Category Archives: Heaven

The Kingdom of Glory has Territory, 5 of 15

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“38 the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the children of the kingdom; and the darnel are the children of the evil one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.”
Mtt 13:38-39

The owner of this “field” is the man who sowed good seed “in his field,” Mtt 13:24. Jesus said plainly that He was that man, Mtt 13:37 Further it is more than this present world, for once again Jesus said,

… “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”
Mtt 28:18

For Jesus is source of ALL things

“For by him were all things created, in the heavens and on the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him, and for him.”
Col 1:16

Everything is “for him.” If we serve Him we have only fulfilled our original purpose, and He is the only source of life.

“3 All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.”
Jn 1:3

You see, sin is not just an earthly thing.

In fact it started in the spiritual world before it started in the material world. It was a powerful renegade from the spiritual world who first seduced mankind into sin. I am speaking of Satan himself. The angels are not perfect, as has been noted repeatedly in these blogs and in my books.

“Behold, he puts no trust in his holy ones;
Yes, the heavens are not clean in his sight:”
Job 15:15

Or again,

“Behold, he puts no trust in his servants.
He charges his angels with error.”
Job 4:18

The angels, although much more powerful than men 2Pe 3:11, are moral being like us. Evidently most of the angels are still faithful to God. When Revelation describing the war in heaven in symbolic terms, it puts it this way.

“3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 4 His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth.”
Rev 12:3-4

We are told clearly that this great red dragon is “… is called the devil and Satan,. …” Rev 12:9. So Rev 12:3-4 is telling us that Satan was able to draw a third of the angels in all creation into his revolt. That means that two-thirds of them are still faithful to God.

Faithful … but not perfect beings!

And Jesus is not just reconciling mankind to himself.

“19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him; 20 and through him to reconcile ALL things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross.”
Col 1:19-20

Jesus is the true Master of the Universe.

His territory includes ALL that exists, Mtt 28:18, both this universe and the one to come.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

The Kingdom of Glory: Is Real, 3 of 15

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The Mystery of Lawlessness, and Mystery Babylon the Great is studied in some detail in Revealing the Christian Age. These are really competing secret religions, which oppose and try to use each other. Available from your bookseller.

It starts here in the hearts of men.

“20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The Kingdom of God doesn’t come with observation; 21 neither will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you.”
Lk 17:20-21

Many kingdoms and powers exercise great authority without the source of the power being visible, or noticed, at least by most. The occult powers are especially aware of many powers exercising their influence and control without being seen. Two great mystery religions of the Christian Age exercise considerable influence and control all through the Christian Age. Some call these the “Deep State.” They are the Mystery of Lawlessness of 2Thessalonians 2, and Mystery Babylon the Great of the book of Revelation.These are important world swaying powers. The Mystery of Lawlessness is basically a Satanic group. I call Mystery Babylon the Great a “a religio-commerical entity” in Revealing the Christian Age.

So also the Kingdom of God Exercises
Power to Transform ALL.

“He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.”
Mtt 13:33

So once again we have a verse of this Kingdom in time influencing this entire world to the point that (which is yet in the future for you and me) the leaven of this Kingdom is an influence all over this world “until it was all leavened.” There is to come a world-wide influence of Christianity which has not been seen so far.

The present time is the selection of the chosen,
the elect, to live and rule in a world
which is yet to come.

The author of Hebrews speaks of these things, and says,

“For he didn’t subject the world to come, whereof we speak, to angels.”
Heb 2:5

You see this present universe will pass away. In Hebrews 1 it picture God as rolling up this present universe like an old coat and putting it away, Heb 1:10-12. Peter tells us of,

A New Universe Will be Without Sin and Death

“But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.”
2Pe 3:13

Isaiah also speaks of this perfect place.

“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.”
Isa 65:17

What will it be like?

“23 They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Yahweh, and their offspring with them. 24 It shall happen that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says Yahweh.”
Isa 65:23-25

A real world, without decay or things running down. A world which some call “heaven.”

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

The Kingdom of Glory: Everyone MUST Submit to Jesus of Nazareth, 2 of 15

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All powers, all individuals, must submit to Him.

Psalm 22 describes in detail Jesus death.

It was written about a thousand years before Christ by the prophet David, written in the first person of a Roman style crucifixion which happened centuries later. Only very subtly does it deal with His resurrection. Psalm 22 also says.

The book Prophecy Principles gives a detailed study of Psalm 22 and how Bible prophecy actually works. Avaialble from your bookseller.

“All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.”
Psa 22:27 KJV

But in our day of course, we are still sending out missionaries, and have by no means reached the “ends of the world.” Then it says of this one who dies and yet lives, whom all the world will remember,

“All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship.
All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him,
Even he who can’t keep his soul alive.”
Psa 22:29

Who will bow down before this One? Even the rich (the KJV says “All they that be fat upon earth”). And “All those who go down to the dust”? That would be everyone who has to die! And all of us have to die.

“Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,”
Heb 9:27

So that means all of mankind, and that is also emphasized in the final phrase in Psa 22:29: “Even he who can’t keep his soul alive.”

Paul gives an even wider statement of these things.

He says in Philippians chapter two that we should also the mind of Christ, who was willing to humble Himself all the way to death on the cross, Phil 2:5-8.

“Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;”
Phil 2:9

How so Paul, how wide is to be Jesus power and dominance?

“10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ”
Phil 2:10-11

So it is just those on earth who have bow
and worship Jesus the Christ?

It is also everyone who is heaven, and everyone that is under the earth. We are not really fighting against other people.

“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Eph 6:12

We are actually fighting “the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Some of them are presently under the earth, although they will be released for short time just before the end of the age (Revelation 9, Rev 16:14, Rev 20:7, etc.).

But every king, every ruler, every spiritual power good or bad will have to bow before Jesus the Christ, and admit He is the supreme Lord to the glory of God the Father.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripures are from the WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Psalm 46, A Synopsis of Revelation, 3 of 9

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“There is a river, the streams of which
make the city of God glad,

“The holy place of the tents of the Most High. ”
Psa 46:5

Psalm 87 speaks of Zion as the city of God

“2 Yahweh loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken about you, city of God.”
Psa 87:2-3

Mount Zion is in essence “capital hill” in Jerusalem. There it was that Solomon’s temple was built to the Lord. There the kings palaces were built. Plainly many passages speak of Jerusalem as God’s city. For instance,

“Blessed be Yahweh from Zion,
Who dwells at Jerusalem.
Praise Yah!”
Psa 135:21

But there is something unsettling about this!

Because you see, Jerusalem is built on a mountain top! There are no major rivers on mountain tops. In fact Jerusalem was so water poor that it was big news when a tunnel was built to a spring outside the walls of Jerusalem. So a “a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad”? Of what could that be speaking?

But of course there are two Jerusalems

Paul also writes of these things.

“25 For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.”
Gal 4:25-26

So there is a Jerusalem “that exists now,” a Jerusalem below if you will, of this physical world, which is compared to a Jerusalem which is “above.” Jerusalem below is mentioned in Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah speaks of “the daughter of Zion” being isolated in Isa 1:8. Then Isaiah addresses the rulers and people of what we might call Jerusalem “below.”

“Hear the word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!”
Isa 1:10

But Isaiah is not speaking of the actual Sodom and Gomorrah, but of Israel and Judah. There are many passages in both the Old and New Testament that address either Jerusalem below, or Jerusalem above. Matthew writes of some coming out of the tombs at Jesus death, and says,

“and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many. ”
Mtt 27:53

And yes, once again Jerusalem will again become “the holy city.”

After the end of this universe, and it has passed away with a roar (2Pe 3:10-12), then we see coming down out of heaven a new Jerusalem.

“1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, …”
Rev 21:1-2

And there is a river there!

“He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,”
Rev 22:1

So there is indeed river which makes glad the city of God.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

The Rapture? Part 1 of 3

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“Rapture” itself is NOT a Bible word,

but the concept is Scriptural. The New Oxford American Dictionary tells us,

“noun

“1 a feeling of intense pleasure or joy: Leonora listened with rapture. …

“2 (the Rapture) N. Amer. (according to some millenarian teaching) the transporting of believers to heaven at the Second Coming of Christ.”

Actually, “transporting of believers to heaven at the Second Coming of Christ,” is not just a premillenial belief, but is held by most who believe the Bible

“16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, 17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
1The 4:16-18

At the Second Coming of Christ,

“30 and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 He will send out his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”
Mtt 24:30-31

And there are various other episodes of people being caught up to God. In 2Kings chapter two Elijah is caught up to heaven in a fiery chariot. The apostle Paul, seemingly speaking of himself, tells of someone being “caught up” to “the third heaven,” to “Paradise.”

“2 I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I don’t know, or whether out of the body, I don’t know; God knows), such a one caught up into the third heaven. … 4 how he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”
2Cor 12:2, 4

Of course Jesus Himself was caught up to heaven.

“9 When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing,”
Acts 1:9-10

And Jesus was returning to heaven so that He could go beyond all of our universe.

“9 Now this, “He ascended,” what is it but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. ”
Eph 4:9-10

This is described as being “caught up” in Revelation 12.

“She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne.”
Rev 12:5

But there are other issues.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

Once More, Maybe Twice, in the Wilderness? Part 2 of 3

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The faithful having to live in desolate places for while became a recurring theme in Scripture.

The Christian life is compared to
Israel in the wilderness.

The trials of Israel in the wilderness is symbolic of our trials, and often failures, in the Christian life.

Paul says Israel in the wilderness is symbolic of Christians trek out of the Egypt of this world into the eternal promised land of happiness. If you put the whole story together, Egypt represents this present world. Pharaoh represents Satan who has held us in bondage because of our sins, Heb 2:14-15. Moses then is symbolic (a type) of the Christ, as indeed he is in Deut 18:15 and many other passages. So Paul says,

“1 Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.”
1Cor 10:1-4 WEB

So Israel passing under the cloud and through the waters of the Red Sea is symbolic of Christians being baptized in Jesus. The waters of the Red Sea then separated ancient Israel from slavery in Egypt, and the waters of baptism separates us from our bondage to sin.

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mk 16:16 KJV

The Christian life?
It is here pictured as a life in desolate places!

“However with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”
1Cor 10:5 WEB

Paul goes on to say these passages were intended to teach us of the dangers lurking in the Christian life.

“6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Neither let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. 9 Neither let us test the Lord, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents. 10 Neither grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer. ”
1Cor 10:6-10 WEB

Some accuse Scripture of painting rose colored pictures of giving your life to God. These however are NOT rosy colored pictures. These are pictures of living in desolate places for a while, before we enter that ultimate promised land of the “new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells,” 2Pe 3:13, Revelation chapters 21 and 22.

So the Christian life is one of living for a while in a wilderness, in desolate places.

“11 Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.”
1Cor 10:11 WEB

We should not wistfully look back to Egypt and bondage.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

The Jews Coming to Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth will NOT be heaven on earth!

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Not ALL Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled with the coming of the Christ in the first century of our age. For instance, many New Testament prophecies of the end of this present universe are quotes from the Old Testament. For instance Heb 1:10-12, and 1Cor 15:54-55, and much more. So it is with many things concerning the Jews. Their conversion will be in a time of severe stress on both Christians (first), and then the Jews. Of the Jews it says,

“11 He will pass through the sea of affliction, …
12 I will strengthen them in Yahweh;
And they will walk up and down in his name,” says Yahweh.”
Zech 10:11

Jesus will NOT be on earth again.

Instead we will meet Him in the air, 1Thes 4:16-17.

“If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner chambers,’ don’t believe it.”
Mtt 24:26

You may or may not believe that, but that IS what Jesus says. In fact, Jeremiah tells us that no descendant of Jeconiah/Coniah will ever rule “in Judah.”

“Thus says Yahweh, Write you this man childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days; for no more shall a man of his seed prosper, sitting on the throne of David, and ruling in Judah.”
Jer 22:30

However, Jesus is a descendant of Jeconiah/Coniah, Mtt 1:11-12. Now that fits 1Thes 4:16-17, but not premillennialism.

Jesus has NOW “ALL authority … in heaven
and on earth,” Mtt 28.18

Jesus NOW rules over the kings of the earth, Rev 1:5, from heaven!

In prophecy there are often subtle shifts in subject.

Prophecy commonly ties the immediate things talked about, with the ultimate things which will happen. A prophecy of Israel’s sins of old will often jump from ancient Israel’s punishments by Assyria and Babylon, to the ultimate punishments at the end of this universe. Also many prophecies of the good that will come from the church or the Jews being faithful to God, jump from temporal benefits in this world to eternal benefits in “the world to come” (Heb 2:5).

An example is Isaiah 65.

Jewish Chronicles, to be released Friday November 6, 2020, described how Ezekiel 37 (pictured from an engraving by Dore, on the book cover) will be fulfilled in world history, and the glorious results that will have. See your book seller.

God speaks of the new heavens and new earth, Isa 65:17-19. There will be no weeping or crying, Isa 65:19. That is only in heaven itself, Rev 21:4. But a child will die at age 100, and the sinner dying at age 100 will be considered cursed, Isa 65:20. But that does not fit heaven -or- this world so far. A shift of subject matter.

The faithful Jews will cause an astonishing extension of human life on earth. This will be the golden age of the church in this world, but it will not quite be heaven. The Jews will still just be men, converting to Jesus. Jew and gentile will truly be one in Christ, Eph 2:18-22. Even so, “evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse,” 2Tim 3:13. Mystery Babylon the Great (Revelation 14 to 18), and the Mystery of Lawlessness (2Thessalonians 2) will still be biding their time.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901.

Prophecy Practice: Micah and the Christ, Part 4 of 12

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Micah says they should cry and plead and repent

He says it will go badly for those who plot wicked schemes, especially in those final times when Yahweh will call all of us to account. In chapter 3 Micah is rebuking the rulers and all of the false prophets

Will all of this end in nothing but disaster? Starting in chapter 4, Micah says no, and that will lead to our verses about Bethlehem. The immediate context starts in Micah 4 with a description of the coming of the gospel.

“But in the latter days, It will happen …” Mic 4:1
Good Things Are Coming!

That is according to this ancient prophet Micah, and his contemporary Isaiah. Isa 2:2-3 and Mic 4:1-2 are just about the same. Compare them for yourself in almost any translation. However it does says that despite all of the horrors of their times that,

“1 But in the latter days,
It will happen that the mountain of Yahweh’s temple will be established on the top of the mountains,
And it will be exalted above the hills;
And peoples will stream to it.
2 Many nations will go and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh,
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 out of Zion will go forth the law,
And the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem;”
Micah 4:1-2

Now the Mountain of the Lord’s House
is an important subject.

It was pointed out in the posts on mountains in September of 2019 that mountains continually carried religious significance in themselves. “Mountains for Places of Worship,” “Mountains a Blessing, Mountains a Snare.” Lastly “God’s Mountain Will Rule ALL,” which is what Isaiah 2 and Micah 4 deal with.

It does say that “out of Zion will go forth the law,” at the end of verse two. The gospel was preached first on Mount Zion in Peter’s sermon to the worshippers in Acts 2. In this way “the law of Christ” (1Cor 9:21, Gal 6:2) began going forth. And nations have streamed to this glory, and are still doing so.

Then it goes well beyond anything that
has happened so far.

In Mic 4:3 it says the Messiah will judge between many peoples. And then it says

“Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
Neither will they learn war any more.”
Mic 4:3d-e

This has NEVER happened, either spiritually or physically. Wars are still going on, both physical and spiritual, and we are to put on the full armor of God (Eph 6:13) and wage the good warfare (2Cor 10:4). Jesus says not a single letter of this can fail, Mtt 5:18. But this WILL happen. How much time is between Mic 4:2 and Mic 4:3. We do not know.

Then notice how prophecy works

It relates the immediate thing of which the prophet speaks, to the end, the objective, of all things. We will look at a very easy to understand example of this in Part 5.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Common Pitfalls in Interpretation, Part 14

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Confusion from misreadings:
and time shall be no more? Rev 10:6

Clearly there will be radical differences between the world to come and our present universe. It even clearly says things which we cannot imagine. For instance,

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
Rev 21:1 KJV

We really cannot imagine this, even though it does speak at times of something “like a sea of glass,” Rev 4:6 WEB. So I have heard all my life, that in the world to come that “time would be no more.” Revelation 10 pictures mighty and beautiful angel standing on the sea and the land, and he,

“… sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, … that there should be time no longer:”
Rev 10:6 KJV

I mulled these things over for many years.

I have even talked in sermons about the Second Coming of Christ as “the end of time,” and it was phrase I used in my everyday thinking about the Second Coming. It did seem to clearly say that in Rev 10:6 in the KJV. And if God said so, well it must be, even if I didn’t understand why? But there were disquieting voices going on within me.What does that mean? Time will be no more?

Something did not seem to set right.

Of course that happens all the time when we really read and study all of Scripture. Even so I was still trying understand what this meant for this new country to which we were going. No time? I even read some physics articles and some mushy philosophical articles on time. Then I thought: does one thing often happen after another, even in heaven? And I must say, it does seem so in both Testaments when talking about eternity. Well, if one thing happens after another … isn’t that time? At least in some sense! Duh!

Then I went back and took a closer look at Rev 10:6.

(I mean, we don’t have time to take a closer look at everything in Scripture, do we? We only live a few decades). But then I took a jolt. The WEB and the New American Standard and many other translated it along the lines of, “that there will no longer be delay.”

My goodness, that is quite a difference.

It is like when you and the kids are about the house, and you say, come on kids, we are out of time.” But we don’t mean that literally. Even if we miss our appointment, time still goes on. Then comes the next question.

Is the King James Version at fault?

I think not! On thinking it over, I think they are saying the same thing as these other translations, only in words that perhaps many of us took more literally than we should have.

Misreadings can cause a great deal of unintended confusion, and end up in our day to day traditions, that often lead us astray. Further, none of us are immune to these things. We all start somewhere.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901