First I must say that questions as such"why God kills or asks others to kill, despite "do not kill",are made by many atheists that were members of the SDA,but now turned demonic atheists.
They well know the letter of the Bible and now use it in their demonic posts to deny GOD and to contradict His Word.In fact they are killers,killers of souls.
They know that when GOD said to the people of Israel through Moses," do not kill", it had already passed around 2500 years(two days and half of GOD's work),and the commandment was exclusively for the people of GOD,Israel. It was given in the OT, not in the NT,very different of the OT. See, GOD was creating a new environment for His seed, descendants of Abraham, when He brought His people out of Egypt. GOD separated His people Israel from the midst of the Gentilic peoples, from the midst of the idolaters and murderers peoples, actually He divided waters from the waters- Genesis 1:6-10-and then appeared the dry land-Israel.
Now see,around 2500 years before GOD's commandment Cain had killed Abel.Who commanded Cain do it?It was not GOD,so who? It was the father of Cain,the Devil,a former Cherub,former ruler of Eden,also father of the current atheists and false Christianity and others adherents of devilish religions.
In the other hand,after GOD brought Israel from Egypt and placed the people in the Promised Land,there GOD established the Law and rules to discipline the people and free them from all the SATANIC influence they carried with them from the Gentile, specially from the Egyptians and their satanic idolatries.Desobedience, i.e. witchcraft,it would be punished in the Promised Land,even to the death penalty(Compare: Luke 12:4 and Deuteronomy 32:39.By the way,GOD IS GOD).
This battle started when the Cherub which GOD have placed as a ruler of Eden(now called SON OF PERDITION and MAN OF SIN,the Devil and Satan)planned to USURP GOD's creation and to create a specific world for he himself- Matthew 4:8-9.
Thank you, brother, After the first resurrection, their judgement and rewards, Revelation 20:4 and after the 1000 years is the day of judgment for the rest of the dead. Daniel 12:2John 5:28-292 Corinthians 5:10Revelation 20:11-15.
This is our hope, and the promise God has given to us 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, those who are not the chosen and faithful in the first resurrection sleep in death until the day of judgment for all who have lived, Revelation 20:11-15.
The first man was made a living soul; the last man was made a quickening spirit.
MAN MADE ONLY AS A LIVING SOUL
The Word,GOD Himself,Who is from everlasting to everlasting, self-executing,He has in He Himself the project written since Eternity how to make man in His image,but GOD is Spirit,how could man see the image of His Spirit?It's impossible unless the Spirit be made physically.
The Word-the Word is GOD-GOD is Spirit and a Person,He knew it would be impossible He be known and seen in Spirit,even being a Person in He Himself as Word,so when the time arrived in to make man in His image and likeness,through His invisible Spirit and own Person as manifested Word,two distincts Persons,then He said:Let US make man in OUR image,after our likeness.
The Person of GOD as Word still was in His bosom.The Word had not still been made flesh,then was only a man made of the dust. With the revelation of the Word was given life to the man,through the Word was breathed into the nostrils of man the breath of life; and man became a living soul from the beginning until JESUS.
A MAN MADE AS LIVING SPIRIT-THIS ONLY AFTER JESUS
GOD had planned to make man in His image,but how?once He was Spirit and only One,as whether was alone?First He needed to make an image from He Himself and that's what GOD did with the birth of JESUS.JESUS was born in the turn of the fourth to the fifth Day,in the turn of fourth to the fifth millennium.JESUS was no longer in the bosom of the Father,the Word- Hebrews 1:1-4.
With the birth of JESUS,GOD could fulfill His wonderful promise to make man in His image,a quickning spirit,as planned.From JESUS until now passed more 2000 years,so we are at the turn of the sixth to the seventh and last Day, the Lord's Day,or seventh and last millennium,the millennium of GOD's Kingdom- Revelation 11:15-18,so in fulfillment of what says the Word,the dead shall be raised incorruptible-1 Cor.15:52-, and we that are alive shall be changed- Philippians 3:20-21.
Mathew 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
A relationship with Christ Is not private, but communal, and the center of a person's relationship with Jesus is in the church. (Not necessarily the local Church but in the presence of other believers.
Read Hebrews 10:16-25.
We are to respond to his invitation and follow Jesus' example of how to live and treat others, giving him first place in your daily life.
A Desciples is someone who follows one's teachings.
In our rebirth Christ gave us his Spirit to guide us out of darkness.
Christ is faithful and said he will never leave you so your faith should be in his work on the cross not your baptism.
We pray to God for strength and wisdom and turn from the things that hinder us.
A Christian can not continue in sin!
God is love but he also is a righteous Judge.
He is rich in mercy forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;
Our salvation hangs on God's promise once we have believed on his son, Christ Jesus!
Have you truly trusted him in his finish work on the cross?
If so we are persuaded to love his precepts the Brothern.
I probably have mentioned before the elemental aspect of a covenant in regard to Adam and Eve which also holds for all mankind.
Because of Melchizedek apparently there was a historical prescident for true worship among some outside of Israel in ancient days as well. that brings up the idea that with Adam's progeny (from Seth on forward); it is likely that the descendants that became the first patriarchs when man spread to different areas of the earth meant that at the formation of each country there was some elemental truth from scripture; we find this in the symbolism in the Chinese language; as well as other cultures that believe there is a god greater than everytehing even if they don't know who it is. A similar tale of course is a common thread with the flood stories throughout the world; which proves the validity of the flood (Gilgamesh epic and Chinese language symbols once again).
Since God created all men; then of course they have a conscience albeit sometimes seared beyond redemption. God did promise no destruction by a flood for the earth but this earth will be destroyed by fire. What is the driving force behind sin is man's sin NATURE as well as the demons that control the world system in regard to the world; flesh and the Devil or lust of the eyes; pride of life; etc. That's why I say there is more hope for someone who actually desires to worship the Devil than someone who claims to be a "spiritual person" by any other means besides the true Christian faith. People say they aren't really that bad; and so called "white" magic isn't really that bad; or all the humanistic vibes of the New Age. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and therefore by default the fear of hell brings men to consider their ways and often repent.
This brings more responsibility for those who have heard the truth and rejected it; whether it be the cities Christ said were to be punished worse than Sodom or those who have violated their vows to follow Christ.
I believe you know that the Hebrews had to cross the Red Sea, and walk through a desert, walk until they got to the Promised Land after 40 years of peregrination / pilgrimage. What about GOD's people now this current time?
Now GOD's people will have to go through (I mean win a war) against the Red Dragon, that's exactly it, a Red Dragon yes, this is no coincidence, it was predicted millennia ago. He's a false messiah who will soon manifest himself, yes, just ahead, with great signs of lying, he will manifest in Israel as a lamb with two horns, he's a Jew, of course, and he'll speak like a Dragon. Revelation 12.3-17 combined with Revelation 13:11-18.
Let's be ready to go through this not easy FINAL journey of GOD's people here, until to enter in the Kingdom of GOD- Revelation 11:15-18, in the Ineffable, Wonderful, Indescribable, Unspeakable, glorious, marvelous and day of exceedingly joy, the day 1.335- Daniel 12:12. Amen. Hallelujaaah!!! Are you ready for the last battle, battle against the red Dragon? Will it be? I hope so.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth(Israel) and of the sea(Gentile peoples)! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Well, if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
The earliest blessing in scripture is for Ishmael who is said in Genesis 16:12. It isn't exactly something to be desired; except for the fact that in the family lineage there would be many descendants. He was said to be a wild "donkey" of a man; and cause much contention and strife among others. Moving on to Genesis 26:39-40 we see the blessing of Esau; and it wasn't faring much better; he was to live by the sword and eventually throw the "yoke" off his back of basically servitude to Jacob. Finally; we see Jacob's blessing of his sons; to become the 12 patriarchs; which is a mixed bag with particularly gruesome futures for Issachar (once again like a donkey" and of course Dan being as a snake. Reuben the firstborn committed sin and thus lost privileges for that position; and altogether we may say that Judah had the best blessings offered.
These patterns are interesting in that prophetically God's will was ultimately done. We can see this perhaps clearest with God explaining the futures of Jacob and Esau before they were even born. We also see the future of the bondservant (Hagar) and free woman (Sarah) and how it affects the world still to this day with the Arab (mainly Muslim) populus in the surrounding lands of the sons of Sarah and Abraham in Israel. We could say that this most clearly demonstrates what we may call a generational curse as well as blessings that are inherited.
Jeremiah 35:19 is perhaps one of the most interesting prophetic statements; in this case to adults who had been obedient to God from the start. They were promised because of that and passing the test on not drinking wine or strong drink that they would perpetually have someone to serve God; at least seemingly promising a believer to be in the family lineage throughout the generations. As to curses; we do well to meditate on Exodus 20:5 and 6 we see generational affects but those who LOVE God He shows mercy ending the curse.
Exercising authority in church bears with it proportionate levels of accountability ( James 3:1). There are crowns for those ( 1 Peter 5:4) who are overseeing the flock in any capacity. While we cannot dismiss someone receiving such a crown who has a sizeable and successful ministry from outward appearances the urge to compromise leads to the situation in Matthew 5:19.
One thing is for sure; no one is going to receive rewards for teaching heresy; and continued unrepentance in this area like any other sin shows that an individual is unsaved.
It is by no means a guarantee of God's calling; but it does help when other brothers can see we have a gift and calling to be a Pastor. It seems to be a favorite rationale for getting a degree in Divinity; but I admire a brother I met some years ago who had a desire to be an elder specifically; not a Pastor. (Techinically these require the same gifting). In light of that observation; ;I have found that many large churches seem to rarely if ever give credit to Associate Pastors or even mention those under them. It could be the sheer size of the staff that is prohibitive. As I have probably pointed out before on this site; it is NOT wise for a Pastor to have NO elders or deacons working to help them and guide them; but I have seen this happen on occasion.
It is often a sign of an immature or prideful man in leadership when this situation continues. Thankfully in the one case I am aware of one of my friends was elected to be an Elder; clearly gifted in counselling others and teaching abilities.
I hope myself not to be hypocritical even with my own "sermons" online. We all need to learn from each other; and no gifting should be considered the "penultimate" position. Laypersons also should be involved; at least as members in voting in areas of church polity. Room for dissenting opinions in regard to large financial expenditures should involve preliminary data for transparency
In the world post-rapture (as I see things in Eschatology) God will begin to use the Jewish people as the primary agent for the Spirit to utilize once again to bring upon "Jacob's trouble" to bring national repentance that only comes to full fruition right
before Armageddon according to verses in Zechariah. Once the church is gone; truly faith will be hard to find on the earth ( Luke 18:8).
Before discussing the mark given to these individuals; we should consider the fact that they are God's servants as these verses indicate. I won't go into various considerations of what the term "virgins" means except to say morally and spiritually these are uncompromised individuals "sold out" for Christ. There will be many "religious" people in the harlot religion at this time which
I suspect is a hybrid of Christianity and mystical elements of other religions tied into the One World Government for the first half of the Tribulation. THESE individuals I believe will cause the greatest persecution at that time; to be replaced later on after the mark of the Beast comes forth that will readily identify the wicked and those who will be damned.
No doubt anyone who is a servant of God rather than an adherant to the false religion which no doubt will bring an expectation of continuing wealth during the seal judgments will go after anyone who loves the Lord like this; which may be only the 144,000 at first then those of the countless multitude saved afterwards mentioned later on in this chapter. I would doubt the seal of the righteous is readily identified by eyesight but certainly seen in the spiritual plane as an identifier. The fact that during the trumpet judgments (which seems to be the time period related to harm to the earth and sea after this sealing) that these individuals won't be touched will make any mystery as to who they are go out the window. They will be no doubt hated by the world and the mark of the beast will be the rebel response for "protection".
Honestly, when I read these verses that you quoted I feel as I was caught up, because I see JESUS as if he were speaking to me in person, not as if I were merely reading biblical texts. JESUS really promised: Unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance... Matthew 25:29
I understand your zeal which is good and not so popular in this wannabe culture. I pray God that God opens your study to understand His will concerning you. Only then you shall understand the wonderful treasure which we have in the Bible. The more you dip into the more it has to give you. I did not find any discrepancy in the passages written by so many hands in so many varying circumstance but the same Holy Ghost the third office in Trinity. He will not speak of himself but he gives glory to God.
Study these verses prayerfully. It is God's promise to you. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you." Treat is as God requiring you to attend so you may be an effective witness for you.
In response to you request, my Bible is written in Portuguese, translated by Joo Ferreira de Almeida, printed by Imprensa Bblica Brasileira, created in 1940, adding a system of biblical references, and a concise or compact biblical dictionary translated from English by Dr. S.L. Watson and wife, Mrs Ana, former missionaries in Brazil.
I'm from Brazil, I live in the south of Brazil, close to Argentina, now it's 1.05 AM here.
As for the Jewish calendar, I agree with you, saying, "Being a Jew does not make his calendar correct", and That's exactly what I tried to demonstrate in my post yesterday, asking the following question: How to explain the difference of exactly 240 years in the Jewish calendar? In my understanding, I find this difference in the calendar of a genuinely biblical people created and developed by GOD very strange.
So I suggested three specifics events at facts that are a stain on the nation's history of Israel , actually shameful events in the history of Israel as probable causes of the difference between the Jewish calendar and the Biblical Chronology. The three events are:
1-The Jewish Calendar begins in Seth, not in Adam, so we have less 130 years here;
2-Jews do not consider their 40 years of wandering in the desert, from Egypt to the promised land;
3-They do not consider also their shameful 70 years of captivity in Babylon.
What other explanation could there be that would justify this difference of exactly 240 years?
NOTE:Not only their calendar is a nonsense,biblicaly uncorrect,as we all can see,but also a devilish colection of fictitious GOD's NAMES that they added in the Jewish Bible by their esoteric, and kabbalistic and spiritist spirit, even calling GOD's name through four capital letters YHWH or YHVH among other nine pseudo names,which are not named by the Holy Spirit,but by the spirit of the Evil,the Wicked- John 8:44.The true and only NAME of GOD is revealed, for example, in Acts 4:11-13 and Hebrews 1:8.
Reading scriptures: Part One of main study how NOT to read the Bible
In previous postings I have discussed many different applications to the scripture. In reality an atheist can gain much from an academic exercise in a literary study as anyone else to deduce historical narratives that correspond with archaeology or an English professor can find beauty in the acrostic patterns of poetry in the Psalms and other hidden places in scripture.
Luke 12:48-50 indicates that more is required to those given much (my paraphrasing). If we are searching for truth it is one thing; but if we claim we are Christians and want to play games cherry picking to avoid tough verses related to our conduct; or just seeking "pleasant" scripture snippets then we are doing what one well known media advertises (I'll leave that to the audience to figure that out). I am convinced one of the most dangerous trends are those who are knowingly living in rebellion and yet claiming "authority" to "name and claim; blab and grab; etc". Promises in scripture are conditional; and even those that are UNCONDITIONAL related to promises in the New Covenant are based on HIS accepting us in the beloved ( Ephesians 1:6). However you slice it on terminology related to Predestination or "free will" it is clear that God chooses to reveal His Son to the elect ( Matthew 11:27). Just WHO the elect is; and whether God determines that ahead of time to those who will respond is beyond the scope of this study. The same idea is related to the PLAN of salvation; all those saved come to Christ the same way whether we consider the plan in general or the individual conforming to it. In short we only come to Christ one way through the Son; and as Romans 10:9 states that involves a verbal affirmation and a heart change which truly loves and embraces the Lord. Godly sorrow is associated with repentance; worldly sorrow leads to death ( 2 Cor. 7:10).
Reading scripture concluding thoughts to introduction
The Bible as a whole; as is no surprise to anyone who examines it even briefly goes from earthly bliss to the rapid fall and judgment of the "Antidiluvian" age; to a few chosen individuals whose descendants are given covenant promises and eventually through hundreds of years are freed from bondage and enter into the Promised Land. After a short lived dominance in the world Israel spent long intervals of time in exile due to God's often direct judgments upon their sins; in particular of idolatry and specifically related to direct disobedience intermarrying and subsequently adopting people of pagan cultures and religions.
After Malachi was penned as the last Old Testament book several hundred years passed; without any prophets in the land then suddenly as that book stated Messiah appeared. Jesus came; ministered and was largely rejected by His own people; crucified; buried and risen from the grave; went back to heaven and after the "church age" will return to rule and reign for 1000 years until heaven comes down on earth and the final judgment occurs. At that time eternity comes for the wicked and righeous; forever sealed with the fate of their state; so to speak.
There are those who are staunch evolutionists who often don't consider that for any mahem in the animal kingdom there is nothing CLOSE to the killings of the fellow "species" like man does. Those who consider man basically good clearly have deliberately blinded themselves to the countless wars where HUNDREDS of millions have died and all the other wickedness on earth. The only logical explanation is Jeremiah 17:9 on the wickedness of the human heart; and the fact that Satan himself is the god of this world shouldn't be all too surprising as to who inspires and drives men to think they are going to find themselves following the lusts in their heart that never brings satisfaction. I will discuss next how NOT to read the Bible.
Jesus was Prophet; Priest and King. He fulfilled roles which no other individual was allowed to do in scripture. David acted as Priest when needed when he was a king; but only due to his own sin. Solomon had to complete building the Temple because David was disallowed according to scripture because of certain acts of violence (I am guessing partly due to having Uriah killed off to get Bathsheeba). Even though Solomon commissioned men to do the work on the Temple we see no direct priestly action by him; only a dedication of the nation of Israel and prayers lifted up and the beginning of the operations there. Generally kings were not allowed to offer sacrifices; a Levite was needed first off. This disqualified Saul's attempt when he presumptuously went ahead with it rather than waiting for the right person to do the job and that resulted in being dethroned and his life started to fall apart. Prophets also kept away from sacrifices; but in the case of Christ He fulfilled the prophecies Himself by BEING our sacrifice and hence exalted by the Father to rule and reign as King on the earth in the Millennium.
The Bible describes many kings along with exhaustive lists of their actions which sadly were predominantly evil. The length of their reign as well as the fate of the nation at large was tied into blessings and cursings. Transgressions would cause a downfall; and in the case of the few righteous kings it exalted the nation ( Proverbs 14:34). After Solomon compromised he forfeited his own length of life as well as the nation being able to rule permanently without being under the thumb of other nations. In Ecclesiastes his conclusion after discussing all his own vanity and of life in general was to "fear God and keep his commandments" at the end of chapter 12. Through Christ alone can we fulfill the law because we are grafted in to the true vine inheriting His righeousness because of His victory.
How to Read Scripture: Introduction-Part 2 of Prophecy
As mentioned in my earlier post from Wednesday, there is prophecy in most books starting with the one related to the serpent and his fate along with God's provision to send His Son ultimately to take care of the sin problem that our ancestor Adam infamously started that contaminated the entire human race. As Jesus stated He is the "Alpha and Omega" (Rev.1:8) and scriptures were about Him in many prophecies foretelling the Messiah. HUNDREDS of prophecies from Psalms and Isaiah in particular but others scattered throughout the Old Testament described His birthplace (Micah); His ministry on earth ( Isaiah 53); His method of death ( Psalm 22); and His return to earth in the consummation of the ages (Daniel; Zechariah). We see intersecting along with divergent paths in particular "dispensations" or as some would care to say in the Old vs. New Covenant eras. Covenants and promises were made to Abraham in particular that eventually would involve NATIONAL Israel; and later on promises were made to the church in the New Covenant. In the future Millennial reign of Christ there are unique events that occur; primarily necessary from my viewpoint because when Christ actually physically rules and reigns on earth then less latitude is given for sin; judgment for rebellion is clear; and swiftly executed as no one will have an excuse that they didn't know better.
We also have some personal prophectic implications most noticeably seen with Isaiah and his family; Hosea and His unfaithful wife and finally King David. All three of these examples either have double fulfillment (near and far related to the individual and to the coming Messiah). This is also true of Christ who clearly divided Isaiah 61 between the first and second verses signifying His first and second arrival on earth even though no one at the time fully understood. We do well to learn from all examples jn scripture of progressive revelation.
Before we go into the parables Jesus employed them in order to illustrate realities of heaven from that of the earth. In Matt21:.45-46 we read that "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them./But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet". It was not for want of intelligence that they rejected Jesus but out of envy. The multitude took Jesus as a prophet so when he spoke truth it resonated within and accepted as truth. Besides God had given such power for the Son of man healed the sick and cast out the demons from among them. Faith is the only that can reconcile both the worlds.
12:1 " A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country." God is who planted the vineyard, the world. He made man his steward. By far country the heaven is implied. The world is hedged about refers the blessings God had promised in the everlasting covenant. The tower and the wine fat signifies the spirit of God and soul of man of which he has to give account. "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me," (Le.25:23)explains the significance of letting out to husbandmen.
v.2 "And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant," In next three verses we are considering Moses and the Law which as Israel set to work became for breaking the tradition of their fathers. The stoning of Stephen (Ac.7:59-60)
vv6-8 Jesus foretells of what the Jews intended to do. "And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard."
in v.9 "What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do?" The Gentile nations come in. The chief priests and Pharisees understood but without faith it was lost on them.
The twelve apostles were far from perfection and they had forsaken all was not enough. Significant is that the answer Jesus gave Peter was for all, so we need take it as applied to the discipleship. It is 'for my sake and the gospel's',"But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." (vv.28-29). Jesus promised them,"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."(Matt.18:.18) Notice that it is addressed to the twelve,"whatsoever ye shall bind on earth." Judas shortchanged his share 'now in this time' and in the world to come for 30 pieces of silver. It is for this reason the caveat given in v.31. " But many that are first shall be last; and the last first." St Matthew also gives it but judging the twelve tribes of Israel is given to the twelve. "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."(Mattt.19:28) So the element of 'Now' is by the Law of Gradation is the authority of Jesus Christ and he foretells the guilt of the nation.
"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?/ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:/That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar./Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation." (Matt.23:33-36)
Through Jewish calendar the Jewish people use it for counting time and commemorating birthdays, festivities, weddings, deaths, religious celebrations and other solemnities. According to the Hebrews,the years are counted from what they believe to be the creation of Adam.
Created over 3000 years ago,the Jewish calendar is based on the movements of the Moon and the Sun,and is therefore a lunisolar calendar.In this way,months are counted from the lunar cycles,and years from the solar cycles.Therefore,years can range from 12 to 13 months,with 29 or 30 days.
In September 2023 of the Gregorian calendar, the year 5784 of the Jewish calendar began, exactly on September 15th, and end will occur on October 2th, 2024 .
How to explain the difference of exactly 240 years in the Jewish calendar?
Trying to answer the question by/through/according to biblical events, I found three interesting and suggestive happenings of Jewish History within the Bible, which certainly Jews dismiss without an explanation, perhaps because of shame at facts that are a stain on the nation's history of Israel.
According to biblical events, I found three interesting and suggestive happenings of Israel's chatisements in Jewish History and within the Bible, as described below ,each one with its long period of time that certainly Jews discard without an explanation, perhaps because of shame of facts which are a stain on the history of the nation of Israel.(like their original fall; captivity; golden calf/idolatry/ rebellion against GOD)
1-The Jewish Calendar begins in Seth,not in Adam,so we have less 130 years here;
2-Jews do not consider their 40 years of wandering in the desert, from Egypt to the promised land;
3-They do not consider also their shameful 70 years of captivity in Babylon.
This explanation shows why the Jews calendar has a difference of 240 years as was above exposed.What other explanation could there be that would justify this difference of exactly 240 years?
Israel, as 'Dry Bones'- Ezekiel 37-Now,Dry land, but before was the clay( Isaiah 64:8), exactly when the Most High make a separation between water and water- Genesis 1:9-, that is, when the Most High separated the Hebrews from the Egypcians through Moses, and He created a celestial environment and called it of expanse, called heaven (that is the Dispensation of the Old Testament used in the Promised Land), then the Most High, the Lord, the I AM, separated the water (the Egypcians) that was BELOW of the expanse He created(an heavenly environment), and the water that that was ABOVE the expanse (the people of Israel- GOD's people), and it was evening, and it was morning, the second GOD's Day.
Genesis 1:10-19
10And God called the dry land Earth(israel);and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas(Gentile peoples/nations): and God saw that it was good.
11And God said,Let the earth(Israel)bring forth grass,the herb yielding seed,and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,whose seed is in itself,upon the earth:and it was so.
12And the earth brought forth grass,and herb yielding seed after his kind,and the tree yielding fruit,whose seed was in itself, after his kind:and God saw that it was good.
13And the evening and the morning were the third day.
14And God said,Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day(light)from the night(darkness);and let them be for signs,and for seasons,and for days,and years:
15And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven(expanse)to give light upon the earth:and it was so.
16And God MADE two great lights;the Greater Light-JESUS-to rule the day,and the Lesser light to rule the night:he made the stars also.
17And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18And to rule over the day and over the night,and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
19And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
"And I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not./He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me."
Jesus' call,"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," includes not only the twelve but whosoever is called, and according to the scriptures (which hinges on the blessings spelt forth in the covenant,) is expected to respond.The living soul would mean whosoever valued truth above what is seen or temporal so life of the Spirit sets the polestar for his onward voyage. "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."(Re.22:16). It is thus the inner man presents the gospel to man. Faith with works renders him hold Jesus Christ as the Captain of his salvation and run the race so the only life he seeks is beyond life of the senses. Peter merely responded to the question and answered correctly, "Thou art the Christ."(8:29) Shortly there after he shows he was still struggling to find his feet in the matter of discipleship. Rebuking him Jesus said,"for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."(8:33). Peter and the rest had a long way to go but the promise was that they lived by grace, from his fullness. Wherever they fumbled Jesus was ther as in the case of the demon possessed boy, Jesus would say, "bring him unto me".
"Let him deny himself" also meant the disciples were amenable to correction. "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."( John 3: 21). Peter had to bear his cross, and denial of Christ was in the past for Jesus forgave his lapse and placed the flock under his care. "Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."
Two WARS run in the Earth-Russia/Ukraine& Israel/Palestine,the worst WAR will happen in HEAVEN,a celestial ENVIRONMENT (Eph.1:3-8),a spiritual WAR-Re.11:15-18;and one of the 7 heads of the Beast of sea,a Gentile Beast-Re.13:1-the MAIN PARTNER of the Dragon-Re.13:11 combined with Re.13:2,will be mortally wounded-Re.13:3, and Isaiah 51:9-16 reveal as follow:
9Awake,awake,put on strength,O arm of the Lord;awake,as in the ancient days,in the generations of old.Art thou not it that hath cut RAHAB,and wounded the DRAGON?
10Art thou not it which has dried the sea(by allegory,now peoples,and NATIONS,and multitudes of all tongues),the waters of the great deep;that has made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?(You know the Hebrews had to cross the Red Sea,and walk through a desert until they got to the Promised Land.What about GOD's people now in this current time?)Now GOD's people must go through(I mean win a war)against the Red Dragon)
11Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return,and come with singing unto Zion;and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy;and sorrow and mourning shall flee away
12I,even I,am he that comforteth you:who art thou,that thou should be afraid of a man that shall die,and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
13And forgettest the Lord thy maker,that has stretched forth the heavens,and laid the foundations of the earth;and has feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor,as if he were ready to destroy?where is the fury of the oppressor?
14The captive exile hastenes that he may be loosed,and that he should not die in the pit,nor that his bread should fail.
15But I am the Lord thy GOD,that divided the sea,whose waves roared:The Lord of hosts is His name
16And I have put my words in thy mouth,and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand,that I may plant the heavens,and lay the foundations of the earth,and say unto Zion,Thou art my people
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. ( Revelation 21:8)
These verses at the end of the Bible and representing the end of the wicked is the end result of those who won't heed to warnings such as 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; see also Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:5 and many other scriptures on the subject. We do well to heed to what was said in the last verse of 1 Corinthians 6 of this reference (v. 11) where it states that some were this but they have been sanctified and justified.
There are several issues here that I feel need to be addressed. First is the difference between a sinful lapse; a sinful habit and a sinful lifestyle. All three of these behaviors could be attributed to nonbelievers; albeit in today's society there would be few that would care about a slip up except perhaps some atheists who hold to what they consider a moral standard superior to much of society. Clearly as a Christian we shouldn't play games with God with any type of sin. The third category; however is something that must be abandoned; otherwise there is no fruit of our salvation. Also we undestand that breaking the law in one area makes us guilty of breaking it all ( James 2:10). Often one sin leads to another; whether it is abuse or abandonment of a family due to the greed of a gambling addiction (something which is being advertised currently in local media); or murder stemming from the bad fruit of adultery or fornication that usually is also tied to greed or jealousy; etc.
The word "fearful" in Revelation 21:8 is in many translations "cowardly". It results when men fear man over God which we are to have a healthy fear of and ignores ( Proverbs 29:25). Wanting the praise of men is at least equally if not worse because it compromises our bold witness against sin ( John 12:43).
25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
27 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
These verses at first glance seem to contradict the idea of the Grace of God. A basic argument that holds some water here is that the Spirit of God didn't work at it does today ( John 16:8) with a permanent indwelling as this and other verses promise.
We could also look at such instances as King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:6 who apparently had a righteous life and God heard his prayer to continue 15 more years. One good study is with Saul's foolishness which ended with an early death after he saught wisdom from the witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28. We see other wicked kings as well have a shortened life; perhaps also Solomon. Of course we all die physically; and some would argue the soul dies also only the spirit goes on to eternity. I would add the solution is in verse 31 of Ezekiel 18 which mentions getting a new heart and spirit. This only comes through the Lord ( Ezekiel 36:26-27). Without this we can superficially ask forgiveness every time an outward sin is found; but this doesn't make us able to do good because of man's sin nature; and ignores sins of omission as well as one's we aren't aware of. It also shows how we shouldn't boast how long we haven't sinned as some foolishly proclaim; ignoring warnings in 1 John about the fact that we are a liar if we claim we have no sin. God's children are corrected even through their sin in the sanctification process.
First I ask you a question. What came first? Light or darkness? And where and when were they created or formed or made. I firmly believe to fully grasp the first chapter of Genesis unlocks the entire eternal purpose of God he purposed in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world. I Love God's word. And I thank you for taking time to discuss with me. I'm in no hurry. For God has firmly revealed to me that I have need of patience that after I've done the Will of God I might receive the promise. ( Paraphrase. Hebrews 10;36
Greetings brother "One eighty" thank you for taking time to reply to my question and thought. I may be misunderstanding you,if so I apologize. But according to what has been revealed to me personally by revelation is that Jesus is the thoughts of Gods heart. Psalm33:11 And the beginning of the Gospel of John. The logos where we get our word logic or reason. Thus God before Time began purposed all things in his heart before beginning the creation by the word= thoughts. Jesus was in the beginning with God,and when God logos creation began,. I have a question for you to ponder. Which came first light or darkness. Just something to ponder. I seek godly counsel to always make sure God's word doesn't get twisted in my finite mind. For thinkers are what God created us to be. And to always think upon Him And meditate upon his word and he promises that we can understand All things. His word says so. Proverbs 28:5
There are several speculations on what the mark may be, a literal mark, a computer chip, symbols, and more but the mark of the beast will be based on worship. It is the false prophet, the second beast who causes people to worship the first beast and his image. The number 666 goes back to Babylon, the 36 gods numbered 1 through 36, 6 columns and 6 rows the numbers were arranged in such a way that the sum of any given row, column, or diagonal was 111, and therefore the sum of all six rows or all six columns was 666, like 18+20+22+21+17+13 =111, 1+2+3 to 36=666.
We are told to have faith and patience Luke 21:19Hebrews 6:12 and hear in Revelation 13:10 and Revelation 14:11 that if we are strong in our faith and patience we will have the steadfastness and endurance (the meaning of patience) to not give into the temptation of the three who is to come, Satan, the beast out of the bottomless pit and the beast who will be the false prophet, even if we face death, the hour of temptation, Rev. 3:10.
Something like this was done in the past in the Decian persecution in 250 AD. The decree ordered sacrifices be performed in the presence of a Roman magistrate, it was a signed and witnessed certificate, issued to that effect. People had to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods and the well-being of the emperor.
Christians were put to death for refusing to perform the sacrifices, many others apostatized and performed the ceremonies, and others went into hiding. Those who compromised were able to prosper economically. By way of contrast, those who did not have the certificate were unable to buy or sell and suffered economic hardship. Buying and selling was done in marketplaces ruled by Rome. This may be similar to what is coming but a mark instead of a certificate.
Look at earlier postings about ideas related to genetic DNA manipulation to render someone not human and therefore unredeemable. This would explain the wholesale destruction of all men except for Noah and his immediate family who was said to be "perfect" in his generations. ( Gen. 6:9). This would almost certainly have a primary reference to his genetic line not being contaminated with the sons of the giants or "men of renown" mentioned in Genesis 6:4. Christ came to redeem men not hybrid creatures and naturally angels that fell would also be unredeemable. Whether this business would be sold as an "evolutionary leap" or promise immortality or both is uncertain; but the "strong delusion" ultimately is sent by God; therefore men will worship the Beast and of course Satan who empowers him. The idea of rebellion comes to mind with what Cain did; and the original concept of the tower of Babel will come to its fruition "bringing the whole world together" in unity; so to speak.
The Tribulation likely begins with one man controlling all of the earth's wealth. That is seen in prophecies in Daniel 11:38 and prophecies such as him "dividing the land for gain" ( Daniel 11:39). See also Habukkuk 2:9 and the whole chapter there to see the consolidation of wealth. Despite his control of the 10 nation beast empire; we see in Revelation that the nations from the east and north amass to go after him. (sixth trumpet starting Revelation 9:13.) Therefore, he may have control over everyone economically but nations will still fight him. By Armageddon in Meddigo at least it appears all are damned after they are enticed to gather by the 3 demons from the frog like spirits coming from the "unholy" trinity. After fighting each other they turn and fight Christ which of course is futile. THose in the Ezekiel 38 campaign however have one sixth remain; I am guessing some don't have the mark and make it into the Millennium. I may discuss that later.
Since I had several postings on the subject yesterday; I would recommend you to look at that if helpful.
On my last commentary yesterday, I discussed the "mark of Cain" as mentioned in Genesis 4:15. This was something God allowed after Cain murdured his brother and was promised that he would be a vagabond on the earth from that point forth and Cain protested saying that was too hard. The Lord could have wiped him out at that point; but there was a greater lesson there.
Later on we see Lamech in Genesis 4:24 saying that he would be avenged seventy seven times after his violent acts.
Several things can be pointed out here; firstly this was the first time a mark on a person was given; and also God ultimately was the authority. Cain at the time would have been the only man alive; conceivably marrying one of his sisters later born to Adam and Eve so that God had to preserve him to continue the human race at that point at least until Seth was born; of course God knew ahead of time that others would reproduce; but also at the time there was no formal law regarding murder.
The main concept here and later passages is any mark whether of God or Satan is an identifier of a master and ownership. The idea that we ultimately have free will in regard to this issue seems to be ultimately not true. God once again mentions a mark with those who are mourning over the abominations at the time in the Temple of Jerusalem ( Ezekiel 9:4). God's mark again is mentioned with the 144,000 in Revelation 7 starting in verse 4. This is to make the judgments of God to not affect these men.
Of course the infamous mark of the Beast in Revelation 13 is something people will take or "decide" on; but all those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will not only take it but worship the Beast. ( Rev. 13:8).
Computer chips are now assimilating economic and health care information; so likely a chip is meant ("chargma") in original language means a mark on or under theskin
First I must say that questions as such"why God kills or asks others to kill, despite "do not kill",are made by many atheists that were members of the SDA,but now turned demonic atheists.
They well know the letter of the Bible and now use it in their demonic posts to deny GOD and to contradict His Word.In fact they are killers,killers of souls.
They know that when GOD said to the people of Israel through Moses," do not kill", it had already passed around 2500 years(two days and half of GOD's work),and the commandment was exclusively for the people of GOD,Israel. It was given in the OT, not in the NT,very different of the OT. See, GOD was creating a new environment for His seed, descendants of Abraham, when He brought His people out of Egypt. GOD separated His people Israel from the midst of the Gentilic peoples, from the midst of the idolaters and murderers peoples, actually He divided waters from the waters- Genesis 1:6-10-and then appeared the dry land-Israel.
Now see,around 2500 years before GOD's commandment Cain had killed Abel.Who commanded Cain do it?It was not GOD,so who? It was the father of Cain,the Devil,a former Cherub,former ruler of Eden,also father of the current atheists and false Christianity and others adherents of devilish religions.
In the other hand,after GOD brought Israel from Egypt and placed the people in the Promised Land,there GOD established the Law and rules to discipline the people and free them from all the SATANIC influence they carried with them from the Gentile, specially from the Egyptians and their satanic idolatries.Desobedience, i.e. witchcraft,it would be punished in the Promised Land,even to the death penalty(Compare: Luke 12:4 and Deuteronomy 32:39.By the way,GOD IS GOD).
This battle started when the Cherub which GOD have placed as a ruler of Eden(now called SON OF PERDITION and MAN OF SIN,the Devil and Satan)planned to USURP GOD's creation and to create a specific world for he himself- Matthew 4:8-9.
GOD BLESs
Thank you, brother, After the first resurrection, their judgement and rewards, Revelation 20:4 and after the 1000 years is the day of judgment for the rest of the dead. Daniel 12:2 John 5:28-29 2 Corinthians 5:10 Revelation 20:11-15.
This is our hope, and the promise God has given to us 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, those who are not the chosen and faithful in the first resurrection sleep in death until the day of judgment for all who have lived, Revelation 20:11-15.
God bless,
RLW
MAN MADE ONLY AS A LIVING SOUL
The Word,GOD Himself,Who is from everlasting to everlasting, self-executing,He has in He Himself the project written since Eternity how to make man in His image,but GOD is Spirit,how could man see the image of His Spirit?It's impossible unless the Spirit be made physically.
The Word-the Word is GOD-GOD is Spirit and a Person,He knew it would be impossible He be known and seen in Spirit,even being a Person in He Himself as Word,so when the time arrived in to make man in His image and likeness,through His invisible Spirit and own Person as manifested Word,two distincts Persons,then He said:Let US make man in OUR image,after our likeness.
The Person of GOD as Word still was in His bosom.The Word had not still been made flesh,then was only a man made of the dust. With the revelation of the Word was given life to the man,through the Word was breathed into the nostrils of man the breath of life; and man became a living soul from the beginning until JESUS.
A MAN MADE AS LIVING SPIRIT-THIS ONLY AFTER JESUS
GOD had planned to make man in His image,but how?once He was Spirit and only One,as whether was alone?First He needed to make an image from He Himself and that's what GOD did with the birth of JESUS.JESUS was born in the turn of the fourth to the fifth Day,in the turn of fourth to the fifth millennium.JESUS was no longer in the bosom of the Father,the Word- Hebrews 1:1-4.
With the birth of JESUS,GOD could fulfill His wonderful promise to make man in His image,a quickning spirit,as planned.From JESUS until now passed more 2000 years,so we are at the turn of the sixth to the seventh and last Day, the Lord's Day,or seventh and last millennium,the millennium of GOD's Kingdom- Revelation 11:15-18,so in fulfillment of what says the Word,the dead shall be raised incorruptible-1 Cor.15:52-, and we that are alive shall be changed- Philippians 3:20-21.
Mathew 18:20 says "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
A relationship with Christ Is not private, but communal, and the center of a person's relationship with Jesus is in the church. (Not necessarily the local Church but in the presence of other believers.
Read Hebrews 10:16-25.
We are to respond to his invitation and follow Jesus' example of how to live and treat others, giving him first place in your daily life.
A Desciples is someone who follows one's teachings.
In our rebirth Christ gave us his Spirit to guide us out of darkness.
Christ is faithful and said he will never leave you so your faith should be in his work on the cross not your baptism.
We pray to God for strength and wisdom and turn from the things that hinder us.
A Christian can not continue in sin!
God is love but he also is a righteous Judge.
He is rich in mercy forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;
Our salvation hangs on God's promise once we have believed on his son, Christ Jesus!
Have you truly trusted him in his finish work on the cross?
If so we are persuaded to love his precepts the Brothern.
Keep reading his word and obey him.
God bless.
Because of Melchizedek apparently there was a historical prescident for true worship among some outside of Israel in ancient days as well. that brings up the idea that with Adam's progeny (from Seth on forward); it is likely that the descendants that became the first patriarchs when man spread to different areas of the earth meant that at the formation of each country there was some elemental truth from scripture; we find this in the symbolism in the Chinese language; as well as other cultures that believe there is a god greater than everytehing even if they don't know who it is. A similar tale of course is a common thread with the flood stories throughout the world; which proves the validity of the flood (Gilgamesh epic and Chinese language symbols once again).
Since God created all men; then of course they have a conscience albeit sometimes seared beyond redemption. God did promise no destruction by a flood for the earth but this earth will be destroyed by fire. What is the driving force behind sin is man's sin NATURE as well as the demons that control the world system in regard to the world; flesh and the Devil or lust of the eyes; pride of life; etc. That's why I say there is more hope for someone who actually desires to worship the Devil than someone who claims to be a "spiritual person" by any other means besides the true Christian faith. People say they aren't really that bad; and so called "white" magic isn't really that bad; or all the humanistic vibes of the New Age. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and therefore by default the fear of hell brings men to consider their ways and often repent.
This brings more responsibility for those who have heard the truth and rejected it; whether it be the cities Christ said were to be punished worse than Sodom or those who have violated their vows to follow Christ.
Now GOD's people will have to go through (I mean win a war) against the Red Dragon, that's exactly it, a Red Dragon yes, this is no coincidence, it was predicted millennia ago. He's a false messiah who will soon manifest himself, yes, just ahead, with great signs of lying, he will manifest in Israel as a lamb with two horns, he's a Jew, of course, and he'll speak like a Dragon. Revelation 12.3-17 combined with Revelation 13:11-18.
Let's be ready to go through this not easy FINAL journey of GOD's people here, until to enter in the Kingdom of GOD- Revelation 11:15-18, in the Ineffable, Wonderful, Indescribable, Unspeakable, glorious, marvelous and day of exceedingly joy, the day 1.335- Daniel 12:12. Amen. Hallelujaaah!!! Are you ready for the last battle, battle against the red Dragon? Will it be? I hope so.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth(Israel) and of the sea(Gentile peoples)! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Well, if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
Get ready
The earliest blessing in scripture is for Ishmael who is said in Genesis 16:12. It isn't exactly something to be desired; except for the fact that in the family lineage there would be many descendants. He was said to be a wild "donkey" of a man; and cause much contention and strife among others. Moving on to Genesis 26:39-40 we see the blessing of Esau; and it wasn't faring much better; he was to live by the sword and eventually throw the "yoke" off his back of basically servitude to Jacob. Finally; we see Jacob's blessing of his sons; to become the 12 patriarchs; which is a mixed bag with particularly gruesome futures for Issachar (once again like a donkey" and of course Dan being as a snake. Reuben the firstborn committed sin and thus lost privileges for that position; and altogether we may say that Judah had the best blessings offered.
These patterns are interesting in that prophetically God's will was ultimately done. We can see this perhaps clearest with God explaining the futures of Jacob and Esau before they were even born. We also see the future of the bondservant (Hagar) and free woman (Sarah) and how it affects the world still to this day with the Arab (mainly Muslim) populus in the surrounding lands of the sons of Sarah and Abraham in Israel. We could say that this most clearly demonstrates what we may call a generational curse as well as blessings that are inherited.
Jeremiah 35:19 is perhaps one of the most interesting prophetic statements; in this case to adults who had been obedient to God from the start. They were promised because of that and passing the test on not drinking wine or strong drink that they would perpetually have someone to serve God; at least seemingly promising a believer to be in the family lineage throughout the generations. As to curses; we do well to meditate on Exodus 20:5 and 6 we see generational affects but those who LOVE God He shows mercy ending the curse.
Exercising authority in church bears with it proportionate levels of accountability ( James 3:1). There are crowns for those ( 1 Peter 5:4) who are overseeing the flock in any capacity. While we cannot dismiss someone receiving such a crown who has a sizeable and successful ministry from outward appearances the urge to compromise leads to the situation in Matthew 5:19.
One thing is for sure; no one is going to receive rewards for teaching heresy; and continued unrepentance in this area like any other sin shows that an individual is unsaved.
It is by no means a guarantee of God's calling; but it does help when other brothers can see we have a gift and calling to be a Pastor. It seems to be a favorite rationale for getting a degree in Divinity; but I admire a brother I met some years ago who had a desire to be an elder specifically; not a Pastor. (Techinically these require the same gifting). In light of that observation; ;I have found that many large churches seem to rarely if ever give credit to Associate Pastors or even mention those under them. It could be the sheer size of the staff that is prohibitive. As I have probably pointed out before on this site; it is NOT wise for a Pastor to have NO elders or deacons working to help them and guide them; but I have seen this happen on occasion.
It is often a sign of an immature or prideful man in leadership when this situation continues. Thankfully in the one case I am aware of one of my friends was elected to be an Elder; clearly gifted in counselling others and teaching abilities.
I hope myself not to be hypocritical even with my own "sermons" online. We all need to learn from each other; and no gifting should be considered the "penultimate" position. Laypersons also should be involved; at least as members in voting in areas of church polity. Room for dissenting opinions in regard to large financial expenditures should involve preliminary data for transparency
before Armageddon according to verses in Zechariah. Once the church is gone; truly faith will be hard to find on the earth ( Luke 18:8).
Before discussing the mark given to these individuals; we should consider the fact that they are God's servants as these verses indicate. I won't go into various considerations of what the term "virgins" means except to say morally and spiritually these are uncompromised individuals "sold out" for Christ. There will be many "religious" people in the harlot religion at this time which
I suspect is a hybrid of Christianity and mystical elements of other religions tied into the One World Government for the first half of the Tribulation. THESE individuals I believe will cause the greatest persecution at that time; to be replaced later on after the mark of the Beast comes forth that will readily identify the wicked and those who will be damned.
No doubt anyone who is a servant of God rather than an adherant to the false religion which no doubt will bring an expectation of continuing wealth during the seal judgments will go after anyone who loves the Lord like this; which may be only the 144,000 at first then those of the countless multitude saved afterwards mentioned later on in this chapter. I would doubt the seal of the righteous is readily identified by eyesight but certainly seen in the spiritual plane as an identifier. The fact that during the trumpet judgments (which seems to be the time period related to harm to the earth and sea after this sealing) that these individuals won't be touched will make any mystery as to who they are go out the window. They will be no doubt hated by the world and the mark of the beast will be the rebel response for "protection".
Thanks for your kind reply
Honestly, when I read these verses that you quoted I feel as I was caught up, because I see JESUS as if he were speaking to me in person, not as if I were merely reading biblical texts. JESUS really promised: Unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance... Matthew 25:29
Amen
GOD bless
I understand your zeal which is good and not so popular in this wannabe culture. I pray God that God opens your study to understand His will concerning you. Only then you shall understand the wonderful treasure which we have in the Bible. The more you dip into the more it has to give you. I did not find any discrepancy in the passages written by so many hands in so many varying circumstance but the same Holy Ghost the third office in Trinity. He will not speak of himself but he gives glory to God.
Study these verses prayerfully. It is God's promise to you. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you." Treat is as God requiring you to attend so you may be an effective witness for you.
In Jesus' precious name,
In response to you request, my Bible is written in Portuguese, translated by Joo Ferreira de Almeida, printed by Imprensa Bblica Brasileira, created in 1940, adding a system of biblical references, and a concise or compact biblical dictionary translated from English by Dr. S.L. Watson and wife, Mrs Ana, former missionaries in Brazil.
I'm from Brazil, I live in the south of Brazil, close to Argentina, now it's 1.05 AM here.
As for the Jewish calendar, I agree with you, saying, "Being a Jew does not make his calendar correct", and That's exactly what I tried to demonstrate in my post yesterday, asking the following question: How to explain the difference of exactly 240 years in the Jewish calendar? In my understanding, I find this difference in the calendar of a genuinely biblical people created and developed by GOD very strange.
So I suggested three specifics events at facts that are a stain on the nation's history of Israel , actually shameful events in the history of Israel as probable causes of the difference between the Jewish calendar and the Biblical Chronology. The three events are:
1-The Jewish Calendar begins in Seth, not in Adam, so we have less 130 years here;
2-Jews do not consider their 40 years of wandering in the desert, from Egypt to the promised land;
3-They do not consider also their shameful 70 years of captivity in Babylon.
What other explanation could there be that would justify this difference of exactly 240 years?
NOTE:Not only their calendar is a nonsense,biblicaly uncorrect,as we all can see,but also a devilish colection of fictitious GOD's NAMES that they added in the Jewish Bible by their esoteric, and kabbalistic and spiritist spirit, even calling GOD's name through four capital letters YHWH or YHVH among other nine pseudo names,which are not named by the Holy Spirit,but by the spirit of the Evil,the Wicked- John 8:44.The true and only NAME of GOD is revealed, for example, in Acts 4:11-13 and Hebrews 1:8.
GOD bless
In previous postings I have discussed many different applications to the scripture. In reality an atheist can gain much from an academic exercise in a literary study as anyone else to deduce historical narratives that correspond with archaeology or an English professor can find beauty in the acrostic patterns of poetry in the Psalms and other hidden places in scripture.
Luke 12:48-50 indicates that more is required to those given much (my paraphrasing). If we are searching for truth it is one thing; but if we claim we are Christians and want to play games cherry picking to avoid tough verses related to our conduct; or just seeking "pleasant" scripture snippets then we are doing what one well known media advertises (I'll leave that to the audience to figure that out). I am convinced one of the most dangerous trends are those who are knowingly living in rebellion and yet claiming "authority" to "name and claim; blab and grab; etc". Promises in scripture are conditional; and even those that are UNCONDITIONAL related to promises in the New Covenant are based on HIS accepting us in the beloved ( Ephesians 1:6). However you slice it on terminology related to Predestination or "free will" it is clear that God chooses to reveal His Son to the elect ( Matthew 11:27). Just WHO the elect is; and whether God determines that ahead of time to those who will respond is beyond the scope of this study. The same idea is related to the PLAN of salvation; all those saved come to Christ the same way whether we consider the plan in general or the individual conforming to it. In short we only come to Christ one way through the Son; and as Romans 10:9 states that involves a verbal affirmation and a heart change which truly loves and embraces the Lord. Godly sorrow is associated with repentance; worldly sorrow leads to death ( 2 Cor. 7:10).
The Bible as a whole; as is no surprise to anyone who examines it even briefly goes from earthly bliss to the rapid fall and judgment of the "Antidiluvian" age; to a few chosen individuals whose descendants are given covenant promises and eventually through hundreds of years are freed from bondage and enter into the Promised Land. After a short lived dominance in the world Israel spent long intervals of time in exile due to God's often direct judgments upon their sins; in particular of idolatry and specifically related to direct disobedience intermarrying and subsequently adopting people of pagan cultures and religions.
After Malachi was penned as the last Old Testament book several hundred years passed; without any prophets in the land then suddenly as that book stated Messiah appeared. Jesus came; ministered and was largely rejected by His own people; crucified; buried and risen from the grave; went back to heaven and after the "church age" will return to rule and reign for 1000 years until heaven comes down on earth and the final judgment occurs. At that time eternity comes for the wicked and righeous; forever sealed with the fate of their state; so to speak.
There are those who are staunch evolutionists who often don't consider that for any mahem in the animal kingdom there is nothing CLOSE to the killings of the fellow "species" like man does. Those who consider man basically good clearly have deliberately blinded themselves to the countless wars where HUNDREDS of millions have died and all the other wickedness on earth. The only logical explanation is Jeremiah 17:9 on the wickedness of the human heart; and the fact that Satan himself is the god of this world shouldn't be all too surprising as to who inspires and drives men to think they are going to find themselves following the lusts in their heart that never brings satisfaction. I will discuss next how NOT to read the Bible.
Jesus was Prophet; Priest and King. He fulfilled roles which no other individual was allowed to do in scripture. David acted as Priest when needed when he was a king; but only due to his own sin. Solomon had to complete building the Temple because David was disallowed according to scripture because of certain acts of violence (I am guessing partly due to having Uriah killed off to get Bathsheeba). Even though Solomon commissioned men to do the work on the Temple we see no direct priestly action by him; only a dedication of the nation of Israel and prayers lifted up and the beginning of the operations there. Generally kings were not allowed to offer sacrifices; a Levite was needed first off. This disqualified Saul's attempt when he presumptuously went ahead with it rather than waiting for the right person to do the job and that resulted in being dethroned and his life started to fall apart. Prophets also kept away from sacrifices; but in the case of Christ He fulfilled the prophecies Himself by BEING our sacrifice and hence exalted by the Father to rule and reign as King on the earth in the Millennium.
The Bible describes many kings along with exhaustive lists of their actions which sadly were predominantly evil. The length of their reign as well as the fate of the nation at large was tied into blessings and cursings. Transgressions would cause a downfall; and in the case of the few righteous kings it exalted the nation ( Proverbs 14:34). After Solomon compromised he forfeited his own length of life as well as the nation being able to rule permanently without being under the thumb of other nations. In Ecclesiastes his conclusion after discussing all his own vanity and of life in general was to "fear God and keep his commandments" at the end of chapter 12. Through Christ alone can we fulfill the law because we are grafted in to the true vine inheriting His righeousness because of His victory.
As mentioned in my earlier post from Wednesday, there is prophecy in most books starting with the one related to the serpent and his fate along with God's provision to send His Son ultimately to take care of the sin problem that our ancestor Adam infamously started that contaminated the entire human race. As Jesus stated He is the "Alpha and Omega" (Rev.1:8) and scriptures were about Him in many prophecies foretelling the Messiah. HUNDREDS of prophecies from Psalms and Isaiah in particular but others scattered throughout the Old Testament described His birthplace (Micah); His ministry on earth ( Isaiah 53); His method of death ( Psalm 22); and His return to earth in the consummation of the ages (Daniel; Zechariah). We see intersecting along with divergent paths in particular "dispensations" or as some would care to say in the Old vs. New Covenant eras. Covenants and promises were made to Abraham in particular that eventually would involve NATIONAL Israel; and later on promises were made to the church in the New Covenant. In the future Millennial reign of Christ there are unique events that occur; primarily necessary from my viewpoint because when Christ actually physically rules and reigns on earth then less latitude is given for sin; judgment for rebellion is clear; and swiftly executed as no one will have an excuse that they didn't know better.
We also have some personal prophectic implications most noticeably seen with Isaiah and his family; Hosea and His unfaithful wife and finally King David. All three of these examples either have double fulfillment (near and far related to the individual and to the coming Messiah). This is also true of Christ who clearly divided Isaiah 61 between the first and second verses signifying His first and second arrival on earth even though no one at the time fully understood. We do well to learn from all examples jn scripture of progressive revelation.
Before we go into the parables Jesus employed them in order to illustrate realities of heaven from that of the earth. In Matt21:.45-46 we read that "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them./But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet". It was not for want of intelligence that they rejected Jesus but out of envy. The multitude took Jesus as a prophet so when he spoke truth it resonated within and accepted as truth. Besides God had given such power for the Son of man healed the sick and cast out the demons from among them. Faith is the only that can reconcile both the worlds.
12:1 " A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country." God is who planted the vineyard, the world. He made man his steward. By far country the heaven is implied. The world is hedged about refers the blessings God had promised in the everlasting covenant. The tower and the wine fat signifies the spirit of God and soul of man of which he has to give account. "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me," (Le.25:23)explains the significance of letting out to husbandmen.
v.2 "And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant," In next three verses we are considering Moses and the Law which as Israel set to work became for breaking the tradition of their fathers. The stoning of Stephen (Ac.7:59-60)
vv6-8 Jesus foretells of what the Jews intended to do. "And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard."
in v.9 "What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do?" The Gentile nations come in. The chief priests and Pharisees understood but without faith it was lost on them.
The twelve apostles were far from perfection and they had forsaken all was not enough. Significant is that the answer Jesus gave Peter was for all, so we need take it as applied to the discipleship. It is 'for my sake and the gospel's',"But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life." (vv.28-29). Jesus promised them,"Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."(Matt.18:.18) Notice that it is addressed to the twelve,"whatsoever ye shall bind on earth." Judas shortchanged his share 'now in this time' and in the world to come for 30 pieces of silver. It is for this reason the caveat given in v.31. " But many that are first shall be last; and the last first." St Matthew also gives it but judging the twelve tribes of Israel is given to the twelve. "And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."(Mattt.19:28) So the element of 'Now' is by the Law of Gradation is the authority of Jesus Christ and he foretells the guilt of the nation.
"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?/ Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:/That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar./Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation." (Matt.23:33-36)
Created over 3000 years ago,the Jewish calendar is based on the movements of the Moon and the Sun,and is therefore a lunisolar calendar.In this way,months are counted from the lunar cycles,and years from the solar cycles.Therefore,years can range from 12 to 13 months,with 29 or 30 days.
In September 2023 of the Gregorian calendar, the year 5784 of the Jewish calendar began, exactly on September 15th, and end will occur on October 2th, 2024 .
How to explain the difference of exactly 240 years in the Jewish calendar?
Trying to answer the question by/through/according to biblical events, I found three interesting and suggestive happenings of Jewish History within the Bible, which certainly Jews dismiss without an explanation, perhaps because of shame at facts that are a stain on the nation's history of Israel.
According to biblical events, I found three interesting and suggestive happenings of Israel's chatisements in Jewish History and within the Bible, as described below ,each one with its long period of time that certainly Jews discard without an explanation, perhaps because of shame of facts which are a stain on the history of the nation of Israel.(like their original fall; captivity; golden calf/idolatry/ rebellion against GOD)
1-The Jewish Calendar begins in Seth,not in Adam,so we have less 130 years here;
2-Jews do not consider their 40 years of wandering in the desert, from Egypt to the promised land;
3-They do not consider also their shameful 70 years of captivity in Babylon.
This explanation shows why the Jews calendar has a difference of 240 years as was above exposed.What other explanation could there be that would justify this difference of exactly 240 years?
I would like to know
Israel, as 'Dry Bones'- Ezekiel 37-Now,Dry land, but before was the clay( Isaiah 64:8), exactly when the Most High make a separation between water and water- Genesis 1:9-, that is, when the Most High separated the Hebrews from the Egypcians through Moses, and He created a celestial environment and called it of expanse, called heaven (that is the Dispensation of the Old Testament used in the Promised Land), then the Most High, the Lord, the I AM, separated the water (the Egypcians) that was BELOW of the expanse He created(an heavenly environment), and the water that that was ABOVE the expanse (the people of Israel- GOD's people), and it was evening, and it was morning, the second GOD's Day.
Genesis 1:10-19
10And God called the dry land Earth(israel);and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas(Gentile peoples/nations): and God saw that it was good.
11And God said,Let the earth(Israel)bring forth grass,the herb yielding seed,and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,whose seed is in itself,upon the earth:and it was so.
12And the earth brought forth grass,and herb yielding seed after his kind,and the tree yielding fruit,whose seed was in itself, after his kind:and God saw that it was good.
13And the evening and the morning were the third day.
14And God said,Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day(light)from the night(darkness);and let them be for signs,and for seasons,and for days,and years:
15And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven(expanse)to give light upon the earth:and it was so.
16And God MADE two great lights;the Greater Light-JESUS-to rule the day,and the Lesser light to rule the night:he made the stars also.
17And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18And to rule over the day and over the night,and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
19And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so "IN CHRIST" shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming"
What an marvelous saying!!
The key is being "in Christ"
This is the baptism he came to perform on all those who accepts him as savior! ( Jews and Gentiles alike)
This is what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 12:13. "unto the Jews first and then to the Gentiles"
This is what John the Baptist is saying to the Jews when preparing the way for their Messiah.
THE RESURRECTION.
The belief in the resurrection of the body is an vital aspect of our faith as we see in 1 Corinthians 15:17-20
Also the resurrection promotes a "New birth" taken place!
This is where the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead quickens our mortal bodies as mentioned in Romans 8:11-14.
So, we are baptized into Jesus death as mentioned in Romans 6:3.
Romans 6:4-11 gives us our present state by the power of the Holyspirit.
Verse 11 says we are to reckon "or to recognize" ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We have been given an earnest of the Holyspirit to will and perform inside us!
So, We have been given the earnest of the Spirit,
Sealed and predestinated, with a promise of redemption for the purchased possession. "by the blood of Christ."
This is what the resurrection means to us.
God bless.
"And I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not./He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me."
Jesus' call,"Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," includes not only the twelve but whosoever is called, and according to the scriptures (which hinges on the blessings spelt forth in the covenant,) is expected to respond.The living soul would mean whosoever valued truth above what is seen or temporal so life of the Spirit sets the polestar for his onward voyage. "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."(Re.22:16). It is thus the inner man presents the gospel to man. Faith with works renders him hold Jesus Christ as the Captain of his salvation and run the race so the only life he seeks is beyond life of the senses. Peter merely responded to the question and answered correctly, "Thou art the Christ."(8:29) Shortly there after he shows he was still struggling to find his feet in the matter of discipleship. Rebuking him Jesus said,"for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."(8:33). Peter and the rest had a long way to go but the promise was that they lived by grace, from his fullness. Wherever they fumbled Jesus was ther as in the case of the demon possessed boy, Jesus would say, "bring him unto me".
"Let him deny himself" also meant the disciples were amenable to correction. "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."( John 3: 21). Peter had to bear his cross, and denial of Christ was in the past for Jesus forgave his lapse and placed the flock under his care. "Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it."
9Awake,awake,put on strength,O arm of the Lord;awake,as in the ancient days,in the generations of old.Art thou not it that hath cut RAHAB,and wounded the DRAGON?
10Art thou not it which has dried the sea(by allegory,now peoples,and NATIONS,and multitudes of all tongues),the waters of the great deep;that has made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?(You know the Hebrews had to cross the Red Sea,and walk through a desert until they got to the Promised Land.What about GOD's people now in this current time?)Now GOD's people must go through(I mean win a war)against the Red Dragon)
11Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return,and come with singing unto Zion;and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy;and sorrow and mourning shall flee away
12I,even I,am he that comforteth you:who art thou,that thou should be afraid of a man that shall die,and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
13And forgettest the Lord thy maker,that has stretched forth the heavens,and laid the foundations of the earth;and has feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor,as if he were ready to destroy?where is the fury of the oppressor?
14The captive exile hastenes that he may be loosed,and that he should not die in the pit,nor that his bread should fail.
15But I am the Lord thy GOD,that divided the sea,whose waves roared:The Lord of hosts is His name
16And I have put my words in thy mouth,and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand,that I may plant the heavens,and lay the foundations of the earth,and say unto Zion,Thou art my people
Get ready
These verses at the end of the Bible and representing the end of the wicked is the end result of those who won't heed to warnings such as 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; see also Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:5 and many other scriptures on the subject. We do well to heed to what was said in the last verse of 1 Corinthians 6 of this reference (v. 11) where it states that some were this but they have been sanctified and justified.
There are several issues here that I feel need to be addressed. First is the difference between a sinful lapse; a sinful habit and a sinful lifestyle. All three of these behaviors could be attributed to nonbelievers; albeit in today's society there would be few that would care about a slip up except perhaps some atheists who hold to what they consider a moral standard superior to much of society. Clearly as a Christian we shouldn't play games with God with any type of sin. The third category; however is something that must be abandoned; otherwise there is no fruit of our salvation. Also we undestand that breaking the law in one area makes us guilty of breaking it all ( James 2:10). Often one sin leads to another; whether it is abuse or abandonment of a family due to the greed of a gambling addiction (something which is being advertised currently in local media); or murder stemming from the bad fruit of adultery or fornication that usually is also tied to greed or jealousy; etc.
The word "fearful" in Revelation 21:8 is in many translations "cowardly". It results when men fear man over God which we are to have a healthy fear of and ignores ( Proverbs 29:25). Wanting the praise of men is at least equally if not worse because it compromises our bold witness against sin ( John 12:43).
25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.
27 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
These verses at first glance seem to contradict the idea of the Grace of God. A basic argument that holds some water here is that the Spirit of God didn't work at it does today ( John 16:8) with a permanent indwelling as this and other verses promise.
We could also look at such instances as King Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:6 who apparently had a righteous life and God heard his prayer to continue 15 more years. One good study is with Saul's foolishness which ended with an early death after he saught wisdom from the witch of Endor in 1 Samuel 28. We see other wicked kings as well have a shortened life; perhaps also Solomon. Of course we all die physically; and some would argue the soul dies also only the spirit goes on to eternity. I would add the solution is in verse 31 of Ezekiel 18 which mentions getting a new heart and spirit. This only comes through the Lord ( Ezekiel 36:26-27). Without this we can superficially ask forgiveness every time an outward sin is found; but this doesn't make us able to do good because of man's sin nature; and ignores sins of omission as well as one's we aren't aware of. It also shows how we shouldn't boast how long we haven't sinned as some foolishly proclaim; ignoring warnings in 1 John about the fact that we are a liar if we claim we have no sin. God's children are corrected even through their sin in the sanctification process.
There are several speculations on what the mark may be, a literal mark, a computer chip, symbols, and more but the mark of the beast will be based on worship. It is the false prophet, the second beast who causes people to worship the first beast and his image. The number 666 goes back to Babylon, the 36 gods numbered 1 through 36, 6 columns and 6 rows the numbers were arranged in such a way that the sum of any given row, column, or diagonal was 111, and therefore the sum of all six rows or all six columns was 666, like 18+20+22+21+17+13 =111, 1+2+3 to 36=666.
We are told to have faith and patience Luke 21:19 Hebrews 6:12 and hear in Revelation 13:10 and Revelation 14:11 that if we are strong in our faith and patience we will have the steadfastness and endurance (the meaning of patience) to not give into the temptation of the three who is to come, Satan, the beast out of the bottomless pit and the beast who will be the false prophet, even if we face death, the hour of temptation, Rev. 3:10.
Something like this was done in the past in the Decian persecution in 250 AD. The decree ordered sacrifices be performed in the presence of a Roman magistrate, it was a signed and witnessed certificate, issued to that effect. People had to perform a sacrifice to the Roman gods and the well-being of the emperor.
Christians were put to death for refusing to perform the sacrifices, many others apostatized and performed the ceremonies, and others went into hiding. Those who compromised were able to prosper economically. By way of contrast, those who did not have the certificate were unable to buy or sell and suffered economic hardship. Buying and selling was done in marketplaces ruled by Rome. This may be similar to what is coming but a mark instead of a certificate.
Hope this helps.
God bless,
RLW
Look at earlier postings about ideas related to genetic DNA manipulation to render someone not human and therefore unredeemable. This would explain the wholesale destruction of all men except for Noah and his immediate family who was said to be "perfect" in his generations. ( Gen. 6:9). This would almost certainly have a primary reference to his genetic line not being contaminated with the sons of the giants or "men of renown" mentioned in Genesis 6:4. Christ came to redeem men not hybrid creatures and naturally angels that fell would also be unredeemable. Whether this business would be sold as an "evolutionary leap" or promise immortality or both is uncertain; but the "strong delusion" ultimately is sent by God; therefore men will worship the Beast and of course Satan who empowers him. The idea of rebellion comes to mind with what Cain did; and the original concept of the tower of Babel will come to its fruition "bringing the whole world together" in unity; so to speak.
The Tribulation likely begins with one man controlling all of the earth's wealth. That is seen in prophecies in Daniel 11:38 and prophecies such as him "dividing the land for gain" ( Daniel 11:39). See also Habukkuk 2:9 and the whole chapter there to see the consolidation of wealth. Despite his control of the 10 nation beast empire; we see in Revelation that the nations from the east and north amass to go after him. (sixth trumpet starting Revelation 9:13.) Therefore, he may have control over everyone economically but nations will still fight him. By Armageddon in Meddigo at least it appears all are damned after they are enticed to gather by the 3 demons from the frog like spirits coming from the "unholy" trinity. After fighting each other they turn and fight Christ which of course is futile. THose in the Ezekiel 38 campaign however have one sixth remain; I am guessing some don't have the mark and make it into the Millennium. I may discuss that later.
On my last commentary yesterday, I discussed the "mark of Cain" as mentioned in Genesis 4:15. This was something God allowed after Cain murdured his brother and was promised that he would be a vagabond on the earth from that point forth and Cain protested saying that was too hard. The Lord could have wiped him out at that point; but there was a greater lesson there.
Later on we see Lamech in Genesis 4:24 saying that he would be avenged seventy seven times after his violent acts.
Several things can be pointed out here; firstly this was the first time a mark on a person was given; and also God ultimately was the authority. Cain at the time would have been the only man alive; conceivably marrying one of his sisters later born to Adam and Eve so that God had to preserve him to continue the human race at that point at least until Seth was born; of course God knew ahead of time that others would reproduce; but also at the time there was no formal law regarding murder.
The main concept here and later passages is any mark whether of God or Satan is an identifier of a master and ownership. The idea that we ultimately have free will in regard to this issue seems to be ultimately not true. God once again mentions a mark with those who are mourning over the abominations at the time in the Temple of Jerusalem ( Ezekiel 9:4). God's mark again is mentioned with the 144,000 in Revelation 7 starting in verse 4. This is to make the judgments of God to not affect these men.
Of course the infamous mark of the Beast in Revelation 13 is something people will take or "decide" on; but all those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will not only take it but worship the Beast. ( Rev. 13:8).
Computer chips are now assimilating economic and health care information; so likely a chip is meant ("chargma") in original language means a mark on or under theskin
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