Category Archives: Persecution

Keys To Prophecy: Yes, God Protects His Own.

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It is true that the wicked aims to kill the righteous.

“For, behold, the wicked bend their bows.
They set their arrows on the strings,
That they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.”
Psa 11:2

These are the very ones,

“Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
And aim their arrows, deadly words,”
Psa 64:3

Still we should see that the threats of the wicked are not all of the story, for God shoots back, Psa 64:7, and so on. Further,

If you live with God, He WILL protect you.

We are talking about the man who places his confidence in God’s protection. The man who lives with God.

“1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in whom I trust.” ”
Psa 91:1-2

What then will God do for this man?

“3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler,
And from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
Under his wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.”
Psa 91:3-6

You will only see these things

“7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes,
And see the recompense of the wicked. ”
Psa 91:7-8

In verse 8 at least, it jumps to eternal things, “you” seeing the punishment of the wicked!

Why would God do these things?

“9 Because you have made Yahweh your refuge,
And the Most High your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall happen to you,
Neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11 For he will give his angels charge over you,
To guard you in all your ways. ”
Psa 91:9

That is definitely in line with Psalm 34.

“The angel of Yahweh encamps round about those who fear him,
And delivers them. ”
Psa 34:7

But, Wait a minute Preacher, Psalm 91 is about Jesus!

Yes, it is quoted by the devil in Mtt 4:6 and Lk 4:10-11. OK, then you tell me how it fits Jesus, who died on a cross! It is all the same issue! But Jesus still says not a jot or a tittle of Scripture can fail, Mtt 5:18. However, Jesus survived the cross and lived! And you my Christian friend, are you not in Jesus, having the same protection!

Of you who dwell In the shadow of the Most High it says,

“He will call on me, and I will answer him.
I will be with him in trouble.
I will deliver him, and honor him.” Psa 91:15

Or did you not believe? Or where do you really live?

Scriptures are from the World English Bible WEB, 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.

The Jewish Nation Turns to Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth, Part 3 of 5

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An audio lesson.

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.

The New Testament also points to the Jews repenting and turning to their own Messiah. The “times of the Gentiles” will come to an end. During a time of severe persecution on first Christians, and then on Jews, the Jews will turn to their own Messiah, Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth.

Further details are discussed in Jewish Chronicles, which will be released November 6, 2020.

Keys to Prophecy: A Satanic Solution to Political Division

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Not everyone agrees with this world-wide division of powers and authorities. Yes, this prevents evil men from having a monopoly of power here on earth, and often pits evil men against evil men in their quests for unrestricted power. Sometimes these battles are truly terrifying. David comments,

“Yahweh brings the counsel of the nations to nothing.
He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.”
Psa 33:10

By such means God continually restricts the reach and grasp of evil men. Satan though intends to offer the ultimate solution to the divisions of worldly powers.

Satan intends to offer a substitute “god,” another
“god”/man whom ALL have to worship.

If ALL men HAD TO worship just ONE MAN, that would provide the foundation for unifying all of ideas under that ONE MAN. (See the post on “Religious Ideas are the Foundation of ALL Politics.) That would provide a sure framework to end all of the diversity in religion, and that is the root of our political diversity. It would provide a basis for world-wide unity. Paul says of this “god”/man,

“he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God.”
2Thes 2:4

He is called “the beast” in Revelation. He is talked about under several names and phrases in both the Old and the New Testaments. The “mystery of lawlessness” occult (hidden) religion that will eventually produce this world ruler, “already works” in the first century, 2Thes 2:7. God will at the last allow him a short reign of three and a half years (for a time, and times, and half a time).

“… Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. ”
Rev 13:5

Many think of this as hard times for the church

And it will be. However God will once more provide for His faithful ones in “the wilderness.” You might think of this as the second (and final) exodus out of this world.

“Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”
Rev 12.10

Even so, this is also times of extreme stress
for the entire world.

This man will come with powerful Satanic signs and wonders (2Thes 2:9), including some sort of his being raised from the dead.

“One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast.”
Rev 13:3

No one will be able to buy or sell or trade anything unless they accept this man as “god.” And if you worship him, you will perish forever, Rev 13:8, 17.

This is not some sort of premillenial invention. This is Scripture and it clearly has NOT happened yet. All but a few faithful will worship him, very near the end of the age.

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

Prophecy Practice: David, Jesus and the Righteous in Psalm 69, Part 3

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It is easy to see in the gospels that the disciples were often very thick headed. Often like us, eh? There was much which they didn’t understand. Of Jesus death they understood nothing from the Scriptures, and even when Jesus explained it very clearly, it still didn’t pierce the void. Of the very simple parable of the sower, they had to have it explained to them. But we noticed last time an obscure passage in Psalm 69, and when Jesus shows his zeal for the Lord’s House, His disciples immediately understood, and they related it to Psalm 69. But I think of both Jesus and David when it says,

“10 When I wept and I fasted,
That was to my reproach.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a byword to them.”
Psa 69:10-11

Jesus did literally weep over the hardness
of heart of the Jews

“41 When he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes.””
Lk 19:41-42

So also did David, especially of Saul’s enmity toward him, but perhaps not to the extent of Jesus. David was after all, only symbolic of Jesus, without that full majesty. And Jesus did indeed become the song of fools, even to this day

“Those who sit in the gate talk about me.
I am the song of the drunkards.” Psa 69:12

However the prayer of David and of Christ is to God, and their praise was to God. At the acceptable time.

“But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time.
God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.”
Psa 69:13

There IS an ACCEPTABLE time. We do have to
WAIT sometimes!

Evidently David and Jesus asked at the right time, although often times you and I don’t. Then they both had to wait, and plead in anguish, and suffer before they were delivered. Abraham had to wait,

“13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, … 14 saying, “Most surely I will bless you, and I will surely multiply you.” 15 Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”
Heb 6:13-15.

But first he had to wait of awhile. Everything worthwhile in life requires some waiting. Making money by getting compound interest has been described as a miracle. But you still have to wait until the interest is paid. You may want to see someone or do something, but you still have to wait for the right time. All of life requires some waiting. A successful famrer plants something, and then has to wait.

Wait until the coming of the Lord, James says,

“Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain.”
Jas 5:7

There are plenty of lessons for us about enduring even unjust suffering from both David and Jesus in Psalm 69.

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 15

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Confusion from not WANTING to believe it!

The kingdom of the saints will last forever

Scripture does say that the kingdom of the saints will last forever. That is not really an idea to contest, unless you have a very distorted view of the Bible or of prophecy. When God was promising a kingdom to David’s Son Jesus the Christ, it was said that,

“Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before you: your throne shall be established forever.”
2Sam 7:16

We are now translated into this kingdom, past tense.

“who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the Kingdom of the Son of his love;”
Col 1:13

Heb 1:5 quotes 2 Samuel 7 as being about Jesus! Further, Hebrews says that we are Jesus “house.”

“but Christ is faithful as a Son over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the glorying of our hope firm to the end.”
Heb 3:6

And Revelation talks of Jesus already being on His throne.

“He who overcomes, I will give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
Rev 3:21

And that throne is forever, per Daniel 2 and many, many verses.

But the beast “conquers” the kingdom?

Huh? What? It is amazing the number of verses which we gloss over and fail to get the messages we desperately need.

There is someone called the “beast” in Revelation 13, and the “man of lawlessness,” in 2Thessalonians 2, and the foolish shepherd, or the idol shepherd in Zechariah 11, and it does indicate that for a while, it does look like, he has had the final victory over the saints, the house of God, the kingdom of God. The entire world will worship this man.

“that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
2Thes 2:12

It says the same thing in Rev 13:4-5. Further it says,

“It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.”
Rev 13:7

No it couldn’t be, I have heard it argued. NO ONE can overcome the church, so they said, and they rejected the clear meaning of Revelation 13.

Of course ultimately, the church will NOT be overcome.

The beast thinks he has won, but it is only for a short 3-1/2 years. Then at the last the faithful saints are delivered and the beast is thrown alive into hell, Revelation 19. Still the Savior says,

“… Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Lk 18:8

In other words, even our Lord questions whether there will be any faithful at the end.

Our incomplete understanding of Scripture sometimes prevents us
from seeing God’s warning to us.

We should always remember that Scripture is NOT a pick and choose buffet, but that it is all true. The challenge is to see how all the parts fit together.

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

Keys to Prophecy: There is More Than One Wide Spread Tribulation.

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It is sometimes missed but there are actually several periods of extreme trouble in the Christian Age. This is the way Paul describes the issues.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.”
2Tim 3:1 KJV

It is not just a single perilous or difficult or harsh time, but perilous timeS, plural.

Russia, China, and Eastern Europe had an anti-Christian
blood baths in the 20th century,
France in late 18th century.

There have been multiple attempts to bull-doze away Christianity and prepare the way for the worship of Satan and his special seed. Rome and the caesars were so used, until Christianity outright conquered Rome, as in Dan 2:44, and other passages. Islam was used in this way. The French Revolution was another attempt, and was intended to spread from nation to nation, but didn’t have the impact desired. The Communists also attempted world revolution, and did conquer one-third of the world before imploding. Communism still shows some lingering signs of life even in the United States in the early 21st century, and many of the old Communist organizations now seem to want to carry a banner of environmental emergencies to drive the destruction of any who might oppose them.

It seems from Scripture that two special times of tribulation/stress will come.

One is the times of stress in when the Jews turn
to Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth in faith.

And yes, Jesus is called “Rabbi” some thirteen times in the gospels, but it is sometimes translated as “Master” of “Teacher.”

It is clearly prophesied in the Old Testament that this will happen, and is verified in the New Testament, but many gloss over the texts. Moses, after denouncing the stubbornness and sins of Israel, is the first to announce it.

Coming in September, 2020, Jewish Chronicles will be an overview of Jewish history and Scripture as it pertains to these things.

“When you are in distress, and all these things are come on you, in the latter days you shall return to Yahweh your God, and listen to his voice:”
Deut 4:30 nf

This will be an extreme period stress for many nations. It appears to begin with a world-wide persecution of Christians. It is dealt with in detail in Ezekiel 37 and 38, and Zechariah, and also in my forthcoming book, Jewish Chronicles. It will be so severe that is seems it will become yet another “type,” symbolic of the end of this present universe.

The greatest tribulation will be right at the end.

It is literally called “the great, the tribulation” in Greek.

… “These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb’s blood.”
Rev 7:14 WEB

This time Christianity will be “overcome”/conquered.

“It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. ”
Rev 13:7 WEB

The Greek word is nikao, to conquer, to overcome, to have the victory.

Never yet has any one government had authority over every nation. Never yet has Christianity been “overcome” world-wide. But it will happen, for a short while … just before Jesus intervenes.

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

nf is my own translation based on the WEB.

Multiple Types of the beast: Ahab, King of Israel

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In most important things, Scripture gives us more than one opportunity to see, and understand, and be ready, for what will be. In prophecy, if something is very important, quite often times God gives us more than one opportunity to understand.

Ahab has a kingdom that is united
around false religion.

Subversion of God’s Holy religions began with the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel. It was all about subverting true religion to serve the political purposes of government. Many rulers, as perhaps mini-types of the beast, fall guilty to such temptations. Ahab then increased the turn to evil religion.

He did “evil in the sight of Yahweh above all that were before him,” 1Kgs 16:30.

Ahab toke as a wife a Sidonian worshipper of Baal: Jezebel. She soon organized the extermination of the prophets of God, 1Kgs 18:4; and Ahab began in Israel the worship of the Mother Earth “goddess” Asherah, the covert passion of the modern ecology movement. It was a fertility cult involving religious prostitution and infanticide.

Elijah responded,

“… As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. ”
1Kgs 17:1 WEB

James tells us,

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the earth for three years and six months.”
Jas 5:17 WEB

That is exactly the amount of time that the beast rules in Revelation. This amount of time is variously expressed as “three years and six months, 1,260 days, forty-two months, or as “time, times, and half a time.”

Also the two witnesses in Revelation 11,
for 1,260 days, Rev 11:3

“have the power to shut up the sky, that it may not rain during the days of their prophecy.” Rev 11:6 WEB. Indeed, the two witnesses seem a little like Moses, and a little like Elijah.

Elijah even proved to Ahab that Yahweh, the Lord our God, was superior to Baal at the dramatic confrontation on Mont Carmel in 2Kings 18.

And Ahab, multiple times, was close
to true and lasting repentance.

When his conscience afflicted him over the murder of Naboth in 1Kings 21, it says,

“… when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.”
1Kgs 21:27 WEB

His repentance was sincere enough to touch God’s heart, 1Kgs 21:29;

but Ahab never let his repentance last.

So in the end he had to be lured to his death, as is clearly depicted in 1Kings 22. In the end, the dogs of Samaria licked up his blood, 1Kgs 22:38.

Of the beast himself, he is destroyed in the great battle against God at the Second coming of Christ, Revelation 19 and many other passages, and is thrown alive into hell, Rev 19:20, where the worms will eternally eat on them.

“… for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh.”
Isa 66:24 WEB

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

Multiple Types of the beast: Pharaoh of the Exodus

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The oppression of Israel began out of fear.

Political fear of these “outsiders” taking over their country, or siding with their enemies. So the Pharaoh said,

“Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.”
Ex 1:9 WEB

So a Egypt far less populous that even in later ancient times, oppressed God’s people and “set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens,” Ex 1:11 WEB. The purpose was not just to use them for labor, but indeed to ruin them with hard labor and oppression. Often in history political fears drive religious oppressions, with genocidal results. Then God sent Moses to secure their release.

It has been briefly discussed in posts on Identifying Types, that the wilderness wanderings are typical (symbolic) of the Christian life, with the Red Sea finally separating Israel from the Egypt of this world. That means: that Egypt is symbolic of this world, and then the Pharaoh is symbolic of the “god of this world,” 2Cor 4:4.

The beast in Revelation 13 is trying to unite a one-world government, with a single religious focus on himself, as the true god of this world! Christians then become obstacles to the political unification of this world. This is indeed like the ancient Caesars as “gods,” but what is pictured in Revelation is far more complete and thorough than anything done in ancient times, and “All who dwell on earth will worship him,” Rev 13:8, even all who are not written in the book of life. The phony man/god will make war on the saints and overcome them, Rev 13:7. However neither ancient Rome nor the caesars ever overcame the church.

Similarly, Pharaoh did overcome and enslave Israel in ancient Egypt.

God’s people are to have their spokesmen.

It was Moses in ancient Egypt. It is the two witnesses in Revelation 11. It seems an attempt is made in both cases to bring this arrogant king to reason. The pattern seen over and over again, is that Moses bargains for freedom for Israel, the Pharaoh responds with greater oppressions, and God responds with increasingly harsh strokes on the beast and his kingdom.

Moses turns the waters of the Nile into blood. The two witnesses “have power over the waters, to turn them to blood,” Rev 11:6. “A great mountain burning with fire” is thrown into the sea and turns it to blood in Rev 8:8 WEB.

Repeatedly the Pharaoh ALMOST relents.

Pharaoh’s servants repeatedly plea “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve Yahweh,” Ex 10:7. There was frogs, darkness, locusts, hail, and boils on all the people. All of these things have their equivalent in Revelation. At one point the Pharaoh even says,

… “I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.”
Ex 9:27 WEB

But the Pharaoh of Egypt will never let
repentance stick.

So in the end he has to be broken and destroyed, when he goes to fight directly against God.

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