Favorite words I heard today- "I'm a believer, I always say us believers may have different mothers but we have the same father."
My Heart.
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Having your Bible out while you work is a great conversation starter. Favorite words I heard today- "I'm a believer, I always say us believers may have different mothers but we have the same father." My Heart.
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As you live and prepare for the eventual return of Jesus,
there is a period of time that will happen on the earth which is known as the Great Tribulation. This will be a time of horror and judgment upon the earth that will be unmatched by any other time in human history. The book of Revelation describes the events that will take place during this time. Granted there are some symbolisms within Revelation, but once we understand them, the picture of what will take place during this time becomes clearer- likely as it unfolds in real time. Blessed [is] בָּר֣וּךְ (bā·rūḵ) Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular Strong's 1288: To kneel, to bless God, man, to curse he who comes הַ֭בָּא (hab·bā) Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go in the name בְּשֵׁ֣ם (bə·šêm) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 8034: A name of the LORD. יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel- Yod, Heh, Waw, and Heh Yeshua Jesus Christ Living God incarnate One of the things mentioned are the seven trumpets. What we want to look at today is what are the seven trumpets in Revelation? It is probably not possible to give you a full, in-depth, detailed analysis of all the seven trumpets in one article. However, it is possible to give you enough information to encourage you to want to study further. Let’s begin. Where Does the Bible Discuss the Seven Trumpets? For deeper study and to understand what the seven trumpets in Revelation are, you will need to spend some time in Revelation chapters 8–11. When you think of a trumpeter, one of the things that comes to mind is that they are used to make a grand pronouncement, like the entrance of royalty for example. These trumpets are no different – it’s just that the pronouncements are of a different type. Each one pronounces a different judgment upon the earth during the Great Tribulation. When Are the Seven Trumpets Blown? The trumpets are revealed after John sees a vision of the great crowd from every tribe and nation standing around the throne offering worship to the lamb of God. Here is what happens next. “When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them” (Revelation 8:1-2). The contrast of the silence in heaven compared to the great roar that was just heard must have really been deafening to John. As you see within the seventh seal there are seven trumpets which were to be blown. Each one will pronounce a type of judgment on the earth, and they will intensify as each subsequent trumpet is blown. When you look a little closer at these opening verses in chapter 8, it seems the blowing of these trumpets is a response to the saints offering prayers to God. Consider Revelation 6:9-11: “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.” God, in response to the prayers of the martyrs who were killed during the Great Tribulation, vindicates his people with the blowing of the trumpets. God is judging the people of the earth and bringing vindication for his people all in one. By the way, the prayers of God’s people were referred to as incense, which is a reminder that God loves when his people cry out to him in prayer. So don’t ever stop doing that! The Trumpets and the Judgments At the heart of the seven trumpets in Revelation are the judgments that come with the blowing of each one. Each trumpet will be blown by a different angel, but the angels are not named. Let’s consider each judgment. The first trumpet brings devastation to the earth itself. “The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up” (Revelation 8:7). The second trumpet is targeted towards the seas. “The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed” (Revelation 8:8-9). The third trumpet affects the water supply which brings death to many people. “The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water — the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter” (Revelation 8:10-11). The fourth trumpet attacks the sky affecting the sun, moon, and stars “The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night” (Revelation 8:12). The earth, seas, water and sky are all affected by these first four judgments. These are all the things required for life, and God is affecting these things as judgment for those who have rejected him. After blowing the fourth trumpet, there is a brief pause before the last three trumpets are blown. Revelation 8:13 – “As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: ‘Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!’” In the middle of judgment God pauses. He decides to give additional warning of what is to come and at the same time give people an opportunity to repent. I think sometimes people believe God brings judgment because he likes to judge. He brings judgment because he is a just God. In order for God to be who he is, he must judge sin. Yet even in the judging process, God offers opportunity for repentance because that is his heart. The Last Three TrumpetsAs you can see with the first four of the seven trumpets in Revelation, things are getting pretty bad. But it’s about to get worse. The fifth trumpet (Rev. 9:1-12) This trumpet releases Satan with power to use demonic influence, described as locusts, to torment those who have rejected God. Surprisingly, they are allowed to torment but those who they torment won’t die. What an incredible time of torture and pain. Ironically the ones who are protected are those who had the seal of God on their foreheads. The sixth trumpet (Rev. 9:13-21) This trumpet brings an astonishing amount of death and an absolutely incredible response to it. With the sixth trumpet, four angels are released along with an army of 200 million which is probably a demonic army. They proceed to kill one third of all the people on the earth. Again, a time unlike any we have ever witnessed in human history. What is fascinating however, is the response of the people who survive this period: “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Rev. 9:20-21). Instead of turning to God in repentance, they dig in with their defiance even more. The heart of man has grown so hard that even among great tragedy and death they refuse to turn from sin and turn towards God. They continue to reject his love and compassion. This shows you the danger and power of a hardened heart. That’s why the Bible warns against hardening your heart – there are dangerous consequences associated with it. The Last Trumpet Before the blowing of the seventh and final trumpet there are a series of events that take place. I encourage you to read through Revelation 10 and 11 to get the full picture. In Scripture seven is the number of completion, so the announcement associated with this trumpet falls right in line. Here is what happens when the seventh trumpet is blown: “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). With this trumpet the announcement of Christ’s reign is made as we move to the completion of this period. While the tribulation doesn’t end right when this trumpet is blown, it is getting close. There are some major events left to play out but we know this trumpet is blown closer to the end of the Great Tribulation. When you consider what the seven trumpets in Revelation are you see there is a lot to digest. If I have succeeded, you now have a slightly better picture of what they are and hopefully you will use this as a starting point to more study. I didn’t write this article as a final analysis, I would probably need a whole book for that, I simply wanted to get the ball rolling. Hopefully this will challenge and encourage you to look into Bible prophecy and the end times without fear, but with open eyes. In all honesty if you are in Christ there is nothing for you to be afraid of. So What is Rosh Hashana? Much of the world celebrates a new start as December 31st turns into January 1st, whereas Jewish people now celebrate their new year at the Feast of Trumpets. But according to the Bible, the new year starts on “The first day of the first month”. The ‘first month’ is the month in which we celebrate Passover in the Spring, and the new moon signifies the beginning of each new month. “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.” But our God is a God of multiple new beginnings, new seasons, and fresh starts! Instead of celebrating once a year, God asks that the beginning of every month, each new moon, is celebrated – that’s twelve new beginnings instead of one! This is called “Rosh Chodesh”, or “head of the month”. It’s interesting that the word for month, “chodesh”, is from the root word for new: “chadash”. THE BIBLICAL MANDATE Numbers 10:10 instructs: “On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.” Numbers 28:11-15 goes further, requiring many sacrifices: “ At the beginnings of your months, you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord”… The trumpets were sounded, many different kinds of offerings were sacrificed, and it was a holiday for Israel – a day off regular work. Throughout the Bible these New Moon festivals were often forgotten and fell by the wayside, at other times they were joyously reinstated, and other times they were performed in a dry and empty way that grieved God. But it is interesting that God wanted his people to note the opening of each month, isn’t it? The moon was at its very thinnest, all fresh and new, starting a new cycle, and a new month. HOW THE JEWISH CALENDAR DEVELOPED The Jewish calendar is different to the Gregorian calendar in that it is regulated more by the moon rather than the sun (although there are slight alterations to keep it in line with the seasons), and the days go from sundown to sundown, instead of midnight to midnight. This is because in Genesis we read, “and it was evening and there was morning, the first day” – starting with the evening. You may be aware of the names of the Jewish months (like Nisan, mentioned above), but God called the months simply by their order – the first month, second month, and so on. He also, by the way, calls days of the week in the same manner – first day, second day, all the way through to sixth day, and then Shabbat. The names of the week that we use are actually based on idol worship! (Sun-day, Moon-day, Thor’s-day, and so on). Similarly, the names of the Jewish months cannot be found in the Bible, but have been brought back with the people of Israel from their time of exile in Babylon: 1. Nisan (נִיסָן) 2. Iyyar (אִיָּר) 3. Sivan (סִיוָן) 4. Tammuz (תַּמּוּז) 5. Av (אָב) 6. Elul (אֱלוּל) 7. Tishri (תִּשׁרִי) 8. Cheshvan (חֶשְׁוָן) 9. Kislev (כִּסְלֵו) 10. Tevet (טֵבֵת) 11. Shevat (שְׁבָט) 12. Adar (אֲדָר) It is also Babylonian influence that brought the Jewish people to start celebrating the new year at all, and to do it at the Feast of Trumpets. The name “Rosh HaShana” (head / beginning of the year) is mentioned only one time in the Bible, by Ezekiel: “In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, in the beginning of the year [Rosh HaShana], in the tenth day of the month—in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day—the hand of Adonai was on me, and He brought me there.” (Ezekiel 40:1) However, the context shows that he was not talking about a new year’s celebration, but rather just a measurement of time. RESETTING THE CLOCK As we mentioned, God laid out this calendar to Moses at the time of the Exodus (thought to have happened in 1446 BC), but how did they measure time before that? If you search for the word for ‘month’ in the Bible, you will find that time used to be measured by Noah’s age – we read that the flood came in the second month of Noah’s six hundredth year! And it continues to keep time by Noah’s age from then on, until this new paradigm shift occurs – God does the extraordinarily dramatic Exodus miracle, and resets time. However, God’s calendar was not necessarily what the other peoples of the earth were following – people would set time according to the life or rule of the King, as we can also see in the books of Kings, and the prophets. But the clock is dramatically reset once again by the coming of the Messiah, whom we proclaim every time we write the date – 2022 years since he came. The Jewish year becoming 5780 is supposed to reflect the number of years since creation. Instead of saying “BC” (Before Christ) or “AD” (Anno Domini – the year of our Lord), in Israel they say “before the counting” and “after the counting”, and it is now more common globally to write “CE” (Current Era) and “BCE” (Before the Current Era). The awkward truth of Yeshua’s central importance that all this counting and era-diving points towards is thus avoided for those who would rather deny the One who split time in two. The Feast of Trumpets marked the beginning of ten days of consecration and repentance before God. It is one of seven Jewish feasts or festivals appointed by the LORD and one of three feasts that occur in the autumn. The Feast of Trumpets began on the first day (at the new moon) of the seventh month. Its name comes from the command to blow trumpets (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1-6). It is also called Rosh Hashanah, which means “Head of the Year,” because it marks the beginning of the Jewish civil calendar. During this celebration, no kind of work was to be performed, but burnt offerings and a sin offering were to be brought before the Lord. In the Leviticus passage, the words trumpet blasts are a translation of the Hebrew word teruah, which means “a shout” or “a blowing.” It appears that the shofar (ram’s horn) was to be blown at this time, as it was on the other new moons (Psalm 81:3). Jewish tradition indicates that both the ram’s horn and the priestly silver horns (hazozerah) were used in the Feast of Trumpets. The Feast of Trumpets was important for several reasons. First, it commemorated the end of the agricultural and festival year. Also, the Day of Atonement fell on the tenth day of this month, and the Festival of Booths began on the fifteenth day. The blowing of the trumpets on first day of the month heralded a solemn time of preparation for the Day of Atonement; this preparation time was called “Ten Days of Repentance” or the “Days of Awe.” The trumpet sound was an alarm of sorts and can be understood as a call to introspection and repentance. The Feast of Trumpets, along with the other six festivals of the LORD, foreshadowed certain aspects of the ministry of Jesus Christ. The prophets linked the blowing of trumpets to the future Day of Judgment: “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand” (Joel 2:1; see also Zephaniah 1:14, 16). In the New Testament, we see that the Lord’s Second Coming will be accompanied by the sound of a trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Each of the judgments in Revelation 8-9 is also signaled by a trumpet. Just as the shofar called the Jewish nation to turn their attention to the Lord and ready themselves ❤️ for the Day of Atonement ❤️ Today if you greet someone in Israel with Happy Feast of Trumpets, They'll look at you like you fell off the moon. Dive into this exciting theory of how this festival day not only points to the coming of the Lord in power to Mount Sinai but also the return of our King and Messiah to the mount of olives in power and Glory. Hopefully seeing these amazing prophecies fulfilled and foreshadowed through modern and ancient traditions will strengthen your faith and have you look with anticipation to our King’s return. Go deeper into these festivals with our articles online! https://www.oneforisrael.org/category… https://youtu.be/Tlm5bS8DAjE “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV). The key to understanding any verse of Scripture is context. There is the immediate context—the verses before and after it, as well as the larger context of Scripture--how the verse fits into the overall story. There is also the historical and cultural context—how the verse was understood by its original audience in light of their history and culture. Because context is so important, a verse whose meaning and application seem straightforward when quoted in isolation may mean something significantly different when it is taken in context. When approaching 2 Chronicles 7:14, one must first consider the immediate context. After Solomon dedicated the temple, the Lord appeared to him and gave him some warnings and reassurances. “The Lord appeared to him at night and said: ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.’ When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:12–14). The immediate context of 2 Chronicles 7:14 shows that the verse is tied up with Israel and the temple and the fact that from time to time God might send judgment upon the land in the form of drought, locusts, or pestilence. A few verses later God says this: “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them’” (2 Chronicles 7:19–22). No doubt Solomon would have recognized this warning as a reiteration of Deuteronomy 28. God had entered into a covenant with Israel and promised to take care of them and cause them to prosper as long as they obeyed Him. He also promised to bring curses upon them if they failed to obey. Because of the covenant relationship, there was a direct correspondence between their obedience and their prosperity, and their disobedience and their hardship. Deuteronomy 28 spells out the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. Again, divine blessing and divine punishment on Israel were conditional on their obedience or disobedience. We see this blessing and cursing under the Law play out in the book of Judges. Judges chapter 2 is often referred to as “The Cycle of the Judges.” Israel would fall into sin. God would send another nation to judge them. Israel would repent and call upon the Lord. The Lord would raise up a judge to deliver them. They would serve the Lord for a while and then fall back into sin again. And the cycle would continue. In 2 Chronicles 7, the Lord simply reminds Solomon of the previous agreement. If Israel obeys, they will be blessed. If they disobey, they will be judged. The judgment is meant to bring Israel to repentance, and God assures Solomon that, if they will be humble, pray, and repent, then God will deliver them from the judgment. In context, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a promise to ancient Israel (and perhaps even modern-day Israel) that, if they will repent and return to the Lord, He will rescue them. However, many Christians in the United States have taken this verse as a rallying cry for America. (Perhaps Christians in other countries have done so as well.) In this interpretation, Christians are the people who are called by God’s name. If Christians will humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face, and repent, then God will heal their land—often a moral and political healing is in view as well as economic healing. The question is whether or not this is a proper interpretation/application. The first problem that the modern-day, “Westernized” interpretation encounters is that the United States does not have the same covenant relationship with God that ancient Israel enjoyed. The covenant with Israel was unique and exclusive. The terms that applied to Israel simply did not apply to any other nation, and it is improper for these terms to be co-opted and applied to a different nation. Some might object that Christians are still called by God’s name and in some ways have inherited the covenant with Israel—and this may be true to some extent. Certainly, if a nation is in trouble, a prayerful and repentant response by Christians in that nation is always appropriate. However, there is another issue that is often overlooked. When ancient Israel repented and sought the Lord, they were doing so en masse. The nation as a whole repented. Obviously, not every single Israelite repented and prayed, but still it was national repentance. There was never any indication that a small minority of the nation (a righteous remnant) could repent and pray and that the fate of the entire nation would change. God promised deliverance when the entire nation repented. When 2 Chronicles 7:14 is applied to Christians in the U.S. or any other modern nation, it is usually with the understanding that the Christians in that nation—the true believers in Jesus Christ who have been born again by the Spirit of God—will comprise the righteous remnant. God never promised that if a righteous remnant repents and prays for their nation, that the nation will be saved. Perhaps if national repentance occurred, then God would spare a modern nation as He spared Nineveh at the preaching of Jonah (see Jonah 3)—but that is a different issue. Having said that, it is never wrong to confess our sins and pray-- in fact, it is our duty as believers to continuously confess and forsake our sins so that they will not hinder us (Hebrews 12:1) and to pray for our nation and those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1–2). It may be that God in His grace will bless our nation as a result—but there is no guarantee of national deliverance. Even if God did use our efforts to bring about national repentance and revival, there is no guarantee that the nation would be politically or economically saved. As believers, we are guaranteed personal salvation in Christ (Romans 8:1), and we are also guaranteed that God will use us to accomplish His purposes, whatever they may be. It is our duty as believers to live holy lives, seek God, pray, and share the gospel knowing that all who believe will be saved, but the Bible does not guarantee the political, cultural, or economic salvation of our nation. https://youtu.be/Uaw8aqI3FXU The gospel message is the
Good News of God’s grace, so it is important to know what grace is and to constantly seek to get a better view of what grace does in our lives. Grace is an essential part of God’s character. Grace is closely related to God’s benevolence, love, and mercy. Grace can be variously defined as “God’s favor toward the unworthy” or “God’s benevolence on the undeserving.” In His grace, God is willing to forgive us and bless us abundantly, in spite of the fact that we don’t deserve to be treated so well or dealt with so generously. To fully understand grace, we need to consider who we were without Christ and who we become with Christ. We were born in sin (Psalm 51:5), and we were guilty of breaking God’s holy laws (Romans 3:9–20, 23; 1 John 1:8–10). We were enemies of God (Romans 5:6, 10; 8:7; Colossians 1:21), deserving of death (Romans 6:23a). We were unrighteous (Romans 3:10) and without means of justifying ourselves (Romans 3:20). Spiritually, we were destitute, blind, unclean, and dead. Our souls were in peril of everlasting punishment. But then came grace. God extended His favor to us. Grace is what saves us (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is the essence of the gospel (Acts 20:24). Grace gives us victory over sin (James 4:6). Grace gives us “eternal encouragement and good hope” (2 Thessalonians 2:16). Paul repeatedly identified grace as the basis of his calling as an apostle (Romans 15:15; 1 Corinthians 3:10; Ephesians 3:2, 7). Jesus Christ is the embodiment of grace, coupled with truth (John 1:14). The Bible repeatedly calls grace a “gift” (e.g., Ephesians 4:7). This is an important analogy because it teaches us some key things about grace: First, anyone who has ever received a gift understands that a gift is much different from a loan, which requires repayment or return by the recipient. The fact that grace is a gift means that nothing is owed in return. Second, there is no cost to the person who receives a gift. A gift is free to the recipient, although it is not free to the giver, who bears the expense. The gift of salvation costs us sinners nothing. But the price of such an extravagant gift came at a great cost for our Lord Jesus, who died in our place. Third, once a gift has been given, ownership of the gift has transferred and it is now ours to keep. There is a permanence in a gift that does not exist with loans or advances. When a gift changes hands, the giver permanently relinquishes all rights to renege or take back the gift in future. God’s grace is ours forever. Fourth, in the giving of a gift, the giver voluntarily forfeits something he owns, willingly losing what belongs to him so that the recipient will profit from it. The giver becomes poorer so the recipient can become richer. This generous and voluntary exchangefrom the giver to the recipient is visible in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” Finally, the Bible teaches that grace is completely unmerited. The gift and the act of giving have nothing at all to do with our merit or innate quality (Romans 4:4; 11:5–6; 2 Timothy 1:9–10). In fact, the Bible says quite clearly that we don’t deserve God’s salvation. Romans 5:8–10 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. . . . While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son.” Grace does not stop once we are saved; God is gracious to us for the rest of our lives, working within and upon us. The Bible encourages us with many additional benefits that grace secures for every believer: • Grace justifies us before a holy God (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:6; Titus 3:7). • Grace provides us access to God to communicate and fellowship with Him (Ephesians 1:6; Hebrews 4:16). • Grace wins for us a new relationship of intimacy with God (Exodus 33:17). • Grace disciplines and trains us to live in a way that honors God (Titus 2:11–14; 2 Corinthians 8:7). • Grace grants us immeasurable spiritual riches (Proverbs 10:22; Ephesians 2:7). • Grace helps us in our every need (Hebrews 4:16). • Grace is the reason behind our every deliverance (Psalm 44:3–8; Hebrews 4:16). • Grace preserves us and comforts, encourages, and strengthens us (2 Corinthians 13:14; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17; 2 Timothy 2:1). Grace is actively and continually working in the lives of God’s people. Paul credited the success of his ministry not to his own substantial labors but to “the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Grace is the ongoing, benevolent act of God working in us, without which we can do nothing (John 15:5). Grace is greater than our sin (Romans 5:20), more abundant than we expect (1 Timothy 1:14), and too wonderful for words (2 Corinthians 9:15). As the recipients of God’s grace, Christians are to be gracious to others. Grace is given to us to serve others and to exercise our spiritual gifts for the building up of the church (Romans 12:6; Ephesians 3:2, 7; 4:7; 1 Peter 4:10). Earlier in the epistle, Paul speaks of the “good conscience” as opposed to the seared conscience. “Advancing God’s work,” he says, comes by faith, and love “comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:4–5). A good conscience has the capability to tell right from wrong and is free from guilt. A person with a good conscience maintains his integrity. He enjoys fellowship with those who "walk in the light, as [Jesus] is in the light” (1 John 1:7). The lies of the devil are anathema to the one with a good conscience. Rather than follow the lies of apostates, he will “fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:18–19). The New Testament concept of conscience is more individual in nature and involves three major truths. First, conscience is a God-given capacity for human beings to exercise self-evaluation. Paul refers several times to his own conscience being “good” or “clear” (Acts 23:1; 24:16; 1 Corinthians 4:4). Paul examined his own words and deeds and found them to be in accordance with his morals and value system, which were, of course, based on God’s standards. His conscience verified the integrity of his heart. Second, the New Testament portrays the conscience as a witness to something. Paul says the Gentiles have consciences that bear witness to the presence of the law of God written on their hearts, even though they did not have the Mosaic Law (Romans 2:14-15). He also appeals to his own conscience as a witness that he speaks the truth (Romans 9:1) and that he has conducted himself in holiness and sincerity in his dealings with men (2 Corinthians 1:12). He also says that his conscience tells him his actions are apparent to both God and the witness of other men’s consciences (2 Corinthians 5:11). Third, the conscience is a servant of the individual’s value system. An immature or weak value system produces a weak conscience, while a fully informed value system produces a strong sense of right and wrong. In the Christian life, one’s conscience can be driven by an inadequate understanding of scriptural truths and can produce feelings of guilt and shame disproportionate to the issues at hand. Maturing in the faith strengthens the conscience. This last function of the conscience is what Paul addresses in his instructions regarding eating food sacrificed to idols. He makes the case that, since idols are not real gods, it makes no difference if food has been sacrificed to them or not. But some in the Corinthian church were weak in their understanding and believed that such gods really existed. These immature believers were horrified at the thought of eating food sacrificed to the gods, because their consciences were informed by erroneous prejudices and superstitious views. Therefore, Paul encourages those more mature in their understanding not to exercise their freedom to eat if it would cause the consciences of their weaker brothers to condemn their actions. The lesson here is that, if our consciences are clear because of mature faith and understanding, we are not to cause those with weaker consciences to stumble by exercising the freedom that comes with a stronger conscience. The word of God tells us that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin (John 16:8). To help us understand what the conviction of sin is, we can look at what it is not. First, it is not simply a guilty conscience or even shame over sin. Such feelings are naturally experienced by almost everyone. But this is not true conviction of sin. Second, conviction of sin is not a sense of trepidation or a foreboding of divine punishment. These feelings, too, are commonly experienced in the hearts and minds of sinners. But, again, true conviction of sin is something different. Third, conviction of sin is not merely knowledge of right and wrong; it is not an assent to Scripture’s teaching about sin. Many people read the Bible and are fully aware that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). They may know that “no immoral, impure or greedy person . . . has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5). They may even agree that “the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17). Yet, for all their knowledge, they continue to live in sin. They understand the consequences, but they’re far from being convicted of their sins. The truth is, if we experience nothing more than a pang of conscience, anxiety at the thought of judgment, or an academic awareness of hell, then we have never truly known the conviction of sin. So, what is real conviction, the kind the Bible speaks of? The word convict is a translation of the Greek word elencho, which means “to convince someone of the truth; to reprove; to accuse, refute, or cross-examine a witness.” The Holy Spirit acts as a prosecuting attorney who exposes evil, reproves evildoers, and convinces people that they need a Savior. To be convicted is to feel the sheer loathsomeness of sin. This happens when we’ve seen God’s beauty, His purity and holiness, and when we recognize that sin cannot dwell with Him (Psalm 5:4). When Isaiah stood in the presence of God, he was immediately overwhelmed by his own sinfulness: "Woe to me! . . . I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips . . . and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:5). To be convicted is to experience an utter dreadfulness of sin. Our attitude toward sin becomes that of Joseph who fled temptation, crying out, “How could I do this great evil and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). We are convicted when we become mindful of how much our sin dishonors God. When David was convicted by the Holy Spirit, he cried out, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). David saw his sin primarily as an affront to a holy God. We are convicted when we become intensely aware of the wrath it exposes to our souls (Romans 1:18; Romans 2:5). When the Philippian jailer fell at the apostles’ feet and cried, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” he was under conviction (Acts 16:30). He was certain that, without a Savior, he would die. When the Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin, He represents the righteous judgment of God (Hebrews 4:12). There is no appeal of this verdict. The Holy Spirit not only convicts people of sin, but He also brings them to repentance (Acts 17:30; Luke 13:5). The Holy Spirit brings to light our relationship to God. The convicting power of the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to our sin and opens our hearts to receive His grace (Ephesians 2:8). We praise the Lord for the conviction of sin. Without it, there could be no salvation. No one is saved apart from the Spirit’s convicting and regenerating work in the heart. The Bible teaches that all people are by nature rebels against God and hostile to Jesus Christ. They are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). Part of that “draw” to Jesus is the conviction of sin. Psalm 89:5–7 says, “The heavens praise your wonders, LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.” These verses present a divine council: heavenly beings referred to as “the council of the holy ones.” Psalm 82:1 also indicates that “God has taken his place in the divine council” (Psalm 82:1, ESV) The “divine council” is also called the “great assembly” (NIV), “heaven’s court” (NLT), and “His own congregation” (NASB). This divine council could also be referenced in Nehemiah 9:6, which says, “You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You” (NKJV). The “host” of the “heaven of heavens” are most likely angelic beings. God is the Lord of hosts (Psalm 24:10; Isaiah 44:6). The God who presides in the heavenly council is sovereign over all, including the spiritual beings in His divine council. Other passages of Scripture describe scenes that could be interpreted as a meeting of the divine council. In Job 1:6, a conclave is held in heaven: “One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord.” In 1 Kings 22:19, the prophet Micaiah relates a vision: “I saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the multitudes of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left.” Micaiah goes on to describe how the spiritual beings there suggested various means of accomplishing God’s will, and God chose one spirit to carry out the task. In Daniel 4:17, the angels present a decision made by the divine council: “This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men” (NKJV). The divine council was in God’s presence and was given the task of deciding Nebuchadnezzar’s judgment and communicating the verdict to Daniel in a dream. l God does not need a divine council to give Him ideas or to approve His decisions. He is the omniscient God Almighty. In His wisdom, God has created a divine council to stand in His presence and graciously allows them to participate in various judgments and decrees. It is a wonder that God allows created beings to be privy to His ways and even have input in His plan. The divine council is privileged to participate in God’s plans, and, to an extent, so are we: “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). And God chooses to use us as ministers of reconciliation in the sharing of the gospel: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18–19; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:18). Revelation 19:10 "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” ' book of Revelation is a book of prophecy given by Jesus Christ The term revelation refers to a revealing or the making known of something that was previously unknown. Revelation is like pulling back a veil to show what’s behind it or unwrapping a present to see what’s inside. What is prophecy, then? Simply put, prophecy is communication from God to mankind. Some prophecy can be speaking of future events, and other prophecy might not be. Prophets were utilized as a mouthpiece for God-- they listened to God and then conveyed God’s message to the masses. Some examples of prophets are Elijah, Isaiah, Moses, and Jonah. In the context of Revelation 19:10, John has seen the fall of the evil world system called Babylon the Great (Revelation 18). A great multitude in heaven is celebrating and singing praise to God because of that judgment (Revelation 19:1–3) and because it is now time for the wedding supper of the Lamb (verses 6–8). An angel says to John, "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” (Revelation 19:9). At this proclamation, John falls to worship at the feet of the angel who is communicating this prophecy, but the angel insists John rise to his feet, for he is but “a fellow servant” (Revelation 19:10; cf. Colossians 2:18). In response to John’s wrongful worship, the angel says, “See that you do not do that! . . . Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10, NKJV). It is critical to understand that this statement is a response to John’s intention to worship the angel. Because of the construction of the clause in the original language (Greek), there are three common understandings of the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy: Following the angel’s command to John, we ought to worship God alone. We are to worship not the purveyor of the message but the Source of the message. (cf. John 17:3; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:15; 1 Samuel 7:4). The name Faithful and True expresses the total trustworthiness, reliability, and constancy of Jesus Christ. The title reveals His character and makes known His words and works. In Revelation 19:11, John sees a vision of Jesus as the exalted King of kings leaving heaven to return to earth: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.” This picture of Christ’s second coming at the end of the age shows Jesus no longer as the peaceful, humble servant riding on a lowly donkey (John 12:12–15). Now He is the victorious King, charging forth like a conquering war general, leading His troops into battle (Revelation 19:14). In this vivid portrayal, John identifies Jesus by four different titles, beginning with Faithful and True. It is the first and only time this name of Jesus appears in Scripture. The second title is unknown to us (Revelation 19:12); the third is the Word of God (verse 13); the fourth is King of kings and Lord of lords (verse 16). The word for “Faithful” in the original language means “characterized by steadfast affection or allegiance,” and the word translated “True” means “truthful or characterized by expressing the truth.” The nature of Jesus Christ—His whole being—exudes faithfulness and truth. Earlier, in Revelation 3:14, Jesus called Himself the “faithful and true witness” in His letter to the church in Laodicea. Faithful and True is who Jesus Christ is. In His first coming to earth, Jesus proved Himself to be faithful to the mission and will of God His Father: “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4; see also John 5:30; Hebrews 3:6; Luke 4:43). Never once did the Lord give in to the temptation to sin (Hebrews 4:15–16), from the time Satan tempted Him in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–13) until His death on the cross (Matthew 16:21–23; 26:36–44; Mark 8:31–33; 14:32–42; Luke 22:40–46). From the day Isaiah foretold His coming, Christ’s faithfulness was known (Isaiah 11:5; 42:3). As a young man (Luke 2:49) and throughout His ministry, Jesus was a faithful and obedient servant to His Father God (John 4:34; 6:38; 8:29; 12:27; 14:31). Jesus is consistently the same “yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Others will wear out, change, or perish, but Jesus Christ remains the same for all eternity (Hebrews 1:11–12). Jesus, who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” is the very embodiment of truth (John 14:6). He came from His Father “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). And His promise of eternal life is true: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24, ESV; see also John 6:47). Because of the fidelity inherent in His character, Jesus is faithful toward His followers in every circumstance. “If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself,” declares 2 Timothy 2:13 see also Matthew 28:20; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Hebrews 10:23 Faithful and True is a fitting title for Jesus Christ our King, and He calls His followers to emulate His faithfulness and truth (Revelation 14:12; Hebrews 10:23). The entire book of Revelation conveys a message to the church of Jesus Christ to be faithful and true, just as He is Faithful and True. In Revelation 19:11, when John sees the gates of heaven open, the One who has been Faithful and True from ages past appears at the end of time to wage His final battle. Jesus Christ comes with justice to judge and wage war, and He will triumph over the enemies of God! The outcome is sure because He is Faithful and True. He will do what He has promised to do. He shall defeat the devil once and for all. He will destroy the power of death, wiping away every sorrow, tear, and pain from the hearts of His devoted followers (Isaiah 25:8; 1 Corinthians 15:54; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:14). https://youtu.be/YPWHJC7PyYY |
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