Mother
of Harlets,
The
Whore of Babylon
Revelation 17:1-2 tells us
“Then one of the seven angels
who had the
seven bowls
came
and talked with me, saying to me,
‘Come, I will show you
The judgment
of
The great harlot
who sits on many waters,
with whom
The kings
of the
earth committed
fornication,
and the inhabitants of the earth
were made drunk with the
wine of her
fornication.’”
Revelation 17:5 goes on to say,
“And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE
MOTHER
OF
HARLOTS
AND OF
THE ABOMINATIONS
OF
THE EARTH.”
Who is this
“whore of Babylon”
and what is “mystery Babylon”?
Revelation 17:3 gives this description:
“
Then the angel
carried me
away in the
Spirit into a desert.
There I saw a woman
sitting on a
scarlet beast that was covered
with
blasphemous names
and had
seven heads and ten horns.”
The beast
mentioned in this verse is the
same beast as in
Revelation chapter 13:1,
”“And I saw a beast coming out
of
The SEA
He had ten horns and seven heads,
with
Ten Crowns on his horns,
and on each
head a
blasphemous name.”
The beast in Revelation
chapter 13
is understood to refer to
The
Antichrist,
The
Man of lawlessness
(2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Daniel 9:27).
So, the
Whore
of
Babylon,
Is the end-times
Antichrist
The fact that
The
Whore of Babylon
is referred
to as a mystery means
that we cannot be
completely certain
as to
Her Identity
until the
Revelation of Jesus Christ
and the
Full Wrath of God are
Fully Revealed
Jesus Christ will Return
at his
Second Coming
to
Unveil and Reveal
the
Final Judgement
of
SIN
and
Righteousness
The passage does give us
some clues, however. Revelation 17:9 explains,
“This calls for
a mind with wisdom
The seven heads
are
seven hills on which
The
Woman Sits.”
Many commentators link this passage with the
Roman Catholic Church
because in ancient times,
The City of
Rome
was known as “the city on seven hills”
because there are seven prominent hills that surround the city.
However, verse 10 goes on to
explain that the seven hills
represent 7 kings or kingdoms,
five
of which have fallen,
one that is
and one that is to come
(woman at the well)
Therefore, the
Whore of. Babylon
cannot refer exclusively to Rome.
Revelation 17:15 tells us, “Then the angel said to me, ‘
The waters you saw,
where
The Prostitute Sits
are peoples,
multitudes, nations and languages.’”
The Whore
of
Babylon
will have great worldwide influence over people and nations.
Verses 10-14 describe a
series of eight and then ten kings who
affiliate with
The Beast.
The whore of Babylon
will at
one time have
control
over these kings
(Revelation 17:18),
but at some point
The kings will
TURN on her and destroy her
(Revelation 17:16).
So, can the mystery
of the
Whore of Babylon
be solved?
Yes.
.
The
Whore of Babylon is an Evil
world system,
controlled by the Antichrist,
during the
last days before
Jesus’ return.
The
whore of Babylon
also has
religious connotations –
spiritual adultery
with the beast bein
the focus of
an ungodly, end-times
religious system.
Jesus
spoke of a coming
“abomination of desolation”
In the
Olivet Discourse
as He referenced a future event
mentioned in
Daniel 9:27. In Matthew 24:15–16,
Jesus says,
“So when you see the
Abomination of Desolation,
Spoken of by
The Prophet Daniel,
Standing
in
The HOLY Place . . .
then those in
Judea must flee to the Mountains”
Fleeing to the Mountains,
Lots
wife looked back and
Turned into a
Pillar of Salt
An Abomination
is
something that
causes
Disgust or Hatred;
and desolation is
a state of
Complete Void,
Emptiness or Destruction.”
Jesus warned
that
something, an image (or someone)
that
People Detested would
Stand in
The temple
someday
When that Horror occurred,
residents of Judea
should seek cover without
Delay
Other translations speak
of
“the abomination that causes desolation”
“The sacrilegious object
that
Causes Desecration”
and
“That ‘Horrible Thing’”
The Amplified Bible adds
the note that the
abomination of desolation
is
“The Appalling Sacrilege
that
Astonishes and makes Desolate”
Jesus
referenced Daniel in
His words
In the Olivet Discourse
The Prophet Daniel mentioned
The abomination of desolation in three places:
“He will make a firm covenant with many
for one week,
but in the middle of the week
he will put a
stop to sacrifice and offering.
And the abomination of desolation will be
on a wing of
The Temple
until the decreed
destruction is
Poured Out
on
The Desolator”
(Daniel 9:27, CSB).
“Forces shall be mustered by him,
and they shall
defile
The Sanctuary Fortress;
then they shall take away
the daily sacrifices, and place there
The abomination of desolation”
(Daniel 11:31, NKJV).
“From the time that the
regular sacrifice is abolished
and the
abomination of desolation
is set up,
there will be 1,290 days” (Daniel 12:11, NASB).
The wording
in the above translations indicates that
the abomination of desolation
is an object (carved image)
in some other translations,
the abomination appears
to be a person (Idol or false god):
On the wing
of abominations shall come
one who makes
desolate
(Void, barren, famine, plague, drought, empty)
(Daniel 9:27, ESV).
Regardless of whether the abomination of desolation is a
person or a thing,
Daniel predicted the following:
1. A future ruler will make a treaty with the
people of Israel
2. The terms of this treaty will be for a “week”—which we
take to be a period of seven years.
3. Midway through this time, the ruler will gather
his troops and put an end to the
sacrifices and offerings in the temple.
4. At that time the ruler will desecrate the temple,
setting up some type of sacrilegious object.
5. The desecration of the temple will continue until the judgment of
God is finally meted out on the ruler and his followers, 1,290 days
(3½ years and 1 month) later.
Fornication
is a term used in the Bible for
any
sexual misconduct
or
impure sexual activity
that occurs outside of
the bounds of
a marriage covenant.
Fornication
is also applied symbolically in the Bible to
The sins
of
idolatry and apostasy,
or the
abandoning of God
The word fornication
comes from
the
Greek term porneia
from which we get our English word
pornography
and is often linked with
adultery
in the Bible.
It is a general term for
Sexual Immorality
Fornication includes
Adultry,
which is the act
of a
married person engaging
in
sexual intercourse with someone
other
than his or her Spouse
But
fornication
also
involves engaging
in any KIND of
sexual relations before marriage
or between two people who
are
not married
For instance, in the King James Version of 1 Corinthians 5:1,
fornication is used twice to describe
a sexual sin that was being tolerated
by the church:
a man was sleeping with his father’s wife.
In a list of
horrendous sins
in Romans 1:29, the apostle Paul
includes
fornication, referring
To all KINDS
of
sexual immorality
Jesus mentions fornication in a list of
corrupting sins
that come
from within
a
person’s heart:
“For from the heart
come evil thoughts,
murder, adultery,
all
sexual immorality
[fornication],
theft, lying, and
slander”
(Matthew 15:19, NLT; see also Mark 7:21).
The sin of fornication violates the
seventh commandment (Exodus 20:14),
which was intended to safeguard
the integrity of the family and the marriage union.
God designed sex for marriage, and marriage to
be a holy, prized, and honored institution.
The Bible calls husbands and wives to keep themselves exclusively for one another or face God’s judgment:
“Marriage is to be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers”
(Hebrews 13:4, CSB).
Condemnation
of sexual immorality is unanimous in Scripture.
Those who
persistently indulge
in
fornication
will
Not inherit
The kingdom of heaven
(1 Corinthians 6:9).
Abstaining from fornication
was one of
four conditions required
of
The Gentiles
to be
accepted into the early church
by the
Jerusalem conference:
“Abstain from meats offered to idols,
and from blood,
and from things strangled,
and from fornication:
from which if ye keep yourselves,
ye shall do well”
(Acts 15:29, KJV).
The Bible instructs believers to
run from every kind of
sexual sin,
including fornication:
“Let there be no sexual immorality,
impurity,
or
greed among you.
Such sins
have no place among
God’s people”
(Ephesians 5:3, NLT; see also 1 Corinthians 7:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:3).
According to Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:18, sexual sin is unique in that it is a sin against one’s own body. This idea is linked to the teaching established in the previous verses—that believers are members of the body of Christ(verses 12–17). An immoral sexual union violates the believer’s mystical “one flesh” union with Jesus Christ (verse 15). We don’t have the right to use our bodies any way we wish because we belong to the Lord. Fornication runs contrary to our new nature and identity as members of Jesus Christ’s body. Paul goes on to explain that a Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, a holy place that belongs to Jesus Christ (verse 19). We have been redeemed by God for good and righteous works and not for sin (Ephesians 2:10).
In both the Old and New Testaments, Scripture uses fornication in a figurative sense to describe the corruption of God’s people with the sin of idolatry and unfaithfulness. Both Israel and the church are depicted as the Lord’s wife, or the Bride of Christ. When God’s people engage in idolatry and unfaithfulness, He calls this sin “fornication” (Jeremiah 2:20–36; Ezekiel 16:15–43; Revelation 2:14, 20–22; 17:1–18; 18:2–9).
Daniel’s prophecies
about the abomination of desolation
seemed to have at least a partial fulfillment in 167 BC when a Greek ruler by the name of Antiochus IV desecrated the temple in Jerusalem. Antiochus called himself “Epiphanies” (“illustrious one” or “god manifest”). He set up an altar to Zeus over the altar of burnt offering, and he sacrificed a pig on the altar.
Antiochus went even further in his atrocities,
slaughtering a great number of the Jews and
selling others into slavery.
And he issued decrees forbidding circumcision and requiring
Jews to sacrifice to
pagan gods and eat pig meat.
What Antiochus did certainly qualifies as an abomination, but it was not a complete fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy. Antiochus Epiphanies did not enter a covenant with Israel for seven years, for example. And in Matthew 24 Jesus, speaking some 200 years after Antiochus’s evil actions, spoke of
Daniel’s prophecy as having a still future
fulfillment.
The question then becomes, when, after Jesus’ day, was the
abomination of desolation prophecy fulfilled?
Or are we still waiting for a fulfillment?
Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24:15 concerned events
leading up to
the
destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
The abomination of desolation
probably occurred during the
Roman occupation of
Jerusalem
when the Roman army
brought their
heathen images
and standards
into
The temple courts
Jesus was referring to the
Antichrist who,
in the end times, will establish a covenant with Israel
for seven years and then
break it
by doing something similar to what
Antiochus Epiphanies
did
In the temple
The sacrilegious object Jesus called
the abomination of desolation
could be the
“image of the beast”
that the
Antichrist’s
right-hand man,
the
false prophet,
will order to be
set up
and
worshiped
(Revelation 13:14).
Of course, for Matthew 24:15 to be yet future,
the temple in Jerusalem
will have to
be rebuilt before the tribulation begins.
Those who are alive
during the tribulation should be watchful and recognize
that the breaking of the covenant with Israel
and the abomination of desolation will herald the beginning of
the worst 3½ years in history (see Matthew 24:21).
“Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be
able to escape all that is about to happen,
and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man”
(Luke 21:36).
In the apostle John’s first letter,
John discusses a number of characters.
Of course, he talks about God and about believers—especially referring to them as brethren, little children, children, young men, and fathers.
But John also makes repeated mention
of
The evil one
or
The wicked one
(1 John 5:19)
John explains that the young men he was writing to
have overcome the wicked one
(1 John 2:13–14)
John observes that Cain was “of the evil one”
or the wicked one
(1 John 3:12)
John encourages his readers by explaining that
those who are
born of God
are not
touched by the wicked one
(1 John 5:18),
and he reminds them that
this world is “in” the wicked one;
that is, the world is in the power of
the wicked one or under his control
(1 John 5:19)
Still, with all these cautions, John doesn’t directly identify the wicked one
in his first letter.
He writes as if his readers are
already familiar with the identity of
this wicked one.
In John’s Gospel,
John recorded
a prayer of Jesus in
which
He asks the Father to protect
His disciples
from the Evil one,
The
wicked one
(John 17:15).
Matthew also recorded Jesus as explaining that
The wicked one
snatches away
The
Word of the kingdom
(Matthew 13:19)
and that those who
choke the growth
of the
sons of the kingdom
are the
sons of the wicked one
(Matthew 13:38)
Paul adds that the
wicked one
attacks believers with flaming arrows
(Ephesians 6:16),
that the Lord will strengthen and protect His believers
from the wicked one (2 Thessalonians 3:3),
and that the flaming arrows of the wicked one
can be extinguished by the shield of faith
(Ephesians 6:16)
While it may be curious that in these contexts the wicked one
is not directly named, As neither is Lots wife,
it seems clear
that this is indeed
Satan.
Note Paul’s description of
believers
being rescued from
The
domain of darkness
and
transferred
The the kingdom of
Christ
(Colossians 1:13).
Because of that transfer, believers should be focused
not on the things of earth
but on the things above where Christ is
(Colossians 3:1–4).
This world
is still part of the domain of
darkness,
and it is governed by a prince
(Ephesians 2:2)
who is an enemy of believers.
In Paul’s defense of the gospel before King Agrippa,
he recounted his conversion,
saying that Jesus had sent Paul to Jews and Gentiles
“to open their eyes
so that they may turn from darkness to light
and from the dominion of
Satan to God”
(Acts 26:18).
Further, in Revelation 12:11
John again records that “the brethren” overcame
the accuser—specifically identified as Satan
(Revelation 12:9).
This corresponds with 1 John 2:13–14, which says
that believers have overcome
the wicked one.
The one believing in Jesus overcomes the world (1 John 5:4–5),
because Jesus has overcome (Revelation 5:5).
Based on these contrasts of
light and darkness
and God’s kingdom and Satan’s dominion;
and based on
Jesus’ overcoming and His believers’ overcoming of Satan,
it is evident that
the wicked one is another title for
Satan.
A sin that does not lead to death
(and a sin that does lead to death)
is alluded to in 1 John 5:16–17:
“If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.”
John wrote his gospel so that people would believe in Jesus and have life in His name (John 20:30–31). He wrote his first epistle, in part, so that those who believe in Jesus would know that they have eternal life (1 John 5:13). John wants believers to have confidence in their position in Christ and mentions in that context that there are a couple types of sin. One type of sin does not lead to death, and another does.
We find an example of a sin that leads to death in Acts 5. There, Ananias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3), and they die as a result. Paul mentions another example of a sin that leads to death in 1 Corinthians 11:30. Some who were abusing the Lord’s Supper had become sick and had even died. These are the only two clear instances in the New Testament of believers who committed sins unto death. John mentions a sin unto death in his first epistle, but he does not offer any specifics regarding what the sin is. He is speaking of categories of sin, not pointing out specific sins.
The context is John’s teaching on prayer. John explains that we can have confidence that, in anything we ask of God according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14). To ask something according to His will is to ask for something that God has communicated to us that He desires. When we ask for something that He wants, then we are asking for something that we should be asking Him for. John goes further, explaining that, when God hears these kinds of requests, we have what we have asked for (1 John 5:15). Believers are to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and, as Jesus said in John 14:12–14, the Father is glorified in the Son when His disciples pray in His name. To pray in Jesus’ name is to pray according to His will or pray as if Jesus Himself were asking the Father. But we discover in 1 John 5 there are different types of sin, and that impacts what we should and should not be asking for. The church must recognize the seriousness of sin, avoid continuing in sin, and pray as God has designed.
It is important to note the qualifier that John (and Jesus) places on prayer. God does not promise to do whatever we ask without condition. He affirms that He will grant what is asked according to His will, in the name of Jesus. Jesus was not referring to a magic formula or mantra or suggesting we should add the phrase in Jesus’ name to our prayers in order to ensure they are granted. We should be asking God for what He has revealed He wants for us. But there are some things that John explains we ought not to ask for. He provides an example: if a brother commits a sin not unto (or does not lead to) death, then the one observing the sin should ask for God’s mercy for the offender so that death does not result (1 John 5:16). On the other hand, there is a sin that does lead to death, and John does not suggest one should pray on behalf of the one committing that type of sin (1 John 5:16). John distinguishes between these two kinds of sin even as he acknowledges that all sin is unrighteousness (1 John 5:17).
The distinction John makes between the sin that does not lead to death
and the sin that does
lead to death
illustrates that there are some requests
not in accordance with God’s will and, thus,
some requests the believer should not expect to be granted.
This principle is simple and straightforward. If we’re praying for things outside of God’s will, then we should not expect an answer.
The challenge for interpreters is that nowhere in the context does John detail what sins he is talking about. He speaks of those sins as broad categories. If he had specific sins in mind, no doubt his original readers would understand to what he referred. Because of the ambiguity, it is probably best to simply acknowledge the principle being taught about prayer rather than try to identify what John doesn’t provide in the context—the specific nature of the sin that does not lead to death and the sin that does.
Satan is a spiritual being who led a
heavenly revolt against God
and was subsequently cast down into the earth (Luke 10:18).
His personal name, “Satan,” means “adversary.” This name indicates Satan’s basic nature: he is the enemy of God, of all God does, and of all God loves.
He is also called “the devil” in the New Testament. The word “devil” means “false accuser” or “slanderer.” Satan plays this role in Job 1–2 when he attacks Job’s character.
In Matthew 12:24, the Jews refer to Satan as “Beelzebul,” an epithet derived from “Baal-Zebub” (“lord of the fly”), a false god of the Philistines in Ekron (2 Kings 1:2-3, 6).
Other titles of Satan include the tempter (1 Thessalonians 3:5), the wicked one (Matthew 13:19, 38), the accuserof the brethren (Revelation 12:10), and—three titles that point to Satan’s authority in this world—the ruler of this world (John 12:31), the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4), and the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). Second Corinthians 11:14 says that Satan transforms himself into “an angel of light,” a description that highlights his capacity and inclination to deceive.
There are a couple of passages which refer to the judgment of earthly kings but may very well also refer to Satan. The first is Isaiah 14:12-15. This is addressed to the king of Babylon (verse 4), but the description also seems to fit that of a more powerful being. The name “Lucifer,” which means “morning star,” is used here to describe someone who sought to overthrow God’s very throne.
The second passage is Ezekiel 28:11-19, addressed to the king of Tyre. As in the “Lucifer” passage, this prophecy contains wording that seems to go beyond the description of a mere mortal. The king of Tyre is said to be “anointed as a guardian cherub,” but he was laid low by pride and “expelled” by God Himself.
In addition to providing names and titles of Satan, the Bible uses various metaphors to reveal the character of the enemy. Jesus, in the parable of the four soils, likens Satan to the birds that snatch the seed off the hardened ground (Matthew 13:4, 19). In another parable, Satan appears as the sower of weeds among the wheat (Matthew 13:25, 28). Satan is analogous to a wolf in John 10:12 and a roaring lion in 1 Peter 5:8. In Revelation 12:9, Satan is the “great dragon . . . that serpent of old”—obviously, a reference to the serpent who deceived Eve (Genesis 3:1).
The book of Job tells us,
at least in Job’s time,
Satan still had access to heaven and to the
throne of God.
“One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, ’Where have you come from?’ Satan answered the LORD, ‘From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it’” (Job 1:6-7). Apparently at that time, Satan was still moving freely between heaven and earth, speaking to God directly and answering for his activities. Whether God has discontinued this access is a matter of debate. Some say Satan’s access to heaven was ended at the death of Christ. Others believe Satan’s access to heaven will be ended at the end-times war in heaven (Revelation 12:7–12).
Why did Satan fall from heaven? Satan fell because of pride. He desired to be God, not to be a servant of God. Notice the many “I will...” statements in Isaiah 14:12-15. Ezekiel 28:12-15 describes Satan as an exceedingly beautiful angel. Satan was likely the highest of all angels, the anointed cherub, the most beautiful of all of God’s creations, but he was not content in his position. Instead, Satan desired to be God, to essentially “kick God off His throne” and take over the rule of the universe. Satan wanted to be God, and interestingly enough, that desire is what Satan tempted Adam and Eve with in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-5).
How did Satan fall from heaven? Actually, a fall is not an accurate description. It would be far more accurate to say God cast Satan out of heaven (Isaiah 14:15; Ezekiel 28:16-17). Satan did not fall from heaven; rather, Satan was pushed.
Ezekiel 28:13
of the KJV and NKJV seems to hint that Satan was involved with music in Heaven. The NKJV says, “The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created,” although the exact meaning of this difficult Hebrew text is uncertain. There may have been such instruments in heaven, but there is no evidence outside this verse to verify it. Revelation 5:8 and 15:2 refer to harps, but not to timbrels or pipes.
The two Scripture passages that describe Satan
before he fell are Ezekiel 28:12-19 and Isaiah 14:12-15. Satan was the “anointed cherub” (Ezekiel 28:14). He was adorned with every precious jewel imaginable (Ezekiel 28:13). He was “the model of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (Ezekiel 28:12b). Likely he was the highest of all angels. He was persuasive enough to convince one-third of the angels to join him in his rebellion (Revelation 12:4). Even after his fall from heaven, not even Michael the archangel dared to stand up to him without the Lord’s help (Jude 9). Satan fell because of pride. He did not like being “second best.” He wanted to be God: “You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain’” (Isaiah 14:13).
Was Satan the head musician? This cannot be answered definitively. Scripture does not say enough about what his duties were in heaven. Considering the fact that the angels constantly worship God (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8), it is possible that Satan led that worship. One thing is sure: for Satan to rebel despite having such an exalted position and close relationship with God, the devil is surely due his eternal destiny (Revelation 20:10).
Jesus alerts us to
“watch out for false prophets”
in Matthew 7:15. He compares these false prophets to wolves in sheep’s clothing. Jesus also tells us how to identify these false prophets: we will recognize them by their fruit (Matthew 7:20).
Throughout the Bible, people are warned about false prophets (Ezekiel 13, Matthew 24:23–27, 2 Peter 3:3). False prophets claim to speak for God, but they speak falsehood. To gain a hearing, they come to people “in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). No matter how innocent and harmless these teachers appear on the outside, they have the nature of wolves—they are intent on destroying faith, causing spiritual carnage in the church, and enriching themselves. They “secretly introduce destructive heresies,” “bring the way of truth into disrepute,” and “exploit you with fabricated stories” (2 Peter 2:1–3).
The false teachers don “sheep’s clothing” so they can mingle with the sheep without arousing suspicion. They usually are not up front about what they believe; rather, they mix in some truth with their falsehood and carefully choose their words to sound orthodox. In reality, they “follow their own ungodly desires” (Jude 1:17–18), and “they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed” (2 Peter 3:14).
By contrast, a true prophet teaches God’s Word fully (Deuteronomy 18:20). Wolves in sheep’s clothing twist God’s Word to deceive or influence the audience for their own purposes. Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and his ministers masquerade as servants of righteousness (2 Corinthians 11:15).
The best way to guard against wolves in sheep’s clothing is to heed the warnings of Scripture and know the truth. A believer who “correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) and carefully studies the Bible will be able to identify false prophets. Christians must judge all teaching against what Scripture says. Believers will also be able to identify false prophets by their fruit—their words, actions, and lifestyles. Jesus said, “A tree is recognized by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33; cf. Matthew 7:20). Peter described false teachers as having “depraved conduct” and who “carouse” as “slaves of depravity” (2 Peter 2:2, 13, 19). If a teacher in the church does not live according to God’s Word, he is one of those wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Here are three specific questions to identify false prophets, or wolves in sheep’s clothing:
1) What does the teacher say about Jesus? In John 10:30, Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” The Jews understood Jesus’ statement as a claim to be God and wanted to stone him (John 10:33). Anyone who denies Jesus as Lord (1 John 4:1–3) is a false prophet.
2) Does the teacher preach the biblical gospel? Anyone who teaches an incomplete or unbiblical gospel is to be eternally condemned (Galatians 1:9). Any gospel apart from what the Bible tells us (1 Corinthians 15:1–4) is not the true good news.
3) Does this teacher exhibit godly character qualities? Jesus said to beware of teachers whose moral behavior does not match what the Bible says. He says we will know wolves in sheep’s clothing by their fruits (Matthew 7:15–20)
It doesn’t matter how large a church a preacher has, how many books he has sold, or how many people applaud him. If he “teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,” then he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing (1 Timothy 6:3).
In Jesus
’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5—7),
the Lord presents a word picture of two gates, one wide and one narrow. Jesus explains to His listeners that to see and participate in His coming kingdom a person must have true, inner righteousness and not simply an external adherence to a code of laws. The scribes and Pharisees were teaching a kind of works-based salvation, asserting that obedience to the law was how people could be right in the sight of God. Jesus counters that directly, saying poignantly that, unless a person’s righteousness surpassed that of the scribes and Pharisees, that person would not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20).
In Matthew 7:13–14 Jesus describes two gates: the wide gate—taken by many—that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13); and the narrow gate—taken by few—that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). One gate is wide to accommodate the many who enter the way leading to destruction, while the other is narrow to represent the relatively few who seek life and find it. Jesus exhorts His listeners to enter through the narrow gate rather than attempting to enter through the broad gate.
The broad gate was the way advocated by those who were teaching falsehood (including the scribes and Pharisees). The broad gate was the appearance of righteousness but not actual righteousness. The scribes and Pharisees (and other false teachers and prophets) were teaching that a person could enter the kingdom of heaven simply based on either a relation to Abraham and Moses or by following the Law of Moses. Instead, Jesus advocated the narrow gate—this was the way to enter the kingdom. This narrow gate was the path of true righteousness. This kind of righteousness would cause people to see and glorify God rather than glorify the person doing the work (Matthew 5:16).
While the scribes and Pharisees taught it was enough to follow the Law—avoiding the act of murder, for example—Jesus taught that one’s inner attitude toward one’s brother was representative of true character, not just the external actions (Matthew 5:21–26). The standard was to “be perfect, for your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). The wide gate that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13) was the path of being good enough by one’s own works. But Jesus explains that the standard is perfection—and no one could achieve that on their own. They needed to be humble in spirit (Matthew 5:3) and recognize that they needed someone to help them to be righteous—they needed a Savior.
The broad gate, the wide gate that leads to destruction, presented that it was enough to love those who love us. But the narrow gate was expressed in loving those who persecute and hate us (Matthew 5:44–47). The broad, wide gate that leads to destruction is self-dependence and represented by common ethics. The narrow gate that leads to life is represented by extraordinary acts of goodness that are not rooted in normal human nature. The standard for righteousness (perfection) is beyond us, and we simply do not have that righteousness and cannot manufacture that kind of righteousness by our own works. Instead, we must rely on Jesus to be that righteousness on our behalf.
Paul helps us understand when he recounts how Jesus took on our sin and gave us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21) so that we could be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). Paul adds that it is not by works that we are saved, but rather by God’s grace through the vehicle of belief in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9). If the broad gate that leads to destruction instead led to life, then we would be able to boast that our works got us into heaven. We would get the glory rather than God. But by making the gate that leads to life narrow, God demonstrates His love and His grace, and He is worthy of our trust and our praise.
The phrase spirit of the antichrist
is found in 1 John 4:2–3:
“This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God:
Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.”
It’s vital to understand the context of John’s statements. A predominant worldview when he wrote this letter suggested that diverse spirits were at work in the world. Many false teachings, mystery religions, spiritual experiences, and variations of Christianity were emerging at the time. The spiritual atmosphere was not unlike the one present in our world today. People entertained countless views regarding truth.
John presented a definitive solution for wading through this variety of beliefs and teachings. He instructed his readers to pay attention and test the spirits: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
But how do we test the spirits? How can we discern which teachers are imparting truth? How do we recognize the spirit of the antichrist?
These “spirits” John spoke of were not merely disembodied, supernatural beings. John taught that a prophet or teacher was the actual mouthpiece for a spirit. Spiritual doctrines are promulgated through human spokespersons. Teachers of truth are filled with the Spirit of God and thus are agents who speak for God. Teachers of falsehood are spreading the “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1, NASB).
So, the first test relates to theology or doctrine: “Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (1 John 4:2). We can ask, does the content of the person’s teaching acknowledge that Jesus Christ—fully God and fully human—has come in the flesh? If the answer is yes, then we know the Spirit of God inspires that person. If not, his entire teaching ought to be rejected. This particular test was especially apropos in John’s day, as the heresy of Gnosticism was becoming prevalent; Gnosticism taught that Jesus only appeared to have a human body but was not actually a flesh-and-blood person.
Next, John says, “But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist” (1 John 4:3). Anyone who does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Bible presents Him is inspired by the spirit of the antichrist.
The word antichrist means “against Christ.” People who say that Jesus is not from God are controlled by the spirit of the antichrist. Satan opposes Christ, and he desires to deceive people into a false view of who Jesus is. The spirit of the antichrist teaches against Christ. To twist the truth about Jesus Christ is to pervert the gospel. Satan works to spread lies about Christ and keep people in the dark: “Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist” (2 John 1:7).
The spirit of the antichrist is the birds that eat the seeds along the path in Jesus’ parable (Mark 4:4, 15). It is “the god of this age” who blinds the minds of unbelievers, keeping them from seeing “the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). The spirit of the antichrist is “the great dragon . . . who leads the whole world astray” (Revelation 12:9).
The Bible teaches that the world will eventually produce a world ruler, called “the beast” in Revelation, who will wield great power and demand worship of himself. He will have “a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies” (Revelation 13:5) and is empowered by Satan (Revelation 13:2). He is called “the man of lawlessness . . . the man doomed to destruction” in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. This final Antichrist will be the culmination of the evil workings of Satan throughout the centuries. The Antichrist of the end times will embody all the deception and perversion of truth that the spirit of the antichrist has always promoted. Today, “the secret power of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). The same spirit that will empower the Antichrist of the last days is currently operating in the world to bring confusion and deception to the issue of Jesus Christ’s person and work. “This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world” (1 John 4:3).
Even given the pervasive influence of the spirit of the antichrist, there is no need to fear. As John reminds us, the Spirit of truth indwells all believers and provides protection from the spirit of the antichrist: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
We have some practical ways to distinguish the false spirit of the antichrist from the true Spirit of God: “[False prophets] are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood” (1 John 4:5–6). Those who are influenced by the spirit of the antichrist are of the world. They have the same values as the world; therefore, the world listens to them. Those who acknowledge Christ have His Spirit of truth, and they embrace the apostles’ message. The gospel the apostles preached is never popular in the world, but it is that very gospel that holds the power to save, through God’s Spirit of truth (Romans 1:16).
The believer’s job is to test the spirits carefully (1 John 4:1). We must be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16, ESV). We should not automatically embrace the message of any preacher or teacher simply because of his or her reputation or credentials; rather, we must listen cautiously to their Christology. What they say about Jesus is of utmost importance.
The Bible talks of
“the ungodly”
as those who are separated from God.
Ungodliness is the condition of being polluted with sin. To be ungodly is to act in a way that is contrary to the nature of God, to actively oppose God in disobedience, or to have an irreverent disregard for God. The Bible often speaks of “the flesh” in reference to things that emanate from our sinful natures. The acts of the flesh and the desires of the world fall under the category of ungodliness.
Second Peter 3:7 says that the ungodly will face judgment. Revelation 20:14–15 says, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Ultimately, those who reject God—the ungodly—will be separated from Him forever.
Jude refers to false teachers as ungodly. His description contains these characteristics of ungodliness: they pervert the grace of God into a license for immorality, and they deny Jesus Christ as the only Sovereign and Lord (Jude 1:4). Later, Jude mentions the “ungodly acts” of the wicked and “defiant words” that the ungodly speak against God (verse 15). The ungodly are also characterized as “grumblers and faultfinders” who selfishly follow “their own evil desires,” boast and flatter (verse 16). The ungodly scoff at the truth of God and attempt to divide churches (verses 18–19).
Amazingly, Jesus sacrificed Himself for the ungodly. Romans 5:6 and 8 says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. . . . God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5), clothing them with the righteousness of Christ and enabling them to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way” (Colossians 1:10).
Our sanctification is progressive. That is, even though we are saved and justified in Christ, we sometimes still act in ungodly ways. We are still in the process of being transformed into His image (Romans 8:29–30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 1:6). We are declared righteous before God but are still being made holy in practical terms. In short, we still sin. Scripture says we should confess our sin and trust God’s forgiveness (1 John 1:8–9). Nothing can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ (Romans 8:31–39). We are no longer numbered among the ungodly, even though we still fight our fleshly urges and sometimes act in ungodly ways.
Generally speaking, the ungodly are those who do not know God through Jesus Christ. They have rejected God’s Son and remain in their sins. Those who are in Christ have their sins forgiven and are becoming more godly. Believers naturally seek to remove all ungodliness from their lives (1 John 3:9).
The words impiety and impious
appear in the Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible in many of the New Testament Epistles. Other translations render the word for “impiety” as “ungodliness” or “wickedness.” To be pious is to have reverence for God and be devoted to spiritual things, so the opposite of that—to be impious—is to be irreverent or faithless concerning the things of God. When the Bible speaks of ungodliness or wickedness, it is referring to impiety.
Left to himself, man is naturally impious due to his sin nature. From the moment of the fall in the Garden of Eden, mankind has continued to descend into wickedness. Soon after Eden, Cain showed impiety by bringing an unacceptable offering to the Lord and demanding that it be accepted (Genesis 4:5). A few generations later, Lamech showed impiety by killing a man and boasting about it (Genesis 4:23). By Noah’s day, impiety was so extensive that “every intention of the thoughts of [man’s] heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). This is the nature of impiety. Unchecked, it continues to increase until it permeates a society.
Every time that God told the Israelites to keep the Sabbath holy (e.g., Exodus 20:8), He was warning them against impiety. God required piety concerning His name, too: “Do not profane my holy name, for I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites” (Leviticus 22:32). Psalm 45:7 says that God hates impiety because He loves righteousness. God’s nature is one of perfect holiness; therefore, He cannot abide sin or impious behavior. David describes God’s hatred of sin this way: “You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; no evil dwells with You” (Psalm 5:4).
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). The Greek word translated “ungodliness” in this verse literally means “impiety,” and it includes all crimes men commit against God and against one another. Impiety is bound up in the violation of all the commands of God, summarized in the greatest commandments, to love God and others (Matthew 22:37–40). As we are all sinners, we are all guilty before God of impiety and deserve His wrath.
Fortunately for impious mankind, God is not just the God of justice and wrath; He is also the God of love and grace. God so loved the world that He provided the means to escape His wrath. Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God, died on the cross to pay the penalty for our impiety. Jesus suffered the wrath of the Father, even though He was perfect and had committed no sin. Christ the pious died for the impious (Romans 5:6), demonstrating God’s love and inviting us to enjoy God’s presence throughout eternity, with no fear of wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Those who accept this sacrifice by faith are declared righteous because God exchanges our sin for the righteousness (piety) of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Saved by grace, we are enabled to deny impiety and to “live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11–12). The lives of those who have escaped God’s wrath through faith in Christ are to be characterized by true piety—reverence and devotion to God. Believers should reject all impiety and anything that is against God’s nature. Christians have the Spirit of God living within them, and His power enables us to live in a godly manner (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
The Bible uses words such as iniquity, transgression, and trespass to indicate levels of disobedience to God. They are all categorized as “sin.” Micah 2:1 says, “Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.”
The Hebrew word used most often for “iniquity” means “guilt worthy of punishment.” Iniquity is sin at its worst. Iniquity is premeditated, continuing, and escalating. When we flirt with sin, we fall for the lie that we can control it. But like a cute baby monkey can grow to be a wild, out-of-control primate, sin that seems small and harmless at first can take control before we know it. When we give ourselves over to a sinful lifestyle, we are committing iniquity. Sin has become our god rather than the Lord (Romans 6:14).
When we realize we have sinned, we have a choice. We can see it for the evil it is and repent. When we do, we find the forgiveness and cleansing of God (Jeremiah 33:8; 1 John 1:9). Or we can harden our hearts and go deeper into that sin until it defines us. Partial lists of iniquities are given in Galatians 5:19–21 and in 1 Corinthians 6:9–10. These are sins that become so consuming that a person can be identified by that lifestyle. The psalmists distinguish between sin and iniquity when they ask God to forgive both (Psalm 32:5; 38:18; 51:2; 85:2).
If we continue to choose sin, our hearts harden toward God. One sin leads to another, and iniquity begins to define our lives, as it did when David sinned with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:3–4). His initial sin of lust resulted in a hardening of his heart, and his sin deepened. He committed adultery, then had Bathsheba’s husband killed (verses 14–15). Iniquity had taken over David’s life. It was only when confronted by the prophet Nathan that he repented with great sorrow. His heartfelt cry for forgiveness is detailed in Psalm 51. Verse 2 says, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” David is a picture of someone who clearly understood the progression of iniquity and who experienced the mercy and forgiveness of God (Psalm 103:1–5).
The second half of Romans 1 outlines the progression of sin (verses 10–32). The end result for those with such hardened hearts is that God turns them over to a “reprobate mind” (verse 28, KJV), and they no longer have the desire or ability to repent. Reprobate means “thoroughly depraved, given over to evil until the conscience is seared.” The Scripture is clear that God forgives even iniquity (Micah 7:18), but if we persist in it, we will reap the wages of sin, which is eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).
The word sin
and its cognates are used 786 times in
the New International Version of the Bible.
Sin means “to miss the mark.” It can refer to doing something against God or against a person (Exodus 10:16), doing the opposite of what is right (Galatians 5:17), doing something that will have negative results (Proverbs 24:33–34), and failing to do something you know is right (James 4:17). In the Old Testament, God even instituted sacrifices for unintentional sins (Numbers 15:27). Sin is the general term for anything that “falls short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Sin leads to a downward progression that, without the restoring power of the Holy Spirit, we all tend toward. The sin nature is present in every human being born since the Fall of Adam (Genesis 3:6–7; Romans 5:12). If left unchecked, continual sin leads to a “reprobate mind,” spoken of in Romans 1:28. Our sin nature causes us to gravitate naturally toward selfishness, envy, and pride, even when we are trying to do good. The apostle Paul alluded to his propensity to sin when he wrote, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out” (Romans 7:18).
The sin nature leads to trespassing. A trespasser is someone who crosses a line or climbs a fence that he should not cross or climb. A trespass may be intentional or unintentional. Trespass can also mean “to fall away after being close beside.” Peter trespassed when he denied Jesus (Luke 22:34, 56–62). We all “cross the line” in thought, word, or attitude many times a day and should be quick to forgive others who do the same (Matthew 6:15).
Transgression refers to presumptuous sin. To transgress is to choose to intentionally disobey; transgression is willful trespassing. Samson intentionally broke his Nazirite vow by touching a dead lion (Numbers 6:1–5; Judges 14:8–9) and allowing his hair to be cut (Judges 16:17); in doing so he was committing a transgression. David was referring to this kind of sin when he wrote, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered” (Psalm 32:1). When we knowingly run a stop sign, tell a lie, or blatantly disregard an authority, we are transgressing.
Iniquity is more deeply rooted. Iniquity refers to a premeditated choice; to commit iniquity is to continue without repentance. David’s sin with Bathsheba that led to the killing of her husband, Uriah, was iniquity (2 Samuel 11:3–4; 2 Samuel 12:9). Micah 2:1 says, “Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.” In David’s psalm of repentance, he cries out to God, saying, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2).
God forgives iniquity, as He does any type of sin when we repent (Jeremiah 33:8; Hebrews 8:12). However, iniquity left unchecked leads to a state of willful sin with no fear of God. The build-up of unrepentant sin is sometimes pictured as a “cup of iniquity” being filled to the brim (Revelation 17:4; Genesis 15:16). This often applies to nations who have forsaken God completely. Continued iniquity leads to unnatural affections, which leads to a reprobate mind. Romans 1:28–32 outlines this digression in vivid detail. The sons of Eli are biblical examples of reprobates whom God judged for their iniquities (1 Samuel 3:13–14). Rather than repent, Eli’s sons continued in their abominations until repentance was no longer possible.
The biblical writers used different words to refer to sin in its many forms. However, regardless of how depraved a human heart may become, Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient to cover all sin (John 1:29; Romans 5:18). Psalm 32:5, quoted at the beginning of this article, ends with these words: “And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” The only sin that God cannot forgive is the final rejection of the Holy Spirit’s drawing to repentance—the ultimate fruit of a reprobate mind (Matthew 12:32; Luke 12:10).
The statement
“you will know them by their fruit”
(Matthew 7:16)
is part of Jesus’ teaching about recognizing true followers and avoiding false prophets. Beginning with verse 15, we read this context: “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15–20).
The seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew is a gold mine of teaching from the popular verse 1 to the well-known parable about the wise man building his house upon the rock (verses 24–27). In verses 21–23, Jesus makes a chilling announcement to many who assumed they belonged to Him. He warned them that on Judgment Day they will hear Him say, “Depart from me. I never knew you.” Just before that warning, Jesus had indicted those who pretended to follow Him but whose lives indicated something else. He told His followers that the “fruit” of their lives proved what was inside their hearts (cf. Mark 7:20–23).
When Jesus says, “You will know them by their fruit,” what does “fruit” mean? Jesus gave the illustration of grape vines and fig trees. When we see grape vines, we expect them to contain grapes in season. We also expect fig trees to produce figs. A produce farmer who notices one of his fruit trees not bearing any fruit will cut it down. It is useless. Likewise, we would not come to a field of thistles and expect to harvest fruit. Thistles and thorn bushes can never produce fruit because of their nature. It is impossible. They have no capacity to produce anything but thorns (Matthew 12:33).
In our lives, every word and every action is fruit from our hearts. Sinners sin because that’s what is in their hearts. Thieves steal, rapists attack, and adulterers cheat because those sins are the fruit being produced from an evil heart. Bad hearts produce bad fruit. When Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit” concerning false teachers, He was giving us a guide for identifying them. False prophets, speakers of lies, will have actions that correspond to their errant message. Just as their message is anti-God, so will be their works. They will stray from the path of righteousness.
When we repent of our sin and receive Jesus as Lord of our lives (John 1:12; Acts 2:38), He changes our hearts (2 Corinthians 5:17). Now the fruit that is produced is good fruit. Galatians 5:22 lists some of the fruit produced by a heart in tune with God. Our attitudes, actions, words, and perspectives change as we walk in fellowship with the Holy Spirit (1 John 1:6–7). When our hearts change, our fruit changes.
Many false prophets have come and gone, and many of them lived in blatant sin while preaching their message. Jim Jones openly engaged in adultery, drug use, and profanity. David Koresh had child “wives” as young as 11. False teachers might display the “fruit” of sexual immorality, greed, materialism, gluttony, and other sins while justifying their behavior and lifting themselves up as something holy. Unfortunately, many people through the years have been duped into following such characters and joining them in justifying the sin. If only they had heeded Jesus’ warning that “you will know them by their fruit.” No matter how good or convincing someone sounds, if he is bearing bad fruit, his message should be avoided.
Godly teachers will display good “fruit” such as making disciples (Matthew 28:19), using their gifts to benefit others (Romans 12:4–8), leading lost people to Jesus (James 5:20), loving their fellow believers (1 John 3:14), and seeking humble ways to do good everywhere (Jeremiah 29:7). All of these things are indications of a good heart.
Often, people profess faith in Jesus as Savior, but it is a mere profession with no real faith. Some religious groups encourage baptism, confirmation, or other religious rites that are supposed to ensure one’s future in heaven. But as time goes on, the fruit being produced in such a life looks nothing like what is clearly prescribed in the Bible (1 Peter 1:16). Some attend church services but spend the rest of their time living entirely for themselves. Some may rise to prominence, even teaching or preaching, writing books, or dominating the media, but the fruit of their lives belies their words (Matthew 24:24). Greed, deception, immorality, pride, or dishonesty defines them, making them false prophets by Jesus’ standards (2 Peter 2:1–3).
While we can never know anyone else’s heart, we can make wise assessments about other people by observing the regular fruit of their lives. All of us stumble from time to time, and we may go through seasons of bearing little fruit (1 John 1:8). But 1 John 3:4–10 makes it clear that those who know God will not continue a lifestyle of bearing bad fruit. We have been transformed, and the fruit of our lives is evidence of that transformation. Apple trees don’t produce bananas, and strawberry plants don’t produce figs. This fact of nature is also true in the spiritual realm. We can identify those whose hearts have been redeemed by the fruit we see in their lives.
Pride is celebrated in our world.
People proudly flaunt their accomplishments, possessions, or qualities they deem admirable in expectation of praise. Yet, selfish pride is a hindrance to salvation and to a fruitful relationship with God and others. James warns us about this self-focused pride when he writes, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, NLT).
In warning against pride and promoting humility, James quotes the Septuagint translation of Proverbs 3:34. Of course, James is not referring to “pride” as in the satisfaction of a job well done (Galatians 6:4) or to the kind of pride one expresses over the accomplishment of loved ones (2 Corinthians 7:4). He is referring to the kind of pride that stems from self-righteousness or conceit.
God opposes the proud because pride is sinful and a hindrance to seeking Him. Those who insist on elevating themselves and refusing to trust God as sovereign, good, and trustworthy will find their way opposed by God. Psalm 10:4 explains that the proud are so consumed with themselves that they make no room for God. The ESV words it like this: “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’” The supremacy of God and the fact that we can do nothing to inherit eternal life apart from Christ is a stumbling block for prideful people. God will oppose those attempting to be the god of their own lives. Pride refuses to bend the knee to God or repent of sin, and that keeps many people from salvation.
In contrast to God’s opposition to the proud is God’s grace to the humble. Those who humble themselves find God’s favor: “Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble” (Psalm 138:6, NLT). God shows His favor to those with a right view—a humble view—of themselves, and He promises them restoration: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15; cf. James 4:10). Note that humility in this passage is related to contrition, or repentance.
Pride can also hinder our relationship with God and others even after we are saved. In his letter, James addresses an issue among the believers, namely, their quarrels and strife with one another. The source of the issue was selfish pride. Pride negatively affects our relationships because it inflates our view of self and deflates our view of God and others. In the midst of addressing this issue, James quotes Proverbs 3:34: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (ESV).
Exalting ourselves pushes God out of His rightful place in our lives, and He will humble us “because the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:6). As we humble ourselves, He “gives grace generously” (James 4:6, NLT). God gives us grace that is sufficient to meet every need we have and every sin we face, if we are humble enough to receive it. As we decide whether we will elevate ourselves or turn to God, we must remember that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. God calls us to repent of self-righteousness, selfish demands, and proud exaltation and instead “submit [ourselves], then, to God” (James 4:7).
In a world that champions pride, Jesus commands believers to be different. Each believer is called to “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4, ESV). As we humble ourselves, we will experience God’s grace and the rewards He promises: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). Since God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble, may we live humble lives in the fear of the Lord (Micah 6:8).
The reins of God
on Satan’s activities are illustrated by Satan’s request to God for permission to afflict Job (Job 1:7-12). Satan is permitted to afflict God’s people (Luke 13:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:18; Hebrews 2:14), but he is never permitted to win an ultimate victory over them (John 14:30-31; 16:33). A part of Satan’s continuing ambition to replace God is his passionate yearning to have others worship him (Matthew 4:8-9; Revelation 13:4, 12). Satan is "the wicked one" (Matthew 13:19, 38), while God is "the Holy One" (Isaiah 1:4).
Satan’s nature is malicious. His efforts in opposing God, His people, and His truth are tireless (Job 1:7; 2:2; Matthew 13:28). He is always opposed to man’s best interests (1 Chronicles 21:1; Zechariah 3:1-2). Through his role in introducing sin into the human family (Genesis 3), Satan has gained the power of death—a power which Christ has broken through His crucifixion and resurrection (Hebrews 2:14-15). Satan tempted Christ directly, trying to lead Him into compromise by promising Him worldly authority and power (Luke 4:5-8).
Despite Satan’s self-delusion that he can defeat God, Satan is destined to fail. His final defeat is predicted in John 12:31, Revelation 12:9, and 20:10. The death of Christ on the cross is the basis for Satan’s final defeat (Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Peter 3:18, 22). That event was the grand climax to a sinless life during which Jesus triumphed over the enemy repeatedly (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). Satan probably rejoiced in the death of Christ, believing it to be a victory for him, but like all his victories, that one, too, was short-lived. When Jesus rose from the grave, Satan was once again defeated. The final victory will come when Jesus returns and Satan is cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:1-15).
The death and resurrection of Christ provide the believer strength for victory over sin. We have assurance that "the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet" (Romans 16:20). But such personal victory depends on God’s grace and power in our lives and our will to offer resistance to Satan’s temptations (Ephesians 4:25-27; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9). To help Christians win this battle against Satan, God has provided the power of Christ’s blood (Revelation 12:11), the continuing prayer of Christ in heaven for believers (Hebrews 7:25), the leading of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16), and various weapons for spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10–18).
Nero, the fifth emperor of Rome,
who ruled from AD 54 until AD 68, is a common target in attempts to identify the Antichrist or the beast of Revelation. Identifying Nero as the Antichrist is common among those who take the preterist position of biblical prophecy. There are at least two reasons some label Nero as the Antichrist.
First, Nero was a brutal and tyrannical persecutor of Christians. Nero blamed Christians for a fire that broke out in Rome, a fire for which he was perhaps responsible. He then used the fire as a pretext for an intense persecution of those who held to the Christian faith in and around Rome. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote, “Covered with the skins of beasts, [Christians] were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as nightly illumination when daylight had expired” (The Annals, trans. by Brodribb, W. J., 15.44). Christian tradition is that the apostles Peter and Paul were both executed at the order of Nero. So, without a doubt, Nero was anti-Christian and exhibited some of the hatred of God that the Antichrist will possess.
Second, some identify Nero as the Antichrist because of Revelation 13:18, which says, “This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.” In attempts to decipher the number 666, some turn to gematria, a type of numerology in which letters are assigned a numerical value. Taking a Hebrew transliteration of the name and title Nero Caesar, assigning a particular numerical value to each letter, and adding the values, one ends up with 666. Others take more creative routes through Aramaic or Greek gematria and similarly arrive at 666, using various combinations of Nero’s names and titles. While the mathematics can be fascinating, the book of Revelation does not specifically say how 666 identifies the Antichrist. To use a complicated methodology to arrive at 666 does not seem trustworthy.
There are also at least three reasons to reject the idea that Nero was the Antichrist. First, the Bible describes the Antichrist being defeated at the second coming of Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:11–21). Nero died by suicide.
Second, while some date the writing of Revelation to the reign of Nero, the majority of Christian scholars and virtually all of early Christian literature place the writing of Revelation during the reign of Domitian, approximately 30 years after Nero’s death. Identifying Nero as the Antichrist requires denying how the book of Revelation says the reign of the Antichrist will end and necessitates a date of authorship that most Bible scholars and early Christian literature reject.
Third, the book of Revelation puts the defeat of the Antichrist near the end of the prophetic calendar. In the book of Revelation, the Antichrist is defeated at the second coming of Jesus Christ and cast into the lake of fire shortly before the establishment of the millennial reign of Christ (Revelation 19:11—20:6). The only way to make Nero fit as the Antichrist is to allegorize the second coming and the millennium and to remove any semblance of chronology from much of the book of Revelation. That is not the proper way to understand the book of Revelation.
God’s all-sufficient, amazing grace
is the central theme of Psalm 116. Again and again, the Lord helps us in our weakness and saves us when we are powerless to help ourselves (Isaiah 40:29–31; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:13). Recognizing his enormous debt of gratitude, the psalmist asks, “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me. I will keep my promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people” (Psalm 116:12–14, NLT).
What was this cup of salvation the psalmist lifted in praise to the Lord? Most likely, it was a symbolic reference to the drink offering prescribed in Leviticus 23:13. At the yearly Feast of Firstfruits, the Israelites were to submit a drink offering of “a quarter of a hin of wine” (about one quart) to God in gratefulness for His salvation and continued provision in the Promised Land. The liquid offering was poured out on the altar, accompanied by other contributions from products of the land. These offerings were given as reminders that the rich fruits of the harvest were all from God and depended on His favor.
Drink offerings were frequently presented in the Bible to thank God for His salvation. After the Lord appeared to Jacob at Bethel and changed his name to Israel, Jacob set up a stone pillar to mark where God had met with him and spoken to him. Then “he poured out a drink offering on it” (Genesis 35:14).
At the ordination of the priests, a drink offering was presented (Exodus 29:38–41). As a test of obedience, God gave additional rules for offerings in Numbers 15, including burnt offerings accompanied by a drink offering (verses 5, 7, 10).
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul compared his sacrificial ministry to an act of worship: “But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you” (Philippians 2:17). In the face of death, he told Timothy, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near” (2 Timothy 4:6).
The “cup of salvation” is also suggestive of God’s good gifts to humans, which David extolled: “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings” (Psalm 23:5, NLT).
The psalmist’s “cup of salvation” is the counterpart to the “cup of wrath,” representing God’s judgment of sin and His wrath reserved for the wicked to drink (Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:22; Jeremiah 25:15–16; Ezekiel 23:31–34). This cup of wrath is associated with Jesus Christ’s extreme suffering and death on the cross (Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42). The Lord’s mention of it in Gethsemane anticipated the excruciating moment when Jesus would cry, “God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus was about to drink the cup of God’s wrath for us so that we might be spared and saved.
In lifting the cup of salvation, the psalmist offered praise to God for the blessing of His salvation. In the manner of a salute, he raised the cup high and partook of it amid praise and thanksgiving for God’s tremendous and abundantly gracious deliverance. This illustration is an excellent image for believers to contemplate when offering our thanks to God.
In Revelation 18 John
records a vision of a mighty angel
descending from heaven
to announce the fall
of Babylon the Great.
This evil world system, associated with the Antichrist of the end times, is pictured as a prostitute committing fornication with the kings of the earth (Revelation 17:1–2). The “whore of Babylon” or “mystery Babylon” makes war against the true saints of God (verse 6) and is best interpreted as an ungodly, end-times religious system.
The command to “come out of her” in Revelation 18:4 is a warning to God’s people to escape the judgment that is to come upon Babylon the Great. The false religious system had her time of influence, when “the kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries” (verse 3). But she is the subject of God’s wrath, and she will be judged: “Her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes” (verse 5). She will suffer a quick demise: “In one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire” (verse 8), and “the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again” (verse 21).
God calls His people during the tribulation to disassociate from Babylon the Great. They must “come out of her” (Revelation 18:4). Have nothing to do with the false religion of the Antichrist. Separate from that system and its sinfulness; have no fellowship with her. Do not commit spiritual adultery. To “come out of her” is to withdraw from her activities, to refuse her luxuries, and to condemn her sinful plans.
To “come out of her” is to follow the path of liberty and safety. The voice from heaven that commands the separation from Babylon also gives the reason for the command: “‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4). To share in the sin is to share in the guilt. God wants His people to maintain their purity and to be free from judgment.
The command to “come out of her” in Revelation 18:4 finds a counterpart in history. In the end times, God’s people are told to separate from spiritual Babylon, but in the Old Testament, they were to separate from physicalBabylon. Israel had been held captive in Babylon for seventy years, and when it was time to return home to Jerusalem, God told them to flee: “Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the LORD's vengeance; he will repay her what she deserves. . . . She cannot be healed; let us leave her and each go to our own land, for her judgment reaches to the skies, it rises as high as the heavens. . . . Come out of her, my people! Run for your lives! Run from the fierce anger of the LORD” (Jeremiah 51:6, 9, 45; cf. Isaiah 52:11 and Jeremiah 50:8).
In times of judgment, God separates His people from those being judged. Abraham pointed out this truth in his conversation with the Lord before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: “Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you!” (Genesis 18:25). When God judged the Egyptians with the plagues, He made a distinction between His people and those being judged (Exodus 8:22–23; 9:4–6, 26; 10:23; 11:7).
In a foreshadowing of the New Testament command to “come out of her,” Moses commanded the Israelites to separate themselves from the family of Korah. Just before God’s judgment of the rebels, Moses “warned the assembly, ‘Move back from the tents of these wicked men! Do not touch anything belonging to them, or you will be swept away because of all their sins.’ So they moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram” (Numbers 16:26–27). Immediately following, the earth opened up and swallowed Korah and the other rebelsalive (verses 31–33).
Christians today are told, in essence, to “come out of her”; that is, to separate themselves from the wickedness of the world: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. . . . Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you’” (2 Corinthians 6:14–17).
During the tribulation, when the people of the world see the destruction of Babylon the Great, they will mourn the loss of their source of riches and pleasure (Revelation 18:9, 15, 19). But those who have come out of her and who had been persecuted by her will celebrate:
“Rejoice over her, you heavens!
Rejoice, you people of God!
Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
with the judgment she imposed on you” (verse 20).
Wrath is defined
as “the emotional response to perceived wrong and injustice,” often translated as “anger,” “indignation,” “vexation,” or “irritation.” Both humans and God express wrath. But there is vast difference between the wrath of God and the wrath of man. God’s wrath is holy and always justified; man’s is never holy and rarely justified.
In the Old Testament, the wrath of God is a divine response to human sin and disobedience. Idolatry was most often the occasion for divine wrath. Psalm 78:56-66describes Israel’s idolatry. The wrath of God is consistently directed towards those who do not follow His will (Deuteronomy 1:26-46; Joshua 7:1; Psalm 2:1-6). The Old Testament prophets often wrote of a day in the future, the "day of wrath" (Zephaniah 1:14-15). God’s wrath against sin and disobedience is perfectly justified because His plan for mankind is holy and perfect, just as God Himself is holy and perfect. God provided a way to gain divine favor—repentance—which turns God’s wrath away from the sinner. To reject that perfect plan is to reject God’s love, mercy, grace and favor and incur His righteous wrath.
The New Testament also supports the concept of God as a God of wrath who judges sin. The story of the rich man and Lazarus speaks of the judgment of God and serious consequences for the unrepentant sinner (Luke 16:19–31). John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” The one who believes in the Son will not suffer God’s wrath for his sin, because the Son took God’s wrath upon Himself when He died in our place on the cross (Romans 5:6–11). Those who do not believe in the Son, who do not receive Him as Savior, will be judged on the day of wrath (Romans 2:5–6).
Conversely, human wrath is warned against in Romans 12:19, Ephesians 4:26, and Colossians 3:8-10. God alone is able to avenge because His vengeance is perfect and holy, whereas man’s wrath is sinful, opening him up to demonic influence. For the Christian, anger and wrath are inconsistent with our new nature, which is the nature of Christ Himself (2 Corinthians 5:17). To realize freedom from the domination of wrath, the believer needs the Holy Spirit to sanctify and cleanse his heart of feelings of wrath and anger. Romans 8 shows victory over sin in the life of one who is living in the Spirit (Romans 8:5-8). Philippians 4:4-7 tells us that the mind controlled by the Spirit is filled with peace.
The wrath of God is a fearsome and terrifying thing. Only those who have been covered by the blood of Christ, shed for us on the cross, can be assured that God’s wrath will never fall on them. “Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!” (Romans 5:9).
According to Jesus,
the unpardonable or unforgivable sin is unique. It is the one iniquity that will never be forgiven (“never” is the meaning of “either in this age or in the age to come” in Matthew 12:32). The unforgivable sin is blasphemy (“defiant irreverence”) of the Holy Spirit in the context of the Spirit’s work in the world through Christ. In other words, the particular case of blasphemy seen in Matthew 12 and Mark 3 is unique. The guilty party, a group of Pharisees, had witnessed irrefutable evidence that Jesus was working miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, yet they claimed that He was possessed by the prince of demons, Beelzebul (Matthew 12:24; Mark 3:30).
The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day committed the unpardonable sin by accusing Jesus Christ (in person, on earth) of being demon-possessed. They had no excuse for such an action. They were not speaking out of ignorance or misunderstanding. The Pharisees knew that Jesus was the Messiah sent by God to save Israel. They knew the prophecies were being fulfilled. They saw Jesus’ wonderful works, and they heard His clear presentation of truth. Yet they deliberately chose to deny the truth and slander the Holy Spirit. Standing before the Light of the World, bathed in His glory, they defiantly closed their eyes and became willfully blind. Jesus pronounced that sin to be unforgivable.
The statement
“I am the door,”
found in John 10:7, is the third of seven “I am” declarations of Jesus recorded only in John’s Gospel. These “I am” proclamations point to His unique, divine identity and purpose. In this “I am” statement, Jesus colorfully points out for us the exclusive nature of salvation by saying that He is “the door,” not “a door.” Furthermore, Jesus is not only our Shepherd who leads us into the “sheepfold,” but He is the only door by which we may enter and be saved (John 10:9). Jesus is the only means we have of receiving eternal life (John 3:16). There is no other way.
To get a clear picture of Jesus’ meaning in this statement, it is helpful to understand a little of that
ancient culture, especially of sheep and shepherding.
Of all domesticated animals, sheep are the most helpless.
Sheep will spend their entire day grazing, wandering from place to place, never looking up. As a result, they often become lost. But sheep have no “homing instinct” as other animals do. They are totally incapable of finding their way to their sheepfold even when it is in plain sight. By nature, sheep are followers. If the lead sheep steps off a cliff, the others will follow.
Additionally, sheep are easily susceptible to injuries and are utterly helpless against predators. If a wolf enters the pen, they won’t defend themselves. They won’t try to run away or spread out. Instead they huddle together and are easily slaughtered. If sheep fall into moving water, they will drown. However, sheep do fear moving water and will not drink from any stream or lake unless the water is perfectly still. This is why David in the 23rd Psalm tells us of the shepherd who “makes [us] to lie down in green pastures, he leads [us] beside the still waters . . . though [we] walk through the valley . . . [we] will fear no evil. For You [the Shepherd] are with [us].”
Sheep are totally dependent upon the shepherd who tends them with care and compassion. Shepherds were the providers, guides, protectors and constant companions of sheep. So close was the bond between shepherd and sheep that to this day Middle Eastern shepherds can divide flocks that have mingled at a well or during the night simply by calling their sheep, who know and follow their shepherd’s voice. Shepherds were inseparable from their flocks. The shepherd would lead the sheep to safe places to graze and make them lie down for several hours in a shady place. Then, as night fell, the shepherd would lead the sheep to the protection of a sheepfold.
There were two kinds of sheepfolds or pens.
One kind was a public sheepfold found in the cities and villages. It would be large enough to hold several flocks of sheep. This sheep pen would be in the care of a porter or doorkeeper, whose duty it was to guard the door to the sheep pen during the night and to admit the shepherds in the morning. The shepherds would call their sheep, each of which knew its own shepherd’s voice, and would lead them out to pasture.
The second kind of sheep pen was in the countryside, where the shepherds would keep their flocks in good weather. This type of sheep pen was nothing more than a rough circle of rocks piled into a wall with a small open space to enter. Through it the shepherd would drive the sheep at nightfall. Since there was no gate to close—just an opening—the shepherd would keep the sheep in and wild animals out by lying across the opening. He would sleep there, in this case literally becoming the door to the sheep.
In this context, Jesus is telling us that
He is not only the shepherd of the sheep,
but also
The door of the sheep.
In doing so,
He is vividly contrasting Himself
with that of the religious leaders
of His time whom He describes as
“thieves and robbers”
(John 10:8).
When Jesus says,
“I am the door,”
He is reiterating the fact that only through Him is salvation possible. This is far removed from the ecumenical teachings popular in today’s liberal religious circles. Jesus makes it clear that any religious leader who offers salvation other than the teachings of Christ is a “thief” and a “robber.”
One who believes the gospel
(Hebrews 11:6)
and repents of sin
(Luke 13:3)
is assured of being in
“the fold”
and of having entered by
“the door.”
As followers of Christ, Jesus is both
our Shepherd and the Door to the sheepfold
who provides for all our needs.
Knowing that the world is full of predators whose
sole intent is to destroy us
(1 Peter 5:8), we are always under His protection. More importantly, we are fully confident that “when the Chief Shepherd appears, [we] will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away”
(1 Peter 5:4).