2 Thessalonians 2:11
"God will send them a strong delusion"
which means that God will
allow people
who actively reject the truth
to be
deceived by believing lies;
essentially,
giving them over to their
chosen path
of
falsehood
To the Church in Philadelphia
7To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.c
8I know your deeds. Behold, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can shut. I know that you have only a little strength, yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name. 9As for those who belong to the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews but are liars instead, I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and they will know that I love you.
10Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11I am coming soon.d Hold fast to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name.
13He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the Church in Laodicea
(Colossians 2:1–5)
14To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originatore of God’s creation.
15I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other! 16So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to vomit you out of My mouth!
17You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, white garments so that you may be clothed and your shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19Those I love I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me. 21To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches
Woe to David’s City
(Luke 19:41–44)
1Woe to you, O Ariel,
the city of Ariel where David camped!
Year upon year
let your festivals recur.
2And I will constrain Ariel,
and there will be mourning and lamentation;
she will be like an altar hearthb before Me.
3I will camp in a circle around you;
I will besiege you with towers
and set up siege works against you.
4You will be brought low,
you will speak from the ground,
and out of the dust
your words will be muffled.
Your voice will be like a spirit from the ground;
your speech will whisper out of the dust.
5But your many foes will be like fine dust,
the multitude of the ruthless like blowing chaff.
Then suddenly, in an instant,
6you will be visited by the LORD of Hosts
with thunder and earthquake and loud noise,
with windstorm and tempest and consuming flame of fire.
7All the many nations
going out to battle against Ariel--
even all who war against her,
laying siege and attacking her--
will be like a dream,
like a vision in the night,
8as when a hungry man dreams he is eating,
then awakens still hungry;
as when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking,
then awakens faint and parched.
So will it be for all the many nations
who go to battle against Mount Zion.
9Stop and be astonished;
blind yourselves and be sightless;
be drunk, but not with wine;
stagger, but not from strong drink.
10For the LORD has poured out on you
a spirit of deep sleep.
He has shut your eyes, O prophets;
He has covered your heads, O seers.
11And the entire vision will be to you like the words sealed in a scroll. If it is handed to someone to read, he will say, “I cannot, because it is sealed.” 12Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.”
13Therefore the Lord said:
“These people draw near to Me with their mouths
and honor Me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from Me.
Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.c
14Therefore I will again confound these people
with wonder upon wonder.
The wisdom of the wise will vanish,
and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.d”
15Woe to those who dig deep
to hide their plans from the LORD.
In darkness they do their works and say,
“Who sees us, and who will know?”
16You have turned things upside down,
as if the potter were regarded as clay.
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
“He did not make me”?e
Can the pottery say of the potter,
“He has no understanding”?
Sanctification for the Godly
17In a very short time,
will not Lebanon become an orchard,
and the orchard seem like a forest?
18On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,
and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
19The humble will increase their joy in the LORD,
and the poor among men will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
20For the ruthless will vanish,
the mockers will disappear,
and all who look for evil
will be cut down--
21those who indict a man with a word,
who ensnare the mediator at the gate,
and who with false charges
deprive the innocent of justice.
22Therefore the LORD who redeemed Abraham says of the house of Jacob:
“No longer will Jacob be ashamed
and no more will his face grow pale.
23For when he sees his children around him,
the work of My hands,
they will honor My name,
they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob,
and they will stand in awe
of the God of Israel.
24Then the wayward in spirit will come to understanding,
and those who grumble will accept instruction.”
◄ Isaiah 63 ►
God’s Vengeance on the Nations
1Who is this coming from Edom,
from Bozrah with crimson-stained garments?
Who is this robed in splendor,
marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I, proclaiming vindication,
mighty to save.”
2Why are Your clothes red,
and Your
garments like one who treads the winepress?
3“I have trodden the winepress alone,
and no one
from the nations was with Me.
I trampled them in My anger
and trod them down in My fury;
their blood spattered My garments,
and all My clothes were stained.
4For the day of vengeance was in My heart,
and the year of My redemption had come.
5I looked, but there was no one to help;
I was appalled that no one assisted.
So My arm brought Me salvation,
and My own wrath upheld Me.
6I trampled the nations in My anger;
in My wrath I made them drunk
and poured out their blood on the ground.”
God’s Mercies Recalled
7I will make known the LORD’s loving devotion
and His praiseworthy acts,
because of all that the LORD has done for us--
the many good things for the house of Israel
according to
His great compassion and loving devotion.
8For He said, “They are surely My people,
sons who will not be disloyal.”
So He became their Savior.
9In all their distress, He too was afflicted,
and the Angel of His Presenceb saved them.
In His love and compassion He redeemed them;
He lifted them up and carried them
all the days of old.
10But they rebelled
and
grieved His Holy Spirit.
So He turned and became their enemy,
and He Himself fought against them.
11Then His people remembered the days of old,
the days of Moses.
Where is He who brought them through the sea
with the shepherds of His flock?
Where is the One who set
His Holy Spirit among them,
12who sent His glorious arm
to lead them by the right hand of Moses,
who divided the waters before them
to gain for Himself everlasting renown,
13who led them through the depths
like a horse in the wilderness,
so that they did not stumble?
14Like cattle going down to the valley,
the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest.
You led Your people this way
to make for Yourself a glorious name.
A Prayer for Mercy
(Jeremiah 14:19–22)
15Look down from heaven and see,
from Your holy and glorious habitation.
Where are Your zeal and might?
Your yearning and compassion for me are restrained.
16Yet You are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us
and Israel does not acknowledge us.
You, O LORD, are our Father;
our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name.
17Why, O LORD, do You make us stray from Your ways
and harden our hearts from fearing You?
Return, for the sake of Your servants,
the tribes of Your heritage.
18For a short while Your people possessed Your holy place,
but our enemies have trampled Your sanctuary.
19We have become like those You never ruled,
like those not called by Your name.
Matthew 13:13-15
This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ / In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
Romans 11:8
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
2 Corinthians 3:14-15
But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed. / And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
Mark 4:12
so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
John 12:40
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”
Acts 28:26-27
‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, / in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.
Ephesians 4:18
They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.
Jeremiah 5:21
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
Ezekiel 12:2
“Son of man, you are living in a rebellious house. They have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house.
Deuteronomy 29:4
Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a mind to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.
Psalm 69:23
May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.
Isaiah 6:9-10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Isaiah 44:18
They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand.
Zechariah 7:11-12
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. / They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts.
Isaiah 1:2
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Isaiah 33:13,14
Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might…
Jeremiah 2:12
Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.
cry ye out, and cry.
Isaiah 22:12,13
And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: …
Matthew 26:45
Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mark 14:41
And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take yourrest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Revelation 19:13
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God.
Revelation 14:19-20
So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the grapes of the earth, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. / And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood that flowed from it rose as high as the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
Lamentations 1:15
The Lord has rejected all the mighty men in my midst; He has summoned an army against me to crush my young warriors. Like grapes in a winepress, the Lord has trampled the Virgin Daughter of Judah.
Joel 3:13
Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full; the wine vats overflow because their wickedness is great.
Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
Genesis 49:11
He ties his donkey to the vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He washes his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes.
Isaiah 34:6
The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood. It drips with fat—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.
Jeremiah 25:30
So you are to prophesy all these words against them and say to them: ‘The LORD will roar from on high; He will raise His voice from His holy habitation. He will roar loudly over His pasture; like those who tread the grapes, He will call out with a shout against all the inhabitants of the earth.
Psalm 75:8
For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours from His cup, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to the dregs.
Nahum 1:3
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. His path is in the whirlwind and storm, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.
Revelation 19:11-16
Then I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse. And its rider is called Faithful and True. With righteousness He judges and wages war. / He has eyes like blazing fire, and many royal crowns on His head. He has a name written on Him that only He Himself knows. / He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God. ...
Isaiah 34:2-3
The LORD is angry with all the nations and furious with all their armies. He will devote them to destruction; He will give them over to slaughter. / Their slain will be left unburied, and the stench of their corpses will rise; the mountains will flow with their blood.
Jeremiah 48:10
Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.
Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”
Isaiah 59:16-17
He saw that there was no man; He was amazed that there was no one to intercede. So His own arm brought salvation, and His own righteousness sustained Him. / He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance and wrapped Himself in a cloak of zeal.
Isaiah 25:10
For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.
Lamentations 1:15
The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.
Malachi 4:3
And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
and of the people.
Isaiah 63:6
And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
Isaiah 34:2-5
For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter…
2 Kings 9:33
And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot.
Romans 9:18
Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.
Exodus 4:21
The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
Deuteronomy 2:30
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass through, for the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into your hand, as is the case this day.
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12
For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, / in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.
Psalm 81:12
So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.
Romans 1:24-28
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. / They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen. / For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ...
1 Kings 22:22-23
And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ / So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
Ezekiel 14:9
But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.
2 Chronicles 18:21-22
And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ / So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
John 12:40
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”
Isaiah 6:9-10
And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ / Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Mark 4:11-12
He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, / so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
Matthew 13:14-15
In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
Acts 28:26-27
‘Go to this people and say, “You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.” / For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’
Jeremiah 5:21
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
Psalm 119:10,36
With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments…
Psalm 141:4
Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
Ezekiel 14:7-9
For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself: …
and hardened
Isaiah 6:10
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Deuteronomy 2:30
But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him: for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his heart obstinate, that he might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.
Joshua 11:20
For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.
return
Numbers 10:36
And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.
Psalm 74:1,2
Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? …
Psalm 80:14
Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;
Isaiah 63
Christ shows who he is
2. What his victory over his enemies
7. And what his mercy toward his church
10. In his just wrath he remembers his free mercy
15. The church, in her prayer
17. And complaint, professes her faith
Come Quickly to Me
(Psalm 70:1–5)
A Psalm of David
1 I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me.
Hear my voice when I call to You.
2May my prayer be set before You like incense;
my uplifted hands, like the evening offering.
3Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips.
4Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing
or take part in works of wickedness
with men who do iniquity;
let me not feast on their delicacies.
5Let the righteous man strike me;
let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion.
It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it.
For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.
6When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs,
the people will listen to my words,
for they are pleasant.
7As when one plows and breaks up the soil,
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
8But my eyes are fixed on You,
O GOD the Lord.
In You I seek refuge;
do not leave my soul defenseless.
9Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
and from the lures of evildoers.
10Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.
A Message for Shebna
15This is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “Go, say to Shebna, the steward in charge of the palace: 16What are you doing here, and who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here—to chisel your tomb in the height and cut your resting place in the rock?
17Look, O mighty man! The LORD is about to shake you violently. He will take hold of you, 18roll you into a ball, and sling you into a wide land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will remain—a disgrace to the house of your master.19I will remove you from office, and you will be ousted from your position.
20On that day I will summon My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority in his hand, and he will be a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.b 23I will drive him like a peg into a firm place, and he will be a throne of glory for the house of his father.
24So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house: the descendants and the offshoots—all the lesser vessels, from bowls to every kind of jar.
25In that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, the peg driven into a firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and fall, and the load upon it will be cut down.”
Indeed, the LORD has spoken.
The Resurrection Body
35But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” 36You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else. 38But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.
39Not all flesh is the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another, and fish another. 40There are also heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is of one degree, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is of another. 41The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
42So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable. 43It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”;e the last Adam a life-giving spirit.
46The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.47The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48As was the earthly man, so also are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. 49And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so also shall we bear the likeness of the heavenly man.
Where, O Death, Is Your Victory?
(Hosea 13:9–14)
50Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--52in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must be clothedf with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality,g then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
55“Where, O Death, is your victory?
Where, O Death, is your sting?”
56The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
The Army of Locusts
(Amos 7:1–9)
1Blow the ram’s horn in Zion;
sound the alarm on My holy mountain!
Let all who dwell in the land tremble,
for the Day of the LORD is coming;
indeed, it is near--
2a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness.
Like the dawn overspreading the mountains
a great and strong army appears,
such as never was of old,
nor will ever be in ages to come.
3Before them a fire devours,
and behind them a flame scorches.
The land before them is like the Garden of Eden,
but behind them, it is like a desert wasteland--
surely nothing will escape them.
4Their appearance is like that of horses,
and they gallop like swift steeds.a
5With a sound like that of chariots
they bound over the mountaintops,
like the crackling of fire consuming stubble,
like a mighty army deployed for battle.
6Nations writhe in horror before them;
every face turns pale.
7They charge like mighty men;
they scale the walls like men of war.
Each one marches in formation,
not swerving from the course.
8They do not jostle one another;
each proceeds in his path.
They burst through the defenses,
never breaking ranks.
9They storm the city;
they run along the wall;
they climb into houses,
entering through windows like thieves.
10Before them the earth quakes;
the heavens tremble.
The sun and moon grow dark,
and the stars lose their brightness.
11The LORD raises His voice
in the presence of His army.
Indeed, His camp is very large,
for mighty are
those who obey His command.
For the Day of the LORD
is great
and very dreadful.
Who can endure it?
Return with All Your Heart
12“Yet even now,”
declares the LORD,
“return to Me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
13So rend your hearts and not your garments,
and return to the LORD your God.
For He is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.b
And He relents from sending disaster.
14Who knows? He may turn and relent
and leave a blessing behind Him--
grain and drink offerings
for the LORD your God.
15Blow the ram’s horn in Zion,
consecrate a fast,
proclaim a sacred assembly.
16Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
assemble the aged, gather the children,
even those nursing at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
17Let the priests who minister before the LORD
weep between the portico and the altar,
saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD,
and do not make Your heritage a reproach,
an object of scorn among the nations.
Why should they say among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’”
Restoration Promised
18Then the LORD became jealous for His land,
and He spared His people.
19And the LORD answered His people:
“Behold, I will send you
grain, new wine, and oil,
and by them you will be satisfied.
I will never again make you
a reproach among the nations.
20The northern army I will drive away from you,
banishing it to a barren and desolate land,
its front ranks into the Eastern Sea,c
and its rear guard into the Western Sea.d
And its stench will rise;
its foul odor will ascend.
For He has done great things.
21Do not be afraid, O land;
rejoice and be glad,
for the LORD has done great things.
22Do not be afraid, O beasts of the field,
for the open pastures have turned green,
the trees bear their fruit,
and the fig tree and vine yield their best.e
23Be glad, O children of Zion,
and rejoice in the LORD your God,
for He has given you the autumn rains
for your vindication.
He sends you showers,
both autumn and spring rains, as before.
24The threshing floors will be full of grain,
and the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
25I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts--
the swarming locust, the young locust,
the destroying locust, and the devouring locustf--
My great army that I sent against you.
26You will have plenty to eat,
until you are satisfied.
You will praise the name of the LORD your God,
who has worked wonders for you.
My people will never again
be put to shame.
27Then you will know that I am present in Israel
and that I am the LORD your God,
and there is no other.
My people will never again
be put to shame.
I Will Pour Out My Spirit
(Acts 2:14–36)
28And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
29Even on My menservants and maidservants,
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
30I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth,
blood and fire and columnsg of smoke.
31The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and awesomeh Day of the LORD.
32And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD
will be saved;i
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance, as the LORD has promised,
among the remnant called by the LORD.
|
|
One of those events preceding
the day of the Lord
would be
the revealing of
the
man of lawlessness
(2 Thessalonians 2:3)
Also, Paul says, the “falling away” or “apostasy” (NASB) would come before the day of the Lord. Many have understood from this statement that before Christ returns many people will reject the faith and rebel against God.
The Greek word means “to be apart from or to stand apart from.” Paul uses the same word in 1 Timothy 4 when he explains that in the last days people will stand apart from (or fall away from) the faith and follow various kinds of falsehood (1 Timothy 4:1–3). So, there will be a standing apart from the faith or a great falling away before Christ returns. Wickedness will grow worse and worse (2 Timothy 3:13). This might be what Paul is referring to in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. On the other hand, Paul could be referring to the departure of the church (the rapture). Paul reiterates that the apostasia would come before the day of the Lord, and he could be referencing the church standing apart from or departing before the judgment falls.
In his second epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul assured the church that they were not yet living in the Day of the Lord, that is, the end times’ judgment had not yet begun. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 he says, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” According to God’s timetable, the Day of the Lord and the accompanying judgment will not start until two things happen: a global rebellion occurs and the Antichrist is revealed. Paul then mentions what is currently keeping the evil in check: “And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed” (verses 6–8).
Paul does not specifically identify what or who the restraining force is, since the Thessalonians already knew. Many scholars have speculated as to the identity of the restrainer, naming the restraining force as 1) the Roman government; 2) gospel preaching; 3) the binding of Satan; 4) the providence of God; 5) the Jewish state; 6) the church; 7) the Holy Spirit; and 8) Michael the archangel. We believe the restrainer is none other than the Holy Spirit, or we could say the Holy Spirit working through the New Testament church.
Supporting the idea that the Holy Spirit within the church is the restrainer is the fact that the restrainer is referenced both as a thing (neuter gender, verse 6) and as a person (masculine gender, verse 7). Also, the power delaying Satan’s masterplan to unveil his false messiah must be of God. It makes much more sense to say that the Holy Spirit is curbing the devil than a political entity or even an angel. The Holy Spirit of God is the only Person with sufficient (supernatural) power to do this restraining.
Of course, the Spirit works through believers to accomplish this. The church, indwelt by the Spirit of God, has always been part of what holds society back from the swelling tide of lawless living. At some point, Paul says, the Spirit will “step aside” from His restraining work, allowing sin to have dominion over mankind. Second Thessalonians 2:7 can be literally rendered, “The secret of lawlessness is already working, only it cannot be revealed until he who now withholds disappears from the midst.” We believe this “disappearing from the midst” will happen at the time the church leaves the earth at the rapture. The Holy Spirit will still be present in the earth, of course, but He will be taken out of the way in the sense that His unique sin-restraining ministry—through God’s people—will be removed (see Genesis 6:3).
Second Thessalonians 2 is clear that the removal of the restrainer’s influence precedes the revealing of the Antichrist. Given free rein during the tribulation, the lawless one will “use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders” to deceive the people of the earth (verses 9–10). After the Antichrist’s time is up, the Lord Jesus will return and overthrow the man of sin by “the breath of his mouth and destroy [him] by the splendor of his coming” (verse 8). Evil is restrained right now; once the Church Age ends, the hindrance to evil will be removed, and the rebellion will seem to be winning; however, the ultimate doom of evil is sure.
The Man of Lawlessness
1Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come. 3Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. 4He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.
5Do you not remember that I told you these things while I was still with you? 6And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one who now restrains it will continue until he is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will slay with the breath of His mouth and annihilate by the majesty of His arrival.
9The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, 10and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. 11For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, 12in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.
Stand Firm
13But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginninga to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth. 14To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we taught you, whether by speech or by letter.
16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.
Romans 1:24-28
Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity for the dishonoring of their bodies with one another. / They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen. / For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ...
Isaiah 66:4
So I will choose their punishment and I will bring terror upon them, because I called and no one answered, I spoke and no one listened. But they did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”
Ezekiel 14:9
But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.
1 Kings 22:22-23
And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’ / So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
John 12:40
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”
2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
1 Timothy 4:1-2
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, / influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.
Matthew 24:24
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
Revelation 13:14
Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.
Jeremiah 4:10
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, how completely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ while a sword is at our throats.”
1 John 4:6
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
1 John 2:18-19
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. / They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
2 Peter 2:1-3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. / Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed. / In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3
If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, / and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” / you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Zechariah 8:10
For before those days neither man nor beast received wages, nor was there safety from the enemy for anyone who came or went, for I had turned every man against his neighbor.
The Truth
about
ITown Church
Private group 708 Members
https://player.fm/series/life-after-mlm/episode-230-sandy-rusk
Church Harm due to Itown Church
I created this private group for people who have experienced
"church harm"
due to Itown Church.
My goal was to allow people to
find support,
encouragement and to know that
they are not alone.
It is a safe space with no victim blaming and no drama.
It is not a place to debate whether
Itown
is a good "church"
or if
Dave and Kate Sumrall
are good "pastors"
Thank you
to everyone
who has been brave
enough to share,
so far
If you have a story, feel free to share it here. You are welcome to use the Anonymous Feature if you like.
In 2011, I was a single mom raising my teenage daughter. I allowed her to begin attending Itown. I thought, what better place for my daughter to be while I was working than at a church. I blindly trusted Dave Sumrall, Kate Sumrall and Itown with my 14 year old daughter. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I had no idea of the manipulation and control that was happening to her behind my back. 13 years later she is still under their control 100%. I have not been allowed to see or speak to my daughter in 4 years.
Yet, they are often on stage, online, on tv
and now on
billboards professing to be
Christian Pastors
and that they are "all about family"
I came out publicly
with my complete story of devastation
at the hands of Itown Church
in an interview with
Investigative Reporter Roberta Blevins
Actively
hiding, disguising, or keeping
a
mistake or sin hidden
rather than
correcting it is referred to as a
“cover-up.”
The church should not be involved
in cover-ups.
Anyone with knowledge
of abuse or who suspects abuse is
morally obligated
to act on such information.
(Romans 13:1–7).
The goal should be to
discover
truth and seek justice--
not to
prioritize reputation.
Cover-ups seek to evade consequences while ignoring
the harm caused by an incident.
Covering up abuse is sinful because it
perpetuates wrong,
exalts what God hates, and ignores state law.
In the long run, covering up abuse will have
far worse consequences
than dealing with the truth immediately.
Any professing Christian individual or organization
who participates
in a cover-up of abuse, as legally defined,
is guilty of sin.
To identify oneself with the Lord
while enabling sin
violates the command not to take
His name in vain.
Denying victims justice
through crafty deflections is a
rejection of the Lord’s will
(Isaiah 10:1–2; Mark 7:9–13).
Such actions lead
to people
blaspheming the Lord
(Romans 2:23–24).
God’s people are called
to protect
the weak and vulnerable,
not exploit them
(see Exodus 22:22).
God hates
any attempt to use good things
as a
cover-up for sin and evil
(Proverbs 21:27; 1 Peter 2:16).
Those who participate in a cover-up often claim good intentions.
A common excuse
for creating
these smokescreens is guarding the
faith-based group’s reputation.
By covering up
one person’s sin,
the organization reasons it
can continue
proclaiming the gospel
or doing other good work.
This thinking is misguided.
Christians are called
to protect
the weak and hurting
(Proverbs 22:22; 31:8–9)
and should be committed to the
TRUTH
Another rationalization for cover-ups is the idea that grace and forgiveness should trump correction. But true repentance never dispenses with justice. Biblical commands to rebuke, correct,
or excommunicate some people provide the very means by which heinous sin is to be resolved
(1 Corinthians 5:9–13; 1 Timothy 5:20).
Dodging the consequences
of abuse
is done at the
cost
of those who have been
harmed
(Proverbs 19:5)
Confronting abuse can be painful.
But few things interfere with evangelism
more than professing Christians using
deceptive,
cynical schemes to protect their reputation
(2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Peter 3:17)
Most attempted cover-ups will be found out in this life.
And those who think
God
will look the other way
are
sorely mistaken
(Psalm 10:11–15).
God is aware and cannot be fooled (Matthew 12:36; Hebrews 4:13).
Jesus pointedly warned
hypocritical religious leaders
that their secret
actions would be uncovered
(Luke 12:2–3).
Secret sins will eventually be exposed
(Numbers 32:23; Proverbs 26:26; Ecclesiastes 12:14).
Once discovered,
cover-ups
will always make the church or group
look worse.
It is better
to be criticized while repenting of sin
than
to protect one’s reputation
while lying
(Proverbs 16:8; 28:6).
Never should we allow sin to continue
and
victims to suffer
Cover-ups erode trust in everything an
organization says.
Abuse involves a violation of trust; a cover-up only
magnifies
that violation and worsens the scandal.
After a cover-up of abuse is discovered,
whatever moral statements the
person, church, or organization makes
are rightly seen
as hypocritical, even if they are
biblically correct.
It would be foolish to assume leaders
who enabled or hid abuse
in a church should be trusted to suddenly
“do the right thing”
after they have been caught.
A good way to prevent cover-ups is to establish
a clear sense of accountability.
This applies to individuals and to organizations.
Transparency and integrity
are
important standards to uphold
to prevent abuse
from
happening in the first place
(2 Corinthians 8:20–22).
Nothing enables abuse within the church
more than leaders
who sense they are not truly
accountable
The Bible
holds leaders to high standards
(1 Timothy 3:1–13; James 3:1),
and they are to be called to account if they fail
(see Galatians 2:11–13; Proverbs 27:5).
Believers are to carefully
compare all things—including
the
words and actions of leaders--
to God’s truth,
regardless of who those
leaders are
(Proverbs 18:17; Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1; Ephesians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 5:21).
If abuse does happen, the
only acceptable remedy is truthful humility.
Care for the victim is paramount--
far more important
than preserving the reputation of the abuser.
Ideally,
victims of abuse should
feel
empowered to speak up.
This needs to be part of a church’s fundamental culture.
Those guilty of abuse, whoever they are, should be confronted.
In a church situation, they should undergo proper church discipline
(Matthew 18:15–20);
in all situations, they should also be referred to the
proper legal authorities
(Romans 13:1–5).
Care and restitution for victims
must be important parts of the process.
Abuse is a clear violation of God’s will.
Both abuse and cover-ups are twisted
opposites
of
God’s command for Christians to be known
for
their love toward others
(John 13:35).
There is nothing loving
about disguising sin
or failing
to address it with
integrity
The Truth
about
ITown Church
Private group 708 Members
https://player.fm/series/life-after-mlm/episode-230-sandy-rusk
Church Harm due to Itown Church
I created this private group for people who have experienced
"church harm"
due to Itown Church.
My goal was to allow people to
find support,
encouragement and to know that
they are not alone.
It is a safe space with no victim blaming and no drama.
It is not a place to debate whether
Itown
is a good "church"
or if
Dave and Kate Sumrall
are good "pastors"
Thank you
to everyone
who has been brave
enough to share,
so far
If you have a story, feel free to share it here. You are welcome to use the Anonymous Feature if you like.
In 2011, I was a single mom raising my teenage daughter. I allowed her to begin attending Itown. I thought, what better place for my daughter to be while I was working than at a church. I blindly trusted Dave Sumrall, Kate Sumrall and Itown with my 14 year old daughter. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I had no idea of the manipulation and control that was happening to her behind my back. 13 years later she is still under their control 100%. I have not been allowed to see or speak to my daughter in 4 years.
Yet, they are often on stage, online, on tv
and now on
billboards professing to be
Christian Pastors
and that they are "all about family"
I came out publicly
with my complete story of devastation
at the hands of Itown Church
in an interview with
Investigative Reporter Roberta Blevins
Actively
hiding, disguising, or keeping
a
mistake or sin hidden
rather than
correcting it is referred to as a
“cover-up.”
The church should not be involved
in cover-ups.
Anyone with knowledge
of abuse or who suspects abuse is
morally obligated
to act on such information.
(Romans 13:1–7).
The goal should be to
discover
truth and seek justice--
not to
prioritize reputation.
Cover-ups seek to evade consequences while ignoring
the harm caused by an incident.
Covering up abuse is sinful because it
perpetuates wrong,
exalts what God hates, and ignores state law.
In the long run, covering up abuse will have
far worse consequences
than dealing with the truth immediately.
Any professing Christian individual or organization
who participates
in a cover-up of abuse, as legally defined,
is guilty of sin.
To identify oneself with the Lord
while enabling sin
violates the command not to take
His name in vain.
Denying victims justice
through crafty deflections is a
rejection of the Lord’s will
(Isaiah 10:1–2; Mark 7:9–13).
Such actions lead
to people
blaspheming the Lord
(Romans 2:23–24).
God’s people are called
to protect
the weak and vulnerable,
not exploit them
(see Exodus 22:22).
God hates
any attempt to use good things
as a
cover-up for sin and evil
(Proverbs 21:27; 1 Peter 2:16).
Those who participate in a cover-up often claim good intentions.
A common excuse
for creating
these smokescreens is guarding the
faith-based group’s reputation.
By covering up
one person’s sin,
the organization reasons it
can continue
proclaiming the gospel
or doing other good work.
This thinking is misguided.
Christians are called
to protect
the weak and hurting
(Proverbs 22:22; 31:8–9)
and should be committed to the
TRUTH
Another rationalization for cover-ups is the idea that grace and forgiveness should trump correction. But true repentance never dispenses with justice. Biblical commands to rebuke, correct,
or excommunicate some people provide the very means by which heinous sin is to be resolved
(1 Corinthians 5:9–13; 1 Timothy 5:20).
Dodging the consequences
of abuse
is done at the
cost
of those who have been
harmed
(Proverbs 19:5)
Confronting abuse can be painful.
But few things interfere with evangelism
more than professing Christians using
deceptive,
cynical schemes to protect their reputation
(2 Corinthians 4:2; 1 Peter 3:17)
Most attempted cover-ups will be found out in this life.
And those who think
God
will look the other way
are
sorely mistaken
(Psalm 10:11–15).
God is aware and cannot be fooled (Matthew 12:36; Hebrews 4:13).
Jesus pointedly warned
hypocritical religious leaders
that their secret
actions would be uncovered
(Luke 12:2–3).
Secret sins will eventually be exposed
(Numbers 32:23; Proverbs 26:26; Ecclesiastes 12:14).
Once discovered,
cover-ups
will always make the church or group
look worse.
It is better
to be criticized while repenting of sin
than
to protect one’s reputation
while lying
(Proverbs 16:8; 28:6).
Never should we allow sin to continue
and
victims to suffer
Cover-ups erode trust in everything an
organization says.
Abuse involves a violation of trust; a cover-up only
magnifies
that violation and worsens the scandal.
After a cover-up of abuse is discovered,
whatever moral statements the
person, church, or organization makes
are rightly seen
as hypocritical, even if they are
biblically correct.
It would be foolish to assume leaders
who enabled or hid abuse
in a church should be trusted to suddenly
“do the right thing”
after they have been caught.
A good way to prevent cover-ups is to establish
a clear sense of accountability.
This applies to individuals and to organizations.
Transparency and integrity
are
important standards to uphold
to prevent abuse
from
happening in the first place
(2 Corinthians 8:20–22).
Nothing enables abuse within the church
more than leaders
who sense they are not truly
accountable
The Bible
holds leaders to high standards
(1 Timothy 3:1–13; James 3:1),
and they are to be called to account if they fail
(see Galatians 2:11–13; Proverbs 27:5).
Believers are to carefully
compare all things—including
the
words and actions of leaders--
to God’s truth,
regardless of who those
leaders are
(Proverbs 18:17; Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1; Ephesians 5:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 5:21).
If abuse does happen, the
only acceptable remedy is truthful humility.
Care for the victim is paramount--
far more important
than preserving the reputation of the abuser.
Ideally,
victims of abuse should
feel
empowered to speak up.
This needs to be part of a church’s fundamental culture.
Those guilty of abuse, whoever they are, should be confronted.
In a church situation, they should undergo proper church discipline
(Matthew 18:15–20);
in all situations, they should also be referred to the
proper legal authorities
(Romans 13:1–5).
Care and restitution for victims
must be important parts of the process.
Abuse is a clear violation of God’s will.
Both abuse and cover-ups are twisted
opposites
of
God’s command for Christians to be known
for
their love toward others
(John 13:35).
There is nothing loving
about disguising sin
or failing
to address it with
integrity
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets,
he interpreted to them in
all the Scriptures the things concerning himself"
(Luke 24:27)
When I was a fairly new Jewish believer in Yeshua, I had a conversation with a dying man that literally changed the course of my life. When I tried to share the "Romans Road" (a gospel presentation using verses from the book of Romans) with him he said to me, "You believe Jesus is the Messiah because you are relying on biased Christian translation of the Hebrew Bible. If you were able to read the Hebrew Bible for yourself, you would know that Jesus cannot be the Jewish Messiah."
Although this was the last conversation I ever had with him (he passed away shortly after), I decided to take his challenge to heart. And apart from accepting Yeshua, this was the best decision I've ever made. At nineteen years old, I started to walk the "Emmaus Road" (see Luke 24:13) and have never stopped walking it since.
Almost my entire formal and informal education has been devoted to understanding the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings in their original language and in their literary contexts. I say this not to boast (God forbid) but out of excitement for the treasures I've found in the Hebrew Bible throughout this incredible journey. The more I understand the Hebrew Bible, the more I understand why the Jewish apostles who wrote the Greek New Testament put their faith in Yeshua.
As vital as it is to know and to travel the Romans Road, there is a road Paul himself had to travel in order to write it. And it's called the Emmaus Road. So if we truly want to appreciate the view from Rome, we must first journey the Messianic trails of the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.
"Then he said to them,
'These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in
the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms
must be fulfilled.'
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures"
(Luke 24:44-45).
Samson
And The Oil Press:
Gethsemane
Matthew 26:36-39
Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
Jesus’ sufferings began here,
in the
garden of Gethsemane
In Hebrew,
this name means
“Oil press.”
It is no coincidence that it was so
named.
The Holy Spirit,
our Master Storyteller,
is drawing
for us some very graphic
pictures of Jesus.
He went to Gethsemane right after the Last Supper with His disciples in the upper room. There are two times when it is lawful for one to partake of the Passover: The evening before or the evening of the feast. Jesus partook the day before so that He could take His place as the REAL LAMB of God Who would pay for the sins of the whole world.
He knew all too well what was coming in the hours ahead and needed strength and comfort from His Father to weather the coming storm. He was so distressed in body and soul that He literally sweat great drops of blood!
Pronounced, “Gat-Shemané,” it is derived from two Hebrew words: “Gat,” which means “A place for pressing oil (or wine)” and “Shemanim,” which means “oils.”
History Of Olive Oil Production.
Olive presses have been in use since the Greeks first began pressing olives over 5,000 years ago. They work by applying pressure to olive paste in order to separate the liquid oil and vegetation water from the solid material. The oil and vegetation water are then separated by standard decantation, a process which separates the mixtures. It acts to remove a layer of liquid, generally one from which a precipitate has settled.
Samson.
In ancient Israel, heavy stone slabs were lowered onto olives that had already been crushed in an olive crusher. This is the kind of work that Samson did after he was betrayed by Delilah, eyes gouged out, and taken captive by the Philistines. He was chained to an olive press and used as a workhorse to produce olive oil.
He was Bruised.
The first mention of “Gethsemane” in the Bible is here, in Matthew 26. It is recorded only 7 times. Seven in Bible numerics means “Completeness, promise or oath.” It’s a picture of Jesus Who was crushed for us until every sin and every curse was paid for in full.
This brings to mind Isaiah 53:5 which says “But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.”
Just as our Father promised, when Jesus died that day, He completed the work. His Father swore an oath to deliver us and He did. Amazing!
Think about it: The One Who is Faithful and True, Who CANNOT LIE, SWORE AN OATH; and delivered up His own beloved Son to die for us all. For our sakes, Jesus poured out of Himself everything He had, was forsaken by His Father, so that you and could have what He has, never be forsaken,
and cry to Him, “Abba! Father!”
Why would God, the faithful and true, Who CANNOT lie, swear an oath?
To reassure you and I, the wishy-washy, faithless ones.
IT IS FINISHED!!!
The Blessing Of Judah
Way back in Genesis, Jacob called his sons to himself just before he died to speak a blessing over each of them. All except Joseph and his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, are recorded in chapter 49. Joseph’s sons blessings appear in the previous chapter.
Here is the blessing he pronounced
over Judah:
“Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh {Jesus} comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,
HE WASHED HIS GARMENTS IN WINE,
AND HIS CLOTHES
IN THE BLOOD OF GRAPES.
His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.” Genesis 49:9-12
Blood Of Grapes.
Wine is made from grapes in much the same way as olive oil is pressed from olives. They must be crushed and trodden underfoot to release their sweet juice. To the Hebrew mind, the idiom here is “The blood of grapes.” This is known as a “Hebraism.” Both processes are depictions of what Jesus went through in redeeming us.
Three Steps.
It may interest you to know that the process of pressing olives to extract their oil consisted of three steps. The oil from the first pressing was used in the temple for the lamp which provided light in the temple. The oil produced from the second pressing was used for medicine. The oil produced by the third pressing was for the manufacture of soap for cleansing. Pretty descriptive if you ask me!
Pictures Of Jesus.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, the first “Pressing” where He shed great drops of blood, He,
Who would become the the Light of the world, allowed Himself to be “Taken captive.
At the scourging post, the second “Pressing,”
He took all our sicknesses upon Himself
for it says,“By His Stripes we are healed.”
Finally, on the cross, the third “Pressing,”
He paid for
all our sins by
His
perfect sacrifice
He cleansed the sins
of our
entire lives by His precious
blood.
He cleansed us with His heavenly “soap!”
Thank you
Lord for going through
the
oil press, “Gethsemane.”
The
Woman and the Dragon
A great sign appeared in Heaven:
A Woman
Clothed with the Sun,
with the
Moon under her feet
and a
Crown of Twelve Stars on
her head
She was Pregnant
and
Cried out in Pain
as she
was about to give
Birth
Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
The woman fled into the wilderness
to a
place prepared for her by God,
where she
might be taken care of for
1,260 days
Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down
They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman
and went off to wage war against
the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and
hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Psalm 2
Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against his anointed,
saying,
“Let us break their chains
and throw off their shackles.”
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
Ask me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear
and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Kiss his son, or he will be angry
and
your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9
Dave Sumrall, Itown Church
“Time to Put God First”
Deleted,
Removed and covered up
by Itown Church
Chris Hodges at Itown Church
Mirror Moments
.
Deleted,
removed and covered up
by Itown Church
The Bible
Uses Mirrors as a Metaphor
to compare the
Word of God to a Reflection
of
what's Inside a Person:
- James 1:23-24
Compares listening to the word of God but not acting on it to looking in a mirror and then forgetting what you look like. The passage shows the difference between those who merely hear the word and those who act on it. - 1 Corinthians 13:12
Compares current knowledge of divine things to seeing indirectly and imperfectly in a mirror.
Mirrors are also mentioned in other parts of the Bible, including:
- Exodus 30:17-18: Moses is commanded to make a bronze basin and stand for washing.
- Isaiah 3:22-23: The prophet Isaiah mentions mirrors as an object of finery for Jewish women.
- Ecclesiasticus 12:11: Compares the need to constantly watch to avoid harm from an enemy to the need to continually polish a metal mirror to keep away corrosion.
- Wisdom of Solomon 7:26: Wisdom is said to be a spotless mirror of the activity of God.
Mirrors are generally
symbolic of
spiritual and psychological depth
They can reveal who we are
on a deeper level,
representing a person's depth
of
soul and mind
But we all,
with unveiled face,
beholding as in
a
Mirror the glory of the Lord,
are being transformed
into the same image from
glory to glory,
just as from the Lord,
the Spirit”
(2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB)
With those few
words—“from glory to glory”—Paul
sums up our entire Christian life,
from redemption and sanctification on earth,
to our
glorious eternal welcome into heaven
There is a great deal of content packed into those few words. It’s all so important that Paul labors at great length, from 2 Corinthians 2:14 through the end of chapter 5, to open his readers’ eyes to a great truth. Let’s see why that truth matters so much.
The same Greek word for “glory” is used twice in the phrase from glory to glory, yet each usage refers to something different. The first “glory” is that of the Old Covenant—the Law of Moses—while the second is that of the New Covenant, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Both have astonishing splendor.
The Old Covenant was given to Moses directly from God, written by God’s own finger (Exodus 31:18). That root of our Christian faith is glorious indeed; it’s the glory we’re coming “from.” Yet the New Covenant, the glory we’re going “to,” far surpasses that of the Old.
The transformation is from the glory of the Law. Like the stone it was written on, the Law was inflexible and absolute, applying to all Israelites without much regard for individual circumstances (Hebrews 10:28). Though holy, good, and righteous in itself (Romans 7:12), the Law was, for us sinners, the letter that kills us (2 Corinthians 3:6). The Law was an external force to control behavior. In addition, stone, despite its strength, is earthly and will eventually wear away. The Law was merely a temporary guardian (Galatians 3:23–25) until something better came along.
The transformation is to the glory of the New Covenant, which far surpasses the Old in every way. It forgives us of our sin and gives us sinners life (John 6:63). It is written on believers’ hearts by the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3), so our obedience to God springs up from within us by God-given desires rather than by threats of legal punishment. In place of a cold set of writings as a guide for pleasing God, we now have Father, Son and Holy Spirit making their home with us, fellowshipping in loving intimacy, teaching us everything we must know and do (John 14:23; 16:13). That position in Christ is as permanent, eternal, and spiritual as God Himself, rather than temporary and earthly.
Paul is intent on directing Christians to focus on the spiritual glory of the New Covenant rather than the physical glory of the Old, as many Jews in his day refused to do. He compared the two types of glory by recalling how Moses absorbed and reflected God’s glory for a time after being in his presence (2 Corinthians 3:7–11, 13; cf. Exodus 34:29–35). Though Moses’ glow had a spiritual cause, there was nothing spiritual about the effect—any person, regardless of his relationship with God, could see the glow on Moses’ face, which he covered with a veil.
Not so the glory of the New Covenant. That can be seen only with a believer’s spiritual eyes—what Paul is doing his best to open, so that we discern the gospel’s glory. So he writes, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
But, as we move from glory to glory, there’s something even more important about the glory of the New Covenant that Christians must understand: its supernatural power to transform us. And that brings us to God’s ultimate purpose and destination for every believer, to transform us into the image of His own beloved Son (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:28–30; Philippians 3:20–21).
Before he finishes with the topic of being transformed from glory to glory, Paul presents yet one more astonishing claim: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This is the invitation the Lord makes to all Christians, to have our lives radically transformed here and now, by opening our eyes to see the glorious journey He is taking us on “from glory to glory.”
In our current state of existence, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are valuable to us and to the church, but their worth will run out when we are face to face with the Lord in heaven. These gifts only give us an obscured, unfinished picture of our spiritual reality, and they will ultimately pass away.
Paul uses two illustrations to explain this truth. First, he employs the example of a child maturing into adulthood: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” (1 Corinthians 13:11). Right now, we are like children playing with plastic toys that will wear out and become unusable. One day we will trade them in for the enduring, grown-up, perfection of eternity. Second, Paul contrasts looking at someone in a dull, dimly lit mirror with meeting that person face to face. In the Greco-Roman world, mirrors were fashioned out of polished metal discs that reflected a blurred, imperfect image, nothing like seeing someone up close, in vivid, eye-to-eye clarity.
Thus, now we see in a mirror dimly is Paul’s figure of speech for “now we have imperfect knowledge and understanding.” The New Living Translation renders the imagery like so: “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1 Corinthians 13:12, NLT). Flawless understanding and unrestricted knowledge of matters pertaining to God and His kingdom will only be achieved when we meet Jesus Christ in person.
The apostle John affirms that our knowledge of Jesus is partial now but will become clear when we see Him face to face: “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is” (1 John 3:2, NLT).
Within the Scriptures, we have the complete revelation of God, but our understanding of it remains limited (see 1 Corinthians 8:1–3). As we grow in the faith, we undergo a process of spiritual maturation as individual believers (2 Peter 3:18) and together as the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–16). Paul calls this progressive development toward Christian maturity “the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, ESV). It is our heavenward journey of intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ.
Along the way, we must stay laser-focused on Jesus, who is the trailblazing forerunner of our quest (Hebrews 12:1–2). He demonstrates the way through His perfect obedience to the Father (John 4:34; 5:30; Luke 22:42). As the Author and Perfecter of our faith, He not only inspires us, but Christ also empowers us to grow toward our heavenly stature. He starts the good work in us and “will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
In the meantime, until the Lord returns or we reach heaven, we have limited understanding and knowledge—we see in a mirror dimly. But one day our onward and upward growth in ever-increasing degrees of Christian maturity will culminate in heavenly perfection as “we bear the image of the heavenly man” (1 Corinthians 15:49).
The precise phrase river of life does not appear in the Bible. However, Revelation 22:1–2does refer to “the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” The apostle John, in his vision of the New Jerusalem, describes the river as flowing “down the middle of the great street of the city.”
The “water of life” referred to here does not have to be considered physical water as we know it. Rather, the water flowing from the throne is probably symbolic of the water of eternal life, crystal clear to reflect the glory of God in a dazzling, never-ending stream. The fact that the stream emanates from the throne tells us that eternal life flows from God to His people.
Water is a common symbolic representation of eternal life in Scripture. Isaiah refers to drawing water from the “wells of salvation” with joy (Isaiah 12:3). The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah rebuked the Israelites for abandoning God’s “spring of living water” and digging for themselves their own cisterns which could not hold water (Jeremiah 2:13). The Israelites had forsaken the living God, who alone provides eternal life, to chase after false idols, worldliness, and works-based religions. Men do the same today, refusing the water of life only Christ provides for a parched and dusty life of materialism and self-indulgence.
Jesus encouraged the Samaritan woman at the well to take from Him the water of (eternal) life so that she would never thirst again spiritually (John 4:13–14). Those who believe in Him, Jesus goes on to say in John 7:38, will have streams of living water flowing from them. Water is an appropriate and easily understood symbol for life. Just as physical water is necessary to sustain physical life on earth, living water from the Savior is necessary to sustain eternal life with Him. Jesus is both the Bread of Life (John 6:35) and the source of living water, sustaining His people forever.
The Hebrew word translated “unclean” in Leviticus is used nearly one hundred times in this one book, clearly emphasizing “clean” status versus “unclean.” Animals, objects, food, clothing, and even people could be considered “unclean.”
Generally, the Mosaic Law spoke of something as “unclean” if it was unfit to use in worship to God. Being “clean” or “unclean” was a ceremonial designation governing the ritual of corporate worship. For example, there were certain animals, like pigs, considered unclean and therefore not to be used in sacrifices (Leviticus 5:2); and there were certain actions, like touching a dead body, that made a living person unclean and temporarily unable to participate in the worship ceremony (Leviticus 5:3).
Leviticus 10:10 taught, “You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean” (ESV). The parallel between “holy” and “clean” (and “common” and “unclean”) reveals that the command was related to one’s spiritual condition, though physical actions were often involved.
Certain foods were unclean for Jews and forbidden for them to eat, such as pork, certain fish, and certain birds. A skin infection could make a person unclean or unfit for presence at the tabernacle or even in the community (Leviticus 13:3). A house with certain kinds of mold was unclean. A woman was unclean for a period of time following childbirth. On holy days couples were restricted from engaging in sexual activity as the release of semen made them unclean until evening (Leviticus 15:18).
While a wide variety of circumstances could make a person, animal, or item unclean, the majority of the laws outlined activities disqualifying a person or animal in connection with the tabernacle offerings. An animal offered for sacrifice had to be without defect. The person who offered the sacrifice also had to be “clean” before the Law; i.e., the worshiper had to comply with the Law and approach God with reverence.
In the New Testament, Jesus used the idea of being “clean” to speak of being holy. In Luke 11:39–41 He says to the Pharisees, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you–be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.”
“Clean” and “unclean” were concepts very familiar to those under the Old Testament Law. God called His people to separate themselves from the impurities of the world. The principle of being clean crosses into the New Testament as well, with the idea of living spiritually pure (2 Corinthians 6:17) and seeking to be holy, living a life worthy of our calling (Colossians 1:10).
At least two people were
paying attention
The prophets Simeon and Anna
are mentioned in Luke as
recognizing
the
Messiah’s visitation
at a time
when so many missed it
How did they manage to spot who that
precious baby was?
And what can we learn from their excellent example?
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,”
we are told in
Proverbs 13:12, “but longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
The Messiah had been a long time coming. A very, very long time.
The Messiah was first mentioned in Genesis 3:15 when God promised that the woman’s seed would crush the head of the serpent, and the clues never stopped coming.
Hints of sacrifice, parallels and parables, patterns and poetry, echoes and types are scattered throughout the Scriptures, along with some very blatant prophecies. God’s people had been waiting for thousands of years for the coming Savior. The awe and wonder expressed by both Simeon and Anna on holding the baby,
the bundle of delight, testifies to the truth of Proverbs 13:12.
What an intense experience of joy!
When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him according to the custom of the Law,
he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:27-32)
The Scriptures foretold that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). He would come out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1), and be called a Nazarene (Isaiah 11:1). He would do miracles and wonders, like walking on water (Psalm 77:19, Proverbs 30:4). He would be the Son of God (Psalm 2:12, Proverbs 30:4) and yet God Himself (Isaiah 9:6-7, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Zechariah 2:10). He would heal lepers, open the eyes of the blind, and the lame would leap for joy (Isaiah 35:5-6). He would be ‘cut off’ before the second temple was destroyed (Daniel 9:26), his hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:17), and he would be mocked and tortured before his execution (Isaiah 53:4-8). And that’s just for starters!
Click here to read more!
https://www.oneforisrael.org/.../simeon-and-anna-how-did.../
Reverence is honor and respect
that is deeply
felt and outwardly demonstrated.
Because of the Lord God’s awesome
power and majesty,
He is deserving of
the highest level of reverence
(Leviticus 19:30).
The Bible records reverence
as the
automatic response of everyone
who encounters the
awesome grandeur of the
Lord God Almighty
(Numbers 20:6; Judges 13:20; 1 Chronicles 21:16)
The idea of reverence for God started with God. In the Old Testament, God taught the Israelites how to show proper reverence by giving them hundreds of laws related to purity, holiness, and worship (Deuteronomy 5). Sinful humanity does not know how to worship a holy God with reverence and awe, so He spelled it out for us. His presence dwelt with Israel in the Ark of the Covenant, and they were not to touch it as a matter of reverence. The Holy of Holies inside the tabernacle also required the highest level of reverence (Leviticus 16:2). Whoever disobeyed God’s command about entering the Holy of Holies died instantly (Leviticus 22:9; Numbers 4:20; 1 Chronicles 13:9–10). The purpose of such strict rules was to define holiness and impress upon mankind the necessity for reverence in the presence the Lord. God is not to be trifled with.
In New Testament Christianity, reverence for God is demonstrated by our willingness to voluntarily die to self and obey His commands (Galatians 2:20; 5:13; James 2:12). Jesus reminded us that we must properly reverence God. He taught the disciples to begin their prayers with “Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9–13). Hallowed means “set apart as holy.” We are to treat the name of God with reverence.
Sacrilege is irreverence toward a sacred person, place, or thing. Sacrilege occurs when someone purposefully misuses a consecrated object, desecrates a hallowed place, or speaks in an irreverent manner of something related to God or religion. The word has Latin roots: sacer (“sacred”) and legere (“to steal”). At first the term sacrilege likely referred to acts of grave robbers who desecrated tombs but has come to refer to any “stealing” of sacredness from a religious place, object, or person.
King Belshazzar of Babylon committed sacrilege at a banquet when “he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that . . . had [been] taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and . . . as they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone” (Daniel 5:3–4). This was one of the last acts of Belshazzar, for he was killed that very night (verse 30).
Nadab and Abihu, two sons of Aaron, committed sacrilege when “they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command” (Leviticus 10:1). The misuse of their holy office resulted in tragedy: “Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord” (verse 2). Obviously, God considers sacrilege to be a serious offense.
The tabernacle (and, later, the temple) in the Old Testament was the place where God would meet with His people. The building and everything contained therein—such as the ark of the covenant—was sprinkled with the blood of a holy sacrifice and therefore set apart for God. Only the priests, who were also consecrated to the Lord for service, were allowed to enter the tabernacle. God struck dead anyone who violated the tabernacle or profaned the sacred articles (Numbers 16:1–40; 2 Samuel 6:6–7). The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the tabernacle by a thick veil and could only be entered once a year when the high priest offered a blood sacrifice for the sins of the people. One lesson the tabernacle taught was that God is holy and we are not—and we dare not commit sacrilege against Him.
Jesus warned the Pharisees against their sacrilegious practice of loose oath-taking. In their oaths, the Pharisees tried to make distinctions between the temple and the gold in the temple treasury (the latter being more holy in their eyes) and between the altar and the gift on the altar (the latter being more holy in their eyes). Jesus taught that the temple and everything associated with it was ultimately consecrated to God, so any oath made on any part of the temple was binding before God (Matthew 23:16–22).
One of the most common forms of sacrilege today is the profaning of God’s holy name and the name of our Lord Jesus. This is in direct violation of Exodus 20:7, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (cf. Psalm 139:20). The New Testament prohibits “unwholesome talk” (Ephesians 4:29), which certainly includes using God’s name as a swear word.
Though some churches today have saints and “holy” elements, there is no biblical reason to lift up one person, place, or item as more “sacred” than another. All believers, not just a select few, “are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). The Old Testament temple is gone, and now we are “God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Paul asks believers, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (verse 16). If someone today spray paints blasphemies on the side of a church building, it is indeed an act of sacrilege, but not because the wood and stone of the building are holy. It is the intent of the blasphemer to disrespect God, and he aims his action at an accessible, tangible representation of God, in his mind. That intent is what makes the vandalism sacrilege, and God sees the heart.
Even religious systems can promote sacrilege, if they “steal” the sanctity of God and apply it to people or things. Churches that canonize biblical characters or historical figures, pray to saints, command the adoration of iconsor relics, or foster reverence toward physical objects are guilty of sacrilege. People whom God has used should be shown respect and learned from, but they are still sinners saved by grace. Physical objects may have historical significance or meaning as religious symbols, but they should never be knelt before, prayed to, or sought out as a means of procuring grace.
The Parable of the Rich Fool can be found in Luke 12:13–21. The key to understanding this parable is in verse 15 (and later summarized in verse 21). Luke 12:15 says, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Jesus says this to the man who asked Him to arbitrate between him and his brother. In ancient times, the firstborn was guaranteed a double portion of the family inheritance. More than likely, the brother who was addressing Jesus was not the firstborn and was asking for an equal share of the inheritance. Jesus refuses to arbitrate their dispute and gets to the heart of the matter: Covetousness! Jesus warns this person, and all within earshot, that our lives are not to be about gathering wealth. Life is so much more than the “abundance of possessions.”
Jesus proceeds to tell the man the Parable of the Rich Fool. This person was materially blessed by God; his land “produced plentifully” (verse 16). As God continued to bless the man, instead of using his increase to further the will of God, all he was interested in was managing his increase and accumulating his growing wealth. So the man builds larger barns in place of the existing ones and starts planning an early retirement. Unbeknownst to him, this was his last night on planet earth. Jesus then closes the story by saying, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
So the point of the Parable of the Rich Fool is twofold. First, we are not to devote our lives to the gathering and accumulation of wealth. There is an interesting point made in the parable. God says to the man in the story, “And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” This echoes the thought expressed in Ecclesiastes 2:18 (“I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me”). You see it all the time in people who are singularly devoted to the accumulation of wealth. What happens to all that wealth when they die? It gets left behind to others who didn’t earn it and won’t appreciate it. Furthermore, if money is your master, that means God is not (Matthew 6:24).
The second point of the Parable of the Rich Fool is the fact that we are not blessed by God to hoard our wealth to ourselves. We are blessed to be a blessing in the lives of others, and we are blessed to build the kingdom of God. The Bible says if our riches increase, we are not to set our hearts upon them (Psalm 62:10). The Bible also says there is one who gives freely and grows all the richer (Proverbs 11:24). Finally, the Bible says we are to honor God with the first fruits of our increase (Proverbs 3:9–10). The point is clear; if we honor God with what He has given us, He will bless with more so that we can honor Him with more. There is a passage in 2 Corinthians that summarizes this aptly (2 Corinthians 9:6–15). In that passage Paul says, “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that having all contentment in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” We are blessed by God, so we can in turn “abound in every good work” and be a blessing in the lives of others. So, if God has blessed you with material wealth “set not your heart on it” and “be rich toward God.” That is the message of the Parable of the Rich Fool.
In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” He spoke these words as part of His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7), in which He had said it was foolish to store up treasures on earth where “moths and vermin destroy and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19–20); rather, He urged us to store up treasure in heaven where it will last forever. The obstacle that prevents us from wise investment is the heart. Wherever our treasure is, there will our hearts be (Matthew 6:21). We follow what has captivated our hearts, and Jesus made it clear that we cannot serve two masters.
Jesus’ call to follow Him is a call to abandon all other masters. He called Matthew from the tax collector’s booth (Matthew 9:9). Matthew obeyed and walked away from extravagant wealth and dirty deals. Jesus called Peter, James, and John from the fishing docks (Mark 1:16–18). To obey Jesus’ call meant that they had to leave behind everything they knew, everything they’d worked for. Jesus called Paul, a successful Pharisee, with the words, “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:16). Those words will never make it into a mass-market ad campaign for Christianity—but maybe they should, because that’s what it means to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). We must forsake everything else, no matter the cost (Matthew 10:34–39).
The Lord describes Himself as a “jealous God” (Exodus 34:14). This means He guards what is rightfully His. He is righteously jealous for our affections because we were created to know and love Him (Colossians 1:16). He is not jealous for His own sake; He needs nothing (Psalm 50:9–10). He is jealous for us because we need Him (Mark 12:30; Matthew 22:37). When we serve another master such as money, we rob ourselves of all we were created to be, and we rob God of His rightful adoration.
Jesus’ claim to us is exclusive. He bought us with His own blood and delivered us from our former master, sin (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; Romans 6:17). He doesn’t share His throne with anyone. During Jesus’ time on earth, some people followed Him for a ways, but their devotion was superficial (Luke 9:57–62). They wanted something Jesus offered, but they weren’t committed (Mark 10:17–22). Other things were more important. They wanted to serve two masters.
We cannot serve two masters because, as Jesus pointed out, we end up hating one and loving the other. It’s only natural. Opposing masters demand different things and lead down different paths. The Lord is headed in one direction, and our flesh and the world are headed in the other. A choice must be made. When we follow Christ, we must die to everything else. We will be like some of the seeds in Jesus’ parable (Luke 8:5–15)—only a portion of those seeds actually bore fruit. Some sprouted at first but then withered and died. They were not deeply rooted in good soil.
If we attempt to serve two masters, we will have divided loyalties, and, when the difficulties of discipleship clash with the lure of fleshly pleasure, the magnetic pull of wealth and worldly success will draw us away from Christ (see 2 Timothy 4:10). The call to godliness goes against our sinful nature. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can we remain devoted to one Master (John 6:44).
The Lord will be faithful to reward us for the service we give Him (Hebrews 6:10). Our ministries may differ, but the Lord we serve is the same. “The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8).
The rich young man loved his money more than God, a fact that Jesus incisively pointed out (Matthew 19:16–30). The issue wasn’t that the young man was rich but that he “treasured” his riches and did not “treasure” what he could have in Christ. Jesus told the man to sell his possessions and give to the poor, “and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (verse 21). The young man left Jesus sad, because he was very rich. He chose this world’s treasure and so did not lay up treasure in heaven. He was unwilling to make Jesus his treasure. The young man was religious, but Jesus exposed his heart of greed.
We are warned not to lose our full reward by following after false teachers (2 John 1:8). This is why it is so important to be in God’s Word daily (2 Timothy 2:15). That way we can recognize false teaching when we hear it.
The treasures that await the child of God will far outweigh any trouble, inconvenience, or persecution we may face (Romans 8:18). We can serve the Lord wholeheartedly, knowing that God is the One keeping score, and His reward will be abundantly gracious. “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
To blaspheme is to speak with contempt about God or to be defiantly irreverent. Blasphemy is verbal or written reproach of God’s name, character, work, or attributes.
Blasphemy was a serious crime in the law God gave to Moses. The Israelites were to worship and obey God. In Leviticus 24:10–16, a man blasphemed the name of God. To the Hebrews, a name wasn’t just a convenient label. It was a symbolic representation of a person’s character. The man in Leviticus who blasphemed God’s name was stoned to death.
Isaiah 36 tells the story of Sennacherib, king of Assyria, and his attempt to demoralize Jerusalem before he attacked. After pointing out Assyria’s many victories, he says, "Who of all the gods of these countries have been able to save their lands from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?" (Isaiah 36:20). Sennacherib committed blasphemy by assuming Israel’s God was equal to the false gods of the surrounding nations. The king of Judah, Hezekiah, points out this blasphemy in his prayer to God, in which he asks that God deliver them for the purpose of defending His own honor (Isaiah 37:4, 17). And that’s exactly what God did. Isaiah 37:36-37 explains, "Then the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there." Later, Sennacherib was murdered in the temple of his god Nisroch (Isaiah 37:38).
Followers of God are also responsible to make sure their behavior doesn’t incite others to blaspheme God. In Romans 2:17-24, Paul scolds those who claim to be saved through the law and yet still live in sin. Using Isaiah 52:5, Paul tells them, “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (verse 24). In 1 Timothy 1:20 Paul explains that he had abandoned two false teachers to Satan so they would “be taught not to blaspheme”; thus, promulgating false doctrine and leading God’s people astray is also a form of blasphemy.
Jesus spoke of a special type of blasphemy--blasphemy against the Holy Spirit—committed by the religious leaders of His day. The situation was that the Pharisees were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ miracles, but they attributed the work of the Holy Spirit to the presence of a demon (Mark 3:22-30). Their portrayal of the holy as demonic was a deliberate, insulting rejection of God and was unforgivable.
The most significant accusation of blasphemy was one that happened to be completely false. It was for the crime of blasphemy that the priests and Pharisees condemned Jesus (Matthew 26:65). They understood that Jesus was claiming to be God. That would, indeed, be a reproach on God’s character—if it wasn’t true. If Jesus were just a man claiming to be God, He would have been a blasphemer. However, as the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus could truthfully claim deity (Philippians 2:6).
A common tactic of
Satan
is to
imitate or counterfeit
the
things of God
in order to make himself
appear
to be like God
What is commonly referred to as the “unholy trinity,” described vividly in Revelation 12 and 13, is no exception. The Holy Trinity consists of God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Their counterparts in the unholy trinity are Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. While the Holy Trinity is characterized by infinite truth, love, and goodness, the unholy trinity portrays the diametrically opposite traits of deception, hatred, and unadulterated evil.
Revelation 12 and 13 contain prophetic passages that describe some of the main events and the figures involved during the second half of the seven-year Tribulation period. Although many Bible passages allude to Satan in various forms, such as a serpent or an angel of light, he is described in Revelation 12:3 as a “great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.” The color red indicates his vicious and homicidal personality. The seven heads symbolize seven evil kingdoms that Satan has empowered and used throughout history to attempt to prevent God’s ultimate plan from coming to fruition. Five of the kingdoms have already come and gone—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece.
All these kingdoms severely oppressed and persecuted the Hebrews, killing many of them. Satan’s intent was to prevent the birth of Christ (Revelation 12:4). The sixth kingdom, Rome, was still in existence during the writing of this prophecy. Under Roman rule, King Herod murdered Hebrew babies around the time of Christ’s birth and Pontius Pilate ultimately authorized the crucifixion of Jesus. The seventh kingdom, which is more fierce and cruel than the others, will be the final world kingdom that the Antichrist forms during the end times. These kingdoms were also prophesied in Daniel, chapters 2 and 7. The seven crowns represent universal rule, and ten horns represent complete world power or authority.
Revelation 12 indicates many important facts about Satan. Satan and one-third of the angels were cast out of heaven during a rebellion before the world began (Revelation 12:4). The Archangel Michael and the other angels will make war with Satan and his demons, and Satan will be excluded from heaven forever (Revelation 12:7-9). In his attempt to prevent God’s fulfillment of His earthly kingdom, Satan will attempt to annihilate the Jews, but God will supernaturally protect a remnant of the Jews in a location outside of Israel for the last 42 months of the Tribulation (Revelation 12:6, 13–17; Matthew 24:15–21).
The second member of the unholy trinity is the Beast or Antichrist described in Revelation 13 and Daniel 7. The beast comes out of the sea, which typically in the Bible refers to the Gentile nations. He also has seven heads and ten horns, indicating his connection to and indwelling by Satan. The ten horns indicate ten seats of world government that will provide power to the Antichrist, three of which will be totally yielded to or taken over by the Antichrist (Daniel 7:8). The number ten also indicates completion or totality, in other words, a one-world government. The one-world government will be blasphemous, denying the true God. The final kingdom will possess traits in common with the former “beast kingdoms” of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and particularly Rome (Revelation 13:2; Daniel 7:7, 23). Revelation 13:3 seems to indicate that the Antichrist will be mortally wounded about halfway through the Tribulation, but Satan will miraculously heal his wound (Revelation 13:3; 17:8–14). After this wondrous event, the world will be totally enthralled by the Antichrist. They will worship Satan and the Antichrist himself (Revelation 13:4–5). The Antichrist becomes emboldened, and, dispensing with all pretenses of being a peaceful ruler, he openly blasphemes God, breaks his peace treaty with the Jews, attacks believers and the Jews, and desecrates the rebuilt Jewish temple, setting himself up as the one to be worshiped (Revelation 13:4–7; Matthew 24:15.) This particular event has been called the Abomination of Desolation.
The final personage of the unholy trinity is the False Prophet, described in Revelation 13:11–18. This second beast comes out of the earth, not the sea, possibly indicating that he will be an apostate Jew coming from Israel. Although he presents himself as a meek, mild, and benevolent person, the horns indicate that he will have power. Jesus expressly warned believers to watch out for false prophets that may look innocent but actually can be very destructive (Matthew 7:15). The False Prophet speaks like a dragon, meaning that he will speak persuasively and deceptively to turn humans away from God and promote the worship of the Antichrist and Satan (Revelation 13:11–12). The False Prophet is capable of producing great signs and wonders, including bringing down fire from heaven (Revelation 13:13). He sets up an image of the Antichrist for worship, gives life to the image, demands the worship of the image from all people, and executes those who refuse to worship the image (Revelation 13:14–15). Revelation 20:4 indicates that the method of execution will be beheading.
The False Prophet will also compel each person to receive a permanent mark of some kind, just as slaves did in John’s day, to show total devotion to the Antichrist and renunciation of God. Only those who receive the mark will be permitted to engage in commerce. Acceptance of the mark means eternal death (Revelation 14:10). The Bible makes clear that humans will fully understand that, by accepting the mark, they are not only accepting an economic system but also a worship system that rejects Jesus Christ. Revelation 13:18 reveals the number of the Beast—666. No one knows precisely what this means. Some believe that the Antichrist’s first, middle, and last names will have six letters each. Some believe that the designation refers to a cyber stalking, voyerisom, satanic, evil computer chip, since some computer programs start with 666.
Satan is the anti-God, the Beast is the anti-Christ, and the False Prophet is the anti-Spirit. This unholy trinity will persecute believers and deceive many others, resulting in their eternal death. But God’s kingdom will prevail. Daniel 7:21–22 states, “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.”
Jesus said
that everything written about him
in the
Law of “Moses”, the PROPHETS
and the Psalms
must be fulfilled This is stated in Luke 24:44,
where Jesus says,
"These are my words
thatI spoke to you whileI was still with you,
that everything written about me in
The Law of Moses and The PROPHETS
and The Psalms must be fulfilled".
Jesus, the Son of God,
took on
human flesh. This is similar to the hypostatic UNION
The difference is that the hypostatic union
explains how Jesus’ two natures are joined, and the Incarnation
more specifically affirms His humanity
The word incarnation means “the act of being made flesh.”
It comes from the Latin version of John 1:14,
The Word became flesh and made
His dwelling among us.” proves that
Jesus’ Humanity Is extensive
The Gospels report Jesus’ human needs including sleep
(Luke 8:23), food (Matthew 4:2; 21:18),
and physical protection
(Matthew 2:13-15; John 10:39).
Other indications of His humanity are that He perspired
(Luke 22:43-44) and bled (John 19:34).
Jesus
also expressed emotions including joy
(John 15:11),
sorrow
(Matthew 26:37),
and anger (Mark 3:5)
During His life, Jesus referred to Himself as a man
(John 8:40),
and after His resurrection
His humanity was still recognized
(Acts 2:22)
But the purpose of the Incarnation
was not to taste food or to feel sorrow.
The Son of God
came in the flesh in order to be the Savior of mankind.
First, it was necessary to be born “under the law”
(Galatians 4:4).
All of us have failed to fulfill God’s Law.
Christ came in the flesh, under the Law,
to fulfill the Law on our behalf
(Matthew 5:17; Galatians 4:5).
Second, it was necessary for the Savior to shed His blood
for the forgiveness of sins
(Hebrews 9:22)
. A blood sacrifice, of course, requires a body of flesh and blood.
And this was God’s plan for the Incarnation:
“When Christ came into the world, he said
: ‘Sacrifice and offering [under the Old Covenant] you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me’”
(Hebrews 10:5).
Without the Incarnation, Christ could not really die,
and the cross is meaningless.
God did an incredible work in sending
His only begotten Son
into the world and providing us
with a salvation we do not deserve.
Praise the Lord
for that moment in which “the Word became flesh.”
We are now redeemed
“with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect”
(1 Peter 1:19).
Jesus said,
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear,
not the smallest letter,
not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means
disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished”
(Matthew 5:17–18)
This important statement of our Lord gives us
insight into His mission and the character of God’s Word
Jesus’ declaration that He came
to fulfill
the Law and the Prophets,
not to abolish them, obviously
contains two statements in one. There is something
Jesus did and something He did not do.
At the same time,
Jesus emphasized the eternal nature of the
Word of God.
Jesus goes out of His way to promote the authority of the Law of God. He did not come to abolish the Law, regardless of what the Pharisees accused Him of. In fact, Jesus continues His statement with a commendation for those who teach the Law accurately and hold it in reverence: “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven”
(Matthew 5:19).
Note the qualities that Jesus attributes to the Word of God, referenced as “the Law and the Prophets”: 1) The Word is everlasting; it will outlast the natural world. 2) The Word was written with intent; it was meant to be fulfilled. 3) The Word possesses plenary authority; even the smallest letter of it is established. 4) The Word is faithful and trustworthy; “everything” it says will be accomplished. No one hearing Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount could doubt His commitment to the Scriptures.
Consider what Jesus did not do in His ministry. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says that He did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets. In other words, Jesus’ purpose was not to abrogate the Word, dissolve it, or render it invalid. The Prophets will be fulfilled; the Law will continue to accomplish the purpose for which it was given (see Isaiah 55:10–11).
Next, consider what Jesus did do. Jesus says that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. In other words, Jesus’ purpose was to establish the Word, to embody it, and to fully accomplish all that was written. “Christ is the culmination of the law” (Romans 10:4). The predictions of the Prophets concerning the Messiah would be realized in Jesus; the holy standard of the Law would be perfectly upheld by Christ, the strict requirements personally obeyed, and the ceremonial observances finally and fully satisfied.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the Prophets in that, in His first coming alone, He fulfilled hundreds of prophecies concerning Himself (e.g., Matthew 1:22; 13:35; John 19:36; Luke 24:44). Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law in at least two ways: as a teacher and as a doer. He taught people to obey the Law (Matthew 22:35–40; Mark 1:44), and He obeyed the Law Himself (John 8:46; 1 Peter 2:22). In living a perfect life, Jesus fulfilled the moral laws; in His sacrificial death, Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial laws. Christ came not to destroy the old religious system but to build upon it; He came to finish the Old Covenant and establish the New.
Jesus came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them. In fact, the ceremonies, sacrifices, and other elements of the Old Covenant were “only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves” (Hebrews 10:1). The tabernacle and temple were “holy places made with hands,” but they were never meant to be permanent; they were but “copies of the true things” (Hebrews 9:24, ESV). The Law had a built-in expiration date, being filled as it was with “external regulations applying until the time of the new order” (Hebrews 9:10).
In His fulfillment of the Law and Prophets, Jesus obtained our eternal salvation. No more were priests required to offer sacrifices and enter the holy place (Hebrews 10:8–14). Jesus has done that for us, once and for all. By grace through faith, we are made right with God: “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14).
There are some who argue that, since Jesus did not “abolish” the Law, then the Law is still in effect—and still binding on New Testament Christians. But Paul is clear that the believer in Christ is no longer under the Law: “We were held in custody under the Law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the Law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian”
(Galatians 3:23–25, BSB)
We are not under the Mosaic Law but under
“the law of Christ”
(see Galatians 6:2)
If the Law is still binding on us today, then it has not yet accomplished its purpose—it has not yet been fulfilled. If the Law, as a legal system, is still binding on us today, then Jesus was wrong in claiming to fulfill it and His sacrifice on the cross was insufficient to save. Thank God, Jesus fulfilled the whole Law and now grants us His righteousness as a free gift.
“Know that a person is not justified by the
works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
So we, too, have put our faith in
Christ Jesus
that we may be justified by faith in Christ
and not by the works of the law, because
by the works of the law
no one will be justified”
(Galatians 2:16)
This was not John’s
personal message to these believers;
it was a message from the Lord,
who identifies Himself as “him who is
holy and true, who holds the key of David
What he opens no one can shut,
and what he shuts no one can open.”
This description of Jesus emphasizes
His holiness,
His sovereignty, and His authority.
The reference to the key of David is an allusion
to the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 22:22.
Jesus is the one who opens and shuts,
and no one can say Him nay
Jesus affirms the church’s positive actions:
“I know your deeds. See, I have placed
before you an open door that
no one can shut.
I know that you have little strength,
yet you have kept my word and have not denied
my name”
(Revelation 3:8)
The church of Philadelphia was weak in some respects,
yet they had remained faithful in the face of trial.
Because of this, the Lord promises them an “open door” of blessing
Jesus’ letter then condemns the enemies
of the
Philadelphian believers: “I will make those who
are of the synagogue of Satan,
who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will
make them come and
fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you”
(Revelation 3:9).
Jesus encourages the Philadelphian believers regarding His future coming: “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown”
(Revelation 3:10-11).
The church’s faithful endurance would serve as a blessing.
Jesus would take them to
be with Him before the coming tribulation
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
He also exhorts them
to remain faithful, because this would lead
to rewards in the afterlife.
Jesus provides a final promise to the believers in Philadelphia and to all believers: “Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down from out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name”
(Revelation 3:12)
Keys are used to lock or unlock doors.
The specific doors Jesus has in mind in
this passage are the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus is laying the foundation of His church
(Ephesians 2:20)
The disciples will be the leaders of this new institution, and Jesus is giving them the authority to, as it were, open the doors to heaven and invite the world to enter. At this point it is important to understand how, biblically speaking, one enters the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus said that, unless one is born again, he will not see the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:3). One is born again as the Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to bring about new life in a dead sinner. The content of the message is the substitutionary death of Christ and His subsequent resurrection (Romans 10:9–10). So the faithful preaching of the gospel is the key to the kingdom.
Jesus said
that everything written about him
in the
Law of “Moses”, the PROPHETS
and the Psalms
must be fulfilled This is stated in Luke 24:44,
where Jesus says,
"These are my words
thatI spoke to you whileI was still with you,
that everything written about me in
The Law of Moses and The PROPHETS
and The Psalms must be fulfilled".
Jesus, the Son of God,
took on
human flesh. This is similar to the hypostatic UNION
The difference is that the hypostatic union
explains how Jesus’ two natures are joined, and the Incarnation
more specifically affirms His humanity
The word incarnation means “the act of being made flesh.”
It comes from the Latin version of John 1:14,
The Word became flesh and made
His dwelling among us.” proves that
Jesus’ Humanity Is extensive
The Gospels report Jesus’ human needs including sleep
(Luke 8:23), food (Matthew 4:2; 21:18),
and physical protection
(Matthew 2:13-15; John 10:39).
Other indications of His humanity are that He perspired
(Luke 22:43-44) and bled (John 19:34).
Jesus
also expressed emotions including joy
(John 15:11),
sorrow
(Matthew 26:37),
and anger (Mark 3:5)
During His life, Jesus referred to Himself as a man
(John 8:40),
and after His resurrection
His humanity was still recognized
(Acts 2:22)
But the purpose of the Incarnation
was not to taste food or to feel sorrow.
The Son of God
came in the flesh in order to be the Savior of mankind.
First, it was necessary to be born “under the law”
(Galatians 4:4).
All of us have failed to fulfill God’s Law.
Christ came in the flesh, under the Law,
to fulfill the Law on our behalf
(Matthew 5:17; Galatians 4:5).
Second, it was necessary for the Savior to shed His blood
for the forgiveness of sins
(Hebrews 9:22)
. A blood sacrifice, of course, requires a body of flesh and blood.
And this was God’s plan for the Incarnation:
“When Christ came into the world, he said
: ‘Sacrifice and offering [under the Old Covenant] you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me’”
(Hebrews 10:5).
Without the Incarnation, Christ could not really die,
and the cross is meaningless.
God did an incredible work in sending
His only begotten Son
into the world and providing us
with a salvation we do not deserve.
Praise the Lord
for that moment in which “the Word became flesh.”
We are now redeemed
“with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect”
(1 Peter 1:19).
Jesus said,
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets;
I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear,
not the smallest letter,
not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means
disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished”
(Matthew 5:17–18)
This important statement of our Lord gives us
insight into His mission and the character of God’s Word
Jesus’ declaration that He came
to fulfill
the Law and the Prophets,
not to abolish them, obviously
contains two statements in one. There is something
Jesus did and something He did not do.
At the same time,
Jesus emphasized the eternal nature of the
Word of God.
Jesus goes out of His way to promote the authority of the Law of God. He did not come to abolish the Law, regardless of what the Pharisees accused Him of. In fact, Jesus continues His statement with a commendation for those who teach the Law accurately and hold it in reverence: “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven”
(Matthew 5:19).
Note the qualities that Jesus attributes to the Word of God, referenced as “the Law and the Prophets”: 1) The Word is everlasting; it will outlast the natural world. 2) The Word was written with intent; it was meant to be fulfilled. 3) The Word possesses plenary authority; even the smallest letter of it is established. 4) The Word is faithful and trustworthy; “everything” it says will be accomplished. No one hearing Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount could doubt His commitment to the Scriptures.
Consider what Jesus did not do in His ministry. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says that He did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets. In other words, Jesus’ purpose was not to abrogate the Word, dissolve it, or render it invalid. The Prophets will be fulfilled; the Law will continue to accomplish the purpose for which it was given (see Isaiah 55:10–11).
Next, consider what Jesus did do. Jesus says that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. In other words, Jesus’ purpose was to establish the Word, to embody it, and to fully accomplish all that was written. “Christ is the culmination of the law” (Romans 10:4). The predictions of the Prophets concerning the Messiah would be realized in Jesus; the holy standard of the Law would be perfectly upheld by Christ, the strict requirements personally obeyed, and the ceremonial observances finally and fully satisfied.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the Prophets in that, in His first coming alone, He fulfilled hundreds of prophecies concerning Himself (e.g., Matthew 1:22; 13:35; John 19:36; Luke 24:44). Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law in at least two ways: as a teacher and as a doer. He taught people to obey the Law (Matthew 22:35–40; Mark 1:44), and He obeyed the Law Himself (John 8:46; 1 Peter 2:22). In living a perfect life, Jesus fulfilled the moral laws; in His sacrificial death, Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial laws. Christ came not to destroy the old religious system but to build upon it; He came to finish the Old Covenant and establish the New.
Jesus came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them. In fact, the ceremonies, sacrifices, and other elements of the Old Covenant were “only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves” (Hebrews 10:1). The tabernacle and temple were “holy places made with hands,” but they were never meant to be permanent; they were but “copies of the true things” (Hebrews 9:24, ESV). The Law had a built-in expiration date, being filled as it was with “external regulations applying until the time of the new order” (Hebrews 9:10).
In His fulfillment of the Law and Prophets, Jesus obtained our eternal salvation. No more were priests required to offer sacrifices and enter the holy place (Hebrews 10:8–14). Jesus has done that for us, once and for all. By grace through faith, we are made right with God: “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14).
There are some who argue that, since Jesus did not “abolish” the Law, then the Law is still in effect—and still binding on New Testament Christians. But Paul is clear that the believer in Christ is no longer under the Law: “We were held in custody under the Law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the Law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian”
(Galatians 3:23–25, BSB)
We are not under the Mosaic Law but under
“the law of Christ”
(see Galatians 6:2)
If the Law is still binding on us today, then it has not yet accomplished its purpose—it has not yet been fulfilled. If the Law, as a legal system, is still binding on us today, then Jesus was wrong in claiming to fulfill it and His sacrifice on the cross was insufficient to save. Thank God, Jesus fulfilled the whole Law and now grants us His righteousness as a free gift.
“Know that a person is not justified by the
works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
So we, too, have put our faith in
Christ Jesus
that we may be justified by faith in Christ
and not by the works of the law, because
by the works of the law
no one will be justified”
(Galatians 2:16)
This was not John’s
personal message to these believers;
it was a message from the Lord,
who identifies Himself as “him who is
holy and true, who holds the key of David
What he opens no one can shut,
and what he shuts no one can open.”
This description of Jesus emphasizes
His holiness,
His sovereignty, and His authority.
The reference to the key of David is an allusion
to the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 22:22.
Jesus is the one who opens and shuts,
and no one can say Him nay
Jesus affirms the church’s positive actions:
“I know your deeds. See, I have placed
before you an open door that
no one can shut.
I know that you have little strength,
yet you have kept my word and have not denied
my name”
(Revelation 3:8)
The church of Philadelphia was weak in some respects,
yet they had remained faithful in the face of trial.
Because of this, the Lord promises them an “open door” of blessing
Jesus’ letter then condemns the enemies
of the
Philadelphian believers: “I will make those who
are of the synagogue of Satan,
who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will
make them come and
fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you”
(Revelation 3:9).
Jesus encourages the Philadelphian believers regarding His future coming: “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown”
(Revelation 3:10-11).
The church’s faithful endurance would serve as a blessing.
Jesus would take them to
be with Him before the coming tribulation
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
He also exhorts them
to remain faithful, because this would lead
to rewards in the afterlife.
Jesus provides a final promise to the believers in Philadelphia and to all believers: “Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down from out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name”
(Revelation 3:12)
Keys are used to lock or unlock doors.
The specific doors Jesus has in mind in
this passage are the doors to the Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus is laying the foundation of His church
(Ephesians 2:20)
The disciples will be the leaders of this new institution, and Jesus is giving them the authority to, as it were, open the doors to heaven and invite the world to enter. At this point it is important to understand how, biblically speaking, one enters the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus said that, unless one is born again, he will not see the Kingdom of Heaven (John 3:3). One is born again as the Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to bring about new life in a dead sinner. The content of the message is the substitutionary death of Christ and His subsequent resurrection (Romans 10:9–10). So the faithful preaching of the gospel is the key to the kingdom.
