The Master's Goods – Page 3 – For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. Matt.25:14

End Time Generation

Mat 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

The term “generation” has been interpreted to mean various ideas. Some view it as a particular group of Jews during Jesus’ ministry and consequently those alive at the destruction of the nation in AD 70.

‘The natural meaning of the words is, beyond question, that which takes “generation” in the ordinary sense (as in Matthew 1:17, Acts 13:36, and elsewhere) for those who are living at any given period. So it was on “this generation” (Matthew 23:36) that the accumulated judgments were to fall. The desire to bring the words into more apparent harmony with history has led some interpreters to take “generation” in the sense of “race” or “people,” and so to see in the words a prophecy of the perpetuity of the existence of the Jews as a distinct people till the end of the world. But for this meaning there is not the shadow of authority; ‘

[Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers]

From <http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/24-34.htm>

While others understand it to mean the foretold enduring of the Jewish nation until the fulfilment of our Lord’s words, which we are told, shall never pass away (Mat 24:35).

“Our Lord declares that the Jews should never cease to be a distinct people, until all things he had been predicting were fulfilled. His prophecy reaches to the day of final judgment; therefore he here, ver. 34, foretells that Judah shall never cease to exist as a distinct people, so long as this world shall endure.” [Matthew Henry]

From <http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/24-34.htm>

Both brethren lived in a time when there was no nation of Israel. The thought of a nation being “born at once”; Isaiah 66:8, seemed unlikely. But it was Matthew Henry who showed a greater faith in the future promises of Israel’s regathering. I do agree with brother Henry as pertaining to the prophetic voice of verse 34 concerning Israel. Though I confess I don’t have to exercise as much faith seeing that Israel is currently celebrating its seventieth year as a nation born out of the ashes of WWII.

I also believe “this generation” to possibly mean the morally depraved people, not just Jewish, of the world as a whole. The use of the word “this” before generation has been used before in scripture. In each occurrence “this generation” refers to a morally wicked people. Here are but a few. Take notice that the “first mention” of the term “this generation” is not referring to a Jewish people, but of all inhabitants of the earth.

Gen_7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Noah is preserved from the wicked, who were not Jewish by definition. The people were wicked in their imaginations and their thoughts were “only evil continually”. Gen 6:5. They were violent; Gen 6:11; They were “corrupt”; Gen 6:12.

Psa_12:7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

The scripture is preserved from wicked men; verse 1. Men in who is not found to be faithful or godly. They speak lies, a flattering tongue, a double heart. They were oppressive to the poor; Psalms 12:5. It is from that generation that the Lord has preserved His word. Men of cruelty and instruments of Satan used to try and put out the “light” of God’s word.

Psa_71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

David is asked to be saved from wicked, unrighteous and cruel men; verses 4,10. It is they to whom David felt overwhelmed in his old age. And it was they to whom David felt the duty to be a guidance of God’s power and strength. To be a witness of God’s salvation; Psalms 51:13.

Psa_95:10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

Mat_11:16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,

Mat_12:41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

This generation is distinct from the “men of Nineveh”. For Nineveh were a repentant people compared to the “generation” of Christ’s day. The “queen of the south” was willing to travel great distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon but “this generation” would not even walk a mile to hear the wisdom come down from God in the flesh; Mat 12:42.

A distinct date in the future when the wicked will be judged and the “this generation” will be found among them.

Even though the term “this generation” can refer to a particular group of people in a particular time and place, as in the 95th Psalm, it also encompasses all of evil mankind; A fact that is apparent in that the people present during Jesus’ utterance are no longer alive on earth! Even before those dreadful days have come to pass. Also to only apply Matthew 24, and the Olivet discourse to mean the destruction of Jerusalem forty years after our Lord’s passion denies the obvious future references throughout that sermon; Matt 24:14,15,21 etc.

The Gospel of the Kingdom reaching the ends of the earth as a sign before the end

Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

“For the Saviour specifies very remarkably the tidings then to be borne, as –“This Gospel of the Kingdom”. That is not the Gospel which is now preached. Most of the missionaries do not believe in the millennium, and therefore do not preach Christ’s Kingdom in the Scripture sense. Much less is it the great and prominent feature of their discourses”
The Prophecy on Olivet, pg.33
Robert Govett; published 1881

What is this gospel of the Kingdom? Mark’s gospel leaves off the “kingdom” and just states “gospel”.

Our Lord many times used the phrase “Kingdom of heaven is likened ” when giving parables of how it relates to man and how men are to respond to it. Matt 13:24,31,33; In each parable there is an interlude; a time of patiently waiting for the final results. In the parable of the good seed, which represents the “children of the kingdom”, the householder patiently waits until the harvest before uprooting the tares. This is the judgment at the end of the world before the kingdom is ushered in. The parable of the mustard seed refers to the patient farmer who waits until the “least of all seeds” becomes a tree. The sowing and reaping aspect of farming becomes the idea used. The parable of the leaven hidden in the three measures of meal shows a time of waiting until the whole was leavened.

This waiting is the “kingdom in mystery” in the sense that the ultimate fulfillment in its literal entirety is yet future. It is currently known only by faith. Its future citizens are written in heaven while still waiting for its heralded appearance.

In Matt 18:23 our Lord uses the same phase “kingdom of heaven likened” but whereas the former in chapter 13 are explicitly named parables, chapter eighteen is different in that it is not.

In Matthew 18 The Lord speaks of a servant who, though he had been forgiven much debt after asking for leniency, nevertheless did not show the same compassion toward his fellow servants. The result being that his Lord was angry and required his previous debt to be paid by the method of turning over to the tormentors.

The Holy Spirit purposefully does not use a parable to teach the lesson of forgiveness and the seriousness of the charge against unforgiveness. No man, when reading this account, can honestly use the excuse of ignoring the severity of possible judgment the Lord will implement toward his servants at the judgment seat by stating this is only parabolic.

Jesus dismisses any thought that this might just be another parable that really doesn’t apply to the believer by finishing the “lesson” and “dismissing” the class with verse thirty-five.

Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Returning to the question, “what is the gospel of the kingdom?”. The New Testament uses the phrase “kingdom of God” or “kingdom of heaven” 107 times. The first occurrence is found in Matthew chapter three: “And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The witness of John the Baptist was of the coming of the Savior of the world; the Light of the world. The ushering in of the Lord Jesus is in conjunction of the heralding of the kingdom of heaven.

What it is not

Let me first establish what the “kingdom of God” is NOT. It is not, as so many pastors and teachers claim it to be, eternal life or “going to heaven”. In this Laodicean Church period there is so much confusion, lack of biblical knowledge, and even down right heresy concerning this very important doctrine of the “kingdom of God”. On any given Sunday, in pulpits across the USA, it is not unusual to hear a sermon, that, in passing, the pastor will come to a passage where our Lord will be mentioning the “kingdom of God” or “kingdom of heaven” and the pastor or teacher will take the opportunity to explain that “If you want to go to heaven when you die”. Or they will say something like; “see, the rich man would not give up his riches to go to heaven”. When the pastor realizes that he is stating that it is hard for rich people to “get saved”, and according to his own interpretation, the scripture must be stating the same; Mark 10:25. He then has to right his wrong, and settle the hearts of the “rich” Laodicean Christians, by telling them that God is not against riches and a rich man can go to heaven; or something to that nature. It is a lack of biblical doctrine on this subject of “the kingdom of heaven” that is causing confusion in the church today. The reason pastors find themselves in a contradiction, when it comes to the “kingdom of heaven”, is because whenever you find a New Testament passage regarding it, it is most often surrounded by conditions of behavior of the hearer; Matt 5:20; 7:21; 18:3; Mark 10:15,23-25; 12:34; Luke 9:62; Acts 14:22; 1Cor 6:9,10; Gal 5:21; 2Peter 1:11.

What is it then?

The Kingdom of God is, believe it or not, just what the scripture says it is. It is a literal 1000 year kingdom that God will set up on this earth after his bodily descension to the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem. The return of Christ and the ushering in of the kingdom happen together. You cannot separate the two events.

Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

It is a literal place.

Matt 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Isa 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Two Signs of a World in Apostasy

Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

In His usual fashion our Lord Jesus makes such a profound revelation using few words. Yet volumes of commentaries by men have been written to extrapolate and expound on them.

Like Peter, we are faced with such a dire warning; Matt.26:34. But let us not brush it aside, and deny it, like Peter. Let us dive into the deep end of the water and plumb its depths.

IN, a prefix, L. in, is used in composition as a particle of negation, like the English un, of which it seems to be a dialectical orthography

EQ’UITY, n. [L. oequitas, from oequus, equal, even, level.]

1. Justice; right. In practice, equity is the impartial distribution of justice, or the doing that to another which the laws of God and man, and of reason, give him a right to claim. It is the treating of a person according to justice and reason.

The Lord shall judge the people with equity. Psa 98.

With righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity. Isa 11.

Iniquity, therefore, is the sin of not being impartial in distributing justice. At its roots, it is injustice toward some and favoritism toward others.

Two signs of a world in apostasy and total rebellion are: injustice and the loss of natural affections among mankind. The latter being the result of the former. This will usher in the end of the age and the judgment of God. Our Lord is repeating what was issued by the prophet Isaiah seven centuries prior.

Isa 59:14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

Isa 59:15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

Isa 59:16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

Isa 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

Isa 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

Isa 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

“..Truth is fallen in the street, and there she may lie to be trampled upon by every foot of pride, and she has never a friend that will lend a hand to help her up; yea, truth fails in common conversation, and in dealings between man and man, so that one knows not whom to believe nor whom to trust.” M.Henry

The prophet gives us such a bleak picture of the state of mankind leading up to the appearing of the “Son of righteousness”. Truth was being trampled on by “religious” men; 1Samual 8:3, Jeremiah 6:13, Micah 3:9-11. Justice and judgment were only for the rich; while the poor had no one to intercede for them; Isaiah 3:14,15 ; Ezek 22:29. It was the “Me generation” of old. It is true that there is “nothing new under the sun”. It was a generation of entitlement. To put in modern terminology; It was a “dog eat dog” world.

The prophet lays out why the Lord God came down at such an appointed time. In the passages in Isaiah 59 we are given a glimpse of both the first coming of our Lord Jesus, and the consummation of the “age of grace”. It had been the prophetic style of the prophet; Isaiah 11:1-10. At his first coming we read of the people having no shepherd; Mark 6:34. Even the teachers and religious leaders cared for nothing but their own authority and were more concerned with losing that then tending to the needs of his people; John 11:47,48. There was no other solution to the problems facing man. In His concern for this people, he had to come down to defend and deliver those that were oppressed. He came to be the intercessor offering salvation.

1Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Heb 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

The world at Christ’s first coming was very bleak.

The Jews had no Shepherd

Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Gentiles had no hope .

Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Christ would have passed us by if not for his compassion.

The account of our Lord walking upon the water in Mark chapter six and Matthew chapter fourteen is a prophetic revelation of the current state of the world and the Savior’s intercession.

Mar 6:47-51 And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

The toil of rowing is symbolic of man’s struggle in this life. The futility and hopelessness from cradle to grave
- The disciples had no hope of gaining any distance against such odds: “the wind was contrary unto them” verse 48. Satan is the “prince of the power of the air”; Eph 2:2
- We are a lavished generation living in a time when every comfort imagined is available to indulge in. It is hard to imagine the hardship of men and women’s lives prior to our own, let alone at the time of Christ’s advent. Though, from the very beginning, man was destined to work, the hardship and toil of life was not God’s original design for man. This was a result of sin.

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The fourth watch of the night is a key to understanding God’s prophetic calendar.

We understand that 1000 years are represented by a day.
- 2Pe 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
It is also referred to as a watch in the night
- Psa 90:4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
- The 12 hours of dark are divided into 4 watches; the fourth ending at sunrise

Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

The darkness shows the spiritual state of the world: both Jew and Gentile.

All of mankind is exemplified in this account. Though the Jew had the Oracles of God, they had apostate from it in part by the religious leaders who had added to it to suit their own end.

Mat 23:1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

Mat 23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:

Mat 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

[For a more in depth study of the darkness, see the article:
How great is that darkness!]

Our Deliverer, though not affected by our storms, nonetheless, is touched by our infirmities.

“..and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them” verse 48

Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.

He first sees: verse 48. He then comes, assures the disciples, enters in fellowship, and calms the storm.

What the future holds for the world and its multitudes of lost people.

Just as it was at Christ’s first advent, the world will become darker, The winds of change, tribulation, and trials will blow harder, and men will continue to reject the light. Just as the disciples were afraid and thought that their salvation was just a ghost; Mark.6:49, the world will not comprehend nor understand that their salvation is nigh. They will even reject such hope and help; John 1:5. “darkness comprehended it not.”.

What can God’s people expect going forward.

We still have a Savior who is not affected by the storms; He is one who can speak peace to our troubled souls. He can also calm the storms of life. Jesus will do all that while condescending to our low estate.

Is Jesus in your boat? All mankind is on a journey called life in which their boat will one day reach that eternal shore. But for most of the world Jesus won’t be with them.

When engulfed by the terror of the tempestuous sea,-

Unknown waves before you roll;

At the end of doubt and peril is eternity,-

Though fear and conflict seize your soul:

When surrounded by the blackness of the darkest night,

O how lonely death can be;

At the end of this long tunnel is a shining light,

For death is swallowed up in victory!

But just think of stepping on shore-and finding it Heaven!

Of touching a hand-and finding it God’s!

Of breathing new air and finding it celestial!

Of waking up in glory-and finding it home!

Finally Home, By Don Wyrtzen and L. E. Singer

The Big Lie (The “Original” Greek)

by: Lacy Evans

2 Timothy 3:

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them:
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

One only has to walk a few paces outside of the protective walls of his Bible Believing church to hear the Lie. Walk into nearly any Christian assembly and the Lie is being repeated there with vigorous emotion and “authority”. And sometimes (like today) I am ashamed that I have not continued to contend with the lie with the same zeal as I have in the past. My sword was so sharp once (by reason of use), so I write this little article to encourage those who once stood so boldly and confidently against the Lie to stir up the gift and contend again for the true Word of God.

The Lie to which I am referring deals with inspiration of Scripture. Most are not even aware of the issue; in fact the average proponent of this gross untruth has no idea what the implications of what he is saying are. Most simply parrot the popular catch phrases of the day without ever examining them critically. Here is the lie, the foundational issue of the whole debate over the inspiration of Scripture:

We believe the Holy Scriptures to be verbally inspired by God and are inerrant in the original writing, and that they are supreme and final authority in faith and life.

This innocent sounding little phrase (and others similar) is one of the most dangerous ideas ever to enter the house of God. It is found in the doctrinal statements of churches around the world. My Daddy used to ask me “if all your friends were jumping off a cliff, would you?” I am afraid that too many churches are jumping off the cliff into the darkness and confusion of modern textual criticism not because they have actually reasoned about it but instead because “everyone else is doing it”

We hear clichés like “It is closer to the ‘Original Greek’”, or “Literally this word in ‘The Greek’ means…” and too often Christians just fail to think about what meaning and implication those words actually carry.

I’ll get to the point.

There is not now and never has there been such thing as the “Original Greek”. It is a fable.
There is no Biblical premise for God having inspired “scripture” in the “original writings”
The same Holy Ghost who gave the pure words to Moses, Paul, Luke, etc. certainly is not so impotent that he cannot preserve the words pure.

The Misleading Myth of the “Original Greek”

Almost everywhere I go, I hear amateur (and professional) scholars talking about the “Original Greek”. It has become commonplace today (when discussing and studying the Bible) for folks to defer to their Strong’s concordance almost exclusively for “deeper insight” into the word. The precept seems sound enough. If we can go back to the “originals” we can get at the real truth of what the writer intended.

Aside from the fact that only a very few have really spent the years necessary to really understand an ancient dead language (I dare say no modern scholar on earth is as skillful and learned as the KJV translators were.), there is another major problem.

There is not just one “original Greek”. There are over 5000 existing manuscripts (copies) and no two agree. Let that sink in for a moment. (selah) Why would I bring this up? Most people I talk to seem to assume that there is a Bible in Greek that is the “original.” Not only is that not true. It has never been true at any time in man’s history.

Scholars refer to the actual pen and paper of Moses, Paul, etc. as autographs. These were the true “originals.” These originals are no longer extant (they no longer exist, having perished soon after their writing and subsequent repeated copings.) No translator of any Bible version ever saw even one of these “originals”. Years before the books were assembled into what we call canon (the closed list of books which we recognize to be scripture: Genesis-Revelation), long before they were put together within one cover and called “The Holy Bible”, the originals were gone. The autographs penned by Moses were gone before Jesus’ time and, the originals which Paul and Luke wrote were long gone before the final canon was settled upon.

The importance of this fact can be readily seen when a bit of “horse sense” is applied. The phrase “It is closer to the Original Greek” becomes either a very presumptuous statement or else an incredibly ignorant one. Unless we have a time machine, we have absolutely no way of knowing for certain what the “originals” (autographs) said. If therefore you believe that only the originals were inspired, perfect, and inerrant, then you have no inspired, perfect, and inerrant Bible on the earth, nor have you ever had. In case you think I’m building a straw man, let me quote a leading advocate of modern Bible versions and opponent of “King James only-ism” Mr. James R. White (The King James Only Controversy p. 36)

All of these things [scribal copy errors] contributed to the simple fact that there is not a single handwritten manuscript of the Bible in Greek or Hebrew that does not contain , somewhere, an error, an oversight, a mistake. To err is human.

Mr. White is at least man enough to admit that he believes this. Look long and hard at what he is saying. The next logical step when you surrender your Biblical definition of “scripture” is to deny that we have a perfect word.

(Hold fast the form of sound words) To err is human, according to White and all the others, but there is Someone else at work here. The sovereign Holy Spirit of God Almighty is able to preserve and keep his word pure.

Psalm12: 6. The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.7.Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Proverbs 22:20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

1 Peter 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

When you use the phrase “Original Greek”, know that it is (for all practical purposes) a useless cliché. I personally believe that the current worship of these “originals”(like a modern day bronze serpent) borders on Bibliolatry, (In case you missed it, that was sarcasm.)

The Biblical Definition of “Scripture”

The theory goes that when Paul, Mark, John, Moses etc, wrote their books that they were inspired, perfect, and inerrant. But then over the years, as man (weren’t Paul and Luke men?) got his grubby, mistake-prone hands in there, the scriptures were corrupted. So therefore the only place that the scriptures were ever inspired, perfect, and inerrant were right as they came off the writer’s pen.

This theory is not supported by one Bible verse. It’s just not!

Moses’ first “original” Ten Commandments were inspired, but so were the second “originals” written after he smashed the first against the mountain. Likewise the copies were inspired which Jesus quoted long after the stone tablets were destroyed. Common sense dictates that the originals were inspired. But read Jeremiah 36 and you will get a Biblical view of how God regards those “originals” God historically has allowed the original autographs to be destroyed and restored. This is a Biblical view of Preservation. {For a detailed discussion of this issue, see resurrection-the-biblical-method-of-preservation/}

We must return to a Biblical definition of the word “Scripture”. While various “scholars” have redefined the word to mean, “inspired in the original,” the Bible never even once calls an original autograph a scripture. When the Bible says “scripture”, it is always referring to copies. Notice again Paul’s words in 2 Timothy.

2 Timothy 3: 16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

18. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Can anyone even conceive that Paul was referring to original autographs here? Did Timothy, from the time he was a child, study ancient autographs penned by Moses himself? Of course not! The scriptures “given by inspiration” in v.16 were the same copies of copies of copies which young Timothy studied as a child.

The doctrine that states, “the Holy Scriptures are verbally inspired by God and are inerrant in the original writing” is a dangerous extra-Biblical doctrine. Just browse through a few church doctrinal statements on the inter-net or pick up one from the back of a church. “We believe in the virgin birth” will be supported by scripture verses. “We believe in the death, burial and resurrection bodily of the Lord Jesus Christ” is also followed by a Bible verse or two. Then when you get to “We believe the Bible was inspired in the originals”, there is no verse. Can you honestly think of one? It is the Big Lie. Yea hath God said?

Timothy studied translations and copies. Jesus quoted from translations and copies. Many verses in the New Testament, penned in Greek, were translations in “the original” because the Old Testament from which the writers were quoting was a Hebrew book. In fact, the conversations between Moses and Pharaoh recorded in Exodus were translations in “the original.” Do you suspect that Pharaoh learned Hebrew to “accommodate” Moses? The conversation was no doubt in the language of Egypt but recorded in the “original” Exodus in Hebrew. In the Bible, the word scripture always refers to copies and translations. We don’t need originals. We need scripture.

The God Who Is There – Modern Textual Criticism is Deism

Psalms 138.2. I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

In high school, we learned about Deism. Deists believe that “God” created the universe then just left it to run on its own like a giant clock. Of course Christians who have known the loving hand of God in every detail of their life easily reject Deism as unbiblical. However to believe that God created the clock of his Word in the originals, and then just let it wind down throughout history, is very kin to classic Deism. God is the Author and Finisher. He has always inspired copies. He has always communicated to man. He can preserve his words as easily as he can speak a universe into existence. His arms are not so short that he cannot reach his people. Just a casual study of the Bible on the subject of God’s word reveals that He esteems and expects us to esteem) His word highly.

Isaiah 34:16 Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.

If the subject were Shakespeare, Josephus, Plato, or the book of II Maccabees, then it would stand to reason that some mistakes are possible. I (for one) could care a less whether Juliet says to Romeo, “Wherefore art thou?” or “Why are you?” She could even say, “Yo whazzup?” My point is that the Holy Bible is not just another book that we can play with. Did God promise to preserve it or not? It is a miraculous, living, holy book.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Luke 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

A Challenge To All Who Would Be As Men and Not As Children.

This is by no means an exhaustive treatise on this subject. Hundreds of men and women infinitely more qualified than myself have written extensively on the topic of Bible preservation. Please, I exhort you, read up on the KJV translators. Read about the significance of Westcot and Hort and their damnable heresies. Read the many Biblical challenges to the false science of modern textual criticism. Study about the fruit of the various Bible versions. Investigate for yourself just who is making money off of copyrighted Bible versions. Don’t be intimidated by men such as James White into hiding your head in the sand all in the name of “not being divisive.” God’s Word will divide. It is a sword! This issue is of such foundational significance that it cannot just be swept aside. We either have a 100% perfect, inerrant, inspired scripture or we don’t. Either we can trust a Book which the common man can hold in his hand and study, or we must trust the scribes, priests and scholars. Which is the Biblical view? (Jeremiah 8:7-9; Matthew 7:28-29; Matthew 23;13)

The biggest lie ever told was “Ye shall not surely die.” It was set up with the crafty question “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” If the Devil can just get you to entertain doubt about God’s words, then his day’s work is practically over. When a preacher tells you that the Bible was only perfect in “the originals,” he is doing the Devil’s work. It inspires nothing but doubt, confusion and despondency. God’s pure, perfect, resurrected, holy words are found in one Book. The King James Bible.

I close with the last five verses of the King James Bible.

Revelation 22:

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

RESURRECTION! – The biblical method of preservation.

RESURRECTION! – The Biblical Method of Preservation
by: Lacy Evans (Nov.1996)

Luke 21:
17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.

Without the hope of resurrection, this promise to Christians would be a boldfaced lie to men like Mark the Evangelist (who according to John Foxe was burned by Trajan in Egypt) and John Huss (who was burned at the stake for the sake of the gospel in 1415). Every hair on his head was destroyed. The very last one did indeed perish. But God seems to have a special way to preserve what He wishes to be preserved. When the final trump sounds, Mark the Evangelist and Brother Huss are going to come bursting forth from the Earth each with a full head of hair, not a single one having perished.

Scholars and researchers have written volumes on the preservation of Scripture and more specifically the issue of the King James Bible. I have done my best to examine arguments from both sides of the issue. I have diligently studied White, Carson, Metzger, Barnard, Gipp, Riplinger, Burton and Grady (among others.) Based upon the evidences and arguments put forth, I conclude that the “King James Only” people are absolutely correct. In this article I do not intend to retrace the steps of the decades-old debate. (Indeed, most of the best questions were answered over twenty-five years ago by mean old Brother Ruckman.) Instead I wish to add to the discussion an argument from Scripture that in many ways underlies the whole “King James Only” position. In Psalms 12:6,7, God promises to preserve His words. My Question to the reader is, “According to the Bible, how does God go about preserving things?” It will be found that throughout Scripture, God allows things to disappear or be scattered then He simply raises them up again (usually in better shape than before.)

TYPES ABOUND:
The first question out of the opposition’s mouth is usually this. “Which KJV do you believe is the real Word of God?” Perhaps people who are new to the debate think that the knowledge of the existence of several editions of the KJV will totally demoralize the King James Only position. On the contrary, it follows type perfectly (not to mention that it is a shallow, deceitful argument to compare the revisions of the King James, up until 1769, with the complete departures by modern versions from the common texts). In this segment then, let us examine, in type, God’s method of preservation:

Isa 49:6
And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel:

The story of the nation of Israel is a perpetual stumblingblock to those who refuse to believe in God’s power of resurrection and preservation. For centuries, scholars scoffed at the promises to Israel in the Bible’s two Testaments. Men made a science of redirecting those promises to the Church. “How could Israel,” they asked, “ever be found again as a nation on the earth?” Only a few dared to believe that somehow God would raise Israel from the ashes of captivity and dispersion. In 1948, a miracle began! God pulled the “dry bones” of Ezekiel 37 together and has now begun to cover them with flesh. Ezekiel 37 illustrates beautifully how resurrection can be a process, and we are living witnesses of the fulfillment of this prophecy. Which Israel is God preserving before our very eyes? Which Israel is He about to breathe life into by His Spirit? Which Israel will soon pop out of her grave? Where was Israel before 1948? I don’t know but I’m fairly sure that if one examines the evidence, he will conclude that Israel is there now. I believe that all of this is applicable to God’s method of Bible preservation. Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate and yet the Father allowed Him to die upon a cross. Once again, God used resurrection to preserve both the Word Himself and all who would believe on that Word.

Where was Jesus before the virgin birth? (Where was the word before 1611?) He was in the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He was staying Abram’s hand as he offered up Isaac. He was in the burning bush of Moses. But it wasn’t until Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem that He appeared and was revealed as the Savior of man. Again, where was the “Word” of God when Jesus was in the belly of the Earth? The tangible Word was gone from the face of the Earth and it wasn’t until resurrection morning that it (He) reappeared. Then note carefully the process of restoration. Mary Magdalene was forbidden to touch Him before He was ascended, but afterwards He allowed His followers to handle His scars and see for themselves that it was indeed Jesus. Which Jesus do you believe in for salvation? (Which KJV do you believe?) Is it the mysterious Son of God in the fiery furnace of Daniel’s day, or is it perhaps the helpless babe suckling the virgin Mary’s breast? Maybe it is the Jesus who bled when pierced with nails and thorns. Is your Jesus the one who lay dead in a tomb for three days and nights? Is it the risen Jesus who still can’t be touched? Perhaps the ascended, glorified Jesus is the one you like best. What about the terrible, vengeful conqueror who is to come? Pick one! But watch out because there is an impostor coming who looks so much like the real thing that, if it were possible, even the elect might be deceived. The steady stream of Biblical types is almost overwhelming. God said he could preserve the lineage of Abraham by raising up stones to be “sons of Abraham.” (Mt. 3:9,10) I wonder what would have become of the “originals.” In the wilderness, the Lord provided His people with manna, which the New Testament identifies with Christ, the Word. But not only was God able to provide His people with manna, He was also able to provide the dew to preserve it. God didn’t worry too much when the manna melted away in the sun (Ex 16:21). He just restored it again the next day. The types teach us that God preserves by resurrection and then provides tangible, verifiable proof of His work. There are also several examples where God speaks to us plainly, not in types concerning the restoration of scripture. In the next segment, I will discuss these examples.

TABLETS, ROLLS, PROPHETS AND THE LAW:
Throughout the centuries Christian men have turned away from the plain teaching of Scripture to their so-called sciences and arts. Priests have devised elaborate schemes of works-based rituals to “help” God apply His grace to the hearts of men. Scholars have insisted on the “usefulness” of modern psychology in counseling converts when the whole “science” was fashioned by ungodly men and atheists who believed that we could understand the heart of man without any revelation from God.

Unfortunately, modern textual criticism as defined by scholars like Westcott and Hort tends to fall into this same category when it is offered as a substitute for the miraculous resurrection power of God. I challenge the reader to right now go to your Bible and find some Biblical precedents for the method of preservation espoused by proponents of textual criticism. Meanwhile, suffer me to suggest further Scriptural examples of preservation by resurrection (this time by examining times when God actually preserved His Word in this manner.)

The most famous example occurred at mount Sinai when Moses received the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 32:19, Moses took an inspired, original and smashed it against the side of the mountain. Was God taken by surprise? Did the Word disappear? It most certainly did, until after Moses purified the camp and the people decided to follow God. Then in Chapter 34, God resurrected the tablets by giving them to Moses again. Notice in the first verse what God tells Moses:

Ex 34:1
And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

Ex 34:27
And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.

God used Moses as an instrument. God wrote it through Moses. But Didn’t God know that Moses was a man? What if Moses might commit “scribal error” or “harmonization.” After all surely Moses played “telephone” in kindergarten (you remember . . . when you send a message around the room by whispering and it ends up garbled.) And besides, why should God write it again? Wasn’t there any “tenacity” to the original? (Sorry Mr. White) Oh and by the way, where was the written Word of God for twenty-five hundred years from Adam to Moses. (Just curious.)

God shows us how He deals with “originals” again in Jeremiah 36:21-23. Jeremiah was instructed by God to write in a roll of a book the words that God had spoken to him against Israel and Judah. (Note that Jeremiah wrote it by another man, Baruch. He didn’t seem too concerned about “scribal error.”) King Jehoiakim obviously didn’t like what Jeremiah (Baruch) wrote so he cut it up with a penknife and called it the NIV (just kidding). Then he threw it into the fire. (Sounds like Jesus). The original perished (just like John Huss’ hair.) But in verses 28-32 God writes it all again. Look at verse 32:

Jer 36:32
Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book; which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.

Hmmmmm! Original number two is new and improved! Surely God will keep it around. NOT! No, in fact this second “original” winds up at the bottom of the Euphrates wearing cement shoes (Jer. 51:61-63). One final thought . . . Jeremiah had to keep some other copy of this account in order for it to have found its way into our Scripture. Which original do you like the best, the first one or one of the two resurrected ones? Go ahead pick one!

The question arises in my mind, “What would cause the word of God to be lost and thus need to be resurrected?” When we turn to the Scriptures we find that God takes away His word when His people are disobedient and He restores it when they return and seek Him:

Lam 2:9
Her gates are sunk into the ground; he hath destroyed and broken her bars: her king and her princes are among the Gentiles: the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD.

Jeremiah here is lamenting a terrible judgment that has come upon the nation of Israel because of their disobedience. Not only does Jeremiah see the carefully planned out destruction of Israel, but also he sees a removal of the divine revelation (the law and the prophets.)

We see just the opposite in II Kings 22. After the wicked reigns of Manasseh and Amon, Josiah took over as king. The Bible speaks well of Josiah (2Kings 22:2) Josiah provided for the repair of the temple of God.

During the repairs, the book of the law was found. (It was found in the broken down neglected temple of God, not in a pristine Babylonian temple like the Vatican). As a result of having a good king who followed in the steps of David, the law was restored to Israel. Where was it before? It was hidden in the ruins of the temple buried perhaps in mounds of earth awaiting resurrection. How do we know that it was the perfect word of God? Read the chapter! It started a revival:

2 Ki 22:13
Go ye, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

The resurrection of the word sparked the fear of God (the beginning of wisdom) in the hearts of the Israelites. Is this what we see in History? Does the word of God seem to disappear during the dark ages of the Roman Catholic millennium and then mysteriously reappear when reformers begin to seek God and just in time for the greatest awakening in the history of humanity? Be honest now. If you don’t, God’ll get you. Hmmm!

LOOSE CANON:
So the doctrine I’m discussing is the restoration of lost truth by the process of resurrection. James White called it “a dangerous idea” during a recent E-mail debate with my pastor, Joey Faust. Did Mr. White miss the Dark Ages and subsequent Protestant reformation? Mr. White (and every other one of those fellas that he drinks coffee with) does however believe in an absolute closed canon composed of the sixty-six books found in my KJV (and his version[s].) He hasn’t admitted it yet, but he knows that it wasn’t until around the 17th century that the exact canon now recognized by Fundamentalists was established perfectly in the mainstream (i.e. with no hidden apocryphal books in Daniel or Jeremiah.)

What are the reasons that Christianity rejected the Apocrypha and accepted the book of Revelation? How do you as a Christian, before God, know that the 66 books in your Bible are the Exact ones God intended to be there? Believe me there are plenty of books that didn’t make the cut and several that barely got in, so how can you be sure? Well, as in the cases from the Scriptures (both in type and in clear view) discussed above, God gives us evidence.

James White writes concerning the canon (King James Only Controversy p.47) “God worked with his people over time, leading them to recognize what he had already done through the act of inspiration.”

If God can restore the absolute canon, and it can be proven by the witness of history and the testimony of the church, then He can do the same thing with the actual words that make up the 66 books in 1611 and we offer the same evidence for the establishment thereof. Is that dangerous to you? It is if you make a living teaching Greek and the fine art of textual criticism.

If God can’t restore something that was lost then every life martyred for any major Protestant doctrine has been in vain. Men didn’t trust in the doctrine enough to die for it until they were sure that it was the Word of God from which they learned the doctrine.

CONCLUSION:
I commend James White for actually saying (King James Only Controversy p. 36) what every one of his contemporaries believes:

“All of these things [scribal errors] contributed to the simple fact that there is not a single handwritten manuscript of the Bible, in Greek or Hebrew, that does not contain, somewhere, an error, an oversight, a mistake. To err is human.”

If human error is your main stumblingblock, then I can’t see how you can believe that any manuscript ever was inspired, including the originals. I read page after page of conjecture and assumption concerning scribal error. (“We can’t even write today on a computer using spell-check without making mistakes. What if the scribe’s pet python swallowed the papyrus for a few days and the poor little snake had to wait for it to pass? What if a Klingon spilled a flask of bloodwine on the manuscript? Blah! Blah! Blah!) In all this, I never hear one mention of the power of God. Hey fellas! You forgot your shoes! What happened in the Bible when bad things happened to the written Word? God resurrected it!

I cannot for the life of me understand why a person couldn’t take a standard textbook for Textual Criticism 101, go down the list of possible ways that a manuscript can get mutilated (due to human error), and not be able to apply each one of those possibilities to the autographs. How do we know Jeremiah or Moses didn’t commit “harmonization?” How can we be sure Paul, because of his poor eyesight didn’t misspell a word? Perhaps, after one of his shipwrecks, he might have had water in his ears and heard God wrong. My point is that you must either believe in God’s power or not believe.

Deu 17:
15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose…
18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him
a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

There is absolutely no Biblical precedent for God’s inspiration being applied exclusively to the autographs. When the Bible says “scripture” it is always referring to copies. Despite the fact that those copies are subject (or would seem subject) to human error, God calls them inspired:

2 Tim 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God…

Now unless you attempt to redefine “inspired” to mean “you can kind of get the gist of what God intended to say through the original author,” then I would say your sailboat’s just about sunk. Do you believe the originals were inspired? On what Biblical grounds? What proof can you offer that doesn’t equally apply to the canon and the KJV? I don’t think that opponents of the KJV Only position are really sure that there ever were any perfect manuscripts.

Of course, the originals were inspired and so are some copies. The question is which one(s). Is God able? Is he willing? Has He revealed it as part of his nature to resurrect dead things? If not, then we are of all men most miserable (1 Cor 15:19).

If it is any consolation to my opponents in this debate, indeed if it will avoid division, then let me admit possible defeat. I agree with you at least for a while: For one thousand years when the Roman whore ruled with an iron fist, there was not one copy inspired to absolute perfection on the planet. The only source of truth was the “witness of the multitude of copies.” During the darkest age of human history, men clung to the “tenacity of the texts.” True seekers of God poured over “relatively reliable” texts praying to be able to discern the errors. But when men like Walter Brute, Martin Luther, and John Calvin, etc. began to search through the rubble, soon The Book was found!:

2 Chr 34:
14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.
15 And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.
16 And Shaphan carried the book to the king, …

Concerning the resurrected perfect Word: first God gathered the bones, then He put flesh on them, and finally He breathed life into them. God saw fit to allow Christ to die, then raised Him from the dead to appear before Mary Magdalene, and finally took Him up to heaven to complete the resurrection process after which He appeared to His disciples and was touched with human hands. It took some of them a while to recognize Jesus, especially those who had forgotten His promise of resurrection. I pray friend that you remember the promise and recognize the living Word. How will you know it’s him? Look for the scars. If you saw them in the restored canon, or in restored Protestant truth, then you’ll see them in the restored Holy Authorized King James Bible 1769 Oxford Edition.

How Great is that Darkness!

There are certain themes that run a course through the scriptures. From start to finish, Genesis to Revelation, we learn of God’s goodness contrasted by man’s wickedness and depravity. Of God’s redemptive work, but the first to be learned, even before man’s fall into sin and the start of God’s redemptive work, is God as the Creator. We also see the “light” and the absence of it in “darkness”. There is a reason for this.

Gen 1:1-2

(1) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

(2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Webster 1828 American dictionary:

Void – Empty; without inhabitants or furniture

Form – The shape or external appearance of a body as defined by lines and angles

Darkness – absence of light

Deep – Usually referring to the sea: Ps 104:6 “Thou coverest it with the deep”. Defined as – Extending or being far below the surface; not obvious; hidden; secret

Because man was not there during the creation week to witness God’s work, we believe God’s account by faith.

Job 38:4b “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?”

Heb. 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Darkness was upon the face of the deep

Not only was the earth without a form that is recognizable as we think of it today, but darkness was upon the face of the deep. Referring to the waters that covered the earth, the scripture tells us that the “face of the deep” was frozen.

Job 38:30 The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

A lifeless frozen shell without any form that we would recognize when gazed upon. That is until God!

The absence of God’s presence in a place or even person can only be described by Gen.1:2: “empty, dark, without recognizable shape; extending below the surface to the very hidden core”. The act of creation in Gen.1 is, in type, the spiritual rebirth that God performs in each individual’s heart.

Spiritual darkness.

Literal darkness is defined as the absence of light. So it is with spiritual darkness. It is the absence of divine light (revelation). It cannot be cured by physical means. If that was the case then, man’s technological advances would have solved the world’s problems long ago. It cannot be cured through a body of legislators or “group think”. If that was the case the embodiment of the UN would have solved world peace in the 20th century. Instead, since the United Nations came into being, there has been more wars than in any other modern century. Just as the earth could not cure itself of the condition it was in, but needed divine help from without, so it is with man’s spiritual condition. If there is any cure for his darkness, it must come from above and not within. It must be the Father of Lights responding first.The blind cannot lead the blind and expect any positive outcome. Luke 6:39.

Psa 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

Psa 74:20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

Pro 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

Isa 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

God is light

1Jn 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

As it was with the earth, so it is with man. We need God to provide the light and deliver us from darkness. Fore He alone understands the extent of our darkness.

Job 12:22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

Dan 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

God makes provision for the light. It is found in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 1:1-5;

Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

Luk 1:78-79

(78) Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

(79) To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Joh 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

Act 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

A witness to guide us to that light.

John 1:6-8

(6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

(7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

(8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

John the Baptist was a witness that lead people to the light. It was John that pointed to the Lamb of God. John 1:36

But As Christ increased in His ministry, John’s decreased.

In this NT dispensation, It is now the job of the Holy Spirit with believers working alongside to be the witness of the Light. John 16:7; Matt.5:14; 2Cor.6:1

The warning of rejecting the Light

Ecc 11:7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

God uses nature to teach the sons of man spiritual matters. In nature, the eye of beasts and man require the light of the sun to function. Any prolonged absence of light will cause the eye to stop functioning properly and even become permanently impaired. See examples:

Blind deep sea lobster

Blind Salamander

Blind fish of Mammoth Cave

..and the darkness comprehended it not

Of all the evil that mankind has committed during his tenure on earth, nothing, I believe, shows his total depravity then this sober reminder that a person can reject the gift of God’s Son. Yes the wars fought, the lives destroyed, the innocent violated are an indication of the heart problem man has, but total depravity is on full display in the rejection of God’s Light. All the evil that history is littered with can be forgiven. It is the sin of rejecting the Light that cannot be forgiven.

Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Reason for rejecting the Light

Sin

Joh 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Joh 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Willingness to learn (lack of)

Mat 13:13-15

(13) Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

(14) And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

(15) For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

GROSS, adjective [Latin crassus.]

Impure; unrefined; as gross sensuality.

Unseemly; enormous; shameful; great; as gross corruptions; gross vices.

Stupid; dull.

Satan

2Co 4:(2) But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:(4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

It is Satan that deals in craftiness and deceit. It should not be named among God’s people that we have acted accordingly. This is spiritual warfare that we face and we must be good soldiers while not engaged in war-crimes. Eph.6:12; Phil.1:27; 2Tim.2:4; Luke 12:45

Warning about rejecting the Light.

God’s removing of the light in a person’s life

The lost

Joh 12:(35) Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.(36) While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.(37) But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:(38) That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

(39) Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,

(40) He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

(41) These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

Though God had done so many miracles and infallible proofs among them, they had willing rejected God’s testimony of themselves and of His Christ. In the Gospel of John chapter five Jesus gave three witnesses pointing to him being the Saviour of the world and yet the Jews still rejected. John 5:30-47

John the Baptist v33.

The miracles v36

Moses (the law) 45-47

The rejection of God by man can lead to the rejection of man by God. Rom.1:

The rejection of light by God’s people can be a dangerous place to be.

Mat 6:22-23

(22) The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. (23) But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

The eye, other than what it is literally used for, is symbolic of spiritual understanding for the believer.

Eph_1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

Jesus speaks about the eye being the light of the body. This is true in the literal sense but also in in a spiritual sense as well. Our actions can hinder our spiritual insight in our understanding of the mysteries of God. We are told to take heed.

Luke 11:35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

That our eye is to be single. Or as Webster defines it.

Pure; simple; incorrupt; unbiased; having clear vision of divine truth.

From http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/single

It is our responsibility when it comes to examining ourselves for any devices or weights that can easily beset us. Let’s look at a few weights that can hinder our knowledge and therefore our walk.

Hatred and bitterness toward our brothers and sisters can impede our judgments and understanding of God’s word. [1Jn 2:11] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Riches and goods of this life darkened the eyes of the Laodicean Church.

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Sin can blind the eye of understanding. Jesus spoke of the hypocrisy of a believer trying to judge another of sin when he can’t even see.

Luk 6:41-42

(41) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

(42) Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

We can become accustomed to the surrounding darkness.

“Human eyes take several hours to fully adapt to darkness and reach their optimal sensitivity to low light conditions. The quickest gains in vision sensitivity are made in the first few minutes after exposure to darkness. For this reason, many people think that after only a few minutes, their eyes have reached their peak sensitivity. But several hours into darkness exposure, the human eyes continue to adapt and make small gains in sensitivity.”

From <http://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2013/08/09/how-long-does-it-take-our-eyes-to-fully-adapt-to-darkness/>

There is a danger in continuing in our spiritual darkness. The man who says, while hating his brother, that he was waking in the light is deceived. 1 John 2:9. Thus, he has become accustomed to the darkness. The longer he walks on in darkness, the more difficult it will be to recognize it and could even result in permanent loss. Groping in darkness will become natural to him; Isaiah 59:9,10. Only God can reveal our darkness. As God’s people our prayer against such enemies of the spirit should be constant.

Psa_119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Psa_13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

1Th 5:5-6

(5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

(6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

The darkness is the absence of light. It was during the crucifixion that the rejection of God’s light came to its climax. The seeds of malice, envy, wickedness had culminated against God’s sinless Son. They had sowed evil and were reaping the darkness. As wicked men worked to put out the Light, God showed in nature the darkness they deserved. Mat 27:45; Luke 23:44,45

So exceeding was the darkness that it caused grown men to fear. Matt.27:54

End Time Flood

Gen 9:11-16
(11) And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
(12) And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
(13) I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
(14) And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
(15) And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
(16) And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

Four times the Lord mentions a covenant that He has made with every living creature on earth; that He would not destroy it with a global watery flood. So it is quite evident that because God cannot lie we can rest assured that the earth will continue to stand out of the waters and that they would no longer prevail against the dry land.

The Lord Jesus speaks again of that flood in Matthew chapter twenty four.

Mat 24:36-41
(36) But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
(37) But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
(38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
(39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
(40) Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
(41) Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

The Lord speaks of the times leading up to his return as the “days of Noah” which in the past I have inferred to mean of the moral decay of the society; which I believe is still the case but when examining the flood in its type in scripture, I believe, brings deeper understanding of the events the Lord is speaking of.

It could be that the flood of Noah’s day is overwhelming persecution both from Satan and heaven itself. Both for the nation of Israel and the world.

Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

“In the present parable of Noah and the ark, Jesus answers to Noah: the time of His presence [coming], to the days of Noah; and the ark to the wilderness. The flood of Noah’s day was composed of two great divisions; the waters from below, and the waters from above. Concerning the waters from beneath, we read–“All the fountains of the great deep were broken up;” and concerning the waters from above–“The windows of heaven were opened:” Gen. 7:2. Even thus in the day before us, the bottomless pit is opened, and thence come forth Abaddon the destroyer, and his locusts; while Euphrates sends up from beneath its millions of spirit-horsemen: Rev.9. And beside this, heaven pours down from above its vials of consuming wrath. Together these constitute the destroying flood of the day of Great Tribulation.”

Robert Govett; The Prophecy on Olivet. Pg 97

Flood waters are a type of overwhelming persecution or tribulation. The bible speaks of the persecution of ungodly men as a flood.

2Sa 22:4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

2Sa 22:5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;

Of the Jew because of their disobedience and national rejection of the Messiah:

Isa 8:6-8

(6) Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son;

(7) Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

(8) And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

Isa 28:1-2

(1) Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

(2) Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

Isa 28:14-15

(14) Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

(15) Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Michael the great prince..

The twelfth chapter of Daniel and the twelfth chapter of ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ’ offer a complete view of the battle that takes place in the heavens and the affect on the inhabitants of the earth.

It is the author’s view that Michael the Arch Angel is the same that is currently holding back the forces of evil from unleashing upon the nation of Israel. Since Israel became a nation the Muslim countries surrounding her have wanted nothing more than to drive her into the sea. War after war, and battle after battle Israel has remained strong. When you see the multitudes of enemies that have outnumbered Israel and see how she has remained undefeated in the midst of such numbers, there has to be a heavenly host protecting her. There can be no humanly logic to explain it. This hast to be what Paul speaks of in his second letter to Timothy.

2Th 2:1-8
(1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
(2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
(3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
(4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
(5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
(6) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
(7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
(8) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Daniel chapter 12 gives us insight into this time period when Michael is taken out of the way, which allows Satan and his “son of perdition” to wreck havoc upon the nation of Israel.

Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Rev 12:12-16
(12) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
(13) And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
(14) And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
(15) And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
(16) And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

Michael will stand up. He will fight and defeat the great dragon, Satan, and will then cast him down to the earth. It is then that Satan will unleash his “flood” upon Israel and the people of earth.

“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Rev.12:12

The first people of the earth to experience the wrath of Satan is the nation of Israel. She is the woman who gives birth to the man child. The man child in my opinion are the 144 thousand from all tribes that have been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and holding to the word. They are taken up into heaven before the consuming 3 1/2 years of Jacobs trouble. Rev.12:5; 14:1-5.

See also Ezra 3:1, and Nehemiah 8:1 that reveals that a remnant of the nation of Israel can be referred to as “one man”

The Jewish people were the first to experience the blessings of God and therefore they must also be the first to experience tribulation and anguish. They received the oracles of God and were partakers of God’s presence before any other nation. God calls Israel His “first born” Exodus 4:22. They must first be partakers of God’s wrath and judgment. But not until the Devil is cast to the earth and the “man child” has finished their work on the earth and are taken up into heaven, will Israel be thrown into “Jacob’s trouble”.

And because of their rejection of God’s grace during the “times of the gentiles”; Isaiah 24, Psalms 2; the gentiles will also drink of the cup of God’s wrath.

We will continue this at a later date when a much thorough look is made at the division of days in Noah’s flood.

Are you a leaf laden, fruitless Christian?

Luke 13:6-9
(6) He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

(7) Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

(8) And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

(9) And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

The fig tree is symbolic of Israel throughout the old and new testament.

Hos 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

Joel 1:7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

The Lord speaks of the fig tree as being barren and when the Father finds it as such desires to pull it up but Jesus intercedes for Israel and asks for more time to allow fruit and if not then cut it down.

Mat 21:18-20

(18) Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

(19) And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

(20) And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

“During the six months thence ensuing, the Savior was more active than ever, according to His promise to the master of the vineyard. But that trial, also, ended in fruitlessness, And that Jesus showed, when on one of the last days of His ministry He went up to the fig tree of the wayside, seeking for figs, and finding nothing but leaves, He cursed it, and it withered.”

Robert Govett; The Prophecy on Olivet. Pg 81

Mat 24:32-35

(32) Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

(33) So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

(34) Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

(35) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

“But what is the meaning of “the leaves”? By them, as I judge, are intended the rites and ordinances given by Moses. When Israel repents, it will return to its well-known ordinances. Each tree has a peculiar leaf, which is contained virtually within it, even during the winter. Thus it was foretold that it would be the case with Israel.”

Robert Govett; The Prophecy on Olivet. Pg 83

Hos 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:

Hos 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

So the leaves, of the fig tree, represent the law and ordinances. The nation of Israel was certainly not without ordinances and sacrifices during the Lord’s ministry.

The Pharisees kept the letter of the law. But missed the spirit of the law.

Luk_11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (Matt 23 refers to the “weightier matters of the law”)

Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

Luk 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Thus the law had the mercy and the love of God scattered throughout that were to be practiced by the nation.

Mat 12:7 But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

Let’s hear the testimony of a “ex” Pharisee:

Php 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

Php 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

The Pharisees were teachers of the law.

Mat 23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:

Mat 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

The Pharisees trusted in the law

Joh 5:45-47
(45) Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
(46) For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
(47) But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

The Pharisees added their own commandments and taught men so.

Mat 15:7-9
(7) Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
(8) This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
(9) But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

The first time that a fig tree is mentioned in scripture it is in the garden of Eden. But is wasn’t the fruit that was spoken of but the leaves.

Gen 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

They tried to cover their shame and nakedness by their own means. It wasn’t sufficient by God’s standard because He had to make them coats of skins.

Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Thus the leaves of the fig tree that were insufficient at the time is a type of man’s own righteousness: whereas the killing of the animal, required to make the coats of skin, is a type of the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice for mankind. It is man’s righteousness vs God’s righteousness that is under consideration.

Man seeks wisdom and knowledge from the source forbidden by God and them endeavors to provide his own righteousness to cover for his sin.The law handed down to Israel through the mediator Moses was to be the people’s righteousness. No other nation on earth could claim this.

Deu 6:

(5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

(6) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

(24) And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.

(25) And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

Israel is God’s fig tree whereas the new testament church is a vine.

Joh 15:1-8

(1) I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

(2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

(3) Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

(4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

(5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

(6) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

(7) If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

(8) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Both Israel and the church are to bring forth fruit. Though Israel is in a time of winter until the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, the NT Church is to thrive in the Sun of righteousness bringing forth fruit for the husbandman.The Lord does not mention “bad fruit” which would be works of the flesh. Nor does he mention leaves.The Father is looking for fruit and leaves are not sufficient.

A fruitless fig tree represented a nation seeking their own righteousness, which they thought, would come by keeping ordinances and laws.

A fruitless vine is in my opinion no different.”Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away”

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Phil. 3:9

How to be a fruit bearing Christian?

1. Recognize that you are free from the evil works of darkness:

Rom 6:6-14

(6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

(7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.

(8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

(9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

(10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

(13) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

(14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

a) The absence of the works of the flesh does not guarantee the presence of the fruits of the Spirit.

It is not enough to just live a moral life. To deny oneself the pleasures of the world does not promote a life that is fruitful unto God. Ordinance and rules and reformation is not the means to an end. It is not enough to “sweep the house” and garnish with rules “taste not touch not”

2. Understand that there is a promise of resurrection and a kingdom coming.

Col 1:3-6

(3) We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

(4) Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

(5) For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

(6) Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

3. Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfil the lusts of the former. Putting love first.

Gal 5:18-26

(18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

(19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

(20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

(21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

(23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

(24) And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

(25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

(26) Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

In Summary:

Love is the first fruit mentioned. Not faith, even though without faith it is impossible to please God
We understand that the greatest commandment is to love God. Matt.22:37-40.
Love must proceed and is a requirement for the other fruit to manifest themselves in our lives.
1. 1Co 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up (longsuffering,gentleness,meekness)
2. Eph. 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love
It is not sufficient to just do good works. Love must be the focus and main objective.
1. Heb. 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
2. 1Co 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

How can we know if we are fruitful Christians? How can I know that it will go well with me in this present life and at the judgment seat of Christ?

If we put our sights on the first fruit of God’s love everything we do thereafter, we can be assured that:

The rest of the fruits of the Spirit will begin to manifest themselves in our lives.
The manifestation of love fruit in our lives will give great confidence on the day of judgment.

1Jn 4:7-18

(7) Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

(8) He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

(9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

(10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

(11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

(12) No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

(13) Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

(14) And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

(15) Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

(16) And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

(17) Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

(18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

The sign of the Son of man in heaven

“..And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven..” Matt.24:30a

“Are the signs in the heavenly bodies to be regarded as literal? Yes. (a) For this very purpose they were created.” Gen 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

Robert Govett; The Prophecy on Olivet. Pg 64

We are next informed that “the sign of the Son of man shall appear in the heaven” What is this sign? Some have said that it means only ‘the Son of man the sign;’ but this were to make the sign of His appearing and His appearing (though they are stated distinctly) but one and the same thing.

Robert Govett; The Prophecy on Olivet. Pg 66

This author agrees with Mr. Govett that these are two distinctive things and that is why the Holy Spirit made them thus. It was upon a careful study of Rev. chapter six that it dawned on me what this sign might be.

The Spirit, through the apostle John, reveals that the consummation of this present age; and in particular the final years is summed up in 7 seals in God’s heavenly book. The sixth seal is particular and unique in that it has, what seems like upon first glance, the Son of God returning before the seventh seal. It is the seventh and last seal in which the seven trumpets of God are blown. Remember it is the last trump in which the Son of God returns to the earth in victorious fashion at Armageddon.

But it is the sixth seal where the people of the earth cry out to the rocks and mountains.

Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

It is said that He is “sitting” on the throne when they see him. The Lord Jesus is said to be riding on a white horse along with his saints at the battle of Armageddon.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

There is surely a distinction between sitting and riding and that we should not assume it is the same. To do so would affect the literal interpretation of the scripture unless we are lead otherwise.

Could it be that the sign that our Lord speaks of in Matt 24 the signaling the beginning of final judgment upon earth? The Lord is seen by the peoples and tribes of the earth as preparing to rise up in judgment. The authority of the Son of God seen by the fact that He is seated on the throne of judgment.

Psa 82:1 A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.

Psa 82:2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.

Psa 82:3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.

Psa 82:4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

Psa 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

Psa 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

Psa 82:7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.

Psa 82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

The Lord is warning the inhabitants of the earth of the coming judgment. But has God done this in the past? Has he revealed himself before final judgment? Yes, most assuredly He has.

Exo 14:24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,

Exo 14:25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.

One might argue that no one has seen the face of God and lived. My answer to them would be “correct”. For the Egyptians that saw His face died immediately after.

Exo 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

Exo 14:26 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.

Exo 14:27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

Exo 14:28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.

The Conception of Adam: Spirit Soul & Body

Scripture speaks clearly on the make-up of humans:

1Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Humans consist of three parts; the body, the soul and the spirit. The word of God with study, will show us what each of these three parts are made of. God has given us our first clue of the human make-up in the creation of Adam.

THE BODY

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

The first part of the human that was created or formed by God is the body. God formed this body by using the dust of the earth. When a human dies, the body decays and returns to dust.

Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Genesis 18:27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes

Psalm 103:14-16 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

THE SPIRIT

We will now move on to the second part of the make-up of humans; the spirit.

1Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you can for a moment, imagine a dead body on a table. This body has no breath in it. This body has no life. This is the picture we have of Adam before God gave him life.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

If you are asking “What does breath have to do with with the spirit?”, the following verses will confirm that God’s breath is the spirit that gives life.

Job 27:3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

Isaiah 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

2Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Job 34:12-16 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment. Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world? If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust. If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.

So when God’s word tells us “If now thou hast understanding”, what exactly is He trying to tell us? We find the answer in the second chapter of James.

James 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

So we see that without the spirit or the breath of God, the body cannot have life.

Psalm 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Another question may be asked as to “If the body returns to the dust of the earth, then what happens to the spirit at the time of death?”. The book of Ecclesiastes will give us our answer.

Ecclesiastes 8:8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death:

Ecclesiastes 3:18-21 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

The moment that a human takes their final breath, the spirit returns to “God who gave it” and the body “returns to the dust”. All that is left is the soul.

THE SOUL

1Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So what exactly is the soul? Let us return to the creation of Adam to get a better understanding of the soul.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

When the spirt enters into a body for the first time, a LIVING SOUL is conceived. It is like when a man’s seed enters into the woman’s egg, then life is conceived. The egg of the woman without the seed of the man cannot produce life. The soul is therefore the LIFE CREATED when the spirit enters into the body. It is “who we are”. When we die, scripture says that the body returns to the dust, and that the spirit returns to God who gave it. We are then only left with the soul. Our soul is “who we are”.

Genesis 17:14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

Leviticus 7:20 But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

Exodus 1:5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.

Revelation 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled

Why would these souls need to be given white robes? Because their bodies had returned to the dust of the earth, and they were naked without their body.

Revelation 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

GOD’S WORDS HAVE SPIRIT

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

QUICKEN: Primarily, to make alive; to vivify; to revive or resuscitate, as from death or an inanimate state

In the sixth chapter of John, we confirm a truth that we just learned. It is the spirit that quickens, makes alive or gives life. But if you will notice in the definition of quicken, its states that it can also mean to “revive” or “resuscitate” as from “death”. Notice the words of Christ in John 6:

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Jesus Christ says that His words have “spirit” and “life”. We know that the body without the spirit is dead, so let us look at scriptures that prove that the words of God have spirit that can “revive” or “resuscitate” life?

Joh 11:41-44 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Luk 8:49-56 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

STRAIGHTWAY: Immediately; without loss of time; without delay.

God’s words have spirit and life, and when the spirit of those words that God speaks enters into a dead body, it makes that body alive.

Rev 11:7-11 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Eze 37:1-14 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

In conclusion, I hope that I have presented enough scriptual evidence to affirm the things that I have taught, but let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Search the scriptures to see if these things be so.

*All definitions are taken from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary