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This notion is a contradiction of Church teaching and the Gospels.

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 645, it states, ” By means of touch and the sharing of a meal, the risen Jesus establishes direct contact with his disciples. He invites them in this way to recognize that he is not a ghost and above all to verify that the risen body in which he appears to them is the same body that had been tortured and crucified, for it still bears the traces of his Passion.” (Emphasis added.)

“Yet at the same time this authentic, real body possesses the new properties of a glorious body: not limited by space and time but able to be present how and when he wills; for Christ’s humanity can no longer be confined to earth, and belongs henceforth only to the Father’s divine realm,” states the Catechism. “For this reason too the risen Jesus enjoys the sovereign freedom of appearing as he wishes: in the guise of a gardener or in other forms familiar to his disciples, precisely to awaken their faith.”

In the Gospel of John (20:24-29) it says that after the resurrection, “Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’

“Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'”

Left-wing journalist Eugenio Scalfari, a long-time friend and interviewer of Pope Francis. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)

In the Nov. 5 edition of La Repubblica and in the introduction to his new book, Scalfari states that Pope Francis said, “He [Jesus] was a man until he was placed in the tomb by the women who recomposed his body. That night, in the tomb, the man [Jesus] disappeared and came forth from the grotto in the semblance of a spirit that met the women and the Apostles while still preserving the shadow of the person, and then he definitely disappeared.”

This translation and report were first posted online by ChurchMilitant.com and LifeSiteNews.com.

In October, Scalfari stated in La Repubblica that Pope Francis had told him that Jesus incarnate was just a man while on Earth, not both Man and God as the Catholic Church teaches, as well as most Protestant churches.

In addition to the gospel teaching about Thomas, John 20: 19-21 says, “On the evening of that [resurrection] day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”

In a response to Church Militant, the Holy See Press Office did not deny what Scalfari said about the Pope. Instead, they released the following statement, “As already stated on other occasions, the words that Dr. Eugenio Scalfari attributes in quotation marks to the Holy Father during the interviews he had cannot be considered as a faithful account of what was actually said, but rather represent a personal and free interpretation of those who listened, as appears completely evident from what is written today regarding the divinity of Jesus Christ.”

That is a non-denial denial. The Press Office does not state that what Scalfari wrote was false; it claims only that it “cannot be considered as a faithful account.” There is no clear denial, no demand that Scalfari correct his article or retract it, and no denial by the Pope himself.

This has happened on several occasions when Scalfari has reported interviews and conversations he has engaged in with Pope Francis, in person and reportedly often over the telephone. The news causes shock waves around the world, Catholics ask for clarification, and the Vatican releases a vague, non-denial response.

Pope Francis apparently has yet to publicly upbraid Scalfari, correct the record, or ask that Scalfari’s articles be taken down. In 2018, Scalfari reported that Pope Francis told him there is no Hell. The Pope never denied what his old friend published.

Italian journalist Antonio Socci, as reported by LifeSiteNews, said of this latest scandal, “Scalfari continues to attribute to Bergoglio quotes that contain unheard-of theological enormities and no one from the Vatican cares in the least of denying, nor do they tell Scalfari to stop. Catholics think those who keep silent agree.”

Nick Donnelly, a Catholic deacon in England tweeted, “Any decent pope would immediately issue a denial of Scalfari’s allegations that he’s a heretic. A proper, functioning CDF [Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith] would issue a statement pointing out the dangers of such heresies to reassure the faithful. Bishops worthy of their office would be outraged. Instead, NOTHING.”

Donnelly also told Church Militant, “The Scalfari claims about Francis’ heretical beliefs are so shocking, and the Pope’s adamant silence so incomprehensible, we have to assume that this is an accurate account of their conversations.”

“The claim that Francis denies the bodily resurrection of Jesus takes us into the area of de fide doctrine,” he said. “Every time we recite the Nicene and Apostles’ Creed we proclaim the bodily resurrection of Jesus. In the past, an ecumenical council would have been convened to condemn Christological heresies.”

Source: https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-w-chapman/scalfari-pope-denied-jesus-bodily-resurrection-says-it-was-semblance-spirit

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An upcoming graphic novel reportedly portrays Jesus Christ in a whole new light.

The Image Comics novel “Jesusfreak,” depicts a sword-wielding Jesus Christ who chops off the heads of his opponents, The Christian Post reported Monday.

The work, set in the year 26 C.E., is “a bloody, two-fisted tale of historical heroic fiction,” according to its online description.

Instead of pulling from “strict religious traditions,” the storyline was more interested in taking a deep-dive into “the unique tension that exists between depicting a mythical figure and a historical figure – a tension that is compounded when, for many, they’re considered the same person,” the novel’s writer Joe Casey previously said, according to Deadline.

The novel is due out on March 20.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/jesusfreak-comic-reportedly-portrays-christ-as-killer-who-beheads-foes

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In thousands of funeral ceremonies, clergymen confidently assure bereaved relatives their loved ones are already in heaven, and the belief is indelibly reinforced in an atmosphere of pain and fear of the unknown. But does the Bible really teach Christians go to heaven when they die?

Why is it there are no segregated graveyards?

Never have you seen indicated on tombstones that some of the bodies there were only the physical relics of souls which are now screaming in hell fire!

Yet, such is the belief of millions who confidently assume the teaching of a heavenly home, or an ever-burning hell.

No matter how sinfully the recently departed might have lived, many a pastor seems able to comfort distraught loved ones with the thought that, at the very last moment, cantankerous and crusty old Uncle Claude somehow made it through the pearly gates!

For over twenty-eight years, I have offered a certified cashier’s check for $10,000 to anyone who can come up with the words “immortal soul,” “When we get to heaven,” “I will see you in heaven,” and “We go to heaven when we die.”

Not in all those twenty-eight years, with millions hearing my words, has a single person been able to claim the certified cashier’s check for $10,000!

Why not?

Simply because such words are not in the Bible!

Remember, there is only one source for the real truth about what happens at death.

The Bible is God’s handbook to man—the revelation of knowledge man could not otherwise discover for himself. The Bible is revealed knowledge!

It does not purport to be a textbook on science, mathematics, geology, astronomy, biology, or physics. However, it is that one book from which and through which all study should be approached.

God did not waste space in His Word repeating for man, endlessly, thousands of things man could easily discover for himself.

He did, however, reveal to the willing hearts and minds of those human beings who are not hostile to God’s Word a precious fund of knowledge which we could not discover for ourselves!

The Bible is proved to be the divinely-revealed Word of God!

Paul said, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God [meaning, ‘God-breathed‘], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

The divinely-revealed Word of God is the ultimate source to which we must go to discover the real truth about the reward of the saved, about what happens at death; about the promise of “heaven,” or the threat of “hell.”

Wouldn’t it seem logical to you that if heaven is the reward of the saved; that if hell is the reward of sinners; that if the saints are raptured away to heaven—there would at least be one scripture somewhere in the Bible plainly saying so?

Is it logical to you that of all the doctrines of the Bible, these main-line, trunk-of-the-tree “doctrines” of a “rapture,” or “going to heaven,” or an “ever-burning hell,” should be totally absent from the Bible?

Millions of churchgoers have sat in church hearing graphic descriptions of heaven. They have heard tear-jerking stories of the death of saintly elderly persons; visions of heaven, last-moment death-bed repentances, and stories of people who have gazed upward as they died and said they saw Jesus coming!

But for all this gingerbread and euphoria around the edges of the subject, these same church-going people have never in their lives sat down at a lengthy Bible study or church service where they heard a minister wade through dozens of scriptures in the Bible promising heaven as the reward of the saved!

They have heard vague allusions from only a few scriptures which are capable of several interpretations!

But they have never heard a patient, careful, well-organized, thorough Bible study or sermon proving from the Bible that heaven is the reward of the saved!

Why haven’t they?

Simply because it cannot be proved!

Why Did Christ Teach the Resurrection?

Why did Jesus continually speak of a resurrection? He said,

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live” (John 5:25).

He described those who were in their graves, dead, knowing nothing, at the time of the second coming of Christ. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the grave shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” [“judgement,” margin] (John 5:28-29).

These scriptures plainly refer to a future event. Jesus spoke of a general resurrection from the dead, which He called a resurrection “of life. ” He clearly spoke of the opposite of death. He spoke of life.

God’s word says “The dead know not anything,” and “The memory of them is forgotten. ” David, in the Psalms, explains that death is a completely mindless state—an absence of knowledge and awareness.

Solomon, David’s son, explained that men die a death exactly as do beasts (Ecclesiastes 3:19). He said “Yea they all have one breath. “

God’s Word reveals that human beings live a physical, chemical existence. We are mortal, temporary, transitory creatures; sustained by the material elements of this physical creation. We are water-drinking, air-breathing, food-ingesting creatures whose life is dependent solely upon our bloodstream and the foods (as fuel) we take into our systems.

When we die, a total cessation of this physical, chemical existence occurs. Death is the absence of life. The Bible describes those who go down into their graves as being just as dead as any animal is dead!

But Jesus Christ spoke of a time when they will be raised up to life! Notice, He did not describe a supposed “immortal soul” being placed back into a formerly dead, decayed body!

Read the entire fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians. This is called the “resurrection chapter.” In this marvelous portion of scripture are found some of the most important and plainest doctrines of the Word of God. Not only is the resurrection described in great detail, but even “foolish questions” are answered. Continually, people think they have discovered a question too difficult even for God. They will relate, tiresomely, the devouring of bodies buried at sea by sharks. Then they describe how the sharks are finally

caught by a fisherman, and their livers sold in the market. They then say that some other human being eats the shark’s liver, and therefore a portion of the bodies of the dead, by providing fuel for a shark’s stomach, being absorbed into its body and becoming a part of its liver, now becomes a part of the body of another living person! So how does God solve the problem, they ask?

They will describe what happens when people are fused into nothingness in an atomic explosion, burnt in a crematorium and their ashes scattered over the mountains, in the air, or at sea; or even puzzle endlessly over what happens to those who died centuries ago where even the bones themselves have turned to nothing but dust.

To such questing minds, it seems impossible for God to “resurrect” the body that was. The Apostle Paul shows these are “foolish questions,” and answers them thoroughly in the famous “resurrection chapter” of 1 Corinthians 15.

“But some man will say, how are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come? Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased Him, and to every seed His own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption: it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness: it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:35-44).

Notice first that the Apostle Paul refers to carnal human reasonings about just how God is going to bring back an utterly corrupted and decayed human body as a question proposed by a fool.

Then, He shows that through the unlimited miracle working power of God a completely corrupt, dishonorable, natural body which can waste away to become fused once again with the elements of this earth (“dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return”) is to be resurrected as a spirit being!

“Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual … and as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality! ” (1 Corinthians 15:46-53).

You need to read all of this marvelously revealing chapter in your own Bible. Read it slowly, accept it on face value, as it is, and believe it as the very Word of God!

If you do, you will never again be confused about the resurrection of the dead.

This revealing chapter plainly shows that, at death, your physical, temporal bodies, sustained in a chemical existence by the natural elements of this earth; food, water, and air, completely cease to function, and that total unconsciousness and oblivion results!

Not only is there a complete cessation of life—there is total loss of consciousness!

Then, within moments after death, the physical body begins to decay.

This beautiful fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians explains that no matter how rapidly that decaying process (whether being blown to bits in an atomic explosion or slowly decaying in a normal grave) God is capable of completely re-creating a new spirit life, giving the individual a brand-new spirit body!

The Apostle Paul went to great pains to explain it is not the old, decaying, “corrupted” body which is raised, but a spiritual body.

There are literally dozens of scriptures in the Bible which speak of a great resurrection.

Notice another of the most important. “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished [this is the first resurrection]. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4-6).

Just as Jesus spoke of a resurrection to “life” and a resurrection to judgment,” so this revealing scripture shows the dead in Christ being resurrected at the second coming of Christ, and then reigning with Jesus Christ for a thousand years, while “the rest of the dead, ” (those who were never converted), remain totally oblivious to all this passage of time until after the thousand years are over!

You see, beginning in verse II to the end of chapter 20, the picture of the “great white throne judgment,” or the great latter-day resurrection of perhaps billions of human beings who will then be given an opportunity for salvation!

Read the 37th chapter of Ezekiel in the light of the last part of Revelation 20.

The famous “dry bones” of Ezekiel’s prophecy are stated to be “the whole house of Israel” (verse II) who are to be resurrected in this great “white throne judgment.”

God says “Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Eternal when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves. And shall put my spirit in you, and you shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall you know that I the Eternal have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Eternal” (Ezekiel 37:12-14).

Here again, you see two opposites: death, complete unconsciousness—human bodies by the millions decaying, forgotten in their graves—In contrast to a great future resurrection to life even after the millennial reign of Jesus Christ!

Time and again, the Bible speaks of the first resurrection at the precise instant of the second coming of Christ!

In this regard, study carefully one of the cherished scriptures used by proponents of the “hope of heaven” doctrine.

Turn to 1 Thessalonians 4, commencing to read with verse 13. “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. ”

This text is used over and over again to imply that Christians go to heaven!

Search the scriptures again, however, and you will see this scripture says nothing about going to heaven!

What does it say?

It says both the “dead in Christ (who have been completely dead, oblivious, unconscious of the passage of time in their graves) and the living Christians will “be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…”

This does not say “up in heaven!” It says “in the clouds.”

Clouds are as much a part of this earth as the oceans, the mountains, or anything else composed of matter.

While you may think of clouds as not being literally composed of matter, if they were not particulate matter, they would be invisible, and you could not see them. Even so, the air itself is, in practical fact, “material,” meaning it occupies space, has weight, is subjected to certain rigid and unalterable laws, and is composed of a wide variety of gases.

Our “atmosphere” is a thin envelope of life-supporting gases which are held close to the surface of the earth by gravity. Living plants produce oxygen, which is necessary for human and animal survival.

Clouds are merely vapor, formed by condensation and the forming of tiny ice particles when moisture-laden air is subjected to changes in pressure and temperature.

Most jet air travel is well above the majority of all clouds. Certainly, all of the orbital satellites are far above the clouds, and yet are held in an orbital pattern above the earth, established by the pull of gravity.

When the Bible speaks of Jesus Christ returning to this earth it plainly reveals He is coming all the way back down, just as He left.

Read, in the first chapter of Acts, of the very first message ever to come back down from heaven after Jesus ascended to His Father:

“And when He [Jesus] had spoken these things, while they [the disciples] beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:9-11).

They watched Jesus being enveloped in the clouds only a very few hundred feet above their heads! Jesus would have been completely invisible if He were only a very few thousand feet from them! The scripture plainly shows He was still visible until clouds obscured Him from their view.

That meant the clouds had to be quite low on this occasion!

The Bible then says He will come back to this earth, “in like manner” as they saw Him go into heaven!

Turn back to 1 Thessalonians 4 and read the passage quoted again.

Notice what it does not say. It does not say anything whatsoever about “going to heaven.” It says nothing whatsoever about “an immortal soul”!

Rather, as plainly corroborated by many other scriptures, it shows the resurrection of the dead in Christ, and the instantaneous change (1 Corinthians 15:50-52) of those who are “alive and remain,” to be caught up together as one group “in the clouds,” and finally concludes by saying “… and so shall we ever be with the Lord. And where will the Lord be on that same day?

Remember, He is coming back. He is not merely going to “visit the general vicinity” of the earth, catching away saints in a so-called “rapture” and take them off to heaven!

Notice the proof, from your own Bible!

“Behold the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Eternal go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:1-4).

The setting of this prophecy is the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is that period of time immediately following the heavenly signs of Revelation 7, and the first five “seals” of Revelation 6, or the great tribulation prophesied by Jesus in Matthew 24.

The gathering of all nations against Jerusalem to battle is the same great battle depicted in Revelation 19:11-21.

Here, John sees the heavens opened in vision, and Jesus Christ sitting on a white horse, followed by heavenly armies, returning to this earth to “smite the nations” and “rule them with a rod of iron. ”

In the vision, John said he “saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army.” And describes the destruction of both the beast and the false prophet on the very same day of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

What will happen after the dead in Christ and the living Christians are caught up together to meet the returning Christ in the air?

The Bible says “And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives! ”

They are gathered from all nations, taken by powerful angels to meet Jesus Christ as He returns directly to the Mount of Olives, and so descend with Him to Jerusalem!

Notice! “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together the elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30-3 1).

Notice again the description of Jesus Christ returning to this earth!

The false doctrine of Christians “going to heaven” would make completely unnecessary any second coming of Christ. If “souls” were already “in heaven” from the time they died, then why should Christ come back? Why should such “souls” be taken from heaven, placed back into decayed bodies, resurrected, and then the whole process of deciding where they belong begun all over again?

The false doctrine of the “immortality of the soul” and Christians “going to heaven” does away with the second coming of Christ—which is the greatest prophesied event in the Bible!

No, “souls” do not go to heaven—neither do people. Christ is coming back to this earth. He is coming all the way back; coming with clouds, to catch the converted righteous up into the air with Him, take them to a place just above Jerusalem, and then, “His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives” in that same day!

Obviously, these many biblical proofs of the second coming of Christ utterly negate the false doctrine of souls going to heaven.

Now, let’s notice some of Christ’s parables about His coming kingdom; about the fact it will be set up on this literal earth, and see some of the prophecies about conditions on the earth during the millennium.

Read again the parable of the pounds and the talents. One example is found in Matthew 25:14-30, and another in Luke 19:12-27.

In each case, those who overcome are promised of Jesus Christ rulership over cities!

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), Jesus says, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the Lord.”

In the case of the parable of the pounds (Luke 19) Jesus says, “Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17).

Do these plain words of your Savior “fit” into the traditional teaching you have always heard—perhaps just taken for granted? Anything about “heaven” here? No, but rulership over cities, occupied by human beings, during the 1,000- year reign of Christ on earth is offered to those who are living a life of overcoming—of qualifying for such positions!

Notice! “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father” (Revelation 2:26, 27).

There is no way to “spiritualize” these plain words away! Jesus Christ means exactly what He says! Those who are living a life of overcoming the pulls and tugs of human nature; the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-2 1) and who qualify will be given actual power and authority over cities, counties, states, and whole nations! Do you remember what Jesus said to His disciples just prior to His crucifixion? “…Verily I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel! (Matthew 19:28).

Jesus Christ says that even those who live in this day can have an opportunity for co-rulership in His new government which is to be set up on this earth after His second coming!

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne” (Revelation 3:21).

Jesus Christ is coming to inherit a literal throne! That throne is on this earth. How many little children have memorized the following words at “Christmas-time,” repeating the enunciation by the angel to Mary concerning the birth of Jesus Christ, and not known what they said?

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David;and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end!” (Luke 1:30-33).

God made a binding covenant with David, telling him because David remained faithful to God’s laws and precepts that there would never fail seed from David’s own family to sit upon His physical throne! Believe it or not, that throne still exists on this earth!

Read the prophecy of Daniel’s second chapter, where you see, after the description of the four great successive world-ruling Gentile kingdoms, a “stone cut out without hands” which smites the image on its feet [the ten toes representing the ten kings of Revelation 17] and which then “becomes a great mountain and fills the whole earth.”

Clearly, in this prophecy, the figurative stone represents the returning, conquering Christ! The great image represents the successive stages of the Gentile world-ruling kingdoms, culminating in the BEAST depicted in Daniel 7, and Revelation 13 and 17.

The ten kings which fight Christ at His coming (Revelation 17) are represented by the ten toes of the great image, mixed with iron and miry clay.

The “great mountain” is symbolic of the Kingdom of God which will rule over the entirety of the earth!

God’s Kingdom to Rule on Earth

There is voluminous evidence in the Bible that the Kingdom of God will reign on this earth!

Let’s notice just a few of the more outstanding proofs.

“But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the House of the Eternal shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people [physical human beings will still be alive on the earth during that day!] shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Eternal, and to the House of the God of Jacob and He will teach us of His ways and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the Word of the Eternal from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Eternal of Hosts has spoken it” (Micah 4:1-4).

Here, you see the symbol of the Kingdom of God established over all the other nations, greater and lesser!

Then you see representative ambassadors from all countries on earth agreeing, finally, to come to God’s headquarters’ city in Jerusalem, learning of the ways of God; learning to keep His laws, learning to convert weapons of war into implements of peace!

Here is a graphic description of God finally forcing upon mankind the ways of peace, happiness, prosperity, bounteous joy!

Ugly, death-dealing tanks will be smelted down, and turned into farming implements. There will be no “war colleges,” or military academies, teaching the “art” of war!

Notice a parallel scripture: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s House shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the House of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:2-4).

Again, we see the complete rehabilitation of the earth. It is the time of “restitution” of all things (Acts 3:21). A time for reconstruction, reeducation; a time for global revolution, when those who are born of God by a resurrection from the dead, are changed instantaneously (as you learned in 1 Corinthians 15) and who have become members of the very family of God, will join Jesus Christ in positions of leadership and rulership over the human, physical remnants of the great global holocaust that is sure to come!

But mankind will survive! (Matthew 24:21, 22).

Christ will return to this physical earth, and will grant positions of responsibility and rulership to those who have truly qualified to be members of His kingdom! Notice a description of conditions extant on earth after Christ has begun to rule: “But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:4-12).

It is impossible to misinterpret or misunderstand this plain scripture! Obviously, the “rod out of the stem of Jesse” (Jesse was David’s father and therefore of the lineage of Christ) and a “Branch” which was to grow out of his roots is a metaphorical reference to Jesus Christ.

Read verse 2, “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Eternal.”

Commencing with verse 4, you see the description of the righteous judgments of Jesus Christ returning to this earth as the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords (read Revelation 19).

Immediately following, you see the conditions which shall become extant over all the earth during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ!

Are there wolves, lions, oxen and poisonous snakes up in heaven? Nonsense!

Here, you see a description of the “time of restitution of all things” of which Peter prophesied immediately following the day of Pentecost, and the birthday of the Church. Peter said, “And He shall send Jesus Christ [predicting Jesus’ second coming!], which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive UNTIL the times of restitution of all things [the restoring of everything], which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:20, 21).

The very nature of animals shall be changed!

Read the entire passage slowly and carefully. You need no one to “interpret” what it says, or attempt to change its meaning! Clearly, this is a detailed description of conditions to become extant on this earth immediately after the second coming of Jesus Christ, and in the first years of His Kingdom!

Here, many of the nations of the earth, identified by their ancient names, are mentioned. God says He will regather the second time the remnant of His people from nations all over the earth, and from the “islands [coastlands] of the sea.”

Heavenly Retirement, or Hard Work?

Does it make any sense to you? What if our young men just entering the army, navy or marines, underwent six weeks of primary training, then several months of additional training, literally transforming them from civilians into military men, skilled in the use of modern weapons and military equipment, only to have their drill instructor announce to them on the moment of their graduation from “boot camp” or primary training: “Well, men, that’s it! You have all done a marvelous job. You have become skilled through the rigors of physical exercise, weapons handling, running obstacle courses, learning close-order drill and the Manual of Arms. Now, you are full-fledged military men! Now, it is time for all of you to retire! “

Sounds ludicrous, when put that way, doesn’t it?

Yet, Jesus said “It is through much tribulation we must enter the Kingdom of God.” And promised His true servants “In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world! ” (John 16:33). Peter cried out, “If the righteous scarcely be saved, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17).

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus described the way into His soon-coming Kingdom as the “strait,” meaning difficult route! The way that leads to destruction He described as a broad, well-lit avenue with glittering lights and dazzling attractions. But the way into His Kingdom He described as rutty, rocky, narrow, winding, and extremely difficult!

Frequently, the Bible uses the analogy of military service when speaking of Christians. The seal of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association shows a helmet, breastplate, and crossed swords, with a quotation from Ephesians 6:11-18, which says, in part, “Put on the whole armour of God … having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith … the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.”

The Apostle Paul urged Timothy to perform “as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3).

On another occasion, Paul said, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds… ” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Jesus said, “To him that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron… ” (Revelation 2:26, 27).

God uses these analogies to show Christians that they are involved in training, and in a kind of warfare, as if professional soldiers.

A Christian is one who is continually overcoming; learning, studying, growing, gaining wisdom, knowledge, patience, love, and humility! A Christian is fighting (1 Corinthians 9:26), but fighting Satan the devil, and resisting the pulls of human nature, not fighting physical enemies with guns and bullets!

This human life is a vast training ground for the Kingdom of God!

It is “boot camp”—primary training—for those who are to finally graduate into the very Kingdom and Family of God, to become qualified to RULE the world with Jesus Christ!

The Christian life has great PURPOSE! God is working out a PLAN here below! Yet, millions fail to see that great purpose they remain ignorant of God’s plan in their lives!

Nowhere does the Bible preach “Christian retirement”! Think of it! Does not much of the music, many of the sermons, and a great deal of so-called “Christian” teaching portray an eternity of idleness and ease; of beatific bliss and indolent delight?

Do not the envisionary “heavens” of many of the other religions of the world picture virtually the same thing? One thinks of the song “The Lazy Ole Sun Got Nothin’ to do But Roll Around Heaven All Day,” in this context. Reference to the “heavenly rocking chair” and “heavenly mansions” are liberally sprinkled through some of the mythological teachings of professing Christianity.

But the truth of God is far different!

The truth is that Almighty God is calling a cadre of individuals (and not all the world is being called NOW!) as the advance emissaries of His soon-coming Kingdom! Even as Jesus Christ called only twelve disciples and formed them into the nucleus of His “group of called-out ones” or His “church” (which more properly should be translated “assembly” in modern English), so that SAME Jesus Christ is calling out a select group whom He calls “the very elect” (Matthew 24:22) for rigorous training to qualify to become future WORLD RULERS with Him!

Does anyone really comprehend the awe-inspiring breadth and scope of God’s great plan and purpose?

The churches simply do not teach it! What church teaches that its members are now qualifying to become city managers, mayors, ambassadors, princes, presidents, premiers and prime ministers, KINGS in the world to come? But city managers, mayors and premiers with a difference! That difference is being imbued with a divine power of ALMIGHTY GOD!

Future leaders in Christ’s soon-coming Kingdom will not be hampered by years-long “studies” by vested interests and government-paid bureaucrats. Decisions involving hygiene, transportation, civil justice, the environment, care for the elderly, etc., etc., will not be hampered and bogged down by years of committee studies, city council meetings, voting and elections, court trials, referendums and lawsuits! Rather, those who will rule with Jesus Christ will have wisdom far exceeding that of Solomon; the very love and mercy of Jesus Christ; with which they will be able to rule forcibly, swiftly, in mercy and righteousness, but with sternness and POWER where necessary!

After all, it is here on earth where the problems are!

There are no “problems” to solve in heaven! Almighty God is not calling a group to be put through rigorous training, overcoming and growing in the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ; fighting themselves; having their very human nature changed from that of jealousy, lust, avarice and greed to the character of Jesus Christ of love, goodness, meekness, mercy, kindness and understanding, in order to retire!

Instead, Jesus Christ promises CO-RULERSHIP WITH HIM!

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne!” (Revelation 3:21).

John, in vision, wrote, “And I looked, and lo, a Lamb [Christ] stood on the Mount Zion [which is in Jerusalem, on this earth!] and with Him an hundred and forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads … these were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb! ” (Revelation 14:1-4).

Is it possible YOU are being called, now, to become one of those comparatively few individuals? Could God, actually, be performing the miracle of opening your mind to see His TRUTH?

Millions around you are in spiritual darkness. The big churches and major denominations do not teach these simple truths from the Word of God! The millions believe they are “going to heaven” when they die; believe in an immortal soul, and an ever-burning hell!

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This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

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The post Believe it or Not… The Bible Does NOT Promise “Heaven”! first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Believe it or not, there is no biblical commandment to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ! Instead, there are many commands to solemnly celebrate his death!

Most professing Christians are completely ignorant of this fact.

To hundreds of millions of professing Christians all over the world, “Easter” is either the MOST important “Christian” holiday, or second, behind “Christmas.” Few have ever researched the origins of either celebration. Few know that both are laden with paganism; customs derived from heathens who were sun worshipers, and not from the Bible, or the apostles of Christ.

Jesus Christ would never have allowed His chosen disciples to worship Him by using symbols of sex and fertility, such as rabbits, eggs, mistletoe, little green trees, holly wreaths and the like. Certainly, He would have soundly CON­DEMNED the practice of a “religious” service conducted at SUNRISE, facing the SUN! Such is utterly pagan, and Jesus Christ, in His pre-human state, inspired Jeremiah to write, “LEARN NOT THE WAY OF THE HEATHEN,” while He described the Christmas tree (Jeremiah 10:1-4).

Make no mistake! The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a GREAT EVENT! The fact of Christ’s resurrection represents the very cornerstone of the faith of the apostles; the reason for their deep conviction and conversion; the wellspring of their courage in the face of martyrdom! It was the proof of Christ’s resurrection which caused them to assemble in Jerusalem for that first great moment on Pentecost when God sent audible and visual evidence of His Holy Spirit!

Yet, for all the stupendous significance of the resurrection, there is not one scripture in all the Bible which sets apart the DAY of the resurrection as a day to be appointed for worship; not one “thus saith the Lord” which commands Christians to gather for worship on that day!

In spite of this, the entire “Sunday – Saturday” controversy is based on Catholic doctrine (adopted by almost all Protestants) which states that “Our Lord rose from the dead on the first day of the week.”

Professing Christians know there is no command in the Bible to observe Sunday. They say they are doing it in “commemoration of the resurrection.” But the resurrection was NOT ON SUNDAY.

The Bible Commands Us To Celebrate Christ’s Death

While there are no scriptures commanding Christians to celebrate the moment of Christ’s resurrection, there are many plain ones commanding us to observe, in solemn ceremony, His DEATH on the “tree.”

Paul wrote to the Gentile Christians in Corinth, “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

“And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

“After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

This was not the age-old celebration of the PASSOVER, but a supper held as the nighttime of the fourteenth began, with new and different symbols which Christ had instituted, conducted from 17 to 24 hours prior to the “Feast.” The Feast of the Passover was eaten in the NIGHT at the beginning of the fifteenth of Abib, or Nisan. The lamb, which pictured Christ, was killed in the afternoon of the fourteenth!

Christ CHANGED the symbols of the Passover, setting His disciples an example of a NEW Testament observance Paul later referred to as “The Lord’s Supper.” In ancient Israel, the roast lamb, eaten on the night of the Feast with their shoes on their feet, their staffs in their hands, in haste, symbolized Jesus Christ, the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” The lamb was slain by shedding its blood. The unleavened bread, or the “bread of haste” symbolized getting rid of SIN. These shadows led to Christ. Once the reality had come; once the very Son of God was now about to become the sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, there was no further need to follow shadows. The shadow LED to the stake upon which Christ died. Now, the Savior of all mankind instituted a NEW ceremony. The ancient Israelites did not engage in a foot washing ceremony; did not partake of only a small piece of unleavened bread, or drink a sip of wine. Instead, they ate an entire meal of roast lamb!

When Christ instituted the NEW Testament symbols of the foot washing, the bread and the wine, He commanded His disciples, “For I have given you an example, that you should DO, as I have done unto you!” (John 13:15).

For centuries, God’s called and chosen servants continued to faithfully observe the “Lord’s Supper” (which many continued to call “The Passover”) ON THE FOURTEENTH OF NISAN.

When an APOSTATE church began to IMPOSE the ancient custom of Ishtar (the “h” is silent, so the pronunciation is “Easter”), and command Christians to cease and desist from observing the Lord’s Supper on the fourteenth of Nisan, many thousands continued to do so in defiance of the “Council of Nicaea.”

For centuries, these believing people, faithful to Christ’s commands and His example, were sought out, persecuted, and murdered. The “Quartodeciman Controversy” is documented through many centuries of history; “Quartodeciman” meaning “Fourteenth.”

Thus, God’s true Church continued to follow Christ’s example by observing the symbols of His DEATH. NEVER did the apostles celebrate a sunrise service! NEVER did they observe the dawning of the first day of the week in “celebration of the resurrection.” NEVER did they revel amid symbols of fertility, such as colored eggs and rabbits!

Instead, they gathered to rehearse Christ’s instructions just as he gave them on the “night in which he was betrayed,” reminding themselves, year by year, of the DEATH of the Lord and Savior of all mankind!

The ONLY SIGN That Christ Was The Messiah

The murder-plotting, posturing Pharisees, like many professing Christians today, wanted to see some kind of supernatural “sign,” as proof of Christ’s credentials. Matthew recorded it: “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.

“But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:38-40).

The significance of the sign was the precise LENGTH OF TIME Christ would be in the tomb! Think of what this means! Christ was NOT saying that the SIGN of His Messiahship would be the fact of the resurrection, but, instead, the length of time He would be dead, IN THE TOMB!” 

This has caused tremendous controversy, and no end of devious circumventions, human reasonings, evasions, convoluted explanations and outright falsehoods among the so-called “higher critics” and would-be Bible “scholars.” Why? Simply because steeped in the traditions of men, they have clung to their fables surrounding “Easter,” and REJECTED the ONLY SIGN Jesus gave as PROOF that He was, in fact, the Son of God!

None of these would-be scholars will admit he is REJECTING CHRIST! Oh, no, he will use every excuse, every argument, to GET AROUND the plain statement of Christ Himself, and, without knowing it, cling to a FALSE “Christ” of his own imagination, REJECTING the real Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

How do they do this? What reasons do they put forth to get around Christ’s statements?

First, it is obvious that “Good Friday” to “Easter Sunday Morning” cannot fit into Christ’s plain statement that He would be in the tomb for “three days and three nights.”

For, if He was entombed late on “Good Friday,” then Friday sunset to Sabbath sunset is one night and one day; Sabbath sunset to Sunday sunset is two nights and two days, and Sunday sunset to Monday sunset is THREE NIGHTS AND THREE DAYS!

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that something is wrong here!

So, they have decided to say that Christ’s statement was in the Greek language, and that He used a Greek idiom, which meant only “part” of three days and “part” of three nights, or, in other words, just TWO nights, and ONE DAY! Thus, since they claim Christ was buried on “Good Friday” just before sunset, He would have been in the tomb only all night Friday night (which is really not “Friday” at all, but “the Sabbath,” since the days began at sunset), all day “Saturday,” all night “Saturday night” and would have arisen AT SUNRISE on “Easter Sunday Morning!”

But Jesus Christ would not have spoken in Greek to His disciples, who were Galileans; hill-country folk, who spoke Aramaic, a dialect of the Hebrew language which had developed among Jewish captives during the Babylonian captivity!

Also, Jesus said specifically that He would be in the tomb “…AS JONAH WAS three days and three nights!” The book of Jonah was written in HEBREW, not in Greek! The only scriptures extant during the days of Christ and the disciples were the Hebrew scriptures of the Old Testament! The first book of the New Testament — the very book containing Christ’s words about the sign of Jonah, Matthew, was not written until almost twenty long years later; about 55 AD!

There is no “Greek idiom” contained in Jonah!

Did not Christ know the difference between a day and a night? When He presented the ONLY SIGN which He would leave as a perpetual sign of His Divine origins; His Messiahship, would He have used confusing language?

Jesus said, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because heseeth the light of this world.

“But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him” (John 11:9, 10). Clearly, Jesus stated there are twelve hours of daylight, and an equal time of darkness! He was using a spiritual analogy, of course, but it is absolutely PROVED that when Jesus Christ said “three DAYS” He meant three periods of twelve hour daylight, and three periods of equal darkness — three days and three nights!

There are not three periods of twelve hours of daylight between “Good Friday” at sunset and Ishtar(pronounced “Easter” today) Sunday morning! Instead, there are only TWELVE HOURS of daylight — ONE twelve-hour day —the day we call by its pagan name, “Saturday!”

The so-called “higher critics” admit that Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for seventy-two hours. Jesus said He would be in the tomb for the exact same amount of time! WHY?

For the very important reason that to remain in the tomb for such a protracted period of time would remove any last vestige of doubt about whether Christ had truly DIED or not! When Jesus resurrected Lazarus, He was warned that Lazarus had been in the grave for four days and nights, and warned that there would be a terrible odor, for his body would have begun to decompose by this time!

Notice the account. Christ had arrived at the tomb where Lazarus had been buried when “Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days” (John 11:39).

All knew that Jesus Christ had been mercilessly, horribly beaten with a “scourge,” like a “cat o’ nine tails,” or a lash with bits of stone or metal woven into the tips! His flesh had been ripped and torn! God’s Word says, “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

“As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men [so much so that He didn’t look human!]

“So shall he sprinkle many nations [from the blood dripping out of many wounds!]; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider” (Isaiah 52:13-15).

In the moving prophecy about Christ’s sufferings found in Psalms 22, it says, “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

“For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

“I may tell [count] all my bones [they had flayed His flesh from His ribs!]: they look and stare upon me.

“They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

“But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me” (Psalms 22:15- 19). A Roman soldier jammed a spear into Christ’s side, at which time He cried out, and died! Christ died by the shedding of His blood from multiple lash wounds and a spear thrust!

It was critical for ABSOLUTE PROOF that He was the Son of God that He remain in the “heart of the earth,” for exactly three days and three nights! Jesus Christ said so!

The Bible Definition Of Days and Nights

Jesus Christ told His disciples that He would “rise the THIRD DAY!” Now, what is the Bible definition of that third day?

“And God [Elohim; more than one. See John 1:1-10] said, Let there be light: and there was light.

“And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

“And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening [darkness] and the morning [light] were [together!] the first day” (Genesis 1:3-5). The Hebrew word for “day” is Yom. It means a normal twenty-four hour day, commencing with sunset, with approximately twelve hours of darkness, and twelve hours of light.

Notice further biblical proof about the meaning of “days” in the only scriptures extant when Christ made His prediction from the book of Jonah. Esther asked all the Jews to fast for “three days.” Notice what she said: “Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,

“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

“So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

“Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house” (Esther 4:16-17; 5:1).

Just as in Christ’s day, the expression “on the third day” meant when the full period of three days and three nights had been completed!

Now you have the BIBLE definition of the meaning of three days and three nights!

Even a little child in the first few grades of primary school can understand this!

Christ had said, “After three days I will rise again!” When His murderers reminded the Roman authorities of this statement, His tomb was not only sealed, but an armed guard was required to remain there! “Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

“Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

“Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

“Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

“So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch” (Matthew 27:62-66).Notice that statement carefully! It was the DAY AFTER THE PREPARATION, which some have mistakenly assumed was the weekly Sabbath! As you shall see, it was NOT the preparation day for the weekly Sabbath, but the preparation day prior to the ANNUAL Sabbath of the FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD; an“high day Sabbath!” Your Bible says so!

Jesus had also said, “Destroy this temple [referring to His body], and IN THREE DAYS I will raise it up … But He spake of the temple of His body” (John 2:19-21).

Obviously, from several absolute proofs, the expression “in three days” does NOT mean AFTER ONLY TWO DAYS, but during a part of the third day. No, it means “after three full days” as we have seen!

The so-called “higher critics” make no mention of the appeal by the Jews to Pilate! WHY? Simply because they did not ask that the sepulchre be made sure for only “part of three days and three nights!” Nor did they speak using a “Greek idiom!” No, they remembered that Christ had specifically stated that He would be three days and three nights in the tomb!

What Was The TIME OF DAY When Christ Was Buried?

Can we know the time of day when Christ was entombed? For if we can determine the time of day, all we need do is count seventy two hours from that time to determine the exact time of the resurrection!

We have seen, from Christ’s own words; from the Bible definition of the number of hours in a day; from The Jews’ own fears and determination to set a watch for three days over the tomb that Christ did NOT say He would be only TWO NIGHTS AND ONE DAY in the tomb, but THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS!

Anyone who refuses to accept this ONLY SIGN of His true Messiahship is REJECTING THE REAL JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH and accepting a false “Christ,” who never existed; a myth!

Now, notice what Mark wrote: “For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day” (Mark 9:31). The duration of time Christ expressed could not be one second PAST 72 hours for Christ to rise from the dead “the third day!” Therefore, it could not have been from Friday sunset to “Easter” sunrise, which would be only 36 hours; two nights, and one day!

Christ was quoted by the Jews [who were speaking HEBREW, not in idiomatic Greek!] as having said, “After three days I will rise again!”

This cannot possibly be figured in less than 72 hours!

John wrote, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

“Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

“But he spake of the temple of his body.

“When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said” (John 2:19-22). This conversation was in Hebrew; the Aramaic dialect, NOT in “Greek idiom!”

Unlike the “higher critics” today, the disciples REMEMBERED exactly what Jesus had said, and it was because of this, and His many appearances to them that “they BELIEVED.”

To be raised up IN three days cannot be MORE than 72 hours. Therefore, the length of time Christ was in the tomb could not have been LESS than 72 hours, and it could not have been MORE than 72 hours! It had to be 72 hours, EXACTLY!

Now, THINK! For the resurrection to have been AT SUNRISE, then the BURIAL had to be AT SUNRISE, 72 hours earlier!

But Christ was NOT buried at sunrise, but just before SUNSET on the day called “the preparation,” (Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54).

It was soon after the “ninth hour,” or at about three o’clock in the afternoon when Jesus “cried out” loudly (Matthew 27:46-50; Mark 15:34-37; Luke 23:44-46). The preparation day would end at sunset, according to Bible reckoning (Leviticus 23:32).

Joseph of Aramathaea came to claim the body of Jesus and accomplish the burial at some time after 3:00 PM, but before sunset on that “preparation” day, which was the day before a Sabbath!

“When the even was come, there came a rich man of Aramathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:

“He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

“And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,

“And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

“And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.

“Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

“Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again” (Matthew 27:57-63).

Now notice the parallel account in Luke’s chronology: “This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

“And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

“And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on.

“And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

“And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment” (Luke 23:52-56).

The laws required the Jews to bury a dead body BEFORE A SABBATH DAY began! Therefore, haste was made to bury the body of Jesus BEFORE SUNSET on that preparation day. John wrote, “There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand” (John 19:42).

Jesus Christ was buried before sunset on the same day He died, in a tomb very near to the “place of the skull” called “Golgotha.”

Since the burial of Jesus Christ occurred some time after 3:00 P.M., and before sunset on this “preparation day,” it follows that He was resurrected at the SAME TIME OF DAY exactly 72 hours later!

IF He was buried on a “Friday,” (which He was not, as we shall soon see) then He would have remained in the tomb all of Friday night, all of Saturday daytime, all of Saturday night, all of Sunday daytime, all of Sunday night, until late in the afternoon on a MONDAY!

But Christ did not remain in the tomb until Monday!

Clearly, the tomb was EMPTY when the disciples came to see it while it was YET DARK, “as it BEGAN TO DAWN toward the first day of the week!”

Notice Luke’s account of the resurrection: “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

“And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

“And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

“And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

“And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

“He is not here, but is risen [obviously, this is past tense; He had already risen!]: remember how he spakeunto you when he was yet in Galilee,

“Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:1-7).

It was in the pre-dawn darkness when Christ’s followers first approached the empty tomb! It was not at sunrise! Notice John’s account: “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

“Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.

“Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.

“So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

“And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

“Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

“And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

“Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.

“For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead” (John 20:1-9).

Since Christ was buried on a late afternoon, some time just prior to sunset on a “preparation” day, and since He plainly staked His claim to divine office; His very Messiahship, on the precise length of time He would be in the tomb, and since He HAD ALREADY RISEN prior to the time the disciples came to the empty tomb while it was yet dark, then Jesus Christ MUST have been placed in the tomb on a WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON!

But wait! How is this possible?

Haven’t we read, time and again, that it was the “preparation” day? And isn’t the “preparation” day the day before the SABBATH? And does not the Sabbath correspond to our weekly “Satur­day?”

The answer is found in the fact that God also instituted seven annual Sabbaths, or “high days,” to picture His plan of salvation. All seven are laid out in Leviticus 23. Notice what God’s Word says about these feast days of God: “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

“Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

“These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

“In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord’s Passover.

“And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

“In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein” (Leviticus 23:1-7). This holy day could fall on whichever day of the week happened to be the fifteenth day of the month called “Abib,” whether or not it was the seventh day, or the weekly Sabbath. It was called one of God’s “Sabbaths,” and was celebrated as a special “high day” Sabbath.

Notice another example: “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:24).

Regardless as to which day of the week upon which the first day of the seventh month fell; whether a Monday or a Thursday, it was called a “Sabbath!”

Christ Our Passover Is Sacrificed For Us

For centuries, God’s people had observed the annual Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. The paschal lamb, which typified Christ, was sacrificed in the afternoon, which was on the “preparation” day for the FEAST, which was (and is) the first day of Unleavened Bread!

This annual high day Sabbath is the first annual holy day of the year, immediately following the Passover. Christ was killed by a spear’s thrust, following a horrible beating, in which skin and flesh was flayed from His body! He died at the same moment the High Priest slaughtered the first sacrificial lamb! From the time of the Exodus, (Exodus 12) this ceremony had been accomplished on the fourteenth of Abib “at even,” meaning just before sunset “at the going away of the sun.” The lamb was then roasted, and the FEAST was eaten in the nighttime of the fifteenth of Abib.

God commanded Moses, “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

“And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

“And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

“And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

“Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

“And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire” (Exodus 12:5- 10).

Millions of people who observe pagan Ishtar (pronounced “Easter”) are absolutely IGNORANT of the events surrounding the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. They know NOTHING about the Days of Unleavened Bread which immediately followed!

Because of this, they do not know that the “Sabbath” which was coming on and the “preparation” day on which Christ died which caused the haste with which He was buried occurred on Wednesday and Thursday!

That Thursday was the first annual Sabbath of the year; the FEAST day of Unleavened Bread after the Jews slaughtered the lambs and kids in the ancient Passover ceremony! The lambs and kids were slaughtered in the afternoon of the FOURTEENTH of the first month!

Now, notice John’s eyewitness account of which day of the week it was when Christ was slain: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost [exhaled; breathed His last].

“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away” (John 19:30,31). Of course! This HIGH day Sabbath was the ANNUAL Sabbath; the first day of Unleavened Bread! It was followed by the day we call “Friday,” then “Saturday,” or the WEEKLY Sabbath!

Count back from the time of Christ’s resurrection, late on a weekly Sabbath afternoon, and you come to late Wednesday afternoon! Wednesday was the “preparation day” prior to the FEAST day on that Thursday, which was the fifteenth of Nisan, or Abib!

The calendar proves that the only year in a sequence of years when the first day of Unleavened Bread fell on a Thursday was in 31 AD! But the so-called “scholars” WILL NOT ever choose 31 AD, even though it is the ONLY year in which all the parameters FIT!

Instead, they will choose the years 29, 30, 32 or 33, deliberately avoiding 31 AD!

A little simple research proves that Christ was born in “4 BC” according to the flawed Roman calendar. He was exactly 33 1/2 when He was killed. He was thirty when His public ministry began. The prophecies stated He was to perform a seven year ministry, and was to be “cut off in the middle of the week!” Thus, not only was He cut off in the exact middle of His seven year ministry, leaving another three and one half years to be fulfilled AFTER His second coming (See Isaiah 66:19-23), and He was also cut off in the MIDDLE OF THE WEEK!

The prophecy says, “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Daniel 9:27). The sacrifices and oblations CEASED for Christians when Christ rose from the dead, for now the reality which had cast the shadow had come. There was no longer any need for a “schoolmas­ter” to lead toward Christ, for Christ had now come in the flesh!

Christ came to “confirm the covenant” by preaching repentance and salvation; the terms and conditions of the NEW covenant (Jeremiah 31:31) for three and one half years.

Notice what Dr. Bullinger says in his Appendix concerning the events surrounding the crucifix­ion: “That Sabbath and the high day of John 19:31, was the ‘holy convocation,’ the first day of the feast, which quite overshadowed the ordinary weekly Sabbath … this great Sabbath, having been mistaken from the earliest times for the weekly Sabbath, has led to all the confusion … We have therefore the following facts furnished for our sure guidance:

“1. The ‘high day’ of John 19:31 was the first day of the feast.

“2. The ‘first day of the feast’ was on the 15^th day of Nisan.

“3. The 15^th day of Nisan commenced at sunset on what we should call the 14^th.

“4. ‘Six days before the Passover’ [John 12:1] takes us back to the 9^th day of Nisan.

“5. After two days is the Passover’ [Matt. 26:2; Mark 14:1] takes us to the 13^th day of Nisan.

“6. ‘The first day of the week,’ was the day of the resurrection [Matt. 28:1, &c.], was from our Saturday sunset to our Sunday sunset. This fixes the days of the week, just as the above fix the days of the month, for,

“7. Reckoning back from this, ‘three days and three nights’ [Matt. 12:40], we arrive at the day of the burial, which must have been before sunset, on the 14^th of Nisan; i.e. before our Wednesday sunset.

“Therefore Wednesday, Nisan 14^th [commenc­ing on the Tuesday at sunset], was ‘the preparation day’, on which the crucifixion took place: for all four Gospels definitely say that this was the day on which the Lord was buried [before our Wednesday sunset], because it was the preparation [day] that the bodies should not remain on the cross [Greek: Stauro, meaning an upright pale] on the Sabbath day, ‘for that Sabbath day was a high day,’ and, therefore, not the ordinary seventh day, or weekly Sabbath. See John 19:31” (The Companion Bible, Bullinger, Appendix 156, p. 180).

It is because people have blindly assumed that the “preparation day” was a Friday that they thought Christ was not buried until late on a Friday, and thus remained in the tomb only two nights and one daylight period!

Did Jesus Christ Fulfill His Sign?

Unless Jesus Christ was EXACTLY the length of time in the tomb He said he would be, you have no Savior!Jesus staked His Messiahship on being exactly three days and three nights in the tomb!

For centuries, because fallible men, many of  whom were bitten with antisemitism, and who desperately wanted to rid the apostate church of all things “Jewish,” claimed they were worship­ing on SUNDAY in “honor of the resurrection!”

But Christ DID NOT RISE ON SUNDAY! The angels told the two Marys, “He is NOT HERE!” They said “HE IS RISEN!” They did not use the present tense that He was just then “rising,” but the past tense, saying He had already risen!

There is simply no question about the days of the month, the days of the week, or the hours of those days in which these MOST IMPORTANT events occurred!

Paul wrote, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

“By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

“And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

“And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

“After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

“After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

“And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).

Paul said “…according to the scriptures.”

Paul MAY have known about the earliest gospels, but remember, the only “scriptures” extant during Paul’s day were those of the “Old Testament.” Paul had to be including Christ’s reference to Jonah, and the fact that he was exactly “three days and three nights” in the belly of the great fish, as well as referring to Christ’s statements which were faithfully recorded by the apostles.

The apostles believed because they saw the living proof, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, now GLORIFIED; able to appear and disappear at will; able to materialize within a room enclosed by stone walls! They were so CONVICTED by the proofs they saw that many of them were martyred for their faith! Men do not go willingly to their deaths by crucifixion, burning, or beheading because they believe in a hoax!

Now, notice one final proof! Only the Fenton translation of the English from the Greek takes note of the fact that the word for “Sabbath” in Matthew 28:1 is in the plural! In a footnote to this text in his translation, he says, “The Greek original is in the plural; Sabbaths!”

Of course! There were TWO Sabbaths that week; the annual HIGH day Sabbath, the FEAST, which fell on Thursday, and the regular weekly Sabbath, which fell on the day we call “Saturday.”

Yes, believe it or not, the plain truth is the resurrection was NOT on Sunday!

Jesus Christ commanded His disciples, and He commands US, today, to observe the symbols of His DEATH each year (1 Corinthians 11:23-30) at the “Lord’s Supper.” He told His disciples, “HAPPY are ye if ye do these things.”

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This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

The activities of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association are paid for by tithes, offerings and donations freely given by Christians and co-workers who are dedicated to preaching the gospel according to Jesus Christ.

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The world in which you and I live is a God-rejecting, God-defying world. It is a world of hundreds of “religions,” yet a world of chaos, violence, disease and war.

Paradoxically, some of those nations whose religions permeate all facets of life seem to be among the most impoverished, millions of their citizens living in squalor beyond comprehension. Some humans still worship cows, just as rebellious Israel made a golden calf in Sinai, believing, from their experience in Egypt, that God looked like a cow.

The world is not “at one” with God. It does not acknowledge the one true God, nor His Son who died for the sins of all mankind, Jesus Christ.

In the so-called “Christian” world, millions profess the name of Jesus Christ, yet refuse to follow His example, or to do what He plainly commanded. “Why call ye me, ‘Lord, Lord,”‘ cried Jesus, “and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

“In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). Millions profess to worship Jesus Christ. They call Him “Lord,” and claim to have “accepted” Him as their Savior. Yet, they refuse to obey Him! They will not follow His example. Peter wrote……. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: Who did no sin [He kept His Father’s laws perfectly], neither was guile found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:21,22).

Paul described our world as being filled with those who are “…Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those who are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of Godliness [man-made religions; religious creeds, rituals, ceremonies], but denying the power thereof'” (2 Timothy 3:3-5).

Mankind does not accept God as RULER. They refuse to surrender to God in abject repentance for sin, which is the transgression of God’s perfect law (1 John 3:4).

The nations of this world are far from being “at one” with God. Instead, they are in opposition!

This is Satan’s world, not God’s.

The governments of this world are neither of God’s choice, nor of His design. God is not the Author of this world’s commerce and industry, of its science or education, of its institutions or its religions.

Can anyone doubt this?

This world’s governments are not capable of bringing peace and prosperity to their citizens. Instead, the teeming billions of human beings in all their hundreds of countries are in the grip of poverty, squalor, disease, malnutrition. Chaos, confusion, anarchy, rampant crime reign supreme.

Your news tells you of massacres–wholesale murder all over the world. In Brazil, lustful would-be gold miners brutally massacred virtually an entire tribe of “stone-age” Indians–covetous of their land, and corrupt police “death squads” massacred unarmed civilians, including children, in a slum in Rio De Janiero. In former Yugoslavia, so-called “Christians,” either Roman Catholics or Greek Orthodox, slaughter Muslims. In Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, and many other Arab countries, more than a dozen Arab terrorist groups of varying sizes continually plot the overthrow of their own governments, or plot how to launch terrorist attacks against Israelis and Americans all over the world. As the PLO and Israel search for peace and Palestinian autonomy, rival Palestinian terrorist groups murder, riot, and threaten assassinations. Israel launches attacks into Lebanon in what amounts to full-scale war in retaliation for the most recent wave of terrorist murders of its citizens. If these events fade quickly in the past by the time you read this booklet, rest assured they will be replaced by equally vicious crimes.

Look at your own local news, no matter where you live. Continually, you read of violence, mayhem, drugs, child abuse, kidnappings, robbery and murder. Today, many European tourists are becoming fearful of visiting Florida because of vicious murders there; youths targeting tourists because they believe they are carrying large amounts of money. The murderers are usually teenagers, out on parole. One had a list of arrests several pages long.

Earlier, I had wanted to visit our brethren in the Philippines during 1993. However, because of several kidnappings of Americans by communist terrorist groups, I was advised against going. From Britain, where Mr. Ronald Dart described hearing an IRA bomb exploding nearby, to Germany, where “skinheads” in a Neo-Nazi group are murdering Turks and other foreigners, it is the same. Violence and murder reign. Chaos and confusion prevail. There is no fear of God in our lands, no respect for human rights and decency, and no remorse.

Suddenly, following the end of the cold war, the whole world seems to have erupted in a satanic frenzy of ethnic and racial hatreds, in political strife and confusion, in economic duress.

As if to match this turbulence among nations, world-wide weather has been convulsing in violent cataclysms. Destructive hurricanes have smashed into south Florida, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Japan, and other countries. Massive earthquakes have taken terrible tolls in life and property from San Francisco to northern Japan. Record-breaking floods have cost countless billions in America’s heartland. Drought grips part of America, while massive floods soak other parts.

Need I go on? All you need do is to watch morning news on CNN, or one of the other news stations.

What is going on? Will we look back some day and surmise that the prophesied GREAT TRIBULATION (Matthew 24:21,22) really began to gradually come upon us in the mid 1990s?

Are we living in the time prophesied in God’s Word when “…the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12)?

Satan is the “God” of This World

God says Satan the devil is that arch-demon who “deceiveth the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). That deception began with the beginning of human history, in the Garden of Eden, and the first lie, spoken to our first parents.

God had said Adam and Eve would suffer the penalty of death if they disobeyed God, and partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan said, in effect, “God knows better than that. Why, that fruit is to be desired to make you wise like He is. You will not surely die.” (See Genesis 3:4,5). He hinted that man has an “immortal soul,” that there is something eternal within man.

The Bible is replete with examples of how Satan has continually conducted his campaign of attempting to overthrow God. Study Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14, which give insights into Satan’s earliest origins, his expulsion from heaven to this earth.

From the beginning, Satan has appeared at the most crucial moments in man’s history. He was present in Eden, to deceive our first parents through Eve, bringing about original sin. He was allowed to appear before God to chide Him about Job (Job. 2:1-7). He was present at the birth of Christ to inspire Herod to kill thousands of innocent children (Matthew 2:16). He was present to tempt Jesus Christ shortly after His baptism (Matthew 4:1-11). He entered personally into Judas Iscariot to betray Christ to be murdered (John 13:27). He continually attempted to influence Peter, and it was only through Christ’s own prayers his hand was stayed (Luke 22:31,32).

Peter wrote, “Be sober [notice! Combating Satan requires sobriety; solemnity, not rejoicing], be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

“Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1 Peter 5:8,9).

Satan is described as “the god of this world.” Listen! “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world [this age, this time, this society] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3,4).

He is also the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). God actually allowed Satan limited power over the weather in the case of Job, when Satan caused a tornado to destroy Job’s house and family.

From Genesis to Revelation, Satan the devil appears continually as the “accuser of the brethren,” as the “adversary,” as a “roaring lion,” as “the tempter,” as a “serpent,” or whispering enchanter, as a rebel against God, as a dragon. He is called Abaddon, and Apollyon in the Greek.

Throughout the seasonal pattern of God’s plan as revealed in His annual holy days, Satan’s evil dimension is noted.

In the typology of the Passover, for example, Pharaoh is a type of Satan, while Egypt is a type of sin, under Satan’s domain. The name of the wilderness (a type of trial and testing during the Christian life) was “Sin.”

Leaven, which is not to be eaten for seven days during the Days of Unleavened Bread, is a type of sin, of which Satan is the author. He is the first sinner in the history of the creation.

Satan, the present evil world ruler, has held sway over the minds and hearts of men for thousands of years. Here and there, God has called a few men and women to receive the gift of repentance. He has opened the minds of a few rare individuals who have chosen to obey God; to surrender to God in heartbroken repentance, be baptized, and receive God’s Holy Spirit.

But those who have answered God’s call are in a tiny, insignificant minority. Never did God’s Word prophesy that the church Jesus built (Matthew 16:18) would become a large, visible, politically active, wealthy religious organization which would be a part of this world; involved in various community, county, state, or national causes; trying to make this evil world a better place!

Nor would Christ’s church attempt to win the favor of those lost in Satan’s world. “Woe be unto you when men speak well of you,” He warned. Never would God’s church seek approval from the world, or from its religious organizations. Never would it compromise God’s truth in order to win favor with man and their worldly churches and organizations. Never would it compromise God’s Word in order to avoid persecution!

Jesus said, “Fear not, little flock, it is my Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Everywhere in prophecy, the true church is described as a persecuted few; a small, scattered, weak church, consisting of those individuals who “have not denied [Christ’s] name,” and who “…keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 3:8; 12:17).

God is Not Intervening in This World Today

This world is completely opposed to God. Its governments, institutions, societies and its religions are not of God, but are, instead, influenced by Satan.

Do you fully realize what you have been reading? Do you know that advancing this very truth nearly resulted in Christ’s murder at the very beginning of His public ministry? Satan’s religious leaders were VIOLENTLY OUTRAGED when Jesus told them this obvious truth, and immediately attempted to murder Him!

Notice it, in your own Bible.

Jesus Christ was invited to read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth, where He had spent His youth……. and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

“And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book [scroll], He found the place where it was written:

“’The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

“To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’

“And He closed the book, and He gave again to the minister, and sat down.

“And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.

“And He began to say unto them, ‘This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.’

“And all bare Him witness [listened intently], and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?”‘ (Luke 4:16-22).

Put yourself into the picture. Try to understand what was happening here. The Pharisees (“Apartists,” or “Separatists”) and the Sadducees (a more “liberal” religious sect, which had charge of the temple in Jerusalem) were the “spiritual” leaders. Their proud history stretched back to the days of the Maccabees–to the time just following the Jewish return from Babylonian captivity during the time of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel, and the rebuilding of the temple.

To the Pharisees, just as in the case of millions of Americans, Britons, Australians, South Africans, and Canadians, they lived in “God’s country.” Theirs was the “true religion,” they thought. Whatever God was doing, He was doing it there!

Just like many an American “evangelist,” they no doubt claimed, “God is moving mightily among us just now!” They pointed to acts of charity, or demons cast out, or real or imagined hearings, and spoke of how “God is working miracles” here among us!

Their proud history was all GOD-CENTERED, so far as they were concerned. From their clothing styles to their fastings; from their alms-givings and tithing to their many meetings and special “love feasts” for the poor–they were involved deeply in doing God’s work, so far as they were concerned. They were “God’s people” doing “God’s will,” and having “God’s authority.”

It was the pagan world around them that was in darkness. They dwelt in the light! They were the “chosen ones,” dwelling in “God’s country.” All around was Gentile heathenism. In their synagogues, and in their streets; in their private meetings and public assemblies; in their banquets and feasts, and in their temple was GOD, and HIS TRUE RELIGION! They were GOD’S OWN MINISTERS!

Or so they believed.

But here was Jesus Christ, saying to them He had been sent to preach the gospel to the “poor.” He had been sent to “heal the brokenhearted” who were right there, seated in that synagogue, under the “spiritual” leadership of those rabbis, in that city, Nazareth, on that day! He had been sent to set spiritual captives free–captives who were seated there, in that synagogue, in that city, right then!

He had been sent to give the spiritually blind the ability to see; to set at liberty those who were being “bruised,” and exploited! He boldly proclaimed that this prophecy was being fulfilled right there and then in that synagogue.

Immediately, the Jewish leaders were furious!

This was preposterous to them! “Spiritual captives” THERE, in their own synagogue? Ridiculous! Were they not the spiritual leaders of their docile, obedient congregation? How dare this young upstart say such outrageous things? He might as well have accused them of being under Satan’s influence, deceiving their people, placing grievous burdens upon them, exploiting them!

As is always the case, when a carnal human mind is confronted with the Word of God, which is sharp, like a two-edged sword, and whichcuts and stings when it is wielded; when the carnal mind refuses to look into that spiritual looking glass and repent, it instead resorts to personal denigration, personal attack!

They scathingly said, “Wait a minute! Isn’t this just a local boy? Isn’t this old Joseph’s son?”

This ridiculous charge bears studious contemplation. As Christ Himself said, a prophet has no honor in his own country, or among his own kin. Familiarity breeds contempt. This is a Satanic emotion, not a Godly one.

The greatest respect, the greatest love displayed in all the universe, is the love between God the Father and Christ the Son of God. No contempt here, in spite of countless billions of years through endless eternity of familiarity.

But the carnal mind, influenced by Satan, is a mind of vanity, jealousy, lust and greed. It is a mind which is also afflicted with a sizable case of inferiority.

Those who accuse, “He is one of us,” as if such a statement discredits a person, do not realize how they are indicting themselves with their ridiculous accusations.

Many years ago, I read some cheap religious tracts which accused my father, Herbert W. Armstrong, of having been “one of us,” meaning the denomination which published the tract. To these vain, accusative religious bigots, the worst thing they could say about my father was that he had supposedly once been one of their own number. He never was. He had never darkened the door of one of their churches, to my certain knowledge. He had never met with their ministry, never attended a single one of their meetings.

These religious zealots, in their eagerness to attack and ridicule, were either deliberately lying, or simply didn’t know what they were saying. Think about it. What was it about them which was so discrediting, so evil, so utterly contemptuous, that association with them automatically discredited anyone who had once fellowshipped with them?

Human nature seems to say, “If I know him, he can’t be anybody worthwhile, or important. “What is unsaid is, “If I know him, since Iam of no worth or importance, he must really be a no-account.”

The Pharisees likewise didn’t understand what they were accusing. To them, it would have been impossible for anyone of any importance to have come from their town of Nazareth. They didn’t realize their accusations were actually directed at themselves; that they were saying, “We can’t be of any importance or account.”

Their anger deepened to murderous rage when Jesus said, “Ye will surely say unto me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal thyself: Whatsoever we have heard done in Capemaum, do also here in thy country.’

“And He said, ‘Verily I say unto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

“But I tell you of a truth, [note this well!] many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon [this was in modem-day Lebanon, a city then populated by Gentiles, not Jews], unto a woman that was a widow.

“And many lepers were in Israel in the days of Eliseus [Elishal the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman, the Syrian” (Luke 4:23-27).

Do you understand what Jesus was saying?

He was telling them that God was not working among the nation of Israel or Judah to heal, or to perform miracles, during the powerful ministry of witness and warning of Elijah or Elisha! Instead, God did not intervene in the case of destitute widows, or those starving due todrought sent as a national punishment. He intervened only in the case of the Gentile widow in Sidon, and a Syrian king!

This was historically true, and they knew it!

Yet, because it stung them and plainly showed how God had rejected their forefathers because of their sins, they were outraged! Jesus used these examples to back up His bold statement that, at last, God had sent His Son to release spiritual captives right there, in Nazareth–that God had not been working there previously!

Jesus was shattering all their carefully-arranged hierarchical pomp and religious pretense! He was plainly telling them God has not been among you! He has not been working here until NOW, THIS DAY, THROUGH ME!”

Notice: “And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath.

“And rose up, and thrust Him out of the city, and led Him unto the brow of the hill whereupon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong.

“But He, passing through the midst of them went His way,

“And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days” (Luke 4:28-3 1).

Imagine this! From the middle of a religious service on the Sabbath day to a raging, hate-filled mob in only moments of time, this group of venomous, pompous, vain, self-righteous religious bigots sought to do murder, with no hearing, no trial, no appeal! They were rendered so insanely furious with the indictment Jesus Christ had hurled at them they wanted to kill Him right then and there!

Jesus Christ looked very average. No doubt, in the melee, some of His disciples managed to gather around Him. He could have pulled his hooded cloak around him, and, as those in the front ranks milled about, pushing and shoving, shouting, throwing dust in the air, and falling down, He made good his escape, not being recognized in the confusion.

Fascinating piece of history, isn’t it?

Ironically, there are thousands of professing “Christian” ministers who would be rendered just as furiously angry TODAY if a true servant of God told them plainly that GOD HAS NOT BEEN WORKING AMONG YOU!

To be told this is not God’s world seems so strange to so many! To be informed that this is a world under the sway of Satan seems preposterous!

Yet, this is precisely what your Bible says!

The nations are deceived! Millions, who profess Christ, refuse to surrender to Him, refuse to obey Him!

Christ said, “Why call ye me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

He said, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, ‘This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

“But IN VAIN THEY DO WORSHIP ME, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:7-9).

Paul wrote, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Obviously, there are those who are involved in a “form of godliness,” in “organized religion,” but who possess all the evil attributes of Satan so thoroughly described in the preceding verses!

Strangely, one sees more of the abominable, hateful, Satanic attitudes of vengeance and hedonism among “religious” organizations than in the public at large!

This is not God’s world! It is AT-ODDS with God, contrary to God, in rebellion against God.

It is a world lost in a Babylon of religious, political and ethnic hatred and confusion!

God says, “Come out of her [spiritual Babylon!], my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:4).

Now, perhaps we can see more clearly WHY God revealed to His people Israel all the important typology of the somber, holy Day of Atonement. “Atonement” means “at-one-ment.” It pictures the human condition, under Satan’s influence, as being lost in sin; being in opposition to God, desperately needing reconciliation and forgiveness. More, it pictures the ultimate cause of sin, the first sinner, and the “father of liars,” being put away to never more influence mankind!

Rejection and Betrayal

Have you ever experienced rejection from someone you loved? Have you ever been deserted by dear friends? Have you experienced the trauma of divorce, or abandonment? As I write, it is now more than twenty long years since I was completely rejected and abandoned by some I counted among the very closest friends I ever had. Friends with whom I shared hundreds of thousands of miles of travel, hundreds of dinners, hunting expeditions, fishing, sports-countless hours of close contact. Furthermore, some of these former “friends” were ordained into the ministry! Not only dear friends, but my own human father!

To this very moment, I have never received a letter or a telephone call from them.

If you have been divorced, you know how horribly painful such an experience truly is, most especially if you were the one who was rejected.

Your Father in Heaven, and Jesus Christ of Nazareth, know the feelings of rejection and betrayal!

In the very beginning of our physical universe, the divine creating Family, Elohim, (which we refer to as “God”) created a fabulously beautiful, perfect universe, a perfect world. Millions do not know that there is a completely misleading mistranslation in the second verse of Genesis 1.

Notice: “In the beginning God [Elohim, a plural noun] created the heaven and the earth.

“And the earth was without form, and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep” (Genesis 1:1,2). As you read the remainder of the chapter, you are left with the impression that God created the world in blackness, with tossing waves completely covering the land surface; that all was chaotic, and in confusion.

The Hebrew words for “without form, and void” are tohu and bohu. Here is what Dr. Builinger says in his notes on Genesis 1:2: “Without form = waste. Heb. tohu va bohu. Fig. Paronomasia. Ap. 6. Not created tohu (Isa. 45:18), but became tohu (Gen. 1:2. 2 Pet. 3:5,6). “An enemy hath done this” (Matt. 13:25,28,39. Cp. 1 Cor. 14:33). See Ap. 8″

Isaiah 45:18 plainly says, “For thus saith the Eternal that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain [Heb. tohu], He formed it to be inhabited: ‘I am the Eternal.”‘

The Companion Bible note on this phrase: “In vain = tohu. The same word as in Gen. 1.2 (“without form”). Therefore it must have become tohu: which is exactly what Gen. 1:2 declares.”

Now, HOW did God’s original, beautiful, flawlessly PERFECT creation become a chaotic scene of death and destruction; of stygian blackness covering a raging sea; of continents submerged beneath the water?

To read of the original condition of earth, turn to Ezekiel 28:12, where the “king of Tyrus” is used as a type of Satan, the devil (see Bullinger’s marginal notes, or any commentary): “…thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets [drums] and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

“Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou was upon the holy mountain of God: thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

“Thou was perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity [sin; lawlessness] was found in thee.

“By the multitude of thy merchandise [your trafficking, or going about from here to there; your “busyness,” which means “calumniator, or slanderer,” as one who slanders and gossips in a moral sense] they [these many occasions of sin] have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, 0 covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

“Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness [splendor]…” (Ezekiel 28:12-17).

Lucifer was breathtakingly beautiful. His name meant “Shining Star of the Dawn,” or “Lightbringer.” This description of Lucifer’s original condition bears very careful inspection; careful meditation.

For comparison, and a few additional details, notice Isaiah’s description: “How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

“For thou hast said in thine heart, ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides [recesses] of the north:

“‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the MOST HIGH [Hebrew: Elyon, which is from El, and Elohim, as the “Possessor of heaven and earth.”]”‘ (Isaiah 14:12-14).

Here was a splendid, bright, shining, beautiful creature, an archangel, whose very name connoted his shining countenance. He was given command of this earth. He walked up and down in a land called “Eden” which existed perhaps billions of years ago, not the “Eden” of the recreation of earth long after its destruction, but the original “holymountain of God,” probably located somewhere in what is today the “Middle East.” This was a land of fabulous jewels; sparkling emeralds, topaz, diamonds, were everywhere about. Gold was common.

We are not told how long Lucifer ruled over the earth, nor how much power God allowed him during that period. One thousand years is to God like only one day to you and me. How long did God enjoy the beauty, the charm, the magnetism, the friendship, loyalty, and easy-going camaraderie of Lucifer?

God says he was a perfect creature in all aspects. Could not God have enjoyed His association with Lucifer, originally?

We are told, however, that Lucifer began “merchandising.” That is, he began to talk to the countless angels under his control, and perhaps to others who were under Gabriel or Michael. He began to allow jealousy of God’s supreme position of authority to eat on him. He began to see God in an unfavorable comparison with himself.

His reasoning is extant in billions of humans. “I am better than you are,” reason many. Vanity consumed Lucifer. Like most vain people, he suffered from a deep-seated inferiority complex, for he knew, deep within himself, that he was inferior to God; that God was more powerful. As Lucifer contemplated all that God controlled, envy and covetousness crept in. Lucifer began to become dissatisfied with his fabulously beautiful portion of God’s realm. Now, the jewels and gold seemed commonplace. The earth, down here under the clouds, was truly ,’mundane.”

He began to exacerbate the situation, continually gossiping, talking, excusing and justifying himself, dropping innuendoes and hints that God was somehow not fair. The more he engaged in this “trafficking,” the more corrupt he became, morally and spiritually.

Finally, he betrayed God, and, taking his angels (all of whom had been completely subverted by his charm, and his charismatic personality), he attempted to attack God on His throne and overthrow Him! He attempted the very first palace coup in all the history of the universe.

We cannot even begin to imagine the titanic struggle that took place. It was the original, primeval, “star wars” that ensued; planets and stars collided, were hurled out of their orbits. The earth’s surface was wrecked, utterly destroyed.

Today, when we gaze into space, we can see the results of this titanic struggle for control of the universe. The lifeless, pock-marked hulks that are the moon, or Mars and many other planets with their ugly, misshapen moons; the poisonous Venusian atmosphere; billions of meteorites, which are just so much space debris from explosions; all present mute testimony to us of vast events in the ancient past which caused all this wreckage.

Evolutionists speak of their pet theory about the “big bang,” as if it were a mindless act of “nature,” which was the original creation. It was not. The debris they see is the result of the destruction of an earlier, perfect creation.

Did Lucifer’s betrayal and attack upon God affect God’s attitude at all? God is love, according to His Word. He is gentle, kind, good, giving, merciful, longsuffering, and forgiving. Since God’s very nature is love, and since God desires man’s love in return, was it not painful and deeply disappointing to God to see the most beautiful creature of His handiwork, Lucifer, turn into a vicious, hating, lying, spiteful rebel, trying to overthrow his own Creator?

Do you see? The very first estrangement, the first time there was OPPOSITION, the first time there was betrayal, rejection, and war against God came perhaps billions of years before Adam!

The Rejection and Betrayal of Christ

Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He was God in the flesh, the original “Spokesman” of the Godhead, who did the creating!

“In the beginning was the Word [Greek: Logos, meaning “Spokesman”], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

“The same was in the beginning with God.

“All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.

“In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.

“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it

not.

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

“The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

“He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

“He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world

knew Him not.

“He came unto His own, and His own received Him not…” (John 1:1-11). Here is irrefutable proof that the One who became our Savior, the Member of the Godhead who was born Jesus of Nazareth, is the Divine Member of the Godhead who did the creating! He is the One who said, “Let US make man in OUR image” (Genesis 2:26), who dealt with Abraham, who parted the Red Sea, who gave Moses the law at Sinai.

Notice that He was with God, the Father, and yet “was God.” Our English word “God” is often taken to mean “God, the Father,” though it actually comes from any number of divine titles, and must be understood from the original languages, such as Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Jesus Christ plainly spoke of His “Father” in heaven. He said He had come to reveal the Father. He prayed to His Father, talked to Him, and said He spoke not of and by Himself, but that “The Father hath given me a commandment; what I should say and what I should speak.”

Those who espouse the nonsensical “Jesus Only” theory ignorantly deny dozens of plain scriptures which proves the duality of the Divine Family.

Notice that the Creator, now in the human form of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, “came unto His OWN.” He was born into the Jewish race.

Paul wrote, “For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood” (Hebrews 7:12). The Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well asked, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, asked drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? (for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans)” (John 4:9).

In both Matthew’s and Luke’s genealogies, Jesus’ legal human ancestry is plainly traced back to His eponymous ancestor, Judah, whose name “Judahite,” or “Yehudi,” became shortened to “Jew.” Those antisemitic bigots who refuse to accept Jesus Christ’s Jewish ancestry show themselves to be exactly what they are-racist, hate-filled, prejudiced, arrogant, and completely ignorant of the Scriptures.

Christ came unto His own people, His own race, His own tribe! He was to say, on various occasions, “A prophet hath no honor in His own country, or among His own kin.”

Notice Isaiah’s inspired prophecy: “For He shall grow up before Him [Jehovah is implied] as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground: He hath no form nor comeliness: and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised and we esteemed Him not” (Isaiah 53:2,3).

Jesus Christ knew rejection. Though He was perfect, though He preached love and forgiveness, He was hated by the Jewish religious leaders, rejected by His own family and near kindred.

Satan, the original traitor, appeared immediately at Jesus’ birth, and, through Herod’s pogrom against thousands of innocent little babies, sought to destroy Him. Satan appeared to Jesus at His testing in the wilderness, during a forty day fast, attempting to overthrow His faith; attempting to charm, enchant, persuade, influence–trying his best to get Christ to worship Satan.

Christ passed each grueling test, finally commanding the devil to leave, and then, exhausted, received succor from angels (Matthew 4:11).

All during Christ’s ministry, Satan was present. He attempted to deceive Peter (Luke 22:3 1). He did deceive, heavily influence, and finally enter personally into Judas Iscariot. Satan, through Judas, continually attempted to influence the other disciples against Christ, just as Lucifer had originally become corrupted by his “trafficking,” or his “merchandising”–talking, accusing, influencing, justifying, attempting to persuade other beings against God and His authority (see John 12:4 with Mark 14:5 and Matthew 26:8,9).

Finally, Satan entered into Judas at the last supper (John 13:27) and betrayed Christ to the Sanhedrin, leading to His murder.

Satan, the great traitor toward God, was continually present at every great and momentous event concerning God’s plan of redemption and salvation, attempting to wreck God’s works; derail the plan of salvation.

Notice that Christ was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Do you know what it is to have beloved friends, even close family members, “hide their faces” from you, cut you off, refuse to see you, or even talk, or write? I do. If you have, you know there is no physical pain which is equal to this decades-long mental and emotional pain of rejection–knowing others despise you!

The estrangement of this world against God is a total alienation. It is complete.

As they rejected Christ, so did the world reject His disciples, as He prophesied: “They shall put you out of the synagogues; yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God a service.

“And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me” (John 16:2,3).

Now do you understand how complete, how total is the spiritual darkness and Satanic confusion that grips this world–yes, including the world of religion?

There is need for the world and the very solar system itself to be restored to a condition of being “AT ONE” WITH GOD!

Because the process of alienation has been so painful, the holy day which pictures the reconciliation and final removal of all the sources of hostility, rejection, and hatred also features something painful: an”affliction” of our lives, through fasting!

A “Feast” of Fasting

Now, let’s come to understand the symbolism and typology of the somber Day of Atonement.

“And the Eternal spake unto Moses, saying, ‘Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation [a commanded assembly] unto you; and ye shallafflict your souls … and ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the Eternal your God.

“For whatsoever soul [person] it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among His people” (Leviticus 23:27-29).

That “afflicting your souls” means fasting; abstaining from food and water during that entire twenty-four hour day, is crystal clear from the Scriptures.

For example, fasting for the wrong reasons is depicted by the prophet Isaiah: “‘Wherefore have we fasted?’ say they, ‘and Thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul and Thou takest no knowledge?’ Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labors.

“Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high…” (Isaiah 58:2-4).

Fasting for the wrong reason is merely going hungry. Christ showed how the spiritually proud Pharisees did this: “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure [contort; twist] their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

“But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head [wash and comb your hair-this is not a “spiritual” ritual, but instructions to appear properly groomed], and wash thine face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (Matthew 6:16-18).

Fasting means completely abstaining from food and drink for the period of the fast. Notice how the Assyrian king of ancient Nineveh, at the warning from Jonah, proclaimed a fast: “…and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

“And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, ‘Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:

“‘But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

“‘Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from His fierce anger, that we perish not?’

“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not” (Jonah 3:6 -1 0).

Notice it was not the fasting which moved God to change His mind. The fasting moved the people of Nineveh to change THEIR EVIL WAYS. It was the fact that they repented, that they turned from their evil way of life, from violence and crime, that moved God.

Fasting is not for the purpose of “getting God’s attention.” It is, instead, for getting our attention on God.

Fasting is temporary rejection of, and control over, our human, physical appetites. Hunger is a powerful feeling.

Millions of people, especially in the Western world of affluence, are terribly overweight. Millions are accustomed to satisfying every whim of appetite; greasy, fat-laden, poor quality quick foods; candies, ice cream, desserts. Millions “snack” at the first little twinge of hunger, devouring grease-laden potato chips, Fritos, “snacks” of all kinds, laden with chemicals, artificial flavorings and colorings, sodium and salt. Go to any good book store, and purchase a good book on nutrition, and learn of the incredibly debilitating eating and drinking habits of millions of our people. Then, you will come to understand much more about such terrible diseases as cancer, heart disease, emphysema, diabetes, and so many more, and why it is that “health care” is such a major economic and political issue in our time!

Millions are eating themselves to death without realizing it! Millions never allow themselves to experience hunger, while, in the “third world,” hundreds of thousands are dying of starvation.

The Christian life of overcoming is one of controlling our physical appetites! Solomon wrote, “Be not among winebibbers [excessive drinkers]; among riotous eaters of flesh [selfish, gluttonous eaters]:

“For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty” (Proverbs 23:20,21).

Jesus Christ said “…when ye fast” not, “if” ye fast. When the disciples of John, the Baptist, complained about Jesus’ disciples ignoring weekly, ritualistic “fasts” like those of the Pharisees, they asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

“And Jesus said unto them, ‘Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast”‘ (Matthew 9:14,15).

He was referring to his being killed, resurrected, and assumed into heaven, saying after His departure His true disciples would fast.

Fasting, controlling the human physical appetites, and drawing close to God in prayer is part of the Christian life. Are there those who fast only one day in the year? Probably.

Strangely, there are those “spiritual liberals” who like to deceive themselves into rationalizing away the requirement to fast on the Day of Atonement! Others, completely captive to their own stomachs and physical appetites, like to argue that they can “fast” but merely drink water during the Day of Atonement.

Such people are plainly carnal, “of the flesh,” concerned with physical, fleshly appetites! To them, it is “unfair” that they should go as much as a single day of their lives without food and water! They want to “argue” and “reason” their way around God’s commands, allowing their stomachs to rule their minds, instead of the other way around. Like Esau, many are willing to miss out on the Kingdom of God for a mess of pottage!

But God says that those who do not fast shall be cut off from God, and His people!

No so-called “Christian” can argue that Jesus did not enjoin fasting upon His church! The Bible is replete with examples. Christ chided His disciples on one occasion when they attempted to cast out a demon, and could not. Christ told them that “this kind cometh not out, but by prayer and fasting!” (Matthew 17:21).

Since every converted member of God’s church is commanded to fastfrom time to time, WHAT BETTER DAY TO DO IT–TOGETHER, AS A CHURCH–THAN ON THE HOLY DAY OF ATONEMENT?

Luke, the historian, notes how the “fast,” which is the Day of Atonement, was so prominent in their seasonal reckoning that it was commonly used as the point in the Autumn when the winter storms would begin in the Mediterranean.

He wrote, “Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was already past, Paul admonished them…” (Acts 27:9). The Companion Bible accompanying note says, “i.e., the tenth day of the seventh month, the day of Atonement, about Oct. 1st.”

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance explains the Greek word used for “fast,” which is nesteia, to mean, “abstinence (from lack of food or voluntary and religious); spec. the fast of the Day of Atonement.”

Luke wrote between 59 and 61 A.D., or about thirty years after the resurrection of Christ! Everything that had supposedly been “nailed to the cross” had disappeared thirty years before. Yet, here was Luke, one of Christ’s close confidants and a writer of the account detailing the events in the life of Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, and casually using one of God’s annual holy days as an important point in the seasons!

Notice how God’s prophet Joel said the time would come when, during the Great Tribulation, just before the terrible Day of the Lord, the leaders of the nation should call fasts for His people: “Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Eternal your God, and cry unto the Eternal,

“Alas for the day! for the day of the Eternal is at hand, and as a destruction from the ALMIGHTY [El Shaddai] shall it come…” (Joel 1:14,15). In the next chapter, Joel wrote, “Therefore also now, saith the Eternal, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mouming:

“And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Eternal your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil.

“Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind Him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Eternal your God?

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly…” (Joel 2:12-15).

Since God’s Word commands us not to “forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching,” (Hebrews 10:25), it behooves God’s church to obey God in observing His holy days; to obey Him in fasting and prayers, as He commands, on the solemn, meaningful, somber, most holy DAY OF ATONEMENT.

Notice carefully how God has arranged His holy days so they reveal, progressively, His great PLAN of redemption and salvation.

The Day of Atonement falls between the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles. Just as the book of Revelation reveals, Satan is bound and hurled away from the earth after the Second Coming of Christ (which Trumpets foreshadows), and before the beginning of Christ’s 1,000 year reign, foreshadowed by the Feast of Tabernacles.

Very briefly, the Passover depicts the first step in the plan of redemption; the slaying of the lamb pictures Christ’s sacrifice and our acceptance of it. The Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures Christ becoming part of us, through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Christ said He was that “Bread of Life” that was come down from heaven, and said, “He that eateth of me shall never die.” Not only does eating unleavened bread show we are partaking of a sinless life, but the unleavened bread pictures Christ.

Next comes Pentecost, or the “Feast of Weeks,” or “Feast of the Firstfruits.” The word Pentecost is from the Greek, which merely means “fiftieth.” God told His Levites to count from the morrow after the Sabbath during the Days of Unleavened Bread seven weeks (seven meaning perfection, completion). On the morrow after the seventh Sabbath was the “Feast of Sabbaths,” or “Firstfruits.”

On this day, Christ sent the Holy Spirit upon His apostles (Acts 2). This is the “birthday” of the church–the first time in all history when God made His Holy Spirit available, freely, to all who would repent. Christ is the FIRST of the “firstfruits” of mankind. He is called “…the Firstborn among many brethren,” and “…the Firstfruits of them that slept” (Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 15:20). This important holy day shows the incredible truth we have been discussing previously; how only a very rare, tiny minority are being called now; that God is NOT TRYING TO “SAVE” THIS WORLD NOW; that only a small firstfruits for God’s kingdom has been converted, and called into God’s true church.

Next comes The Feast of Trumpets, which pictures the announcement from heaven of God’s intervention in human affairs. Not only does it look forward to the great final trumpet (Matthew 24:31; 1 Corinthians 15:50-52; Revelation 11:15), but it represents all of God’s continual witness and warning down through the centuries. Isaiah said, “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). The ultimate meaning of the Feast of Trumpets is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to this earth, after God has caused the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which is the good news of Christ’s soon coming to RULE this world, to be preached among all nations.

The method of mass communication used in ancient Israel was the trumpet call, or the blowing on the horn of a ram, called the “shofar.” There were various sounds for the calling of assemblies, for marching orders, for the announcement of holy days, and for warning of approaching enemies.

God promised He would not leave this world without a witness; thatthe world would be warned of impending punishments for sin; of disease, economic collapse, and war. Throughout history, God has sent His special messengers; first, the prophets, then Jesus Christ, then His apostles, and finally His church, to blow the trumpet of witness and warning, as watchmen (Ezekiel 33) to inform people of what was to come!

Eventually, the whole world will hear the blast of the trumpet of God (Matthew 24:3 1), announcing Christ’s return.

But when Christ comes back to this earth, the world will not immediately accept Him. Peace will not immediately prevail. Instead, Christ will administer, personally, the immediate punishment for sin upon the “beast” and “false prophet,” and then God will send a powerful angel to hurl Satan away from this earth and BIND him for one thousand years so he can no longer influence mankind.

Notice one of the very first acts to be accomplished by Jesus Christ when He returns to this earth in power and glory: “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.

“His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written; that no man knew, but He himself.

“And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.

“And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

“And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall RULE them with a rod of iron [see Revelation 2:26]: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

“And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS … and I saw the beast [the coming military leader of the “beast power,” a ten-nation combine which will fight Christ at His coming (see Revelation 17:12-14)], and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army.

“And the beast was taken [captured; arrested], and with him the false prophet [see 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 with Revelation 13:11-18] that wrought miracles before him, with which he had deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

“And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of His mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit [abyss, a metaphor for “the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13)] and a great chain in his hand.

“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.

“And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season” (Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-3).

Men divided the manuscripts into chapters. The original scrolls had no such divisions. Here, the thought flow continues, uninterrupted, from the Second Coming of Christ to the binding of Satan.

First, then, Christ administers the death penalty–death by fire to the vicious, mass-murderers, the beast and his religious cohort, the false prophet. The very next event is the binding of Satan, and removal of him from the earth into some far off “black hole” in the universe pictured as an “abyss,” where he is to remain alive, yet completely powerless to influence the world, for the entire millennial reign of Christ with His saints.

With this information in mind, turn to and study Leviticus, the 16th chapter, and come to understand the interesting typology.

Types and Shadows of Things to Come

Only once each year was the high priest to come into the “holy of holies” inside the tabernacle (later, the temple). Read carefully through Hebrews 8 and 9 for a fuller understanding.

“And the Eternal said unto Moses, ‘Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat [a type of the throne of God], which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

“Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering” (Leviticus 16:2,3). Verse six explains that the young bullock for a sin offering is for Aaron and his family to make an “atonement” for himself and them. The ram for the burnt offering was on behalf of the congregation of Israel (verse 15).

“And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and for his house. And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the Eternal at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

“And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Eternal, and the other lot for the scapegoat” (Leviticus 16:6-8).

Notice that the first lot is “FOR THE ETERNAL.” It follows that the second lot, the goat which is called an “azazel” in Hebrew, falsely translated “scapegoat” into the English, is NOT FOR THE ETERNAL, but for some other representation.

Hastings says, “The living goat was then brought near; and the high priest, having placed both hands upon its head, confessed over it all the sins and offences of the Israelites; after which the goat was led away by a man standing in readiness, into the wilderness for ‘Azazel,’ that it might bear the iniquities to a land ‘cut off,’ i.e., to one remote from human habitations, from which there was no chance of its bringing back its burden of guilt” (Dictionary of the Bible, James Hastings, Vol. 1, p. 199).

Here, the sins are not forgiven, not expiated by the shedding of blood, but instead are still alive, the guilt still remaining upon the head of the live goat, which is led by a man specially selected for the task into a remote wilderness, from which it will never return.

This is a perfect type of what you read in Revelation 20:1-3: “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit [metaphor for an “abyss,” or an empty void, without human habitation] and a great chain in his hand.

“And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

“And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that that he should deceive the nations no more…”

When does the binding of Satan occur?

Immediately after the Second Coming of Christ and following Christ having thrown the beast and false prophet into a lake of fire!

Note this sequence of events well! Satan is bound after Christ’s coming, which is pictured by the Feast of Trumpets, yet before the beginning of the Millennium, which is foreshadowed, in part, by the Feast of Tabernacles. Which holy day comes between Trumpets and Tabernacles? The Day of Atonement.

The forgiveness of sin requires the shedding of blood.”…. without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). The Passover lamb, the daily and special sacrifices; the slaying of the bullock for Aaron and his family, and the slaying of the goat “for the Eternal” all picture CHRIST’S SHED BLOOD for the sins of mankind. But the second goat, the “Azazel,” is NOT FOR THE ETERNAL, but is for the purpose of remaining alive to bear the sins and guilt of Israel far, far away into a distant, uninhabited wilderness.

This does not picture forgiveness of sin, for no blood is shed. Therefore, the theory that the live goat, or “Azazel,” which is sent into a desolate, uninhabited wilderness pictures “forgiveness of sins” is utterly impossible. Instead, it pictures how Satan, who will remain alive for eternity, will be burdened with memories of his iniquities and sins for ever and ever.

Think of it! Laying upon the head of the live goat, like virulent bacteria and viruses, all the sins of the world, the goat is sent into a remote, desolate wilderness. The wilderness, or “Arabah” was always used as a type of sin.

While God will forgive and forget our sins, Satan the Devil has no capacity for remorse or forgiveness and will NEVER FORGET. He will remain alive, REMEMBERING!

Therefore, though God, our Creator, completely forgives and forgets your sins and mine, our “partner in sin,” the original sinner, the one who influenced us to sin, will remain alive, continually remembering! He will be alone. There will be no light to see. There will be no companionship. He will remain alone with his torturous thoughts, his bitter memories, for all eternity.

Many of the major religious beliefs of this world have been subtly implanted by Satan–doctrines that picture him, his state of being, and his future, rather than the plan of God.

Satan has deceived the world into believing God is part of a great spiritual triumvirate, while Satan, himself, is one of only three archangels mentioned in the Bible. The Divine Family of God consists of Father and Son. DUALITY is seen throughout nature: two magnetic poles, two sexes; man has two eyes, two hands, two arms, two feet, two ears, two legs. There is the “first man Adam” and the “second man Adam” (referring to our first parent and our spiritual Savior–1 Corinthians 15:45-49). The Bible has the Old Testament and the New Testament. There is the physical and the spiritual. Everywhere, God has placed duality throughout creation. Electricity has a positive and a negative charge, and there are many other examples in the physical creation to illustrate duality. Yet, millions believe in the false doctrine that God consists of a “Trinity” of Persons.

Satan has also deceived mankind into believing man has an “immortal soul.” But Satan has been created as an immortal spirit, who will live forever. Satan has convinced mankind that sin is punished by eternal punishing, not eternal punishment. Yet, Satan will be punished for all eternity in the “blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13).

Thus, the live goat, with all the sins of Israel laid upon him, represents Satan, remaining alive, with the bitter memories of his betrayal, his rebellion, his unceasing sins.

Betrayal, Estrangement, and Atonement

Previously, I asked if you had ever been rejected, perhaps divorced–whether you had ever been despised by someone you loved. Now, think of that person. How painful would it be if, even at this late state, a complete reconciliation could occur?

It is much easier to ask forgiveness than it is to give it! The penitent one is emotionally moved; ashamed, disgusted with himself. When true repentance occurs, it is a natural desire to ask to be forgiven, to shed the painful feelings of guilt that weigh like a terrible burden on the mind.

The one who is wronged, however, experiences far different feelings. Because it is so difficult to forgive; much more difficult than to ask for forgiveness, Jesus instructed His disciples about forgiveness. Peter had asked, “Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? ‘Till seven times?

“Jesus saith unto him, ‘I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21,22). Then Christ instructed them about the parable of the unjust servant, who, when forgiven a huge debt, turned about and had a man who owed him but little thrown into jail.

The landowner who had originally forgiven his servant the large debt heard of it, had him arrested, and thrown into prison.

Jesus said, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses” (Matthew 18:35).

Continually, Jesus Christ stressed forgiveness as a part of the character of a Christian! Why? Because it is contrary to human nature to forgive! Instead, the one wronged is prone to demand far more display of contrition; far more restitution than the repentant one is able to give.

How many times have we heard the terms, “I will never forgive him for that”? Or, “That is absolutely unforgivable”? Jesus said……. if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14,15).

It is part of God’s nature to be a FORGIVING God. He had said, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

As we have seen, God was betrayed by one of the most beautiful creatures in all the universe, Lucifer, who became twisted and perverted into the embodiment of hatred, spite, contempt, bitterness, sin and evil!

Does God have no feelings? Did not this grieve our Heavenly Father, and the “Logos,” or the One who became our Savior? Of course it did!

Did it not grieve Christ to see all His disciples forsake Him as He suffered on the stake? God commands us: “…grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).

It is because both parties feel affliction when a reconciliation occurs; because BOTH parties have been grieved–especially the one who was wronged–that removing the wrong, assuaging the guilt, becoming “at-ONE” again is so painful!

Joyous at the end, the process of repentance, and being forgiven is painful while it occurs.

Perhaps now we can see, as never before, why our Heavenly Father commands us “…ye shall afflict your souls” during the somber Day of At-One-Ment!

David cried out, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: But now have I kept thy word” (Psalm 119:67).

When we abstain from food and drink from sunset to sunset during the holy Day of Atonement, we should not think about how pitiful we are, how hungry we are, how we desire food! This defeats the purpose of Atonement.

Rather, we should get our minds off physical things, and think only of spiritual things. We should think, again, of how much God has suffered for mankind! How God was betrayed by Lucifer; how Satan destroyed the original creation; how Satan deceived our first parents; how he attacked Job; how he influenced Herod to kill thousands of innocent babies; how he tempted Christ; how he influenced Judas to betray Christ; and how he is our adversary, “accusing” us before God, day and night!

We should realize that we have had an evil partner in sin! We should soberly contemplate how GREAT is God’s mercy toward us, that He should say He will “remove our sins from us as far as the East is removed from the West,” realizing how Satan, laden with his share of our guilt, will be hurled into the “blackness of darkness for all eternity”!

Only when all this is accomplished will this world, under the righteous reign of Jesus Christ, become once again truly “at one” with God!

How fervently we should pray, “Thy Kingdom Come…”

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The famous eunuch from Ethiopia was reading from the scroll of Isaiah when Philip was sent to him. Within only a few hours, the eunuch asked to be baptized. He had learned about Christ from Philip’s explanation of Isaiah’s prophecies. How was this possible? Could the eunuch have received Christ as his Savior, and been saved by grace, through understanding what Isaiah wrote? Isn’t the Old Testament “done away”? Is the knowledge necessary for salvation to be found in the Old Testament? Read, in your own Bible, the astonishing truth!

He was tall, dressed in the finery that befitted his station. Gold glittered from his wrists and from the medallion that hung around his neck with its royal crest of Ethiopia.

His black head was shielded against the sun by the canopy of his elaborately carved and decorated chariot. The nose was aquiline, the lips thin, like all of his race, though he was carrying much more body fat than he would have liked.

He had given orders to halt here, in the shade of these trees, and his escort was busy seeing to their mounts, checking the wheels of their chariots, and drinking from their water skins.

As befitted his station, and the value of the precious scroll he had purchased in Jerusalem, Queen Candace had ordered a large armed guard to accompany him. The Romans had graciously assigned additional escort to this point. They would turn back now, for the sun-baked Arabah lay just ahead, and the risk of brigands was small.

With trembling hands, he unrolled the beautifully scripted scroll, admiring the heavy, engraved brass. As secretary of the treasury, he was returning to Ethiopia with what would be considered a priceless addition to the queen’s coffers: the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He struggled a little with the Hebrew. Though he could understand the words well enough, much of the meaning of the lengthy passages escaped him. As he unrolled new lines of script, his servant rolled the ones he had just read onto the opposite spindle, both of which featured a beautifully decorated cap at the top, and a tapering metal handle on the bottom. His lips moved as he read aloud to himself, eyebrows knit together in concentration. He became aware of someone standing beside the chariot. A man he had not seen before, a stranger, who was not part of his train, smiled at him and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

Taken aback, his curiosity over the passages he had just labored through overcame his momentary impulse to rebuke the stranger for intruding. There was something about the man, perhaps his dress, his manner, his precise speech—or maybe it was the friendly earnestness of his question. Certainly, he was a Hebrew, and therefore skilled in the language. “How can I,” he answered, “except some man should guide me?” He beckoned to the man, who said his name was Philip, offering him a seat beside him under the shade of the canopy. Philip had been astonished when he had heard the voice from God, that of an angel no doubt (Acts 8:26), telling him to go south on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, into the desert. But he had immediately left on his journey.

When Philip saw the large caravan of animals and chariots, and easily singled out the beautifully decorated chariot with the crest of Ethiopia on the sides, he asked some of the escort who they were, and learned that the large man in the chariot was a eunuch, that he had authority next only to that of Candace of Ethiopia, and that he was responsible for their national treasury.

Philip climbed up beside the eunuch, who began reading aloud the passage he had just completed.

“He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. He was taken away by distress, and in humiliation, fair judgment was denied Him, and who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Eternal to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin…” (Isaiah 53:7-10).

When he finished reading the entire passage, the eunuch turned to Philip and asked, “Please tell me, of whom is the prophet speaking? Himself, or some other man?”

Philip began reading the same passage exactly where the eunuch had begun to read (Acts 8:35), and began expounding the meaning.

First, he made very clear to the eunuch the full meaning of each verse itself, each word. Then, he quoted many other passages of Scripture. He recited verses from the other prophets, from the Psalms of David, and even from the scroll of Genesis.

After all, the eunuch had come to Jerusalem as a pilgrim to worship in the Temple (Acts 8:27), and it was obvious Candace had ordered the purchase of the expensive scroll of Isaiah, so he would not take offense. Philip launched into an earnest recital of the amazing miracle of Pentecost and of his own personal experiences. The scriptures came pouring out of his mouth, as the big black Ethiopian listened to him eagerly.

Philip

Philip had been present when the astonishing miracles of that electrifying Pentecost had occurred. He had heard the rushing sound of a mighty wind; he had seen the blazing coronas of fire settling on the heads of those twelve apostles.

Inspired by their words, he had joined the lines seeking baptism. It had been the most glorious experience of his life, and he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He began busily helping everyone he could. When the huge crowds gathered, many crowded forward in the food lines, and in their thoughtlessness some of their elderly women were being ignored. Steven was there, excitedly relating to people all he had seen and heard. Philip joined with him, along with Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, who was a proselyte from Antioch, and together they busied themselves carrying food, arranging seating, helping elderly women to a vantage place to see and hear.

Their service had been noted by some of the apostles, so when some of the Greeks who were there began muttering about the forwardness of some of the Jews, and their tendency to ignore the ladies during the meetings, Philip and the others found themselves singled out, called to the front.

Philip had never heard of such a thing—had never seen or heard about an “ordination” before. But the apostles had said to the crowds that they should search out from among their number seven men “of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom,” and that they were going to appoint them as servers to help the people, while the apostles would concentrate on praying and preaching the Word of God (Acts 6:1-6).

Philip remembered how humbled he had felt when several of the apostles had called his name, had surrounded him and laid hands on him right in front of the crowds, and had asked God to grant him special gifts for serving those who were assembled there. The Greeks called them the diaconate, or the “servants,” who took care of the physical needs of the large crowds of people.

But their service was not limited to carrying food, arranging tables and chairs, and keeping order. Philip was inspired to eagerly help people because he knew he simply had to do so, that the teachings of Jesus Christ would not let him do otherwise. Also, as he worked among them, he found it a natural tendency for them to ask him things like, “Did you see Jesus Christ of Nazareth?” or, “Were you there when the fire appeared?” or, “Have you seen anyone healed of disease?”

How could he help but speak to them?

Stephen also began speaking with such conviction and power that he invariably drew large crowds. People pressed forward, holding up their children, bringing their elderly, showing him their injuries, telling him about their sicknesses and diseases. Stephen had prayed for them, and people were healed instantly.

But some of the men from one of the synagogues had begun to attempt to entrap Stephen in his own words. They concocted the cleverest arguments they could against him, but every time they stood to challenge him, he confused them, speaking with such cold, clear logic, with such conviction over his own personal experiences, that they were defeated.

Finally, they plotted to bribe false witnesses who went to the high priests and claimed they had heard Stephen speaking blasphemy against Moses and God (Acts 6:7-15). Stephen was arrested and brought to trial.

In his defense, he so enraged his audience that a riot was incited, and they stoned him to death (Acts 7).

Philip and the others were frightened. Were they next?

The synagogues had so stirred up the authorities that the persecution became not only widespread, but cloaked with official authority. Only the apostles were able to remain in Jerusalem with impunity, and that was mostly due to the fear the religious sects harbored as a result of the miracles, signs, and wonders that had been accomplished.

Most members of the church were scattered. So it was that Philip, who fled along with the rest, went to the city of Samaria, and began telling them about everything he had seen and heard; how Jesus Christ of Nazareth was indeed the true Messiah, the Savior of the world. Demon possessed people were brought to him by anxious families and friends, and he cast them out. People with palsy, people who were crippled, were miraculously healed when Philip prayed for them. Simon the magician pretended to be a believer, and was not exposed until Peter and John were sent by the other apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-14).

It was shortly after this, while Philip was still many miles north of Jerusalem in Samaria that God sent His angel to tell him about the Ethiopian eunuch.

Philip “Preached Unto Him Jesus”

Seeing the wide-eyed interest of this big official of the Ethiopian queen, Philip warmed to his task.

He asked that the scroll be rolled back until he came to the last lines of the preceding passage. He read to the eunuch how the Messiah was to have been beaten nearly to death, “As many as were astonished at Thee: His visage was so marred, more than that of any man, and His form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14), and then related all the events of the terrible night of Christ’s arrest, His scourging, and His death.

He read, “So shall He sprinkle many nations,” and reminded the Ethiopian of the practice of the priests on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle drops of blood on the altar, on the Book of the Law, the Tabernacle, all the vessels, and even on the people (Hebrews 9:18-22).

He showed how the sacrifices were but a foreshadow of the necessity for God Himself to come to die for the sins of His own creation (John 1:1-14), and how sacrifices were not originally intended (1 Samuel 15:22,23; Jeremiah 7:22), but that God had instituted them to remind sinning Israel that the wages of sin was death.

He recited many of the Psalms, showing how the very things David sang and wrote about had come to pass in the life of the Messiah. He quoted, “All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, ‘He trusted on the Eternal that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighteth in Him’” (Psalm 22:7,8), and related how Christ had been nailed to a tree trunk.

Philip related how David had prophesied, “They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and Thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture” (Psalm 22:13-18). Philip spoke feelingly, passionately, about the horrible beating and death of Jesus Christ. He told how Peter had become so emotional back there in Jerusalem when he related how he had forsaken Jesus, how Jesus had warned him he would, how vehemently he had denied even knowing him, and how bitterly he had repented later. He kept returning to the open scroll before them, reading from it.

“He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men…,” Philip read. Then he related how even John had fled in the night; how John had told them how ashamed and heartbroken he was when Jesus had looked down upon him from that terrible tree, and called Mary John’s “mother,” and John her “son”; how he knew the Christ wanted John to take care of Mary for the rest of her life (John 19:25-27).

“She still lives with him to this day,” Philip said. “And there are people in Jerusalem who are alive and well in their own homes who were resurrected from the dead the instant Christ died” (Matthew 27:52,53).

Philip had no scrolls with him. He possessed no “Bible,” and of course it would be another twenty-four years before a single word of Matthew’s Gospel, or Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian church would be written.

But Philip was intelligent, and well-versed in the Holy Scriptures, which were replete with prophecies about the coming Messiah.

He mentioned how Daniel had seen a vision of the coming Kingdom of God, and the judgment (Daniel 7:9,10,13,14,22,27).

An Eternal Inheritance 

Knowing that the eunuch would be especially concerned about some inspiring, encouraging prophecies found a little further on in the expensive scroll, Philip asked that they unroll it to that point, and then read, “Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Eternal, speak, saying, ‘The Eternal hath utterly separated me from His people’: neither let the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ For thus saith the Eternal unto the eunuchs that keep My sabbaths, and choose the things that please Me, and take hold of My covenant; ‘Even to them will I give in Mine house and within My walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off’” (Isaiah 56:1-5).

The eunuch may well have explained how he had volunteered to become the queen’s eunuch. “Many thousands volunteer, because they know they could never reach such high station otherwise. Many die as a result of the operation, but those of us who live are given many things. We have a better life than many who have children, but who are poor, and sick.” Philip knew this was the case. Still, there were regrets: “Oh yes, I have thought about it. What man would not want to see his children; to see his name live on?”

Philip no doubt emphasized how God would give the man a name better than that of sons and daughters, how he would inherit the Kingdom of God.

Philip continued reading: “Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Eternal, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Eternal, to be His servants, every one that keepeth My sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant; Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer…” (Isaiah 56:6,7).

At some point, the Ethiopian official must have indicated his desire to continue their journey. Philip must have agreed to continue with them, so their discussion could have continued for several hours—long enough for Philip to have explained thoroughly the many scriptures to which he must have referred.

The name of “Jesus Christ” is nowhere mentioned in the book of Isaiah, so Philip no doubt went into detail about Christ’s life; about Philip’s own experiences, perhaps even having been in Jerusalem, and having witnessed Christ’s death. It is obvious Philip was among the earliest converts either on or immediately following Pentecost. It is also obvious that Philip had become deeply convicted of Jesus’ divinity, and knew that He was the Son of God.

Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, says Philip, though beginning in the book of Isaiah, “preached unto him Jesus.” How many mainstream ministers today could do the same thing? Relatively few, no doubt. Many of them believe the Old Testament is done away, that it is only interesting as history or for its value as an archaic piece of literature. But for preaching the gospel?

Following their discussion, which must have consumed several hours, Luke wrote, “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?’ And Philip said, ‘If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’” (Acts 8:36,37).

It becomes obvious that Philip had also explained the rite of baptism to the eunuch. Had Philip known John, or perhaps even been one of his disciples for a time? We cannot know. Remember, the eunuch had come to Jerusalem to worship God (Acts 8:27), and was therefore a proselyte, a “stranger,” or a gentile who had been converted to the Law of Moses.

No doubt he was a keeper of the Sabbath, and of the annual holy days, for there is little doubt his pilgrimage to Jerusalem was on an annual sabbath. Therefore, there was no need for Philip to spend hours (or days, or a week or more!) explaining to the eunuch everything about God’s laws; about clean and unclean and tithing.

If the eunuch had been in Jerusalem to worship, he would naturally have purchased something for a sacrifice. Philip would have explained to him about Christ’s sacrifice; how the rite of baptism symbolized death, burial, and the resurrection; how the shadowy sacrifices pictured Jesus Christ and His shed blood for the sins of all mankind. This inspiring account of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch tells us a great deal about God’s Word, the early church, and the power of God’s Holy Spirit working in and through one human being to another.

Philip Was Not “Authorized” 

Who sent Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch? We have already read it. “The angel of the Lord spake unto Philip.”

Philip was not “credentialed” by some church organization. He was not sent out by an employer; nor authorized or approved by any other human being. But it was a real angel who spoke to Philip, not Philip’s ego, or imagination, or spiritual pride, or secret desire to be a “minister,” or his desire to “be somebody” who had a special relationship with God or wanted to be a “prophet”!

There are plenty of men and women like that around today, as there were then (Matthew 24:11).

God had prepared the mind of the Ethiopian eunuch; had intervened into his life, caused him to be sent to Jerusalem, and caused him to be traveling that road at that time. This was a miracle from God, not an accidental encounter.

Philip only lived through such an experience once, so far as we know. Following his baptism of the eunuch, he was caught away by the Spirit (Acts 8:39), and “was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Cesarea” (Acts 8:40).

This was truly “one on one.” God inspired the eunuch to pause, unroll the scroll to the place he did, and then read aloud to himself. God caused Philip to be in the place he was, at the time he was.

Since Philip “began at the same scripture” and preached Christ to the eunuch from the Old Testament, it is obvious Philip knew the Scriptures. He was not a novice; a man who had never known God’s word; a man who came from illiterate masses, was suddenly converted by the miracles he saw and heard on Pentecost, and then became a deacon and an evangelist. No, it is obvious, from God’s Word, that Philip knew the book of Isaiah. He must have known much more, for the passage in Isaiah was only where he began to teach.

What were Philip’s “credentials” for this “one on one,” up close, personal teaching? Did Peter know about Philip’s baptism of the eunuch? No. Did Paul? No. Paul was not even converted as yet (Acts 9 with Galatians 1). Did any of the apostles at Jerusalem know about Philip’s preaching, or authorize it, or approve it, or finance it? No. Philip was sent directly by God, and not by any human leader.

Notice, however, that Philip was not preaching to the church! Some, harboring private, fantastic spiritual agendas in their own minds, would like to become a modern-day Philip. Some believe an angel has spoken to them, or believe they have seen a vision, and have a special “message,” or a “calling.” But most such people do not go to the world and preach the gospel. Instead, some attempt to convince various leaders of various churches of their spiritual credentials in order to gain recognition.

Philip may not have been “authorized” by human leaders, but he was sent by God. He was not sent to Peter, to tell him how God had chosen Philip to become a prophet. He was sent to a black eunuch from Ethiopia to convict and convert him.

This was an absolutely unique occurrence in history—something that only happened once. Though changes occurred with the passing of time, the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch may well have been the earliest beginning of the Christian Coptic church.

Just as God had converted thousands gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost; thousands who departed for their far-flung nations within days or weeks afterward, and who became emissaries for the gospel, so God sent Philip to convict and baptize a high government official from Ethiopia, who would then take his newfound knowledge back to Candace and to his people.

Nothing further is ever mentioned about the Ethiopian eunuch. He disappears from history. We are not given his name, and we know nothing of his efforts, either successful or unsuccessful, when he arrived back at his home.

It is obvious Philip knew his work was finished with the baptism of the eunuch. Philip did not attempt to enroll the eunuch on a list, or attempt to get him to “join the church” in some nominal manner, or urge him to “keep in touch,” or enlist him as part of an organization. The eunuch repented, received Jesus Christ as his Savior, was baptized, and went on his way.

From that day on, he belonged to Christ, Who had paid the supreme price for the eunuch’s life. From that day on, he was a newly-begotten “new creature in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17), who would be taught through study and prayer by the Holy Spirit, apart from any human leader. What a beautiful example this is of God’s great calling, His wonderful gift of salvation.

Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch had nothing to do whatsoever with the development of a human organization called a “church.” It was divinely orchestrated. It was ordered by God through an angel. It was blessed of God, through opening the eunuch’s understanding and bringing him to repentance. Philip was a servant, willingly going whatever distance and spending whatever length of time required, teaching, informing, inspiring, explaining, and then performing baptism when the time came. His work finished, Philip was caught away.

The eunuch continued on his way a converted man. He was now a member of the body of Christ; a member of the church Jesus said He would build (Matthew 16:18), and yet he was not attached in any manner to the apostles in Jerusalem, to any single apostle, or to any other human being in the church.

He was also the first gentile to be spoken of in particular, though there may have been gentile proselytes among the crowds in Jerusalem on Pentecost. It was yet in the future when God would show Peter he must not call any man “common” or “unclean,” and reveal how the gospel must also go to the nations (Acts 10).

Humanly, from an organizational point of view, one might say Philip was “not authorized” to do what he did. Who gave him the right, a mere “deacon,” to be expounding the Scriptures? Who gave him the authority to baptize? God did. So Philip was “authorized” after all, not by man, but directly by God.

We are told he went to Cesaerea. He is never again mentioned until Paul and his company entered “into the house of Philip the evangelist [one who preaches the gospel], which was one of the seven [one of the seven original deacons (Acts 6)]; and abode with him. And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy” (Acts 21:8,9).

Obviously, Philip was either already married when he was called into Christ’s service, or he married later. He settled down in Cesaerea, where he continued to preach the gospel. He must have been a very fine husband and father, for all four of his daughters were converted, inspired by God, and had the gift of prophecy.

Philip was obviously skilled in the Scriptures. He “began” at the passage in Isaiah 53 and “preached unto him Jesus.” Philip’s teaching could have taken quite a long time—several hours at least, for the Old Testament Scriptures are replete with prophecies, shadows, types, foretastes, and plain statements about the Messiah Who was to come.

The New Testament has about three hundred direct quotations from the Old Testament, and no other books (such as the spurious books of the Apocrypha, which were included in the Septuagint) are quoted with the exception of the prophecy of Enoch found in the book of Jude.

Today, many mainstream professing Christian churches virtually ignore the Old Testament. Yet, it was the “Scriptures” of Jesus’ day; it comprised the “Scriptures” from which Peter, James, and Paul taught and wrote; it was the holy writ by which God’s people were to conduct their lives, and the “Scriptures” which foretold the coming of the Savior of the World, just as Philip illustrated to the eunuch.

Paul told Timothy, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou has known the holy scriptures [the only “holy scriptures” extant were those of the Old Testament], which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:14-16).

Christ In the Old Testament 

The Old Testament begins setting forth vague shadows, hints, and types which foreshadow the coming of a Messiah very early in the books of Moses.

The commentators universally recognize that the hint found in Genesis 3:15 concerning the woman which shall bruise the head of the serpent, and the serpent which shall bruise HIS (not “her”) heel is a reference to the virgin birth and the coming of Christ into the world. There has been only one descendant of Eve Who was born of woman, yet was not begotten by a man.

The blood sacrifice of Abel (Genesis 4:3-5) is recognized as the earliest institution of a blood sacrifice. God accepted Abel’s sacrifice, and rejected the vegetables offered by Cain.

At the call of Abraham, God promised that “all nations of the earth would be blessed” through him—not only because Abraham would become the “father of many nations” and that “kings” would come out of him, but also that “one seed” which is Christ (Galatians 3:16) would come from Abraham’s family.

Study Genesis 12, 13, 17, and 22.

Study Genesis 14:18-20, and read how Abraham deferred to Melchizedek, paying tithes to him.

Melchizedek is a type of Jesus Christ. Either he was a human priest of “Salem” (the original site of Jerusalem, on Mount Moriah), or He was the One Who became Christ, manifesting Himself to Abraham.

Notice: “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem [which means “Peace”], priest of the Most High God, Who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; To Whom Abraham gave a tenth part of all; being first by interpretation King of Righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of Peace; Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God: abideth a Priest continually” (Hebrews 7:1-3).

Either this is speaking of the same Melchizedek Abraham met, or is metaphor for Christ. Several times later, Christ is called “a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:21).

In either event, Melchizedek is clearly a type of Jesus Christ, Who IS the “King of Righteousness,” “King of Peace,” and has “neither beginning of days, nor end of life.” As the Old Testament progresses, the vague hints and shadows become clearer types. Eventually, the prophecies speak of one Person Who was to come.

A clear type of Christ is found in Genesis 22:1-19. God commanded Abraham, “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Genesis 22:2).

Abraham had been astonished when God promised he would have a son in his great old age (Genesis 18:9-18). He was ninety-nine when the promise was made, one hundred when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5).

It is hard to imagine the delight, the love, the great joy Abraham and Sarah experienced when God gave them a son of their own. Isaac was the “son of promise,” a son given to them by the power of God.

What must have gone through Abraham’s mind when God commanded him to sacrifice his only son? The Bible example is stunning: “And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3).

With every moment, with each task, with every stroke of the axe as the wood was chopped, Abraham had to be thinking of the terrible thing he would have to do.

Paul sheds light on Abraham’s example, calling him the father of the faithful: “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God: And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform” (Romans 4:16-21). This is one of the finer biblical definitions of faith.

Abraham must have thought within himself that God would either resurrect Isaac, or that He would provide another son. Abraham knew he was being tested. His example of stolid, dogged determination and patient assurance is a great inspiration to every Christian. Abraham’s obedience went beyond “belief.” He knew.

Read Genesis 22. Just as Abraham had finished preparing the altar, and had actually taken up the knife to slay his son, God called to him through an angel: “‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here am I.’ And he said, ‘Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me’” (verse 12).

God provided a ram for the sacrifice in place of Isaac, then said, “By Myself have I sworn, saith the Eternal, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies, And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice” (Genesis 22:16-18).

Here is a clear prophecy of Christ. It is also clear that Abraham is a type of God the Father, Who “so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Isaac, as Abraham’s son, is a type of Christ. Mount Moriah is the same place where Melchizedek had appeared to Abraham and “brought forth bread and wine,” as an early type of the Passover. Now, God provides a blood sacrifice in the same place, the site where Jerusalem would later stand, where Christ was nailed to the tree, where His death, burial, and resurrection took place.

For three days and three nights, Isaac was as good as dead, in the mind of his father, Abraham. He had resigned himself to the idea; he was doggedly determined to follow through with it.

But after those terrible three days and three nights, His son was allowed to live, as if being brought back from the dead. God provided a ram instead, and Abraham returned home with his son.

As the Old Testament progresses, the shadows and types become ever clearer. A Person begins to emerge as the coming Messiah, the future Ruler of the world.

When Jacob prophesied about all his sons, he said, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah [the eponymous ancestor of the Jews], nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be” (Genesis 49:10).

Many Bibles include a letter P, encircled, to indicate the translators knew this was a prophecy about Christ. That “Shiloh” was to have “washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes” is an obvious reference to Christ’s death. John wrote, in the Revelation, “And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13).

Christ As the Passover Lamb

It has been known and understood by virtually all professing Christian denominations and organizations for centuries that the Paschal lamb which was to be sacrificed at the first Passover was a symbol of Jesus Christ.

Study the entire twelfth chapter of Exodus. The lamb was to be perfect, without blemish. It was to be slain, and the blood collected in basins, then brushed with hyssop upon the doorposts and window sills of each Israelitish house.

When Jesus came to John’s baptism, John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world,” and then proceeded to tell those around him how he had seen the Holy Spirit “descending from heaven like a dove, and It abode upon Him.” Then he said again, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29-36).

The apostle John referred to Jesus Christ as the Lamb many times: “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads” (Revelation 14:1).

Later, he wrote, “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and the Lamb” (Revelation 14:3,4). Speaking of the Day of the Lord, and God’s wrath poured out upon rebellious mankind, John wrote, “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb” (Revelation 14:10).

Writing of the beast, and his attempt to fight Christ at His coming, John said, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14). Analogies, metaphors, types, and symbols are used throughout the Bible. That the Lamb slain at the Passover is a symbol of Jesus Christ is inescapable.

Remember, however, than an analogy is not “the truth” per se. It is a representative comparison, an illustration, a parallel thought. An example of this is Revelation 19:7: “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come….” Lambs don’t marry. Obviously, this is not a real lamb, but the “Lamb of God,” Who is Jesus Christ. Notice how quickly the analogy breaks down. The church is called “the bride of Christ,” and Jesus spoke of Himself as the “bridegroom” (Matthew 25). Here, after having said “the marriage of the Lamb is come,” John goes on to say, “and His WIFE hath made herself ready.” There is no need for us to strain at an analogy, or to force our own interpretation into the Bible.

The point is that everywhere in the Old Testament where the Paschal lamb is mentioned, it is a type of Christ!

A final scripture: “And He saith unto me, ‘Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).

No doubt, Philip must have used some, if not many, of the Old Testament references to Christ during his few hours of conversation with the Ethiopian eunuch.

The Day of Atonement, and a “Prophet Like Unto Moses”

Since it is doubtless the eunuch was in Jerusalem to worship God, it is obvious this trip must have been for more than one purpose. The scroll would have been like a national treasure to Candace and her court. However, since he was there to “worship,” it is obvious there were dual reasons for the trip.

If the eunuch was keeping God’s annual sabbaths, and it is obvious he was, then he was without doubt familiar with the sacrifices, including the special sacrifices required on the Passover and the Day of Atonement. Would not Philip have expounded the meaning of both? Surely, he could not have omitted the Passover, since the relationship with the sacrificial Lamb on Nisan 14, and the scriptures in Isaiah 52 and 53 are so closely associated.

Each year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, one of the most solemn high day sabbaths was observed, the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27-32).

On that day, the high priest was to offer a bullock for himself and his family, then to select two kids of the goats, and cast lots upon them.

One was for “the Eternal,” and the other was for “the Azazel,” sometimes rendered “scapegoat.” The goat upon which the lot for “the Eternal” fell was a sin offering for all the people. The goat which was called “the Azazel” was to have all the sins of the people confessed over him, then to be taken by the hand of a “fit man” who was capable of insuring the goat did not escape, and was to be taken a vast distance into the wilderness, then let go.

Since the scriptures being read by the eunuch and Philip spoke of how the Savior would “sprinkle all nations,” it is very likely Philip expounded Leviticus 16, which says, “And he [Aaron] shall sprinkle of the blood upon it [the altar] with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel” (Leviticus 16:19).

Paul knew the Holy Scriptures. All of his teaching, his writings, his beliefs, like those of every one of the early apostles, were based solely upon the Old Testament Scriptures.

Of these symbols of Christ, Paul wrote, “But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once [the Day of Atonement was the only time in the year the high priest entered into the holy of holies—a symbol of heaven itself] into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause He is the Mediator of the new testament [new “will,” new “legacy,” new “covenant”], that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:11-15).

Paul was not remotely aware that he was writing part of the Bible when he wrote these words. He knew what God’s Word said about the time when God would make a new covenant with His people; a time when He would write His holy and perfect law in their inward parts, and their hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Believe it or not, Paul spent perhaps three and one-half years with Jesus Christ personally (Galatians 1:15-19 with 1 Corinthians 9:1). He said he was one who was called directly of Christ (Galatians 1:1,10-12).

The letter to the “diaspora” of the Hebrews, or the scattered members of the twelve tribes of Israel, emphasized the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. It showed how the types, shadows, and symbols of the Levitical priesthood were rendered unnecessary by the High Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Because the Day of Atonement was the one holy day when the high priest entered into the “holy of holies” after the ceremonies of “sprinkling” the people, the book, and the altar with blood, it was obvious to Paul, as it was to all Christ’s apostles, that the high priest was a type of Jesus Christ; that the blood of animals was a type of Christ’s shed blood; that the “holy of holies” was a type of God’s throne in heaven.

Notice how the Priesthood of Christ is explained:

“For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop [like a brush of a bush, which was also a cleansing agent, used like a paint brush in sprinkling the blood], and sprinkled with blood both the book, and all the people, Saying, ‘This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.’

“Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood there is no remission [forgiveness]. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands [as in the Tabernacle, or the Temple, on the Day of Atonement], which are the figures of the true [shadows, types, representations]; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others; For then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once [typified by the Day of Atonement] in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:12-28).

There are many places in the New Testament where we may read of the types, shadows, symbols, and representations of the plan of God which were written in the Old Testament.

These were the only Holy Scriptures which were in existence when the apostles and the early church were preaching the Word of God in the first century.

Not one of the Gospel writers, nor Paul, ever presumed they were “writing the Bible” when they wrote down their recollections, or, in Paul’s case, letters to churches he served, or the young men who worked with him.

Did they receive salvation?

Did they learn of Christ?

Did they repent, and did they receive God’s Holy Spirit?

Of course they did!

How? By rejecting the Holy Scriptures which they had studied, heard read and preached, and read themselves all their lives, and claiming they believed in a “Bible which was yet to be written”? They knew and understood about the prophecies concerning Christ in the Old Testament Scriptures. Why would anyone assume they thought them to be “done away,” when they knew the knowledge of salvation was contained therein?

The Day of Atonement was one of the most solemn, important holy days in the year, a day of fasting (Leviticus 23:27; Acts 27:9), and the only day in the entire year when the high priest entered into the holy of holies. The high priest was a type of Christ. The shed blood of animals was a type of Christ’s blood. The holy of holies was a type of heaven itself, where Christ was received of His Father as the sacrifice for the sins of the world.

It is more than merely logical, since the Ethiopian eunuch had puzzled over the passages in Isaiah’s prophecies about Christ, that Philip would have explained the meaning of the types and shadows of Atonement; explained about the sacrifice of Christ; about Who Jesus Christ really was!

For centuries, the Jews had referred to the coming Messiah as “that Prophet” who would be “like unto Moses.” On various occasions, false prophets rose up and claimed to be the Messiah. Their expectations were based upon Deuteronomy (the “Orations”) 18:15-18, which says, “The Eternal thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him shall ye hearken…and the Eternal said unto me, ‘They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him.’”

The translators provided the usual encircled letter P next to these scriptures, since it universally accepted that these verses are a prophecy about Jesus Christ.

The religious leaders during Jesus’ day were continually looking for “that Prophet” who should come, the Messiah.

Notice how the religious leaders questioned John the Baptist: “And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who art thou?’ And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Art thou Elias?’ [they all knew of the prophecy that Elijah was to come before the Day of the Lord: Malachi 4:5,6], And he saith, ‘I am not.’ ‘Art thou that prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No’” (John 1:19-21).

John explained that he was a “voice crying in the wilderness,” and they replied, “Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?” (John 1:25).

Following the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand from the five barley loaves and two small fish, the huge throng began discussing Jesus, Who He might be.

“Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, ‘This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world” (John 6:14). It was understood by the religious leadership, and by the masses in general that the “Prophet like unto Moses” would be the Messiah, a deliverer.

Late in His ministry, on the last great day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said [the only “scriptures” that existed were those of the Old Testament], ‘Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.’ (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, ‘Of a truth this is the Prophet’” (John 7:37-40).

The Jewish religious leaders knew that the Old Testament Scriptures foretold the coming of a “Prophet like unto Moses,” a great Deliverer, a Messiah.

There were many dozens of scriptures in the Old Testament to which Philip could have referred as he rode along with the Ethiopian eunuch and “preached Christ unto him.”

The largest number of prophecies, and the most specific, are throughout the Psalms. David himself was a type of Christ, as was Joshua. The Hebrew equivalent for “Jesus” is “Joshua.” Joshua led the Israelites across the river Jordan into the promised land, just as Christ our Savior leads us out of the wilderness of this world, through death, to the resurrection to life and inheritance of His eternal kingdom.

Yes, Philip could have “preached Christ” unto the eunuch from the Old Testament. He could have done so for days upon end, and scarcely scratched the surface of all the shadows, types, symbols, and examples. He could have spent hours on the specific prophecies concerning that ONE Who was to be called “Immanuel” (God with us—see Isaiah 7:13,14) not only from Isaiah’s prophecies, but from many other Old Testament references.

The Future Kingdom of the Messiah

No doubt, Philip would have made reference not only to the saving work of Jesus Christ, His shed blood for the forgiveness of the sins of the world, but would have pointed out the many scriptures which speak clearly of the ultimate goal of salvation—inheritance of the Kingdom of God.

All Philip had to do was ask that the scroll be unrolled backward a number of chapters, and come to Isaiah the ninth chapter, and read:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and PEACE there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Eternal of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6,7).

Would he not then have made reference to God’s promise to David that his throne would be an eternal throne; that there would never fail one from David’s line to sit upon that throne?

Only two chapters later, he could have read, “And there shall come forth a rod [a green shoot, or stem] out of the stem [or stump] of Jesse [who was David’s father], and a Branch shall grow out of his roots [the Branch is reference to Christ]: And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Eternal: And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Eternal: and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears: But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:1-4).

Christ did not smite the earth, nor slay the wicked during His time on this earth as the humble carpenter from Nazareth Who came to die for the sins of the world. These prophecies are dual, sometimes referring to Christ’s nature and His character, and sometimes referring to His coming RULE over all the world.

“And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6).

In this beautiful chapter, God’s Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament reveal not only the coming of the Messiah, but the second coming of Christ as well; the establishment of His kingdom on earth, the change in the very nature of animals, and then specific prophecies concerning the regathering of the dispersed tribes of Israel.

Obviously, this is speaking of the Kingdom of God. Equally obviously, it is speaking of conditions on this earth, not up in heaven. There are no poisonous snakes, leopards, calves, or cows in heaven.

Notice: “And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ [adder] den. They [predators and poisonous snakes] shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Eternal, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse [just as we read in verse 1], which shall stand for an Ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles [the “nations”] seek: and His rest shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:6-10).

Jesus Christ said He was not sent, but to the “lost sheep of the House of Israel” during His earthly ministry. The Ethiopian eunuch is the first gentile of note who is singled out for God’s grace and forgiveness, even prior to Cornelius (Acts 10), and God’s vision to Peter that he should no longer call gentiles “unclean” or “common.”

This foretaste of God’s kingdom shows how Jesus Christ will call and offer salvation to the gentiles during His earthly reign as King of kings and Lord of lords (Isaiah 66:19).

But Jesus Christ did not do this during His sojourn on earth. It was only because of a gentile woman’s faith and her perseverance that Jesus healed her (Matthew 15:26,27) of an issue of blood. Otherwise, it is plain He would have continued on His way.

Notice how Isaiah 11 is inescapably dealing with the second coming of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom on earth: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time [this has never yet happened in history!] to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands [coastlands] of the sea. And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:11,12). Nothing of this kind has occurred yet. There are more Jews in New York City and Los Angeles than there are in the modern nation of Israel.

“The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah [the Jews] shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim…And the Eternal shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with His mighty wind shall He shake His hand over the river [the Nile], and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. And there shall be an highway for the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria: like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt” (Isaiah 11:13-16).

Philip could have spent many hours expounding, explaining, teaching, preaching from the Old Testament Scriptures (the only Scriptures which existed then) about Jesus Christ!

He could have shown the eunuch how the dead are to be resurrected (Isaiah 25:6-9; 26:1,19); how Christ would heal the maimed, deaf, and blind (Isaiah 35:5,6); how Jesus Christ would be tenderhearted toward those who came to Him (Isaiah 40:10,11); how Christ would be the light of the world (Isaiah 60:2,20); how Joel had prophesied about the electrifying events of Pentecost (Joel 2:28,32).

Philip could have explained to the eunuch how Bethlehem was to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ (Micah 5:2-5), and how Jonah was a sign of how long Christ would be in the tomb (Jonah 1:7 with Matthew 12:40). He could have shown how Christ was referred to from Genesis right on through the prophets; how the Psalms are replete with prophecies about Jesus Christ.

He could have shown the eunuch, not only about the life, ministry, miracles, death, and burial of Jesus Christ; not only about His resurrection, and how He sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, but he could have shown him the very words spoken by Jesus Christ as He died (Psalm 22:1); how it was foretold that Christ’s hands and feet would be pierced (Psalm 22:16), and how they would gamble over His clothing (Psalm 22:18).

Preach Christ from the “Old Testament”?

OF COURSE!

Every apostle, every evangelist, every pastor of every church, every deacon, and every lay member of God’s early church taught, spoke, and preached from the Old Testament Scriptures about Jesus Christ and His saving work!

The first words of the New Testament were not written until about A.D. 55, about twenty-four long years after Christ had ascended into heaven.

Millions are simply deceived today. Millions of professing Christians have been told that the Old Testament is “done away,” and is not for us today.

Yet, it was (and is) a major part of the Word of Almighty God, and it contains dozens of prophecies about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

If Philip were alive today, and you were puzzling over the words in Isaiah 53, Philip would “begin at the same scripture” and preach Christ to you! How strange it is that thousands of professing “Christian” ministers cannot do the same thing!

The New Testament was written, under God’s inspiration, by men who knew, and believed, the Old. The only “Scriptures” which were read, studied, and used from which to preach Christ during the first century of the church were those of the “Old Testament” of your Bible.

What Did Christ Himself Say About the Old Testament?

Millions falsely assume Jesus Christ came to do away with the law. They assume His teachings nullified the law, eclipsed what they assume was a harsh, rigid set of do’s and don’ts, which were impossible to keep.

Yet, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17). He did not say “I am not come to destroy, but to destroy.” He did not say “I am not come to destroy, but to render null and void,” which would be the same thing.

Some have decided the English word fulfill means to “bring to an end,” or “to finish.” It is true that in legal language, “fulfilling” a legal obligation, such as completing a contract, can have such a meaning. But notice the complete meaning of the word: “1.a. To carry out [a prophecy, promise, etc.,] cause to happen or take place. b. [reflexively] to realize or develop fully. 2. To carry out or perform [a duty]; obey or follow [a command, law, etc.] Ruth fulfilled all the teacher’s requests] 3. To satisfy a requirement of; answer [a purpose]; comply with [conditions]”

The archaic meaning is “to fill full or make full.”

Plainly, Jesus Christ said we are not to think He came to destroy the law. No matter how some may puzzle over tertiary or quaternary interpretations of the English word, it is clear from all of Christ’s teaching, from His example, and from the context of the Sermon on the Mount that He was lifting the law to a higher, spiritual plane, making it more binding by applying it, not just to the physical acts specified, but to the human thoughts associated with the act.

He went on to say, “For verily I say unto you, ‘Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled’” (Matthew 5:18). Not one period, comma, or crossing of a t would fade away or pass out of use so long as the earth and heaven itself continued. Does the earth continue? So does the law, in all its points.

He said, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).

The “law” includes the “Torah” in these statements, as well as the Ten Commandments. One who would consider laws concerning landmarks, inheritances, clean and unclean meats, or the like as being unimportant might assume such points of the law were “least,” while understanding that the Ten Commandments themselves represent the ten cardinal points of God’s law, upon which hangs all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:40).

One who would have considered some point of the law “least,” and taught others so could still repent at some point, and receive salvation. However, he would have lost reward and station, or degree of responsibility in God’s kingdom, and would be referred to as “least.”

Obviously, Jesus Christ is showing how the commandments of God are far more binding in their spiritual application than in the physical application.

Previously, the death penalty was meted out for murder. The penalty was death by stoning when one was found guilty of killing a fellow human being. “But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother [any fellow human being] without a cause [the words without a cause do not appear in the most important texts] shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother ‘Raca’ [that is, vain, useless, worthless; said in anger and hate], shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, ‘Thou Fool’ [graceless wretch—an expression showing hate and contempt], shall be in danger of Gehenna fire” (Matthew 5:21,22).

This is not “doing away” with God’s law, but lifting it to a spiritual plane, showing how it applies to human thoughts and not only human actions.

During His earthly ministry, Christ continually referred to prophecies concerning Himself. Time and time again, He told His disciples He was performing certain acts, accomplishing certain things, in order to fulfill Scripture.

Confronted by the religious leaders as He was walking in the Temple in Jerusalem, he spoke to them the parable of the husbandmen and the vineyard. At the conclusion of the parable, He said, “But those husbandmen said among themselves, ‘This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.’

The Pharisees knew He was speaking of them, and became furious.

Christ concluded, “And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What shall therefore the Lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others. And have ye not read in scripture; ‘The Stone which the builders rejected is become the Head of the corner: This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’” (Mark 12:7-11).

He was nearly murdered in Nazareth for reading from the scroll of Isaiah, and expounding to those in the synagogue what the scriptures meant: “And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book [scroll], He found the place where it is written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’”

He closed the scroll, handed it back to the minister, sat down, and said, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:16-29). Read the entire passage, and see how Jesus showed that God had rejected that generation because they had rejected Him. They tried to cast Jesus off a cliff, and He barely escaped with His life.

In this account, he plainly said Isaiah was part of Scripture, recognizing the inspiration and authority of the Old Testament of your Bible.

There are many such examples.

Following Christ’s resurrection, several of His disciples, including Cleopas, were discussing the events of the past days with Jesus, but because their eyes “were holden that they should not know Him,” and also probably because He had been so disfigured when he was scourged, they thought He was a stranger.

Notice what He said when He opened their eyes: “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And BEGINNING AT MOSES AND ALL THE PROPHETS, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:26,27).

Philip “began at that same scripture” in Isaiah and “preached Christ” to the Ethiopian eunuch. Jesus Christ Himself began “at Moses and all the prophets” and preached that He was the Christ, the Savior of the world.

Christ is the living WORD of God (John 1:1-14), Who was made flesh, and Who created all things. It was the Person of the divine sovereign Godhead Who became Christ Who inspired the Old Testament.

The Old Testament, Paul said to Timothy, was able to make him “wise unto salvation which is in Christ Jesus.”

Now you know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the Old Testament is a vital, living part of the Word of God.

In conclusion, notice some of Christ’s final words:

“‘These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me.’ Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things’” (Luke 24:44-48).

And so they went out, armed with the knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, and preached repentance, forgiveness of sins, and Jesus Christ.

Philip preached all those things to the eunuch, who was brought to repentance, and requested baptism. For decades, for more than two centuries, the early church continued to preach Christ from the “Old Testament Scriptures.”

Today, we have both the “New Testament” and the Old. But the scriptures eventually recognized by the developing church were not given the weight of “inspired scripture” for centuries. At first, they were history—notes, letters, memoirs.

It has required centuries of deception for the millions today to negate the Old Testament, and to assume it is “done away,” and “not for us today.”

Nothing could be further from the truth. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). When Paul wrote those words, the only “Scripture” extant was the Old Testament.

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This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

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The post Christ in the Old Testament first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

It is the job of THIS WORK; this group of AGENTS who are already committed to this new government; already having established citizenship, to WARN the world of what is coming!

What you are about to read is incredible. Most will not believe it. But that doesn’t matter — it will happen anyhow. We do not need to “believe” in the inevitable to make it happen! Whether you believe it or not, a NEW WORLD GOVERNMENT will soon be established, which will be an ABSOLUTE MONARCHY. It is not coming from any human leader; not coming from any coalition or alliance of human governments. It is coming as the result of an INVASION FROM OUTER SPACE!

It will rule from one world capital; will impose a one world economic system, one world language, one world flat tax, and a massive resettlement program; moving tens of millions of people representing the various ethnic groups onto their own lands! It is a program which will be ENFORCED with unheard-of “super weapons,” far more powerful, more accurate, more immediate and more devastating than any of the destructive weapons in human arsenals today! Such forces will be used against any nation attempting to resist the new government!

What will this globe-girdling new world order mean to YOU and your loved ones? WHO is behind it? HOW will it succeed? WHEN will it be set up? WHO will try to prevent it?

Imagine, if you can, some of the following HEADLINES being written within the near future:

“MASSED EUROPEAN ARMY OF 20 MILLION MEN WIPED OUT IN SINGLE BATTLE!” “NEW SUPER WEAPONS DISINTEGRATE ARMIES OF MILLIONS INSTANTANEOUSLY!” “WITNESSES SAY `ONLY SKELETONS ARE LEFT!’ AS MILLIONS OF SOLDIERS’ FLESH DISINTEGRATES IN SECONDS!”

“MILLIONS OF AMERICANS, BRITISH AND AUSTRALIANS RELEASED FROM SLAVE LABOR CAMPS.” “WORLD-WIDE SEARCH FOR SURVIVING JEWS UNDERWAY.” “NEW SUPER-GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED IN JERUSALEM.” “HOLY CITY DECLARED `CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.'” “RUSSIA ANNOUNCES CONSTRUCTION OF MASSIVE NEW FACTORIES FOR CONVERTING THOUSANDS OF TANKS INTO SMALL, SOLAR-POWERED TRACTORS.” “NEW SUPER-HIGHWAY LINKS GERMANY, ISRAEL, SPANS BOSPORUS.” “GLOBAL `UNLEARNING’ PROGRAM ANNOUNCED: REEDUCATION OF MILLIONS UNDERWAY.” “TEN PERCENT `FLAT TAX’ IMPOSED WORLDWIDE!”

Sound IMPOSSIBLE? But WHY? Do not millions, in this day and age of the super thrillers in motion pictures imagine, again and again, that great “star wars” will take place; that great evil empires in SPACE will be slugging it out with ray guns, lasers, and neutron bombs in the future?

Do some of the headlines above sound like “big brother”? Believe it or not, just such headlines will be seen by tens of millions of shocked, dismayed, bewildered populations following the greatest wars in history within a few more years!

Hitherto secret documents, which had been closed and sealed are now opened up for public understanding! They reveal a plan so vast in scope as to stagger the imagination — the plan of BEINGS FROM OUTER SPACE TO INVADE THIS EARTH!!

MILLIONS know nothing about it. The CIA, the FBI, the KGB, MI-5, Naval Intelligence, the NSC — all remain IGNORANT of the plan, which is proceeding HOURLY, now, toward execution.

There is a COUNTDOWN now taking place in outer space! As the seconds tick off, the moment of the final launch of GIGANTIC ARMIES OF SUPER-BEINGS — D-DAY FOR EARTH — edges ever closer! These super-beings have a PLAN; a strategy for conquering earth! This many-faceted, detailed plan has been in plain sight for thousands of years, but was deliberately written in such a way that only a precious FEW could understand it. It was carefully crafted by super-powerful, super-intelligent Beings from OUTER SPACE; delivered to human beings, copied, translated, distributed, published to millions, in dozens of languages.

Yet, the real truth of the vast plan for a coming NEW WORLD ORDER has remained incomprehensible! Why? Because it was deliberately SEALED to human understanding by great forces and powers from outer space. If it had been made plain long ago, the nations of the world would have allied together to try to prevent it. Other super beings, headed by a great, evil one; a wicked, perverted, desperate spirit, have been doing everything in their evil power to PREVENT this invasion from space — primarily, they have worked to KEEP THE TRUTH ABOUT THE COMING INVASION FROM THE WORLD! Mostly, they have succeeded! The vast majority of people — far more than 90 percent of the entire population of the world, SCOFFS at the warning! They simply do not believe it!

Whether scoffers believe it or not, messengers from an unknown source brought top-secret information to selected agents; those chosen to write down and preserve what they said. Yet, these messengers from space told the human agents they visited that their messages would remain CLOSED until what they characterized as “the TIME OF THE END” of human civilization as we know it.

One such human agent was selected because of his humble and contrite heart, and because of his native intelligence; his race; his position at the time (close to the throne of an ancient world-ruling empire). His character; his humility; his contrite heart resulted in intensive communication with these Beings in outer space, who tuned in to his prevailing attempts to get in touch with them. He had discovered the perfect “wave length,” by which to communicate. His name meant, “God [the All-powerful; All-knowing; All-seeing; Everywhere-present; Eternal One] will judge,” or, “God will discern.” His name was Daniel.

The first visit he received so shocked and stunned him, that he fainted! Even though he had been crying out to be heard; to get in touch with the great Power in space, when it happened he sank down, prostrate on the ground, completely overcome by what he saw! He probably thought he was as good as dead! Here, in his own words, as he might tell it in our modern English if he were being interviewed today, is his account of his sighting: “It was the 24^th of Abib, the first month, when I was standing there by the side of the Tigris River in Babylon [modern-day Iraq], when I looked up and there was a man wearing a linen garment, with a brilliant gold sash. His body looked like beryl, and his face was so bright it was like looking at lightning! His eyes were like shooting flames, and he had arms and feet like burnished brass. When He spoke, His voice was so powerful it was like hearing a vast crowd of people.

“Although there were some men with me, it was only I who saw this vision. Even so, they began to tremble and shake, so much that they ran away and tried to hide! So there I was, alone, seeing this incredible vision! I found I was weak; all my strength seemed to drain away, so much so that I sank to the ground, with my face in the dirt — I passed out!

“Yet, at the same time a hand touched me; it was him! He lifted me up on my knees and hands, and said, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, I want you to understand what I say to you. Stand up, because it is to you I am sent!

“When he said this, it was as if I could stand. But I was still trembling. Then he said,

“Don’t be afraid, Daniel, because from the first day you set your heart to understand; from the time you confessed sins of yourself and your people, your words were heard, and I am here because of them.

“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days, until Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and so I stayed there with the kings of Persia. Now, I am come to make you understand what is going to happen to your people in the last days, because this vision is for long, long in the future.

“When he said all this, I set my face toward the ground, and became completely speechless! But then, one like any other man touched my lips, and I found I could open my mouth! So I said to this great one who stood there, O my Lord, by seeing you, I am filled with shame, and I am terribly weak. How can such an one as me assay to talk to someone like you? I have no strength, and I can’t get my breath!”

“Then, for the second time, one like a man came and touched me, and I felt strength returning. He said, O man greatly beloved, fear not! Be strong! Be strong!

“And when he had said this to me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my Lord speak — I’m alright now; you have given me strength.

“So then he said, Do you know why I have come here to you? So now, I must return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I have gone, the prince of Grecia will come. But I will show you that which is noted in the scripture of truth: that there is no one who stands with me in these things except Michael your prince.

“It was in the first year of Darius the Mede that I stood to confirm his rule, and to give him strength. Now, I’m going to show you the truth about what will happen: Look, there will yet arise three kings in Persia, and the fourth will be far richer than all the rest, and because of his strength and power he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece…” (Daniel 10:1-21; 11:1, 2, paraphrased).

Daniel was amazed. He had no idea these great and powerful spirit beings were actually struggling against each other to influence the minds and policies of world leaders! He had never known before about any “Prince of Grecia,” some exalted spirit from another dimension who could have such power that it required TWO other great and powerful spirit beings named Gabriel and Michael to overcome him! Daniel soon learned that the being who spoke to him was one of the two remaining loyal archangels, Gabriel! Gabriel then continued to tell Daniel the entire sweep and scope of history; from the fall of Babylon to the fall of Persia and rise of Alexander; from the disintegration of Alexander’s empire into four lesser kingdoms to the rise of Rome, and from the ancient Roman empire to the time of a yet future invasion of Palestine by a fabled “King of the North.”

Rawlinson’s history, along with many other histories, such as Dorothy Ruth Miller’s Ancient History in Bible Light give a verse-by-verse description of how Gabriel’s prophecies delivered to Daniel came to pass EXACTLY as he said they would!

After the lengthy prophecies, Gabriel told Daniel that there would come a time when once again Michael, who is the other of the two loyal archangels, would “stand up,” meaning he would visit this earth in great power, and cause major events to occur, exactly as predicted. But let Gabriel tell Daniel in his own words. He was, after all, the eyewitness: “And at the end time, the king of the South will engage in a shoving match with the King of the North, who will come against him like a tornado, with armored vehicles, soldiers, cavalry, and with many ships. He will invade many countries, and pass over many borders. He will enter into the land they call glorious, and attack many countries, which will fall before him. But these shall escape out of his hand; Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

“And he shall stretch forth his hand; sending his military forces into many countries, and even the land of Egypt shall not escape.

“He will seize all the gold and silver, and all the national treasures of Egypt, and Put and Cush will be at his borders.

“But intelligence from the East and the North shall trouble him: because of this he will go forth with great fury to destroy, and to uproot and deport many.

“And he will plant the tabernacles of his palace; his headquarters, between the seas in the mountain of delight of holiness; the holy mount; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

“It is at this time that Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands for the children of your people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never before in all history; since as never was since there was a nation, and at that time your people will be delivered; every one that shall be found written in the book.

“And many of them that are sleeping in the ground shall awake; some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

“And they that are wise teachers shall shine as the brightness of the heavens: and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

“But you, O Daniel, must shut up the words, and seal the scroll, even until the time of the end: many will be running back and forth, and knowledge will be increased” (Daniel 11:40 to 12:4).

From the time Daniel wrote down all his experiences, the exact sequence of events just as Gabriel had predicted began to occur. Babylon fell on a night of a drunken debauch, just as Daniel wrote in his fifth chapter. Persia became the dominant world-ruling empire, as he had predicted. Then Alexander toppled the Persian empire, as Daniel had written in his fourth and seventh chapters. At his death, his four generals divided up the Greco-Macedonian kingdom, exactly as Gabriel said it would be (Daniel 11:4). Then came the long period of the Ptolimies in Egypt and the Seleucidae in Syria, detailed in the lengthy discourse of Gabriel, recorded in Daniel’s eleventh chapter. For centuries, the prophecies continued to be fulfilled exactly as Gabriel said they would be!

The astonishing sighting by Daniel of an archangel was a direct result of his humble desire to learn of God’s plan — it was also a result of God’s desire to communicate with those men and women who would humble themselves before Him, and who were willing to act as His agents on earth to communicate His words to others.

Daniel was not the only human being who had a visit from Beings from outer space. Adam and Eve both saw One who said He was Elohim, and who spoke openly with them. Abraham entertained THREE beings from space; two of whom were angels, and the other of whom was the one who became Christ! Study Genesis 18 and 19 for the eyewitness account.

Jacob wrestled with the one who was to become Christ! Study Genesis 32 for this strange occurrence.

Men divided the ancient scrolls into chapters and verses. The quotation from Gabriel, however, continues unbroken from the beginning of Daniel 10:20 until the end of chapter 12.

Daniel’s curiosity was overwhelming. He wanted to know what the final outcome would be of all these amazing prophecies. He said, “Then I looked, and, behold, there were two others, one on my side of the bank of the river, and the other on the other bank. And one of them said to the man clothed in linen, who appeared to be standing over the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?

“And I heard the man clothed in linen, who appeared to be standing on the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and swore by Him that lives forever and ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things will be finished.

“And I heard, but I didn’t understand. So I said, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?

“And he said to me, Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.

“Many will be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked will do wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand; but the wise shall understand.”

Daniel did not complain or argue. He was so overwhelmed emotionally that he found himself so weak it was all he could do to function. But in due time he WROTE all that had occurred, telling every detail of the circumstances; the appearance of the great Beings from space who had spoken with him; their exact words — even their rejoinder that he was to “close up” and “seal” the words. This he did. When he had finished the scroll, he closed it tight, sealing it carefully. Little could Daniel know that, following the Babylonian captivity, others would collect all the archives of the writings of other prisoners; that they would be especially interested in Daniel’s writings, because he was acting premier for a time, and was close to the throne during four successive Babylonian administrations. As the centuries passed, it was recognized that Daniel had indeed experienced some remarkable visits from extra-terrestrial beings, and that his writings should be copied, and made available to the world.

Still, true to Gabriel’s predictions, even though the words themselves were now brought out into the open, they were not deciphered by those who read them. Even today, millions of people read portions of what Daniel wrote, and still do not understand it!

But the great beings from space had a PURPOSE in closing and sealing the meaning of the prophecies!

The Purpose Of Bible Prophecy

Prophecy is like an OUTLINE of the PLAN OF GOD. It is a detailed analysis of the course of human history according to the carnal, natural impulses of human nature. Human nature is primarily composed of vanity, jealousy, lust, and greed. At the center of human vanity is EGO. Self-worship, self-determination, self-justification, self-perpetuation; these are at the root of man’s religions and man’s wars. The prophecies delivered to man from great Visitors from space contain not only the humanly guided course of history, but those special interventions in human affairs necessary to insure the final outcome.

As was seen in Gabriel’s communication to Daniel, the great Elohimin His space abode called “heaven” (the “third heaven” of 2 Corinthians 12:2), sent both Gabriel and Michael to insure the transition of government in Persia, and to withstand fallen Lucifer, who is now called “Satan” from his attempt to thwart God’s prophecies.

Therefore, prophecy is not only predictions of God’s divine interventions into human affairs, but it is also HISTORY, WRITTEN IN ADVANCE — before it happens. It is concerned with human EVENTS, as well as their causes. Prophecy is also a warning to individuals, nations, and the world, conveying CHOICES. God sets before us the choice of two opposite ways of life; the way of obedience to God, and His laws, or the way of rejection of God, and following the wiles and deceits of Satan.

God expressed it this way: “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

“In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

“But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

“I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:15-19).

This is both a promise and a threat. The choice involves an entire life span, and is therefore FUTURISTIC in nature; a prophecy! As a loving parent might warn, “If you disobey me, I will take away your allowance for six months, but if you are a good boy, I will give you an extra allowance,” so God urges mankind to make the RIGHT CHOICE, but promises horrible consequences if we make the wrong choice.

About one-third of the Bible is prophecy. All of the prophets are included as a part of the spiritual foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20). In the transfiguration, James, Peter, and John saw Moses and Elijah (Luke 9:28-31) as if spirit beings, together with Christ in the kingdom of God. Moses was a great prophet, and a type of Christ. Elijah (whose name meant, “God, He is God”) was a great prophet. As Elijah was sent to evil kings to warn them of the consequences of their dastardly deeds, so Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were commissioned to WARN world leaders of the coming intervention of God in human affairs.

But prophecy is not a “religious” exercise. It does not belong to the realm of nones and vespers; of guttering candles, silent nuns, shaved priests, stained glass windows, chants, repetitive prayers uttered in unison, wailing songs, steepled hands, or sanctimonious, posturing, self-righteousness! There is nothing “religious” about a drought, a major earthquake, a famine, or a massive disease epidemic!

Prophecy is analogous to a warning from a loving parent toward his children, who might say, “If you do so and so, I am going to have to punish you until you repent, and do what you should.” Therefore, prophecy has, as its ultimate goal, the objective of causing people to REPENT OF SIN, and then receive and accept the witness of God, and become a member of His coming new government; a member of His ever-expanding family!

Prophecy is inseparable from Christ’s gospel for the simple reason that the gospel is prophecy! It is the GOOD NEWS about the coming super world-ruling government which Christ will establish on earth. It is also the BAD news about man’s wars, ethnic cleansing, pogroms, mass murder; about violent, upset weather; about disease epidemics and attacks by wild animals; about earthquakes and floods; about signs in the heavens; all of which are designed to CAUSE MEN TO REPENT! Christ said, “REPENT YE, and BELIEVE the good news!”

One of the most important prophecies of all is Christ’s “Olivet” prophecy. He said: “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet [there is nothing “religious” or “sanctimonious” about a war, except that oftentimes posturing “religious” men cause them],

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

“All these are the beginning of sorrows [troubles, trials: tribulation].

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake,”

“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

“And this gospel [good news!] of the kingdom [the GOVERNMENT of God] shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

“Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains…For then [at the time of the setting up of the “Abomination of desolation”] shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [ALIVE! He was speaking of human survival, not spiritual salvation]: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:5-22).

The ultimate climax of all prophecy is the coming of the KINGDOM OF GOD — the second coming of Jesus Christ! The primary purpose of Bible prophecy is to WITNESS to mankind the following:

1) God is the CREATOR; the Maker of man himself, and the entirety of the physical universe.

2) God is the RULER, who has all power to act upon His creation.

3) God decides the course of nations. It is He who sets up or deposes world leaders; presidents, premiers, prime ministers; kings (Daniel 2:21, 37).

4) Mankind is lost in SIN as a result of Satan’s deceptions (Romans 3:23) and man’s surrender to his own physical appetites and emotional compulsions. Sin is the transgression of God’s law, the Ten Commandments (1 John 3:4).

5) Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh, and is the CREATOR; the creating Agent who made the universe, the solar system, the earth, and all life upon it (John 1; Heb. 1), and whose ONE life is worth more than all human life combined, came to die for the sins of the world; for all mankind; for His own creation.

6) To those who repent of SIN, Christ will create a “new creature” by the begettal of the Spirit of God with the human spirit, thus forming a cadre of spiritually-begotten members of His spiritual body, the church.

7) Since the church is the AGENCY through which Christ will perform His WORK of witness and warning, it is the commission of the church to COME OUT of spiritual Babylon (Revelation 18:4), and to PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS of that coming Kingdom to the world!

Many, many times throughout history, the divine Family member of Elohim whom we know of as “Jesus Christ” visited this earth. He did so following billions of years of lifelessness; stygian darkness and tossing seas, resulting from Satan’s original “star wars” in which the solar system was wrecked, and the space around it filled with debris; in which gigantic asteroids flew about, smashing into the planets, pock-marking them with huge craters, knocking them into different orbits. He came down to see a Venusian-like atmosphere thickly swaddling the earth, permitting no light to reach the raging seas.

By His omnipresent power, and by divine fiat, He said, in a thundering, booming voice, “LET THERE BE LIGHT!” Immediately, the clouds parted and began to burn off. He then commanded, “LET THE DRY LAND APPEAR,” and immediately, in only twenty-four hours, with ear-splitting roaring which would have deafened any human ear, the tectonic plates heaved to the surface, stretching, expanding, colliding, moving about on a viscous underground sea of molten magma. The waters collected in gigantic basins which would become the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic Oceans, as the continents crumbled, heaved, reared into the skies, with pinnacles of solid granite thrusting through to soar into the sky, folding and then collapsing, folding again, as continents shoved against each other, then collapsing again, to form tortured shapes of twisted rock. But you can read all of this in Genesis, the first two chapters.

This divine Being from space soon knelt on the ground by a stream in the land we now call Palestine, and, with His own hands, shaped and sculpted a clay model of Himself. When it was perfect, he stood the reddish clay upright, took its lifeless cheeks in His hands, placed His lips on its mouth, and, blowing hard, caused it to breathe! Suddenly, the turgid, lifeless clay turned to flesh! Suddenly, the sightless blobs of clay became intelligent eyes, shining with life! The two divine Beings had said, in complete agreement, “Let US make man in OUR IMAGE” (Genesis 2:26).

John was inspired to write in some detail about this miraculous occurrence: “In the beginning was the Word [Greek: logos, meaning “Spokesman”], and the Word was with God [Theos, meaning more than one; the Greek equivalent of Elohim], and the Word was God.

“The same was in the beginning with God.

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

“In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

“The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

“He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

“That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name;

“Which were born [Greek: gennao or “begotten”], not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [Greek: TABERNACLED,meaning dwelt temporarily] among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-14).

To this day, not only have “His own,” the Jewish race as a whole, rejected Him, and received Him not, but MILLIONS who profess the name “Jesus Christ” are IGNORANT of this great, yet simple and inescapable truth, that it was the Member of Divine Elohim who said “LET THERE BE LIGHT” who came to this earth to be born as a human being, and to die for the sins of His own creation!

If they understood only those few verses, millions of God-defying, law-breaking, believers in “grace,” (by which they mean they DO NOT HAVE TO OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS) would know that God DOES NOT CHANGE, and that the One who wrote the Ten Commandments with His own finger is the SAME person of the Divine Elohim who died on the stake! They would come to know, truly, that He is “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8); that He CHANGES NOT (Malachi 3:6).

Professing nominal Christians REJECT John’s first chapter because the consequences of accepting it are ENORMOUS! It would mean abandoning their false doctrines about observing the day of the sun, and keeping God’s SABBATH days, instead! This, they will NEVER do! They will DIE first! And, unfortunately, truer words were never spoken, as you shall see when you learn of the stupendous events to befall this earth in only a few short years when the WRATH of that same great Visitor from space falls upon rebellious mankind!

All the foregoing is why prophecy can never be relegated to a dry study of yesteryear; of “eschatology,” as separate from the WAY OF LIFE laid down by the Creator and Savior of all mankind. It is the very outline of His great PLAN being worked out here below; of the PURPOSE for human life in the first place! But prophecies are only UNDERSTOOD by those who, like Daniel, have yielded to the divine will of the great Being in space through broken-hearted repentance! It is only when we truly COMMUNICATE with Him through humble, contrite, self-effacing PRAYER that we establish contact through the spiritual wavelength of His omniscient mind.

There are many analogies set forth in the Bible to help the repentant, yielded ones to understand about the coming new world order; the government of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Military And Political Analogies

God’s Word uses many analogies to portray the truth. An analogy is not the truth in itself, but a representative story which illustrates a truth, even as a shadow is not the substance, but the shadow of the reality, or the substance.

The Bible speaks of the “armor” of each individual who is called; speaks of the enemies from which each person needs protection; speaks of the weapons of the struggle, which is termed “warfare.”

Notice, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood [analogy of a wrestling match, requiring great exertion; grappling, struggle], but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth [as if cloaked in the word of God], and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace [so that your “walk” each day is directed toward the WORK of proclaiming the good news of Christ’s coming Kingdom to all the world as a witness];

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Obviously, each of these pieces of armor are analogies of spiritual “armor” coming from God’s Spirit; supplied through prayer, study, meditation, fellowship; communication between one’s self and God, and communication with fellow citizens, agents and representatives of the same kingdom.

The bulk of the pieces of armor are defensive in nature. The only offensive weapon is that of TRUTH; the “Word of God,” which is described as the “sword of the Spirit.”

And that word includes a very LARGE amount of PROPHECY FOR THE FUTURE!

Christ’s Return Commonly Misunderstood

Because of FALSE DOCTRINES such as the pagan notion of the “immortality of the soul” and the very popular concept of the “secret rapture,” the powerful, earth-shaking events associated with Christ’s return at the helm of a vast angelic ARMY are completely misunderstood.

How many times have you seen pictures of a figure in loosely-flowing robes, with a beatific expression on his face, probably bare-footed, with a halo, wreathed in clouds and bright rays of light, seemingly descending from the skies? To millions of deceived, misled people, the second coming of Christ is a vast RELIGIOUS experience! They imagine people weeping with joy; people transported with delight; people making steeples of their hands, kneeling in prayer; people holding up their arms toward heaven in joyful acceptance.

All this is so much religious nonsense — spiritualized fluff and fancy! Ominously, it means that those who hold with such a completely false, nonsensical idea will NOT RECOGNIZE the real Jesus Christ at His coming, and will actually FIGHT against Him with every weapon they can lay their hands on! Most professing Christians would exclaim, “Stuff and nonsense! I would NEVER fight against Christ!” And yet, the very MOST RELIGIOUS are the very ones who, according to the prophecies of your Bible, will do just that!

It will be the ones who believe MIRACLES ARE THE TEST OF TRUTH who will be deceived! They will joyously leap into the arms of Satan’s representative on this earth; will be DECEIVED by the Beast and the False Prophet, as you shall soon see.

Christ Is Coming To MAKE WAR!

Christ is not coming to this earth in an ecstatic, emotional, sanctimonious posture to “catch up” His saints in a smarmy, sentimental spiritual experience! Instead, He is coming back to wreak VENGEANCE upon His adversaries — especially those who will have been murdering His true followers!

Notice what prophecy says will happen: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

“These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:12-14). The “Beast” of this prophecy is the end-time resurrection of the fourth “Beast” described in Daniel’s 7^th chapter. Notice the description: “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

“I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

“I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

“A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:7-10). All biblical commentaries and histories agree that the first three beasts describe the first three great world-ruling empires which preceded Rome; Babylon, Persia, and Greco-Macedonia, under Alexander the Great. The fourth beast is describing Rome and its legions, and then describing how another “little” government (the horns symbolize governments) came up from among them, with eyes “like a man” and a mouth, “speaking great things.” Thus, we see a prophecy which spans the vast period of time from the rise of the pagan Roman empire to its takeover by the papacy, to the time of the end and the second coming of Christ.

There can be no mistaking the fact that Christ is the “Ancient of days,” who comes to “cast down thrones” (subdue and conquer the world, as King of kings and Lord of lords), and who comes in the power and splendor of His throne seen by Ezekiel (See Ezekiel 1 and 10), nor can there be any question about the fact that Christ will JUDGE the world according to the word of God, and the deeds of all mankind.

The fourth Beast of Daniel’s 7^th chapter is the SAME as the first Beast of Revelation 13. Read the account: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea [symbol of many peoples; nations], having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy [this government was called “holy”]. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon [Satan and his false church] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death [The Roman empire fell in 476]; and his deadly wound was healed [The empire was restored by General Belesarius in 554]: and all the world wondered after the beast.

“And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies [the same “little horn” of Daniel 7; an ecclesiastical government within the ten-nation Beast power]; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them [this describes PERSECUTION – MARTYRDOM – not escape to a desert, or being whisked away to heaven before the tribulation!]: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

“If any man have an ear, let him hear.

“He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (Revelation 13:1-10).

The patience and faith of the saints is that “vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord!” It is the knowledge that those who persecute and murder Christ-worshiping, Bible-believing, God-fearing people will themselves be put to death in like fashion!

The Beast Will “Hate The Whore”

The ten-nation Beast power, enraged when it sees its own destruction imminently upon it, will turn upon the great fallen woman and destroy her!

The “woman” who rides, or controls the Beast and his ten-nation army boasts that she is the “lady of kingdoms.” She is described in Revelation 17 as the “great city which ruleth over the kings of the earth.”

There is a very old Irish limerick which seems almost prophetic concerning the relationship between the false church and the Beast.

“There once was a lady from Niger
“Who smiled as she rode on a tiger
“But they returned from the ride
“With the lady inside,
“And the smile on the face of the tiger.” 

Isaiah prophesied of this boasting “lady of the kingdoms” who bragged that she would be an “eternal” church; that she would never see the loss of her “daughters” who came out of her. Notice! “Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.

“I was wroth with my people [ten-tribed Israel and Judah], I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst show them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

“And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

“Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me [total blasphemy; the very name and title of God!]; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

“But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments” (Isaiah 47:5-9).

Even though the boasting “lady of the kingdoms” rides the beast; controls it; even though the “little horn” has “eyes like a man” and a “mouth speaking great things” which brings about the most horrible wars in all history, the great fallen woman will not prevail. Instead, the very governments she used to fulfill her evil agenda will turn upon her in fury, and destroy her totally!

This horrible retribution is described in the 17^th and 18^th chapters of Revelation when, after the Beast power has been conquered, the fallen woman who misled the ten nation Beast will be viciously set upon; tens of thousands will be cruelly put to death! God says, of the ecclesiastical power who rides the Beast, “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues [it is a supra-national coalition of states; ten nations].

“And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

“For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:15-18). What great “eternal” city is it which has, for centuries, “reigned over the kings of the earth?” Which city is the city of seven hills? Is it Baghdad? Washington, D.C.? London? Berlin? Tokyo? Teheran? No, none of these are cities where a great religious leader crowned kings, or ruled over many kings and nations at one time, nor are any of these described as “the eternal city.”

Physical Flight — Not A Spiritual Rapture

Jesus Christ described a nightmarish time of droughts, famines, disease epidemics, earthquakes, awesome, frightening signs in the heavens and WARS just prior to His return! By no stretch of the imagination did He say there would be an “en masse” spiriting away of His people prior to the tribulation!

Instead, He said, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

“Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

“Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

“Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes [this is something SO IMMEDIATE there is not time to collect personal belongings; take extra clothing, gather food, or survival equipment].

“And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

“But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:15-22). This is no “secret rapture!” These people are not suddenly “snatched up” through the roofs of their cars, or out of airplanes, or through the roofs of their homes or office buildings. This is a specific WARNING to those “in Judaea,” meaning the former Roman province of Judaea/Samaria, encompassing Jerusalem, to FLEE into the mountains nearby. They are to go ON FOOT, or by whatever means available! There is not even 10 minutes’ time to gather up personal possessions! They are PRAYING people — SAINTS of God — as Jesus Christ plainly indicated. They are NOT “spirited away” at all, but urged to pray their flight does not take place in snow, sleet, and freezing drizzle; that it NOT take place on God’s Sabbath day!

This flight is because they see the great tribulation beginning THEN AND THERE. They are told to walk away; not to turn back. This is plainly a command to go immediately so as to save their lives, and a command to WALK AWAY from danger! It is NOT a “rapture” or a “rapturous” event, but a picture of people who were WATCHING as Christ commanded, so that when the indications are that the Tribulation is about to begin, they INSTANTLY flee for their lives!

Apocalupsis, Ephinea, And Parousia

The three Greek words translated as “arrival,” “presence,” “revealing,”or “coming,” are apocalupsis, epiphanea, and parousia. Those who teach the “rapture,” and therefore the FALSE hope of a mass disappearance of the saints prior to the tribulation, seize upon the Greek word parousia and attempt to put meaning and significance into certain verses where the exact opposite is true.

The word parousia, according to Strong’s concordance, means: “a being near, i.e., advent (often, return; spec. of Christ to punish Jerusalem, or finally the wicked; (by impl.) Phys. Aspect, coming, presence.”

In Christ’s famous “Olivet prophecy,” He outlined the many globe-girdling, mind-boggling events which will take place just prior to His coming; prior to God’s intervention in human affairs. He spoke of “wars and rumors of wars”; of horrible droughts, famines, disease epidemics; of earthquakes and such awesome signs in the heavens that men would drop dead of heart attacks where they stood.

NONE of these events are done surreptitiously; in secret; or as a “snatching away” of the converted members of God’s true church! As you just read, Christ said His people who were WATCHING world conditions; who KNEW when the “Abomination of Desolation” was placed, and when “armies surrounded Jerusalem” (John 21:20), they should flee for their lives!

Notice that Christ, in describing His coming invasion of earth at the helm of His angelic forces uses the word parousia, the very word seized upon by advocates of the “secret rapture.”

He went on to warn, “And except those days should be shortened [by God’s intervention], there should no flesh be saved [alive!]: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

“Behold, I have told you before.

“Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming [Greek: parousia. This is not in the context of a SECRET RAPTURE at all, but an event the WHOLE WORLD will see!] of the Son of man be.

“For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming [parousia] in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:15-31.

His disciples had asked Him, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming [parousia], and of the end of the world [age]?” (Matthew 24:3).

Christ immediately launched into some grave WARNINGS about false Christs and false prophets who would hoodwink people into believing lies! He said, “Take heed that no man deceive you.

“For many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ [saying that Jesus Christ is the Christ, as well as some who would claim THEY are the Christ!]; and shall deceive many.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

“All these are the beginning of sorrows [troubles; trials; tribulation!]” (Matthew 24:4-8). Not one word did Christ say about His disciples watching for some kind of a clandestine “snatching away” or a “secret RAPTURE!” Instead, He described the greatest time of violence; of wars and loss of human life in all history!

It is because millions FALSELY hope in a “secret rapture” that they have the TIME SEQUENCE OF EVENTS all mixed up, and will not believe the second coming of Christ is really occurring! Millions will be firmly convinced they are to be “snatched up” PRIOR to the tribulation! Therefore, many will be deceived, bewildered, confused!

The basic premise of the rapturists is that no “saint” should have to go through the great tribulation! In this most bizarre of all the “escapist” theories, the entire “church” (which many interpret as dozens of bickering, disagreeing, sparring denominations) will be spirited up to heaven, there to look down on the horrors of the tribulation, but already whisked away! Such a doctrine completely denies Christ’s own prophecies about the resurrection of the dead!

Christ said, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

“And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28, 29).

He inspired Paul to write, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

“Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed [living Christians will be changed instantly, in the “twinkling of an eye” AT THE LAST TRUMP!].

One might well add, “and not one moment before!” Since it is obvious living Christians are still on this earth ALL DURING THE TRIBULATION, the heavenly signs (when millions more will become Christians; will be suddenly CONVERTED), and the Day of the Lord, it is obvious none have been secretly “raptured” away!

The last trumpet is described in Revelation 10:7; 11:15-19 as well as in Matthew 24:31. Notice Christ’s description of this event: “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:31).

One enterprising preacher, whose mind was made up, and deliberately CLOSED to all you have just read, decided to misinterpret this and many other verses which show the absolutely tumultuous, ear-shattering, mind-boggling events surrounding Christ’s return in such a way as to completely twist the scripturesout of all reason.

He wrote that ONLY THE ELECT would hear the trumpet — that the trumpet would be on a “secret wave length” which he characterized as “Radio Station BLOOD.” This is utterly ludicrous, of course, but some men will resort to any artifice possible to cling to their false THEORIES, instead of believing the word of God exactly as written! The tragic consequences of clinging to the false doctrine of the “rapture” is that when Jesus Christ INVADES THIS EARTH at the helm of His army of millions of angels, many will believe He is the “antichrist” or will assume it is an invasion from some other planet, and will FIGHT Christ at His coming!

Now, carefully take note of the exact sequence of events which utterly DISPROVE the false doctrine of the “rapture.”

The “Saints” Are NOT “in heaven” During The Tribulation 

The primary motivation for the various “escape to a place of safety” and “rapture” theories is the desire to avoid the prophesied Great Tribulation. Did Christ promise His people they would always be spared from persecution?

Here are only a FEW of His very strong statements to the contrary: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

“But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues [churches; places of “worship”];

“And ye shall be brought [under arrest! Not “invited”]before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

“But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

“For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

“And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 10:16-22). He was speaking of the horrible persecutions His servants would have to endure, not only in that first century, but at the very time of the end!

Notice further: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

“Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12). Here, in the famous “Sermon on the Mount,” at the end of the well-known “beatitudes,” Christ promises persecutionwill be the lot of those who remain faithful to His truth!

A major part of His “Olivet Prophecy” dealt with persecution and martyrdom: “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

“All these are the beginning of sorrows” [Great Tribulation! — and where are the SAINTS during this time? Not in heaven, but right in the middle of events!]

“Then [WHEN? “Then!” right during the horrible wars, famines, disease epidemics and massive loss of life!] shall they deliver you[WHO? Evil people; the wicked, or the saints?] up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations [obviously, the saints are WORLD FAMOUS by this time; they will be hated of ALL NATIONS!] for my name’s sake.

“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another [to ecclesiastical and governmental authorities, for persecution and martyrdom!], and shall hate one another.

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

“And because iniquity [lawlessness!] shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

“But he that shall endure unto the end [the end of his life, or the end of the age, whichever comes first], the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:7-13). This prophecy is concerning the Great Tribulation, the heavenly signs, and the Day of the Lord.

Notice what Christ said to His disciples during His famous “Last Supper”: “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

“They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:1, 2). It is the RELIGIOUS people who will murder God’s servants, just as it was the religious, self-righteous Pharisees and their ilk who instigated the murder of Christ Himself.

Those who preach the false hope of being “snatched away” by a “rapture” believe there will be NONE OF GOD’S SAINTS LEFT on earth during the tribulation! Those who preach the false doctrine of a great escape to the Jordanian desert believe only members of a certain group; nearly always identified as the “Philadelphian era” of the church, will be somehow transported to the Jordanian desert, to Petra, Jordan’s most popular tourist site.

Such beliefs are based upon the concept that God would surely not allow His people to undergo the Great Tribulation; that the Tribulation is reserved for lethargic Christians and evil people. Now, look into your own Bible to see the TRUTH about whether or not there are any SAINTS of God alive on this earth, vulnerable to persecution and even martyrdom (just as Jesus Christ SAID they would be) during the Tribulation, and right up until the moment of Christ’s return.

The Prophetic Sequence of Events

Now, notice the TIME SEQUENCE of these great earth-shaking events, and notice carefully where the saints are, and what they will be doing!

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” (Matthew 24:29). These are the great “heavenly signs” described in many other scriptures, among them Revelation 6:12-17, where the heavenly signs are described.

The final events to occur prior to Christ’s invasion of earth are: (1) The Great Tribulation; (2) The heavenly signs; (3) The Day of the Lord. The entire period will consume slightly more than three and one half years. The “rapture” theorists assert that the saints will be whisked away to heaven; some believe to a place of safety on earth; in order to keep them safe from all persecution or martyrdom. No such thing will occur, as all the plain statements of Jesus Christ clearly prove. Notice it is IMMEDIATELY AFTER the tribulation when the “heavenly signs” appear.

Now, notice the relationship between the heavenly signs and the ensuing Day of the Lord; the Day of God’s wrath: “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered [repentance and salvation is still available to people on earth!]: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call” (Joel 2:30-32). So it is the heavenly signs, which occur AFTER the tribulation, which CAUSE countless thousands to “call on the name of the Eternal,” and to receive deliverance and God’s calling to salvation!

Of course! This is EXACTLY what John wrote of the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude: “And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held [this metaphorical reference to the dead is reminiscent of the metaphor of slain Abel’s blood “crying unto God from the ground” — again, notice they are MARTYRS; saints of God, converted Christians, who were NOT whisked away to heaven, or taken to a Jordanian desert, but murdered for their convictions and practice]:

“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

“And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were [this does not promise PETRA, nor HEAVEN in a mass mysterious disappearance — but MARTYRDOM!], should be fulfilled.

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood [we have already seen that the heavenly signs come immediately AFTER the tribulation; the fifth seal depicts the religious persecution and martyrdom phase of the tribulation];

“And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

“And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

“And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:9-17). This is hardly the picture in people’s minds of a caricature of what they suppose to be “Christ,” standing in a flowing, copious white robe, a shepherd’s crook in His hand; a halo around His head, descending from the heavens in a “religious” and “rapturous” ceremony! This is a FURIOUS Christ; an ANGRY Christ, coming at the helm of vast angelic armies to MAKE WAR against the defiant, blasphemous, hating, murdering, cursing, bestial human beings who will FIGHT against Him at His coming!

Now, what is the major PURPOSE for God’s great display of the “heavenly signs”?

Read it, in your own Bible: “And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

“Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads [This is BEFORE the Day of the Lord; the falling upon mankind of the trumpet plagues; and AFTER the GREAT TRIBULATION. Yet, there are still millions of human beings who will be CONVERTED as a result of the heavenly signs!].

“And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel..After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

“And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

“And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

“Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

“And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation [They were IN the tribulation, but came THROUGH it; lived through it until this shocking event, which results in their conversion!], and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

“Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

“They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

“For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 7:2-17).

This huge number of people, including 144,000 from the tribes of Israel, will not repent and cry out to God for forgiveness from their sins UNTIL they go through the GREAT TRIBULATION, and then see the heavenly signs! They will have been DECEIVED earlier; embracing the FALSE DOCTRINES and FALSE HOPES of false teachers! Many will have believed the LYING WONDERS of the Beast and the False Prophet (2 Thessalonians 2:3-11), instead of the plain word of God.

Millions are DECEIVED into picturing, in their mind’s eye, Christ’s coming as a velvety soft, rapturous, joyous event to be received as if in a staid religious ceremony! This is why so many will THINK that His second coming is an INVASION FROM OUTER SPACE by a foreign enemy, either terrestrial or celestial — why they will, ludicrously and futilely, attempt to “shoot down” Jesus Christ as He appears over earth in the clouds!

Notice what the Bible says about the Beast power who will attempt to resist Christ’s invasion of earth: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

“These have one mind [one policy; one plan], and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

“These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:12-14). In only these three verses, you learn a vast amount about what to expect in the very last times prior to Christ’s invasion of earth.

You learn there are ten kings; ten sovereign nations, which, allied together, comprise the “Beast” power described in so many prophecies. You learn they have one policy; that they are in complete agreement; that they give the strength of their nations, such as their economic, industrial and military capacity, into a common coalition of states for a short time; that they will FIGHT CHRIST when He returns, and that they will be SMASHED into ignominious defeat!

How utterly LUDICROUS, and how BLASPHEMOUS it will be when MILLIONS of professing “Christians” who have been DECEIVED by the false hope of the “rapture” will actually BELIEVE THE LIES of the false prophet, who will cause the “image of the beast to speak,” and think Christ’s invasion of earth is, instead, an invasion by some enemy, either terrestrial or celestial (millions believe in “extra-terrestrial” beings), and will actually try to RESIST Christ at His coming!

Notice the graphic description of Christ’s coming, and what He will do as His very FIRST ACT after standing on the Mount of Olives: “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” This is hardly the description of Christ which is in the minds of millions of church-going, professing Christians. Many would shrink in horror from any suggestion that their “Lord” would MAKE WAR! Yet, this is precisely what He will do!

John SAW, in graphic, close-up, technicolor vision, the INVASION of this earth by Christ at the head of His army from space. He said, “His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God [Read John 1].

“And the armies [countless millions of powerful angels!] which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword [metaphor for His commands], that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God [Christ is coming in FURY to pour out unrelenting JUSTICE upon evil nations].

“And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

“That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great [this gruesome “supper” is a carnage field of countless thousands of vain, arrogant, merciless military men, including generals and top-ranked officers! Christ will KILL them in His blazing fury; their bodies will lie unburied, to become fodder for carrion eaters!].

“And I saw the beast [the dictator who will rule over ten kings and who will invade Palestine at the behest of the great “False Prophet”], and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

“And the beast was taken [arrested! seized!], and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

“And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh” (Revelation 19:11-21).

This shocking prophecy plainly says Christ will personally execute the Beast and the False Prophet by casting them into GEHENNA FIRE, which will be ignited at His second coming!

Christ is coming at the helm of armies of millions of powerful ANGELS. There are no “raptured saints” with Him until He arrives close to this earth; close enough to be down into the atmosphere where the clouds form! Instead, the saints will be caught up to meet the conquering Christ as He returns, at the same moment that the DEAD are raised from their graves!

Read the plain truth of this from your own Bible: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christshall rise first [This is an expression which means CHRISTIANS; converted, praying, studying, overcoming Christians who have died! They are NOT “up in heaven” at all, but soundly ASLEEP in their graves!] :

“Then [When? THEN! At the LAST TRUMP, which comes at the very end of the Day of the Lord, and not a moment before!] we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). The air is a part of this earth; the “atmosphere” which is material, physical; the mantle of life-giving gases which cloak the earth, protecting it from meteorites; the air in which clouds form. He is coming “with CLOUDS” and “every eye shall see Him.” The clouds are generally from the surface up to about 40,000 feet, and sometimes higher.

As an analogy, the lacquer finish on a desk-sized globe is thicker than the actual mantle of air which surrounds our earth. Christ is coming all the way back to this earth! He is NOT going to “snatch up” His saints and take them to heaven! They will MEET Him AS HE RETURNS HERE!

Nortice further: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken [Never forget the sequence of events: (1) Tribulation, (2) Heavenly signs, (3) Day of the Lord],

“And then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29-31).

Again, notice that the angelic hosts GATHER Christ’s elect, both the dead in Christ, who are instantaneously resurrected to SPIRIT LIFE, and living saints who will be INSTANTLY CHANGED to Spirit life, and bring them up to meet the returning, conquering Christ. Paul wrote of this exact same stupendous event: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

“Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep [a term used many, many times in the Bible for the state of the dead] , but we shall all be changed,

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump [WHEN? AT THE LAST TRUMP, which is the SEVENTH trumpet of which you just read, in Christ’s Olivet prophecy; the trumpet blast which signals the last of the seven last plagues, and the second coming of Christ]: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raisedincorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:50-52).

Notice how often the term “sleep” is used to describe the condition of the dead. Paul, describing Christ’s resurrection, said, “After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:6); “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

“Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished” (1 Corinthians 15:17, 18); “For he that eateth and drinketh un-worthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep” (1 Corinthians 11:29, 30).

As Christ’s invading army nears the earth, a vast host of MILLIONS will rise from the earth! Tombs will open; the dead will rise from the sea; from nations all over the earth! Instantly, those who are converted, praying, overcoming Christians will be CHANGED! In a flash, their mortal, physical bodies will be changed into SPIRIT BODIES!

Paul wrote of this astonishing event: “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

“There are also celestial bodies [gigantic stars; super nova, some so large that, if they were moved into the position of our sun, they would absorb the entire solar system!] , and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

“There is one glory [brilliance; magnificence; splendor] of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

“It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

“It is sown a natural body [mere human flesh]; it is raised a spiritual [spirit essence!] body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:39-44).

Of course! Jesus Christ plainly explained this wondrous phenomenon to Nicodemus, a highly-placed member of the Sanhedrin. He told him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

“Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” There is not the shadow of a doubt that Nicodemus knew Christ used a word for “born” which implied actual BIRTH, much as would be used in the birth of a child, or a litter of kittens! Nicodemus was not being bawdy, or impolite. He was astonished by Jesus’ statement. He knew nothing of the spiritual rebirth; being CHANGED into actual SPIRIT!

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water [both a symbol of baptism, and the “washing of water by the word”] and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

“The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: SO IS every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8).

Those who twist this scripture to imply Christ was speaking of a “pentecostal” experience, or speaking of “receiving Christ” in an ecstatic moment of conversion are utterly ignorant of the plain meaning of scripture! The wind is INVISIBLE! It MOVES. It has POWER. It is LIFE GIVING! Christ used the wind as an analogy so Nicodemus would understand He was speaking of a complete CHANGE from flesh to spirit; from mortal to immortal; from human to divine! This is EXACTLY what Paul wrote in his famous “resurrection chapter” of 1 Corinthians 15.

Now, review what you have learned. Following the Tribulation and the Heavenly Signs, Christ will pour out the vast, awesome TRUMPET PLAGUES of Revelation 8, 9, and 10; and then the horrifying LAST GREAT PLAGUES of Revelation 16! Like the sun shining seven times brighter, He will appear in the heavens at the head of countless millions of powerful angels! A great trumpet blast will split the skies like a piercing, deafening sound! (Matthew 24:31).

The second coming of Christ will probably consume one whole DAY. He is coming as “the sun shineth in his strength,” and the ENTIRE WORLD will see Him, which means His coming will take place during one full rotation of the earth on its axis.

The Beast and his armies will believe He is either an extra-terrestrial ENEMY, or think He and his army represent some super-weapon of space-launched vehicles from some other earthly enemy. They will launch their missiles, point lasers, cannon, guns of all kinds to the heavens, and attempt to FIGHT CHRIST and His armies (Revelation 17:12-14).

But Christ, by His awesome, limitless, divine POWER, will speak a command, and these vast armies will suddenly be CONSUMED as they stand! Their hair and clothing will burn off in an instant! Their eyes will disappear in their sockets! Their flesh will melt from their bodies, and they will fall to the ground in a pile of nothing but bones! God says, “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south…And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth” (Zechariah 14:4-14).

No “collateral damage” here. No missed targets. Instead, the most awesome, instantaneous, effective killing power ever imagined!

Millions of professing, church-going nominal Christians, deceived by those who “speak smooth things,” cannot IMAGINE Jesus Christ of Nazareth meting out the DEATH PENALTY to human armies who would dare to resist Him. Millions will be SHOCKED, astonished, when they learn that Christ is coming back to this earth in blazing FURY; in the WRATH of God, to exact vengeance upon His enemies!

The three and one-half years prior to Christ’s return will consist of the Great Tribulation, the Heavenly Signs, and the Day of the Lord. The greatest loss of human life in all history will occur. Just as Christ predicted, it will be a time of “wars and rumors of wars,” of droughts and famines, of massive disease epidemics. Then, as a result of the MARTYRDOM of thousands of His saints, Christ will come back to this earth in divine fury and wrath.

The Saints Are On Earth, Not Up In Heaven

It will be the “Beast” and the “false prophet” who will “make war with the saints, and overcome them.” While Christ promised that SOME of His faithful followers will be spared; that “not an hair of your head shall perish,” He also said that others, selected for their great spiritual strength and courage, would be killed for their testimony.

He said the time would come when those who murdered Christ’s servants would “think they do God a service.” Just as the GREATEST of God’s servants were martyred; Peter, Paul, James, Steven; Christ Himself; SO will the greatest of all prophets, the last TWO WITNESSES be martyred! By the time of the ministry of these two prophets, all organized preaching of the gospel will have been shut down! There will be such horrible conditions, even among the free nations, that utilizing radio, television, and the printing press; maintaining a mailing list, sending out literature, conducting church meetings or evangelistic campaigns, will become impossible, probably punishable by DEATH to those who are caught attempting such things.

The two witnesses are two human beings who have not yet appeared on the world scene. Their ministry begins when the WORK of God, being accomplished by converted, dedicated members of God’s Church, is put down and out!

Notice it: “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.” This period of three and one-half years is the SAME period as the duration of the “treading down of Jerusalem” by the Gentiles; the SAME three and one half years of ten-tribed Israel’s captivity during the tribulation; the SAME three and one half years of the persecution of the true church.

“These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

“And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed [therefore, these two great prophets, just as Elijah, who slew the groups of fifty soldiers and their captains with fire, will have the power to mete out God’s judgements against armed men who would seek to kill them].

“These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

“And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

“And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

“And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves [this will only be possible via satellite television and the “Internet,” instant, global pictures and communication].

“And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

“And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

“And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them” [this is a special resurrection just prior to the arrival of Christ. They ascend up into the clouds, where they can be SEEN, not to the “third heaven” of God’s throne].

“And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven [the earthquake is no doubt the same one which will occur just before Christ’s return, mentioned in Zechariah 14].

Those who cling to the FALSE HOPE of the “rapture” seem to think that no righteous person will be called upon to be a martyr for Christ; that none of the “saints” shall suffer any persecution during the great tribulation. This is totally false.

Notice the proof from Christ’s revelation to John about the Beast and the false prophet; how they will viciously persecute God’s true church: “And they worshipped the dragon [symbol for Satan] which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? [this is STATE worship; worship of military power]

“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies [the “mouthpiece” of the Beast is the “little horn” of Daniel 7; the false prophet]; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months [the same three and one-half years of the two witnesses’ prophecies].

“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

“And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Revelation 13:4-7). The saints are NOT “up in heaven” as the result of a “rapture.” They are not in a cave in the Jordanian desert. They are on earth, accessible to the Beast and the false prophet and their military forces. Notice Daniel’s prophecy of the same thing: “And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things [the false prophet; the “mouthpiece” of the Beast], whose look was more stout than his fellows.

“I beheld, and the same horn [the “little horn” that had eyes like a man, and a mouth. The false prophet, at the head of a great false church] made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;

“Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom” (Daniel 7:20-22). The time setting of this prophecy, just as in John’s vision in Revelation, is just prior to the second coming of Christ! Jesus Christ Himself said the saints would be horribly PERSECUTED, even MARTYRED because of their work of preaching the good news of His coming kingdom! He warned, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

“All these are the beginning of sorrows [tribulation].

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

“But he that shall endure unto the end [the end of his life, or the end of the age], the same shall be saved.

“And this gospel [good news!]of the kingdom [the coming super world-ruling GOVERNMENT OF GOD] shall be preached in all the world for a witness [it is a witness AGAINST them] unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:7-14).

Christ’s prophecies are SURE! The good news of His coming government WILL be preached to ALL THE WORLD before He launches His multi-million member angelic army toward earth.

While millions have heard the NAME of Christ; have heard a message ABOUT Him; about His person; most have not heard the powerful, dynamic message He BROUGHT to deliver to His chosen servants! Instead of the PLAIN TRUTH you have read above, most have heard a sentimental message about Christ; about His death, burial, and resurrection, but have not understood the fact that He will soon stand on this earth to RULE it with a rod of iron!

The average church-going, professing Christian would never think Christ would personally carry out the DEATH penalty upon sinning, warring, murdering men!

One of the major reasons Christ will administer the death penalty is because the ones He will put to death have themselves murdered many of His saints.

Luke’s account of this same Olivet prophecy says, “For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

“And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.

“But there shall not an hair of your head perish” (Luke 21:15-18).

The nations of the earth do not hate that which they do not know. To be hated of “all nations” and by “all men” the people of God will have to be KNOWN because of the GREAT WORK of witness and warning they will be accomplishing!

Christ’s Special Agents

Jesus Christ called His disciples to be His emissaries. They were to be His eye witnesses; His “ambassadors” to the world, to deliver the great, all-encompassing MESSAGE He had delivered to them; that He is coming back to RULE this world with a rod of iron for 1,000 years.

He delivered to them His GREAT COMMISSION. He said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Christ had prophesied, “And this gospel [good news] of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).

In one of His “kingdom parables,” Christ likened the Kingdom of God to leavening. He said, “Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened” (Matthew 13:33).

Leavening, such as yeast, baking soda, or baking powder, is an AGENT. It brings about a dramatic CHANGE in the dough into which it is introduced. An agent is that which CAUSES something which produces an EFFECT. A dictionary definition is: “A person or company having the authority to act for another…any power or cause which produces an effect by its action; representative, deputy, intermediary.”

As a disciple was a “student,” so an “apostle” was “ONE SENT.” When Christ SENT His apostles to proclaim the vast, awesome, great good news of His coming kingdom, He told them he was establishing them as the foundation of His “group of called-out ones,” or His “assembly” of individuals in whom God would place His spirit.

The Holy Spirit would then EMPOWER them to act as His AGENTS on this earth; His representatives; His deputies; His ambassadors!

Their calling is set forth again and again in the Holy communication from the Divine Beings in heaven we call the “Holy Bible” which merely means “Holy books, or scrolls” when translated from the Greek.

Just as the prophecies delivered to Daniel during his lengthy encounter with his visitor from space, whose name is Gabriel, came to pass exactly as stated, so will the prophecies of all the prophets come to pass exactly as stated.

Amos said, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7). What you have read is REAL. It is SURE. It WILL HAPPEN exactly as Christ said, exactly in the sequence of events He predicted! This blood-soaked, disease-ridden, crime-filled, war-torn world will finally be CONQUERED by the King of kings, who will soon INVADE THIS EARTH FROM SPACE!

Woe, woe, woe to those who refuse to RECOGNIZE Him when He comes, and who assay to FIGHT against Him and His armies. But great JOY, BLESSINGS, and ETERNAL LIFE to all those who not only BELIEVE His good news message, but who are actively working as His special agents to proclaim that good news to all the world!

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This publication is intended to be used as a personal study tool. Please know it is not wise to take any man’s word for anything, so prove all things for yourself from the pages of your own Bible.

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