Summary of Bible references on the Rapture

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Bible References in this Blog (so far)


Entire Book


1Samuel


2Corinthians


Joel


Jonah


Luke


Esther


Galatians


1Peter


Amos


James


Ephesians


2Samuel


Philippians


Habakkuk


Colossians


Hebrews


Hosea


1John


Zephaniah




Individual Chapters


Revelation 2-3, 4, 5, 6


Isaiah 5, 9, 10, 13, 26, 53, 54, 60


Hebrews 10:25


Proverbs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25


Psalm 2, 10, 12, 37, 40, 41, 45, 113, 118


Exodus 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15


Acts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11


1Kings 1,


1Timothy 3, 4


2Timothy 3


John 14, 15, 16, 17,


2Peter 2,


Joshua 2, 3, 4, 6


Daniel 5


Genesis 49


Jeremiah 4, 5, 6, 9, 17, 18, 25,


2Thess 2:1-8


Mark 3, 13


Matthew 2, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 24, 25


Ezekiel 7, 21, 34


Romans 1, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14


Leviticus 23:15-17


Key Topics


The fifth seal


The second Passover


The Feast of unleavened bread


The festival of the firstfruits

 

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Psalm 81 -- Blow the trumpet in the concealed day

1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. 2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. 3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

This is a Psalm for the festival of trumpets.

4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob. 5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

Remember that we were slaves in Egypt when God delivered us.

6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

Likewise, this pandemic has essentially caused a shut down, delivering our shoulders from the work.

7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

Remember, that in the past we called and He delivered. It may seem like you will not be able to pay your bills, but that will not matter if the Lord comes in to deliver.

8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; 9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

There are a lot of strange Gods in the world today.

10 I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

But during this pandemic it has been an opportunity for us to open our mouths wide and share the word.

11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. 12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels. 13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

We have many, many natural disasters that are essentially man made, if we had walked in the counsels of the Lord the world would not be in a shambles right now.

14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. 15 The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. 16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

There are several groups of people here. Some will be weeping and gnashing their teeth because they did not listen to the Lord but walked in their own counsel. There are those who are worshipping strange gods and will bring a curse upon themselves. There are those who trust in the Lord and called unto Him in time of trouble and He delivered them, and first and foremost there are those who are making a joyful noise unto the Lord in the midst of this trouble. Hallelujah!

 

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Deuteronomy 26 -- The Lord has declared this day that you are His people

1 When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, 2 take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name 3 and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.”

The way I understand it, this is how the Jews celebrate Shavuot, the feast of weeks, or the feast of firstfruits. Just as on Pentecost when the Lord told them to wait for the promise of the Spirit, we are now at the end of the age told by the Lord to wait on Him for His coming. So then on Pentecost we will have the testimony that “we have come to the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.”

4 The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5 Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous.

This is surely the testimony of the church today. Worldwide there is no greater people. Christians are powerful, they are numerous, and that is why the totalitarian regimes persecute them.

6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. 7 Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression.

Right now we should be crying out to the Lord. The contract we have with the government (the Constitution) is being disregarded. We are being abused forcing all Christians to pay for abortions around the world, stealing elections, and disregarding the law.

8 So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.

This is what we are praying for and expect.

9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him.

The firstfruits will all have something to show for themselves, just as when the Lord returned from a long journey and those with the 2 talents and those with the 5 had something to show for it.

11 Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household. 12 When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied. 13 Then say to the Lord your God: “I have removed from my house the sacred portion and have given it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, according to all you commanded. I have not turned aside from your commands nor have I forgotten any of them. 14 I have not eaten any of the sacred portion while I was in mourning, nor have I removed any of it while I was unclean, nor have I offered any of it to the dead. I have obeyed the Lord my God; I have done everything you commanded me. 15 Look down from heaven, your holy dwelling place, and bless your people Israel and the land you have given us as you promised on oath to our ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

This is the Lord’s command to us, to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Follow the Lord’s Commands

16 The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. 18 And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. 19 He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.

This is what the rapture of the firstfruits is all about. It is a declaration that they walked in obedience to Him, that they kept His decrees and commandments, they listened to the Lord. And it is a declaration that they are peculiar treasure, a holy people that the Lord has set in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations.

 

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Psalm 47 -- Shout with a voice of Triumph

1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. 2 For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. 3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. 4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

This psalm depicts a shout of triumph (Yom Teruah -- Festival of Trumpets) where Jesus is a great king over all the earth and will choose our inheritance for us (Jubilee).

5 God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. 8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

He has gone up with a shout, with the sound of a trumpet -- (rapture). He reigns over the heathen (coronation which takes place on Festival of Trumpets). He is king “over all the earth”. It is time to stop thinking that Christians have nothing to do with this, that and other things. This idea that my kingdom is not of this world, that is temporary, ultimately “God reigneth over the heathen”.

 

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Acts 12 -- Isn’t this exciting?

1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

This is done on the Passover. What a picture! This is what the tribulation will be like, some Christians will be killed, martyred like James. Others will be delivered miraculously so that they can stand and testify for the Lord.

12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

So how do you meet in the midst of great tribulation? Meet in houses, pray, seek the Lord. After the rapture who should you trust? Well those that “Herod” wants to arrest and kill would be a good place to start, then those who are delivered from prison as an answer to prayer would be another good way to know who to trust.

18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

If you are part of the cancel culture you can be sure that one day they will come for you as well. James was martyred for his faith, he will get a reward. How about these guards? They were killed because they sided with a homicidal maniac running the country.

Herod’s Death

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.

This is why the US government loves to have trillion dollar stimulus packages, it isn’t because they are being generous. No, they aren’t spending their money, they are spending yours, and they aren’t giving it to you, they are using it to control people. If I control your “food supply”, whether it is your job, your housing, your health insurance, whatever, then I can control you. The federal government is on track to spend $11 trillion this year and are already proposing spending more than $10 trillion more. It is your money they are spending, they will put you into debt for the rest of your life (slavery) and by spending your money they will become much more powerful, controlling everything.

21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”

Look at how spineless they are. People are such hypocrites and liars. When I was in college I was told by unbelievers that believing in God was a crutch for the weak, they weren’t weak, they didn’t need “that drug”. Now look at them, calling a homicidal maniac “a god”. They are as weak and spineless as jellyfish.

23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

So Herod was not struck down because he killed those guards? If my husband or brother were killed by Herod for doing their job I would have been outraged. I would have prayed that God see from the heavens and judge. Now if I was called in to judge Herod for this I would want to know if this is true. Is it true you see yourself as God and can decide who can live and die? This event confirmed that this was true, and He was struck down and eaten by worms.

24 But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Speak the word of God. Anything else just leads to shame and disgrace.

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from[a] Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.

Isn’t this exciting? Imagine you were in the great tribulation, the first fruits were taken, you are now hiding with a few saints in a house praying when Peter is delivered, you see God judge Herod, and now new brothers are rising up to speak the word. Who knows, maybe one fo them is going to be another Paul! True, Peter denied the Lord, and true those who were left behind were also not faithful to the Lord. But this is not Herod, you can stumble, repent and go on. Who knows you can be an Apostle Peter or Paul. You can be a Barnabas, son of consolation, you can even be Rhoda, a ding bat servant who will be forever remembered fondly in the word of God.

 

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John 18:1-18 -- The Don’t make waves strategy

1 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.

2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

7 Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”

Wow. Judas a traitor is leading soldiers to arrest Jesus for being a “traitor”. This is called “projection”. We are seeing this today, everything they accuse others of is what they themselves are guilty of. Think about January 6th. They were outraged at this “insurrection”. Trump was accused of “inciting a riot”. However, Trump began his speech about 30 minutes later than it was originally planned and as a result those who rioted started the riot a mile away about the same time Trump began to speak so it was obvious he hadn’t incited them. But worse, those that were so “outraged” at Trump had been inciting riots for the last year. You have Schumer inciting a riot outside the Supreme court, Maxine Waters inciting riots for the last twenty years, and on and on. Now we see BLM’s list of demands and it is abundantly clear that what they want is Trump. They want him prohibited from running for office, they want him charged with crimes, they want him silenced to never appear again.

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

Please pay attention! Peter, the same guy who denies the Lord three times cuts off the ear. Do not allow the traitors and evil workers to get you unbalanced. Regardless of what happens we stand on righteousness and see that all things that happen are under God’s sovereignty.

12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.

Why is the father in law the first one they bring him to? This is how elites work, you marry for position and power.

Peter’s First Denial

15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, 16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

17 “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter.

He replied, “I am not.”

Prepare yourself. Make the Lord your testimony to the point that you can no longer deny it. You have two choices as a Christian kind of like the two choices that a heavy weight fighter has when he enters the ring. First, throw so many punches that your opponent is overwhelmed. This is what the Lord did, speaking all the time, from every angle, to every person. Every time they turned around someone was being raised from the dead, or healed, or released from demon possession. He was coming at them fast and furious, they couldn’t respond quickly enough. The other option is to do what Peter does which is to say if I act real nice and don’t say anything to offend my opponent maybe he won’t punch me. It has to be the dumbest, stupidest strategy you can imagine and yet how many Christians opt for the “don’t make waves” strategy?

18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

The “don’t make waves” strategy includes the tactics of trying to blend in and become a wall flower. If you choose this path you will loose all self respect. Will you be able to live with yourself?

 

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John 18:25-32 What kind of death is this?

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

25 Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”

He denied it, saying, “I am not.”

26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” 27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Be warned, the Lord has already told you beforehand. If you don’t brace yourself and set yourself up so there is no possibility to deny the Lord you will leave yourself and out and for all eternity you will be caught lying and denying the Lord. Think about it, a relative of the man who Peter had cut his ear off, that was surely God the Father’s sovereignty putting Peter’s sins in front of him.

Jesus Before Pilate

28 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

30 “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

31 Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. 32 This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

What kind of death is this? Phony charges, people who are truly criminals, killing people, abusing people, oppressing people are projecting their crimes onto Him. He would be betrayed by Judas, set up by the religious establishment and then the death sentence would be rubber stamped by spineless politicians.

 

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John 18:33-40 Everyone on the side of truth listens to Jesus

33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

34 “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

Where is the deep state? Where is the stuff we hear about with the paranoid conspiracy theories? You have a bunch of corrupt Jewish leaders who feel their position is threatened by Jesus. They have cut a deal with the devil. Remember when the devil tempted Jesus that if He bowed down to Satan he would give Jesus all these kingdoms? Well the religious leaders made that bargain.

36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

What a misunderstood verse. The Lord’s kingdom is not of “this” world. That is the evil satanic system. Jesus is Lord of all, that means He will rule and reign over all people. His kingdom is definitely about people, for people and of people. It just isn’t of “this world” that Satan is currently ruling.

37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

So there are two sides, not Democrat and Republican, not Conservative and liberal, not right wing and left wing, but those on the side of the truth and those on the side of Satan.

38 “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. 39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

40 They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.

This is the problem, if you are not clearly and wholly on the side of truth you don’t even know what truth is. People who deceive others wind up deceiving themselves with the same deception they deceived others with. Recently Bill Maher admitted that Russian collusion with Donald Trump was a hoax. He promoted that hoax for years. He castigated and ridiculed Trump for years and now he is realizing he was deceived with the same deception he was promoting. So then what does it mean to be on the side of Satan? It means you will be shouting for Barabbas, a man involved in uprisings, insurrection, riots, looting, etc. Instead of the savior of the world you will choose a common thug of the Satanic world.

 

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Five women that express the first fruits

There are five women referenced in the genealogy of Jesus given by Matthew. I think these five are very interesting because the fifth is Mary and according to Luke Mary is a type of first fruits, those who are raptured first.

I think it is hard to fully appreciate Mary without the stories of these other four.

Tamar -- she is the antithesis of Esau. Whereas Esau despised his birthright, which is likened to selling his birthright for a bowl of beans, Tamar coveted the birthright. According to the New Testament fornicators and profane people are likened to Esau who sold his birthright for a meal. However, Tamar took on the appearance of a profane fornicator but rather than despising her birthright she coveted it. She knew God's law and that according to the Law Judah should have given her to his son, but he didn't. She also knew that in the broadest sense God's law would include her being given to Judah. Even though she could have been put to death she stood on God's word trusting that word. I think we can appreciate that this is what Mary did when she trusted in God's word.

Rahab -- she was a prostitute but she feared God more than the people she lived with. She knew that God was with Israel and would judge the evil people she was with. Once again, consider Mary, it is all a question of what do you fear. Do you fear reproach and shame or do you fear the Lord? Today the entire world knows her as "the virgin Mary". It must have taken tremendous faith for her to believe that this would be the case.

Ruth -- she was a Moabitess and according to the law they are not allowed into Israel till the tenth generation, yet she left her people to be faithful to her mother in law. She would have been the lowest of the low in the society and she chose to do that out of faithfulness. Through her we learn that God does not judge according to the outward but He judges men according to their heart. In her heart she said that "your God will be my God and your people will be my people". Once again, think about Mary, she was faithful to God without any hesitancy. Peter denied the Lord and tried to fit in with the world, no way Mary is going to "fit in" when she is six months pregnant.

Uriah's wife -- This is the one that is hardest to understand unless you are considering Mary. What was Bathsheba's crime? To be fair to her it was David's sin, not hers. She wasn't flirting with David. The king called for her, what is she going to do, say no? And yet her name (Bathsheba) is synonymous with lust. She is tarred with David's sin. Think about Mary, she was pledged to Joseph when the Lord decided to tell her she would have the Baby Jesus. It makes sense, the Lord needed Joseph to take care of her once Jesus is born, but it was really unfair to Mary and Joseph. I use the word "unfair" not unrighteous. If they were both fully given to the Lord to serve Him and help bring in His kingdom there was nothing unrighteous, still it was unfair. I suspect that many women gave Bathsheba the cold shoulder, what David did to her was also "unfair". David sinned against Uriah but Bathsheba was also a victim in that sin and had to live with that sin for her whole life.

I see a pattern here, these women were willing to despise the shame to follow the Lord, to obey the Lord, to be faithful to the Lord and to fear the Lord.

 

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Psalm 50 To whom the Lord will show the salvation of God

1 The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.

8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.

9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee.

18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.

20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.

21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

 

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Proverbs 26 -- Wake up, they are working to ruin this country

1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool.

Joe Biden has appointed several high profile fools to positions of honor. One notable one was in charge of the border, in perfect Spanish announced the border is open, and then presided over the crisis prior to having to resign. Another one of these fools represents the US to the world at the UN and disparages the US as a racist country.

2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

Trump had several undeserved curses that were flung his way. He was cursed for how he handled the border but is now being commended as the one who really knew how to handle that. He was cursed for suggesting we could use Hydrochloroquine to treat Covid but that also has since been proved to be true.

3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the backs of fools! 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.

This appears to be a contradiction, but not really. Do not answer a fool according to his folly because if you do you will be just like him. However, if you are already going to be just like him then that is pointless to factor that into the decision and in that case answer him or he will be wise in his own eyes. For example, race baiting, it is generally better to avoid being baited into responding because whatever you say will be mischaracterized. However, if it is too late and you have already been labeled as a racist because of the “critical race theory” then you need to respond and dismantle that pathetic thesis.

6 Sending a message by the hands of a fool is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.

Yes, I have learned to say what I am going to say in writing because I find that giving a fool the message to mangle is just like drinking poison.

7 Like the useless legs of one who is lame is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. 8 Like tying a stone in a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

Wow, the way I get it, he is saying that giving honor to a fool is like loading a bullet in the chamber.

9 Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Imagine a drunkard who is staggering around, falling into people, falling on the ground and doing all that while holding a thornbush in his hand.

10 Like an archer who wounds at random is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.

Again, it appears to me that Joe Biden is hiring fools or any passer by to important positions in the government.

11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.

Biden promised that not one of his relatives would have business interests in China, yet here we are in May and we learn that Hunter Biden still has significant business interests in China.

12 Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them. 13 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!”

If you allow Cancel Culture to be used as an excuse to do nothing then you are a sluggard.

14 As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.

15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.

Right now we are seeing ordinary Americans all over this country doing something and answering discreetly. Some are getting involved in precinct politics, some are involved in auditing the election, some are involved in setting up alternate platforms for speech, still others are involved in getting the news out. What are the sluggards doing? Nothing.

17 Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own.

18 Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death

19 is one who deceives their neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”

20 Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down.

The mainstream media is acting as a gossip, throwing wood on the fire to keep their race war blazing. Recently the NY Times lost a major lawsuit where they had acted like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of slander. CNN has also been exposed.

21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.

22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts.

23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart.

24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.

25 Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.

26 Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

This is what I have seen with the Biden administration. You love what they say, it sounds great. But it is covering up evil and disguising deceit. Their heart is filled with malice and abominations. But now after a few months it is being exposed. A BLM supporter calling to kill police followed by running a policeman over. A woman pulled over for a traffic stop spewing forth racist hate speech.

27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.

The election fraud was a pit they dug. Getting Biden elected was like rolling a heavy stone up a big hill. What do you think happens when this gets revealed in the audits? Those who were elected through fraud get thrown into a pit. Those who perpetrated this fraud will have the weight of justice fall on their heads.

28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.

One thing has become very clear, there are a lot of people who are now in Biden’s administration that are filled with hate. The hate is quite evident if you simply read what they have written or said previously. It is also clear that Biden’s administration is working ruin to this country. It is as though they hooked up a vacuum cleaner to the printing presses that print US dollars. Not only so but they have torn down our walls that protect this country. On many, many fronts they are actively working to bring ruin to America.

 

[ZNP]

Isaiah 29:1-14 -- Let God Arise

Woe to you, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David settled! Add year to year and let your cycle of festivals go on.

Compare this with verse 11. He gives us the scroll and we can’t read it because it is sealed up. Every year they kept the cycle of festivals not realizing that they depicted bigger events that marked the ages. Jesus crucifixion was the true passover. The spirit falling on the disciples was the true Pentecost. At the end of the age we have several festivals.

2 Yet I will besiege Ariel; she will mourn and lament, she will be to me like an altar hearth.

He will make our cities like the hearth of the great altar. In other words everything will be burnt up to ashes. Right now the economy is being burnt up, the dead are being burnt up, our way of life is being burnt up.

3 I will encamp against you on all sides; I will encircle you with towers and set up my siege works against you.

We are completely encircled with this virus. They are scaling the walls, they are breaking in through the gate.

4 Brought low, you will speak from the ground; your speech will mumble out of the dust. Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth; out of the dust your speech will whisper.5 But your many enemies will become like fine dust, the ruthless hordes like blown chaff.

The boastful, arrogant speech has been silenced. No one cares about some NBA star, or some other media darling. We have been humbled. And our enemy, this virus, is like fine dust. They are ruthless, don’t care if you are elderly, or sick, or even a young child. And they come on us like blown chaff.

Suddenly, in an instant, 6 the Lord Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire.

This is the festival of Trumpets. We are announcing that the King is coming. When He arrives there will be a great earthquake. When the firstfruits are raptured it will be suddenly, then the great dragon will realize his time is short and send a horrific flood out to destroy God's people. Take a look we are seeing windstorms, tempest, and flames of devouring fire. Things are about to get real.

7 Then the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel, that attack her and her fortress and besiege her, will be as it is with a dream, with a vision in the night— 8 as when a hungry person dreams of eating, but awakens hungry still; as when a thirsty person dreams of drinking, but awakens faint and thirsty still. So will it be with the hordes of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion.

Everyday we hear of some cure whether it is some drug, or some theory like disinfectant or UV light. Then we wake up and look at the numbers and they continue to increase. More are infected, more as dying than yesterday. They are going to have a massive testing that will allow them to reopen the schools in September, but then they will awake and realize the situation is worse today than yesterday. Now it is ten months later, schools are still being taught remotely and now we are told that hopefully next September schools will be reopened. But wait, the second wave of this pandemic is hitting India harder and more apocalyptic than anything we saw previously. Suppose in a month or two this wave hits the US and we wake up to realize there will be no quick cure.

9 Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer. 10 The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers). 11 For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.”12 Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”

This is where the rubber meets the road. This is the day we have been waiting and watching for. The festival of trumpets is when trumpets sound to wake you up! September 23, 2017 we had the great Revelation 12 sign in the heavens on the festival of Trumpets. Since that day many believers have been blowing the trumpet to wake people up. Sadly many will be exposed as not being prepared. For them the vision is nothing but words. It is sealed up. When they read the prophets they can’t read it because “it is sealed”.

13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. 14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”

Hypocrisy. That is why they are blind and can’t read. It is all lip service. Their worship is an act, not with the heart. What kind of wisdom is that? It is a wisdom of how to appear to come near and worship, but when the real pressure is on then you see that wisdom vanishes in an instant. They are clueless.

 

[ZNP]

Isaiah 29:15-24 Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans

15 Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” 16 You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”?

Let’s look at an example of those who went to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord. The cigarette companies were manipulating the chemistry of cigarettes to make the nicotine a more powerful drug so that the cigarettes would be more addictive. They hired scientists to work on this but hid this because if cigarettes were a drug they would be regulated differently. They even lied to congress saying they did not act like a drug when it was well known within the company that they did. Then when a whistleblower was going to reveal on 60 Minutes that they lied to congress, that the cigarettes were a drug and were manipulated to more addictive despite also being deadly, they sued 60 Minutes. They said that if they revealed the truth of their lie it would be very costly to them and so they would sue CBS for their losses?! Talk about turning things upside down. God is the one who rules in righteousness and justice, not them. Are they going to instruct Him about the law? So they lost, they lost big time. That should be a wake up call to anyone else who is also trying to hide their plans from the Lord. We are now in the biggest investigation into election fraud in US history.

17 In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest? 18 In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. 19 Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

When I first began to seek the Lord I opened up the Bible, I started to read, and I had no idea what I was reading. It was sealed. I was like a person who couldn’t read. My prayer was “Lord, I need a crowbar to open this”. Today my soul glorifies my Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

20 The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down—21 those who with a word make someone out to be guilty, who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.

Since I started with the case about the cigarette companies I’ll finish with it as well. So, to prevent 60 Minutes from airing a devastating show that would fully expose the lies of the cigarette companies they attempted to smear the whistleblower. They put together a 500 page dossier of his sins including shoplifting, and failure to pay child support. They quoted a judge, police and his ex wife. Almost succeeded, but fortunately some people checked it out at their own expense. When they talked to the witnesses quoted in the dossier they heard a very different account and the Wall Street Journal, the number one supporter of big business, called it a smear campaign of the lowest level. They are doing the same thing to stop the election investigation and the more desperate they become the more certain we are that they are guilty.

22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob: “No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale. 23 When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Don’t you love this? Don’t you love being alive at this time when God will arise, when His enemies will be scattered, when His foes will flee? “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” (Rev 6:10). We have been patient, we have been praying, so Let God Arise!

24 Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction.”

I learned this as a stock broker. When people complain and question it indicates they are listening, interested and considering what you are saying. God is not afraid of this, He welcomes it.

 

[ZNP]

What is the significance of the Ascension day?

One thing has bothered me repeatedly about Pentecost. I can see how a feast called "the feast of the firstfruits" would refer to the rapture of the firstfruits. I can see how a feast that indicates a completion of the Sabbath rest (seven sabbaths) which in turn indicates the death and burial of the old man, and which signifies a new beginning would also refer to the rapture of the firstfruits. Fair enough, all that makes sense.

I also think I can understand why Jesus would be on earth for 40 days after the resurrection so that He could tell the apostles everything they needed to know to carry out their ministry and complete the word of God.

But what was bothering me was Jesus ascending to heaven ten days before the day of Pentecost. What is the significance of that? Then it hit me, they have to present two loaves baked with leaven at the feast of Pentecost. I used to make leavened bread, it takes several hours. If we had a big feast like Thanksgiving there is no way I am baking that bread on Thanksgiving, I would bake it the day before. That means I would go to the store at least two days before the feast. Which in turn means that the flour had to have been ground at least three days before, which in turn means the grain had to have been threshed at least four days before and therefore the harvest at a bare minimum was five days before the feast. Throw in a sabbath and it is easy to see that you would have to harvest the first fruits at least a week before the festival to have an opportunity to make leavened bread for the festival.

So then it seems to me that the "harvest" of the first fruits, the rapture, would take place prior to the festival. That in turn reminds me of the Lord's word that you would not know the day or the hour and that some would be in the field (at work) when the rapture takes place. If the rapture takes place a week or so prior to Pentecost then it doesn't take place on a holy day and people would be at work. That also might explain the verse about "I come quickly". It seems to me there are many verses that say the Lord came later than people expected and they fell asleep, so it seems incongruous that He also comes quickly. But ever since the Festival of Trumpets people have been sounding the trumpet that the Lord is coming and there are many who see the day converging on Pentecost, so if the rapture takes place in the week to ten days prior to that then He is also "coming quickly".

But that in turn brings up the question "what are these two loaves baked with leaven?" The leaven refers to the teachings and customs. We have gotten rid of the old leaven of the Christian teachings with the pandemic. Now, if we have a rapture prior to this festival you could see how this would result in new leaven, new teachings and customs.

So think about it, after seeing the Lord ascend to the heavens and spending ten days in a room praying you can imagine the disciples and apostles were filled with the Spirit and very bold to speak the word. The same thing could occur after the rapture. You could see how many Christians who miss the rapture could be filled with the Spirit and become very bold to speak the word.

 

[ZNP]

 

[ZNP]

Psalm 80 Awaken your might; come and save us

A prayer for today

1 Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth 2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us. 3 Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. 4 How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful. 6 You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us. 7 Restore us, God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. 8 You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land. 10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches. 11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River. 12 Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes? 13 Boars from the forest ravage it, and insects from the fields feed on it. 14 Return to us, God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, 15 the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself. 16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish. 17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself. 18 Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name. 19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.

 

[ZNP]

The Great Treasure hunt


1Corinthians 15 describes three raptures:

1. Christ / The Firstfruits —

2. Afterward they that are Christs’

3. Then the End


Exodus 23 also refers to three raptures— Feast of unleavened bread (Passover, unleavened bread and first fruit), The feast of harvest, the ingathering.

Leviticus 23 — Count 50 days starting from Firstfruits until Pentecost

According to Matthew and Mark Jesus resurrection was “on the one of the week”. That is because it is the first day of the fifty days, Jesus was the first resurrection, but all those who are His will join Him. 50 represents the Jubilee, Jesus’ ministry announced the Jubilee, it was the “one of the fifty days”. The end of the age will be the fulfillment of this promise.

John 22 Jesus breathed on the disciples and said receive the Holy Spirit. In Israel they have a “fifty day wind” which helps ripen the wheat in time for Pentecost. The Shara wind (50 day wind) is like the Lord breathing on the wheat to ripen it.

Rev 2:10 Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. [Dismiss your dread and your fears!] Behold, the devil is indeed about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and proved and critically appraised, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be loyally faithful unto death [even if you must die for it], and I will give you the crown of life.

Perhaps this explains the ten days from the day of ascension to the day of Pentecost. Is Jesus your Passover Lamb? Is He your unleavened bread? Is He the firstfruit? The Bible says that the first fruit “will be accepted for you”. Jesus is in Heaven, He has been accepted on our behalf. Therefore it is not a leap to say that these feast days are also prophetic, just as Paul said in Colossians 2.

Then the Bible says that as long as we keep the Passover we do “shew forth His death till He come”. The word “shew” is the same word as “count”. When we keep the Lord’s table we are counting the Sabbaths till the Lord comes. Counting means anticipation, watching, looking for. It is like a count down.

We should be the firstfruits of His creation. We have the spirit of the first fruit groaning in us.



Names of this feast and events that occurred on the Feast of Pentecost

Feast of Harvest -- We are told that the rapture is likened to the harvest.

Feast of Weeks -- You count seven weeks like seven ages. This age, the church age, has been divided into seven churches, seven lamps in the lampstand.

Feast of fifty days -- The term fifty is associated with the jubilee. The rapture is also associated with our jubilee.

Day of the Firstfruits — Numbers 28 (1Corinthians 15 calls Christ, the first fruit)

Pentecost -- Greek word for feast of fifty days, it represents the Jews and Gentiles becoming joined.

Pentecost is also called the day of jealousy — The day when Leah and Rachel fought over the mandrakes. Leah had “weak eyes” means she had blue eyes. She looked like a Gentile. Imagine how many of God's people will be made jealous at the rapture if they are left behind.

Day of Revelation — Day that the Lord appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat. The rapture is also called the day of revelation.

Day of Wrath — Day that Samson set the fields on fire. The day of the rapture signals to Satan that his time is short and so it is the start of the day of wrath.

Wedding Day — Day that Ruth married Boaz. The rapture is likened to the wedding day.

Return of the Ark — (Return of Jesus) 1Samuel 6:13. The rapture is also the return of Jesus.

Day of the King — 1Samuel 12:17 (Israel was saying “we want a king, we want a king” so God shows them the great error of what they have done). There will be a lot of Christians who are sleeping and will be woken up when they are locked out of the wedding feast. There are those who have been deceived by the apostasy just like this depicts.

Day that David bought the Temple mount, the threshing floor that became the foundation of the temple and he paid the full price for it, after a great plague across the land. (Matt 3:12) -- Think about that the foundation of the temple is a threshing floor. Think about Joel saying a great plague will let you know the Day of the Lord is at hand.

At Mount Sinai Israel said “I will” to God, that was the day of betrothal. The Wedding.

“Let not your heart be troubled — You believe in God believe in Me. The Lord has gone to prepare a place for us and if He does He will receive us again to be with Him by His side.

 

[ZNP]

New Leaven

Pentecost is when you are to offer up two loaves baked with new leaven to God. The feast of unleavened bread is when you empty your house of all the old leaven, all the old teachings and customs. This happened two thousand years ago when they got rid of all the teachings and customs of the Jewish religion and replaced them with the New Testament. Instead of seven feasts we kept 1, the Lord's table.

Another example of getting rid of the old leaven and replacing it with the new was at Mount Sinai when Moses gave the people the ten commandments. They got rid of the Egyptian rules and customs and replaced them with God's laws and customs of the Old Covenant.

Today we have a major issue, the Lord said that His kingdom is not of this world. For two thousand years we have taken that to mean we should submit to the authorities, that these rulers are from God. However, Jesus is Lord, He is king, and every knee of both believers, unbelievers and Jews will all bow to him. The Satanic worldly system is condemned and will perish with Satan. So this must change. The point was not that Jesus didn't have a kingdom, He said He did, nor was the point that His kingdom was spiritual and not physical, because we are told repeatedly throughout the Bible that He is Lord of all. The point was that it was not of this world. What does that mean? Zechariah 12 explains that it is not by power or by might but by the Lord's Spirit. All rulers today rule by power and might. Generals and dictators take over using their power with the military. Corporate oligarchs use their financial might to influence and take over. The Lord uses neither power nor money, rather He is taking over the world with the gospel. That is what it means to "not be of this world".

The world may try to imitate Him with Mao's little red book, or Karl Marx's book, but these are a very poor substitute for the gospel.

What we are seeing today is a separation, the wheat from the chaff. While the wheat was growing it all seemed like one plant, but as the wheat ripens the distinction between the grains and the chaff becomes clearer and clearer. That is where we are with a irreconcilable split. At this point the Lord will come in and gather the wheat to His barn and burned the chaff with unquenchable fire. Imagine that a third of the people on the earth are spiritual, being led by their conscience, a third are soulish, appreciating law and order and a good society but led more by their emotions and intellect. Finally a third are fleshly and amoral. They might not be criminal but only because society is in good order. Remove that protection and they will become just like "the Lord of the Flies" book depicts. Now picture this as a see saw with fleshly on one side, spiritual on the other and soulish right in the middle. When the Lord takes away the spiritual what happens? Civilization collapses. The fleshly will descend into chaos and mayhem, but what about the soulish? They will have to make a choice, descend with the fleshly or go to the other side of the see saw where the spiritual were. There will be no way for them to balance it out because they are now clearly outnumbered, but the tribulation they go through will ripen them quickly.

However, once this separation is complete the Lord can remove these ones as well, leaving the fleshly and those who have given themselves to be fleshly to be burned up. Once they are removed the world will go from being hell to being heaven. That will be the millenial kingdom, the restoration of all things.

 

[ZNP]

Daniel 9:1-2 -- Consider the word and understand the vision

We need to have a grounded understanding of the end of the age because the amount of irrational and wrong teachings are going to multiply. The world is about to go crazy like a computer crashing. One minute everyone will be denying the Bible and using the term “apocalyptic” like it is a joke, the next minute they will be panicking and running around like chickens with their heads cut off. I saw this happen on 9/11. I was in the Lobby of a stock brokerage firm that I worked at in Manhattan when the first plane hit the Twin towers. We had a big screen TV with the news on so a number of people gathered around looking at what was going on. Someone said it was a terrible accident. I said “that is not an accident, that was intentional”. They immediately attacked me “you don’t know that”. I said ‘look out the window, it is blue sky, clear day, no one is supposed to fly over Manhattan, and that plane didn’t even try to veer out of the way’. This stirred up a lot of people to shout me down when the 2nd plane hit the twin towers. Instantly they all started to go crazy, “how do we get out of here”. I said ‘what are you doing? We are on the ground floor. This is much safer than the street’. They went from total denial to total panic in the snap of your fingers. I expect that will happen when the UN ratifies the peace treaty with Israel. So, while we can still have a rational conversation on what is going to happen we need to go over why Christians teach there will be a tribulation, why it is “7 years long”, and why there is a “great tribulation” during the last 3 ½ years. In addition, we need to know when it starts.

9 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

This prophecy that he is referring to is in Jeremiah 25:11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 “But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt,” declares the Lord, “and will make it desolate forever., and Jeremiah 29:10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. Daniel read the prophecies and understood them and so can we. It was obvious to Daniel who this Babylonian empire was, he was living in Babylon. But today you can’t say that God’s people have been held in captivity in Babylon (Iraq). So I think to get into this chapter in Daniel we have to first go to Jeremiah and Isaiah and get an idea of who Babylon could be, who the Medes could be, etc. My basic premise is that the word of God is living and applies to us today. Judah represents a segment of God’s people but what does Babylon represent?

1. I will give all Judah into the hands of the king of Babylon. (Jer 20:4)

Babylon is a country into which all of Judah has been given into. Judah was where Jerusalem, the city of Peace was, it was where the city on the hill was. They were the tribe that had king David. They weren’t the majority of the Jews but they were the ones where the law giver came from.

1. I will deliver the wealth of this city into the hands of their enemies and they will carry it off as plunder to Babylon (Jer 20:5)

Babylon takes all the wealth of these Christians typified by Judah. It is a secular nation that has taken captive those from Judah and stolen all their wealth.

1. These nations will serve the King of Babylon seventy years.

Babylon rules all the nations for seventy years. For the last seventy years the only country that could possibly fit this bill is the US. They are a secular nation, they are also called a “christian nation”. They have taken all the hymns and stories of the Bible and used them as themes for their TV shows and movies. They took their schools and universities and plundered them and made them Babylonian. Not only so but since WWII the US has been the preeminent superpower.

1. But when seventy years are fulfilled I will punish the king of Babylon and their land for their guilt.

After 70 years they are filled with guilt and need to be punished. Seventy years ago was 1950, a year in which the US was recognized as the superpower. We were a nuclear power, had the most vibrant economy, the best education, the best universities, and ruled all the nations.

1. If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the Lord, until I destroy it by his hand.

There have been many nations punished during these seventy years for not “serving” the US.

1. ‘They will be taken to the land of Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them’ declares the Lord.

After these seventy years the Lord will come for His people.

1. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Apart from the US what country could this be describing, a superpower, the “jewel of kingdoms” that will be overthrown like Sodom and Gomorrah. This is the way people describe the US. They had such a high regard for the country but when they came and saw they realized it was Sodom and Gomorrah.

1. ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’”

The US is filled with images. We call them logos. Whether it is McDonald’s M, or Nike’s swoosh, or whatever it is, every business, every company has a logo.

1. Babylon was the golden head of the statue depicting human government.

If Babylon is not referring to the US then which nation would be the “golden head” of human government. The US constitution is considered the crowing achievement of human civilization.

Babylon is also described as a golden cup filled with wine that makes the nations drunk. According to the Bible the word of God is fine gold. What nation is known for being the source of Bibles to the rest of the world. We print them and distribute them worldwide. However, we make the nations drunk with our “wine”, Coca Cola, or McDonald’s, or Hollywood. We make the nations drunk with our wine. So then I feel that Judah represents the Christians in the US, Babylon represents the secular nation of the US, and the Medes are the inferior nation that comes after. The Medes have two arms and are depicted by silver which refers to money and bankers. China and the Central Bank could be these two arms. Clearly an inferior government to the US.

 

[ZNP]

Daniel 9:3-23 Therefore consider the word and understand the vision

3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.

This is what the tribulation and the end of the age is all about. God is great and awesome, He is not mocked, whatever a man sows this he shall reap. God keeps His covenant. We have a contract with God and God will honor that contract, it is called the New Testament and also the Old Testament. Both contracts are still in effect and will be kept by God. Keeping the laws of God are the requirements in the contract for us to keep. The most important law is to love God with your whole heart. Think of this covenant as a marriage covenant. When we sin and do wrong we are obligated to confess those sins, repent of those sins and make atonement. For example, if you stole $5,000 that would be a sin. You have to confess it, repent of it and also make atonement for it. Simply telling someone “sorry I stole $5,000 from you” is not sufficient, you need to return the money. But just returning the money would also not be sufficient, they could have been earning interest on the money. There are other issues that may have taken place from your theft. According to the Bible if you confess and repent without the police catching you then you need to repay double. You stole $5,000 you must pay back $10,000 to be at one, to make atonement for the theft. However, if you get caught by the police you now need to pay back five times, or $25,000. This is fair, you need to pay back the police and the courts as well as the victim. The gospel was offering people a chance to repent of their sins and pay for their sins by receiving Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Stealing $5,000 is a relatively easy thing to atone for, but what if someone died, how do you pay for a death? You still need to confess, repent, and to the best of your ability make it right. But there will be sins that you can’t make right, if it were not for the Lord’s blood you could never be forgiven. But the end of the age is when the Lord deals with all those who refused to accept His sacrifice to atone for their sins. Daniel is also mentioning that many people refused to listen to the prophets, those that brought the gospel to them. Jeremiah 6:17 “I appointed watchmen over you and said ‘listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen’”.

7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.


This is the reason for the tribulation: unfaithfulness, sins, and rebellion against God. The world as a whole has turned away from God refusing to obey Him. So the solution is quite simple, obey the Lord. Repent of the sins, repent of the rebellion, repent of the unfaithfulness and obey the Lord. We have been scattered. If we weren’t scattered, if we were one even as the Lord was one with the Father then we could not be enslaved.


“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.


This is good news or bad news depending on you. The fact that God has fulfilled all the words of the covenant in the curses can be seen as encouraging because He will also fulfill all the blessings of the covenant. This word is a testimony that God is faithful. What He says He will do He will do. So it is true that the disaster that is coming will be unprecedented, but it is also true that if we confess, repent and seek God’s favor He will be merciful and just. The Lord’s blood is still fully effective at making peace between us and God. There will come a day shortly where the gospel of grace will end, but at this moment anyone who confesses and repents will be saved. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord Jesus and believes that God has raised Him from the dead shall be saved.


15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.


This is important. This chapter and the prophecy that he is going to give us is about Jerusalem. In 1948 the Jews returned to Israel, but not to Jerusalem. It was 1950 when Israel first recognized Jerusalem as their capital. Then in 2019 the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel for the first time, and then in 2020 several more nations recognized Jerusalem as a result of the Abrahamic Accords. This is the 70 years that Jeremiah refers to where the Lord says I will come and get you after 70 years.


17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.


This peace treaty is not just about Jerusalem but also about the temple. Yes, the temple in Jerusalem but also the church, the temple of God.


18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name.We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.


Righteous judgement can be cold and cruel. If God was simply a righteous God we would all see that judgement as cold and cruel. But God is also a merciful God.


19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”


This vision is an answer to this prayer. The Lord did forgive, He did act. God sent His only begotten Son because He loved the world and so that the world might be saved.


20 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for his holy hill— 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22 He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.


Too many people think they can come to this topic skipping the confession, repentance and faith in a God who keeps His covenant, who is righteous and who is merciful. They skip over His love, and forgiveness and salvation. Therefore they don’t get insight and understanding they get crazy. All they can see is a cold, cruel God.


23 As soon as you began to pray, a word went out, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.


God loves us. He says those that honor Me I will honor.


Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision:


Again, I will repeat, “therefore”. Everything that Daniel has prayed is a prerequisite to considering this word and understanding it.