, although, at times I was so mad at that bunch of rednecks, I utterly failed to maintain my Christian character, and lowered the boom on them individually and collectively. At times, in the Negev, I asked them not to video, because of many hidden military types of weapons concealed there, and, believe me, the Israelis want their locations to remain unknown to their Islamic enemies. They would not have hesitated to pounce on us and remove our video film if they thought we might expose a hidden position, but I did let the rednecks take several shots of clearly exposed types of military facilities that look harmless, but are involved with missile defense detection and the guidance of offensive missiles.
It seems horribly cruel to the international community, and to many liberals in the United States, that Israel is now furiously engaged in destroying the complex tunnel maze between the Egyptian Sinai and Gaza Strip, and, in the process are taking many Palestinian lives and smashing terrorist homes, particularly those associated with receiving smuggled weapons via the tunnel. I had often wondered how long Israel would put up with this smuggling of weapons that traveled from Iran to Syria to Hizbullah in southern Lebanon, by sea to the Sinai coast, and by tunnel to all the Palestinian terrorist units in Israel. Israel waited until it became apparent that the Palestinians were not going to negotiate for peace. Then Israel launched the 7 steps of Operation Defensive Shield, and it eventually pacified the West Bank terror mobs. Then Israel agreed to President Bush’s Roadmap to Peace Plan, but when it became evident Palestinian Leaders could not control Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the al-Aksa Martyrs Brigade, or even their own Fatah terror units, Israel began to key in on the Gaza Strip with the Unilateral Withdrawal Peace Plan of Ariel Sharon. If the Palestinian Authority Prime Ministers could have gotten the terrorists to stop their activities long enough for Israel to withdraw, then what you see happening in the Gaza Strip would not be occurring now. But the terrorist groups left Israel with no viable alternative. It now must do what the Palestinian Authority would not, or could not do. They are cleaning the terror groups out of Gaza in a furious extension what was first called “Operation Defensive Shield” in March of 2001 (Please see Prophecy Update 172B in our Archives). This must be done. Israel has been left with no alternative. Why? Because what I wrote about in the Prophecy Update 2 in 2000 is now much more threatening to the population in Israel than it was four years ago, in that the advance in destructive weaponry has accelerated, and the addition of them to the smuggling list has made it imperative for Israel to take action. The snuggling activity in 2000 is outlined in the following quote from Prophecy Update 2, January, 2000. (BEGIN QUOTE)
“The areas surrounding two autonomous Palestinian cities on the bluffs east of the coastal cities of Tel Aviv, Netanya, and Haifa, will play a major role in the future attack of a confederation of Arab nations against Israel. Approximately 70% of Israel’s Jewish population lives in the coastal zone to the west of these bluffs, with most of that being concentrated in Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Netanya. About 80% of Israel’s industrial productivity is also in this area, as well as many important military installations. These high elevations, surrounding the two Palestinian controlled cities of Tul Karm and Kalkilya (Qalqilya), stratigically dominate the coastal zones from a military standpoint, sitting on the Sharon bluff of the western Samarian and Judean Mountains. The Palestinians have been sneaking in thousands of Katyusha rockets through tunnels under the Egyptian border. The rockets then pass through the Palestinian controlled Gaza Strip, and eventually end up in the areas around Tul Karm and Kalkilya.” (END QUOTE)
But the smuggled weapons are now more numerous in type and quantity. Most of the weapons have a history of traveling along a full or partial path from Iran to Syria to the Palestinian Hizbullah in southern Lebanon, by boat to the northern shoreline of the Egyptian Sinai, to storage areas in the Sinai, and finally through the tunnels to their terrorist users. The stored weaponry includes the Sagger anti-aircraft missile, varieties of the upgraded Katyusha missiles, and anti-tank missiles. IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. General Moshe Ya’alon stated there was a “great quantity of weapons” that smugglers are trying to transfer into Rafah. Ya’alon also said there was “No other force besides the IDF” that could prevent the Gaza Strip from being flooded with the vast stores of weaponry that threaten Israel. He went on to say that any ceding of control of the Philadelphia Corridor would result in the Gaza Strip becoming “inundated” with weaponry.” All his quotes were taken from the Jerusalem Post Internet Version. In war the best defense is an excellent offense.
Long ago, Jesus told Israel its Temple was about to be left spiritually desolate for a prolonged period of time, from the time that they crucified him, until he returned as their King at his Second Advent as Messiah. He had traveled and labored among them for more than three years, and, knowing they were about to make their final rejection of him as Messiah, he uttered these words from the Mount of Olives to his disciples before his arrest.
Matthew 23:37-39 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. [39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Later, he went on to inform his disciples that, at some future time, after his departure, the physical Temple of Herod would be leveled.
Matthew 24:1,2 – And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. [2] And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
And, sure enough, it happened some 40 years later when Titus came, leveled the Temple Mount, destroyed Jerusalem, and carried the Jews into captivity.
Luke 21:24 – And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
We are now waiting for the fullness of the iniquity of the Gentile age to reach the level where God will again judge the final ungodly generation with his seven vials of wrath.
Romans 11:25 – For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Romans 11:32 – For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
But after the vials of wrath begin to be poured out, no man will be able to enter his temple in heaven, and his offer of mercy will be withdrawn from mankind during that period.
Revelation 15:7 to 16:1,16 –And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. [8] And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. [1] And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. [16] And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Revelation 19:16-18 – And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. [17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; [18] That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Matthew 24:28-33 – For wheresoever THE CARCASE is, THERE will the eagles be gathered together. [29] 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: [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. [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. [32] Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: [33] So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
I Thessalonians 5:9 – For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 173
May 22, 2004
What Will Church Members Do in the Millennium? Part 3
It would be best to review Parts 1 and 2 before reading this Update. Part 2 of Update 172 closed with the conclusions I had derived from the premises of Parts 1 and 2. Please remember, I am only discussing what I believe faithful church members will do in the millennium, which is limited to those who meet the requirements of the following Scripture.
Acts 2:41,42 – Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. [42] And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
As I stated in previous Parts, please don’t get your feathers ruffled by thinking I believe these are going to be the only ones in heaven, or that I should address what all the saved will be doing in heaven. I believe the number of those that meet the criteria in Acts 2:41,42 will be less than five percent of those who have been saved in the church age. I will only address specifically what one group will be doing – faithful members of the Lord’s New Testament Churches.
[BEGIN QUOTE FROM UPDATE 172]
“Now, what will we have on this earth in the millennium after the Devil and his angels are cast into the prison of the bottomless pit for a thousand years? We will still have two kingdoms, but they will not have the same composition as the two kingdoms of today.
(1) A kingdom made up of Christ, all his saints, and all of the angels of God. It will have no sin in it, and all of its occupants will be fully visible and able to speak to one another. They will also be able to see and hear all that is going on in the other kingdom, and will also be able to influence its occupants without their awareness of it.
(2) A kingdom made up of saved and lost men and women. Even those possessing saved souls will still have sin in their flesh, but the Devil and his demonic hoards will no longer be able to work on them through the flesh from the prison of the bottomless pit. However, the 1000 year era will make one thing abundantly clear: that while the Devil and his influence on us has certainly been a real problem, the greater problem has always been our old sin nature, for which Christ paid the full price of redemption on the cross. Just as we are unable to see the inhabitants of the great invisible kingdom around us, neither will they be able to see us in the invisible kingdom existing on the same planet with them.
And Jesus Christ will be the King of kings reigning over both kingdoms.
Zechariah 14:9 – And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.” [END QUOTE FROM UPDATE 172].
The Scriptures are abundantly clear that faithfulness of the soul, after it is saved, will be of tremendous benefit to that soul in both the millennial and final heaven ages. Church members should be much more concerned as to their benefits from God in the future kingdoms, than in the present life on this earth, as the following Scriptures indicate from Ephesians, I & II Corinthians, Galatians, and Colossians clearly testify.
Ephesians 2:4-7 – But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, [5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [7] That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
I Corinthians 15:51,58 – Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
II Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Galatians 6:7 – Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Colossians 3:1,2,23,24 – If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. [2] Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. [23] And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; [24] Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
The reward of the inheritance in the millennium and final heaven age lasts forever. The church members who do “overcome” in this life will receive all of the inheritance, and be positioned as close to Christ in both kingdoms as they allowed him to get to them in this life. You cannot get any closer to Jesus in this life than having his Spirit in you by the new birth, and then uniting by baptism with one of his local churches that is inhabited by his Spirit, who dwells among the assembly that makes up such a local church. And it is in such a local body that you grow closer and closer to him, ever giving more glory to him as you grow spiritually in his church that teaches his word.
Ephesians 2:22 – In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 3:21 – Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
The church member that runs a race here to gain the reward of Christ will be allow to live in his immediate presence, and will be treated as one who won this right by finishing the race still running, thereby having won the prize, which is to abide in the immediate presence of Jesus wherever he positions himself to rule. Jesus is the prize the church member wants to win, and the prize the overcoming church members wins is to serve the person of Christ himself wherever he positions himself in his kingdom. His personal presence as the morning star is the prize of Philippians 3:8.
Revelation 21:7 – He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Philippians 3:14,7,8 – I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. [7] But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. [8] Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
Revelation 2:28,29 – And I will give him the morning star. [29] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
In discussing the subject of what church members will be doing in the millennial and eternal heaven ages, I find that many have never thought about it, and some really don’t have any desire to do so. They think only about the importance of a raise, a vacation, the education of their children, a beautiful automobile, building a new home, the economy, etc.,etc.,etc.,etc., and often look upon their learning the things of God as something they will find out about when they go into their “long home,” which is their eternal home. Where they abide and what work they will be doing for the Lord, they look upon as being something that really isn’t important. They are usually more concerned about dying of old age or cancer and leaving this “short home” behind, than they are about what they will be doing in their eternal “long home” forever. The type of work, and the satisfaction you have in performing it in this life, is of very great importance to you, but the type of work you are given to perform for the Lord forever in eternity should be of far greater importance. Solomon tells of the dreaded characteristics of old age that immediately precede the departure of an elderly person prior to their departure to their “long home.”
Ecclesiastes 12:5 – Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
I am much more concerned about what type of work I will be assigned by Jesus in my eternal “long home,” than about my aches and pains at age 71, which tell me my time is drawing near. I certainly wish I had been as concerned before I surrendered to preach at age 38.
God placed a desire in man that is satisfied by the awareness of being useful, loved, and worth something to somebody. I have presented more than 1400 services in Dardanelle Nursing Home since I first arrived here. Only the Lord knows how many times I have visited it, and, considering all the visits I have made to nursing homes with other pastors while doing some 800 revivals across Africa, Europe, Africa, and the United States, I believe I am qualified to discuss the importance of this desire being satisfied, because of my observations of old persons in nursing homes. If they are not kept active in programs that give them an awareness of worth as an individual, they just sit there unhappily awaiting that dread day when they, like many others whose bodies they have seen pass by their room door on their final trip to the funeral home, will made the same journey. I have also seen countless numbers of church members work hard all their lives, while constantly proclaiming: “I sure will be glad when I get my house paid off, get my pension from work, start to draw my social security, and get healthcare, for then, for the first time in my life, I will truly begin to enjoy life!” And they go on to say: “I’m just going to sit on the bank and watch the ole crawdads fry.” But they will soon discover, after they vacation, vacation, and then vacation, fish, fish, and then fish, watch television, watch television, and then watch television, etc., etc., etc., that they will be bored stiff if they don’t have a sense of being productive with an awareness of sufficiency. I said all that to say this: How would you like to arrive in the millennium in your new glorified, sinless body, and then face the prospect of not being required do anything in service to please the one who got you there? Sounds really great, doesn’t it, just footloose and fancy free to roam around heaven all day! A marvelous glorified body, no capacity or desire to sin, in the sweet by and by forever and ever, in the far off sweet forever, gathered by the river, in the land where we never grow old, never die, are never jealous, never hate, only love, and are never angry – now, what more could a man or woman want? How about a job assignment from the Lord? I am quite convinced that this great reward of the inheritance is the actual degree of responsibility the Lord assigns us in heaven, and I am also certain that we will be assigned responsibilities in heaven directly proportional to the degree we did fulfilled the responsibilities we were supposed to perform in one of his local churches. I can only speak for myself, but I want to be an “overcomer” in one of his local churches, so that I might attain an assignment from the morning star to be one of his “rods of iron” in the millennium.
Revelation 2:26-29 – And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: [27] And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. [28] And I will give him the MORNING STAR. [29] He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 22:16 – I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and MORNING STAR.
I want Jesus, the morning star, to work my glorified tail off in the millennium and eternal heaven ages. I want a warm close personal relationship with him, such as the one inferred by Revelation 21:7. I want to be a type of servant that experiences joy in knowing Jesus has confidence in him. I know he doesn’t want me to “pay him back,” but I just want to show I love him and appreciate all he has done, is doing, and will always do for me by his grace. I assure you, as he allowed me to perform assigned tasks for him, the joy of pleasing him would satisfy me for all eternity.
Revelation 21:7 – He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Heaven is certainly a place of retirement from physical life, but it is the beginning of an eternal rejoicing in the sinless spiritual life. Those who serve Christ the most here will serve him the most there, and the real joy of heaven will be directly proportional to how much he assigns you to do there. The greatest joy in heaven will be experienced by those who sense the spiritual joy of a job well done each time they please him.
Where the “rods of iron” are stationed in the millennial reign of Christ, and what they will be doing, I will cover in Part 4.
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 174
May 28, 2004
What Will Church Members Do in the Millennium? Part 4
It would be best to read Parts 1, 2, and 3 before reading this Update, in order to see the Scriptures that caused me to say there would be two kingdoms on this earth for the entire millennial reign of Christ, and to describe the two as follows:
(1) A kingdom made up of Christ, all his saints, and all the angels of God. It will have no sin in it, and all of its occupants will be fully visible to one another, and able to communicate freely between themselves. They will be able to see and hear all that is going on in the physical kingdom, and will also be able to affect its occupants without their being aware of it, in that they will not be visible to eyes of flesh. We will be the residents of the present spiritual kingdom that surrounds us, but it will be minus Satan and his angels. We shall be able to view the many physical occupants of the millennium just as the angels now observe us as occupants of the same pre-millennial earth.
(2) A kingdom made up of saved and lost men and women. Even those possessing saved souls will still have sin in their flesh, but the Devil and his demonic hoards will no longer be able to work on them through the flesh from the prison of the bottomless pit. However, the 1000 year era will make on thing abundantly clear: that while the Devil and his influence on us certainly has been a real problem, the greater problem has always been our old sin nature, for which Christ paid the full price of redemption on the cross. Just as we are unable to see the inhabitants of the great invisible kingdom around us, neither will they be able to see us in the invisible kingdom existing on the same planet with them.
Christ will be the King over both kingdoms. He will be king on the throne of David in the physical kingdom, in which Israel will be the ruling nation of all nations from the Abrahamic land grant of Genesis 15:18.
Genesis 15:18 – In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Zechariah 14:9 – And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
Luke 1:31,32 – And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. [32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Ezekiel 39:21,22 – And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. [22] So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward.
And Christ will also be King over the spiritual kingdom made up of his angels and his saved. In this kingdom only sinless personages will exist – there will be no sin in it. Christ will return to end the tribulation period at the battle of Armageddon, that is, at his Second Advent, and, at that time all eyes, in both kingdoms, will see him as he comes with his elect and his angels. The Scripture is quite clear that all in both kingdoms will clearly see his bodily appearance when he comes, but it is not clear if they will see the other glorified beings that come with him, or exactly how long he will be visible to those in the physical kingdom after his arrival. This is a subject I will cover later.
Matthew 24:29-31 – 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: [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. [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.
Jude 1:14 – And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
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.
Zechariah 12:9-10 – And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. [10] And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall LOOK upon ME whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
So, there is no question he will be seen by all in both kingdoms at his Second Advent, and there is no reason to believe he will not be quite visible to all of the beings in the SPIRITUAL kingdom throughout the millennium as they come into his presence. However, I believe after he enters the temple, which the Israelis build according to the precise instructions in Chapters 40 to 43, he will make a glorious triumphant entry into the temple as the parousia, God in his bodily form as Messiah the Christ, drawing near to Israel as the Old Testament Shechinah Glory of the Godhead, dwelling in Christ in all fullness, and, as far as Israel is concerned, they will believe he will dwell there forever as in the days of the Ark of the Covenant. I doubt if they will see him again until the Devil is let loose some 990+ years later and, during that time span, they will keep reciting what they have seen to their children and to their children’s children, etc., until the millennium is finished. They will recite the deliverance of Israel from Pharaoh out of Egypt by God, and their deliverance out of the Negev by Messiah the Prince, his Son. As generation after generation passes, some will believe the one they say is the Son of God abiding in the Temple, is the man Christ Jesus, who paid the price for their sins, and will put their trust in the Savior they cannot see by faith, just as I did 60 years ago. They will call on his name, and he will save them. And they will present and teach the New Testament just as we do. It will be a time when Jewish preachers will preach the Gospel that the one dwelling in the Temple is the same Messiah whom their forefathers rejected and crucified, but was resurrected from the dead, and has returned to dwell among his people. Israel will preach this to all the nations of the earth. Many will believe it, and be saved by grace through faith, but others will not believe it, and, by the end of the millennium, those believing it will be very few in number.
Ezekiel 43:1-7 – Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: [2] And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. [3] And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. [4] And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. [5] So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. [6] And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. [7] And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile,
Isaiah 2:2-5 – And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. [3] And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. [4] And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. [5] O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Romans 10:17 – So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:13 – For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Zechariah 8:20-23 – Thus saith the Lord of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: [21] And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also. [22] Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. [23] Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Angel appearances as men were not uncommon in the Old Testament, and this continued until the demise of the Apostles, but they still exist all around us, and we may have seen one unawares. I know they have, are, and will continue to receive assignments from God.
Hebrews 13:2 – Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Luke 1:26-28 – And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, [27] To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. [28] And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And we know that angels minister to us, even though we cannot visibly observe them doing so.
Hebrews 1:13,14 – But to which of the angels said he at any times, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? [14] Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Daniel 9:21-23 – Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. [22] And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. [23] At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
Luke 22:42,43 – Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. [43] And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
I cannot speak for the angels, but I would imagine their greatest joy probably comes from being assigned a work or mission, and then completing it for the Master. I do not mean to hint that we will be like the angels, but I do believe we will be on the same earth in the invisible kingdom they occupy and will rejoice with them in our work for the Master. I am convinced that God has used angels to affect my life. I do not give them the glory for having done so, because the angels themselves want him to receive all the glory, and I am thankful to God for however he has used them from the great invisible kingdom that surrounds me. We will live in glorified bodies not unlike the one Christ moved back and forth between the two kingdoms after his resurrection. On two occasions he suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the midst of the disciples behind closed doors, and on another suddenly vanished before the eyes of two disciples in the Emmaus road episode. I rather doubt if we will be bouncing back and forth between the two kingdoms, but I believe our bodies are likely to have that ability.
I believe faithful church members will serve Christ, the morning star, in Ezekiel’s Jerusalem Temple complex, and will occasionally be directed to go outside the city of Ezekiel 40:2 as Christ’s rods of iron, where they will deal with problem areas in the physical kingdom as he directs.
Ezekiel 40:2 – In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
Ezekiel 48:35 – It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.
Revelation 22:16 – I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I AM THE root and the offspring of David, and the bright and MORNING STAR.
Revelation 2:26-29 – And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: [27] And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. [28] And I will give him the MORNING STAR. [29] He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
It is impossible to lose your salvation, but it is assuredly possible to lose the crown of reigning with Christ. If you fail to endure faithful to the end, you will lose the right to reign with him.
Revelation 3:11 – Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Revelation 22:12 – And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Galatians 6:7 – Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
II Timothy 2:1-5,11,12 – Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. [2] And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. [3] Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. [4] No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. [5] And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he NOT CROWNED, except he strive lawfully. [11] It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: [12] If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (He will deny us the right to reign with him)
Colossians 3:1-5 – If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. [2] Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. [3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. [5] Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, in-ordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Those church members who fail to perform verse 5 will not reign with him because they lived unjust and filthy lives, but those who did perform verse 5 will reign with him in both the millennial and final heaven ages. Some church members live unjust, filthy lives. They will not be given the reward of ruling with Christ in the locale he positions himself on his throne in both the millennial and heaven ages.
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. [12] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
And this obeying of the commandments of Christ after one unties with one of his churches, not only determines where the church member will live in the millennium, but also in the final heaven age that follows.
Matthew 28:19,20 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I have COMMANDED you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
John 13:34,35 – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Revelation 22:14 – Blessed are THEY THAT DO his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Matthew 28:19-20 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS whatsoever I HAVE commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 175
June 4, 2004
What Will Church Members Do in the Millennium? Part 5
Please remember that I am addressing a subject that only involves church members. I do not plan to inform the reader what any other group or type will be doing in the millennial reign of Christ. The two following verses outline what I believe identifies a local church member.
Acts 2:41,42 – Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. [42] And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
It is best to read Parts 1 through 4 before reading this Update, in order to see the Scriptures that caused me to say there would be two kingdoms on this earth for the entire millennial reign of Christ, and to describe the two as follows:
(1) A kingdom made up of Christ, all his saints, and all the angels of God. It will have no sin in it, and all of its occupants will be fully visible to one another, and able to communicate freely between themselves. They will be able to see and hear all that is going on in the physical kingdom, and will also be able to affect its occupants without their being aware of it, in that they will not be visible to eyes of flesh. We will be the residents of the present spiritual kingdom that surrounds us, but it will be minus Satan and his angels. We shall be able to view the many physical occupants of the millennium just as the angels now observe us as occupants of the same pre-millennial earth.
(2) A kingdom made up of saved and lost men and women. Even those possessing saved souls will still have sin in their flesh, but the Devil and his demonic hoards will no longer be able to work on them through the flesh from the prison in the bottomless pit. However, the 1000 year era will make one thing abundantly clear: that while the Devil and his influence on us certainly has been a real problem, the greater problem has always been our old sin nature, for which Christ paid the full price of redemption on the cross. Just as we are unable to see the inhabitants of the great invisible kingdom around us, neither will they be able to see us in the invisible kingdom existing on the same planet with them.
There will be church members who will lose their crown for following heretical teachings. Christ will not allow them to reign with him, for that which they taught did not come from the perfect law of liberty, which today is the completed word of God.
James 1:25 – But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Jude 1:3 – Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and EXHORT YOU that ye should earnestly contend for THE FAITH which was ONCE delivered unto the saints.
Revelation 3:11 – Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that NO MAN take thy crown.
Departure from “the” faith by following a false teacher won’t cost you your salvation in Christ, but the person teaching it will cause your crown, your right to rule in service to Christ, to be lost as a reward.
II Timothy 2:5 – And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
The perfect law of liberty today is the completed New Testament. The believer’s walk will not be a lawful walk if it is based on false teaching.
Titus 3:10 – A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Revelation 3:11 – Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
The church member who receives the Revelation 3:11 crown, will dwell in the millennial temple complex with Christ, and serve him from that location. The greatest joy of the millennial reign of Christ will be experienced by those he delegates the most authority. They will be those who served him faithfully in his habitation abode of today, the local New Testament Church.
Ephesians 2:22 – In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Revelation 3:4 – Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Revelation 3:12A – Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out:
This has to be the temple of the millennial reign, for there is no temple in the final heavenly city, which is the massive New Jerusalem of Revelation 21 and 22.
Rev. 21:22-23 – And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. [23] And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
This certainly does not mean that overcoming church members will be immobile like the support pillars that once held up the great massive roofs of the Babylonian, Persian, Greek, and Roman temples and other great municipal buildings. Many pillars of these ancient empires are still standing, even though the ceilings and walls they supported have long since disappeared. In ancient writings they are use as symbols to show their great ability to continue to stand on a foundation as symbols of that which endures on a firm foundation. The leaders, Peter, James, and John, were called “pillars” in the first Jerusalem church, and they endured to the end of life, still standing tall and strong on its founder, foundation, and head, Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:9 – And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
They were church members who were steadfast like pillars in the local Jerusalem church, and they went out from its assembly to do the work of the Lord. They were “overcomers.” For those church members the Lord deems as having been “overcomers,” they will be counted worthy of living where he positions himself, and it will be an eternal position that they will continue to occupy in relation to him into the heaven age of the New Jerusalem, which is eternal.
They will serve him where he positions himself, but I believe a part of that service will be spent in functioning as the rods of iron that go out on assignments to affect the flesh and blood members of the material kingdom.
Revelation 2:26,27 – And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: [27] And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
I believe that how close you dwell in proximity to where Christ positions himself in both the millennial and the final heaven age is determined by your conduct as a church member in this present life, and that once your soul departs this body, there is not a second chance to undo what you did, or did not do, to serve him in one of his churches. The positioning and degree Christ allows the church member to serve him, will be basically the same in both ages. The latter portion of Revelation 3:11 indicates that your millennial position, determined by your service as a faithful church member, will continue into the heaven age of the New Jerusalem of Revelation 21 and 22.
Revelation 3:12,13 – Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. [13] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
“Go no more out” means it is a permanent position, such that the overcomer will never lose it by being cast out. It does not mean he will stay in the temple forever, never going into the world outside it. The “name of my God” shows the continuance of it, identifying a warm, close personal relationship like that between a Father and a faithful Son, or a faithful bride who made herself ready for the one to whom she was espoused while she waited for him to come and take her to his home.
Revelation 21:7 – He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Revelation 19:7,8 – Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. [8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Revelation 3:4 – Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Revelation 3:12B – And I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God:
This is why I said earlier that the position a church member receives in the millennium, will continue into the eternal age of the city of the New Jerusalem in the final kingdom. The writing of the name of the eternal city of the New Jerusalem is symbolic that the position held by the church member in the millennial age will continue into the New Jerusalem age. All of the church members, who serve God from the temple complex in the millennium, will also serve him from the city of the New Jerusalem in the final heaven age.
Revelation 3:12C – And I will write upon him my new name.
This will be his eternal name, and the symbolism of it is the idea that those having it written on them will enjoy this close personal relationship with him, being forever in his immediate presence as his favored servants. The name he is given will involve the culmination of his work, when he is eternally anointed as the MOST HOLY ONE outlined in Daniel 9:24, and, as such, it will be a consolidation of all the names of Isaiah 9:6 into a single name, and the joining together of the Godhead in one name.
Daniel 9:24 – Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Ephesians 1:9,10 – Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: [10] That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Colossians 2:9,10 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Ephesians 1:21-23 – Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: [22] And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, [23] Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 175A
June 7, 2004
ARIEL – A NAME OF A PERSON AND OF A CITY!
Israel’s governmental cabinet approved Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s revised “disengagement” plan in a 14 to 7 vote Sunday evening. Ariel averted a governmental crisis by a last-minute inclusion of the Sharon – Bush correspondence, which stated the obligation of the prime minister to remove all Gaza settlements. Sharon said that today’s decision sends a clear message to Israel, to the Palestinians and to the world, that “Israel is taking its future in its own hands,” he said: “Disengagement on the way.” “The government has decided that by the end of 2005 Israel will leave Gaza and 4 settlements in the West Bank,” Sharon said. “Most people understand that this decision ensures Israel’s future. Today’s decision gives hope to everyone.” Repeating his Herzliya speech, Sharon said, “Israel does not intend to wait any longer for the Palestinians. They understand if they don’t act against terror, they will continue to lose assets, as President Bush’s letter of commitment clearly states. I hope they will now understand that to get peace they must stop terror, violence and incitement.”
This is the most important event I have witnessed since our Web Site issued its first Prophecy Update in January of 2001. It has opened wide the gate to the false peace of I Thessalonians 5:3,4, which has been the hallmark of my Prophecy Update Series.
I Thessalonians 5:3,4 – For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. [4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
How appropriate it is that the current Prime Minister of Israel and its capital, Jerusalem, bare the same name in Old Testament Hebrew. His name is Ariel and the city, over which he rules, Jerusalem, is Ariel, which, in Hebrew, means “lion of God.” The city of Ariel has a long history of being overrun and, in the not too distant future, will be overrun again from the north for the last tine in its history, never to be conquered again by those who hate its existence. I doubt if Ariel Sharon will be Prime minister when Jerusalem falls, but the name of the city will still be Ariel, and its inhabitants will return to take it back from their enemies some 1260 days after it falls.
The attack on the city of Ariel will be accompanied by an array of terrifying natural phenomena unleashed by the God of Israel. The attack will be launched some 1260 days before the final battle in it, which will be at Armageddon. The initial attack begins with the first earthquake in the book of Revelation.
Isaiah 29:6,7 – Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. [7] And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
Revelation 6:12 – And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
And the war ends at the battle of Armageddon with the last earthquake in the book of Revelation. All of the physical thunder, earthquakes, great noises, storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire, are contained between the first and last earthquakes in Revelation.
Revelation 16:16-21 – And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. [17] And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. [18] And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. [19] And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. [20] And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. [21] And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
Isaiah 29:6,7 – Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. [7] And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
When it is all over, it will seem like a happy ending to a horrible nightmare to those who fought on the Lord’s side, but it will be like a handful of empty desires and unfulfilled dreams to all who were his enemies.
Isaiah 29:8 – It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
All those nations that come against Israel at the battle of Armageddon, with dreams of satisfaction by conquest, will be rudely awaked by Christ’s victory, and will be faint and hungry because of unsatisfied desire in their utter defeat. But for Israel, because of their deliverance by their Messiah, it will be the greatest victory they have ever known.
Zechariah 12:6-10 – In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. [7] The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. [8] In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. [9] And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. [10] And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Zechariah 13:9 – And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.
Zechariah 14:9,11,16 – And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. [11] And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. [16] And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Malachi 4:1-3 – For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. [2] But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. [3] And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 175B
June 9, 2004
Still No Effective Vaccine for the HIV-AIDS Pestilence
Professor Robert Gallo, who is the co-discoverer of the HIV virus that causes AIDS, made some interesting comments this week on the much needed vaccine for HIV. Since its first trace appearances in the United States in 1980, I have stated that I doubted if they would never find such a vaccine. And now, even if they do, it is too late to have a dramatic effect on its spread. What follows is the first Update found on our Web Pages regarding HIV loimos. (BEGIN PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 19 QUOTE)
“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences (loimos), and earthquakes, in divers places. [8] All these are the beginning of sorrows (odin). (Matthew 24:7,8)
In Prophecy Update Number 18 we conducted a lengthy discussion of why earthquakes, famine, and pestilence were, just before Jesus returns, according to the word “odin,” supposed to follow the pattern of birth pangs a woman suffers in child bearing. We demonstrated that, for the first time in history, when Israel became a nation, worldwide earthquakes were following such a pattern. But what about Matthew’s “pestilence?” Is it following the pattern of a woman’s birth travail for the first time since Jesus prophesied it would? Absolutely! The basic root meaning of the word “loimos,” translated “pestilence,” is simply “any deadly infectious disorder.” Many plagues have passed through mankind since the fall, but none have generated a massive epidemic that was continuously accelerating over a long period of time. These “loimos” have never been able to follow the pattern of a woman’s birth pains for very long on a worldwide basis. Cholera, small pox, typhoid, bubonic plague, and so on, have appeared in short spurts like false labor, but none has ever maintained a persistent, ever increasing, epidemic characteristic with seemingly no end. But now, for the first time, we have a “loimos,” a deadly infectious disorder, that has portrayed these characteristics from its inception. The HIV virus is the first to perfectly match the pattern of a woman’s birth pangs, and it will continue to do so until the travail of the woman Israel ends, and the Son she rejected arrives. HIV is a virus that has swept across the globe like wildfire. HIV cases worldwide increased from a trace in 1980 to more than 5 million in 1985, to more than 10 million in 1990, to more than 20 million in 1995, and to a whopping 35 million in 2000. AIDS, the dreadful blossom of HIV, was first reported in a British sailor, who died in England in 1959. HIV has hardest hit Africa up to this point, but it is poised to spread into Asia and the former Soviet Union as an ever-increasing storm. And, in truth, medical researchers seem no closer to fining a cure than they were twenty years ago.
Are there other “loimos” infections that have also started to demonstrate the patterns of a woman’s birth pangs? Yes! The World Health Organization (WHO) fears that tuberculosis may kill 30 million worldwide during the next decade. The emergence of drug-resistant strains, and the spread of HIV have both hampered efforts by health agencies to slow the renewed spread of the consumptive illness. Another sort of “loimos” is malaria, which is on the rise around the world, and once curative treatments are losing their effect. It is a pestilence of global dimensions, and new strains are evolving that scientists fear will be untreatable.
But what about all the microbes generating all this pestilence, this “loimos,” these deadly infectious disorders, what are they doing, how are they behaving? Are they doing something that will make the pestilences continue to act like a woman’s birth pangs through the tribulation period? Yes! A leading national magazine cover, back in the last century, carried the bold print title: “REVENGE OF THE KILLER MICROBES – ARE WE LOSING THE WAR AGAINST INFECTIOUS DISEASES?” Tuft’s Levy answered the question in Newsweek Magazine by stating: “The rise of drug-resistant germs is unparalleled in recorded biologic history.” Because of this contributing factor, pestilence will become more and more widespread in its acceleration until the second advent of Christ.” (END OF THE QUOTE OF PROPHECY UPDATE 19)
Some 70 million people have been infected with the virus since it was discovered more than two decades ago. Professor Gallo, who last week received his 19th honorary doctorate at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said no promising candidate for a vaccine was in sight for the next couple of years.
This is one area of science in which I would be happy to proven wrong, but I doubt that we will be able to find an effective vaccine before the Lord returns, and even if we discovered one tomorrow, it is too late to have much of an affect in the undeveloped countries of the world. And, as I write, we have a pestilence, a loimos, which now boasts a huge count of almost 45 million infected residents on this planet.
PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 176
June 11, 2004
What Will Church Members Do in the Millennium? Part 6
I am repeating the beginning of Part 5 to remind the reader of the narrowness of the scope of this subject.
Please remember that I am addressing a subject that only involves church members. I do not plan to inform the reader what any other group or type will be doing in the millennial reign of Christ. The two following verses outline what I believe identifies a local church member.
Acts 2:41,42 – Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were ADDED UNTO THEM about three thousand souls. [42] And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
It is best to read Parts 1 through 4 before reading this Update, in order to see the Scriptures that caused me to say there would be two kingdoms on this earth for the entire millennial reign of Christ, and to describe the two as follows:
(1) A kingdom made up of Christ, all his saints, and all the angels of God. It will have no sin in it, and all of its occupants will be fully visible to one another, and able to communicate freely between themselves. They will be able to see and hear all that is going on in the physical kingdom, and will also be able to affect its occupants without their being aware of it, in that they will not be visible to eyes of flesh. We will be the residents of the present spiritual kingdom that surrounds us, but it will be minus Satan and his angels. We shall be able to view the many physical occupants of the millennium just as the angels now observe us as occupants of the same pre-millennial earth.
(2) A kingdom made up of saved and lost men and women. Even those possessing saved souls will still have sin in their flesh, but the Devil and his demonic hoards will no longer be able to work on them through the flesh from the prison of the bottomless pit. However, the 1000 year era will make on thing abundantly clear: that while the Devil and his influence on us certainly has been a real problem, the greater problem has always been our old sin nature, for which Christ paid the full price of redemption on the cross. Just as we are unable to see the inhabitants of the great invisible kingdom around us, neither will they be able to see us in the invisible kingdom existing on the same planet with them.
Once again, I feel obligated to inform the reader I am only addressing the subject of what I believe CHURCH MEMBERS will be doing, and where THEY will be positioned in the millennium, in relationship to the immediate presence of Christ. I believed that ALL the saved of all the ages, both Old and New Testament believers, will be in heaven in their glorified bodies, and will be joyously happy for all eternity. But I am persuaded that some will be happier than others. I live in what is often referred to as the New Testament church age, so I am addressing ONLY where the FAITHFUL saved in that age will be positioned, and what THEY will be doing during the millennial reign of Christ. I believe that ALL believers of ALL the ages, whether faithful or unfaithful, will live in heaven forever, but their degree of faithfulness after they were saved will determine their position and work assignment for all eternity. The practice of lumping all the saved into one ball of wax, such that there would be no distinction in heaven between those who lived for him and those who did not, has caused the following Scripture to be a bone of contention between theologians for a long period of time
Revelation 19:7 – Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
The endearing characteristic of a wife throughout the Scriptures is always best described by a single word, the word “faithful.” Not all born again believers portray this characteristic during their earthly lives in the flesh, and, because of this, fail to “make themselves ready” by submitting to the indwelling power of Christ, never allowing him to transform them into personages he considers worthy to walk with him in his immediate presence during his millennial and heaven age reigns.
The vast majority of evangelicals believe the “wife” is made up of all believers in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. I am convinced it is indeed made up of believers, but only those who measure up to the standards set forth for a faithful wife in Acts 2:41,42.
Acts 2:41,42 – Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. [42] And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
I was placed in spiritual union with God through Christ some 60 years ago and, consequently, I have been saved eternally by his grace. I am espoused to Christ, but the degree of my faithfulness to him in this life will be the deciding factor as to how close he positions himself to me in the millennium and heaven ages.
II Corinthians 11:2 – For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
I have presented a picture of a rather unyielding wife in my spiritual relationship with Christ. I did not submit as a yielding wife for 11 years after I was placed in spiritual union with him. I failed to submit to his first command after I was placed in union with him when received the Holy Spirit by the new birth.
Matthew 28:19,20 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have COMMANDED you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Acts 10:47,48 – Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? [48] And he COMMANDED them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
And, much to my shame, I did not begin to submit to his will in a faithful wife role until age 38, when I began to be faithful to yield to his instructions taught out of his word in one of his local New Testament churches.
Ephesians 5:26-29 – That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, [27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
I Peter 2:2-5 – As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: [3] If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. [4] To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, [5] Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
I Corinthians 3:9 – For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
Ephesians 2:22 – In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 1:22,23 – And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, [23] Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 3:21 – Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Revelatrion 3:19-22 – As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. [20] Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. [21] To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. [22] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 19:7-9 – Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. [8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. [9] And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God
Soon the 10 horns of Revelation 17:12-14 will overrun Israel, only to be destroyed some three and on-half years later at the coming of Christ to end the battle of Armageddon. Those in Christ’s immediate presence, when he appears in the heavens, will be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, because they were CALLED, AND CHOSEN, AND FAITHFUL.
Revelation 17:12-14 – And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are WITH HIM are CALLED, and CHOSEN, and FAITHFUL. (WITH HIM = In his immediate presence)
I believe these three characteristics of being CALLED, and CHOSEN, and FAITHFUL, will be the character of the lives manifested by those in II Timothy 2:11-13.
Called to death with him, and to resurrection by him.
II Timothy 2:11 – It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: (Called)
Chosen to reign with him, if we suffer with him.
II Timothy 2:12 – If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (Chosen)
Faithful to him to death as a wife is to her husband.
II Timothy 2:13 – If we believe not (are not faithful), yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. (Faithful)
Hebrews 10:23 – Let us hold fast the profession of our faith WITHOUT WAVERING; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Galatians 6:7 – Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
II Corinthians 5:10 – For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
I Corinthians 15:38 – But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
Prophecy Update Number 177
June 18, 2004
What Will Church Members Do in the Millennium? Part 7
The first part of this Update is a repeat of Part 6, so that the reader will not misinterpret the particular group of heavenly personages under discussion.
“Once again, I feel obligated to inform the reader I am only addressing the subject of what I believe CHURCH MEMBERS will be doing, and where THEY will be positioned in the millennium, in relationship to the immediate presence of Christ. I believed that ALL the saved of all the ages, both Old and New Testament believers, will be in heaven in their glorified bodies, and will be joyously happy for all eternity. But I am persuaded that some will be happier than others. We live in what is often referred to as the New Testament CHURCH age, so I am ONLY addressing WHERE the FAITHFUL SAVED of the church age will be positioned, and WHAT they will be doing during the millennial reign of Christ. I believe that ALL believers of ALL the ages, whether faithful or unfaithful, will live in heaven forever, but their degree of faithfulness, after they were saved will determine the position and work assignment they will be given for all eternity. The practice of lumping all the saved into one ball of wax, such that there would be no distinction in heaven between those who lived for him and those who did not, has caused the following Scripture to be a bone of contention between theologians for a long period of time.
Revelation 19:7 – Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
The endearing characteristic of a wife throughout the Scriptures is always best described by a single word, the word “faithful.” Not all born again believers portray this characteristic during their earthly lives in the flesh, and, because of this, fail to “make themselves ready” by submitting to the indwelling power of Christ, never allowing him to transform them into personages he considers worthy to walk with him in his immediate presence during his millennial and heaven age reigns.
The vast majority of evangelicals believe the “wife” is made up of all believers in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. I am convinced it is indeed made up of believers, but only those who measure up to the standards set forth for a faithful wife in Acts 2:41,42.
Acts 2:41,42 – Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. [42] And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
What they will do, and how close they will be positioned to their husband, depends on how well they fulfilled the role of being a faithful wife to him after he saved them, functioning as a part of one of his local church bodies. We are espoused to him when we first receive his word. Then we are added to one of his local churches, which represents his earthly body, through an act of baptismal submission to the will of the one to whom we became spiritually espoused by the new birth, and afterwards we are then directed to live a life of submission to him, thereby fulfilling the role of a faithful wife in one of his local churches until his coming for us by natural death, or by his coming at the rapture.
John 3:7 – Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
II Corinthians 11:2 – For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
The following Scriptures describe the characteristics of a born again believer who fulfills the role model of what Paul describes as the life of a “chaste virgin to Christ.”
Acts 2:41,42 – Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were ADDED unto THEM about three thousand souls. [42] And they continued STEDFASTLY in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
I Corinthians 15:51,58 – Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, [58] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye STEDFAST, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
The fifth Chapter of Ephesians directs its main thrust to the relationship that the believer is supposed to let his Savior develop in him towards him in the assigned role of becoming like a submissive wife to him. Certainly, it can be, and is, used to counsel church members in the discipline of marital relationships, but the primary use of it was meant to illustrate the role Christ wanted his espoused one to fulfill toward him as a faithful wife. He makes this very clear in the last two verses of Chapter 5.
Ephesians 5:32,33 – This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. [33] Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
The comparative word “nevertheless” makes it quite clear that, while the instructions of the chapter may be applied to relationships involving married couples in the church, its primary directives pertain to the proper role of individual church members toward the one to whom they are spiritually espoused, namely, Jesus.
Ephesians 5:22 – Wives, submit yourselves unto your OWN husbands, AS UNTO THE Lord.
As one who is espoused to Christ, submit yourself to him, not to another who is not your husband.
Exodus 20:3 – Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
James 4:6,7 – But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. [7] Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Please do not lose sight of what we are discussing. We are not talking about what you must do to ARRIVE in heaven. But I am discussing where Christ will position you there in relation to his immediate presence, and the role you will perform in heaven, AFTER you ARRIVE. ALL of the saved will both arrive and eternally stay in heaven, but heaven is a big place.
Ephesians 5:23 – For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Christ is not only the Savior of all individual believers that make up the vast family of God, he is also Savior of each local body, known as a church, which meets the criteria outlined in Acts 2:41,42 and Matthew 28:19,20. He is both the Savior and head of each such individual body.
Acts 2:41,42 – Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were ADDED unto THEM about three thousand souls. [42] And they continued STEDFASTLY in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Matthew 28:20 – Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
How well you submit to the one to whom you have been espoused by the new birth, will determine how close you will be positioned to him in the millennium and heaven ages.
Ephesians 5:24 – Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Each church is a local, visible, body of Christ and, as such, is supposed to be in submission to his word, which is the true expression of his will for the body as a whole, as well as the individual parts that make it a whole.
Ephesians 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Christ gave his life for all believers, and he surely indwells each one individually, and will never leave, nor forsake, a single one of them, but he also loves, and gave himself for each local church body in a special way, in that it is built together for a habitation place of his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:22 – In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
I Corinthians 3:9 – For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
I Peter 2:5 – Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:30 – For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Ephesians 3:21 – Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Ephesians 5:26,27 – That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, [27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
This is why he also gave himself for each local church body. How well a church member fulfills his or her role as a faithful wife in such a body will be the deciding factor in the position and work they are assigned in his heavenly kingdom.
Revelation 19:7,8 – Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. [8] And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Revelation 3:4 – Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
The church age martyrs up to the time of the opening of the sixth seal are pictured as receiving white robes in advance of their brethren who, like them, will suffer for the word and come out of the great tribulation, having washed their outer robes in life by applying the same blood that first cleansed their inner souls, in order to empower them to walk such a way of life by the power of his blood.
Revelation 6:9-12 – And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: [10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? [11] And WHITE ROBES were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their BRETHREN, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. [12] And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
They are pictured later with their BRETHREN serving Jesus in the millennial temple (no temple in heaven age).
Revelation 7:13-15 – And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in WHITE ROBES? and whence came they? [14] And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. [15] Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. (This must be during the millennium, because there is no temple in the final city of the New Jerusalem, which follows the millennium)
Revelation 21:22 – And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
From the instant that our souls are saved and sealed eternally by the blood of Christ through the grace of God, we are told by God to let him continue to apply the same blood to cleanse our outer life before men, that they may see the life of his Son in us shine outward in our lives lived for him and by him. The “white robes” in heaven are to be worn by those who did while living in their earthly bodies. The fine white linen will be worn by those who were not only saved by him, but also let him change the outer life they lived before men to give God the glory for the change he made in them.
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 177A
June 20, 2004
An Exposition of Isaiah, Chapter 49
Servant Israel Glorifies God by Jesus, Israel’s Seed! Part 1
Isaiah 49:3 – And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
As prophesied, God chose from, and out of, the Seed of the man Israel, Christ Jesus, who is the ONLY man in whom he has been, and will continue to be, glorified as the One Godhead of ALL principality and power. God is glorified in his servant Israel by the man Christ Jesus. The virgin Mary was a direct descendant, through her father Heli, of the man Israel. Heli was in the line of the man Israel through David and Zerubbabel.
Zechariah 4:6,7 – Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. [7] Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Luke 1:35 – And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
I Peter 2:6,7 – Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. [7] Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
ISAIAH 49:3 – And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Colossians 2:9,10 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. [10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
Philippians 2:7-11 – But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. [9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: [10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; [11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the GLORY of God the Father.
John 17:1-5 – These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: [2] As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. [3] And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. [4] I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. [5] And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
The forty-ninth chapter of Isaiah is about the Messiah of Israel, born of the Seed of Israel, as a servant of the people of Israel, who was sent to be a servant, as an Israelite, to the living God of Israel, and who now sits in heaven as the intercessor of all who will put their faith in him for salvation.
Romans 2:28,29 – For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: [29] But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
I will now begin a verse by verse exposition of Isaiah 49, which pictures Jesus of Israel as the servant of God, in whom he has been, is, and continues to be glorified by the glory generated by his Son, Messiah the Prince. It is a message issued to all the land masses of this earth that rise above its waters as continents or islands
ISAIAH 49:1 – Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of MY NAME.
This prophecy was written some 700 years before it was fulfilled in the womb of Mary, as revealed to Joseph, her husband, and it also appears in Isaiah 7:14.
Matthew 1:18-21 – Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. [19] Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. [20] But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. [21] And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt CALL HIS NAME JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Isaiah 7:14 – Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Matthew 1:22,23 – Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying [23] Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
ISAIAH 49:2 – And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me; (We will look at this phrase by phrase.)
(1) “And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword”
John 12:48,49 – He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. [49] For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
Revelation 19:15,16 – 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. [16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
(2) “In the shadow of his hand hath he HIDDEN me”
Colossians 2:3 -In whom ARE HID all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Ephesians 3:8-11,21 – Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; [9] And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been HID in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: [10] To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, [11] According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: [21] Unto him be glory IN the church BY Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
I Corinthians 2:7,8,2,5 – But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the HIDDEN wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: [8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. [2] For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. [5] That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
I Corinthians 1:18 – For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
(3) “And made me a polished shaft”
Isaiah 53:2A – For he shall GROW UP before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground:
Luke 2:40,52 – And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. [52] And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
God made his Son into a polished shaft that will defeat all the enemies of Israel at Armageddon.
Hebrews 10:12,13 – But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; [13] From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Micah 5:9 – Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.
(4) “In his QUIVER hath he hid me”
The Quiver was the rectangular leather pouch that hung from a leather strap either on the man’s back or on his chest, which contained the arrows for his bow, which were used as his strength against his enemies. So, in the Old Testament times, a man who had a lot of children, such as Israel, who had 12 sons, was said to have his QUIVER full of arrows (shafts). Each one was hidden in the womb until he came forth as a son of Israel. It was looked upon as a real blessing to have a quiver full of arrows, a family with many sons, because the more you had, the more power you had in speaking to your enemies, and dissuading them from daring to attack you. Most community judgments over disputes with your enemies were settled at the gate, and the more sons you had, the less likely you were to be ashamed by being poor, because of their laboring for you, or to have a judgment go against you, because of their fear of your many sons.
Psalm 127:3-5 – Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. [4] As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. [5] Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
But God only had one begotten Son, and he hid him, until he made him in Mary, and bought him forth as his only arrow in Bethlehem.
Galatians 4:4-6 – But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, [5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. [6] And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
John 1:14 – And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
God’s One arrow was all he needed to launch. It is still flying, and one day will be anointed as the most Holy. It is this arrow that has all power in heaven and in earth.
Matthew 28:18 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Zechariah 9:14-16 – And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his ARROW shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. [15] The Lord of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar. [16] And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 178
June 25, 2004
What Will Church Members Do in the Millennium? Part 8
Once again, I would remind the reader that I am only discussing a very limited subject, namely, members of the Lord’s churches that are faithful to him. I am very aware that all of the saved of all of the ages will be in heaven rejoicing for their presence there, and will all live in glorified bodies. But I am only discussing those to whom the Book of Revelation is addressed, and I have tried to limit myself to those who are faithful to the head and foundation of each local church, namely, Christ Jesus. I have fully expounded on this in Parts 1 through 7.
Revelation 19:7,8 – Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his WIFE HATH MADE HERSELF ready. [8] And to her WAS GRANTED that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: FOR THE FINE LINEN IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SAINTS.
II Corinthians 11:2 – For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
This is the faithful church member who fulfills the role of a faithful wife to the one to whom she was espoused and then waited for the presence of his return to her. This is the church member he chooses to live in his IMMEDIATE presence forever as his faithful servant. The wife made herself ready for the kingdom by seeking the things of it FIRST, as opposed to putting the things of the world as the number one priority of life. She set her affection on the kingdom above, rather than on the things of the present kingdoms of this earth.
Colossians 3:2 – Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Matthew 6:33,34 – But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; and all these things shall be added unto you. [34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
The church member, who tries to fight against the ways of the flesh day by day, taking the path of righteousness he or she is led along by Christ moment by moment, rather than following the desires of the flesh, is engaged in a never ending struggle against sin by the power of the Spirit. Such a church member will, each day, as he or she sins, confess them, and in so doing will soon discover the daily fight is more than sufficient to keep his or her mind from worrying about he things of the morrow. The church member who lives a dedicated life of seeking first the kingdom of God will be labeled a religious fanatic by the world, and will suffer ridicule or even persecution for it. There is an earthly price for the fine outer linen in which the wife will be arrayed. A church member cannot live above sin, but he or she can put a daily fight against it even though it is impossible to always win each battle, and can admit it to God, asking for forgiveness when it when it occurs.
I John 1:8,9 – If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It is this type of life lived daily by a church member that gives glory to God. But rest assured that it will bring some form of persecution from those who do not.
II Timothy 3:12 – Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Matthew 5:10-12 – Blessed are THEY WHICH ARE persecuted FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [11] Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. [12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
I Peter 4:12-14 – Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: [13] But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. [14] If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
II Timothy 2:11-15 – It is a faithful saying: (A) For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: [12] (B) If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: [13] (C) If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. [14] Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
(A) If our sins were buried with him, then we have been resurrected with him.
(B) If we refuse to suffer for our faith in him, then he will deny us the right to reign with him.
(C) If we do not abide faithful to him, then he cannot be faithful to reward us for what we failed to do.
Hebrews 10:23-25 – Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) [24] And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: [25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
John 13:34,35 – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
So where will the faithful church member live in the millennial reign, and what will he or she do?
Revelation 3:12,13 – Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. [13] He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 2:26-29 – And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: [27] And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. [28] And I will give him the morning star. [29] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 3:4 – Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Revelation 7:15 – Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
And where will the faithful church member live in the eternal age following the millennium?
Rev. 21:22,23 – And I saw NO TEMPLE therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of IT. [23] And THE CITY had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in IT: for the glory of God did lighten IT, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Revelation 22:3-5 – And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in IT; and his servants shall serve him: [4] And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. [5] And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 22:12-14 – And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. [13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. [14] Blessed are they that DO his COMMANDMENTS, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into THE CITY.
The writer of Revelation was John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, and after Jesus directed Judas to leave the last supper table in John 13:30, the first 11 members of his church were left alone at the table. He gave them a new commandment that Judas could not have kept.
John 13:34,35 – A new COMMANDMENT I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. [35] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
And then Jesus immediately spoke this promise to his first called out church of 11 faithful members that had all traveled with him for more than three years.
John 14:1-3 – Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. [2] 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. [3] 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.
Revelation 22:3,4 – And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: [4] And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
Revelation 22:16 – I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Revelation 2:28,29 – And I will give him the morning star. [29] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Numbers 24:17A – I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 178A
June 27, 2004
The Absence of Light in Israel, a Nation in Darkness!
Genesis 1:3,4 – And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. [4] And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
There is one simple basic comprehensive definition of light that is not difficult to understand: “Light is the absence of darkness.” And this basic definition is reversible for darkness: “Darkness is the absence of light.”
The living Word, God himself incarnate in Christ the man, his only begotten Son, shined unto Israel so that they might receive him as the Son, but they chose to remain in spiritual darkness rather than to come into God’s eternal light through belief in his Son.
John 1:1-13 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men. [5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. [6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. [7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. [8] He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. [9] That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. [10] He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. [11] He came unto his own, and his own received him not. [12] But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: [13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
It was never God’s will that mankind should perish, but that all should come to the Light in repentance toward him and faith in his Son.
II Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
John 3:14-20 – And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: [15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. [16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. [18] He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [19] And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. [20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
The law was given to the nation of Israel by the hand of Moses to manifest God’s light to them, because the law represents the light of God’s standard of righteousness. Christ was the personification of God in sinless human flesh, manifesting the righteousness of the law by being the only human being that ever measured up to the law standard of his Father’s righteousness by keeping every miniscule part of it. The light Christ manifested before man was his keeping of God’s perfect law. God dwelled among us as a perfect man, letting his light be seen in him by all who would come to him through him. God set him as the light of a lamp, so that all the world could see the light of his observing every jot and tittle of the law, which is the standard of the great righteousness of his Father. It is the light that is in Christ that is meant to show forth in the lives of those who believe in him as the Light of God.
Matthew 5:15-18 – Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. [16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. [17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. [18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
The final act of the law was finished at Golgotha. After having kept the law perfectly all his life, he performed the final act of the law on the cross. What is the great commandment in the law?
Matthew 22:34-40 – But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. [35] Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, [36] Master, which is the great commandment in the law? [37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. [40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
As he hung on the cross, all the law and the prophets were hanging around his neck on his shoulders, and he finished the work he had been sent to do. He had loved his Father will all his heart and submitted to his will rather than the will he possessed as a man, and then eternally proved to all the world that he loved mankind, made up of his many neighbors, his kinsmen in the flesh, more than he loved himself, his own life. His life is the only sacrifice God will accept as the eternal offering for our sins.
John 19:28-30 – After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. [29] Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. [30] When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Jesus spoke of this fast approaching end of his work to the disciples in John 17:1-5.
John 17:1-5 – These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: [2] As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. [3] And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. [4] I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. [5] And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
The law was the light of God’s righteousness given to man to teach him that he did not possess righteousness before God, and that the only righteousness man could ever possess was the righteousness of God that he would impute to him through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:10,23 – As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: [23] For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Galatians 3:21-26 – Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. [22] But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. [23] But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. [24] Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. [25] But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. [26] For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
The Absence of Light in Israel, a Nation in Spiritual Darkness!
Matthew 23:37,38 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Romans 11:32 – For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
The law, the light of the standard of his righteousness, was indeed glorious, but it was a ministration that led to death if one was so self-righteous they actually thought they could keep it perfectly. But Christ, of whom the law and the prophets testified, was the Seed in whom the hearers of the law and the prophets were to place their faith for eternal life, and, as God’s Son, he was more glorious than the law he kept perfectly for our sins, because we were unable do so.
II Corinthians 3:6-16 – Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. [7] But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: [8] How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? [9] For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. [10] For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. [11] For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. [12] Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: [13] And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: [14] But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. [15] But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. [16] Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
This vail will soon be taken away in the Negev when the fullness of the Gentile age comes to a close, and God restores Israel. Israel has been spiritually desolate since the cross, but in the Negev will cry out to their Messiah, “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
Romans 11:25 – For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Matthew 23:37-39 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. [39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
He will come to rule as the direct descendant of King David, and he will rule from Jerusalem over all the world.
Zechariah 14:9 – And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.
Luke 1:31-33 – And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. [32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: [33] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Ezekiel 37:24-28 – And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. [25] And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. [26] Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. [27] My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [28] And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.
Daniel 7:13,14 – I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. [14] And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
Israel will be attacked from the north, and it is likely the attack will come at some point in time between 2006 and 2008, but, as always, while I can never be certain of WHEN a prophetic event will occur, I can be certain it will EVENTUALLY occur. And whenever the attack does occur, it will be followed some three and one half years later by the fulfillment of Matthew 23:39 and the last phrase in Zechariah 13:9.
Matthew 23:39 – For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Zechariah 13:9 – And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 178B
June 30, 2004
The Sacred Religious Rite of Islamic Beheading
The bulk of what follows comes from an article by Andrew G. Bostom, which appeared last month on the site FrontPagemagazine.com.
“According to Muhammad’s sacralized biography by Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad himself sanctioned the massacre of the Qurayza, a vanquished Jewish tribe. He appointed an “arbiter” who soon rendered this concise verdict: the men were to be put to death, the women and children sold into slavery, the spoils to be divided among the Muslims. Muhammad ratified this judgment stating that it was a decree of God pronounced from above the Seven Heavens. Thus some 600 to 900 men from the Qurayza were led, on Muhammad’s order, to the Market of Medina. Trenches were dug and the men were beheaded, and their decapitated corpses buried in the trenches while Prophet Muhammad watched in attendance. The Women and children were sold into slavery, a number of them being distributed as gifts among Muhammad’s companions, and Muhammad selected one of the Qurayza women (Rayhana) for himself. Then all of the Qurayza’s property and other possessions (including weapons) were also divided up as additional “booty” among the Muslims, to support further jihad campaigns against the infidels around them.
The classical Muslim jurist al-Mawardi (a Shafi’ite jurist, d. 1058) from Baghdad was a seminal, prolific scholar who lived during the so-called Islamic “Golden Age” of the Abbasid-Baghdadian Caliphate, and he wrote the following, based on widely accepted interpretations of the Qur’an and Sunna (i.e., the recorded words and deeds of Muhammad), regarding infidel prisoners of jihad campaigns: “As for the captives, the amir [ruler] has the choice of taking the most beneficial action of four possibilities: the first to put them to death by cutting their necks; the second, to enslave them and apply the laws of slavery regarding their sale and manumission; the third, to ransom them in exchange for goods or prisoners; and fourth, to show favor to them and pardon them. Allah, may he be exalted, says, ‘When you do encounter those [infidels] who deny [the Truth=Islam] then strike [their] necks’ (Qur’an sura 47, verse 4)”….Abu’l-Hasan al-Mawardi, al-Ahkam as-Sultaniyyah.” [The Laws of Islamic Governance, trans. by Dr. Asadullah Yate, (London), Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd., 1996, p. 192. Emphasis added.] Indeed such odious “rules” were iterated by all four classical schools of Islamic jurisprudence, found across the vast Muslim empire.
For centuries, from the Iberian peninsula to the Indian subcontinent, jihad campaigns waged by Muslim armies against ungodly infidel Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians, Buddhists and Hindus, were punctuated by massacres, including mass throat slittings and beheadings. During the period of “enlightened” Muslim rule, the Christians of Iberian Toledo, who had first submitted to their Arab Muslim invaders in 711 or 712, revolted in 713. In the harsh Muslim reprisal that ensued, Toledo was pillaged, and all the Christian notables had their throats cut. On the Indian subcontinent, Babur (1483-1530), the founder of the Mughal Empire, who is revered as a paragon of true Muslim tolerance by modern revisionist historians, recorded the following event in his autobiographical “Baburnama,” about numerous infidel prisoners of a jihad. “All of those who were brought in alive [having surrendered] were ordered beheaded, after which a huge tower of skulls was erected in the camp.” [The Baburnama -Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor, both translated and edited by Wheeler M. Thacktson, Oxford University Press,1996, p. 188. Emphasis added.]
Recent jihad-inspired decapitations of infidels by Muslims have occurred across the globe- Christians in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Nigeria; Hindu priests and “unveiled” Hindu women in Kashmir; Wall Street Journal reporter, and Jew, Daniel Pearl. We should not be surprised that these contemporary paroxysms of the recorded jihad violence are accompanied by ritualized beheadings. Such gruesome acts are in fact sanctioned by core Islamic sacred texts, and classical Muslim jurisprudence. Empty claims that jihad decapitations are somehow “alien to true Islam,” however well-intentioned, undermine serious efforts to reform and desacralize Islamic doctrine. This process will only begin with frank discussion, both between non-Muslims and Muslims, and within the Muslim community.” (END QUOTE)
The loss of a man’s head in ancient religious rites by those who worshipped false gods symbolized the loss of his power before their god. The loss of his head, from which he worshipped another god, was thought to be a justified punishment inflicted on the one who would not worship their god. At times the head of a particularly great warrior of the unbelievers had his head placed in the worship place of their god.
The Philistines, who once occupied the Gaza Strip where the Palestinians now abide, performed such an act of religious fever on King Saul of Israel.
I Chronicles 10:8-10 – And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen in mount Gilboa. [9] And when they had stripped him, they took his head, and his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to carry tidings unto their idols, and to the people. [10] And they put his armour in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
But when the Philistines decided to show their power over the God of Israel, a quite different scenario was noted when they placed his Ark of the Covenant in the temple of their God.
1 Samuel 5:1-7 – And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. [2] When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. [3] And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. [4] And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. [5] Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day. [6] But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. [7] And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.
When the antichrist sets on the temple mound as the “abomination that maketh desolate”, claiming to be God, then his fate, as well as that of his false prophet, will be far worse then that experienced by the ones who formerly occupied the Gaza Strip.
Revelation 19:17-21 – 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. [19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. [21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
In Saudi Arabia, the country of Islam’s birth, beheadings are fairly common and are performed in a public square. The one being beheaded is made to kneel on a large square of blue plastic sheeting, and to face Mecca, the most Holy Site in Islam. A doctor is on hand to stem the flow of blood from the cranium and to suture the head back on for burial. The one beheaded is kneeling toward Mecca, displayed and helpless before Allah’s holiest site, and before his followers. So don’t try and tell me this isn’t a religious rite of Islam, and don’t tell me it won’t be carried out on their enemies during the coming holy jihad against Israel.
PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 179
July 2, 2004
What Will Church Members Do in the Millennial Reign? Part 9
When Will Those Saved in the Millennium be Judged for Rewards?
The millennial judgment time and place is found within the consistent chronological pattern followed from Revelation 19:11 to 21:1, which begins with the return of Christ at the end of the tribulation period in 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.” He deals with the antichrist, the false prophet, and finishes off their armies in Revelation 19:19-21 – “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. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. [21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” Then the old Devil is cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years in 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.” He is released when the thousand years are expired, leads a rebellion against the people of the Lord, has his armies devoured by fire out of heaven from God, and is cast eternally into the lake of fire and brimstone with the antichrist and the false prophet, as detailed in Revelation 20:7-10 – “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, [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. [9] And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. [10] And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Thus far, a pattern of perfect chronology has been laid out before us – not one break in it. And it continues to be picture perfect right up to Revelation 20:15 – “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Now, we need to carefully examine Revelation 20:11-15 in this sequence of chronological events that begins in Revelation 19:11, and then continues in perfect contextual chronology for 26 verses to Revelation 21:1. Now, let’s see if we can locate the time and place of the judgment of the millennial saved inside the contextual pattern that is perfect in chronology from Revelation 19:11 to 21:1.
Revelation 20:11,12 – “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. [12] And I SAW the dead, small and great, STAND BEFORE God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
We see a group of men and women standing before God with the book of life and other books being opened, out of which they are judged according to their works. The book of life is open because the names of this group are in it – they are all those men and women saved during the millennial reign of Christ. They will be judged for rewards for their works, just as were the saved caught out more than a thousand years prior to this judgment. Following their judgment, they will be removed quickly from the great white throne locale. Then a second group will be collected from hell, the sea, and the grave and assembled before God
Revelation 20:13 – And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
The chronology has been perfect from Revelation 19:11 to 20:13, and it does not break down here. There must be two different groups judged separately at the Great White Throne! Why? (Verse 12 – “And I SAW the dead, small and great, stand before God”). (Verse 13 – “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them:”). How could John have actually SEEN the group in verse 12 standing before God to be judged, if they were not resurrected until verse 13? The souls of all lost men and women are in hell. The souls of all saved men and women are in heaven. The bodies of both the saved and the lost are either in water graves (the sea) or in land graves (death). The particles of the bodies of the verse 13 resurrection, that historically held lost souls, are delivered from the dust or the liquid surface of the earth, and reunited with their souls that come up out of hell. But the first group in verse 12 represents those who were saved in the millennium, and their souls in heaven will be reunited with glorified bodies that were resurrected before those in verse 13. They will be judged separately from the lost. The lost of all the ages will appear before the white throne immediately after the millennial saved. All the lost of all the ages from Genesis through the millennium will be in the second group. All the names of the first group will be in the book of life. None of the names of the second group will appear there.
Revelation 20:11-15 – And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. [12] (Group 1) 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. [13] (Group 2) And the sea (water) gave up the dead (physically dead bodies) which were in it; and death (physically dead bodies in land graves) and hell (abode of spiritually dead souls) delivered up the dead (all the spiritual dead souls and physically dead bodies) which were in them (water of the earth, dirt of the graves on land, and hell): and they were judged every man according to their works. [14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
I do indeed believe that all the lost of all the ages will be judged at the final judgment of the ages at the great white throne, and that all of them will be cast into the lake of fire. But I believe it is clear that they are the ones at the final judgment of Revelation 20:13, while those in verse 12 were judged before them according to their works, because their names were written in the book of life, which made their works valid because they were wrought in Christ.
SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 179A
July 4, 2004
The Book “Tectonic Chaos” – Chapter 1 – The Great Split
I began work on this book immediately after graduating from the MBS in Little Rock, Arkansas, and completed it in 1977 while doing post graduate work at ATU in Russellville, having graduated from ATU in 1976. I have received numerous requests to reprint it as I have been lecturing across the globe. Because there was considerable duplication between it and my second book, “Tribulation Triad,” I deliberately let it go out of print, feeling some might feel cheated because of the volume of duplication. However, since many of my brethren kept bugging me for a copy, and since I only have two, one soft back, and one hard back, I decided to reprint and update it on our web site and, Lord willing, I will eventually put up all 36 chapters as time permits.
Chapter 1 – The Great Split
Zechariah 14:4 – And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
For hundreds of years preachers have proclaimed from God’s word this event would occur during the tribulation period, and the proclamation, as is normally the case, has been met will rolls of laughter from most of the scientific world. Oddly enough, these scientists have, and still are, fulfilling a prophecy made by God through the prophet Daniel.
Daniel 12:4 – But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Daniel’s prophecies concerning pre-tribulation events have, and are, being fulfilled, and indeed men and women have run “to and fro across” earth’s surface, “to and fro” into the universe, and “to and fro” in places beneath the earth’s land and water surface. This has produced a fantastic knowledge explosion in our understanding of the form and contents of God’s creation. The continuing fulfillment of Daniel 12:4 has convinced me that we are living in the days of “the time of the end.” And I am equally convinced these “to and fro” geological discoveries have so increased man’s knowledge that we now understand the basic form in which God designed the outer and enter crust of earth. These discoveries are in perfect agreement with what God revealed to the prophet Zechariah more than 2400 years ago.
Man has, in recent times, discovered a long, deep fault or “crack” in the earth’s crust that extends northward from the Red Sea through the Gulf of Eilat (Aqabah) into Israel and Lebanon. The Arabs identify it as the Gulf of Aqabah, and the Israelis call it the Gulf of Eilat. The fault itself is known to both as the “great rift valley fault”. It is a double fault in the sense that the two parts of it are separated by the valley floor between the two fault block mountains on it two sides. The vast majority of earthquakes occur along both sides of the valley from Eilat to the Lebanese border. (See Figures 24 and 25 found under our Birth Pangs Menu as Birth Pang Figures). It is the ripping open of this rift valley that will produce the earthquake responsible for the splitting of the Mount of Olives, which will itself be divided into a mini-rift valley as it spreads apart. (See Figures 30 to 33 in Birth Pangs).
The faults or “two cracks” in the earth’s surface are the northern part of a deep rift, or graben valley, which extends the length of the Red Sea, then southwestward through southeastern Africa. (See Figures 29 and 30 in Birth Pangs). The double cracks extend downward into molten magma beneath the earth’s surface. (See Birth Pang Figures 26 to 28). Widespread scientific exploration during the seventies fully exposed the spreading of the earth’s surface occurring in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and in southeastern Africa. Soon this splitting will extend northward unto the Jordan Valley, and, according to Zechariah 14:4, its effect will be sudden and dramatic. The fantastic earthquake produced in this Jordan Valley Rift, some 30 miles east of Jerusalem, will be sudden and abrupt, as will be its effect on the Mount of Olives, which will be torn into two parts during that terrible time in the tribulation period. This “suddenness” is certainly in accord with the geologic structure of today. At the present the rift valley fault is spreading apart in the Red Sea at a rate of several centimeters each year, but the northern extension of the fault through Israel and Lebanon has been locked or “frozen” in place by tremendous tectonic forces. When the spreading of the Red Sea fault reaches a certain critical (known only by God) both sides of the Jordan Valley will rip apart with a tremendous earthquake. This earthquake will cause the two faults, which now exist through the northern and southern flanks of the Mount of Olives, to move slightly, one north, and one south, and a new mini-graben valley will be formed between them as the middle of the mountain falls down between them. (See Birth Pang Figures 30 to 33).
When the northern and southern parts spread apart one part will be carried north with the Arabian tectonic plate, and the other will be carried south with the African tectonic plate. (See Birth Pang Figures 33 and 34).
Zechariah 14:5 – And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
For a full exposition of Zechariah 14:5, please look in our Prophecy Update Archives at Updates 130 and 131.