Summary of Bible references on the Rapture

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Judges 16 “the powers of heaven will be shaken” and then you will see the Lord

1 And Samson went to Gaza, and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her. 2 And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, Let be till morning light, then we will kill him. 3 And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and laid hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mountain that is before Hebron.

4 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. 6 And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee. 7 And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I become weak, and be as another man. 8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes which had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9 Now she had liers-in-wait abiding in the inner chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withes, as a string of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

10 And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound. 11 And he said unto her, If they only bind me with new ropes wherewith no work hath been done, then shall I become weak, and be as another man. 12 So Delilah took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And the liers-in-wait were abiding in the inner chamber. And he brake them off his arms like a thread.

13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web. 14 And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awaked out of his sleep, and plucked away the pin of the beam, and the web.

15 And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thy heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. 16 And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, that his soul was vexed unto death. 17 And he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon my head; for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath told me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought the money in their hand. 19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and shaved off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20 And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times, and shake myself free. But he knew not that Jehovah was departed from him. 21 And the Philistines laid hold on him, and put out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison-house. 22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

We know the Deplorables were arrested during January 6th and we know that the FBI organized and deceived them in many ways. Apparently the person who was most vociferous pushing for the need to go into the house of Congress was the leader of the Oathkeepers was actually an FBI agent who was the main provacateur, not only so but they also organized many other fringe groups from BLM to right wing anarchist groups to also be there, they made sure the police were not adequately prepared, they had police opening doors and waving them in. I have never been a fan of Samson because he doesn’t understand the ways of God or His laws. But now I have a different perspective, I feel that this battle is a multipronged attack. Yes, you have Elijah (or the spirit of Elijah in the overcomers) but at the same time you also have the deplorables, not so well trained in the ways of God but still very effective. They were naive to fall for Delilah, or in this case the Deep State with FBI agents and others.

23 And the lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. 24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hand our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, who hath slain many of us. 25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison-house; and he made sport before them. And they set him between the pillars: 26 and Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house resteth, that I may lean upon them. 27 Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.

28 And Samson called unto Jehovah, and said, O Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house rested, and leaned upon them, the one with his right hand, and the other with his left. 30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead that he slew at his death were more than they that he slew in his life. 31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

We see this today, I think they are going after 600 deplorables, locking them into prison in solitary confinement, not allowing them an opportunity to meet with counsel and review the charges, and in many if not every single case the charges are misdemeanors and yet that doesn’t prevent them from being kept in abusive prison conditions as “political prisoners”. It may be that Samson’s eyes were gouged out but I think everyone who is paying attention can see very clearly. Our government is filled with thousands of these Deep State actors who worship idols and are openly despicable. But they are now planning on bringing the Jan 6th “riot” back out into their temple to celebrate and it will be their big mistake. The Lord said that “the powers of heaven will be shaken” and then we will see the Son of Man come. This investigation will give “Samson” an opportunity to remove the pillars of their temple. What they have missed is that the information about what really happened has grown in the last six month the world knows enough to convict and condemn all these idol worshippers in this temple. While Elijah is dealing with Jezebel and her prophets of Baal Samson will take down this temple to Dagon.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Genesis 49 & the Memorial in Joshua 4 -- Transformed from slavery to a new nation

Genesis 49:1 And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. 2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. 3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: 4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch.

Our political leaders are those who “were first”, they are generally taller, and in one way or another have “excellency of power” in the beginning. But they are unstable as water, slippery, easily corrupted. The founding fathers knew this and created a system of checks and balances to try and compensate for this failing.

5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 6 O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self will they digged down a wall. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

After the kings and rulers we have had Generals and military leaders (Simeon) and also bureaucrats (Levi). They are both instruments of the government. They are famous for their secrets, the CIA, NSA, Secret Service, and all sorts of “classified documents”.

8 Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. 9 Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: 12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

In the US the true power rests with the law, with the constitution. Judah represents your lawyers, judges and the legal system.

13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

This is where finance and insurance industries were born and live. There is a reason why Wall Street and the Insurance industry is centered in port cities like NY and London.

14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens: 15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

The service industry is a major component of the economy.

16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. 17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward. 18 I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.

The media industry is a judge of the people. Talk shows, late night comics, even news commentators.

19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.

This is the manufacturing industry. After a war they move in and rebuild the industry, during the war they are “overcome” with the war effort to build up the armaments.

20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

This is the food industry.

21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

These are your artists and athletes. Michael Jordan was a “hind let loose”.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: 23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: 24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) 25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb: 26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

Joseph signifies your scientists from which we get blessings from all of creation, whether astronomy, or oceanography, biology, genetics, etc. The blessings we get from modern science always exceeds that of our fathers. It is also true that scientists are always sorely grieved whether it is Galileo telling us that the Earth is not the center of the universe, or someone else telling us about climate change. But their bow which are the laws of the universe, they are strong.

27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.

Benjamin represent engineers. They are closely related to scientists and if you remember Benjamin got twice the mess from Joseph that the others did. Engineers are the first to profit from scientific discoveries. They are essential in designing our weapons of war for devouring the prey, and they are essential for dividing the spoil (making improvements as they have in the automobile that cause you to continue to divide the spoil, selling more and more).

One last point, Joseph (scientists) got the double portion of the inheritance since he was the firstborn, so Israel blessed his two sons: Manassah and Ephraim. However, Israel made the younger greater than the elder. The scientific revolution began in Greece but it had two sons, one in Germany and then at the time of WWII the German scientists fled to the US and from that time forward the US has been the leader in science. German scientists are like the older brother to American scientists.

What these two memorials show us is God has transformed those rescued from slavery in Egypt into a new nation. We have many members, each has their own positive attributes as well pitfalls to beware. Think about the church, we have all kinds in the church. We have every tribe in the church. During the age of grace we existed in a wilderness. However, at the end of the age we cross the river into a beautiful land where we will bring in the Kingdom of the heavens and be a city on a hill where all the nations will be able to walk in our light.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Are these really the same question?

Luke 21: 7 And they asked him, saying, Teacher, when therefore shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are about to come to pass?

Mark 13:4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when these things are all
about to be accomplished?

Matthew 24:3 And as he sat on the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

In Luke the various translations say "about to happen", "about to occur", "about to come to pass", "about to take place". In Mark it is "be fulfilled", "be accomplished", "come to an end". About to happen compared to "be fulfilled". About to occur compared to "be accomplished". "About to take place" compared to "come to an end". Luke tells us the signs right before the start of the tribulation and Mark gives us the signs right before the end of the first half. In Matthew it is very different, it is "end of the world", "consummation of the age", "end of the age", "completion of the age", and "conclusion of the age".

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the billows; 26 men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your redemption draweth nigh.

Mark 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25 and the stars shall be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then shall he send forth the angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.


Mark begins with "after that tribulation" whereas Luke talks of "the expectation of the things which are coming on the world". In Luke we have a general "signs in the sun, moon and stars", in Mark we have a very specific "sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not giver her light" and then it adds "the stars shall be falling from heaven" and we don't see that in Luke. In Revelation Satan and His angels are kicked out of heaven at the rapture prior to the tribulation. This seems very clear that we are talking about two different raptures, one before the tribulation and the other in the middle (before the end of the age talked about in Matthew). It is also interesting that Luke does not mention the sending forth of the Angels to gather His elect. Instead Luke says "your redemption draweth nigh". To have to gather the elect from "the uttermost part of the earth" sounds a lot like finding the lost sheep or the prodigal son, whereas "your redemption draweth nigh" sounds like those who have their hope set on the Lord.

Matthew 24:29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall 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: 30 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 on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

This is really interesting, Matthew appears to pick up from where Mark left off. It is as though the Israelites see the stars fall from heaven, they see the Son of Man in heaven, the angels apparently are not sent to gather them, rather they mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds.

Therefore when I read this I have to conclude there are three different events, though if you prefer it is one big event composed of these three events. What is the big event? The powers of the heavens shall be shaken. For example, let's throw out a hypothetical scenario. If the US government collapses as a result of election fraud and the US dollar collapses and Chinese government collapses that would surely shake the powers of heaven. If Satan and the fallen angels are cast to earth, they turn Earth into Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Antichrist rises in Europe and imposes the mark of the beast, rebuilds the temple and sets himself up in the Temple only to be defeated then that would be the powers of heaven shaken again. If Israel at that time would see that their salvation come riding on the clouds is Jesus Christ whom they crucified coming with all these raptured believers as His army to rescue them then that could be something that would cause them to mourn.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Psalm 120
1 In my distress I cried unto Jehovah,

And he answered me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Jehovah, from lying lips,
And from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given unto thee, and what shall be done more unto thee,
Thou deceitful tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty,
With coals of juniper.
5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech,
That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul hath long had her dwelling
With him that hateth peace.
7 I am for peace:

But when I speak, they are for war.

There is a book that says each Psalm depicts 1 year beginning with 1901 and that 2020 is depicted in Psalm 120. Was 2020 the year of lying lips and the deceitful tongue? Would you describe cancel culture as the coals of juniper? Would you say that the lies of the Media giants and tech giants are the "arrows of the mighty"? Would you agree that Trump was for peace (first time in four years we didn't enter into a war and not only so he signed a historic peace treaty with Israel) while Biden is for war (already wars have kicked into gear in the Middle east, Easter Europe and Taiwan). Anyway I thought I'd review some of the lies.

Lies told in the US concerning Trump


  1. The Steele dossier was the sole evidence used to justify spying on the Trump campaign and the FBI knew the Steele dossier was a DNC operation, Steele’s source told the FBI the info was unserious and they did not inform the court of any of this and instead kept spying.
  2. Even after the evidence was conclusive that the collusion case was a hoax every institution gaslit the American public for another year. It appeared to everyone who fully understood this case that every institution in the US government had united against an interloper.
  3. Then the behavior of the corporate press radicalized them. You could not support the notion that the press was driven by ratings because if that was the case they would have jumped on the Epstein story or better yet the Hunter Biden laptop story.
  4. As a result all the Trump supporters know for absolute certain that the FBI and the press would lie to them about it.
  5. They saw the press make Kavanaugh out to be a gang rapist based on absolutely nothing.
  6. They saw CNN lead a lynch mob against a high school kid.
  7. They saw the press cheer on summer riots.
  8. They used to think the press had a liberal bias but would admit the truth and correct errors, not anymore. They saw them invent stories to destroy lives and spark mass violence.
  9. Time magazine reported that during the 2020 riots there were weekly conference calls between leaders of the riots, the local officials and the media on how to frame this to best help the Democrats win the election.
  10. Democrat governors took advantage of Covid to change voting procedures and lower signature matching standards. As this followed the collusion hoax and impeachment scam more and more people were able to see through this fraud.
  11. But then they ramped up to a new level with the Hunter Biden laptop scandal. It was a full on censorship campaign against a major newspaper to protect a political candidate. All of the tech companies now admit it.
  12. Compare this with the PP tape. A story of a germaphobe being pissed on by Russian hookers and blackmailed by Putin based on a document paid for by the Democrats and disavowed by its source. Contrast that with the NY Post being banned for reporting true information.
  13. The conclusion was simple, every institution is captured by people who will use any means to exclude them from the political process.
  14. And yet they showed up in record numbers. He got 13 million more votes than in 2016.
  15. They knew the fix was in when at midnight four swing states (and only those four swing states) went dark.
  16. People tried to make sense of what happened in the midst of the confusion and at that time the Media banned all discussion of it. Everyone knew that if the outcome was reversed discussion about the election outcome would have been front page news and all they talked about.
  17. According to Time magazine mass riots were planned across the country if Trump had won.
  18. And so we know as facts that the entrenched bureaucracy & security state subverted Trump from Day 1. The press is part of the operation. Election rules were changed. Big Tech censors opposition. Political violence is legitimized and encouraged. Trump is banned from social media.
  19. Their government is controlled by a regime that believes they are beneath representation and will observe no limits to keep them from getting it. (based on a twitter thread from Martyrmade)

Lies told in the US concerning Covid



This article itemizes about 20+ lies published during the Covid crisis.


https://www.realclearpolitics.com/a...edias_top_lies_and_spins_about_covid-19.html#!


Why Fauci should be fired




https://www.westernjournal.com/dr-fauci-fired-damning-reason-says-sen-marco-rubio/


https://thefederalist.com/2021/02/2...stands-science-as-a-tool-to-lie-to-americans/
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Luke 23:1-23 -- The impeachment trial

Impeachment is to bring formal charges against someone while they are in office. Jesus Christ, the Messiah, had an office given Him from His baptism and the religious and political leaders objected to Him ruling over them and brought charges against Him.

1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

What was it about Jesus that caused this vehement reaction in the mob? You don’t see people this worked up about a serial killer. Reminds me of this whole impeachment. They have gone from saying “orange man bad” to he’s dangerous to he’s guilty of accessory to murder. We were told that he was mounting an insurrection, and that is why they needed 25,000 troops in Washington DC.

3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it.

Is that it? Seriously, they have no evidence, no witnesses, nothing but this?

4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man.

This is a very strange interaction. You are on trial for your life, the judge asks “are you the king of the Jews”? Yes, you said it, that is why they are so upset. This is jealousy, Pilate realizes it, I see no fault in this man. Surely the US government is not really this worried about one man. The reaction you are seeing is not about him, it is about you. They are worried about 75 million who voted for him. They are worried about the fact that no one believes a word they say. They are worried about a popular uprising. They are worried about their corruption being exposed.

5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.

How about that! It is now a capital offense to “stir up the people and to teach throughout the land”. Is this jealousy? Surely when you listen to speeches from Pelosi, Schumer, AOC, Waters and the rest they are trying to stir up the people.

6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. 7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

Funny, we see the same thing. No judge wanted to touch this thing concerning election fraud. They all looked for some technicality for why it wasn’t their responsibility to judge.

8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.

It is very strange. You can tell Pilate wants nothing to do with judging Jesus and Herod is so happy to see this man who he has heard about. But look who is angry, jealous, even vehemently accusing Jesus. It is the priests and scribes. The accusations that I have heard are truly vehement, referring to the peaceful protests as “mobs”, and referring to words like “peacefully protest” as inciting violence. They liken supporters to the Klan, Hitler, and a cult leader. It is now illegal to be popular.

11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.

Well, we are seeing the same thing today with the “men of war” in the capitol mocking the supporters, accusing them of sedition. All those who are standing for righteousness, standing to “Stop the Steal” are being painted with the same brush. We are all cloaked with the same robe. This term “gorgeous” refers to a shining white robe. In Mark it is purple and in Matthew it is red. This was a basis to claim that the Bible was in error for years, but now we see that these three gospels refer to three different groups of people. If you are a believer in the Lord you definitely want to be arrayed with this gorgeous robe. Go outside the camp and embrace His disgrace.

12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.

Herod is used to having court jesters and magicians. He thought Jesus would perform for him. What we see here is just despicable. Herod is a judge, he is supposed to judge concerning very serious charges against Jesus but because Jesus won’t perform for him and entertain him he gets angry and sends him back. He is acting like a spoiled child. A sham for a court. We use the term “monkey trial” and this is what we are seeing today. People saying things that are so idiotic it reminds us of “planet of the apes”.

13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: 15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. 16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him.

This would be like the mayor of a city putting a letter of reprimand in the file of the police responsible for George Floyd’s death.

17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) 18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: 19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)

Instead the mob demands that you release this man who just walked up to a cop car and ambushed the cops shooting two cops in LA. Right now we have two groups on trial, ANTIFA who is responsible for riots and looting all over the country and MAGA who are accused of being responsible for one riot at the capitol. They didn't shoot anyone, didn't kill anyone, didn't have any weapons. But they are treated as far more serious than cold blooded killers.

20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him.

The crowd has been whipped into a frenzy by someone, some evil spirit.

22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.

Really, what evil has Jesus done? He has healed people, raised people from the dead, and freed people from demon possession. What He has done is to overthrow Satan’s kingdom. If you couldn’t see people caught in the grip of Satan’s kingdom before you can’t miss it now, it is as clear as a bell. Again I’ll use the current events to illustrate this. What evil has Trump done? He has said offensive things, but when you look at his actions, what has he done? What he has done which is unforgivable is to expose the corruption of the swamp. He has stirred up the people against the political establishment.

23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.

So much for law and order. They shouted louder so they are going to kill Jesus? I like this expression "they were instant with loud voices". We have seen this time and again these last few months, a rush to judgement, instant calls for judgement. There is no presumption of innocence, no "innocent until proven guilty".
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Who do you trust?

I am hearing all kinds of great promises about the "great reset" where they would wipe out debt, the cost of living would be greatly decreased and the hours needed to work to make a living would also be greatly decreased, Not only so but the way they intend to get the great reset is through a giant cyber attack.

Several questions I have is why would they want to wipe out debt, wouldn't that harm everyone who owns bonds or some kind of debt instrument? Second, the promises are great so what is the cost? Never once have I seen the 1% make changes that give the 90% all the benefit while all the cost is born by the 1%. Third, why would you have to force something like this through with a cyber attack. It sounds like "glory, hallelujah" only we have to implement it with a gun pointed at our head and they are making us an offer we can't refuse.

Then it hit me, if you had a digital currency and eliminated every other currency, you would be able to eliminate ransomware. How would we pay the hacker? So the cost is you give them complete control over the world's currency.

So let's explain what that means. Suppose in your basement you had a printing press that could print all the US $ you wanted, you had the right paper and the right ink. Most people would realize this means you are rich, forever, regardless of what is what. That is what the 1% will get in exchange for forgiving the debt. No wonder they are buying up real estate, once the debt is forgiven they own the property and everyone else will be renters, forever.

To be fair, there are a lot of great benefits you get from one world currency. In theory you could work fewer hours and the cost of living would be lower. The problem is that absolute power corrupts absolutely and that is what one world currency is, absolute power. Who do you trust to have that power?

World Economic Forum Pushing for Great Reset Through a ‘Cyber-Attack With COVID-Like Characteristics’

https://freedomfirstnetwork.com/202...th-covid-like-characteristics?utm_source=econ

Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead; 17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Luke 23:24-38 The ruler of this world is losing all legitimacy

24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. 25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

Let’s be clear, Jesus knew that if He was going to rescue us from the Satanic kingdom He would have to be delivered to their will. This impeachment trial that we are witnessing is also about sedition and murder. They are not impeaching someone in office, they are impeaching the citizens of the US and those who are truly guilty of sedition and murder (Antifa) they are letting go free. The deplorables are the ones standing with Jesus, whereas Antifa would be Barabbas. They are asking to crucify the deplorables while letting Antifa go free.

26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

It seems so confusing, there is a great company of people who are lamenting Jesus being condemned to death, yet the voices of those shouting to crucify Him prevailed? How did this happen? Ten people show up to a Biden rally and 1,000,000 show up to a Trump rally and all they could hear is those ten people? How does this work? First, put up a fence and barbed wire and keep the 1,000,000 far enough away that you can’t hear them. Then bring in some guy who is clearly ANTIFA but claiming to be a Trump supporter and bring in another guy who looks like Chubaca and make sure they are the only ones anyone can hear.

28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. 31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

Look at how outrageous Herod, Pilate, the chief priests and the scribes behaved. Yet, the point is the horror will be much greater at the end of this age. For example, we have had many forest fires in the history of the US, but look at how horrifying they are when the forest is dried out. There has been drought, heat wave, and an infestation of bark beetles all that have caused the forest to dry out. As vehement this fire was, it was all focused on one man, Jesus Christ. But at the end of the age it will be focused on the many, on the forest. They are choosing one who will suck all the life out of the forest so that when it does burn it is a raging inferno.

I think the most logical reason to vote for Biden was this hope that it would put an end to the rancour and division and we could go back to a more pleasant time of “Leave it to Beaver” and “The Andy Griffith Show”. That has obviously not happened and instead the forest fire is raging worse than ever. But what happens when all those standing on the front lines fighting the fire are taken away? There is going to be a great tribulation.

32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

John Sullivan and “Chubaca” have also been caught up in this mess.

33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

This is who they are crucifying the one who would have saved them, the one who sees the coming destruction and even in this moment is warning people. Today how many people could say this, “forgive them for they know not what they do”. There is a lot of screaming back and forth that people “don’t know what they are doing” but you don’t hear any forgiving, only condemning.

Notice how this account is different from both Matthew and Mark. There is no “why have you forsaken me?” that you see in Mark. This event is different for different people. For those who are raptured at the beginning of the Great tribulation their word is to “forgive all those who didn’t know what they were doing”. For those who are not raptured but are left behind their word is “why hast thou forsaken me?” In either case the good news is that you can be one with the Lord and He will be your savior. If you are not one with the Lord you are not going to be able to say “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing”. And if you don’t know what you are doing and are left behind you can ask the Lord why and He will answer that prayer.

35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

Instead of forgiveness all you hear is insults. There were many saying this word, thinking that somehow Trump was going to save himself on January 20th. We were told that this is why they needed 25,000 troops.

38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, This Is The King Of The Jews.

The entire world is watching what is going on. The rulers are not only losing all legitimacy in the US but also in the world.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Luke 23:39-56 The ruler of this world is about to be cast out

39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

Jesus didn’t need to be saved, we did. This is what He was doing, He was saving us.

40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

How is it that he is able to see this and Herod, Pilate and the chief priests weren’t? I applaud him, he is admitting that entering the capitol building and whatever he did there was wrong. Be warned, you can believe in the Lord but follow according to your own idea rather than according to His speaking.

42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. 44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

That is pretty weird. Recently we saw some people on the West coast at mid day and the sun was darkened due to the fires. They described it as “apocalyptic”. A solar eclipse only lasts for a minute or so, this was three hours.

45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

This age began with the veil of the temple being rent. It signifies the flesh being rent so that the way to the Holy of Holies would be opened to us. This is what the Lord had to go through in order to open the way for us to meet with God. Jesus is the way, no man cometh to the Father but by Him.

46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

It seems trivial to me to hear anyone claiming that they are in the right and that others have wronged them after watching the way in which Jesus was crucified.

47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.

Jesus didn’t just rend the veil to the temple, it is as though all of flesh was torn in two. You have those who are vehemently railing against him on one side, and those who smite their breast in lament on the other. One thief is mocking, the other is believing. Pilate is doing whatever the loudest people in the mob shout, whereas the centurion can see this was a righteous man.

49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things. 50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: 51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

So although the chief priests and scribes really bear a lot of judgement here, not all do. There are still good men and just men who were counselors of the people.

52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53 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. 54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. 55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. 56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

Once again we can see this is the thing, Jesus is Lord. That is what this age is about. That is why the Satanic kingdom has become so riled up and vehement. The ruler of this world is about to be cast out. You get to choose which one you want, there is still time, but the opportunity to choose will soon be over.

The US constitution says that the people are Lord. You cannot be Lord until you have gone through this experience like steel being tempered.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Reference to the 9th of Av in the Gospel of John

I wanted to find a reference to the 9th of Av in the gospel of John and I found this. It is quite stunning on a number of levels so let's walk through it.


John 2:13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 and he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew their tables; 16 and to them that sold the doves he said, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise. 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for thy house shall eat me up.

Here we have "the powers of heaven being shaken". All of this is taking place in the Temple, but it is no longer "my Father's house" but rather "a house of merchandise". That would be an Idol temple. By all accounts it seems there are 3 times the "power of heaven" will be shaken. I suspect the first time will be the collapse of the world currency. This picture of "overthrowing their tables" reminds me of the references to "turned upside down" which in every case in the Bible is a reference to the Judgement of God during the Day of the Lord. What is causing people to rise up right now is "zeal for thy house". You are seeing crowds spontaneously sing the National anthem, you are seeing parents taking on school boards over CRT, legislators calling for forensic audits, etc. What we are seeing is "zeal for they house" eating up this nation.

John 2:18 The Jews therefore answered and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he spake this; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

The Temple was destroyed on the 9th of Av. Actually both temples were destroyed on the 9th of Av as well as a long list of other horrific events all depicting the crucifixion of God's people (the order for the Final Solution to exterminate the Jews in the Holocaust was given on the 9th of Av). They asked for a sign seeing He was doing these things and He said the sign would be the resurrection. The rapture is a resurrection.

So then we have a reference to the Day of the Lord (turned upside down) tied to a reference to the powers of heaven are shaken (money changers in the temple have the money poured out) tied to the 9th of Av (destroy this temple) tied to the rapture (raise it up in 3 days).
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
More on "destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up"

John 2:18 The Jews therefore answered and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he spake this; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

2Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

I think it is interesting that prior to the rapture there must be a falling away and the man of sin is revealed. Prior to the Lord's crucifixion there was a falling away and Judas was revealed. During the 9th of Av throughout history there has been a falling away and the man of sin has been revealed whether we are talking about the ten spies with an evil report or Hitler, or whoever.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 - 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.

We shall be "caught up" as a reference to the rapture and in John the Lord says "I will raise it up".

Revelation 3:10 - Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

The 9th of Av is called a day of weeping.


26 And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 27 How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, that murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. 28 Say unto them, As I live, saith Jehovah, surely as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: 29 your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, that have murmured against me, 30 surely ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware that I would make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

There seems to be a close comparison between Revelation 3:10 and Numbers 1:26-30. Those that were faithful and kept the Lord's word are kept out of the hour of trial and in Numbers Joshua and Caleb were faithful and kept the Lord's word and so they are kept out of the wilderness, everyone else will perish there, but those two get to enter in.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 - For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

This also is something we can see in the story of the 9th of Av. This is the point that Joshua and Caleb are trying to make, we aren't appointed to wrath, the Lord will make a way for us to obtain salvation, just be faithful, trust Him.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
A closer look at the 9th of Av, the Lord's word in John, and the rapture

Psalm 78:41 And they turned again and tempted God,
And provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They remembered not his hand,
Nor the day when he redeemed them from the adversary;


This is a reference to the 9th of Av. Their sin was that they did not remember all the mighty acts of God. Think about all those Christians who today are turning again and tempting God and provoking the Holy One of Israel in dismissing talk of the rapture. What is their sin, they are not remembering his hand, nor are they remembering the day that we were redeemed, the day of resurrection from the grave.

43 How he set his signs in Egypt,
And his wonders in the field of Zoan,
44 And turned their rivers into blood,
And their streams, so that they could not drink.
45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them;
And frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar,
And their labor unto the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
And their sycomore-trees with frost.
48 He gave over their cattle also to the hail,
And their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger,
Wrath, and indignation, and trouble,
A band of angels of evil.


Open your eyes and you can see these signs all over the globe, the plagues, the pestilence, the hail, the band of angels of evil.

50 He made a path for his anger;
He spared not their soul from death,
But gave their life over to the pestilence,
51 And smote all the first-born in Egypt,
The chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.


There is evidence that this vaccine is not designed to protect you from Covid but rather to give you a genetic disease which will sterilize you. Not only so but they are not sparing anyone, everyone is being mandated to take it.

52 But he led forth his own people like sheep,
And guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 And he led them safely, so that they feared not;
But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary,
To this mountain, which his right hand had gotten.


He brought them to Sinai but we are told in Hebrews that we don't come to Sinai rather we come to Mount Zion. This is a reference to the wedding and the rapture.

55 He drove out the nations also before them,
And allotted them for an inheritance by line,
And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.


We are looking at a victory here.

56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God,
And kept not his testimonies;
57 But turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers:
They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.


This is the falling away. We see this today, you shoot an arrow and for some reason the bow causes the arrow to turn aside. We have politicians who we are calling on to do a forensic audit and for some reason they keep turning aside like a deceitful bow.

58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places,
And moved him to jealousy with their graven images.


We saw this when the Zeal of thy house ate up the Lord and He turned the tables on the money changers. This is a reference to His "shaking the powers of heaven". In John we see that the temple has been infested with idol worship and they turned His father's house into a house of merchandise.

59 When God heard this, he was wroth,
And greatly abhorred Israel;
60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
The tent which he placed among men;
61 And delivered his strength into captivity,
And his glory into the adversary’s hand.
62 He gave his people over also unto the sword,
And was wroth with his inheritance.
63 Fire devoured their young men;
And their virgins had no marriage-song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword;
And their widows made no lamentation.


This sounds very much like the tribulation.

65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep,
Like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
66 And he smote his adversaries backward:
He put them to a perpetual reproach.


This looks like the second rapture.

67 Moreover he refused the tent of Joseph,
And chose not the tribe of Ephraim,
68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
The mount Zion which he loved.


According to Hebrews we have come to Mount Zion.

69 And he built his sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which he hath established for ever.


This sounds like what the Lord said "I will raise it up on the third day" referring to the Temple.

70 He chose David also his servant,
And took him from the sheepfolds:
71 From following the ewes that have their young he brought him,
To be the shepherd of Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart,

And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Festival of our Future Redemption

The 15th of Av was a festival of our future redemption. It was a night when the daughters of Jerusalem would go dance in the vineyard and those that didn't have a bride would go there to find a bride. It is also the day on which the dead from the sin generation stopped dying. Prior to this every year they would dig graves on the 9th of Av and a portion of them would die in the night. This time they spent a week every night sleeping in the grave until they realized that the curse was over. So on the 15th of Av "the dead in Christ rose first".

The fifteenth of Av is the Full moon which is August 22nd.

Compare these two stories with the Lord's word "two will be in the field, one will be taken and one left" (just like the daughters of Jerusalem going out to dance in the field) and two will be in the bed one taken and one left (just like those lying in the graves).

The Talmud considers this the greatest festival of the year! This was a joyous holiday and considered the happiest day of the year along with Yom Kippur. It is considered a day of romance and an auspicious day for a wedding.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
15 and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

There is a gospel in the stars, and one of the stars in the foot of the Lion is crushing the serpent's head. So it is this constellation which tells this story. The sun is in this constellation in the month of Av.

So let's consider this verse as it might relate to the rapture. In all three gospels we learn that "the powers of the heavens will be shaken". This is a spiritual battle going on where the Lord is crushing the head of the serpent. Crushing the head is done first, the counter punch is that the serpent will bruise His heel. Bruising the heel can be compared to the tribulation.

So it would be fitting in this month that the head of the serpent is crushed, defeated, his power is shaken. We know that the "power of heaven is shaken" cannot refer to God's kingdom because His kingdom is unshakeable.

It would also seem fitting that the 9th of Av is the serpent biting His heel. This would make me think, hypothesize, that the 8th of Av could be the rapture, hence "no one knows the day" because there is no celebration for this day, at least not yet. In typology the Bride goes up and is kept for a week before the wedding (the tribulation) but also according to this a week before this 15th of Av date.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Zephaniah 1:3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the birds of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah.

 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Hosea 4: 3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.


 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Hebrews 11 -- Do not be deceived

Many Christians are afflicted with the Rodney King syndrome, "Can we all just get along". It is based on a lack of knowledge and as Hosea said "My people perish because of a lack of knowledge".

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

We are hoping to be raptured in the first rapture, or as the Jewish custom is, we are hoping that our names would be written in the book of life. If you want some confidence and assurance about this you need to pray for faith. Remember, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

This is where the deception comes in. The ancients were not commended for being popular, for not causing waves, for "getting along", they were commended for faith. This chapter will make it very clear that faith is definitely not "getting along" and "not causing waves". Speech is currently being monitored, "corrected" and censored. If you bow to that it is wholly contrary to what we see in Hebrews 11. Sometimes it is absolutely stunning what some people will say and do. The arrogance and gall is incredible. But no one is commended for that and ten years later they are exposed as liars and frauds, and no one cares. But people with faith, people like Abraham, Paul, Peter, and Jesus, we remember their words thousands of years later.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Great example of something that you are not allowed to say and that has been censored, ridiculed, mocked, and "corrected". This is a very important and fundamental lesson in science. We could not figure out the mysteries of the universe until we were able to see the things that are unseen. No one can explain what an electron is. I teach Chemistry and my students are surprised when I tell them I don’t know what an electron is. I then tell them what we know and then they too will answer when I ask what is an electron: “I don’t know”. However, even though that is true we can do amazing chemistry and make all kinds of substances because we understand that the electrons are critical in telling us how they will all fit together. Every day scientists make things that you can see out of things you can’t. If we do this in a shadow, then surely the reality is that God has made what is visible out of what is not visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

Think about that, how powerful is faith. If your words have faith they don’t die just because you do. Today, thousands of years later, we have people all over the globe examining the words of the apostles and prophets and discovering new things every day. Abel was not "popular" because his offering was better, on the contrary it stirred up jealousy and envy. However, it propelled human civilization forward. It was a major step forward in the full transition from hunter gatherer to the agricultural society. Archaeologists will tell you that raising domesticated animals was a major development in human society, read "Guns, Germs and Steel". Horses were our tanks and transportation, Oxen were the animals that helped us transform the landscape, mules and donkeys were critical in helping us mine ore, all of the diseases in our herd animals actually protected the herders (which is why the Native Americans all died when we arrived in America).

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

Enoch is an excellent example. He is a man of faith, he was a type of those who were raptured, and his prophecy is commended as being divinely inspired by many of the New Testament writers. His words still live today. Enoch pleased God it doesn't say he pleased man. Paul even tells us that if he were still pleasing man he wouldn't be pleasing God. There is nothing that would suggest that either Abel or Enoch pleased men. What do we know about Enoch, "he walked with God". Sounds like a loner.

6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

What does the Lord say about those who have their reward in this life and won't be rewarded by God? They do everything publicly to be seen of men. They are actors, performers, entertainers (hypocrites). If you hope to be raptured then surely you must please God and without faith that is impossible. There are three things you must believe in order to come to God. You have to believe that He exists and He rewards those who seek Him. Finally, you have to believe the Lord’s word that no one comes unto the Father but by the Lord Jesus.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

There are many aspects to the gospel of salvation. The very term “salvation” implies there is something to be saved from which is a sinful world. The act of receiving the gospel and obeying the Lord’s commands condemns the world. You aren’t trying to condemn anyone, but they are condemned for refusing to receive the warning. That implies they have heard the same warning as you and rejected it. So you can see how all of humanity is split by this one matter of faith. Some receive the warning by faith, others reject the warning because they are faithless. The rapture is about taking those that please the Lord, those who have faith, received the warning and obeyed the Lord’s commands.

This is where the deception is really obvious. People think that the reason we preach the gospel is so that people will get saved. The problem with that is what happens if people reject the gospel, does that mean you are a failure? Noah preached the gospel for decades, maybe more than 100 years, and yet how many received his word, how many were saved? Just eight people counting himself. Here in Hebrews 11 Noah is not listed here because he had a prevailing gospel ministry where thousands came to the Lord. No, it says "by his faith he condemned the world", that is why he is listed here. Do you think Noah was popular with the world? Anyone like to be condemned? The bible says that Noah "was a preacher of righteousness". It isn't a popular topic with man, only with God.

If you think that the goal of the gospel is to get people saved then the guy with the "Mega church" and ten thousand attendees is the one to imitate and follow. As long as you are thinking that way you will never follow or imitate Noah. I can list off 5 mega church pastors who had "prevailing gospel ministries" and who also were involved in trafficking children in pedophile rings. Do you think anyone who was involved in trafficking children in pedophile rings is going to be pleasing to God? Do not be deceived, how many of these tele evangelists put up numbers as proof that they are men of faith only for us later to learn that they cheat on their taxes, commit fornication, or even worse, are involved in Satanism?
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Hebrews 11 -- Do not be deceived, cont.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

We have had many smaller experiences of this, but in the grand scheme of things, we obey the Lord’s words and follow Him and ultimately this will include the rapture, where we will be going to a place where we don’t know. We don’t know where it is and we don’t know how to get there. This means he left his family, he left his friends, he left the community he grew up in. Many Christians are "set, settled", and would refuse to do such a thing.

9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

Living in tents is a big deal to God. The feast of tabernacles celebrates this every year. It gives you a feeling of confidence to know that you could survive in the wilderness. "Stranger in a foreign country" indicates he didn't fit in.

10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

They talk about people pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. If you live on the land in a tent while you build the city, that is a great heritage. You are imitating God who called not being as being. There are a lot of reasons that someone might not "assimilate", they might not fit in, they might act strange (living in a tent). Being strange and not assimilating is not evidence of faith, no the reason was simple, he was focused on the city of God. That implies a judgement on the cities of man. The reason he left his country, his land, his community was because he was looking for that city, he is not about to exchange the city of God which was promised to him for a very poor substitute.

11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

How remarkable is it that the Jewish people can trace their lineage back all the way to Abraham. People do not forget faith and they don’t forget men of faith.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Once again, those who are raptured are those that God is not ashamed of to be called their God. We have been looking for a country of our own and have no interest in returning to the world we left behind when we were baptized. Again, there is this deception out there about what these ones that get raptured are like as though as soon as that last person is saved then the Lord returns. Seriously, the Lord's return will be held hostage by one lone holdout to the gospel?

Look at these people, none of them fits that profile. Abel provoked jealousy and envy and was killed, Enoch walked with God (something of a loner), Noah was a preacher of righteousness, very few were saved through that preaching but the world was condemned by it, Abraham became a stranger in a foreign land living in tents because of faith, Sarah believed that the one who promised was faithful.

Faith is expressed in many ways, but so far in Hebrews we have yet to see the tele evangelist listed in Hebrews 11. This is not a pet peeve, it is a carefully crafted stratagem of the evil one to get believers to be focused on being popular. You see this today, people want to just "go along" with the censorship, "don't make waves". "Just because you aren't allowed to speak certain things doesn't mean they control what you think". Really? They control what you hear, what you see and what you say, but you don't think that will control your faith? Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. If you are not allowed to speak the word of God or hear the word of God how is it they aren't controlling your faith?
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Hebrews 11 -- Do not be deceived, part 3

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

This is the big test. Will you sacrifice everything to obey the Lord’s speaking? If I speak up I could lose my job. Maybe I got that job as God's answer to my prayer. "Surely I shouldn't sacrifice my job." Tell that to Abraham, the father of faith. What was it that God really appreciated about Abraham again? He had a successful ranching operation? No, that isn't it. He brought Lot to the Lord? Nope. Oh yeah, he was looking forward to a city made by God. That city, did it involve censoring the word of God? If one of those words would cause him to sacrifice everything he had, even his experiences of God what would he choose? What if we just cut this one little word out, just kind of ignore it? Obedience is better than sacrifice, it is the real sacrifice. You can claim to have faith, well then let's see your obedience to the word of God when it really counts, when it is really going to cost you.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

Can you do everything by faith? Many look at this story as being a story of Jacob deceiving Isaac, yet God tells us he blessed him by faith.

21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

How exactly did Jacob do this? He had to have known the two kids, prayed for them, and sought God for them. Your faith can be expressed, like Enoch with a prophecy, or like Noah in building a boat, or like Jacob in praying for your grandchildren.

22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

You can pray for your people, and those in bondage. What do Isaac, Jacob and Joseph all have in common? They have their eyes fixed on the city that God is building, they are speaking blessing and prophecies concerning this city and concerning our exodus from this evil age.
 

ZNP

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2020
36,155
6,529
113
Hebrews 11 -- Do not be deceived, part 4

23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

Faith can be expressed by civil disobedience, rejecting unjust laws, like Rosa Parks. Can we please read the word of God as a warning to us from God who knows exactly who are enemy is and what he will do? Pharaoh was trying to kill all the males in Israel. Whether with abortion, or infanticide, or censorship, that is the goal shut them up and kill them. Do not be so naive to think they couldn't possibly be that evil. They could be, you have been told they are, and if you willfully ignore that warning it is on you, don't blame God.

The Pandemic was created in a bioweapons lab. Of course it is theoretically possible that the release of this virus was an accident. But that doesn't explain the cover up from the Wuhan Lab, from the CCP, or from Fauci. They knew it came from the lab and intentionally tried to turn people away from looking there. It also doesn't explain China hiding the the genome sequence for months, an action that resulted in many people dying. It doesn't explain why China, knowing the virus was loose locked down Wuhan to all domestic travel yet kept international flights open. It doesn't explain Fauci authorizing only one treatment for Covid which would actually make it worse and lead to death. Nor does it explain people like Cuomo doing the exact opposite of what any rational person would do, putting infected people into nursing homes boosting the death rate, nor does it explain why Fauci would hold up Cuomo as the "gold standard" of how to respond to the virus, or why Hollywood gave him an Emmy, or why the Mainstream media loved him and vilified Desantis.

As far as I am concerned you have to be the biggest idiot in the world to trust these people, and if you are that big an idiot that is fine, God doesn't just save people with discernment. So I am not interested in having them mandate a vaccine which is experimental and which I am not allowed to ask relevant questions about, and where they silence anyone who does ask questions. Sorry, I'm not afraid of the King's edict.