2009 01 Jan

The Seventy Weeks
Daniel 9:2, 20-27

      The prophet Daniel in his study of the book of Jeremiah found that the captivity was to last seventy years. At the end of this time, God would bring a remnant of people back into the land of Israel. It is interesting to note here that just as the captivity lasted seventy years, God's program for Israel on this earth is presented in terms of seventy sevens, or seventy different periods of seventy years. It begins with the return to the land.

      More time than this is passed since the days of Daniel's prophecy, and the restoration of Israel. That is because of the importance of what we read in Daniel 9:26. In this verse, we read that Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself…. We find a very similar phrase in Isaiah 53. In speaking of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, in verse 8 we read,he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. When Israel rejected Jesus Christ and delivered Him to the Romans for crucifixion, he was cut off. At this time, God's program moved from Israel to the church of Jesus Christ. We read in John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

      One of the biggest mistakes students of Bible prophecy make is to confuse God's plan and program for Israel with God's plan and program for the church. The Old Covenant involved an earthly kingdom for Israel that was of this world. Hence most of the promised blessings are temporal. The New Covenant is a universal heavenly kingdom made up of people from every nation. Hence most of the blessings are spiritual. Romans 11:23,24 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? The nation of Israel is not set aside forever. She is only set aside as long as she remains in unbelief. The day is coming when the church will be grafted out because of unbelief. At that point in time, Israel will be restored spiritually as well as nationally. Today God's clock for Israel is stopped. It is like a time out in some sporting event. At the rapture, this clock will start and the seventieth week will play out with the desecration of the yet to be built temple.

Daniel 9:2. In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Daniel 20-27. And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
[21] Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.
[22] And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.
[23] At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
[24] Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
[25] Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
[26] And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
[27] And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

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January 2nd

The First Seven Sevens
Nehemiah 2:1-8

In Daniel 9:25 we read, the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. In the book of Nehemiah, we read about these troubled times. We tend to think in decades. We think of the 40’s, the 50’s, the 60’s, the 70’s, etc., but in Jewish culture they thought in periods of seven. The seventh sabbatical year was the year of Jubilee. It occurred just once every 50 years. This prophecy…, is concerned not with world history or church history, but with the history of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. The 70 “sevens” would begin, Gabriel said, with the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem. The … decree … by Artaxerxes Longimanus, issued on March 5, 444 B.C. (Neh. 2:1-8). On that occasion Artaxerxes granted the Jews permission to rebuild Jerusalem’s city walls. This decree is the one referred to in Daniel 9:25. The first period of 49 years may refer to the time in which the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem, permitted by Artexerxes’ decree, was completed (444-395 B.C.). Though Nehemiah’s wall construction project took only 52 days, many years may have been needed to remove the city’s debris (after being desolate for many decades), to build adequate housing, and to rebuild the streets and a trench. (Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.)

If you study the book Nehemiah, you will find that most of the difficulty involved in rebuilding the walls of the city came from friendships and covenants that people who returned developed with the enemies in the land. It was a mixed multitude. The people needed unity. The only way that they could achieve this was through separation. We tend to look at the size and prestige of the crowd. God looks at the purity of the crowd. The people came to the point where they had to build with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. They were called to build, but in order to defend their right to build, they needed to be ready to fight. There is a popular belief today among God's people that godliness means we never fight. This does not follow the teaching of either covenant. If we would build anything of value for God, we will find it necessary to both build and fight to defend what we build. Sadly, I don't know of a "nice" or "Christian" way to have a fight. We need to keep our hearts right, but we are not righteous if we don’t fight to protect what we love.

Neh.2: 1-8
[1] And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
[2] Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
[3] And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
[4] Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
[5] And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.
[6] And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
[7] Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
[8] And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

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January 3rd

The Sixty Two Weeks
Isaiah 53

      This next block of time covers Israel's history from the rebuilding of the wall, until the coming of Jesus Christ. The work of Jesus Christ according to Daniel 9 involved six things. The first three have to do with sin, and the second three with the kingdom. The basis for the first three was provided in the work of Christ on the cross, but all six will be realized by Israel at the Second Advent of Christ. (Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.) The preparation for the first three involves the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The preparation for the last three occurs during the 70th week. In the Bible, the seventieth week is elsewhere called the tribulation, and the time of Jacob's trouble.

      Note the three things spoken of concerning the crucifixion. They are: finish transgression, end of sin, and atone for sin. In Israel, every year the High Priest had to put away the sin of the nation. This text speaks of forever covering of Israel's sin. Then the next two phrases also relate to events that occurred on this Day of Atonement. On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest made atonement for his sin and for the sin of the people. In making atonement for the sin of the people, he used two goats. One was killed and its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat. The other was lead away into the wilderness and abandoned. The one relates to the satisfaction of justice and the other to the taking away of sin. Both of these concepts are important. God took away our sin, when it was placed on Jesus Christ. The sprinkling of the blood on the altar signified the satisfaction of divine justice. The penalty for sin is death and the sin bearer Jesus Christ paid the penalty in full. All of these things were to be accomplished during the first 69 weeks.

      Thank God that they have. With the death of the Messiah the 69th week ended and the clock stopped, and the times of the gentiles started. Israel as a people turned to unbelief and God though not excluding Jews, turned to the gentiles in order to preserve a righteous remnant. The spiritual aspects of the kingdom were accomplished, but the temporal aspects of the kingdom are yet to happen, but both aspects are the work of the Messiah. God's purpose for Israel in this will not fail.

Isa.53
[1] Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
[2] For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
[3] He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
[4] Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
[5] But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
[6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
[8] He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
[9] And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
[10] Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
[11] He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
[12] Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

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January 4th

The Seventieth Week
II Thessalonians 2:1-12

      There is no temporal judgment for the apostasy of the church because the church is a kingdom that is not of this world. Therefore, our judgment will take place in this life by way of chastisement, or in the next, by way of loss of reward. However, nations are a different matter. God deals with nations in judgment. He raises them up or puts them down. A great example of God putting down a nation is the nation of Germany and Adolph Hitler during WWII.

      We read in John 5:43 where Jesus said, I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. Jesus came to this earth as God in the form of human flesh. The day is coming when another will claim to be God come in the form of human flesh. In 2 Thessalonians 2:4 we read of him. Here we read, of one Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. This is the same event we read about in Daniel 9:27… he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. It is the desecration of the third temple, which has yet to be built on the temple mount. Of Judas, who betrayed Jesus, we read, John 13:27 And after the sop Satan entered into him. The same thing will take place in the heart of this world leader.

      He will not be God in the form of human flesh, but Satan. This will become evident when he demands worship. God does not use coercion. He is worthy of worship, but does not compel people to worship Him. If we would worship, we must do so voluntarily. The state is to use force in keeping people from evil not in making them do right. This is the main trouble spiritually with socialism. We have moral authority to compel people to support law and order financially. There is a great tendency to want to use the power of the state to compel people to support each other financially. This is always wrong. The definition of what is good is a matter of religion. The Bible teaches charity not socialism.

2Thes.
[1] Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
[2] Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[3] We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
[4] So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
[5] Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
[6] Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
[7] And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
[8] In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
[9] Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
[10] When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
[11] Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
[12] That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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January 5th

The Times of the Gentiles
Daniel 2:36-44

      From the time the Babylonians took Jerusalem in 586 BC until now, the Jews have not controlled the city of Jerusalem. When Ezra and Nehemiah enter the land, they do so at the pleasure of Persian kings. Jesus noted that the city of the Jerusalem is the standard for the times of the gentiles. We read in Luke 21:24 that Jesus said … Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. The Greek word translated trodden down has the idea of walking on something. It is the same Greek word we find translated smite in Revelation 19:15 … out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron … One of the items hindering the peace process in the Middle East today is the fate of the city of Jerusalem. Since 586BC gentile nations have ruled this city.

      In our text, God gives Nebuchadnezzar an outline of the gentile nations that will dominate this world. He sees the image of man 60 cubits high and six cubits wide. Six is symbolic man in the Bible. God created man on the sixth day. This image had a head of gold, shoulders of silver, a belly of brass, hips and legs of iron and feet of clay mixed with iron. In the book of Daniel, it is clear that these signify the kingdoms of Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and a future coalition of the old Roman Empire. Today, the efforts to create a United States of Europe may well be this last kingdom before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to this earth. The nations making up the old Roman Empire continue to this day.

      It would seem, then, that the treaty that makes Antichrist the ruler of this world also gives Jerusalem to the nation of Israel. Antichrist will seem very friendly to Israel. Jesus said, John 5:43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. Since the days of the apostles, Israel has sought an earthly kingdom. Antichrist will give it to them. God often uses sin, as punishment for sin. Of Israel we read in Psalm 106:15 where God gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul. The same thing can happen in our lives if we seek our own way and turn from God. If we would find blessing, we must seek the honor and glory of God, and the happiness of others.

Daniel 2: 36-44.[36] This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
[37] Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
[38] And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
[39] And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
[40] And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
[41] And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
[42] And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
[43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
[44] And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

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January 6th

The Babylonian Empire
Daniel 2:37-40; 7:1-4

      Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian Empire is the head of Gold. This image of Nebuchadnezzar is top heavy. The kingdoms decrease in weight and value, but increase in strength. Man sees his problems in terms of politics and power, but God sees them in terms of morality and spirituality. Nebuchadnezzar was an absolute ruler. As we read the Biblical account, we see that God is heavily able to influence him through Daniel and a mental illness. God humbles the pride of this great king by taking away his mind for a period of seven years. This experience leaves him with a deep respect for God.

      In the Bible, Babylon is a picture of man without God. This empire was started by Nimrod according to Genesis 10:10. In the book of Revelation, Babylon is used to describe apostate religion and the kingdom of Antichrist. God called Abraham out of this apostate kingdom to establish a new nation dedicated to God. The ‘hanging gardens’ built by Nebuchadnezzar were one of the wonders of the ancient world. He built these for Amytis, his Median wife, as a reminder of her homeland.

      In the book of Daniel, Antichrist is described as coming from the old Syrian wing of Alexander the Great's empire. In the book of Revelation, we find both a mystery Babylon and a civil Babylon. The capital of mystery Babylon is Rome, but that of civil Babylon is the traditional site of Babylon. False religion played an important part in this city from its foundation. At the tower of Babel, God confounded human language. This effort involved false religion. The Roman Catholic Church incorporated much of the old Babylonian religion into its thinking and practice. Archeologists have uncovered many lions in their study of the Babylonian empire. The lion had significance in the ancient Babylonian religion. On the N side the massive Ishtar gates... This paved roadway was c. 920 m long, its walls decorated with enamelled bricks showing 120 lions (symbol of Ishtar)… The New Bible Dictionary,(Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1962. This kingdom is an apostate kingdom. It is just not as strong or corrupt as those kingdoms that follow. An important feature of this time is conflict between God's people and these corrupt kingdoms.

Daniel 2:37-40; Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
[38] And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
[39] And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
[40] And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

7:1-4 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
[2] Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
[3] And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
[4] The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

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January 7th

The Persian Empire
Daniel 7:1-8

      Cyrus and the Persian Empire are the shoulders of silver. This kingdom dominated the Middle East and the city of Jerusalem after the fall of Babylon. In the book of Daniel, this kingdom is depicted as both a ram and a bear. God reveals the kingdoms of the times of the gentiles to Daniel in two different forms. The one is precious metal and the image of a man, the other is wild beasts. The image of a man and precious metal reflects the view of the natural man and the wild beasts reflect the view of the spiritual mind. .

      These beasts come up out of the sea. The sea is a picture of the volatility of people and human politics. The Persian Empire incorporated Media. Media was older than Persia, but Persia dominated thus a lop-sided bear. The bear is slower and more cumbersome than the lion. The three ribs represent the nations of Babylon, Egypt and Assyria. This is the kingdom that dominates the Middle East as the people return from captivity and the city and temple are rebuilt. .

      It is interesting to note that the power of Persian kings were limited somewhat. These kings could make laws, but they could not change the laws that they made. This provision was probably designed to get them to think carefully about the laws that they made. It is also interesting to note that the prophet Daniel became a key and loved advisor to the Babylonians and the Persians. We see the love of the Persian king for Daniel in particular as he tries to save him from the den of lions.

      There is a clear shift from these first two kingdoms to the kingdom of Antichrist. Antichrist will have no love for any of God's people. Therefore, we see these gentile kingdoms grow in power, but decline spiritually. The growth is an unhealthy growth. We also see the hostility between civil authority and those who serve God present from the beginning, but complete under Antichrist. We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 … the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. The enemy is working to gain control of the kingdoms of this world. The enemy works through deceit and coercion. We are in the world, but not of the world. If we would offer any restraint to the enemy, we must engage the battle in the political arena.

Daniel 7:1-8
[1] In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
[2] Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.
[3] And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
[4] The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
[5] And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.
[6] After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
[7] After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
[8] I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

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January 8th

The Greek Empire
Daniel 8:3-8

      The Greek Empire was one that depended greatly on the "notable horn". Alexander the Great was this "notable horn". Alexander the Great was an unusual leader. The philosopher Aristotle tutored him. He used his knowledge to both conquer and control other nations. Before Alexander's conquests, there was a good deal of conflict between Greece and Persia. In Daniel's prophecy, we see that the goat was "moved with choler". The idea is that bitterness played an important part in this attack. The Persians defeated the Greeks in the Battle of Marathon in 490BC and in the Battle of Salamis in 481BC. These battles were both near the city of Athens. The Aramaic word translated choler in this text is very similar to the Hebrew word translated bitter in Exodus1:14. In the text in Exodus, the Egyptians made the lives of the Hebrew slaves bitter.

      In the acquisition and administration of power, it is difficult to be just to individuals and minorities, and consequently people are often hurt. These hurts can lead to bitterness and this is exactly what happened to the Greeks. The Greeks had difficulty uniting because of the geography of the country. Alexander's father Phillip had tried to unite this country, but it was Alexander who finally realized his father's dream.

      It would seem from what we see in the Bible, that hatred of Persia played a very important role in uniting the Greeks. Here, we see an important spiritual element in the decline of this world's empires and the eventual kingdom of Antichrist and that is bitterness. Bitterness played an important part in the rise and fall of Adolph Hitler and the Third Rich. Germany suffered greatly after World War I because of war reparation payments. The economy and the pride of the nation were in shambles. All of us will experience unjust suffering in this life, but not all of us will give way to bitterness. We are warned in Hebrews 12:15 about the danger of bitterness. In this text, the author warns us lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled… It would seem that just as people age and become more embittered and corrupt, the kingdoms of this world become more embittered and corrupt. Bitterness allows the enemy a foothold in our heart that will blind us and eventually destroy us.

Daniel 8:3-8 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.
[4] I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.
[5] And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
[6] And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had there seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
[7] And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
[8] Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

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January 9th

The Roman Empire
Daniel 2:39-43

      The Romans adapted the Greek phalanx and instituted the military organization of the legion. This has since become a standard for military organization. The Roman legion was never defeated. Rome disintegrated from moral and spiritual corruption. As iron is the strongest metal of Nebuchadnezzar's image, Rome was the strongest kingdom to rise. In the west, the kingdom did not fall until shortly before the Renaissance and the Reformation. In some ways, the empire in the west never really fell, it only disintegrated. Most of the nations of the old Roman Empire retain their basic political and cultural structures today.

      The descriptions of the last two empires in Daniel are intriguing. The Roman Empire represented many conquered nations. It was a confederacy. Nebuchadnezzar saw the image of a man with two legs of iron. The Roman Empire had two general divisions and eventually split into the Byzantine and Roman Empire. The ten toes of clay and iron represent a latter revived Roman Empire of ten nations. We read about the Roman Empire on Daniel 2:39. Here we read, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. The Romans learned a lot from these previous kingdoms. Alexander the Great used the same principles in governing conquered people that the Persians developed.

      While the Romans conquered the Greeks, the Greeks conquered the Romans culturally. Historians to this day describe Roman culture as Greco-Roman culture. The Romans were very pragmatic. Their culture developed as an eclectic borrowing from many others before and around them. If something seemed to work, they would take it and apply it to their own situation. By taking the best from everyone else, they were able to adapt and overcome all others. This emphasis on practicality and experience is still with us today. The foundation of much of our thinking today is rooted in Greek and Roman thinking. For kingdoms to endure through the years, they need both strength and the ability to adapt. The Romans had both. Hence, their Empire, in many ways, becomes the standard for the Empire of Antichrist. The reason this will ultimately fail is that without God there is simply no long-term success.

Daniel 2:39-43 [39] And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
[40] And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
[41] And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
[42] And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
[43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

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January 10th

The Ten Nations
Daniel 7:7-11

      This last kingdom mentioned in the book of Daniel is the kingdom of Antichrist. In Daniel 7, this kingdom is mingled together with that of the Roman Empire. The description of Antichrist in Daniel 11:36-37 is worthy of our study. Here we read, … the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper … Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. This same heart was evident in Nebuchadnezzar, but now it comes to a wicked fullness.

      Most of us have heard the proverb that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The founding fathers of our country knew very well the need to keep power diffused. At this point, the people of this world turn their backs on this ancient wisdom and give Antichrist absolute power. In Revelation 17:12 we read of this same ten nation confederacy. Here we read … the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

      It is interesting to note the statements made in Daniel and Revelation. In Daniel 7:19-22 19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, … 20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things …. 21 ….the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22 Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. In Revelation 13:4-10 we read very similar things. We read, … they worshipped the beast … there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies … 7 … it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him … 10 … Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Daniel 7:7-11. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.
[8] I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
[9] I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
[10] A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
[11] I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

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January 11th

The Jewish Preservation #I

      The name, Jew is derived from the patriarch Judah. It was first given to a person belonging to the tribe of Judah and later to the Southern Kingdom of Judah (II Kings 16:6; 25:25; Jeremiah 32:12; 38:19; 40:11; 41:3), in contradistinction from those belonging to the kingdom of the ten tribes, who were called Israelites.

      During the Captivity, and after the Restoration, the name, however, was extended to all Hebrews without distinction (Esther 3:6, 10; Dan. 3:8, 12; Ezra 4:12; 5:1, 5).

      Originally these people were called Hebrews (Gen. 39:14; 40:15; Ex. 2:7; 3:18; 5:3; 1 Sam. 4:6, 9, etc.), but after the Exile this name fell into disuse. Paul was self-styled a Hebrew (2 Cor. 11:22; and Phil. 3:5).

      The history of the Jewish nation is interwoven with the history of Palestine and with the narratives of the lives of their rulers and chief men. They are now dispersed over the world, and to this day remain a separate people, “without a king, and without a prince, without a sacrifice, without an image and without an ephod. The ephod here is not the one worn by the High Priest, but a gold image of Jehovah, and without teraphim,” false gods (Hos. 3:4). Until the beginning of the nineteenth century they were everywhere greatly oppressed, and often cruelly persecuted; but now their condition has improved, and they are admitted in most European countries to all the rights of free citizens. In 1860 the “Jewish disabilities” were removed, and they were admitted to seats in the British Parliament. Today, their number is estimated at about fifteen million, 3,000,000 being in Europe and Russia, 6,000,000 in North America, 5,000,000 in Israel, the remaining scattered in South America, Africa, Australia, and the Far East.

      There are three names used in the New Testament to designate this people, (1.) Jews, as regards their nationality, to distinguish them from Gentiles. (2.) Hebrews, with regard to their language and education, to distinguish them from Hellenists, i.e. in New Testament times Jews who spoke the Greek language and (3.) Israelites were the chosen people of God. To other races we owe the splendid inheritance of modern civilization and secular culture; but the religious education of mankind has been a gift from the Jews alone.

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January 12th

The Jewish Preservation #II

      It has been said that an Emperor in Europe questioned one of his generals as to the integrity of the Bible. The answer was, “The Jews!” The above quotation has been attributed to Bismarck or Frederick the Great of Germany, Napoleon of France and/or one of the Tsars of Russia, I do not know to whom it was said, but it is a true statement. The preservation of the Jewish people attests to the historical truth of the Bible. Other nations have risen and fallen into the ashes of history, but the Jews live on, this is because they were and are the chosen of God. He is sometimes called, “The Wandering Jew.”

      In 1917 the British Government issued the “Balfour Declaration” which gave the Jews a homeland in Palestine. At that time there were approximately 60,000 Jews and 500,000 Arabs in Palestine. WW1 gave the land for the people and WW2 gave the people for the Land. Those two wars were used of God to make a homeland for the Jews.

      The twentieth century came close to seeing the total annihilation of the European Jews (1936-1945). Approximately 6,000,000 Jews were killed in the concentration camps of Germany and Poland, but By Divine intervention; the Allies defeated the enemies of the Jews in World War II (1939-1945). the God of Israel intervened and the Allies won the war. The “YAD VASHEM” (Hill of Remembrance) in Jerusalem is a memorial to the Jews slaughtered in Europe by Hitler. This memorial names all the concentration camps. And “The Avenue of the Righteous,” is a road naming Gentiles who hid Jews and helped them escape the holocaust.

      Israel is about the size of the state of New Jersey. About five million Jews and one and one half million Arabs live on this little piece of war torn land. These Jews have gathered from Western Europe, Russia, Arab States, North and South America, Australia, Africa and the Islands of the World. All immigrants have one thing in mind, to establish a nation. They are ignorant of the Scriptures that inform us that all these things must be (wars and rumors of wars) before the return of our Saviour. The current troubles in Israel are prophetic concerning their beloved land. “And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the Times of the Gentiles be fulfilled,” (Luke 21:24).

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January 13th

Birth of Zionism in the 19th Century

      In 1831 Mehemet Ali ruler of Egypt conquered Palestine when he defeated the Turks. In 1839 Sir Moses Montefiore (a Jew from England) discussed the return of the Jews with Mehemet Ali, but these talks failed when the Turks regained Palestine. In 1880 the Turks approached the English government with a plan to resettle Palestine with Jews from Europe.

      Theodore Herzl (1860-1904) planted the seed of Zionism (return to Israel) in the minds of Jews in 1895. In the next 20 years, Jews all over Europe dreamed of returning to their homeland. Between 1895 and 1914 many books, pamphlets and articles were circulated in Europe and America printing both ideological and practical projects encouraging European Jews to return to Palestine. However, there were Christians who objected on theological grounds to reversing the “edict of Rome” that forced the Jews to leave Palestine in 70 A. D. They were asking, “What would happen to the Roman Catholic dogma of ‘inadmissibility of the restoration of Israel’ if a Jewish State were established?”

      It took until 1917 to germinate in the minds of English leaders to honor Chaim Weizmann, an English Jewish scientist who discovered acetone, an ingredient used in making more powerful gun powder. This discovery shortened the War by many months or years. Great Britain wanted to honor Mr. Weizmann, but he refused any personal honor and asked that Israel be given a Homeland. The Balfour Declaration, a White Paper, gave a much larger portion of land to Israel for resettlement, than was given by the United Nations in 1948. However, the Jews did not return as was expected. The Jews stayed in Western Europe and did not want to give up their homes and incomes to go and settle a barren, foreign land. Then came the Jewish Holocaust and World War Two. WW1 provided a Land for the People, and WW2 provided a People for the Land. God used those horrible wars to fulfill the prophecy.

      The British military ruled Palestine between the wars and until 1948 they rejected and frustrated extensive Jewish immigration. The military had one thing in mind, they wanted to control and colonize the Middle East and keep the massive oil rich lands under British control.

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January 14th

Up to Jerusalem in the 20th Century

      Israel holds an everlasting, God-given-deed, to this portion on the Fertile Crescent. This land was given to Abraham and his posterity in a covenant recorded in Genesis in 12:1-4, 13:14-17, 15:1-6 and 17:1-8. This covenant has seven distinct parts: Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that (1) I will shew thee: And (2) I will make of thee a great nation, and (3) I will bless thee, and (4) make thy name great; and (5) thou shalt be a blessing: 3 And (6) I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and (7) in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. This Biblical covenant has never been rescinded. During the Carter administration (1977-1981) a minister wrote to President Carter and told him about this everlasting covenant. One of the White House staff responded, “That ancient tribal agreement has no force or value today and the administration does not recognize it.”

      Rome renamed Judah “Palestine” using a name from the earlier coastal inhabitants, the “Philistines.” Arab invaders conquered Palestine in 636, but a Jewish minority remained. The British Army conquered the Turks in 1917 and in 1922 the British Palestine Mandate was recognized. This little chunk of land has been war-torn over 40 centuries. The kings of the South and the kings from the East used the “Fertile Crescent” as a highway for their armies in conquest after conquest over the centuries.

      Ever since the second revolt in 132 AD, when Rome removed the Jews from Palestine, whether they are Saphardic, from North Africa and Spain or Ashkenazic from Eastern Europe, they have had one perennial prayer “Up to Jerusalem next Year.” It is estimated that the Romans deported about three million Jews after the rebellion was squelched.

      The PLO says the Jews have no right to the land, however when they began to return in the late 1940’s and early 50’s, the Jews purchased much of the worthless land from the Arabs. The Jews cleared the swamps, organized the “kibbutz,” irrigated the land and manufactured equipment needed to plant and harvest the crops. Truly the desert blooms like a rose today.

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January 15th

Shall A Nation be Born in a Day? Yes!
Isaiah 66:8

      “The United Nations General Assembly voted in 1947 to partition Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. Israel was declared an independent state May 14, 1948; the Arabs rejected partition. Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia invaded, but failed to destroy the Jewish State, which gained territory.

      “An uneasy truce between Israel and the Arab countries, supervised by a UN Emergency Force, prevailed until May 19, 1967, when the UN force withdrew at Egypt’s demand. Egyptian forces reoccupied the Gaza Strip and closed the Gulf of Aqaba to Israeli shipping. In a 6 day war that started June 5, the Israelis took the Gaza Strip, occupied the Sinai Peninsula to the Suez Canal, and captured East Jerusalem, Syria’s Golan Heights, and Jordan’s West Bank. The fighting was halted June 10 by a UN arranged cease-fire agreement.

“Egypt and Syria attacked Israel, Oct. 6, 1973 (Yom Kippur, most solemn day on the Jewish calendar). Israel counterattacked, driving the Syrians back, and crossed the Suez Canal. A cease-fire took effect Oct. 24: a UN peacekeeping force went into the area. Under a disengagement agreement signed Jan. 18, 1974, Israel withdrew from the canal’s west bank.

“In 1977, the conservative opposition, led by Menachem Begin, was voted into office for the first time. Egypt’s Pres. Anwar al-Sadat visited Jerusalem in Nov. 1977, and on Mar. 26, 1979. Egypt and Israel signed a formal peace treaty, ending 30 years of war and establishing diplomatic relations. Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt in 1982.

“Israel affirmed the whole of Jerusalem as its capital, July 1980, and annexed East Jerusalem. In 1989, violence escalated over the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Ongoing peace talks led to historic agreements between Israel and the PLO, Sept. 1993. The PLO recognized Israel’s right to exist. This recognition was on paper only and the PLO began to terrorize Israel and demanded a Palestinian State.”

For the last decade, there has been continued conflict and it will continue until the antichrist takes over the world. Israel has been the center of controversy ever since Abraham was given the Promised Land and will be until Christ reigns in Jerusalem for a thousand years. (All but the last paragraph of this page was copied from World Almanac 1999, page 801. I don’t often copy but I could not have composed or condensed this information any better than they did.)

Isaiah 66:8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

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January 16th

Why is there no Peace?

      When the Lord says something again and again, it is time that we listen: Jeremiah 6:14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Jeremiah 8:11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. The 20th century was the bloodiest century in recorded history. Two world wars and hundreds of lesser wars all around the world have been the plight of the past hundred years. We have just stepped over the threshold of a new century and war is again on our agenda. It is beyond our comprehension to understand the total number of dead, both military and civilian, in the last century. Yes, there is no peace in the world or little Israel. As we watch the television news several times a day, we see new terrorism in Israel. We see the pictures of destruction and carnage on the streets and the suffering of Jewish people. It is all directed toward civilians, young and old. Matthew 24:6-8 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

      We were horrified as we saw the pictures of the Twin Towers falling in twisted steal and powered concrete on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. According to Matthew 24 and Luke 17, “we ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” Pardon the English, but it expresses what we want to say.

      Since World War II, knowledge has multiplied so fast that most of us are amazed at the accumulation of electronics and speed of communications. We are trying to imagine what will come next. As a child, I could not understand how the whole world could see the two witnesses at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Revelation 11:3, and 7-12. Today, it is “old hat” to see suffering and death in action the world around, via satellite television. There is no question that we are living in the last days. Our Blessed Saviour could come for the Saints at any moment. It behooves us to examine our relationship with Christ NOW! If there is any question in your heart, fall on your knees and confess your sins.

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January 17th

Spiritual Apostasy in Israel

The holocaust in Germany and Poland was a disaster for the European Jews. They could not understand why the Roman Catholic or Lutheran Church did nothing to protect them, not even to complain or defend them. In persecution they turned to God in prayer, but received no answer. Because of these three rejections they became agnostic. This writer talked to many merchants and store clerks in Jerusalem in the late 1970’s and they all said, “There is no God.” Not having gone through what they did, I could understand their feelings of spiritual rejection. A second cause for rejection of God was the “Pogroms, 1881-1905” the Jews by the tens of thousands were massacred in Russia.

Paul tells us in (Romans 11:1-11) the whole story. I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he fore knew. Know ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Our Jewish friends do not understand that we Gentiles have found God through Christ and His plan was to provoke them to jealously that they might turn to Him. However, they still reject the plan of God and will do so until after the tribulation and Christ sets up His Millennial Kingdom.

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January 18th

What will cause the Jewish Spiritual Restoration?

      The answer is found in Zechariah 12:9-10 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me (The Messiah) a picture of the crucifixion and death of Christ and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. What a marvelous illustration of the eternal existence of Christ!

      John 1:3 tells us all things were made (created) by Jesus. Paul tells in Colossians 1:16, For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.

      On the basis of the following, Matthew 24:29-30 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. The powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn.

      According to Ezekiel 38 and 39 The armies of Gog and Magog will gather around Jerusalem to destroy the surviving Jews and the City. These armies shall be consumed with fire from heaven, and it will take seven months to bury the dead, in order that the land might be cleansed.

      Yes, the Lord Jesus will return to the Mount of Olives just East of Jerusalem and enter the City through the Eastern Gate. There, He shall present Himself as their Messiah and King of the Jews.

      Revelation 19:11-14 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. What a great future we have with Christ Jesus!

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January 19th

The Pre-Tribulation Position
Revelation 3:10

      There are seven churches mentioned in Revelation and many scholars consider these churches to represent seven ages of the church. We are only interested in the last two because they represent the immediate time and the very near future. Church # 6 (Rev. 3:7-13) is the Philadelphian or Missionary Church. Here we find our text: Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. “I will keep thee from the hour of temptation.” Again, most scholars agree that this refers to the Tribulation. Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. This verse along with others we will mention identifies this time of suffering as “Jacob’s Trouble.” It is not the church’s trouble!

      Many students of the Scriptures also use Revelation chapter 4, where John, the pen man, is caught up into heaven to view future events and record them for us in the rest of the book of Revelation as a type of the Church being caught up, “rapture.”

      Both Books written to the Thessalonians mention the return of the Lord for His Church in every chapter. Especially chap. 4:16-18, where we have a sequence of events. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Note where the meeting will be, “in the clouds.” From many other references we find that the clouds are God’s chariots.

      Lastly, we need to remember the 70 weeks of Daniel. These weeks are the destiny of Israel, in what we call the “Times of the Gentiles.” These weeks never refer to the Church. The first 69 weeks are history and were closed at Calvary. The 70th week is future and deals with the Tribulation. Praise the Lord, we’ll be watching over the ramparts in heaven.

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

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January 20th

The Mid – Tribulation Theory

      About thirty years ago while driving on a Saturday morning in Southern California, I was listening to an Adventist preacher speaking on the Rapture and he said, “Our youth are asking how long is soon?” Fundamentalists never use the word “soon” for the return of Christ. We use the word “imminent” when referring to the rapture of the church.

      While in college I heard of Dr. Norman B. Harrison who taught at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul Minnesota. One of my professors was a student of his. Dr. Harrison was one of the leading proponents of the mid-tribulation theory. My professor used this term in many classes, “Me thinks I hear the hoof beats of the four horsemen.” But if I read my Bible right these horsemen ride at the beginning of Revelation 6: and taking the Bible literally, they cannot hear them until after the church is raptured. The mid-tribulation teaches “The 7 Seals are the out workings of man, the 7 trumpets are Satan’s last stand, and the 7 bowls or vials are God’s wrath upon the world.” This does not ring true with Scripture.

      Another argument against the mid-tribulation rapture is that the time of rapture is unknown to all except the Father. Christ’s imminent return for His church in the clouds as recorded in 2 Thessalonians. If this is right according to the mid-tribulation rapture position, the church would know the exact time. It would be at the end of the first 3 and ½ years of the tribulation.

      Also, these proponents of the mid-tribulation do not take the Book of Revelation literally but “spiritualize” the Scriptures to satisfy their misguided doctrine. They deny the dispensational teachings of the Scriptures. It is interesting that one of the most revered evangelists of the last half of the 20th century espoused and propagated this mid-tribulation theory in the last few years of his ministry and has many followers.

      The church at Smyrna was promised ten days of tribulation in Rev. 2:10, If we believe that these seven churches represent seven historical ages of the church, then the tribulation spoken of in the above text has nothing to do with the last two churches at Philadelphia and Laodicea. The above arguments we present are only a few of the many found in the Bible.

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January 21st

The Post -Tribulation Theory

      This theory begins with confusion as to the difference between the teachings of dispensational theology and covenant theology. If one does not understand that there are different covenants, that person does not understand God’s Book. It then becomes a book of confusion and contradiction. God has offered 8 covenants, beginning with: Edenic, it was conditional. The Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic were all unconditi-onal. Followed by the Mosaic, conditional; Davidic, unconditional; Palestinian, conditional; and New Covenant, unconditional. If we con-fuse these we are unable to fully comprehend the plan of God for different people in different ages. Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he (Christ) obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

      Covenant theology includes the Church as a continuation of the Jewish economy and therefore the church must go through the tribulation along with the Jews. They fail to understand that “Jacob’s Trouble” in Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it, is a time of trouble for the Jews and not for the church.

      Post-Trib. teachers seem to think that the Pre-Tribulation is a “Jonny-come-lately” teaching. They think it came into being because of the Scofield Bible. Also, that we fundamentalists worship the Scofield Bible, this is not true. The Post-trib. teachers don’t understand Hebrews 8:8-13. And sad to say the Jews did not understand it either, that is why the Apostle Paul turned to the Gentiles and planted churches in Asia Minor, and Europe. The Gentiles are the branch grafted into the vine and the Jews are temporarily cast off, but will be gathered again after the tribulation - the time of “Jacob’s Trouble.” Please read, Romans 11:1-6.

      Again the same argument must be presented against this teaching as was presented in the mid-tribulation theory. Only the Father knows the time of the rapture of the saints. If we set a time, we can be sure that Jesus won’t come at that time, because Jesus said, No man knows the day or the hour, Matthew 24:36.

Rom.11
[1] I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
[2] God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
[3] Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
[4] But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
[5] Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
[6] And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

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January 22nd

The Two Witnesses in Jerusalem
Revelation 11:1-14

      We want to take a look at The Ministry of the Two Jewish Witnesses right after the rapture, which starts the Great tribulation. By now the Jewish temple has been rebuilt, and the nation (though still in unbelief) is worshiping Jehovah again. It seems likely that the two witnesses will minister during the first half of the Tribulation, preaching to the Jews and having access to the temple. At the middle of the Tribulation, Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel and take possession of the temple area (2 Thes. 2; Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15). He will set himself up as god, thus bringing about the “abomination of desolation” that both Daniel and Christ predicted. Though the forces of Satan have taken over the Jewish temple, Christ will claim it again and restore it to His people.

      Next we see the purpose of their ministry. They will display God’s power to unbelieving Jews and Gentiles, and many will be saved through their witness. They are called prophets (vs. 6, 10) as well as witnesses. They will announce to the world the great events to come and will incur the wrath of the Beast and his people. Some believe the two witnesses are Enoch and Elijah, since neither of these men died, but were both taken to heaven alive. We just don’t know for sure.

      Next, we see the persecution in their ministry Sinful men have never wanted to hear or obey God’s Word. These two witnesses will be divinely protected until their work is finished; then God will allow the Beast to oppose them and slay them. The citizens of Jerusalem will not even give them proper burial, Ps. 79, and the whole world will see their bodies and rejoice. This period of three and one-half days will be a “satanic Christmas” celebration. People will host parties and exchange gifts and rejoice that their tormentors are dead.

      Lastly we see the panic following their ministry. God raises them from the dead! Think of the fear that will come to hearts around the world as people see two dead men come to life on the streets of Jerusalem! And then the two men will be caught up to heaven as their enemies stand and watch! Then will come an earthquake that will destroy one-tenth of the city and kill 7,000 people. What a day that will be! Are you ready? Do you know Christ now?! Read 2 Corinthians 13:5. Amen.

Rev.11
[1] And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
[2] But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
[3] And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
[4] These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
[5] And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
[6] These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
[7] And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
[8] And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
[9] And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
[10] And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
[11] And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
[12] And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
[13] And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
[14] The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

2 Corinthians 13:5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

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January 23rd

Reason for the Satanic Trinity
Revelation 13

In our text we see a satanic trinity as Satan counterfeits the Father; the Beast is the imitation Son and Savior; and the False Prophet counterfeits the Spirit. This second beast comes from “the land,” which probably means Israel. He is likely to be a Jew. We see in Dan. 9:26 that Antichrist will have Roman citizenship; but, like Paul, he could be a Roman Jew. However, Antichrist will need an associate to help him win the world. This associate will be the False Prophet. He has “horns like a lamb,” suggesting peace and friendliness, but there are no crowns (authority) on the horns. Satan gives him the same power as the first beast, but his task is to glorify the Beast and get the world to follow and worship him. Dan. 3. The False Prophet will duplicate the miracles of the two witnesses by making fire come from heaven (11:5; 13:13). This event will fulfill Paul’s prophecy of 2 Thes. 2:9 and Christ’s prophecy in Matt. 24:24. The False Prophet is the one who orders the image of the Beast made. This is the “abomination of desolation” found in Matt. 24:15, Dan. 11:45, and 2 Thes. 2:4. The Beast will have his image set up in the restored Jewish temple in Jerusalem at this time. This image will come to life! It will speak and greatly amaze the world. Both the Beast and his image will speak “great things” and utter blasphemies against heaven. Worldwide worship is not the only goal of the False Prophet. He will also establish worldwide economic controls. Just as the 144,000 have the Father’s mark on their foreheads (14:1), so the followers of the Beast will have his mark on their foreheads or on their right hand. This mark will enable them to buy and sell. Those who do not follow the Beast and who do not have his mark (his name) will suffer greatly; see 20:4. Satan will now have what he has always wanted: the world will be worshiping him, and he will be in complete control of all the kingdoms of the world. The only “fly in the ointment” is that Christ is reigning in heaven, and His kingdom will one day be established on earth. Satan will vent his fury upon the saints of God on earth since he cannot touch Christ and the saints in heaven. Excerpts from the Bible Knowledge Commentary.

Dear Father God, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, and God, Holy Spirit, we are so grateful that You are in complete control. Guard us and keep us from the evil one. Help us to set our eyes and hearts on You alone. Amen.

Revelation 13
[1] And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
[2] And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
[3] And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
[4] And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
[5] And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
[6] And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
[7] And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
[8] And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
[9] If any man have an ear, let him hear.
[10] He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
[11] And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
[12] And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
[13] And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
[14] And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
[15] And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
[16] And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
[17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
[18] Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six

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January 24th

Satan, the cherub created by God
Ezekiel 28:11-19

Most people visualize Satan as the guy with the red suit, the pitchfork, and the pointed tail. But according to God’s Holy Word, he was created by God and was one of the most beautiful angels in Heaven. He was created for a specific purpose. He was the cherub that covers. He was also created with a built in musical system and that is what our devotion will look at specifically today. God gives us everything we need to know about life and godliness, through our knowledge of Him. 2 Pet. 1:3. God has told us about Satan. He is the father of liars, he is the prince of the world, he can appear as an angel of light, (a good guy) he has declared himself as god, he was cast down out of heaven because of it, and he will ultimately be defeated and cast into the lake of fire in the last day. We can see specifically that Satan hates God and is God’s declared enemy and as such, he hates anyone who loves God and follows God. As stated earlier, Satan is a liar. He is the master deceiver and one of the most effective tools he is using today is the tool of music. He has successfully deceived the world and even much of the church today in this specific area. Much wisdom and discernment is needed if we are to be able to stand and remain holy in this battle against the evil one.

As true believers of Jesus Christ, we are to follow and obey the Biblical principles given to us, and one of the best verses to start with is in Romans 12:1,2. “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” If we genuinely have obeyed these two verses, we would not have any difficulty with discernment regarding music or any other issue area for that matter. Most professing Christians never make it past the first point though. Presenting their bodies as a living sacrifice? No way! Most folks want to present their opinions instead, but sadly enough, opinions at best, are sinful and distorted because there is a complete lack of obedience to the clear and specific guidelines given by God for life and godliness. We must start with godly obedience and consider each point in these 2 verses. Where do you stand? “God, help us to obey!”

Ezekiel 28:11-19 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
[12] Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
[13] Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
[14] Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
[15] Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
[16] By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
[17] Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
[18] Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
[19] All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

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January 25th

Antichrist, the little horn
Daniel 11:36 – 12:3

      Daniel, the man of prayer, gives us much detail as to the end times and to the antichrist. We begin today with Rome. It is called “the people of the prince that shall come.” Who is this prince? Not “Messiah the Prince,” because that refers to Jesus Christ. “The prince that shall come” is Antichrist. He will be the leader of the restored Roman Empire. So, the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was just an illustration of a future invasion and destruction to be led by Antichrist. This prince will make an agreement with the Jews to protect them from the other nations, and this agreement will be set for seven years. That is what makes the headlines today so very interesting. We are to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but we know it won’t take place until later. Right now, we as believers are to be watching for the rapture, the next event in Bible prophecy. Then the Great tribulation, the final seven years, is the completion of Daniel’s 490-year period.

      Between the death of Christ and the signing of this covenant we have the entire Age of the Church, a “great parenthesis” in God’s program. The 490 years are in operation only when Israel is in God’s will as God’s people. When Israel crucified Christ, she was set aside and the “prophetic clock” stopped ticking. But when the Antichrist signs his pact with Israel, then the last seven years of Daniel’s “seventy weeks” will start being fulfilled. This seven-year period is the Great Tribulation, or the time of Jacob’s trouble. It is described in Rev. 6–19. After three and a half years, Gog and her allies will invade Palestine (see Ezek. 38–39), and God will judge them. Antichrist will invade the land, break his covenant, and set himself up as world dictator. He will stop all worship at the Jewish temple (see 2 Thes. 2) and force the world to worship him and his image. This is the abomination of desolation (see Matt. 24:15; John 5:43; Rev. 13). How will this period end? Jesus Christ will return to earth, meet the rebel armies at Armageddon, and defeat them (Rev. 19:11–21). Excerpts from Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines.

      Dear Lord God, how our hearts tremble when we read of the future of those who do not and will not repent and accept You as Savior. Help us to evaluate our own hearts to make sure we’re ready! Amen.

Daniel 11:36 – 12:3 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
[37] Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
[38] But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
[39] Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.
[40] And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
[41] He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
[42] He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
[43] But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
[44] But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
[45] And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
Dan.12
[1] And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
[2] And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
[3] And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

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January 26th

False Prophet
Revelation 13:11-18

The devil, the beast, and the false prophet will all oppose the one and only Triune God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In the end though, all satanic forces will be defeated by the Son of God. The lessons we should learn are as follows:

A. The hindrance. Satan opposes the work of God in several ways:

(1.) He snatches the Word of God from hearts, smothers the seed with worldliness, or scorches the shoots with persecution.
(2.) If he cannot overcome the Word, he plants false Christians (“children of the devil”) wherever the Lord plants true believers. Many people are going to hell, not because of gross overt sins, but because they have a “false righteousness” apart from faith in Jesus Christ.
(3.) He sits in the branches of Christendom and influences what goes on.
(4.) He plants false doctrine that deceives people.

B. The method. Satan’s chief method of opposing God is through imitation. He preaches an imitation gospel, establishes imitation churches, plants imitation Christians, etc.
C. The task. True and false will grow together until the end, and God will separate them. Our job is not to try to “clean up” the world, but this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t use discipline in the local church. The church is not the kingdom of heaven. God commands us to judge sin and discipline Christians who would hinder the growth of the church by godless living (see 1 Cor. 5 and Matt. 18:15–18). Our job is to plant the Word in hearts and let God “plant” us in places where we can bear fruit for His glory.
D. The climate. The “tares” will be bound together at the end of the age. In these last days, we see many organizations and even nations uniting for one purpose or another. We have world church organizations, world banks, world labor movements, world trade organizations, etc. In the religious world, denominations are getting together; organizations are merging for mutual protection. We wonder how many tares are being bundled for the burning.
E. Stay awake. While we sleep, Satan works. A sleeping church is an opportunity for Satan to plant false Christians (see Prov. 24:30–34). It is important that we stay awake (Rom. 13:11–14).
F. Be discerning. We must “try the spirits” to detect when Satan is at work (1 John 4:1–6). This is not judging (Matt. 7:1–5), but rather exercising our spiritual senses to see if people really belong to Christ (Heb. 5:14).

Amen.

Revelation 13:11-18

[11] And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
[12] And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
[13] And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
[14] And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
[15] And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
[16] And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
[17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
[18] Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

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January 27th

Battle of Armageddon
Joel 3, Revelation 19:11-21

In both texts for today, we see first the prophecy of Joel looking ahead to the events of Revelation 19. This time will be dreadful in that there will be much suffering and death in this battle at the end of the tribulation. Joel 3:1 makes it clear that the Jews will be back in their land, delivered from the captivities in Gentile nations. But all the nations will gather together to fight Jerusalem. God will bring them into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, that is, the area of the Plain of Megiddo, where the Battle of Armageddon will be fought. Verses 2–8 make it clear that this judgment will be God’s punishment on the Gentiles for the way they have treated the nation of Israel and the land of Israel. Palestine has been a plundered land; many Gentile nations have robbed the Jews of wealth that is rightfully theirs. God will recompense them in the Day of the Lord. In v. 2 when God promises to “plead” with the nations, this does not mean He will beg them to repent. The word “plead” can be translated “execute judgment”. Verse 13 compares the battle to a ripe harvest of grapes in Rev. 14:14–20. The “valley of decision” in v. 14 has nothing to do with “making a decision for the Lord.” The word “decision” suggests threshing; the nations will be threshed, judged by the Lord. Christ will defend His land, His people, and His holy city. Christ destroys the armies with the Word, the sword that comes from His mouth (Heb. 4:12). Men would not bow to His Word and receive the Gospel; now they must be slain by that same Word. The followers of the Beast are “marked men”; the mark of the Beast on their bodies seals them for certain judgment. Christ not only destroys the armies of the Beast, but He also captures the Beast and False Prophet and casts them alive into hell where they will suffer for eternity. This point alone defies the foolish doctrine of total annihilation because they are mentioned again at the end of the millennium. God also takes Satan and casts him into the bottomless pit (20:1–3). Excerpts from Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines.

Gracious and Merciful God and Savior, as true believers, we tremble at these words of truth as we realize that You are a loving God, but You are also a just God and must punish sin and evil. How we praise You for Your great Salvation, and we ask You to help us to be obedient and faithful to tell others of Your saving grace for them too. Amen.

Joel.3
[1] For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
[2] I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
[3] And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
[4] Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompence me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;
[5] Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:
[6] The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.
[7] Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:
[8] And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it.
[9] Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
[10] Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
[11] Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
[12] Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
[13] Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
[14] Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
[15] The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
[16] The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
[17] So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
[18] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
[19] Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
[20] But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
[21] For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

Revelation 19:11-21 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
[12] His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
[13] And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
[14] And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
[15] And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
[16] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
[17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
[18] That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
[19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
[20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
[21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

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January 28th

The Millennium – Explanation – 1,000 years
Revelation 20

This is the “thousand years” chapter (mentioned six times here), which describes the Millennium. The word “millennium” means “thousand years” in Latin. Sadly and mistakenly, some folks deny that there will be a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. They prefer to “spiritualize” the OT kingdom prophecies and apply them to the church today. But I believe that there will be a literal thousand-year kingdom on earth for several reasons:

(1). To fulfill the OT promises to Israel, Luke 1:30–33; “…And of His kingdom there will be no end.”
(2). To give a public display of Christ’s glory to the nations of earth; After seeing all the worldly rulers up to this point, the whole world will now see the awesome reign and rule of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ!
(3). To answer the saints’ prayer of “Thy kingdom come”; This literally should be one of our daily prayers as we longingly look for the imminent return of our Lord and Savior.
(4). To fulfill the promises to the church that saints will reign with Christ; This of course reminds us of the fact that the precious gospel message that presents the Kingdom of Christ was temporarily placed into the hands of the gentiles, (The Church, the Bride of Christ) because the Jewish nation had rejected Christ. At the millennium, the kingdom and the Promised Land will be restored to the Jews.
(5). To bring about the complete redemption of nature as promised in Rom. 8:19–23; “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Lastly,
(6). To give mankind one final trial under the sovereign rule of Christ. Excerpts from Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines.

Dear Lord, how our hearts yearn for Your return. We anxiously await that day and we want to hear those precious Words, “Well Done, thou good and faithful servant.” Help us to be Faithful, till You come!

Revelation.20
[1] And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
[3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
[4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
[5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
[6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
[7] And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
[8] And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
[9] And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
[10] And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
[11] And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
[12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
[13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
[14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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January 29th

Pre-Millennial - (see A-millennial devotional 1/31/03)
Revelation 20:1-15

      The Battle of Armageddon is now over, and both the beast and false prophet have been cast into hell forever. Christ now lays hold of that old serpent, Satan, and casts him into the bottomless pit. Some of Satan’s followers are already chained (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6), but now the “old serpent” himself is imprisoned. The beast and the false prophet have been eternally judged; but Satan’s final judgment is not yet come.

      Then there is a resurrection of the Tribulation saints who gave their lives in faithful service to Christ. From the description in Dan. 12:1–3, the OT saints are already with the Lord and will be given their glorified bodies at the second resurrection. The main difference here is that they are not the body of Christ, the church, the saints who are raised at the rapture before the tribulation. At this point, then, the church saints and the tribulation saints will have been raised and given glorified bodies to reign with Christ. This is known as the first resurrection. It extends from the rapture of the church (1 Thes. 4:13ff) to the resurrection of the saints described in Rev. 20:4. All who are raised in the first resurrection are saved people; they will not experience the second death, which is hell. See John 5:24–29. The OT saints believed in a future resurrection of the dead, but they knew nothing of the “second resurrection from among the dead” taught in the NT. The church saints are raised at the rapture, and the tribulation saints are raised in the period of the first resurrection before the millennium. Both the OT saints and the lost then are raised at the second resurrection at the end of the millennium. A period of 1,000 years will elapse between the first and second resurrections.

      Thrones are prepared, and the purified nation of Israel, the church, and the Tribulation saints reign with Christ. Matthew 25:31–46 makes it clear that the living Gentiles will be judged before the Millennium begins. Believing Gentiles (sheep) will have proved their faith by loving and helping the believing Jews (“my brethren”). The saved Gentiles will enter into the joy of the kingdom that God promised for His people Israel. “Dear Lord, it is with great joy that we praise Your Holy Name. Thank You for Your plan from eternity past to eternity future. Nothing is left to chance. You are our salvation! Amen.” Excerpts from Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines.

Rev.20
[1] And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
[3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
[4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
[5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
[6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
[7] And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
[8] And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
[9] And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
[10] And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
[11] And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
[12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
[13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
[14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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January 30th

At the end, the Post-Millennial – (see A-millennial devotional 1/31/03)
Revelation 20:7-15

The millennial kingdom will be the divine rule of heaven upon earth. Christ will rule with a rod of iron, permitting no injustice or sin. Jerusalem will be the center of the kingdom (Isa. 2:1–4), and the disciples will reign with Christ (Matt. 19:28). Israel will be in its land, sharing the glory of Christ, its rightful King. There will be peace on earth among men and animals (Isa. 11:7–9 and 54:13–14). Each person will be suited to his or her best job, and perfect efficiency and joy will fill the earth. Of course, since these human beings on earth are still human (apart from the church and resurrected saints, who have glorified bodies), children will be born with sinful natures. At the close of the Millennium, many people will still give only outward obedience to Christ but will not submit to Him from the heart. One of the main purposes of the Millennium is to prove conclusively that mankind cannot be changed, even under a perfect rule in a perfect environment. For, at the end of the thousand years, Satan will be able to muster a huge army to rebel against Christ! If people are not changed by the grace of God, nothing else will change them. The saints will reign with Christ as kings and priests, and will serve Him in various capacities during the Millennium. Our faithfulness to Him today will determine the extent of our glorious responsibilities during the kingdom age (Matt. 25:14–30; Luke 19:11–27). Satan is loosed at the end of the thousand years, and he gathers a huge army to fight Christ. This rebellion proves that a rule of perfect law cannot change the human heart; sinners would rather follow Satan. This is not the battle of Gog and Magog, for that battle takes place about the end of the first half of the Tribulation (Ezek. 38–39) and results in the Beast defeating both Russia and Egypt. Rather, this battle involves perhaps Russia (Gog and Magog) as the leading force, now that the Beast and the False Prophet are suffering eternal punishment. These armies will attack the millennial Jerusalem, but fire from heaven will devour them. Satan will be captured and consigned eternally to the lake of fire. Note that the Beast and False Prophet are still suffering in hell a thousand years after being taken! There is no way to get out of hell once you are there. It is a place of eternal torment. “Dear Lord, forgive us our sin and help us to obey You with fear and trembling. Amen.” Excerpts from Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines.

Revelation 20:7-15 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
[8] And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
[9] And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
[10] And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
[11] And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
[12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
[13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
[14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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January 31st

A-Millennial
Revelation 21-22

      Today we want to look at Biblical Prophesy end-time terms and positions. The terms, Pre-Millennial, Post-Millennial, and A-Millennial are positions that different people have taken for various reasons.

      Pre-Millennial is my position, as well as Liberty Baptist Church, as we believe this to be the biblically accurate one. This position teaches that the rapture will take place next, when the saints are taken out before the great tribulation and then at the end of the tribulation, Christ will return at His second coming and reign on earth for 1000 years. Then, finally casting Satan into the lake of fire and then making the new heavens and the new earth. Post-Millennial is the position that took shape in the writings of Daniel Whitby in the 1700’s. It was geared to the evolutionary view of man as men looked for the golden age by their own efforts. This one teaches that there will be a literal millennial kingdom on earth, but that instead, it will be initiated by the power of the Spirit and the agency of the church. The coming of Christ then would be after the 1000-year kingdom, thus, post-millennial. So, now as to better clarify, in the last devotional, we looked at the biblical post-millennial times and happenings, rather than the position itself.

      The other position is A-Millennial, and it teaches that there will be no millennial reign of Christ upon earth. The kingdom is instead viewed as spiritual, either the reign of Christ in heaven, or his work on earth through the Church. There would be one general resurrection and one general judgment just prior to the eternal state with God. It rejects the doctrine that there will be two resurrections with an interval of 1000 years between them. It is inherently weak in its historical foundations. It is the Eschatology of the Roman Catholic Church and also of Liberalism. It is a divided theology as well. Pastor Shifflett gave me an excellent document that explains these positions further if you would be interested in further study. Excerpts used from “Why I am a Premillennialist” by Gerald Stanton

      Gracious Heavenly Father, we are to prove what is good and acceptable to You and we do so by our knowledge of Your Word, as You teach us Your Truth. Help us to study Your Word as we should and know where we stand and why, so that we can better tell others about You! Amen.

Revelation 21-22

Rev.21
[1] And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
[2] And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
[3] And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
[4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
[5] And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
[6] And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
[7] He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
[8] But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
[9] And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
[10] And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
[11] Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
[12] And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
[13] On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
[14] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
[15] And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
[16] And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.
[17] And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.
[18] And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.
[19] And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
[20] The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
[21] And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
[22] And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
[23] And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
[24] And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
[25] And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
[26] And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
[27] And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Rev.22
[1] And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
[2] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
[3] And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
[4] And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
[5] And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
[6] And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
[7] Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
[8] And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
[9] Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
[10] And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
[11] He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
[12] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
[13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
[14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
[15] For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
[16] I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
[17] And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
[18] For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
[19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
[20] He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

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