Summary of Bible references on the Rapture

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Luke 21: 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Please note, "your redemption is drawing near" is a reference to a future event, not a reference to the Lord's redeeming work on the cross.

Also please note that He says "when these things begin to take place" there are many things that we have been warned about that when they begin to take place you know that your redemption is drawing near. You may not know the day or the hour, but you do know it is drawing near.

 

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One thing I have learned is that the calendar and the appointed day are very serious in the Bible. We can understand why when we look at the Lord's crucifixion because everything was done precisely according to the instructions in the Bible. The feast days were a rehearsal for the fulfillment. But that is not part of the New Testament, we don't keep the feast of Trumpets, or the feast of tabernacles or even Atonement. We don't discuss the ten days of awe. Resurrection Sunday is a very big day in the New Testament, but in truth the only day we keep is the Lord's table. So why is that? God is the same today, yesterday and forever. So the only explanation I have for that is that this is the one day we need to rehearse for. We are practicing for the wedding feast, we are practicing for the coronation, and we are keeping the New Testament version of the feast of Passover.

The Old Testament version is where God stood with Israel to protect them from the destroyer, it was their day of redemption from the slavery in Egypt.

The New Testament version is where Jesus redeemed us from sin and death. When we partake of the Lord's table we are partaking of "our passover which was shed for us". In fact, we are rehearsing for "the day of redemption".

No one knows the day or the hour and strangely there is no specified date or hour for us to keep the Lord's table in the New Testament.

 

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There is also something else that is quite unique about this feast, it is the only one that has a back up date for those who were unclean on the original date. Some people had to bury the dead, that meant they were unclean and unable to participate in the Passover so the Lord set up a "second Passover". We all were unclean at the time of the first Passover, it was the Lord's blood that made us clean so obviously we could not participate in that. The work of redemption that was done on the cross was fully the work of the Lord, we had nothing to do with that. But why? If we are going to be His help meet shouldn't we be able to also participate in our redemption? Why does the New Testament refer to "the day of redemption" as something in the future, not as the day that the Lord redeemed us? Is that what the second Passover refers to?

When is the second Passover? It is in the midst of weeks. From the feast of firstfruits to Pentecost (the feast of weeks) is 50 days, the day after 7 weeks. In the middle of that time is when the 2nd Passover is designated. Some people interpret Daniel's reference to the "midst of weeks" to refer to the 2nd Passover.

If the first Passover is the Lord's day of redemption is the second Passover our day of redemption? Don't know, it is an interesting theory.

But there is something else that is quite interesting. The Lord talks about two who are grinding at the mill, one is taken the other left and two are in the field, one is taken the other left. That would never happen on Passover. It is a holy day, you would not be working. It would not happen on any of the feast days or sabbaths. But it would happen on the 2nd Passover.

 

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Is "The Time of the Gentiles" prophesied of in the Jewish Calendar?

There is something else quite interesting about the 2nd Passover. It is exactly one month from the first Passover (they both occur during a full moon). What did Peter's vision say about the Lord's crucifixion? He saw all kinds of unclean animals, they were cleansed. Obviously all Gentiles were unclean at the time of the Lord's crucifixion. However, the Old Testament prophesied that God would cleanse them and out of two people make one nation. The salvation of the Gentiles was prophesied, it is part of the Old Testament. So then where is the "time of the Gentiles" in the Jewish calendar since the calendar is "a shadow of things to come"? Could it be that the "time of the Gentiles" refers to the month between the first Passover and the second Passover?

There are actually two reasons why they have a 2nd Passover, not one. The first I have given you, if you were unclean and couldn't participate in it. The second is if you are on a long journey. Isn't that bizarre? The entire New Testament describes the end of the age of grace as Jesus returning from a long journey. So then this feast is for those who return from a long journey and for those who were unclean and unable to participate in the first Passover (because they were dead in offenses and sins).

 

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What about the 5th Seal?

9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[e] were killed just as they had been.

Passover is when we display the blood of the lamb on our door, that is the Lord's redemption. But could the 2nd Passover be when we display the blood of the martyrs who were slain because of the word of God and the testimony they maintained? Could this be when the Earth no longer hides the blood of those slain by the world?

Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. How about these martyrs who were killed for the word of God and the testimony they had. What are they? If the first Passover is the day of the Lord's redemption, could the second passover be the day of our redemption?

 

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Numbers 9:6-12 The Second Passover

6 But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day 7 and said to Moses, “We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord’s offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?” 8 Moses answered them, “Wait until I find out what the Lord commands concerning you.” 9 Then the Lord said to Moses, 10 “Tell the Israelites: ‘When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body or are away on a journey, they are still to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, 11 but they are to do it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations.

We have several key points concerning this.

1. They were not able to celebrate because they were unclean on account of a dead body. We were unable to celebrate the Lord’s Passover the first time because we were dead in our offenses and sins.
2. This age is likened to Jesus being on a long journey and at the end of the age He returns, so it looks like this second Passover is for everyone who was saved from death and sin by the Lord’s blood and we get to participate in this Passover with the Lord at His return.
3. We are told by Paul in Colossians that all the feasts are “a shadow of things to come”. The celebration of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread and the first fruits were all accomplished at the Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection. However, is there anything in the calendar of feasts that is prophetic of “the age of the Gentiles”? Could it be the month between the first Passover and the second represents the age of the Gentiles?
4. Since every feast day is a shadow of things to come one would expect that one of the feast days would be a shadow of the Lord’s coming and the rapture. The problem with that is that the Lord said two would be grinding at the mill, one taken the other left. Two would be in the field, one taken the other left. No one would be working on feast day, they are holy days. The only exception to that would be the second Passover. That would only be a holy day for those who are observing it.
5. Paul also told us that we should not allow anyone to judge us in regards of feast days, there is no regulation for Christians in the New Testament to keep any of the seven feasts. However, we are charged to keep the Lord’s table. That is the only feast day that we, in the New Testament, are required to keep. However, there is no day given as to when to keep it. You could say that “no one knows the day or the hour” for this feast. You could keep it in the morning, in the evening, once a month, every Sunday, or even once a year.
6. The Lord’s table is our “Passover feast”. When we celebrate the Lord’s table we celebrate the Lord’s redeeming work on the cross. We also celebrate His resurrection, the feast of first fruits, and we celebrate the feast of unleavened bread. We are practicing for the wedding feast and also for the coronation of the king (the Feast of Trumpets). We examine ourselves to see if we are right to take the Lord’s table (the ten days of Awe prior to the day of Atonement).
7. The Passover denotes the day of the Lord’s redemption, the end of this age when we are raptured is called “the day of our redemption”. Could the 2nd Passover be the day of our redemption?
8. What does the day of our redemption mean?

Revelation 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters,[e] were killed just as they had been.

For the last two thousand years we have seen many saints who have been martyred (like faithful Antipas) for the word of God and the testimony that they maintained. They took a stand to prevent the house of God from being broken into just as the Lord took a stand for us on Passover. [The root word for Passover is the same word as to take a stand, to guard. Instead of saying God passed over our house, you could say God took a stand over our house to prevent it from being broken into]. So then, if Antipas took a stand just as Jesus did why can’t he also participate in the Passover feast? Sure, he was unclean during the first passover but he had been cleansed by the second passover. So look at this verse in Revelation, when the 5th seal is opened we see beneath the altar the blood of these faithful witnesses. We displayed the blood of the lamb for all to see at the first Passover and now at the second God displays the blood of the faithful witnesses for all to see. Could this be what “the day of our redemption means”?

1. Is this a prophesy that Jesus’ coming will be at the 2nd Passover?

Luke 22:14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” 17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

If Jesus is the one on a long journey and He is going to eat the Passover with us, the ones unclean because we were dead in sins at the 2nd Passover then is He saying that this will be when “it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God”. Does this fulfillment refer to the sacrifice of other saints like that of Antipas?

1. Did the Lord prophesy that His return would be at the second Passover?

Luke 12:39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

During the Passover God stood over our house to prevent it from being broken into by the destroyer. The Lord’s crucifixion was Jesus standing over our house to prevent it from being broken into. Antipas (against all) was martyred because he was taking a stand to keep the house of God from being broken into. At the night of the Passover the destroyer was like a thief in the night stealing the firstborn from every house. Everyone who was partaking of the Passover was watching, they had displayed the blood on their door (their mouth) and they were inside partaking of the lamb of God, dressed to leave. Meanwhile all those in Egypt were not watching, they were clueless about what was going on.

 

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The idea of the rapture is just not scriptural or based in reality

It was started by a mystic

 

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The idea of the rapture is just not scriptural or based in reality

It was started by a mystic

So then talk about "the day of redemption", about the parousia, about being caught up into the clouds. Those are scriptural and are based on the word of God.

This expression being "caught up" or "snatched away" is scriptural. We translate that as "raptured" but if you prefer "caught up" then so be it.

 

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Luke 2:1-3 An inkling of what is going on behind the scenes

1 In those days it occurred that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole [a]Roman empire should be registered. 2 This was the first enrollment, and it was made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all the people were going to be registered, each to his own city or town.

This is a big deal. You had to be tuned into the community that Mary and Elizabeth were in to know about John and Jesus. They didn't put that on the front page of the news. But the news that would be on the front page would be this census. Most of us are too naive to see the significance of this. The redeemer is coming to redeem us to Himself, at the same time the Roman Caesar is counting how many people belong to him. They are choosing up sides. The Lord said that God has a field and sowed wheat in his field while an enemy sowed tares. The two grow together and then at the end of the age the angels come forth and separate the two, throwing the tares in the fire and gathering the wheat to the barn. Right now we are seeing this separation process, people call it the “polarization” of the country. This is not going to stop, rather it will become more extreme with an even stronger contrast. People thought that if they would vote for Biden it would stop, wrong. Instead the front page is this census, but this time they are calling it a Pandemic Passport. We saw those who stood up to say the election was fraudulent and they can’t certify it were threatened. The most vocal among them was Matt Gaetz, a congressman, who they have tried to blackmail. People who came forward and testified concerning the election fraud were called racists, the school their kids went to was put out on the internet and these people recommended that their kids get bullied at school. We have seen thugs attacking people around the country that wear anything promoting Donald Trump. Just this week a man in Oregon was attacked by a mob of Antifa thugs because his truck had an American flag. He had a gun to protect himself. He didn't shoot it, but when the police came they arrested him, not the thugs. On the other hand the rally concerning the election fraud involved prayer, hymns of praise, and thanksgiving to God. The mark of the beast is taking this census to an extreme. Not only are we counting everyone but we are tracking them as well. We know where you are, where you go, and what you buy. I suspect that the irrational behavior towards Covid19 is to force people to get their vaccine which will include a RFID chip which can let them know you have the vaccine, as well as your medical insurance and credit cards. Why is it irrational? Look at the data, yes, the numbers of people becoming infected is growing and spreading. But the numbers of those who are dying has flat lined. Social distancing and masks work at preventing you from getting a large viral dose. You still get exposed and your body still develops immunity. But you don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital or die. Italy which had close to 40,000 deaths only had 5 die who were under 20. The number who died and were under 50 was negligible. So yes, if you have a preexisting health condition, if you are obese, if you are over 65 it is certainly something to be concerned about. But shutting down the entire economy over this is irrational. I work in the NYC public school system. We were testing every person in the school. So far our school had 3 people test positive, two before the classes started, and one after the classes started, but it was a teacher who had not been in the school for a week. Yet NYC has shut down the schools. You could call it "an abundance of caution" except at the same time they are doing all this they are teaching illegal immigrants in school. They have them in shelters that are at 200-400% capacity. People are housed with those that are sick. There is no caution there and then they are releasing all of these infected immigrants into Texas as though they are trying to create a super spreader event. The mortality rate of this has plummeted. Social distancing and masks are making it very safe for any healthy person who is 50 or younger. However, if the goal is to get everyone to get the mark of the beast then you need a super spreader event to persuade everyone: if you want to work again, if you don’t want to lose your business and become homeless you will “voluntarily” get the mark of the beast.

 

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Luke 2:4-7 Mary the Hillbilly

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 To be enrolled with Mary, his espoused ([b]married) wife, who was about to become a mother. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her delivery, 7 And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn.

During this process of separating the wheat from the chaff the believers need to separate themselves to the House of God (Bethlehem). At this time there will be no room for believers in the Inn. What kind of a mother puts her baby into a feeding trough in a barn? This girl is rural, we used to call them hillbilly's but that is no longer politically correct. Now we call them "deplorables". If you think I'm exaggerating try reading her prayer again, it is very clear that she identifies herself as a deplorable.

 

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Luke 2:8-24 Ohh, so that's why there was no room at the Inn

8 And in that vicinity there were shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. 11 For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord! 12 And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find [[c]after searching] a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. 13 Then suddenly there appeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven ([d]a heavenly knighthood), praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased [[e]men of goodwill, of His favor].

Sometimes we get too focused on the Antichrist and the mark of the beast and you won’t be able to buy or sell without it. On the other side we have a heavenly host of angels that appear to shepherds. Think of these shepherds as being like the midwives when Pharaoh wanted to kill Egyptian male babies. So let’s not hyperventilate on what the enemy is going to do, God is great, He is omnipotent and He is omniscient. Trust in Him. These shepherds are used to dealing with wolves. What a contrast with the religious and political leaders who think the world revolves around them. The biggest thing happening was in this barn and with these hillbilly rural farm workers.

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing ([f]saying) that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. 16 So they went with haste and [[g]by searching] found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known what had been told them concerning this Child, 18 And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the shepherds told them 19 But Mary was keeping [h]within herself all these things ([i]sayings), weighing and pondered them in her heart.

Many Christians focus on how great it would be to be those raptured before the tribulation. But look at this story, those who are here seeing the Lord years before His ministry, they were embracing their position as outcasts of society. As Paul said "the offscouring" of society. The best description of these people was given by Hillary Clinton, she said they were "irredeemable". There is just no way for Satan to buy them off.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when [the Baby] was to be circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the time for their purification [the mother’s purification and the Baby’s dedication] came according to the Law of Moses, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord— 23 As it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every [firstborn] male that opens the womb shall be set apart and dedicated and called holy to the Lord— 24 And [they came also] to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord: a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

This offering indicates they were in extreme poverty. Maybe the claim that there was no room in the Inn was because every nook and cranny was already occupied, but I wonder if she wasn't a poor hillbilly if they would have found room for this pregnant girl about to give birth. Today if you saw some poor hillbilly teenage girl who is 9 months pregnant with her fiance what you would assume? They treated her like a farm animal, no way they do that if she was someone "important". Every Christian who thinks they are so important, can we look at Mary and be humbled?

 

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Luke 2:25-35 The Deep State

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout [cautiously and carefully observing the divine Law], and looking for the Consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

I love this, my favorite experience. Everyone talks about this "deep state" of corrupt wicked people highly placed in government who are secretly operating behind the curtain. But my experience is that wherever you go there are those who are devout and righteous. He is in Jerusalem, in the temple, can see her poverty, and yet he can also see the Lord's Christ.

26 And it had been divinely revealed (communicated) to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). 27 And prompted by the [Holy] Spirit, he came into the temple [[j]enclosure]; and when the parents brought in the little child Jesus to do for Him what was customary according to the Law, 28 [Simeon] took Him up in his arms and praised and thanked God and said, 29 And now, Lord, You are releasing Your servant to depart (leave this world) in peace, according to Your word.

Luke is considered the gospel for those who are raptured prior to the tribulation. These are the ones who were looking for the Lord before He was even born. Mark is the gospel to those who wake up after the rapture. For them the gospel begins with the ministry of John about 30 years after this. This chapter reveals two witnesses, Simeon and Anna. During the tribulation there will also be two witnesses (signified by the ministry of John the Baptist). We need this, all of us need this, whether you are "the mother Mary" or someone left behind.

30 For with my [own] eyes I have seen Your Salvation, 31 Which You have ordained and prepared before (in the presence of) all peoples, 32 A Light for [k]revelation to the Gentiles [to disclose what was before unknown] and [to bring] praise and honor and glory to Your people Israel. 33 And His [legal] father and [His] mother were marveling at what was said about Him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, Behold, this Child is appointed and destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against—35 And a sword will pierce through your own soul also—that the secret thoughts and purposes of many hearts may be brought out and disclosed.

Jesus is destined for the fall of many, not just the rising. All those who have sold themselves to do evil will fall. During the tribulation He will be a sign that is spoken against. In the end the secret thoughts and purposes of the heart will be brought out. Simeon had a secret and it was just brought out, Jesus being the incarnated God had a secret, not all secrets of the heart are evil. There is a joke about some Christians being “secret agents”. Whatever you are on the inside will be revealed at this time. This is why they hated Donald Trump. The way this deep state, the corrupt wicked people in authority can stay there is from "mutual assured destruction". No one exposes anyone otherwise they all get exposed. This is how Hoover ran the FBI, he dug dirt on everyone not to expose them but to use it for leverage against them. Why do you think the FBI had Hunter Biden's laptop for a year and were silent. They wanted Biden to get elected because then they would have maximum leverage. Trump ruined all that. He was happy to expose them all. They accused him of Russian collusion because they were colluding with Russia. They accused him of being a pervert because they were perverts. They accused him of using his power as President to unfairly influence the election because they did that. They impeached him for negligence in protecting the capital because they were the ones who were negligent. God is not going to let one word fall, this prophecy will be fulfilled. "The secret thoughts and purposes of many hearts will be brought out and disclosed".

 

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Luke 2:36-38 Someone we have all met

36 And there was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having lived with her husband seven years from her maidenhood, 37 And as a widow even for eighty-four years. She did not go out from the temple [l]enclosure, but was worshiping night and day with fasting and prayer. 38 And she too came up at that same hour, and she returned thanks to God and talked of [Jesus] to all who were looking for the redemption (deliverance) of Jerusalem.

Here is the second witness. Have you ever met an elderly sister that "talked to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem". It seems to me that wherever I have gone, in whatever church gathering I was in I was always able to find this sister. I hope you didn't take her for granted, Mary never forgot her testimony and God didn't either.

 

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Luke 2:39- Hold it! Something is missing.

39 And when they had done everything according to the Law of the Lord, they went back into Galilee to their own town, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.
Hold it, something is missing! Are we going to just skip over the family going to Egypt? How about the children killed? The account of Rachel weeping is only in Matthew. The thought is that Matthew refers to the Jews who are saved at the end of the age, Mark refers to those who are saved in the midst of the tribulation, and Luke to those who are saved at the beginning of the tribulation. It is the Jews who are “called out of Egypt” after Hitler who sought their life is dead.

41 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year to the Passover Feast.

The faith that was in the grandmother and mother was also in Him.

42 And when He was twelve years [old], they went up, as was their custom. 43 And when the Feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Now His parents did not know this, 44 But, supposing Him to be in the caravan, they traveled on a day’s journey; and [then] they sought Him [diligently, looking up and down for Him] among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. 45 And when they failed to find Him, they went back to Jerusalem, looking for Him [up and down] all the way. 46 After three days they found Him [came upon Him] in the [m][court of the] temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and understanding and His replies.

There is an interesting correlation with John. Everyone in John’s community kept their eye on him, apparently everyone in Jesus community, even all the way to Jerusalem, kept their eye on Him. We don't see this story in Mark or Matthew. Luke tells us about Mary, Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna, saints who were completely committed to giving themselves to the Lord and diving into God's word. Compare this gospel with Mark which begins with everyone repenting for the Kingdom. That gospel begins with the rapture having just taken place and those who are left behind waking up and repenting. Matthew begins with a genocidal atrocity.

48 And when they [Joseph and Mary] saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, Child, why have You treated us like this? Here Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You [distressed and tormented]. 49 And He said to them, How is it that you had to look for Me? Did you not see and know that it is necessary [as a duty] for Me [n]to be in My Father’s house and[occupied] about My Father’s business?

Look at the proud parents beaming with pride. Just kidding, Mary and Joseph have been trained to keep him under wraps, don't reveal Him. 2,000 kids died because someone with loose lips talked in Jerusalem. They had to hide out in Egypt for years. I am sure that Mary was well aware of Jesus intelligence and understanding.

50 But they did not comprehend what He was saying to them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was [habitually] obedient to them; and his mother kept and closely and persistently guarded all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man.

Once again, the testimonies of the saints, whether children, or teenagers, or even the very elderly are a great help to the Body of Christ. In this chapter we see the testimony of two elderly saints, two parents, a bunch of scribes, and of a teenager. We are seeing the testimonies of the overcomers. They overcame by the blood and by the word of their testimony, if you want to know what that word was here it is. This is what is missing from the gospel of Mark and from the gospel of Matthew.

 

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Luke 3:1-16 -- Repentance for Dummies

1 In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 In the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the Word of God [[a]concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God] came to John son of Zachariah in the wilderness (desert).

Jesus said that if we could receive it John was Elijah who was to come before Him. Many feel that the two witnesses that will come during the Tribulation will be Elijah and Moses because both of them were taken and we don’t have their bodies. Also they both appeared on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus talking to them. So if the last chapter two chapters gave us the testimonies of those that were raptured prior to the tribulation, this chapter gives us the preaching of the two witnesses during the tribulation. So consider this situation, there has been a rapture, and there are many Christians who are left behind. Basically the church in Philadelphia is raptured, but Thyatira, Sardis and Laodicea are left behind (some teach that Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamum were historical churches that are no longer around at the end of the age). You are not going to be happy with the place you had met, according to the prophets those “pastures” and “shepherds” will dry up and waste away. In the last chapter I said that the response to the pandemic was irrational, and yet at the same time it was also prophesied. Everything that is happening is happening under God’s sovereignty. This pandemic is being used as a judgement on organized religion. That is of God. For the church in Philadelphia that will be a trivial expense, but for those that have married the world the fall will be hard. So if you were a genuine believer you would be upset with them and at the same time you would want to know what you were supposed to do. So I am very excited to hear what it is that John shares.

This may confuse some, if Luke is the gospel to those who are raptured prior to the tribulation why are we getting a preview of the message that is given at the start of the tribulation? The way I look at it Luke is the gospel to the honor students and Mark is the gospel to the repeater class. They are both getting the same lessons. Some are able to learn this before the tribulation, others need that extra tribulation to help them study.

3 And he went into all the country round about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance ([b]of hearty amending of their ways, with abhorrence of past wrongdoing) unto the forgiveness of sin.

He is not preaching a gospel of forgiveness of sins, rather he is preaching a gospel of repentance that will lead to the forgiveness of sins. If you are left behind you will definitely have to focus on repentance before anything else. Hopefully we'll find out what they are repenting of.

4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying in the wilderness [shouting in the desert]: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten paths straight.

During the tribulation the genuine believers will be “in the wilderness”. They will only have a short time, around 3 years, so John is going to be “making their paths straight”. Straight, to the point, and simple.

5 Every valley and ravine shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be leveled; and the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough roads shall be made smooth;

This is what organized Christianity has become. There are crooked places, there are those who have a puffed up opinion of themselves and will be leveled, there are some churches that are a deep ditch, that will need to be filled in. And in general all of their roads are “rough roads”. The narrow way that leads to life, they didn’t find it, so it has become a rough road.

6 And all mankind shall see (behold and [c]understand and at last acknowledge) the salvation of God (the deliverance from eternal death [d]decreed by God).

This is the point. Suppose all the believers had been raptured right up front, the unbelievers and the rest of mankind would not have seen anything. But now they will see the rapture, and they will hear the witnesses, and who knows what the mercy of God will do.

7 So he said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, You offspring of vipers! Who [e]secretly warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

We were born in sin, our flesh is sinful, and in our tongue we have poison. All of that will be on display immediately after the rapture. Those that go to the Witnesses will know that there is a coming wrath. The same one who warned them of that also told them to watch for the Lord’s coming and also told them what they should be doing while He was away. But the motive of some will be to discredit, distort, twist, and poison this message.

8 Bear fruits that are deserving and consistent with [your] repentance [that is, [f]conduct worthy of a heart changed, a heart abhorring sin]. And do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father; for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up descendants for Abraham.

Can you believe this? The flesh is deceitfully wicked, who can know it? You were in a church perhaps Thyatira or Sardis, where Satan’s throne was, you thought you were all high and mighty and then the rapture takes place. Now the synagogue of Satan comes and realizes that God was with Philadelphia, a church with a little strength. That is a really massive rebuke, you thought they were deplorables, irredeemable, you would think there is no way I boast again. With my tail between my legs I go to the very end of the table, ashamed. Yet John realizes that in a short order they will begin to say to themselves again “We have Abraham as our father”. Abraham had two sons, one of the flesh and one of faith. Pride is what we need to repent of.

9 Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees, so that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.

This is what will be taking place during the tribulation, not only will the angels be gathering the wheat into the barn, they will also be taking up the tares and tossing them into the fire. Tares are grasses yet here they are described as "trees". This reminds me of the mustard plant growing into a tree with birds roosting in the branches. The church is not supposed to be a mighty oak, it is supposed to be a mustard plant.

10 And the multitudes asked him, Then what shall we do?

Exactly, what is someone who is left behind supposed to do?

11 And he replied to them, He who has two tunics (undergarments), let him share with him who has none; and he who has food, let him do it the same way.

The tribulation will be a very tough time, yet that is an opportunity. If everyone learns to be one and care for each other with brotherly love, they can make it through.

12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, Teacher, what shall we do?

The tax collectors work for the imperial power. There is a very big difference between the holy people of God and the Roman empire. Perhaps the Roman empire despised many NT teachings as being “prejudicial”. Perhaps they legalized abortion and all kinds of lasciviousness. Now what are you supposed to do if you are working for the government?

13 And he said to them, Exact and collect no more than the fixed amount appointed you.

Be a testimony of the Lord and do not be conformed to this evil age. This is repentance 101 for dummies. This is like one of those British comedies where the guard doesn't realize he isn't supposed to abuse the prisoners.

14 Those serving as soldiers also asked him, And we, what shall we do? And he replied to them, Never demand or enforce [g]by terrifying people or by accusing wrongfully, and always be satisfied with your rations (supplies) and with your allowance (wages). 15 As the people were in suspense and waiting expectantly, and everybody reasoned and questioned in their hearts concerning John, whether he perhaps might be the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). 16 John answered them all by saying, I baptize you with water; but He Who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of Whose sandals I am not fit to unfasten. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

We need to be immersed. Immersed in the word, immersed in the fellowship, immersed in the move of God. Ultimately you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit with the Holy fire of God.

 

[ZNP]

Luke 3:17-38 There is only one way that leads to life, everyone takes the same path

17 His winnowing shovel (fork) is in His hand to thoroughly clear and cleanse His [threshing] floor and to gather the wheat and store it in His granary, but the chaff He will burn with fire that cannot be extinguished.

The tribulation will be a time of winnowing. You take the pitchfork and throw a shovel full of the wheat into the air and the wind blows the chaff away while the grains of wheat fall straight back down. Some people are light weights in their faith, easily to be blown about by every wind. You need to repent of that. How? Immerse yourself in the word, in prayer, in fellowship. But look at the good news, a few verses ago you thought you were a tree, now you see yourself as chaff. At least you have been humbled, that is positive. Now you need to appreciate those tiny little grains of wheat, not the fluffy chaff that is everywhere.

18 So with many other [various] appeals and admonitions he preached the good news (the Gospel) to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been [repeatedly] told about his fault and reproved with rebuke [h]producing conviction by [John] for [having] Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the wicked things that Herod had done, 20 Added this to them all—that he shut up John in prison.

So the same thing happens in the tribulation. The witnesses will be killed by the antichrist. Being shut up in prison by Herod because you are preaching the word of God is a wonderful thing. You should rejoice. It is a strong testimony that you “are over the target”.

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized, and [while He was still] praying, the [visible] heaven was opened 22 And the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, saying, You are My Son, My Beloved! In You I am well pleased and find delight!

This is very confused. In the gospel of John the record is that John the Baptist saw the heaven opened and the Spirit descending as a dove. So why share this revelation that John had after telling us that Herod shuts him up in prison? You have to be absolute, you have to pay the price however there is also a reward for those that are absolute. The heavens will be opened. Remember what the Lord said about being persecuted for the word of God, this is how they treated the prophets before you. Being persecuted means they paid the price, being prophets means the heaven was opened to them.

Now the book does a reset with the genealogy of Jesus. There are two genealogies, the one in Matthew traces Mary and this one traces Joseph. Although Joseph wasn’t related to Jesus by blood, it is thought that his marriage to Mary was according to the law concerning the daughters of Zelophehad. Mary’s father only had daughters so to keep his inheritance it went to Mary who had to marry someone in the same tribe. This brought a line of descendants from David that had been cut off back into Christ’s lineage and inheritance. In the same way those who are left behind are cut off but there is a way to bring them back into the inheritance that we have in Christ. Once again, this is also in the gospel of Luke. All of these “overcomers” have failed. They all had to repent of pride. Everyone has to take the same narrow way that leads to life, the only difference is some take it sooner than others.

23 Jesus Himself, when He began [His ministry], was about thirty years of age, being the Son, as was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 The son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, 25 The son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 The son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, 27 The son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 The son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, 29 The son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 The son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, 31 The son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 The son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon (Sala), the son of Nahshon, 33 The son of Aminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 The son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 The son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 The son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 The son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, 38 The son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

This genealogy goes all the way back to Adam, whereas in Matthew it only goes back to Abraham. Matthew is the gospel that deals with the salvation of the Jews, this book deals with the salvation of the church, which in large part is composed of gentiles. We were not (for the most part) descended from Abraham. He wasn’t our father in the flesh, but he was our father in faith.

We need to learn from history. This is the genealogy of faith, everyone of them picked up something that we can learn from. For example there were brothers and sisters who stood by faith in Nazi Germany, we need to learn from them. There were brothers and sisters who stood by faith during slavery or the Jim Crow era, we need to learn from them.

 

[ZNP]

Luke 4:1-21 -- The Great Reset

The great reset is the name given to a conference among elites, the 1%. It is a way to rebrand themselves. They admit that the current situation is outrageous with the wealthiest elites making a hundred times more than other employees, sometimes several hundred times, so they discuss a "stakeholders capitalism". It is a very vague way of saying let the 1% fix this for you. Then they also embrace the concept of climate change, they admit that the world's economy has been destructive to the environment, basically the businesses they own and operate, and the solution is to give them tens of trillions of dollars to manufacture a whole lot of new stuff.
“All but the hard hearted man must be torn with pity for this pathetic dilemma of the rich man, who has to keep the poor man just stout enough to do the work and just thin enough to have to do it.” G.K. Chesterton. Why would anyone fall for this transparent attempt from the same people responsible for bringing us to the brink of disaster to be the ones in charge of saving us from the disaster they have created? The world still refuses to accept that Jesus Christ is Lord and savior.

1 Then Jesus, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit 2 For (during) forty days in the wilderness (desert), where He was tempted ([a]tried, tested exceedingly) by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they were completed, He was hungry.

Wow, so Jesus “returned from the Jordan”. The rapture of the saints before the tribulation is like the children of Israel crossing the Jordan. After that rapture Jesus returns because we still have many other believers who were left behind. This is where we all began the gospel 2,000 years ago. It is as though these Christians have to start from the very beginning. I teach high school science and one thing that frustrates me to no end is that kids will skip the first lessons and try to jump to later assignments. Maybe these Christians picked and chose which verses they agreed with and which ones they didn’t. Whatever the reason, it seems they have to have a complete reset and start again from the very beginning.

3 Then the devil said to Him, If You are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf [of bread]. 4 And Jesus replied to him, It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone [b]but by every word and expression of God.

The mark of the beast will be a great temptation to the saints. The word is clear, if you want to be saved don’t get it. But if you don’t get it you won’t be able to buy or sell. You can imagine after 40 days you would be very hungry. But there is a point, the Lord is teaching you to focus on the word of God. Why were you left behind? First and foremost you were not immersed in the word of God. Here is the first most basic lesson, we live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil took Him up to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the habitable world in a moment of time [[c]in the twinkling of an eye]. 6 And he said to Him, To You I will give all this power and authority and their glory (all their magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, and grace), for it has been turned over to me, and I give it to whomever I will. 7 Therefore if You will do homage to and worship me [[d]just once], it shall all be Yours. 8 And Jesus replied to him, [e]Get behind Me, Satan! It is written, You shall do homage to and worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.

Secondly, what happened to Christianity that it “married the world”? The Roman Catholic church became very powerful, a kingdom that is worldwide and tax exempt. But that kind of compromise is corrupting and we have seen the worst scandals imaginable from the Catholic church. So, the second thing that you must decide, who are you going to worship, who are you going to serve? The lesson we have learned from church history is that many left their first love and thought they could compromise with the world.

9 Then he took Him to Jerusalem and set Him on [f]a gable of the temple, and said to Him, If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down from here; 10 For it is written, He will give His angels charge over you to guard and watch over you closely and carefully; 11 And on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus replied to him, [The Scripture] says, You shall not tempt (try, [g]test exceedingly) the Lord your God.

We are absolute for the Lord, we do not compromise one iota when it comes to who we worship or who we serve, but we are not reckless. We do not do this in an ignorant, childish, reckless way. Rather we are like Daniel and his companions. If God wants to deliver me that is fine, if not that also is fine. Either way, I am taking a stand for the Lord.

13 And when the devil had ended every [the complete cycle of] temptation, he [temporarily] left Him [that is, [h]stood off from Him] until another more opportune and favorable time.

Satan only wins if you forsake the Lord and worship him. The pressure to get the mark of the beast is the threat of death, but it is mostly a bluff. Satan doesn’t get anything if you stand fast and die.

14 Then Jesus went back full of and under the power of the [Holy] Spirit into Galilee, and the fame of Him spread through the whole region round about. 15 And He Himself conducted [[i]a course of] teaching in their synagogues, being [j]recognized and honored and praised by all. 16 So He came to Nazareth, [[k]that Nazareth] where He had been brought up, and He entered the synagogue, as was His custom on the Sabbath day. And He stood up to read. 17 And there was handed to Him [the roll of] the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened (unrolled) the book and found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity], 19 To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day [l]when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound]. 20 Then He rolled up the book and gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were gazing [attentively] at Him. 21 And He began to speak to them: Today this Scripture has been fulfilled [m]while you are present and hearing.

The Lord begins His ministry by proclaiming the year of Jubilee. What exactly does this mean that the captives are released or that the blind recover their sight or that the oppressed are delivered? In short it means that Satan is defeated. How stupid you are going to feel if you fell for Satan’s temptations. His power is going to be destroyed, his captives will be released, all those he has blinded will see and all those he is oppressing will be delivered. This is the "great reset", all the world has is a counterfeit. The world refers to all those who have bought into Satan's temptations. They have bought into the deal where they worship Satan and in return he puts them in charge of the heap of collapse.

 

[ZNP]

Luke 4:22-44 Enough with the holier than thou attitude

22 And all spoke well of Him and marveled at the words of grace that came forth from His mouth; and they said, Is not this Joseph’s [n]Son?

How clueless are these people? You know Joseph? Do you know he came there from Egypt, do you know why he went to Egypt? You are impressed with Jesus’ teaching today, how about 20 years ago when he was 12? You think you know who Jesus is but he was there for 20 years in your midst and you were clueless the entire time of who He was.

23 So He said to them, You will doubtless quote to Me this proverb: Physician, heal Yourself! What we have learned by hearsay that You did in Capernaum, do here also in Your [own] town. 24 Then He said, Solemnly I say to you, no prophet is acceptable and welcome in his [own] town (country). 25 But in truth I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were closed up for three years and six months, so that there came a great famine over all the land; 26 And yet Elijah was not sent to a single one of them, but only to Zarephath in the country of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

OK, this is way too much of a coincidence. The tribulation will be 3 ½ years and we already gave reasons why we think that Elijah will be one of the two witnesses sent at that time. We already know that many of the Christians who were left behind had a very lofty opinion of themselves. John warned them in the previous chapter to not begin to say we have Abraham as our father. They despised the church in Philadelphia but then repented and the synagogue of Satan came and confessed that Jesus was truly in their midst. Yet here they are again becoming all uppity about Jesus being sent to someone of low estate.

27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and yet not one of them was cleansed [by being healed]—but only Naaman the Syrian. 28 When they heard these things, all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage.

Where is the true repentance? Where is the fruit of that repentance? Where are those who have been humbled under the mighty hand of God? They are catching an attitude because He is talking about salvation coming to non Jews before it came to anyone in Israel. Enough with the holier than thou attitude.

29 And rising up, they pushed and drove Him out of the town, and [laying hold of Him] they led Him to the [projecting] upper part of the hill on which their town was built, that they might hurl Him headlong down [over the cliff]. 30 But passing through their midst, He went on His way.

Ouch! Jesus came to his home town to teach, everyone is amazed at the teaching, but in the final analysis He delivers a stinging rebuke to them. You guys are puffed up and proud, you think you are rich and know so much yet you are clueless, I will go to a widow of Sidon and a leper from Syria before you guys get saved. Even when you try to execute judgement against me I treat it like it is trivial and go on my way.

31 And He descended to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and there He continued to teach the people on the Sabbath days. 32 And they were amazed at His teaching, for His word was with authority and ability and weight and power. 33 Now in the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the foul spirit of a demon; and he cried out with a loud (deep, terrible) cry, 34 Ah, [o]let us alone! What have You to do with us [What have [p]we in common], Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know Who You are—the Holy One of God!

Pride, arrogance, thinking you are something when you are nothing, despising others. This is a foul spirit of a demon. This is the very first foul spirit that needs to be thrown out of us.

35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be silent (muzzled, gagged), and come out of him! And when the demon had thrown the man down in their midst, he came out of him without injuring him in any [q]possible way. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, What kind of talk is this? For with authority and power He commands the foul spirits and they come out!

If you will confess and repent of this foul spirit you will be thrown down from your high horse, but you will not be otherwise hurt in any way. This was the first "mask mandate" when Jesus told this demon to be silent, muzzled and gagged.

37 And a rumor about Him spread into every place in the surrounding country. 38 Then He arose and left the synagogue and went into Simon’s (Peter’s) house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering in the grip of a burning fever, and they pleaded with Him for her. 39 And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she got up and began waiting on them.

A good example of this foul spirit where you think you are better than others and despise them is often seen in a mother in law who thinks her son in law is not good enough. This is crippling. Instead of being a constructive member of the household you are gripped with this fever where you have to criticize and complain about everything.

40 Now at the setting of the sun [indicating the end of the Sabbath], all those who had any [who were] sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid His hands upon every one of them and cured them. 41 And demons even came out of many people, screaming and crying out, You are the Son of God! But He rebuked them and would not permit them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ (the Messiah). 42 And when daybreak came, He left [Peter’s house] and went into an isolated [desert] place. And the people looked for Him until they came up to Him and tried to prevent Him from leaving them. 43 But He said to them, I must preach the good news (the Gospel) of the kingdom of God to the other cities [and towns] also, for I was sent for this [purpose]. 44 And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Galilee.

This whole spectator mentality is another reason these Christians were left behind. The Lord has given you the word, immerse yourself in that word, obey it, and live by it. If you do that the Lord will live inside of you and you will express Him. You are not blessed because you hear the Lord Jesus speak every Sunday in your synagogue. You are blessed because you hear the Lord speak one day, you immersed yourself in that word, you obeyed it, and you live by it.

 

[ZNP]

Revelation 5:1-12 -- The blueprint of the kingdom

5 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, close sealed with seven seals.

There is a lot of speculation about what this book is, but I think that is pointless. We learn enough from the record here in Revelation to make some very key conclusions about what this is. Three of these key points are right here in this one verse. It is written within and on the back. That is not typical, but it clearly states there is no room for any additions. Second it is sealed, so whatever was in this book was not revealed until these seals are opened and the next few chapters of Revelation talk about what is revealed then. Third there are seven seals, that would make this document a will, or an inheritance, or a trust fund. Psalm 2:8 Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, This verse in psalms makes it clear that God intends to give the risen Christ the nations for an inheritance. Although this verse is not directly referenced by John it is either referring to this or to something quite similar. We give graduation presents to our kids, this appears to be something given to the Lord after His resurrection and ascension.

2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no one in the heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or to look thereon.

When we look at these seals they represent several really big mysteries. Questions that people have been trying to answer for thousands of years and have not been able to. One seal refers to war. What is the purpose of war? After 9/11 there were theories about why God would allow this attack. Some claimed it was God’s judgement on the US for allowing abortion. Others argued that it wouldn’t make sense to attack the twin towers and the Pentagon if your issue was abortion. Another seal refers to the plague. Some have provided verses from the Bible that say there cannot be a calamity in the city unless God did it. Others argue that we fully know what causes epidemics and they are not supernatural. Some say that the plague is from the fall of man. Others say that everything we do has consequences, this plague is a consequence of the environmental damage and habitat destruction. Interestingly, this verse asks “who is worthy”? The answers to these questions are here, in this book, but God will only give it to the one who is worthy. I find that fascinating, we usually think that to answer questions like this requires wisdom. This reminds me of the account in Genesis, once man took the tree of knowledge of good and evil, the tree that would make one wise like God, that God kicked them out of the garden and barred them from the tree of life. God was concerned that someone who had been corrupted by the one tree would then partake of that other tree.

4 And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to look thereon:

Jesus is the last Adam. 1Cor 15:45 So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. Prior to Jesus man knew how to become a living soul. We made music, art, drama, and filled libraries with books. Architecture, history, science, engineering, religion all these things make up our culture, it is what makes our soul “living”. But no one knew how to give life. That is one of the secrets that was sealed up until Jesus resurrection. His resurrection was a declaration from God that He is worthy to open these seals.

5 and one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.

This is another clue to this book. The Lion of the tribe of Judah refers to Jesus, and the Root of David also refers to Jesus. According to the context He hath “overcome” refers to Jesus overcoming sin and the grave. This tells us that Jesus overcame sin and the grave so that He could open the book and the seven seals thereof. He was worthy to open the book, not because He was the Son of God but because of His victory over sin and death. The Lion is the root. Judah was a lion cub, Jesus was the Lion of their tribe. Since David grew out of this tribe Jesus was also the root of David. This verse directly refers us to Jacob’s blessing of Judah. He said that “his hand would be on the neck of his enemies”. We need a different perspective on the cross of Christ, prior to that the enemy had us bound in fear of dying, after the cross the tables have been turned and now it is Satan that has been judged and is awaiting that sentence to be carried out. He also said “from the prey my son thou art gone up”. This chapter portrays Jesus going up from His resurrection, having defeated death, and ascending to the throne in heaven. As a result “the sceptre shall not depart from Judah”. Jesus will be Lord of all, for eternity. These promises and blessings are the root of David. Overcoming to open these seals is a fulfillment of this prophecy. This book is all about binding and judging Satan as well as ruling over the Earth.

6 And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.

Horns signify power and the eyes are the window of the soul revealing the light within. Jesus is the power of God and the wisdom of God. He is both a conquering lion and a lamb that was sacrificed for the world. Finally, He has sent forth his seven spirits of God into all the earth. There have been many sages, philosophers, and prophets. But none has “seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth” like Jesus does. Go to any continent on Earth and you will hear the word of Jesus, the breath of Jesus, the spirit of God. This will become clear as we get into these seals but the Lord needs these horns and these eyes to open the seals. For example, this last election involved election fraud. So far there have been over 5,000 affidavits given concerning people who witnessed election fraud. That is the eyes of Jesus. Satan would have you believe that he is so powerful and yet day after day more information comes out revealing the sins, the corruption and the lies. They wanted to prevent any photos or videos taken of the border, but they couldn’t, why? Those senators who went down and got that video are the horns of Jesus. Throughout the earth there are people who are led by their conscience to either witness or else exercise the authority given to them to do righteousness. That is why the Lord is able to prevail to open the seals and none of these ones would have done that had the Lord not been worthy.

7 And he came, and he taketh it out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sing a new song, saying,

Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, 10 and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon the earth.

This is a very big point “worthy art thou”. People wonder why they don’t get the revelation, they don’t get the Lord’s speaking. It isn’t about being wiser or smarter than others or even studying harder. It is amazing how the wisdom of the world discounts and dismisses being “worthy”. As a result the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. To elevate being worthy to such a prominent place indicates the fear of God. No one can answer these questions and get this revelation unless God chooses to give it to Him. Therefore it is all about fearing God, “hallowed be thy name”. The elders say that Jesus was worthy because He was slain. The cross of Christ was the ultimate evidence that He was faithful, even unto death and that the death of the cross.

11 And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing.

So when Jesus received the book with seven seals the angels said He was worthy to receive seven things: power, riches, wisdom, might, honor, glory and blessing.

 

[ZNP]

Revelation 5:13-14 Jesus, head over all to the church

13 And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things that are in them, heard I saying, Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever. 14 And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshipped.

Giving Jesus the book was equated to giving Him blessing, honor, glory and dominion. Not only does the book have seven seals but the blessings of the covenant God made with man have seven categories of blessing. I believe that if we look at these seven seals in the next few chapters we will be able to understand many mysteries. We can understand the mystery of God, the great mystery of Christ and the church, and also answer the questions that have plagued us throughout human history “why?” Why war? Why famine? Why plague? Why martyrs?

Believers will know the Lord as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. They know that His sacrifice on the cross redeemed them, it paid the price for their sins, and the Lord’s blood washes them and makes them white as snow. But, it is Jesus' victory over sin and death that made Him worthy to open the book. The world thinks that His death was weakness and it was foolishness. If that is true then it was the weakness of God and the foolishness of God, and the weakness of God is stronger than men, the foolishness of God is wiser than men.

So then, what do we learn about this book that Jesus was given when He ascended to the throne?

1. He received it when He ascended. So until that time the seven seals were sealed.
2. The seven seals indicate that it is a legal document bequeathing something to Him from God. Psalm 2 would indicate that at least one of the things given to Him was the nations.
3. The book is comprehensive, there is no room for additions, just like John says at the end of the Book of Revelation which is also the conclusion to the New Testament.
4. It is also illegal to take anything out of this document since it is a legal document.
5. Many, many people have tried to open this book but none were worthy. The first and most important criteria to opening this book is that God would determine that you are worthy.
6. John also felt powerless to open this book and weeped for the implications that had for humanity. This book answers questions that are essential for the survival of man. This is not simply inferred from John weeping but even more from the seals that are subsequently opened. We will look at those in the next chapter.
7. In order to open the book Jesus had to overcome. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the root of David’s wisdom and power. Jesus had to defeat sin and death in order to open this book.
8. All of mankind is referred to as the first Adam. According to the Bible the first Adam became a living soul. All of our civilization is an expression of this living soul. Song, dance, religion, history, science, and all the books in the library are an expression of man who became a living soul. The last Adam, Jesus, became a life giving Spirit. This is the key difference between Jesus and all those who came before Him. This could be the key criteria that makes Him worthy and all those prior sages not worthy to open this book.
9. The Lion is the lamb that was sacrificed on the cross to redeem us and save us from our sins. His power and wisdom is of God (seven indicating God + Creature). The wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. The world considers the cross of Christ to be the weakness of God and the foolishness of God. So then, the weakness of God is stronger than man, and the foolishness of God is wiser than man.
10. The Lord has sent His rhema word throughout all the Earth, this is how He has carried out His ministry and built up His church.
11. Jesus “takes the book” from God, similar to His word “the violent take the kingdom by force”. The crucifixion of Jesus was extremely violent. Sin, Satan, the world, and the flesh were all crucified.
12. He has redeemed men from every nation and built them up to be a kingdom of priests to our God. And these people reign with Him on the earth. This is also what makes Him worthy to open this book.
13. The Lord has seven eyes, just as there are seven golden lampstands. One reason that He is able to open these seals is that there are people in every tribe and nation that are walking according to the Lord's leading and who witness the things necessary to open up these seals.
14. The Lord has seven horns. Horns indicate power and judgment. Again, there are seven lampstands, there are people of every tribe and nation that are walking according to the Lord's leading and are in a position to exercise power and judgement over the ruler of this age. This is another reason why He is able to open these seals.
15. These seals began to be opened immediately after the Lord ascended to the throne.

We will continue to learn more about this book from the seven seals, but based on these 15 points it appears that this book is the blueprint of the kingdom of the heavens on earth.