As promised, this study is not finished with end times information. Babylon has been the topic of discussion two different times in the course of this blog. Once when she was encountered in Genesis, and then again in Revelation. Her beginnings and history was given when covering Genesis, and her possible present location and manner of lifestyle was discussed when studying Revelation. There is more to discover about Babylon and her demise in the Old Testament, so that is where the next study will take us.
While Babylon is mentioned in the historical books of the Tanakh, or Old Testament, those verses tend to be about the Babylon of Daniel’s day. What is going to be covered here are the prophetic passages found in the prophets. Actually the first prophetic mention is in the Psalms. In Psalm 137:8-9 we read, “O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.” In this Psalm or song, the children of Israel are remembering how Babylon mocked them in their captivity. Then the punishment that will come upon Babylon for their sin is pronounced. They tell how God will reward her the same way she treated them. Indeed, in Revelation it was said that he would “reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works.” Rev. 18:6. Then a specific act that will be perpetrated upon her is given. Her little ones, her children, will be dashed against the stones. The one who takes out God’s vengeance upon her (the beast and his cronies) will not spare even her children. They will slay all in the most cruel, horrible way.
The next mention of Babylon is found in Isaiah chapter 13 and 14.
Chapter 13
Verse 1 “The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.”
A burden was a divine judgment. What is about to be given by Isaiah is the judgment that God has declared on Babylon.
Verse 2 “Life ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.”
A warning is given to lift up the banner, which is a signal flag to warn of impending disaster. They are told to raise their voices and wave their hands. All of these things are things that people do to get the attention of someone when there is danger at hand. They are given this warning so that they may go into the gates of the nobles. Unlike today when cities sprawl out or people live on their own individual acreage in the country, back then the nobles owned the land and the people worked it for them. The cities were walled and when there was danger the inhabitants would run inside the gates where the palaces for the nobles and the villages were located. Then the gates would be shut against the invading forces.
Verse 3-5 “I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.”
In the first fulfillment of this prophecy, we know that the Medo-Persians were the ones to conquer Babylon, and they are mentioned in verse 17 as being the conquerors. I do not think, however, that this particular verse applies to them in the context of the future fulfillment. This has a more specific group in mind, and it refers to more than just the destruction of Babylon. If one looks at the verse carefully, it would not seem that this description fits Persia/Iran at all. Let us take a closer look at what it says. “I have commanded my sanctified ones.” This multitude has been set apart especially for this occasion. Not only set apart, but sanctified implies being set apart as clean or holy. Persia was hardly the latter, being a pagan nation, and Iran certainly is not as they are Muslim. This group rejoices in God’s highness or majesty. This would imply that they believe and worship God. Again, this does not describe Persia/Iran. They are a multitude, a great people who make a tumultuous or roaring, destructive noise. The word Hebrew word for “great” implies much more than their quality. It also implies great in quantity, size, number, and interestingly, age. The Lord “musters” (or in Hebrew “visits”) this host or army, meaning He personally appoints and charges this group with their task and sends them into battle. They are the weapons of the Lord’s wrath or indignation and they are charged with destroying the whole land. Again, this particular verse would not seem to be referring to the Medes or Persians back then or to the Medes (Iran) of today, even though later verses make it clear that Babylon’s initial destruction comes from the Medes both times. This verse is speaking of much more than Babylon’s destruction, although that is also a part of the Day of the Lord. This, as will be soon seen, is speaking of God’s wrath on the entire world during the Day of the Lord.
There were several things above which were skipped over in this verse that must now be addressed, and this is going to require people to consider things that seem far outside their normal realm of experience. Know that the following is purely speculation based upon a study of the meanings of the words in Hebrew and it is asked that before dismissing it as crazy that it be thought and prayed about. The verse speaks of God calling his “mighty ones” who come from “a far country, from the end of heaven.” The word “mighty” in Hebrew is “gibbor”. This word was used in Genesis when it spoke of the offspring of the fallen angels and human women. They were the “mighty men of old, men of renown,” and referred to as giants. It is true that occasionally this word is used in the Tanakh to refer to a single individual who is rich and powerful, but for the most part when used, it refers to the armies or people that Joshua and the Israelites had to go against to claim and enter into the promised land. We know from the initial reports of the spies that the land was filled with giants and that even in David’s day they still existed, (although they seemed to have gotten smaller with the latter generations) as he killed Goliath, who was one. They still existed in David‘s day, because of the lack of obedience on Israel’s part to completely annihilate these nephilim offspring (of the fallen angels and human women) that again came to exist after the flood. In Gen. 6:4 we are told that there were giants before the flood and also after the flood. If one tracks the mythology and legends of “gods” and giants, (the nephilim) one finds that the legends began in Babylon, then they are found in Egypt, then the stories appear in Greece and Rome, which would show a northern migration of this people. From that area they are then later discovered to have been a part of the Norse legends. We then find legends of these people in the Americas. This geographical migration of the myths tracks with what we know of history from the Bible. We know that Babylon was the root of all paganism after the flood. Then the Babylonian gods are found (under different names) in Egypt when Israel lived there. Hieroglyphics show giant-sized Pharaohs and we know that the Egyptians believed in gods who were only part human. Then the Bible tells us that when Israel conquered the promised land, the land was filled with giants. While Israel killed most of them, there were some who escaped that fate. We can start hypothesizing, based on the legends, that at least some of the remnant of giants, having seen God’s power, decided to migrate north away from Israel. We then find the "gods" appearing in Greece (and later Rome), and then the Norse countries. The myths while slightly different, all have the same basic stories underlying them, as well as many of the same characters or gods, only by different names. One of the legends that seems to prevail for both before and after the flood, is that these beings were technologically advanced. While many archeologists cannot accept that fact, one of the “mysteries” of the Egyptian hieroglyphics (not to mention the Mayan and Hindu carvings/drawings/hieroglyphs) is that there are repeated drawings of what appear to be planes, jets, and the like. This is not acceptable to archeologists, since they accept the idea of evolution and therefore cannot believe that early man had this level of technology. Christians know otherwise. Man was created with much more intelligence than we have now. In fact, we have devolved, not evolved. Man today cannot even begin to understand how the pyramids or places like Machu Picchu were built, or other inexplicable artifacts. Understanding things from a biblical viewpoint, that giants existed and that they had the knowledge of the fallen angels at their disposal, makes everything that the world finds a mystery easily understood. If we assume (and it is an assumption even though much points to it being quite probable) that the nephilim migrated north, making themselves god-like to the humans they encountered along the way, it would explain the development of the curiously similar myths that exist. Knowing that they had technological abilities, it is not far-fetched to assume they used them, as man spread over the world, to continually move on and keep themselves separate and hidden from mankind, possibly traveling out into space. (It was discussed previously that the tower of Babel reaching to the stars may have been a place that was being built to enable travel into space. It is not beyond the technological capability of fallen angels to provide this information to their half-breed offspring.) It would appear that not only did they move north, (Who built Stonehenge if not giants?) but the evidence shows that they moved to the Americas. We know the giant ruins and pyramids in South America were not made by men of our stature. The blocks are cut with a precision that does not even exist today, and the weight of them is literally impossible for us to consider moving them, not to mention moving them to the tops of mountains (where they are found). The Native American Indians of North America have legends of giants who were so big that they could chase (on foot) the buffalo of the plains and wrestle them to the ground. From where would they get these legends of giants if they did not exist and had not been seen? And these legends are not that old. Who really are the Bigfoots, the Yetis, the Sasquatches of the world? Are they apes? Or are they possibly nephilim? If so one would wonder if they are degenerate nephilim in some cases (too much inbreeding) considering the descriptions. Who or whatever they are, they live far from man in the mountains and keep to themselves. Native American Indians told the frontiermen to stay away from these creatures as they were dangerous, and also cannibals or rather man-eaters. The Book of Enoch, while not inspired, was accepted as a historical book by Jews, and it says that the nephilim or giants were indeed man-eaters. One of the mutant genetics that occurred with the nephilim (according to Scripture, 2 Sam. 21:20) is that they are said to have had six fingers and six toes. This from what I have read is part of the legend of the NativeAmericans. It is said that while Hollywood made a mockery of the raising of the hand and saying “How” when a Native American met a white man, that the practice of raising the hand was indeed a way of greeting another person (the “how“ part was Hollywood). It was a way of checking to see how many fingers a man had, as part of their legend of these strange people was that they had six fingers. (Not all giants were tall enough to wrestle buffalo. Goliath was tall at 9 feet, so not all nephilim would be immediately discernable by their height, as the generations seem to get smaller with each ensuing generation, therefore the checking of the number of fingers to be sure the person was human.) The word "great" when referring to this host also has the concept of age. The nephilim would probably grow to old ages due to the angelic blood they possess. Of interest is a recent report that came out of Tennessee that a man living in a cabin in the rural area had a man (not an ape or beast) ten feet tall come onto his property. He chased the giant away, but not before noticing that he had beautiful long hair and six fingers. The news people mocked the man as being crazy, but I saw the interview and from watching the man I believe he was telling the truth. The six fingers was like a bell ringing. Coincidence? I somehow doubt it. These people obviously still exist, although they do not mingle with mankind as a rule.
So what is the point of all this discussion of nephilim? It would seem that if the word "gibbor" means the giants, that possibly the Lord has a group of nephilim or giants, who may actually believe in God (the Bible is not overtly clear on whether they can get salvation or not, being only part human, so it is hard to say). It says they come from not only a far country, but from the end of heaven. This might indicate that they (at least those nephilim who believe in God) have used their technological skills to find another place to live in this universe. Maybe that explains some of the UFO sightings, although I attribute those more to the fallen side of the angels and nephilim than I would to the good guys. If this is a possibility, then God is telling us here that we should expect a so-called UFO alien invasion, which people will believe anyhow when the fifth and sixth trumpet judgments happen. God seems to be calling in all of the non-human/half human creatures that exist for this end times scenario. We have no idea how many of these legendary creatures are real and not myth. I am believing now that few to possibly none of them are myth, from what I have been learning about the activities of these fallen angels and nephilim in the days of Babylon and Egypt. It seems they were capable of more horrific genetic experiments on humans than Josef Mengele was in WWII. Why, after an Irishman claims to have seen the “little people” (leprechauns) in a forest in Ireland, did the European Union, of all organizations, declare it a protected area for “little people?” Really? The EU? They have time for such nonsense? Or is it not nonsense and they know something we do not and wanted people staying away from the area?
Getting back to the Scriputres, God may be telling us in this verse that there is a multitude of what may be righteous giants/nephilim who are going to show up from the heavens to take out God’s vengeance on the world. This comes from a straightforward reading of the verse taking it quite literally, not a crazy off the wall interpretation, in spite of the fact that it sounds like a crazy off the wall interpretation. Sometimes God’s Word is stranger than fiction.
The mention of kingdoms of nations could mean several things with this interpretation. It could mean that this group comprises several different groups of these types of beings. It could also be a reference to a different group, the nations of this world, who might be the opponents in the battle.
This is just a possible and highly speculative interpretation, and admittedly quite a rather bizarre and out-there one, as the expression goes. It is wise to be prepared for something of this nature though, as to believe that there is nothing between man and the angelic realm is to then be left open for deception should "aliens," as they are currently choosing to present themselves, arrive on the scene. The Scriptures have already told us that there are beings besides man and angels, so we need to realize that anything is possible.
There is another possible interpretation which is far less bizarre and far more palatable to most people who do not like to leave the comfort of their tangible world. The gathering of the nations is reminiscent of what will happen at Armageddon, and we know that the Church follows Christ into that battle, and that they are a host of sanctified ones. The problem that this interpretation presents is that the Church never has any part in that battle according to Revelation. Christ simply destroys everyone by Himself with a word. The Church is not said to have been assigned the job of destroying the world.
The problem presented by the use of the word "gibbor" in this context could be reconciled if one accepts that it possibly means the mighty warriors that Christians become after the rapture/resurrection. But again, they do not seem to actually enter into the battle, and this word is more often used to refer to the nephilim breed than normal people. The Church at this point would certainly come from the ends of heaven, so that would fit. This clearly is the easier interpretation to accept, but I do not know if it is the correct one, even given that the other is extremely difficult to believe and accept. I do not know what the answer truly is, but I do know that I want to be prepared for any eventuality, so that I will not be surprised or deceived. Life at the end will become very different from what we know it to be now, and we must be mentally prepared to accept as fact what most now believe to be myth or legend, as the evidence is beginning to show itself that they are not the make-believe stories we have so long thought them to be.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
To Christmas or not to Christmas that is the question.
We are coming into the holiday season where some Christians are coming into conflict with each other. Is Christmas a holiday that Christians should be celebrating or not? Right now my family is in the week of Chanukkah, as being in the process of moving into a Messianic style of Christianity, we now are learning to celebrate some of the Jewish holidays. This is not required of Gentile Christians according to Scripture, in fact it is not even encouraged, but it is allowable for those who would like to do so. We have found that it helps us to keep our focus on God when we celebrate holidays that God originated, or that celebrate an act of God, and that have no pagan associations (except for the pagan traditions man has added to them, which I personally try to eliminate). 1 Cor. 7:18-20 tells us that if a person is called in uncircumcision, in other words, if a Gentile is called to be a child of God, he should not seek to be circumcised or become a Jew. We are only to keep God's commandments, by which He means the Ten Commandments, not the 613 civil, health, kosher, and etc. laws (except for the exceptions outlined in Acts). This also includes not having to keep the Feasts of God. It however does not include the Sabbath. That is one of the Ten Commandments and we are still obligated to keep that. We are, however, allowed to celebrate these Jewish holy days if we so choose. Rom. 14:5-6 tells us that if a man esteems one day as more important than another and is doing so for the Lord, and is convinced in his own mind that he is doing correctly, he may do so. If he prefers to consider every day the same, he is also allowed to do that. The festivals are not a requirement, but they are allowed. If one does choose to celebrate the Jewish Feast days, one should keep in mind that it is permissible to not celebrate them the way Judaism does. That is because many of the traditions are not ordinances given by God, but simply man-made traditions that have evolved over time. One should check the Scriptures to see what is required. Chanukkah is not one of God's mandated holy days, even for Jews. It is simply a celebration of a miraculous historical event. More importantly, many of these Jewish traditions are also of pagan origin, just as many of the traditions of Christian holy days are, and should probably be eliminated from the Christian celebration of these Jewish holidays, if we are to be consistent in removing paganism from our lives.
As to whether or not we can or should continue to celebrate Christmas, first one must consider that the day to which the Christmas celebration was assigned back in Constantine's day was originally the birthday of Mithras, the bull-headed god. Constantine was responsible for reassigning many of the holidays, statues, traditions, etc. that belonged to paganism to Christianity by putting a Christian facade over them. Naturally this was a bad idea, and some of these things are explicitly forbidden by God, such as idols. However, every day of the year belongs to God, regardless of who else would like to claim the day for themselves. If we are to take the Scripture in Romans at face value, it says that if we celebrate a day unto the Lord and esteem it more important than other days, as long as we are celebrating it unto the Lord, and are convinced that it is all right, it is all right with God. Satan may want to lay claim to days as being his, but he is really only usurping them from God. God owns every day and we can honor the Lord any day of the year no matter what Satan's followers are doing on that day. So, is it all right to honor God on a day when Satan wants honor? I think it is even more important to honor God on a day when Satan is claiming worship. The problem comes in with whether or not Christians are honoring the Lord on that day. If the gifts and Santa Claus are the object of the day, then I think it would probably be better to not celebrate it. If however you have made the day all about the Lord, and you are convinced that you are honoring God, then I think you are probably just fine in celebrating it. For our family Christmas has always been about having a day to gather as an extended family and rejoicing in the fellowship as Christians. Gifts are relegated to a back seat in importance. We view the holiday as a special time to see family members that we do not often get to see. We also do not always celebrate it on December 25. We choose a day that is convenient for everyone and we get together on that day. As my husband has always had a job that usually required that he work on Christmas day, it became just one more day on our calendar, and our focus was on whatever day we had the family gathering. This has been good for our children in a number of ways, one being that they do not feel that the day is the most important day of the year as some people seem to feel. I have seen families torn apart by the treatment of newly married couples when one family insists that the newlyweds spend the day with them every year and the other in-laws get angry, as they never get to share the holiday. This will never be an issue with my children, as we will get together whenever it is convenient during the holiday season. They will never feel caught between two families. The day has not become an idol for us as it has for some. For a while we did have some problems with a new member of the family, as she felt that if we did not celebrate the day on the date it was on the calendar, then there was no point in getting together. She missed the whole point of our gatherings. She had made an idol of the day rather than being grateful for the opportunity to think of the Lord's first coming and for enjoying a family gathering.
Moving on from the question of should we even celebrate or not, we come to the whole Santa Claus issue. Obviously this has nothing to do with Christ, therefore if we are truly celebrating the day unto the Lord, we should not have this be a part of it. Next we have the Christmas trees, mistletoe, and holly berries. Some look to Jeremiah 10:3-5 to say that Christmas trees are forbidden, but that is not exactly to what Jeremiah is referring. "For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe, they deck it with silver and with gold, they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good." This verse is not actually about trees. The pagans would cut down trees and carve large statues of their gods out of them. Then they would overlay them with silver and gold, nail them upright to a palanquin (a carrying device similar to a litter) and parade them around town. It does say in the verse that they carry it because it cannot move on its own. In fact, Catholics in many countries still continue this practice with the Virgin Mary statue. This is a verification of this explanation versus it being a Christmas tree, as this custom, which carried over from paganism into Christianity, still exists. Nobody carries around Christmas trees now, nor did then do it then. They carried statues of the gods.
Notice that the verse mentions that the object, which some like to think is a Christmas tree, does not speak. Why would the pagans expect a tree to speak? They wouldn't. However they might expect a statue to speak. Scriptures also say not to be afraid of them as they can do neither evil nor good. A tree would not be expected to do either, but a statue of a god that people believed was real would be expected to do either good or evil. Next, pagans believe that all of nature has a spirit and they worshiped the trees, therefore while they did sometimes hang idols of their gods on live trees, they would probably hesitate to cut them down and bring them inside and decorate them as we do. I believe given all of this evidence, it is clear that Jeremiah was not speaking of a Christmas tree as we know it, rather of the idols they carved, covered in gold and silver, and paraded around town on a palanquin.
Lastly, people do not put up Christmas trees to worship them, at least most people do not. They are seen as a decoration for the season and nothing more. I put up seasonal decorations for every season. In the spring I put around lots of spring flowers. In the fall I have lots of decorations using leaves, gourds, berries, pine cones, etc. I also put pumpkins around. As I live on a farm and we grow corn, I also put cornstalks around. I see no reason why I cannot enjoy and be thankful for the beauty of the fall harvest and the changing colors of the leaves that God has given us. I see nothing pagan in enjoying God's creation, and that attitude follows into the winter season. I like putting up what little greenery can be found at this time of the year to bring some of the beauty of outdoors inside, as I do all the rest of the year. It is merely bringing the beauty of the outdoors, which I love very much, inside to cheer me. I do not worship the greenery, so I do not find anything wrong in having it around my house. But again, it is a matter of personal conscience. If someone feels it is wrong, as Jehovah Witnesses do, then for them it is wrong. The same goes for mistletoe and holly berry. These are plants that God created, nothing more. If they are in season and all that there is that I can find to bring some color into the house, I will use them. Everything God has made is good. Satan has tried to corrupt whatever he can and use it for his own purposes, but that does not make the object itself bad. It is what you use it for that counts.
So, given all the above Scriptures and reasons, I see no reason why, if done in the right spirit and way, a Christian cannot celebrate Christmas or even have a Christmas tree, even though it is the wrong time of year to celebrate Yeshua's birth, but this is my conscience. You all have to wrestle with your own conscience and come to your own conclusion.
As to whether or not we can or should continue to celebrate Christmas, first one must consider that the day to which the Christmas celebration was assigned back in Constantine's day was originally the birthday of Mithras, the bull-headed god. Constantine was responsible for reassigning many of the holidays, statues, traditions, etc. that belonged to paganism to Christianity by putting a Christian facade over them. Naturally this was a bad idea, and some of these things are explicitly forbidden by God, such as idols. However, every day of the year belongs to God, regardless of who else would like to claim the day for themselves. If we are to take the Scripture in Romans at face value, it says that if we celebrate a day unto the Lord and esteem it more important than other days, as long as we are celebrating it unto the Lord, and are convinced that it is all right, it is all right with God. Satan may want to lay claim to days as being his, but he is really only usurping them from God. God owns every day and we can honor the Lord any day of the year no matter what Satan's followers are doing on that day. So, is it all right to honor God on a day when Satan wants honor? I think it is even more important to honor God on a day when Satan is claiming worship. The problem comes in with whether or not Christians are honoring the Lord on that day. If the gifts and Santa Claus are the object of the day, then I think it would probably be better to not celebrate it. If however you have made the day all about the Lord, and you are convinced that you are honoring God, then I think you are probably just fine in celebrating it. For our family Christmas has always been about having a day to gather as an extended family and rejoicing in the fellowship as Christians. Gifts are relegated to a back seat in importance. We view the holiday as a special time to see family members that we do not often get to see. We also do not always celebrate it on December 25. We choose a day that is convenient for everyone and we get together on that day. As my husband has always had a job that usually required that he work on Christmas day, it became just one more day on our calendar, and our focus was on whatever day we had the family gathering. This has been good for our children in a number of ways, one being that they do not feel that the day is the most important day of the year as some people seem to feel. I have seen families torn apart by the treatment of newly married couples when one family insists that the newlyweds spend the day with them every year and the other in-laws get angry, as they never get to share the holiday. This will never be an issue with my children, as we will get together whenever it is convenient during the holiday season. They will never feel caught between two families. The day has not become an idol for us as it has for some. For a while we did have some problems with a new member of the family, as she felt that if we did not celebrate the day on the date it was on the calendar, then there was no point in getting together. She missed the whole point of our gatherings. She had made an idol of the day rather than being grateful for the opportunity to think of the Lord's first coming and for enjoying a family gathering.
Moving on from the question of should we even celebrate or not, we come to the whole Santa Claus issue. Obviously this has nothing to do with Christ, therefore if we are truly celebrating the day unto the Lord, we should not have this be a part of it. Next we have the Christmas trees, mistletoe, and holly berries. Some look to Jeremiah 10:3-5 to say that Christmas trees are forbidden, but that is not exactly to what Jeremiah is referring. "For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the axe, they deck it with silver and with gold, they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good." This verse is not actually about trees. The pagans would cut down trees and carve large statues of their gods out of them. Then they would overlay them with silver and gold, nail them upright to a palanquin (a carrying device similar to a litter) and parade them around town. It does say in the verse that they carry it because it cannot move on its own. In fact, Catholics in many countries still continue this practice with the Virgin Mary statue. This is a verification of this explanation versus it being a Christmas tree, as this custom, which carried over from paganism into Christianity, still exists. Nobody carries around Christmas trees now, nor did then do it then. They carried statues of the gods.
Notice that the verse mentions that the object, which some like to think is a Christmas tree, does not speak. Why would the pagans expect a tree to speak? They wouldn't. However they might expect a statue to speak. Scriptures also say not to be afraid of them as they can do neither evil nor good. A tree would not be expected to do either, but a statue of a god that people believed was real would be expected to do either good or evil. Next, pagans believe that all of nature has a spirit and they worshiped the trees, therefore while they did sometimes hang idols of their gods on live trees, they would probably hesitate to cut them down and bring them inside and decorate them as we do. I believe given all of this evidence, it is clear that Jeremiah was not speaking of a Christmas tree as we know it, rather of the idols they carved, covered in gold and silver, and paraded around town on a palanquin.
Lastly, people do not put up Christmas trees to worship them, at least most people do not. They are seen as a decoration for the season and nothing more. I put up seasonal decorations for every season. In the spring I put around lots of spring flowers. In the fall I have lots of decorations using leaves, gourds, berries, pine cones, etc. I also put pumpkins around. As I live on a farm and we grow corn, I also put cornstalks around. I see no reason why I cannot enjoy and be thankful for the beauty of the fall harvest and the changing colors of the leaves that God has given us. I see nothing pagan in enjoying God's creation, and that attitude follows into the winter season. I like putting up what little greenery can be found at this time of the year to bring some of the beauty of outdoors inside, as I do all the rest of the year. It is merely bringing the beauty of the outdoors, which I love very much, inside to cheer me. I do not worship the greenery, so I do not find anything wrong in having it around my house. But again, it is a matter of personal conscience. If someone feels it is wrong, as Jehovah Witnesses do, then for them it is wrong. The same goes for mistletoe and holly berry. These are plants that God created, nothing more. If they are in season and all that there is that I can find to bring some color into the house, I will use them. Everything God has made is good. Satan has tried to corrupt whatever he can and use it for his own purposes, but that does not make the object itself bad. It is what you use it for that counts.
So, given all the above Scriptures and reasons, I see no reason why, if done in the right spirit and way, a Christian cannot celebrate Christmas or even have a Christmas tree, even though it is the wrong time of year to celebrate Yeshua's birth, but this is my conscience. You all have to wrestle with your own conscience and come to your own conclusion.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Revelation 22:21
Verse 21 “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
John adds his own benediction to the revelation that Yeshua has given him. Then he closes out the last book of the Bible with the final word, which as said before means “so be it.” All has been decided. The future has been written in stone. What will be will be. There is no more to be said.
There is a whole study of a something called the Bible codes. It is a numbers game on the same idea as Gematria. Supposedly there are all these secret messages written in the Bible by counting so many letters or words and creating new letters and words from the ones that are equidistant from each other. The funny thing about this is that they can only “find” these clues after the event, which should seem suspicious to anyone who thinks things through. (This has also been found to work in Shakespeare.) One of the conclusions that these “experts” in this study have come to is that there are multiple futures from which we can choose by changing the way we behave. This alone should tell an intelligent Christian that there is something wrong with this. Just like Gematria is an occult practice, I have a feeling that this may also have its roots in some sort of pagan practice. While it is not impossible that God has hidden things in His Word, anything that gives hidden information that is totally and clearly in opposition to the clear, understandable, and open Word of God is obviously wrong. There is one future and one future only. There are not multiple possibilities open to us. It has already happened from God’s point of view, which is why He gave it to us in an open fashion in the book of Revelation (not to mention all the prophets, gospels, and epistles).
At this point in my Bible it says, “The End.” This indeed is the end of the Book of Revelation, and literally the end of the Bible, but it is not the end of my blog study on the end times. Now I need to go back and discuss more about the identity of the antichrist, the identity of Babylon, the millennium, the battle of God and Magog, and other subjects which were not thoroughly covered before. There is literally no end to all that one can study on this subject of the end times. It covers the entire Bible. So we will begin again.
John adds his own benediction to the revelation that Yeshua has given him. Then he closes out the last book of the Bible with the final word, which as said before means “so be it.” All has been decided. The future has been written in stone. What will be will be. There is no more to be said.
There is a whole study of a something called the Bible codes. It is a numbers game on the same idea as Gematria. Supposedly there are all these secret messages written in the Bible by counting so many letters or words and creating new letters and words from the ones that are equidistant from each other. The funny thing about this is that they can only “find” these clues after the event, which should seem suspicious to anyone who thinks things through. (This has also been found to work in Shakespeare.) One of the conclusions that these “experts” in this study have come to is that there are multiple futures from which we can choose by changing the way we behave. This alone should tell an intelligent Christian that there is something wrong with this. Just like Gematria is an occult practice, I have a feeling that this may also have its roots in some sort of pagan practice. While it is not impossible that God has hidden things in His Word, anything that gives hidden information that is totally and clearly in opposition to the clear, understandable, and open Word of God is obviously wrong. There is one future and one future only. There are not multiple possibilities open to us. It has already happened from God’s point of view, which is why He gave it to us in an open fashion in the book of Revelation (not to mention all the prophets, gospels, and epistles).
At this point in my Bible it says, “The End.” This indeed is the end of the Book of Revelation, and literally the end of the Bible, but it is not the end of my blog study on the end times. Now I need to go back and discuss more about the identity of the antichrist, the identity of Babylon, the millennium, the battle of God and Magog, and other subjects which were not thoroughly covered before. There is literally no end to all that one can study on this subject of the end times. It covers the entire Bible. So we will begin again.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Revelation 22:19-20
Verse 19 “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Now we see that taking away is as bad as or worse than adding to the words. The punishment is definitely worse. The consequences of adding to God’s Word is that you had to suffer the plagues without protection. Now you lose your salvation (there goes eternal security out the window), your place in New Jerusalem, and all the good things (blessings and eternal rewards) which are contained in this book. Taking away is not just removing passages or sections that may not be liked, but I believe spiritualizing away all the plagues of this book is also taking away from the prophecies found in it.
Verse 20 “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
For the last time Yeshua warns that He is coming quickly. How many times has He warned this, yet how many say that there is no Second Coming or that He delays it? Amen basically means “so be it.” It is a statement of decisiveness. No plea bargaining, no appeal. Then John adds his own feelings on this. Even in spite of all the horrific things that are going to happen, John wants the Lord to return, as I am sure do we all who love the Lord. This world is definitely not our home. It is full of evil which is hard to bear.
Now we see that taking away is as bad as or worse than adding to the words. The punishment is definitely worse. The consequences of adding to God’s Word is that you had to suffer the plagues without protection. Now you lose your salvation (there goes eternal security out the window), your place in New Jerusalem, and all the good things (blessings and eternal rewards) which are contained in this book. Taking away is not just removing passages or sections that may not be liked, but I believe spiritualizing away all the plagues of this book is also taking away from the prophecies found in it.
Verse 20 “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
For the last time Yeshua warns that He is coming quickly. How many times has He warned this, yet how many say that there is no Second Coming or that He delays it? Amen basically means “so be it.” It is a statement of decisiveness. No plea bargaining, no appeal. Then John adds his own feelings on this. Even in spite of all the horrific things that are going to happen, John wants the Lord to return, as I am sure do we all who love the Lord. This world is definitely not our home. It is full of evil which is hard to bear.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Revelation 22:17-18
Verse 17 “And the spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
The Holy Spirit, who convicts and the Bride, the Church who is supposed to be bringing the gospel to the world, tell everyone to come to Yeshua. Those who have an ear to hear, and those who are thirsty for a relationship with God are invited to come and drink of the water of life that Yeshua freely offers all.
Verse 18 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book;”
Now comes a huge warning. For those who hear the words of the prophecy of the book of Revelation (and actually very few do in Christian circles), anyone who adds things which do not belong there, or changes the meanings of the words (such as spiritualizing things when they should be taken literally), or deletes (ignores) passages, God will make that person suffer all the plagues that are written in the book. This is a seriously frightening thing for me in writing this blog. I continually and have continually prayed over all the years I have been studying this that I not be deceived or led astray into lies and deceptions, nor lead others into it. I have prayed for truth and understanding and wisdom to understand what has been written, so that I can help others understand and be ready both spiritually and physically for what lies ahead. It scares me deeply to think that I could be the cause of leading anybody astray.
I was raised to believe in a pre-tribulation rapture (obviously I have changed my mind on that) and this verse always puzzled me when viewed through that belief. If all Christians were to be gone before any of these plagues took place, how on earth could this be a threat that they will suffer them, just because they taught Revelation incorrectly? Now I understand how that can happen. These so-called prophecy teachers that say, “Peace and safety,” because you are going to be raptured out, are in for a really bad time. Jer. 14:13-15 “Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.” Under those circumstances, do not think that I entered into this blog lightly. For twenty years I have sought the Lord to show me truth no matter the cost. It has been a long journey, as He has had to reveal it in steps, as it was too hard to handle all at one time. I had to “grow” into understanding. And even now, I continue to learn and update. But I will continue to go back and correct as God shows me, so that I do not lead astray. My one fear has been that I might be guilty of this, and I have constantly prayed to not be guilty of that sin. While at times I have had to piece information together to understand, and hypothesis is the result rather than definitive facts, I hope that I have been clear that it is hypothesis and not fact, and have not “added” anything that does not belong. I abhor that in others, and I pray to not be guilty of it myself.
While it is helpful to look at extra-biblical sources to get a better idea of what else is going on in the world and to be able to better understand what the Bible does say by understanding the context of things, this information can never be in opposition to Scripture and be correct. That is where many go wrong. They supplant what the Bible says in lieu of what they learn outside of the Scriptures. This is what is leading many to declare whom they think the antichrist is, or predict events which the enemy is planning, but which are not described in Scripture. I have seen the enemies' plans be derailed more than just a few times. They can plan what they want, but unless God allows it, it will not come to pass, so no matter what we learn of their plans, we always have to weight it against Scripture.
The Holy Spirit, who convicts and the Bride, the Church who is supposed to be bringing the gospel to the world, tell everyone to come to Yeshua. Those who have an ear to hear, and those who are thirsty for a relationship with God are invited to come and drink of the water of life that Yeshua freely offers all.
Verse 18 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book;”
Now comes a huge warning. For those who hear the words of the prophecy of the book of Revelation (and actually very few do in Christian circles), anyone who adds things which do not belong there, or changes the meanings of the words (such as spiritualizing things when they should be taken literally), or deletes (ignores) passages, God will make that person suffer all the plagues that are written in the book. This is a seriously frightening thing for me in writing this blog. I continually and have continually prayed over all the years I have been studying this that I not be deceived or led astray into lies and deceptions, nor lead others into it. I have prayed for truth and understanding and wisdom to understand what has been written, so that I can help others understand and be ready both spiritually and physically for what lies ahead. It scares me deeply to think that I could be the cause of leading anybody astray.
I was raised to believe in a pre-tribulation rapture (obviously I have changed my mind on that) and this verse always puzzled me when viewed through that belief. If all Christians were to be gone before any of these plagues took place, how on earth could this be a threat that they will suffer them, just because they taught Revelation incorrectly? Now I understand how that can happen. These so-called prophecy teachers that say, “Peace and safety,” because you are going to be raptured out, are in for a really bad time. Jer. 14:13-15 “Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.” Under those circumstances, do not think that I entered into this blog lightly. For twenty years I have sought the Lord to show me truth no matter the cost. It has been a long journey, as He has had to reveal it in steps, as it was too hard to handle all at one time. I had to “grow” into understanding. And even now, I continue to learn and update. But I will continue to go back and correct as God shows me, so that I do not lead astray. My one fear has been that I might be guilty of this, and I have constantly prayed to not be guilty of that sin. While at times I have had to piece information together to understand, and hypothesis is the result rather than definitive facts, I hope that I have been clear that it is hypothesis and not fact, and have not “added” anything that does not belong. I abhor that in others, and I pray to not be guilty of it myself.
While it is helpful to look at extra-biblical sources to get a better idea of what else is going on in the world and to be able to better understand what the Bible does say by understanding the context of things, this information can never be in opposition to Scripture and be correct. That is where many go wrong. They supplant what the Bible says in lieu of what they learn outside of the Scriptures. This is what is leading many to declare whom they think the antichrist is, or predict events which the enemy is planning, but which are not described in Scripture. I have seen the enemies' plans be derailed more than just a few times. They can plan what they want, but unless God allows it, it will not come to pass, so no matter what we learn of their plans, we always have to weight it against Scripture.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Revelation 22:15-16
Verse 15 “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
This verse almost makes it sound as if just outside the gates of New Jerusalem there are all these sinners just living their lives, but who cannot enter into New Jerusalem. That is not what is indicated here. The word “without” can be (and is in some other verses) translated as “away.” In other words, away from or to put it another way, excluded from God’s entire kingdom (not just New Jerusalem) are those who have found themselves thrown into the lake of fire. God’s White Throne Judgment has rid the world of all of these sinners previous to this, so there are none left to be living anywhere near God’s kingdom, much less just outside the gates. Throughout the New Testament and in Revelation several times, it gives lists of sins that will keep a person from entering into the kingdom of God. This is just one more reminder that those who think they are “good enough” will not be making it in on their own “goodness.” They will be excluded from the kingdom of God. God gives multiple warnings before punishing.
Verse 16 “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
Again Yeshua identifies Himself as the author of these things, who has sent an angel to tell John, who then is to tell the churches. He verifies His ancestry which qualifies Him as the King, and again refers to Himself, as He did earlier in the book, as the bright and morning star. All of these are identities with which we are familiar.
This verse almost makes it sound as if just outside the gates of New Jerusalem there are all these sinners just living their lives, but who cannot enter into New Jerusalem. That is not what is indicated here. The word “without” can be (and is in some other verses) translated as “away.” In other words, away from or to put it another way, excluded from God’s entire kingdom (not just New Jerusalem) are those who have found themselves thrown into the lake of fire. God’s White Throne Judgment has rid the world of all of these sinners previous to this, so there are none left to be living anywhere near God’s kingdom, much less just outside the gates. Throughout the New Testament and in Revelation several times, it gives lists of sins that will keep a person from entering into the kingdom of God. This is just one more reminder that those who think they are “good enough” will not be making it in on their own “goodness.” They will be excluded from the kingdom of God. God gives multiple warnings before punishing.
Verse 16 “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
Again Yeshua identifies Himself as the author of these things, who has sent an angel to tell John, who then is to tell the churches. He verifies His ancestry which qualifies Him as the King, and again refers to Himself, as He did earlier in the book, as the bright and morning star. All of these are identities with which we are familiar.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Revelation 22:14
Verse 14 “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city,.”
Now we have a third blessing in this book. This blessing differs in that it is not about the book of Revelation, but about keeping God’s commandments. Yeshua told us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. One of them being (I hate to keep beating this drum, but….) keeping the Sabbath. Whether you want to believe it is the seventh day of the week or the first, are you keeping it according to God’s ways? Or are you spending the day running from this service to that meeting to this service to that choir rehearsal, etc. Are you spending the day RESTING? You may think that you are spending it with the Lord if you are pursuing church activities, but are you really spending it with the LORD? Or are you expending your energy running around doing church activities for the church? I know Christians who feel that your degree of Christianity is measured by how many services you are attending during a week and especially on Sunday. By their standards "good" Christians show up to Sunday night service and "really good" Christians show up to Wednesday night prayer meeting. How ridiculous. God made no commandment about the number of services you should attend.
Spending the Sabbath with the Lord does mean spending time in Bible study, prayer, and praise, however, not all of it should be corporate, as most people really need a lot more family time and quality one on one time with the Lord. And the entire day does not have to be spent doing these things, as they do take energy. The main command is to set the day apart as holy and REST. That is what God did. He ceased being active and took time to sit back and enjoy His creation. After all, what is the sense of having beauty around you if you do not take the time to enjoy it? If we spend all our time working, we never have time to appreciate anything, and God wants us to appreciate what He has given us. Just taking the time to stop and smell the roses, as they say, is a way of worshiping God. It is showing our thankfulness and appreciation. I know that I appreciate a day off from work. I need it to get myself focused again. I know that I appreciate that I can spend time studying God's Word on my own without feeling guilty about the laundry not being done or the rug not being vacuumed, but I also know how important it is to take time to just appreciate the day and God's gifts and especially connect with my family. The Sabbath is a guilt free pleasure that God gives us as a gift, yet we refuse to take advantage of it. Instead Christians spend the day hurrying from service to service and being just as exhausted at the end of the day as they are any other day. Mental work (you should be listening to the sermons not sleeping through them) is just as exhausting at times as physical labor. To spend the entire day in or leading church services is not the same as resting. People spend virtually no time with their family, as a family unit, enjoying each other and learning about each other. We do need to spend time in corporate worship, but not to the point of excluding rest or family time. And taking time to enjoy all that God has given us is worshiping God. I know that when I give a gift, if the person never takes the time to enjoy it, I feel like it was not appreciated, nor was it worth my effort to give it to them. I am sure God feels the same way.
Getting off my soapbox on that issue, those who keep the commandments have the right to eat from the tree of life. This has already been mentioned, so we will not cover that further. And they may enter into the gates of the city. We already know that no sinner is going to get past those gates.
Now we have a third blessing in this book. This blessing differs in that it is not about the book of Revelation, but about keeping God’s commandments. Yeshua told us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. One of them being (I hate to keep beating this drum, but….) keeping the Sabbath. Whether you want to believe it is the seventh day of the week or the first, are you keeping it according to God’s ways? Or are you spending the day running from this service to that meeting to this service to that choir rehearsal, etc. Are you spending the day RESTING? You may think that you are spending it with the Lord if you are pursuing church activities, but are you really spending it with the LORD? Or are you expending your energy running around doing church activities for the church? I know Christians who feel that your degree of Christianity is measured by how many services you are attending during a week and especially on Sunday. By their standards "good" Christians show up to Sunday night service and "really good" Christians show up to Wednesday night prayer meeting. How ridiculous. God made no commandment about the number of services you should attend.
Spending the Sabbath with the Lord does mean spending time in Bible study, prayer, and praise, however, not all of it should be corporate, as most people really need a lot more family time and quality one on one time with the Lord. And the entire day does not have to be spent doing these things, as they do take energy. The main command is to set the day apart as holy and REST. That is what God did. He ceased being active and took time to sit back and enjoy His creation. After all, what is the sense of having beauty around you if you do not take the time to enjoy it? If we spend all our time working, we never have time to appreciate anything, and God wants us to appreciate what He has given us. Just taking the time to stop and smell the roses, as they say, is a way of worshiping God. It is showing our thankfulness and appreciation. I know that I appreciate a day off from work. I need it to get myself focused again. I know that I appreciate that I can spend time studying God's Word on my own without feeling guilty about the laundry not being done or the rug not being vacuumed, but I also know how important it is to take time to just appreciate the day and God's gifts and especially connect with my family. The Sabbath is a guilt free pleasure that God gives us as a gift, yet we refuse to take advantage of it. Instead Christians spend the day hurrying from service to service and being just as exhausted at the end of the day as they are any other day. Mental work (you should be listening to the sermons not sleeping through them) is just as exhausting at times as physical labor. To spend the entire day in or leading church services is not the same as resting. People spend virtually no time with their family, as a family unit, enjoying each other and learning about each other. We do need to spend time in corporate worship, but not to the point of excluding rest or family time. And taking time to enjoy all that God has given us is worshiping God. I know that when I give a gift, if the person never takes the time to enjoy it, I feel like it was not appreciated, nor was it worth my effort to give it to them. I am sure God feels the same way.
Getting off my soapbox on that issue, those who keep the commandments have the right to eat from the tree of life. This has already been mentioned, so we will not cover that further. And they may enter into the gates of the city. We already know that no sinner is going to get past those gates.
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