Ezekiel 46:16-18
This is what the Sovereign Lord says: "If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance. If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of My people will be separated from their property."
God is concerned for property rights. The leaders of the people are never to take over any of the peoples' property, nor are they to take away their own property from their children. God is the ultimate Owner of all the land, and He has allotted it fairly among all the families and tribes of His people. Each family is to keep their property in the family.
The most basic foundation of society is the family, and the security of the family lies in their property; their real estate, their intellectual property, all the kinds of property people own. That is what produces their income and livelihood. So if everyone follows these rules, then there need be no "poor" who have nothing, as everyone would retain their family property.
Since we, as flawed human beings, think we know better, we want to have more and more of this world's goods, and we take advantage of other people. Like those who are in the government, thinking that they deserve more than the "common man" who isn't as "smart" as they are. And those who have been granted to accumulate riches are never satisfied with worldly riches, but must continue to accumulate more; using people and loving things, the essence of wickedness and evil.
God made this world for us to use the things of this world as tools to benefit the people; ourselves, our families and our nations. We are to love God, learning His ways, the rules and regulations He set for this world to work by, and then we will be able to love the people and use the things for our benefit. And God will receive all the credit, the glory, because that's how He designed it.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
The Judgement Seat Of Christ
I Corinthians 3:11-15
This section describes what will happen at the Judgement Seat of Christ, which is mentioned in II Corinthians 5:10, and also in Romans 4:10.
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. --
Christ Jesus is the only foundation we can build on; any other basis will be destroyed with the Earth and everything on it.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; --
If what we do is in the power of the Spirit working in us, or if we're still acting according to our flesh.
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
What each of us has done in this life will be clearly seen at that time to be either valuable with eternal spiritual results, or worthless being burned up by the fire.
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Any man's work that will withstand the fire, not being burned up, will also be rewarded eternally. Rewards are often spoken of as "crowns" (9:25; I Thessalonians 2:19; II Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; I Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10; 3:11; 4:4,10).
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. --
This is loss of reward, the person will still be saved, because our works have nothing to do with salvation, that's all of God. But it will be as though the person has gone through the fire, and has come out "by the skin of his teeth" with nothing else to show for it but his very self.
I think that this would be very sad for that person, to have nothing to give back to our Lord, as the Elders who sit on thrones around the Lord's throne, "cast their crowns before the throne" (Revelation 4:10).
This judgement is only for Christians, those who will be Resurrected at the Rapture and those who have died before that event. The rest of the people who are the lost will be judged at the end of Time at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15).
So I want to be constantly aware of my Father with me all the time, doing everything I do in His power, through His Spirit in me. Because everything I do in my flesh has never worked out for me, anyway; that's why I gave my life to Him to live for me when He saved me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
This section describes what will happen at the Judgement Seat of Christ, which is mentioned in II Corinthians 5:10, and also in Romans 4:10.
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. --
Christ Jesus is the only foundation we can build on; any other basis will be destroyed with the Earth and everything on it.
Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; --
If what we do is in the power of the Spirit working in us, or if we're still acting according to our flesh.
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the Day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
What each of us has done in this life will be clearly seen at that time to be either valuable with eternal spiritual results, or worthless being burned up by the fire.
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Any man's work that will withstand the fire, not being burned up, will also be rewarded eternally. Rewards are often spoken of as "crowns" (9:25; I Thessalonians 2:19; II Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; I Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10; 3:11; 4:4,10).
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. --
This is loss of reward, the person will still be saved, because our works have nothing to do with salvation, that's all of God. But it will be as though the person has gone through the fire, and has come out "by the skin of his teeth" with nothing else to show for it but his very self.
I think that this would be very sad for that person, to have nothing to give back to our Lord, as the Elders who sit on thrones around the Lord's throne, "cast their crowns before the throne" (Revelation 4:10).
This judgement is only for Christians, those who will be Resurrected at the Rapture and those who have died before that event. The rest of the people who are the lost will be judged at the end of Time at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15).
So I want to be constantly aware of my Father with me all the time, doing everything I do in His power, through His Spirit in me. Because everything I do in my flesh has never worked out for me, anyway; that's why I gave my life to Him to live for me when He saved me.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, August 29, 2016
Practical Response To Resurrection Truth
I Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers, --
This is the conclusion, the logical result of the Truth of Resurrection in our own lives; family Truth.
stand firm. Let nothing move you. --
Do not let your thoughts wander off of the settled Truth you know already; don't be fooled.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, --
Just like I, Paul, have done, follow me as I follow Christ.
because you know --
Have no doubts.
that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. --
Whatever we do in God's power, according to His will for us, to fulfill our part in His Plan to bring His Kingdom, will be rewarded, eternally.
This awarding of rewards will take place at the Judgement Seat of Christ, the Bema Seat, to take place at our Resurrection when Jesus returns. (See Romans 4:10; II Corinthians 5:10 and I Corinthians 3:11-15.)
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Therefore, my dear brothers, --
This is the conclusion, the logical result of the Truth of Resurrection in our own lives; family Truth.
stand firm. Let nothing move you. --
Do not let your thoughts wander off of the settled Truth you know already; don't be fooled.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, --
Just like I, Paul, have done, follow me as I follow Christ.
because you know --
Have no doubts.
that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. --
Whatever we do in God's power, according to His will for us, to fulfill our part in His Plan to bring His Kingdom, will be rewarded, eternally.
This awarding of rewards will take place at the Judgement Seat of Christ, the Bema Seat, to take place at our Resurrection when Jesus returns. (See Romans 4:10; II Corinthians 5:10 and I Corinthians 3:11-15.)
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, August 28, 2016
God's Glory Leaves The Temple
Ezekiel 10:1-22
This is another passage about the Cherubim and God's Throne above them, when the Lord's Glory leaves the Temple, "de-sanctifying" it for destruction.
(V. 2-7) The Lord said to the man clothed in linen (who was in the previous section), "Go in among the wheels beneath the Cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the Cherubim and scatter them over the city." And as I watched, he went in.
Now the Cherubim were standing on the south side of the Temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the Cherubim and moved to the threshold of the Temple. The cloud filled the Temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. The sound of the wings of the Cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty (El-Shaddai) when He speaks. (Again, like the roar of a troupe of motorcycles.)
When the Lord commanded the man in linen, "Take fire from among the wheels, from among the Cherubim," the man went in and stood beside a wheel. Then one of the Cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out.
Here we see that this "fire" is in the middle of the four Cherubim, and is the furnace, or engine, or whatever it is, that powers the wheels for their transportation. God had the "man in linen" scatter the "coals" over the city of Jerusalem, signifying the destruction of the city that will soon take place.
Then Ezekiel watches, and describes these Angels in the same way he described them in Chapter 1, with one difference:
(v. 12) Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels.
Wow, they're all lit up now. Some semi-trucks drive at night with all their running lights on, and I think that they're lit up like a Christmas tree. Now these Cherubim are ready to leave this realm and go back to Heaven, and they have all their "running lights" on.
(vs. 15-17) Then the Cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. When the Cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the Cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. When the Cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
These Cherubim are "attached" to the wheels, as they are "attached" to the wings they fly with, like propellers. They are driving some kind of flying machine that Ezekiel had no words to describe accurately, technology even beyond anything we can imagine today. And the "spirit" or life or energy to power the machine, came from the "engine" in the middle of them.
(v. 18) Then the Glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the Temple and stopped above the Cherubim.
The Lord rides the Cherubim.
(vs. 19-22) While I watched, the Cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the East Gate of the Lord's House, and the Glory of the God of Israel was above them.
These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River, and I realized that they were Cherubim. Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings was what looked like human hands. Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River. Each one went straight ahead.
There are four of them, each with his back to another's, in a square formation. The furnace, or engine is inside the square, powering the wheels. The wings they fly with work like propellers, and three of the four faces look to me to be like a helmet. And the wings that cover their bodies could be their robes, or uniforms, or armor.
Maybe you have a different picture of what Ezekiel is trying to describe here; I would love to hear your ideas, and consider them.
Even so, Come, Lord Jesus!
This is another passage about the Cherubim and God's Throne above them, when the Lord's Glory leaves the Temple, "de-sanctifying" it for destruction.
(V. 2-7) The Lord said to the man clothed in linen (who was in the previous section), "Go in among the wheels beneath the Cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the Cherubim and scatter them over the city." And as I watched, he went in.
Now the Cherubim were standing on the south side of the Temple when the man went in, and a cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the Lord rose from above the Cherubim and moved to the threshold of the Temple. The cloud filled the Temple, and the court was full of the radiance of the glory of the Lord. The sound of the wings of the Cherubim could be heard as far away as the outer court, like the voice of God Almighty (El-Shaddai) when He speaks. (Again, like the roar of a troupe of motorcycles.)
When the Lord commanded the man in linen, "Take fire from among the wheels, from among the Cherubim," the man went in and stood beside a wheel. Then one of the Cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out.
Here we see that this "fire" is in the middle of the four Cherubim, and is the furnace, or engine, or whatever it is, that powers the wheels for their transportation. God had the "man in linen" scatter the "coals" over the city of Jerusalem, signifying the destruction of the city that will soon take place.
Then Ezekiel watches, and describes these Angels in the same way he described them in Chapter 1, with one difference:
(v. 12) Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels.
Wow, they're all lit up now. Some semi-trucks drive at night with all their running lights on, and I think that they're lit up like a Christmas tree. Now these Cherubim are ready to leave this realm and go back to Heaven, and they have all their "running lights" on.
(vs. 15-17) Then the Cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. When the Cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the Cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. When the Cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
These Cherubim are "attached" to the wheels, as they are "attached" to the wings they fly with, like propellers. They are driving some kind of flying machine that Ezekiel had no words to describe accurately, technology even beyond anything we can imagine today. And the "spirit" or life or energy to power the machine, came from the "engine" in the middle of them.
(v. 18) Then the Glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the Temple and stopped above the Cherubim.
The Lord rides the Cherubim.
(vs. 19-22) While I watched, the Cherubim spread their wings and rose from the ground, and as they went, the wheels went with them. They stopped at the entrance of the East Gate of the Lord's House, and the Glory of the God of Israel was above them.
These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the Kebar River, and I realized that they were Cherubim. Each had four faces and four wings, and under their wings was what looked like human hands. Their faces had the same appearance as those I had seen by the Kebar River. Each one went straight ahead.
There are four of them, each with his back to another's, in a square formation. The furnace, or engine is inside the square, powering the wheels. The wings they fly with work like propellers, and three of the four faces look to me to be like a helmet. And the wings that cover their bodies could be their robes, or uniforms, or armor.
Maybe you have a different picture of what Ezekiel is trying to describe here; I would love to hear your ideas, and consider them.
Even so, Come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, August 27, 2016
The Rapture
I Corinthians 15:50-57
I declare to you, brothers, --
This is important family Truth, so pay attention.
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, --
God's Kingdom is spiritual, that physical flesh cannot withstand, like looking into the Sun will burn out our eyes.
nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. --
What can be destroyed cannot withstand what cannot be destroyed.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: --
Listen up, guys, I'm telling you something no one has ever known before; a new revelation from God.
We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--
We all won't have to die first, some of us will live to see the Day and bypass death entirely. But whether we live to that Day or die before it comes, all of our bodies will be changed to Resurrection bodies.
--In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, --
This will happen instantly, instantaneously.
at the last Trumpet. --
This is when it will happen. The only series of trumpet blasts is in Revelation: this is the 7th Trumpet (Revelation 11:15-19).
For the Trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. --
This is referred to as "The Rapture." It means, "catching away" in the sense that the "we" here are those of us who have not died and remain alive when Jesus comes, when He appears in the clouds, calls our names, we all rise to Him, and come down with Him as His feet touch the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. --
What can be harmed or destroyed and die must be changed into what cannot be harmed or destroyed or die, to be able to live forever.
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, --
When all this is done, accomplished, and we are Resurrected.
then the saying that had been written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." (Isaiah 25:8)
Where, O Death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting? (Hosea 13:14)
This is when these prophesies will be fulfilled.
The sting of Death is sin, --
The pain, the shot that misses the mark, where we come up short: sin.
And the power of sin is the law. --
The civil and the natural, scientific laws, as well as God's moral law; all have the authority to punish every lawbreaker.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The victory over Death, and all the lesser enemies we have, like the world, our own flesh, and the devil. Victory!
Jesus's death on the Cross as our Sacrificial Lamb and His Resurrection, proving that God the Father accepted His payment in full for all our sins, guarantees our redemption; and the Holy Spirit given to live in us is the deposit on the full redemption of us; our bodies, our Earth and the whole Universe.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
I declare to you, brothers, --
This is important family Truth, so pay attention.
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, --
God's Kingdom is spiritual, that physical flesh cannot withstand, like looking into the Sun will burn out our eyes.
nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. --
What can be destroyed cannot withstand what cannot be destroyed.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: --
Listen up, guys, I'm telling you something no one has ever known before; a new revelation from God.
We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--
We all won't have to die first, some of us will live to see the Day and bypass death entirely. But whether we live to that Day or die before it comes, all of our bodies will be changed to Resurrection bodies.
--In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, --
This will happen instantly, instantaneously.
at the last Trumpet. --
This is when it will happen. The only series of trumpet blasts is in Revelation: this is the 7th Trumpet (Revelation 11:15-19).
For the Trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. --
This is referred to as "The Rapture." It means, "catching away" in the sense that the "we" here are those of us who have not died and remain alive when Jesus comes, when He appears in the clouds, calls our names, we all rise to Him, and come down with Him as His feet touch the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).
For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. --
What can be harmed or destroyed and die must be changed into what cannot be harmed or destroyed or die, to be able to live forever.
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, --
When all this is done, accomplished, and we are Resurrected.
then the saying that had been written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." (Isaiah 25:8)
Where, O Death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting? (Hosea 13:14)
This is when these prophesies will be fulfilled.
The sting of Death is sin, --
The pain, the shot that misses the mark, where we come up short: sin.
And the power of sin is the law. --
The civil and the natural, scientific laws, as well as God's moral law; all have the authority to punish every lawbreaker.
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The victory over Death, and all the lesser enemies we have, like the world, our own flesh, and the devil. Victory!
Jesus's death on the Cross as our Sacrificial Lamb and His Resurrection, proving that God the Father accepted His payment in full for all our sins, guarantees our redemption; and the Holy Spirit given to live in us is the deposit on the full redemption of us; our bodies, our Earth and the whole Universe.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, August 26, 2016
God's Reputation
Ezekiel 20:1-26
(v. 9) "But for the sake of My Name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep My Name from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed Myself to the Israelites."
(v. 14) "But for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations in whose sight I had brought them out."
(v. 22) "But I withheld My hand and for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations in whose sight I had brought them out."
Ezekiel is recounting the Hebrews' history, how God did such great and terrible miraculous deeds on their behalf, and how they still refused to esteem Him as God, but rebelled against Him and His ways. And how God relented over and over again from destroying them for all the evil and wickedness they had done. Why? For God's own reputation. He would not let their lies and deceptions besmirch His reputation among the rest of the World who witnessed His miracles.
But God did allow them to suffer the consequences of their own attitudes, acts and lifestyles:
(vs. 25-26) "So I gave them [over] to other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; I defiled them--through their gifts [to their idols] in killing their own children in sacrifice--that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord."
God allowed them to do these disgusting and twisted things so that they would be repulsed by the consequences of their own actions and turn back to God. Only God is the God of the Universe, not any of the idols they were attracted to.
We have these stories in order to learn from them. No punches are pulled, we see God's people with all their pimples and imperfections, so that we can witness the results of both wickedness and righteousness.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(v. 9) "But for the sake of My Name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep My Name from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed Myself to the Israelites."
(v. 14) "But for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations in whose sight I had brought them out."
(v. 22) "But I withheld My hand and for the sake of My Name I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the Nations in whose sight I had brought them out."
Ezekiel is recounting the Hebrews' history, how God did such great and terrible miraculous deeds on their behalf, and how they still refused to esteem Him as God, but rebelled against Him and His ways. And how God relented over and over again from destroying them for all the evil and wickedness they had done. Why? For God's own reputation. He would not let their lies and deceptions besmirch His reputation among the rest of the World who witnessed His miracles.
But God did allow them to suffer the consequences of their own attitudes, acts and lifestyles:
(vs. 25-26) "So I gave them [over] to other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live; I defiled them--through their gifts [to their idols] in killing their own children in sacrifice--that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord."
God allowed them to do these disgusting and twisted things so that they would be repulsed by the consequences of their own actions and turn back to God. Only God is the God of the Universe, not any of the idols they were attracted to.
We have these stories in order to learn from them. No punches are pulled, we see God's people with all their pimples and imperfections, so that we can witness the results of both wickedness and righteousness.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Personal Responsibility
Ezekiel 18:1-32
This long passage is about personal responsibility. The penalty for sin is death, it always was and it always will be.
If a man lives a righteous life, he will live. If he has a son who does evil, the son will die for his sin. If the son in turn has a son, and this grandson does what is right, he is not to die for his father's sins, he will live.
Then, if a person lives a wicked life, but then turns around and does what is right, then he will live, his wickedness is forgiven. But if a righteous man turns from the right and does evil, he will die for his sin.
The conclusion is, "Repent! Turn away from all your offences you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone," declares the Sovereign Lord. "Repent and live." (verses 31-32.)
God has already provided the remedy for us to turn our lives around; His Son Jesus Christ came to pay off our full debt of sin, so we can be forgiven. When we realize our culpability and His remedy, then He performs a miracle in each of us in sending His Holy Spirit to inhabit our bodies, causing our dead spirits to be alive--born spiritually into God's own family--with the power and authority to have the victory over all the addictions that had us in bondage; now we are free, and we will live forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
This long passage is about personal responsibility. The penalty for sin is death, it always was and it always will be.
If a man lives a righteous life, he will live. If he has a son who does evil, the son will die for his sin. If the son in turn has a son, and this grandson does what is right, he is not to die for his father's sins, he will live.
Then, if a person lives a wicked life, but then turns around and does what is right, then he will live, his wickedness is forgiven. But if a righteous man turns from the right and does evil, he will die for his sin.
The conclusion is, "Repent! Turn away from all your offences you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone," declares the Sovereign Lord. "Repent and live." (verses 31-32.)
God has already provided the remedy for us to turn our lives around; His Son Jesus Christ came to pay off our full debt of sin, so we can be forgiven. When we realize our culpability and His remedy, then He performs a miracle in each of us in sending His Holy Spirit to inhabit our bodies, causing our dead spirits to be alive--born spiritually into God's own family--with the power and authority to have the victory over all the addictions that had us in bondage; now we are free, and we will live forever!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Eternal Benefits
Isaiah 55:12-13
For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break out into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up; and instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up; and it will be a memorial to the Lord, for an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.
These verses describe how the New Earth will operate without the curse of death (entropy) that this Earth is subject to; we will have perfect joy and peace, the mountains and hills will rejoice with us, the trees will "clap their hands," no weeds will grow, only what is beneficial, and it will last forever. God will receive all the glory and we will enjoy all the benefits.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break out into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up; and instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up; and it will be a memorial to the Lord, for an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.
These verses describe how the New Earth will operate without the curse of death (entropy) that this Earth is subject to; we will have perfect joy and peace, the mountains and hills will rejoice with us, the trees will "clap their hands," no weeds will grow, only what is beneficial, and it will last forever. God will receive all the glory and we will enjoy all the benefits.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Our Resurrection Bodies
I Corinthians 15:42-49
The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; --
Our bodies now have imperfections; we get sick, we get hurt, we have scars, we get old, and fat, and wrinkled. We will be raised in bodies that will glow like the Sun.
It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; --
We have limitations: we can only do so much, jump so high, run so fast; we will be raised in a body that can lift effortlessly (think of Luke Skywalker's "force"), will understand limitlessly, will be able to appear (instead of go) anywhere we can imagine.
It is sown a natural body, -- What we live in now.
It is raised a spiritual body. -- Something we have never seen yet, except Jesus'.
If there is a natural body, -- We know there is, we have one.
There is also a spiritual body. -- Simple logic.
So it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being (Genesis 2:7); the last Adam, a life-giving spirit." --
We know that the "last Adam" is Jesus. He told us that, "the spirit gives life" (John 6:63), real life is spirit: when our spirit leaves our body we are dead.
The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. --
God's order, in order. First things first.
The first man was of the dust of the Earth, the second Man was from Heaven. --
God formed Adam out of clay, the elements of the Earth. Jesus was born of the Heavenly Seed prepared in ages past (Hebrews 10:5).
As was the earthy man, so are those who are of the Earth; --
Our physical bodies consist of the same elements, in the same proportions, as the Earth itself.
And as is the Man from Heaven, so also are those who are of Heaven. --
We who are "born again" are "born from above," born in a spiritual sense, comparable to how we were born in a natural, physical way.
And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthy man, so shall we bear the likeness of the Man from Heaven. --
Just as we now look like every other physical human being that has ever lived, so when we are raised, we will look like something we've never seen before on Earth--we'll shine like the Sun! (Revelation 1:16; 10:1.)
This part of this chapter describes what our new, Resurrected bodies will be like. When Jesus rose from the dead, His body was changed in ways that we cannot very much understand, but He wasn't bleeding any more from His wounds, He wasn't hampered by locks on the doors, he just appeared in the room with the disciples, the two on the road to Emmaus didn't even recognize Him until He broke the bread for them. Then He appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos, and His face shone like the Sun. And even Moses' face shone so much after he was just in the Lord's presence on Sinai, that he had to wear a veil until it faded (Exodus 34:29-35; II Corinthians 3:13).
This is all very encouraging to me, to anticipate the wonderful way God will bless me, all because Jesus paid for me out of the slave-market of sin and set me free!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; --
Our bodies now have imperfections; we get sick, we get hurt, we have scars, we get old, and fat, and wrinkled. We will be raised in bodies that will glow like the Sun.
It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; --
We have limitations: we can only do so much, jump so high, run so fast; we will be raised in a body that can lift effortlessly (think of Luke Skywalker's "force"), will understand limitlessly, will be able to appear (instead of go) anywhere we can imagine.
It is sown a natural body, -- What we live in now.
It is raised a spiritual body. -- Something we have never seen yet, except Jesus'.
If there is a natural body, -- We know there is, we have one.
There is also a spiritual body. -- Simple logic.
So it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being (Genesis 2:7); the last Adam, a life-giving spirit." --
We know that the "last Adam" is Jesus. He told us that, "the spirit gives life" (John 6:63), real life is spirit: when our spirit leaves our body we are dead.
The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. --
God's order, in order. First things first.
The first man was of the dust of the Earth, the second Man was from Heaven. --
God formed Adam out of clay, the elements of the Earth. Jesus was born of the Heavenly Seed prepared in ages past (Hebrews 10:5).
As was the earthy man, so are those who are of the Earth; --
Our physical bodies consist of the same elements, in the same proportions, as the Earth itself.
And as is the Man from Heaven, so also are those who are of Heaven. --
We who are "born again" are "born from above," born in a spiritual sense, comparable to how we were born in a natural, physical way.
And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthy man, so shall we bear the likeness of the Man from Heaven. --
Just as we now look like every other physical human being that has ever lived, so when we are raised, we will look like something we've never seen before on Earth--we'll shine like the Sun! (Revelation 1:16; 10:1.)
This part of this chapter describes what our new, Resurrected bodies will be like. When Jesus rose from the dead, His body was changed in ways that we cannot very much understand, but He wasn't bleeding any more from His wounds, He wasn't hampered by locks on the doors, he just appeared in the room with the disciples, the two on the road to Emmaus didn't even recognize Him until He broke the bread for them. Then He appeared to John on the Isle of Patmos, and His face shone like the Sun. And even Moses' face shone so much after he was just in the Lord's presence on Sinai, that he had to wear a veil until it faded (Exodus 34:29-35; II Corinthians 3:13).
This is all very encouraging to me, to anticipate the wonderful way God will bless me, all because Jesus paid for me out of the slave-market of sin and set me free!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, August 22, 2016
Spiritual Nourishment
Isaiah 55:10-11
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the Earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
God is using as an example this agrarian picture to this agrarian people, that the rain and snow accomplishes the purposes God designed it to do, to benefit us all by giving us food to eat.
So shall My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
In the same way, God has given us His Word. Jesus told us that "Life is spirit" and the words He said to His disciples were spiritual. So to have real life, we need to ingest His Words; to take a bite and chew it for a while, and then when I swallow it and digest it, it becomes my life, my lifestyle, how I view the world and live my everyday life. That is God's Word returning to Him having accomplished the purposes He intended, and succeeding to give us (me) eternal life.
That is why I study the Bible every day; it nourishes my Life, my real Life, my eternal Life that began in me when God put His Spirit into my dead spirit, making it alive. I don't want to stagnate, because if I'm not growing, that means I'm spiritually sick, and I want to be healthy in every way.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the Earth, and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
God is using as an example this agrarian picture to this agrarian people, that the rain and snow accomplishes the purposes God designed it to do, to benefit us all by giving us food to eat.
So shall My Word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
In the same way, God has given us His Word. Jesus told us that "Life is spirit" and the words He said to His disciples were spiritual. So to have real life, we need to ingest His Words; to take a bite and chew it for a while, and then when I swallow it and digest it, it becomes my life, my lifestyle, how I view the world and live my everyday life. That is God's Word returning to Him having accomplished the purposes He intended, and succeeding to give us (me) eternal life.
That is why I study the Bible every day; it nourishes my Life, my real Life, my eternal Life that began in me when God put His Spirit into my dead spirit, making it alive. I don't want to stagnate, because if I'm not growing, that means I'm spiritually sick, and I want to be healthy in every way.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Don't Put It Off!
Isaiah 55:1-9
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
This is the New Heaven and the New Earth, in New Jerusalem the Capitol City with the Water of Life flowing and the Tree of Life growing along its banks (Revelation 22:1-2).
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?
We are spending our means for worldly pleasures and focusing on this life, that can never satisfy our real needs.
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live;
When we listen to what God says in His Word, and take to heart what He tells us, shaping our lives according to His life principles; real life is spirit.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.
Also called the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31; 32:40; Hebrews 13:20), it is as enduring as the covenant made with David (II Samuel 7). (The Ryrie Study Bible, p. 1095.)
Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, and a nation which knows you not will run to you, because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you.
There will be people from every nation who will enter into this New World and recognize the honor God gave Israel, His chosen.
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.
Don't put it off; when you feel the drawing of the Lord, don't ignore it. When I felt His drawing me, I didn't know it was God, I was looking for Truth; and when He found me (I'm the one who was lost!) I let Him overwhelm me, I didn't push Him away; I knew He was the Truth I'd been seeking after.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
Exactly what happened to me: I didn't fall back into the wickedness that had been my lifestyle, and my thought processes turned away from worldly pursuits to wanting to know more about God's Word, the Bible.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than Your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
God is saying that He has a higher perspective on what He's looking at and understands. It's like we're in a maze, and we must try every turn and every path to figure out the map of the lay of the land; but God is in the helicopter above the whole maze, so He can just see the way out without having to figure it out--He understands it all, so we can trust Him.
Don't ever think that you can put off to tomorrow turning your life around, when today is the only time we have; yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is a dream. Today is the day of Salvation.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
This is the New Heaven and the New Earth, in New Jerusalem the Capitol City with the Water of Life flowing and the Tree of Life growing along its banks (Revelation 22:1-2).
Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?
We are spending our means for worldly pleasures and focusing on this life, that can never satisfy our real needs.
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live;
When we listen to what God says in His Word, and take to heart what He tells us, shaping our lives according to His life principles; real life is spirit.
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.
Also called the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31; 32:40; Hebrews 13:20), it is as enduring as the covenant made with David (II Samuel 7). (The Ryrie Study Bible, p. 1095.)
Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, and a nation which knows you not will run to you, because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you.
There will be people from every nation who will enter into this New World and recognize the honor God gave Israel, His chosen.
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.
Don't put it off; when you feel the drawing of the Lord, don't ignore it. When I felt His drawing me, I didn't know it was God, I was looking for Truth; and when He found me (I'm the one who was lost!) I let Him overwhelm me, I didn't push Him away; I knew He was the Truth I'd been seeking after.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
Exactly what happened to me: I didn't fall back into the wickedness that had been my lifestyle, and my thought processes turned away from worldly pursuits to wanting to know more about God's Word, the Bible.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than Your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."
God is saying that He has a higher perspective on what He's looking at and understands. It's like we're in a maze, and we must try every turn and every path to figure out the map of the lay of the land; but God is in the helicopter above the whole maze, so He can just see the way out without having to figure it out--He understands it all, so we can trust Him.
Don't ever think that you can put off to tomorrow turning your life around, when today is the only time we have; yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is a dream. Today is the day of Salvation.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Different Kinds Of Bodies
I Corinthians 15:35-42
Still on the subject of Resurrection, Paul now discusses different kinds of bodies:
But someone may ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?'
Here is an argument raised against Resurrection, assuming that what we see we have now will be the same when we are raised.
How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
It is silly to make such an assumption. Even what is planted will only grow after it is buried.
When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps wheat or something else.
Taking farming as an example, the farmer plants a seed in the ground, to grow wheat or some other crop.
But God gives it a body as He has determined, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body (or form).
When God created the Earth He set forth the laws of biology, with the DNA and all the inheritable traits we know about now, that everything reproduces after its own kind (Genesis 1:24): Apple trees will not produce peaches, wheat will not produce corn, and a dog won't have kittens.
All flesh is not the same:
All the material bodies God designed for all the different species are all different.
Men have one kind of flesh,
All men, of every race, are all descended from one man, Adam, and can produce children.
Animals have another,
We cannot naturally produce a human/animal hybrid.
Birds another, and fish another.
Men, animals, birds and fish are all incapable of producing any kind of hybrid at all, each kind reproduces only after its own kind. This is how God planned it all out, and it works.
When scientists today artificially insert animal genes into plant genomes, the product is not good or healthy, and animals won't eat it; if they do, they grow grotesque tumors and die.
There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies;
We only are familiar with our earthly bodies, as we are of the Earth. But we know Heaven exists, and Angels don't have earthly bodies. We now know that they must have heavenly bodies.
But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.
God has put His beauty into all of His creation. Even on Earth, the different geographical regions each have a different beauty: The Arctic and the Desert; the mountains and the rainforest; the seashore and the fruited plain; and everywhere else on Earth, each with its own beauty. And people are beautiful, too.
The Sun has one kind of splendor, the Moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
Even in Space, every object is different from every other object. And we even know now that other planets in our own and in other solar systems are all different in their elemental make-up, with different elements in different proportions, all different from one another. No one has found another Earth anywhere that is suitable for our Human life except the one where God put us. Our bodies are made of this Earth, in the same elemental make-up in the same proportions of this Earth, and these bodies belong here.
So will it be with the Resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable.
God is consistent. The body we have now is subject to death and destruction, and cannot last forever. The body we will be raised with will not be vulnerable to any of the maladies we suffer today, it will be indestructible.
So all the bodies, all the forms God made, are suitable for the environments in which He put them; and since He plans to take us out of this environment into another, He will also change these bodies into forms that are suited to the Heavenly realms we will live in forever.
God always does everything well.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Still on the subject of Resurrection, Paul now discusses different kinds of bodies:
But someone may ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?'
Here is an argument raised against Resurrection, assuming that what we see we have now will be the same when we are raised.
How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
It is silly to make such an assumption. Even what is planted will only grow after it is buried.
When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps wheat or something else.
Taking farming as an example, the farmer plants a seed in the ground, to grow wheat or some other crop.
But God gives it a body as He has determined, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body (or form).
When God created the Earth He set forth the laws of biology, with the DNA and all the inheritable traits we know about now, that everything reproduces after its own kind (Genesis 1:24): Apple trees will not produce peaches, wheat will not produce corn, and a dog won't have kittens.
All flesh is not the same:
All the material bodies God designed for all the different species are all different.
Men have one kind of flesh,
All men, of every race, are all descended from one man, Adam, and can produce children.
Animals have another,
We cannot naturally produce a human/animal hybrid.
Birds another, and fish another.
Men, animals, birds and fish are all incapable of producing any kind of hybrid at all, each kind reproduces only after its own kind. This is how God planned it all out, and it works.
When scientists today artificially insert animal genes into plant genomes, the product is not good or healthy, and animals won't eat it; if they do, they grow grotesque tumors and die.
There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies;
We only are familiar with our earthly bodies, as we are of the Earth. But we know Heaven exists, and Angels don't have earthly bodies. We now know that they must have heavenly bodies.
But the splendor of the heavenly bodies is one kind, and the splendor of the earthly bodies is another.
God has put His beauty into all of His creation. Even on Earth, the different geographical regions each have a different beauty: The Arctic and the Desert; the mountains and the rainforest; the seashore and the fruited plain; and everywhere else on Earth, each with its own beauty. And people are beautiful, too.
The Sun has one kind of splendor, the Moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.
Even in Space, every object is different from every other object. And we even know now that other planets in our own and in other solar systems are all different in their elemental make-up, with different elements in different proportions, all different from one another. No one has found another Earth anywhere that is suitable for our Human life except the one where God put us. Our bodies are made of this Earth, in the same elemental make-up in the same proportions of this Earth, and these bodies belong here.
So will it be with the Resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable.
God is consistent. The body we have now is subject to death and destruction, and cannot last forever. The body we will be raised with will not be vulnerable to any of the maladies we suffer today, it will be indestructible.
So all the bodies, all the forms God made, are suitable for the environments in which He put them; and since He plans to take us out of this environment into another, He will also change these bodies into forms that are suited to the Heavenly realms we will live in forever.
God always does everything well.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, August 19, 2016
Warn The Righteous And The Wicked
Ezekiel 3:16-21
At the end of seven days
The seven days here refer to the verse before this one, that tells us that Ezekiel went from the dazzling vision he had back to the people in exile, and sat among them for seven days--deeply distressed.
The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself (from accountability).
Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them (to perhaps turn them around but they don't), they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live, because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself (from accountability)."
Now we see an instruction to Ezekiel that we can take as a principle that applies to our lives as Christians: We are also watchmen to our families and neighbors, to live our lives as examples of how God's ways work and bring strength, discernment, and prosperity in every way. When we are living these triumphant lives, others will ask us how we can do it, and we need to be prepared to answer them with the Gospel. We need to tell them God's Truth from His Word, whether to turn the wicked person from his ways or to remind the righteous person of that right way to continue to go.
God prepared Ezekiel for the hard message he was to deliver by having him "eat" or ingest the sorrow and heartbreak God felt for His people who Ezekiel was being sent to preach to. And we need also to realize how God's heart breaks for all the people who are muddling and stumbling through life, not knowing God or how much He loves each of us and has already met all our needs.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
At the end of seven days
The seven days here refer to the verse before this one, that tells us that Ezekiel went from the dazzling vision he had back to the people in exile, and sat among them for seven days--deeply distressed.
The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself (from accountability).
Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them (to perhaps turn them around but they don't), they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live, because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself (from accountability)."
Now we see an instruction to Ezekiel that we can take as a principle that applies to our lives as Christians: We are also watchmen to our families and neighbors, to live our lives as examples of how God's ways work and bring strength, discernment, and prosperity in every way. When we are living these triumphant lives, others will ask us how we can do it, and we need to be prepared to answer them with the Gospel. We need to tell them God's Truth from His Word, whether to turn the wicked person from his ways or to remind the righteous person of that right way to continue to go.
God prepared Ezekiel for the hard message he was to deliver by having him "eat" or ingest the sorrow and heartbreak God felt for His people who Ezekiel was being sent to preach to. And we need also to realize how God's heart breaks for all the people who are muddling and stumbling through life, not knowing God or how much He loves each of us and has already met all our needs.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Some Are Ignorant Of God
I Corinthians 15:30-34
And as for us,
Paul is getting back to speaking about Christians again.
why do we endanger ourselves every hour?
It would only be reasonable to take a safe, easy road if this life is all we will ever have.
I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul is saying that just as the Corinthians know how proud Paul is about what God has done for the Christians in Corinth, they can be just as confidant in the knowledge that Paul's life is lived on the edge, in danger of some sort every day.
If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
There is no point in trying to gain worldly renown by putting one's life in danger if he will not be alive to experience it, so we might as will take it easy and enjoy the pleasures of life, if we'll never rise.
Do not be misled:
Don't be fooled.
Bad company corrupts good character.
We need to be careful of who we listen to, to weigh the arguments and not be deluded into being deceived.
Come back to your senses,
Let's be reasonable here, sensible, using our brains logically.
as you ought,
It's the right thing to do.
and stop sinning;
Stop missing the mark with faulty thinking processes.
for there are some who are ignorant of God--
You have neighbors who have never been taught anything about the True God.
--I say this to your shame.
You have fallen short of the standards God has set for His people; we are to be an example to the World of how God's ways work, and bring success in life; and tell them why.
Every Christian is expected to do the work of an evangelist, whenever anyone asks us why we are the way we are: how we can handle the pressures of life, and overcome the trials and troubles that everyone faces. When we are the example of how God's ways work, others will notice and ask.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And as for us,
Paul is getting back to speaking about Christians again.
why do we endanger ourselves every hour?
It would only be reasonable to take a safe, easy road if this life is all we will ever have.
I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul is saying that just as the Corinthians know how proud Paul is about what God has done for the Christians in Corinth, they can be just as confidant in the knowledge that Paul's life is lived on the edge, in danger of some sort every day.
If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
There is no point in trying to gain worldly renown by putting one's life in danger if he will not be alive to experience it, so we might as will take it easy and enjoy the pleasures of life, if we'll never rise.
Do not be misled:
Don't be fooled.
Bad company corrupts good character.
We need to be careful of who we listen to, to weigh the arguments and not be deluded into being deceived.
Come back to your senses,
Let's be reasonable here, sensible, using our brains logically.
as you ought,
It's the right thing to do.
and stop sinning;
Stop missing the mark with faulty thinking processes.
for there are some who are ignorant of God--
You have neighbors who have never been taught anything about the True God.
--I say this to your shame.
You have fallen short of the standards God has set for His people; we are to be an example to the World of how God's ways work, and bring success in life; and tell them why.
Every Christian is expected to do the work of an evangelist, whenever anyone asks us why we are the way we are: how we can handle the pressures of life, and overcome the trials and troubles that everyone faces. When we are the example of how God's ways work, others will notice and ask.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
"Baptized For The Dead"?
I Corinthians 15:29
Now if there is no Resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?
This is a very confusing passage. After researching quite a few resources, I must agree with Wikipedia that, "The meaning of that phrase is an open question among scholars."
I think that the most reasonable explanation is that the city of Corinth was a major crossroads of many other regions and faiths, and the Greek that is used here translates as, "Why are they baptized for the dead?" referring to some other cult the Corinthians were familiar with. Baptizing for the dead has never been a Judeo-Christian concept at all, let alone a practice, considering the view of personal responsibility taught throughout Scripture. But even the Pagans that have this practice are relying on the fact of Resurrection, giving secular validity to this teaching.
So we will all rise after we die, either to stand before Christ's Seat of Judgment for rewards, or to face the Great White Throne Judgment to determine the depth of suffering to endure through eternity.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Now if there is no Resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?
This is a very confusing passage. After researching quite a few resources, I must agree with Wikipedia that, "The meaning of that phrase is an open question among scholars."
I think that the most reasonable explanation is that the city of Corinth was a major crossroads of many other regions and faiths, and the Greek that is used here translates as, "Why are they baptized for the dead?" referring to some other cult the Corinthians were familiar with. Baptizing for the dead has never been a Judeo-Christian concept at all, let alone a practice, considering the view of personal responsibility taught throughout Scripture. But even the Pagans that have this practice are relying on the fact of Resurrection, giving secular validity to this teaching.
So we will all rise after we die, either to stand before Christ's Seat of Judgment for rewards, or to face the Great White Throne Judgment to determine the depth of suffering to endure through eternity.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
The All-In-All
I Corinthians 15:27-28
For He "Has put everything under His feet" (Psalm 8:6).
God the Father has made Jesus Lord over all the Creation, the whole Universe and the Angelic Host in Heaven and in Hell.
Now when it says that "everything" has been put under Him, it is clear that this does not include God Himself, Who put everything under Christ.
Obviously God the Father is not subject to Christ, Christ Jesus does the Father's will.
When He has done this, then, the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put everything under Him, so that God may be all in all.
God is everything: He thought and spoke all creation into existence, and we all "live and move and have our being" inside Him (Acts 17:28), as though we are His imagination, and if He wasn't thinking about us all the time, we would cease to exist! He will eventually show Himself to be everything, The All-In-All (Revelation 21 & 22, especially 21:22-23). And if we're not Resurrected, how could we partake and enjoy this eternity!?!
These two verses follow the ones about King Jesus' Millennial Reign on this Earth, and refer to the New Heaven and New Earth that will last forever.
After this, Paul goes back to his defense of the reasonableness and logic of Resurrection.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For He "Has put everything under His feet" (Psalm 8:6).
God the Father has made Jesus Lord over all the Creation, the whole Universe and the Angelic Host in Heaven and in Hell.
Now when it says that "everything" has been put under Him, it is clear that this does not include God Himself, Who put everything under Christ.
Obviously God the Father is not subject to Christ, Christ Jesus does the Father's will.
When He has done this, then, the Son Himself will be made subject to Him who put everything under Him, so that God may be all in all.
God is everything: He thought and spoke all creation into existence, and we all "live and move and have our being" inside Him (Acts 17:28), as though we are His imagination, and if He wasn't thinking about us all the time, we would cease to exist! He will eventually show Himself to be everything, The All-In-All (Revelation 21 & 22, especially 21:22-23). And if we're not Resurrected, how could we partake and enjoy this eternity!?!
These two verses follow the ones about King Jesus' Millennial Reign on this Earth, and refer to the New Heaven and New Earth that will last forever.
After this, Paul goes back to his defense of the reasonableness and logic of Resurrection.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Monday, August 15, 2016
God's Tough Love
Ezekiel 3:1-15
And He said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He gave me the scroll to eat.
Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
God's Word is always a delight to me when I approach it with anticipation, as my Father's "love letter" to me; it tasted as sweet as honey to his taste. Even when God is revealing how His heart is breaking, with lament and mourning and woe, it is still sweet to consume and digest.
Then He said to me: "Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak My words to them."
Now that Ezekiel has consumed all the sorrow and heartbreak God has for His people, now he is ready to go speak to them. Not in anger or harshness, but in a spirit of compassion, inviting them into the right paths of thinking and acting, to turn around from the ways that have already resulted in capture, deportation and bondage.
"You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel--not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand."
God is not sending Ezekiel to the other national people in Babylon where he is, but only to his own Hebrew people, the family God chose to be His own.
"Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you."
These other nations did not have the advantages God gave to Israel, but even so, if Ezekiel had been sent to them, they would have been more open to listening to him and believing what he said.
"But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to Me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate."
God is saying that His people Israel have been jaded, having had God's word given to them so freely for so long, that they have become blind and deaf, unwilling to obey. They just figure that they've "been there, done that" already.
"But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people."
He will strengthen Ezekiel to be able to withstand all the attacks and mistreatment he will be facing, without giving in or giving up. (We need to also remember that "He Who is in us is greater than he that is in the world.")
And He said to me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says,' whether they listen or fail to listen."
God wants Ezekiel to be sure to get His message right, in both the words themselves, and the spirit in which they are given. All these people of God who have been carried off into exile in Babylon need this encouragement, even though they are still rebelling against what they consider God's unfairness to them. Apparently there were some who would listen, but they would be outnumbered by those who refuse to listen.
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing. It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.
As God and His retinue begin to depart, Ezekiel hears the noise of all the moving parts, and again it sounds like a troupe of motorcycles roaring down the street. (see my blog of 8/12/16)
The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me.
Ezekiel now must go and carry out what he has been commissioned to do, knowing that it will be a "hard row to hoe." He is willing to do this, and must trust that God would do what He said He would do for him in withstanding the pressure he will face.
I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days--deeply distressed.
Ezekiel went to where the people were living and inserted himself among them, so they would see him and be aware of his presence. And he prepared himself to preach, knowing how negatively it will go.
This is a hard, difficult task that God gave Ezekiel to do. God's "tough love" for His people is shown in this message He will give His prophet to deliver.
I think about when my children were small, and I found it necessary to threaten capital punishment for their dangerous disobedience. I loved them too much to let them go their own foolish ways, and I wanted to direct them into better, more advantageous ways of reasoning, thinking and acting. I knew that if they didn't learn these better ways, then their adult lives would be hard, poor and unhealthy.
How much more does God love us, His own creation, and wants us to learn to do right, to do good to one another, and trust Him to direct us into the ways to cooperate with how He designed this World to work. Then He will be able to bless us with the results of our actions, in prosperity, good health and long life, with the ability to enjoy each day. And then to be given the authority to enjoy His own Presence for all eternity!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
And He said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He gave me the scroll to eat.
Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
God's Word is always a delight to me when I approach it with anticipation, as my Father's "love letter" to me; it tasted as sweet as honey to his taste. Even when God is revealing how His heart is breaking, with lament and mourning and woe, it is still sweet to consume and digest.
Then He said to me: "Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak My words to them."
Now that Ezekiel has consumed all the sorrow and heartbreak God has for His people, now he is ready to go speak to them. Not in anger or harshness, but in a spirit of compassion, inviting them into the right paths of thinking and acting, to turn around from the ways that have already resulted in capture, deportation and bondage.
"You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel--not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand."
God is not sending Ezekiel to the other national people in Babylon where he is, but only to his own Hebrew people, the family God chose to be His own.
"Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you."
These other nations did not have the advantages God gave to Israel, but even so, if Ezekiel had been sent to them, they would have been more open to listening to him and believing what he said.
"But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to Me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate."
God is saying that His people Israel have been jaded, having had God's word given to them so freely for so long, that they have become blind and deaf, unwilling to obey. They just figure that they've "been there, done that" already.
"But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people."
He will strengthen Ezekiel to be able to withstand all the attacks and mistreatment he will be facing, without giving in or giving up. (We need to also remember that "He Who is in us is greater than he that is in the world.")
And He said to me, "Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says,' whether they listen or fail to listen."
God wants Ezekiel to be sure to get His message right, in both the words themselves, and the spirit in which they are given. All these people of God who have been carried off into exile in Babylon need this encouragement, even though they are still rebelling against what they consider God's unfairness to them. Apparently there were some who would listen, but they would be outnumbered by those who refuse to listen.
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound as the glory of the Lord rose from the place where it was standing. It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.
As God and His retinue begin to depart, Ezekiel hears the noise of all the moving parts, and again it sounds like a troupe of motorcycles roaring down the street. (see my blog of 8/12/16)
The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me.
Ezekiel now must go and carry out what he has been commissioned to do, knowing that it will be a "hard row to hoe." He is willing to do this, and must trust that God would do what He said He would do for him in withstanding the pressure he will face.
I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Aviv near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days--deeply distressed.
Ezekiel went to where the people were living and inserted himself among them, so they would see him and be aware of his presence. And he prepared himself to preach, knowing how negatively it will go.
This is a hard, difficult task that God gave Ezekiel to do. God's "tough love" for His people is shown in this message He will give His prophet to deliver.
I think about when my children were small, and I found it necessary to threaten capital punishment for their dangerous disobedience. I loved them too much to let them go their own foolish ways, and I wanted to direct them into better, more advantageous ways of reasoning, thinking and acting. I knew that if they didn't learn these better ways, then their adult lives would be hard, poor and unhealthy.
How much more does God love us, His own creation, and wants us to learn to do right, to do good to one another, and trust Him to direct us into the ways to cooperate with how He designed this World to work. Then He will be able to bless us with the results of our actions, in prosperity, good health and long life, with the ability to enjoy each day. And then to be given the authority to enjoy His own Presence for all eternity!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, August 14, 2016
God's Magnificence And Heartbreak
Ezekiel 1:25- 2:10
We continue our study of Ezekiel's vision:
(v.22) Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome.
Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli (a sapphire stone), and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
This is how Ezekiel tried to describe what he saw, something indescribable. He uses the words "looked like," "like," "appearance," "as if" and "likeness of." And he was overwhelmed with the enormity of the glory and magnificence of it all. But even though he collapsed physically, he could still hear.
He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." As He spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me.
When God's Spirit came into him, he was strengthened and steadied to stand on his feet, in respect for the Majesty speaking to him.
He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against Me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious people--they will know that a prophet has been among them.
God is letting His prophet know that He is aware of Israel's degenerate condition, but He still wants him to tell them His message anyway, knowing that most of them will not listen.
And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. You must speak My words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people;"
God tells Ezekiel that he need not fear anything these people may throw at him, because they will not want to hear the Truth from him, and will oppose him. But do not succumb to their pressures, remain true to the God he knows will be with him.
"open your mouth and eat what I give you."
Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which He unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.
God wants Ezekiel to ingest the words, the concepts and attitudes, inscribed on this scroll, both inside and outside. These reveal how God's heart is breaking and has been breaking for all the lies and deceptions that have enslaved His chosen people who He loves.
God wants His beloved people to know Him and His ways, to realize that He wants only good for them, and not just good, but the very best, that will benefit them and bless them and prosper them. All we need to do is to listen to what He says to us, believe that He speaks the Truth, and follow the Maker's directions and instructions.
Whenever we think that we are smart and know better and don't want "anyone" to tell us "what to do" or "how to live our lives," that's when we're listening to our enemy, the devil, Satan. He hates us and twists God's wonderful Truth into grotesque and disgusting concepts that enslave us into addictions of thinking processes and actions that destroy us. We may think that we're "doing all right," but this is only a temporary pleasure that will eventually end in misery and death.
These Israelites that God sent Ezekiel to preach to, have already, for many generations, rejected God, being sucked into worshiping the idols of the peoples around them and the peoples that they replaced in their own land. God destroyed those nations because of all their degrading practices, and gave the land to Israel. Only to have Israel fall into the same lifestyles that reject the good, healthy ways of the Lord. So God removed them from the land, also, sending them into exile in Babylon.
God had them completely destroy some of the cities; all the men, women, children, babies, and even all the animals. Why? Probably to keep the diseases their lifestyles promoted from also infecting His people. Some of their despicable practices involved their animals and their children, and they may all have been infected.
God chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their families to be a Nation who would display to all the other Nations how God's ways were so much better in every way than all the other ways; the ways of the world, the devil, and our own fallen flesh-nature. Their example was to draw those of the rest of the world into following God and His ways.
So now He is sending Ezekiel to preach to them, to make sure that they know what they have done and are doing, so they will have the choice to follow God or not. He always gives us that choice. And to even tell them the consequences of whichever choice they make, so that they can never claim ignorance.
Let's continue this study.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
We continue our study of Ezekiel's vision:
(v.22) Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome.
Then there came a voice from above the vault over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the vault over their heads was what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli (a sapphire stone), and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.
This is how Ezekiel tried to describe what he saw, something indescribable. He uses the words "looked like," "like," "appearance," "as if" and "likeness of." And he was overwhelmed with the enormity of the glory and magnificence of it all. But even though he collapsed physically, he could still hear.
He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." As He spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me.
When God's Spirit came into him, he was strengthened and steadied to stand on his feet, in respect for the Majesty speaking to him.
He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against Me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says.' And whether they listen or fail to listen--for they are a rebellious people--they will know that a prophet has been among them.
God is letting His prophet know that He is aware of Israel's degenerate condition, but He still wants him to tell them His message anyway, knowing that most of them will not listen.
And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. You must speak My words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people;"
God tells Ezekiel that he need not fear anything these people may throw at him, because they will not want to hear the Truth from him, and will oppose him. But do not succumb to their pressures, remain true to the God he knows will be with him.
"open your mouth and eat what I give you."
Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which He unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.
God wants Ezekiel to ingest the words, the concepts and attitudes, inscribed on this scroll, both inside and outside. These reveal how God's heart is breaking and has been breaking for all the lies and deceptions that have enslaved His chosen people who He loves.
God wants His beloved people to know Him and His ways, to realize that He wants only good for them, and not just good, but the very best, that will benefit them and bless them and prosper them. All we need to do is to listen to what He says to us, believe that He speaks the Truth, and follow the Maker's directions and instructions.
Whenever we think that we are smart and know better and don't want "anyone" to tell us "what to do" or "how to live our lives," that's when we're listening to our enemy, the devil, Satan. He hates us and twists God's wonderful Truth into grotesque and disgusting concepts that enslave us into addictions of thinking processes and actions that destroy us. We may think that we're "doing all right," but this is only a temporary pleasure that will eventually end in misery and death.
These Israelites that God sent Ezekiel to preach to, have already, for many generations, rejected God, being sucked into worshiping the idols of the peoples around them and the peoples that they replaced in their own land. God destroyed those nations because of all their degrading practices, and gave the land to Israel. Only to have Israel fall into the same lifestyles that reject the good, healthy ways of the Lord. So God removed them from the land, also, sending them into exile in Babylon.
God had them completely destroy some of the cities; all the men, women, children, babies, and even all the animals. Why? Probably to keep the diseases their lifestyles promoted from also infecting His people. Some of their despicable practices involved their animals and their children, and they may all have been infected.
God chose Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their families to be a Nation who would display to all the other Nations how God's ways were so much better in every way than all the other ways; the ways of the world, the devil, and our own fallen flesh-nature. Their example was to draw those of the rest of the world into following God and His ways.
So now He is sending Ezekiel to preach to them, to make sure that they know what they have done and are doing, so they will have the choice to follow God or not. He always gives us that choice. And to even tell them the consequences of whichever choice they make, so that they can never claim ignorance.
Let's continue this study.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Saturday, August 13, 2016
God's Plan Of The Ages
I Corinthians 15:21-26
For since death came through a man,
This man was Adam.
the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
This is Christ Jesus, true man, born of a woman.
For as in Adam all die,
Because Adam sinned, disobeying God with full knowledge of what he was doing, this propensity to sin (sin-nature, or Original Sin) came through his genes to everyone else born into this human family.
So in Christ all will be made alive.
Every person will be raised to face judgment: Believers at Christ's Mercy Seat, or Bema Seat, for rewards; and unbelievers at the Great White Throne.
But each in his own turn:
Everything is orderly with God, according to His timetable.
Christ, the First Fruits;
He will fulfill all the six great Feasts God gave to Israel.
Then, when He comes, those who belong to Him.
When He comes and calls us out to meet Him in the clouds, to resurrect all His believers, living and dead.
Then the end will come,
The end of this world, at the end of King Jesus' one thousand year reign, at the Great Battle that results in the whole Earth exploding (see II Peter 3:10).
when He hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
Transitioning from King Jesus' reign on Earth to God the Father's Lordship over the New Earth (Revelation 21:1-3).
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
This will be during Jesus' millennial reign on this Earth, and we are in our resurrection bodies as His kings and queens, ruling with Him.
The last enemy to be destroyed is Death.
So the people who go into this Millennial Reign in their human bodies will still be subject to death, though will probably not die of old age, but live out the original lifespans of humans before the Deluge.
Paul is laying out God's whole Plan of the Ages for this Earth, all of which is still future for him, and for us, too. But we can read the last page: we win!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
For since death came through a man,
This man was Adam.
the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
This is Christ Jesus, true man, born of a woman.
For as in Adam all die,
Because Adam sinned, disobeying God with full knowledge of what he was doing, this propensity to sin (sin-nature, or Original Sin) came through his genes to everyone else born into this human family.
So in Christ all will be made alive.
Every person will be raised to face judgment: Believers at Christ's Mercy Seat, or Bema Seat, for rewards; and unbelievers at the Great White Throne.
But each in his own turn:
Everything is orderly with God, according to His timetable.
Christ, the First Fruits;
He will fulfill all the six great Feasts God gave to Israel.
Then, when He comes, those who belong to Him.
When He comes and calls us out to meet Him in the clouds, to resurrect all His believers, living and dead.
Then the end will come,
The end of this world, at the end of King Jesus' one thousand year reign, at the Great Battle that results in the whole Earth exploding (see II Peter 3:10).
when He hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.
Transitioning from King Jesus' reign on Earth to God the Father's Lordship over the New Earth (Revelation 21:1-3).
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
This will be during Jesus' millennial reign on this Earth, and we are in our resurrection bodies as His kings and queens, ruling with Him.
The last enemy to be destroyed is Death.
So the people who go into this Millennial Reign in their human bodies will still be subject to death, though will probably not die of old age, but live out the original lifespans of humans before the Deluge.
Paul is laying out God's whole Plan of the Ages for this Earth, all of which is still future for him, and for us, too. But we can read the last page: we win!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Friday, August 12, 2016
Ezekiel's Wheels Within Wheels
Ezekiel 1:1-24
Ezekiel's Vision, The Four Living Creatures (Cherubim):
(vs.4-9) I looked and I saw a windstorm coming out of the North--an immense cloud with flashing lightning (a fire enfolding itself) and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
Here we have their general description. I've been thinking about this, and I will share my impressions with you. You may have different ideas about these things, and I would be pleased to know and consider your views. Ezekiel has witnessed something that he has no words to describe. Today we have technology to make ourselves conveyances, driving and flying machines of many sorts.
These four Cherubim seem to me to be driving some kind of futuristic "machine" that goes even beyond what we today have devised. Let's hear more of what Ezekiel has to say.
(v. 10) Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox, each also had the face of an eagle (on the back).
I can see this as these creatures wearing helmets that had markings and shapes resembling these animal faces on the sides, with the long face of an eagle to the back. (And who knows what kinds of electronics could be contained in these helmets.)
(vs. 11-14) Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. In the midst of the living creatures there was what looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the creatures; it was bright and lightning (sparks?) flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
Okay, the wings spreading out upward could possibly be propellers, and the wings covering its body could be their clothing, robe, uniform, armor, whatever. They seem to be forming a square, each creature looking out in each of the four directions, and they all move together, as fast as lightning. In the middle of this square was the furnace, or generator, or motor, or whatever, providing the power (spirit) to the creatures.
(vs. 15-18) As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: they sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
Here we see the individual mechanisms by which these four creatures moved. Each one had his own "wheel within a wheel" that faced in his direction, so they didn't need to turn to change direction, they just powered up whichever "wheel" was facing that way. These "wheels" were impressive, and had "eyes" or lights all around the rim.
(vs. 19-21) When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
So these cherubim each had his own "wheel" that was powered by the "generator" in the middle of their formation, and they all moved together, darting around in every direction, as fast as lightning.
(vs. 22-24) Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still they lowered their wings.
We'll look at this vault later, we're still discussing the living creatures' means of locomotion. When they raised their wings, or "propellers," the noise of them reminds me of the din of a race track, or a pack of motorcycles roaring down the street. Whatever these conveyances are, they seem to be marvelous things, even still beyond all the advanced technologies we can avail ourselves of today.
Some people think that the "gods" over the Earth are ancient "astronauts" that came here from other planets of other solar systems, and they borrow from Ezekiel to describe them. But Ezekiel saw God's cherubim, who are spiritual beings of the angelic realm, not some advanced human-like civilization. And he also saw the Almighty God above them, Who spoke to him.
We need to realize that God is God, and His creation includes more than our Earth, our Universe; it includes His own Heaven and all the numerous and varied spirit creatures He made to populate it. Just because He has chosen to reveal to us a little of His realm doesn't mean that we know everything now. Far from it. Our Almighty God has no limits, as we have, and what He has done is so far and immense, way beyond anything that we can ever even imagine.
We'll continue to study this fascinating passage another day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Ezekiel's Vision, The Four Living Creatures (Cherubim):
(vs.4-9) I looked and I saw a windstorm coming out of the North--an immense cloud with flashing lightning (a fire enfolding itself) and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
Here we have their general description. I've been thinking about this, and I will share my impressions with you. You may have different ideas about these things, and I would be pleased to know and consider your views. Ezekiel has witnessed something that he has no words to describe. Today we have technology to make ourselves conveyances, driving and flying machines of many sorts.
These four Cherubim seem to me to be driving some kind of futuristic "machine" that goes even beyond what we today have devised. Let's hear more of what Ezekiel has to say.
(v. 10) Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox, each also had the face of an eagle (on the back).
I can see this as these creatures wearing helmets that had markings and shapes resembling these animal faces on the sides, with the long face of an eagle to the back. (And who knows what kinds of electronics could be contained in these helmets.)
(vs. 11-14) Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. In the midst of the living creatures there was what looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the creatures; it was bright and lightning (sparks?) flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
Okay, the wings spreading out upward could possibly be propellers, and the wings covering its body could be their clothing, robe, uniform, armor, whatever. They seem to be forming a square, each creature looking out in each of the four directions, and they all move together, as fast as lightning. In the middle of this square was the furnace, or generator, or motor, or whatever, providing the power (spirit) to the creatures.
(vs. 15-18) As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: they sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
Here we see the individual mechanisms by which these four creatures moved. Each one had his own "wheel within a wheel" that faced in his direction, so they didn't need to turn to change direction, they just powered up whichever "wheel" was facing that way. These "wheels" were impressive, and had "eyes" or lights all around the rim.
(vs. 19-21) When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
So these cherubim each had his own "wheel" that was powered by the "generator" in the middle of their formation, and they all moved together, darting around in every direction, as fast as lightning.
(vs. 22-24) Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome. Under the vault their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still they lowered their wings.
We'll look at this vault later, we're still discussing the living creatures' means of locomotion. When they raised their wings, or "propellers," the noise of them reminds me of the din of a race track, or a pack of motorcycles roaring down the street. Whatever these conveyances are, they seem to be marvelous things, even still beyond all the advanced technologies we can avail ourselves of today.
Some people think that the "gods" over the Earth are ancient "astronauts" that came here from other planets of other solar systems, and they borrow from Ezekiel to describe them. But Ezekiel saw God's cherubim, who are spiritual beings of the angelic realm, not some advanced human-like civilization. And he also saw the Almighty God above them, Who spoke to him.
We need to realize that God is God, and His creation includes more than our Earth, our Universe; it includes His own Heaven and all the numerous and varied spirit creatures He made to populate it. Just because He has chosen to reveal to us a little of His realm doesn't mean that we know everything now. Far from it. Our Almighty God has no limits, as we have, and what He has done is so far and immense, way beyond anything that we can ever even imagine.
We'll continue to study this fascinating passage another day.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
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