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Romans 8:22 "...all creation labors with birth pangs..."

Psalm 89: 7;11;14… GOD is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him… The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them… Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face. 

John 1:1-5;14… In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD.  He was in the beginning with GOD.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 

I have already been rebuked and corrected by some who may not have fully read the first post on this weighty subject.  People can easily get confused as I was (and still am to some extent) about the nature of GOD.  The most recognizable verse of Scripture is John 3:16… For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him- shall not perish but have everlasting life.  And yet we all know that the wrath of GOD was poured out on His son, our Lord Jesus Christ- when from the Garden of Gethsemane to His last breath on the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the full punishment for our fallen nature and individual history of sin and rebellion.  Love, Grace, and Mercy… Truth , Righteousness, and Justice… all Holy attributes of our Perfect Sovereign GOD!

He came down... and paid it all for you and me!

1 John 4:7-11… Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of GOD, and everyone who loves is born of GOD and knows GOD.  He who does not love does not know GOD, for GOD is Love… In this is love, not that we loved GOD, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if GOD so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Therefore as I expounded in the preceding essay, we who are blood-bought children of GOD should not fear eternal judgment (perdition), but out of love, reverence, and a preeminent desire to not offend our Holy Father- we should all seek to understand the positive aspects of the Holy Fear of the LORD.  In Part I- I describes by way of the Scripture how critically important this reality is; what are the consequences of not fearing the LORD; and presented an operating definition of the Holy Fear of the LORD.  Let’s clarify the differences between healthy and unwholesome fears.

How is the Holy Fear of GOD different from the destructive fear of man and of the forces of darkness?

To complicate matters somewhat it is significant that we understand that the same Hebrew and Greeks words are used for both wholesome fear and destructive fear.  What we must discern is that the difference between what is good and bad fear is not to be found in the words.  We must go deeper into the nature of that source of ‘fear’.  The fear of man or of satan brings a snare, but the fear of the LORD brings a blessing.

The Hebrew  root for fear is yahrah whose primary meaning is “to frighten, be made of afraid, to dread.”  It is used in each of the following verses:

Psalm 119:120… My flesh trembles for fear of Thee; and I am afraid of Thy judgments.

II Kings 17:38-39… And the covenant that I have made with you you shall not forget; neither shall you fear other gods.  But the Lord your God you shall fear, and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.

The Greek word for fear is fawboss.  Originally this word had the meaning of  ”flight” or “that which causes a person to flee in dread and terror.”  When our Lord Jesus taught His disciples about what to fear and what not to fear, He used the same Greek word for both.

Luke 12:4-5… And I say to you My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.  But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

To fear the Lord therefore goes far beyond the idea of reverential trust.  It must include an awe of His power which constrains and controls our actions.  We continually recognize His righteous retribution and therefore have a wholesome dread of ever displeasing Him.  Even though the same word is used for different references to fear, there are very important distinctions:

Destructive fear is fearing the thunder instead of the one who made the thunder.

The Lord is a God of cause-and-effect.  This is why He can demand obedience to His Law.  He better than anyone knows the outcome if we violate His principles.  He is attempting at all times to save us the grief of wayward actions than bring misery, suffering, loss, and lack of peace- all of which are the inevitable results of disobeying His loving restrictions.

When the storm on the Sea of Galilee overtook the disciples, they all feared  the wind and waves.  The Lord Jesus commanded them not to fear these things; then He demonstrated His power over the elements by immediately calming the storm (Mark4:35-41).

Peace... Be Still!

Destructive Fear is Overcome by Dynamic Faith

For the biblical Christian faith is of paramount importance.  We are to walk by faith and not by sight.  We have been instructed in the Scriptures that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  And also that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:1;6).  When the Lord Jesus calmed the sea with a command, He said to them:  “Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?”

When God tells us to fear Him, He is requiring us to acknowledge an aspect of His character such as His justice, His holiness, or His awesome power.  For each of these attributes, God has a counterbalancing attribute.  For  His justice, He shows mercy.  For His holiness, He gives grace.  For His power, He displays lovingkindness.  The more we understand, acknowledge, and rightfully fear the first set of attributes, the more faith, hope, and confidence we will have in the balancing set of qualities.

How Does Godly Fear Produce Faith?

Fear of God’s power, holiness, and justice when balanced with lack of faith-results in our lives will being  out of balance.  Great fear of God’s holy power, intrinsic holiness, and divine justice should and will result in great faith in God’s lovingkindness, grace, and unfathomable mercy.  Therefore in order to have a proper fear of the Lord, a person must increase his faith in the attributes which balance the ones that he fears.

This balance of fear and faith is illustrated throughout the Scriptures.  Paul relates his walk of faith and witness to his fear of God’s justice and righteousness and the following verses of Scripture:

2 Corinthians 5:7; 10-11… For we walk by faith, not by sight… For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad.  Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest on to God…

When  God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Moses did not fear the fire… but was very afraid to look upon God (Exodus 3:6).  The complete account to Moses of the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-4:23), provides us a rich and detailed study of how the faith of Moses was strengthened in certain attributes of God when his fear of other divine attributes increased.

God’s attributes which caused Moses to fear the Lord

• God’s indestructibility (the burning bush was not consumed).
• God’s holiness (Moses stood on holy ground).
• God’s eternal nature (He is the I AM, not the I was).
• God’s justice (He would bring judgment to Pharaoh).
• God’s wrath (He would destroy the wicked Canaanites).

God’s attributes which caused Moses to grow in faith

• God’s attentiveness (He heard the cry of His people).
• God’s compassion (He understood the sorrow of his people).
• God’s faithfulness (His relationship continued with Abraham through His covenant promise).
• God’s lovingkindness (He purposed to deliver Israel from bondage).
• God’s provision (He would give His people a land of milk and honey).

Only The Beginning...

How Does A Person Learn To Fear The Lord?

All human beings, both Christians and unbelievers must learn to fear the Lord.  To the degree that we fear the Lord we will have His blessings, and to the degree that we do not fear the Lord we will experience His judgments.  The Scriptures give us clear instruction of what certain things we can do to cause us to learn to fear the Lord.

I- Learn the Words Which God uses to Describe the Fear which We Should Have For Him

TERROR

Definition:  Terror describes the most extreme degree of fear.  It is totally disabling to the one who experiences it, leaving that individual with neither physical strength nor mental ability.  The root word for terror in the Hebrew language is pronounced ghaytahth which means “to prostrate by confusion and fear.”  The Greek root again is fawboss which means to “terrify with exceeding alarm.”

This terror is precisely the experience which the apostle John had when he looked upon the reality of God.  This is the same disciple who laid his head on Jesus’ breast often before the cross.  When this faithful follower beheld the risen Lord on the island of Patmos, it was quite traumatic:

Revelation 1:12-18… Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me… And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.  But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am all live forevermore.  Amen.  And I have the keys of death and hell.

How does Terror relate to the Fear of the Lord?

The judgments of God are called terrors in Scripture.

Psalm 88:15,16… I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught.  Your fierce wrath has gone over me; Your terrors have cut me off.

This serious teaching is very lacking in the church today, which is why it is so critical at this point in human history.  In order for the manifest presence of God to abide with His people, we must all learn and accept the reality and requirement of the Holy Fear of the Lord.  There is no doubt that God’s judgment upon sin does bring terror to those who experience it.  It is time for these judgments to be spoken of and described in detail… especially among God’s people- so that even entertaining the thought of sin would strike terror in every human heart!

2 Corinthians 5:11… Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…

FRIGHT

Definition: The Greek word for fright is  pronounced ekthahmBEHoh which literally means “to shrink or shiver with fear.”  It is a sudden violent fear caused by the appearance of danger and is distinguished from fear and dread by its sudden invasion and temporary existence.  Again when Jesus still the storm, and His disciples experienced fright.

Mark 4:41… And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?

How does Fright relate to the Fear of God?

Fright often comes when we encounter a power which is far bigger than we are and which we do not understand.  This is consistently demonstrated in Scripture as people witnessed Christ’s supernatural power.  When Jesus delivered and healed the demoniac, the people were greatly frightened.

Luke 8:37… Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear.

When Jesus appear to His disciples after His resurrection, they experienced fright.

Luke 24:36-37… Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them Peace to you.  But they were terrified and frightened and suppose they had seen a spirit.

In the Thunder, the Lightning, and the Whirlwind

DISMAY

Definition:  Whereas terror and fright immediately affect the physical strength, dismay removes the mental ability of a person.  The Hebrew word which is translated dismay describes a condition of being drained of confidence and courage to the point where a person literally faints.  Our English word dismay originated from the Teutonic language word des which is a negative, and magen which means to be strong or able.  Therefore to dismay is to “remove the strength or firmness of mind which constitutes courage.”

Faced with the tangible sense of God’s mighty power, His Majesty, and His resplendent presence, any person would naturally be dismayed.  Even when a warrior angel of God appeared to His servant Daniel in a vision, Daniel testified that there remained no strength in him and he was prostrate before the Lord’s messenger.   Daniel had spent 21 days in prayer with fasting,and as he experienced the angelic presence he was greatly dismayed.

Daniel 10:8-11… Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength.  Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound… I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.  Then suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palm of my hands.  And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.”  While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

How does Dismay relate to the Fear of the Lord?

Unfortunately there is a serious tendency among God’s people to be dismayed at the strength of the wicked.  Even the Scriptures give the command repeatedly, “… be not afraid, neither be dismayed…” (Joshua 1:9).

When we do see the judgments of God on a fallen world of disobedience, we should be dismayed and have no strength like Daniel.  However, when we hear the voice of God or of His emissary giving assurance and direction, we should be revived.

Daniel 10:18-19… Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me.  And He said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not!  Peace be to you; be strong, yes, the strong!”  So he spoke to me and I was strengthened and said, “Let my Lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”

ASTONISHMENT

Definition: Astonishment deals with the inability to speak in the face of an awesome or overwhelming situation.  The Greek word for astonish means “to stupefy” and is pronounced thahmBEHoh.  Our English word comes from the French estoner.  This word is derived from the Latin ex meaning “out” and tonare meaning “to thunder.”   It literally means to be thunderstruck, to be struck dumb.  One who is truly astonished is stunned with sudden fear, wonder, and amazement.

When Paul was on the road to Damascus, he was astonished at the appearance of Christ and His message to him.

Acts 9:3-6… And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.  Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”  And the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting… So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”  And the Lord said to him,”Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

How does Astonishment relate to the Holy Fear of the Lord?

In the presence of the omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all knowing) God, we will be found speechless in astonishment.  God tells us to be still and know that he is God (Psalm 46:10).  We are also warned in Ecclesiastes 5:2 to hold our tongues when we go into the presence of God, and to always be more ready to listen then to speak.

TREMBLING

Definition:  Trembling is the physical result of overpowering fear.  The English word comes from the Latin tremo which means “to shake involuntarily, to quiver, and to quake.”  A graphic illustration of trembling occurred in the life of Belshazzar.  King Belshazzar experience trembling when he saw a floating hand writing on the wall.

Daniel 5:5-9… In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.  Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other… Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, his lords were astonished.

The above phrase of ‘loosened hips’ is a polite way of saying that he became incontinent.  Another example of trembling and trepidation is given in the account of the guarding of the tomb of Christ.

Matthew 28:3-4… His countenance was like the lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the guard shook, and became like dead men.  And this reaction was at the appearance of an angel who rolled away the stone before the tomb of our risen Lord Jesus Christ.

DREAD

Definition:  The word dread connotes much more than fear but less than terror and fright.  It refers to an intense uneasiness or alarm which is accompanied by anticipated pain, loss, or other form of harm.  Also unlike the word terror, it is less sudden but sustained over a longer period of time.  Daniel ascribed the quality of dread to God in his prayer:

Daniel 9:4… And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant in mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments.  The word ‘dreadful’ here is often translated ‘awesome’, although we in the original language- ‘dreadful’ is more accurate.

How does Dread relate to the Fear of the Lord?

We should always have such an awe at the power and authority of God that sinning against Him produces a fearful dread of impending judgment.  Yet, the dread of God should not make us afraid if we are justified by the finished atoning work of Christ on the cross-and maintain our purity before the Lord.  It is critical in our Christian walk that we always  maintain our focus on the purifying blood of Jesus, that He willingly shed on our behalf.  We should therefore always anticipate the correction of our faithful Father because of His unfathomable love for us as His children.

Hebrews 12:1-11… Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.  You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.  And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:  

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.”

If  you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons, for what son is there whom of father does not chasten?  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons… Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

This is one of the most critical understandings that  each Biblical Christian must strive to live out on a daily basis.  Without the Holy Fear of the Lord we will not be ready for the coming Visitation of His Presence seeking to make His habitation in His church body.  The final post will clarify how each of us can fully enter into Kingdom Blessings between this day and our Lord’s Glorious Appearing… ~Santos

A Surrendered Heart is pleasing to Our LORD

Hillsong- (Savior King) In The Mystery

Hebrews 12:29 "...also a Consuming Fire."

When was the last time that you heard a sermon, message, or teaching about sin… or hell… or The Holy Fear of the LORD?  The last time we did was in the late 1980′s at a Principles of Life Seminar facilitated at the Long Beach Arena by Dr. Bill Gothard.  I readily admit that it changed me forever- in many ways.  Up until that time everything was about GOD’s Grace, Blessings, and Provision… little about accountability and nothing about the appropriate and necessary fear of the LORD.  This is the first of a set of three essays dealing with a comprehensive Biblical understanding of the subject- what it is, what it is not, and the many remarkable benefits of living and obeying GOD with this critical understanding.

Proverbs 22:4… By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life.

Malachi 3:16-17… Then they that feared the LORD spoke often one to another and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a Book of Remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that meditated upon His Name. “And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make them my jewels…”

2 Corinthians 7:1… Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of GOD.

Since this Proverbs 9:10 verse is irrefutably true- and daily seeking His Wisdom and a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Holy One is so critical to our success in the Biblical Christian life, let us lay to rest any preconceived ideas about what this important reality is all about.  This is not fear that turns into psychosis, or that produces unwholesome results- but rather as these three posts will show, it will strengthen our perseverance, our ability to overcome in all earthly circumstances, and will promote us in the LORD’s eyes as His own special jewels in the Kingdom!

How do we fathom the importance of the Fear of the LORD?

The Proverbs 22:4 verse above is just the beginning of coming to grips with the fact that all good things that a person could hope for come with a healthy fear of the LORD.  And they come with a spiritual dimension that goes far beyond the limitations of worldly ‘goods’;  worldly riches, health, or honor among men.  The many amazing rewards of learning the fear of the LORD are highlighted and emphasized throughout the Holy Bible.  In just a few of the great many verses in Psalms and Proverbs- we find these gems of wisdom:

Proverbs 16:6… By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.  Overcome sinful habits.

Proverbs 1:7… The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Gain pure instruction in the principles of life.

Proverbs 10:27… The fear of the LORD prolongs days, But the years of the wicked will be shortened.  Long life, and yet all our days are in His capable Hands.

Proverbs 14:26, 27… In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.  The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to avoid the snares of death.  An artesian well of living waters springing from our spirit union  with His Holy Spirit- guiding our daily steps.

Proverbs 15:16… Better is a little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure with trouble added.  He will make it stretch for our needs.

Proverbs 15:33… The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility.  We stay humble acknowledging His daily provision.

Can we learn to hate the things that GOD hates?  If we don’t then the enemy compels us to make allowances for these and other snares.  I am appalled when I see people say the word Holy and the word ‘crap’ together… devoid of any understanding of the offense to a Holy GOD.  Too many words also give way to sin- all too easily.

Psalm 5:7… But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.  King David acknowledged his total dependence on a Holy GOD!

Psalm 25:12-14… Who is the man who fears the LORD?  Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.  He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth.  The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant. 

Psalm 31:19, 20… Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which you have laid up for those who fear You… You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man;  You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Psalm 33:18, 19… Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. 

Psalm 34:9, 10… Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!  There is no want to those who fear Him.  The young lions lack and suffer hunger, But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.  Are you one of His saints?  Well, there you go… no want of any good thing.

Psalm 61:5… For You, O GOD, have heard my vows;  You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your Name.

Psalm 85:8, 9… I will hear what GOD the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly.  Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in the land.  

Is this why America is in such deep trouble, because of no fear of GOD before their eyes?  NO DOUBT!  Without the Holy Fear of the LORD, there is no restraint of evil.

Romans 3:10-18… As it is written:  ”There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; There is none who seeks after GOD.  They have all gone their own way; They have become altogether unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.”

“Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”,  ”Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”  ”Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.”  “There is no fear of GOD before their eyes.”

Psalm 103:11; 13… For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him… As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

Psalm 111:2-5… The works of the LORD are great, Studied (accessible) by all who have pleasure in them.  His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever.  He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;  The LORD is gracious and full of compassion.  He has given food to those who fear Him;  He will be ever mindful of His covenant.  

Psalm 147:11… The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.  There are many ways to please our LORD; one being a Holy Fear of His awesome sovereign majesty!

What are the Consequences of Not Fearing the LORD?

There is no restraint of evil:  (see Romans 3:10-18 above).

There is no effective church discipline:  

1 Timothy:5:20… Them that sin rebuke before all; that others may also fear.

There is no guard against wrong church members:  

Acts 5:11-14… So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard of these things.  And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people… Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.  And believers were increasingly added to the LORD, multitudes of both men and women…

There is no Scriptural submission or perfecting of holiness:

Ephesians 5:20, 21… giving thanks always for all things to GOD the Father in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of GOD.

There is no maturity in salvation:

Philippians 2:10-13… that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those in Heaven, and those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of GOD the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is GOD who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

There is no entering into GOD’s rest:

Hebrews 4:1, 2… Therefore since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.  For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

There is no influence to unsaved husbands:

1 Peter 3:1, 2… Likewise you wives, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.

There is no effective witnessing:

1 Peter 3:15… But sanctify Christ as LORD in your hearts, always being ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and godly fear.

There is no fulfilling of Godly desires:

Psalm 145:18-20… The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.  He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.  The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

There is no effective restoration:

Jude v23… And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

There is no courage for suffering (persecution and tribulation):

Revelation 2:10, 11… Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.  Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will  give you the crown of life.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. 

It is so obvious that since the Fear of the LORD is so important, the adversary satan is constantly working non-stop to try to confuse us about this precious truth, and about the tribulation that we are all headed into.  Please see my Last Days 4-post series that began with… The Day of Christ- and the Day of the LORD.  Be sure to return to finish this important message!

Bathed in His Presence... with reverence and Godly Fear

What is the Fear of the LORD?

Just as every child does not initially fear fire and must learn to recognize its awesome potential for both benefit or destruction, so every one who calls upon the name of the LORD must learn what the Holy Fear of the LORD means in every area of his or her life.  Most people will quickly misinterpret Scripture references to this phrase as simply having a reverential trust in the LORD… but that is far from a complete understanding!  That very limited perception does not open up the full power and significance of this pivotal concept in the Biblical Christian life and walk.

Though still limited- an operational definition of the Fear of the LORD is:

The continual awareness that I am in the presence of a Holy, Just, and Almighty GOD, and that my every thought, every word, and every action is open before His eyes… and is being judged by Him.

The assurance that GOD is watching

What if everything that we thought, said, or acted upon could be replayed publicly so that everyone could watch and evaluate our true character?   Would that reality have a profound difference in the way we live… or could it possibly not make a difference at all?  Only two ways could the second option be true:  If we were unbelievers and didn’t care, or antinomian (against the Name) and in need of serious repentance, confession, and forsaking of secret sins.

If we care about what common man would think of us, how much more should we be concerned about our Holy GOD’s evaluation of our thoughts, words, actions, attitudes, desires, and motives.  This is a future reality… everything we think, say, and do will one day be displayed for all the world to see and judge- for the word is clear:  everything hidden will be made known!

• Genesis 16:13 (KJV)… Thou GOD seest me…
• Psalm 139:1-4… O LORD, You have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thoughts from afar off.  You comprehend my path and my lying down.  And are acquainted with all my ways.  For there is not a word on tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
• Proverbs 15:3… The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
• 2 Corinthians 5:10… For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether it is good or bad.
• Psalm 94:8-11… Understand you senseless among the people; And you fools, when will you be wise?  He who planted the ear, shall He not hear?  He who formed the eye, shall He not see?  He who instructs the nations, shall He not correct, He who teaches man knowledge?  The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.
• Jeremiah 16:17… For My eyes are upon all their ways:  they are not hidden from My face, neither is their iniquity hidden from My eyes.

The Promise that all secrets will be exposed

• Luke 8:17… For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest, neither is anything hidden, that shall not be made known and come to light. 
• Luke 12:3… Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

How would the knowledge of the Fear of the LORD change your life?  What thoughts would change?  What words would not be spoken?  What actions would immediately cease?  What attitudes before GOD would need to be corrected?  And what motives and desires would need to be purified?

In the next installment we will take a close look at the difference between the cleansing Holy Fear of the LORD and the destructive fear of our adversary, the fallen one.  We will also examine how Holy Fear produces victorious faith in our dynamic Christian walk.

Our sublime Lord Jesus praying to YAHWEH Abba Father said:

John 17:20-23… I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know… that You have loved them as You have loved Me.

Can the truths of being one with GOD, receiving an impartation of Holy Glory, and that Father has loved us as He has loved His only begotten Son, the LORD Jesus Christ- be any more precious?  Allow these three realities to compel each of us to walk carefully before our Holy YAHWEH!

My prayer is that this live worship by Jake Hamilton will touch you deeply.  Close your eyes, and listen with your heart…

Kingdom Blessings, always in HIM… ~Santos

Marked by Heaven- Jake Hamilton

The Day of the LORD's Judgment Released!

Most Bible students acknowledge that the Book of Daniel and the Book of the Revelation both give critical and specific understanding of the person known in the Holy Bible as the Antichrist.  In order to understand the 70th week of Daniel, the abomination that makes desolate, and the very important accounting of all periods of time designated as days-this blog post will very briefly touch upon these subjects.  I highly recommend The Book of Daniel by Clarence Larkin, which is available on Amazon.com on the book title link.  In order to keep this essay as brief as possible, I will only cite very brief comments from that text.

This is the fourth of four posts dealing with the closing period of the Church Age- yet in our future.  It covers overlapping subjects spoken of in Scripture as the 70th week of Daniel, the Tribulation Period, the Day of the Lord, and the Wrath of God.   I have attempted in the last three posts to biblically clarify several of these topics, and in this final essay I will deal with the Great Day of GOD’s Wrath.

Daniel 9:27… Then he [Antichrist] shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.  And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.

Matthew 24:15; 21,22… Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand)… For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect sake those days will be shortened.   

Zechariah 9:14... His arrows shall go forth like lightning.

Clarence Larkin (pp. 213, 214) writes:  ”In the midst of the 70th week the Antichrist will break the Covenant… and cause the ‘sacrifice and oblation’ to cease, and the ‘Abomination of Desolation’ to stand in the Holy Place of the rebuilt Temple (Matthew 24:15), which… will be an ‘Image of the Beast‘, that the False Prophet will cause the followers of Antichrist to erect and worship under penalty of death… This ‘Image’ will be the Anti-type of the ‘Golden Image’ that Nebuchadnezzar commanded to be made on the ‘Plain of Dura’ in the province of Babylon (Daniel 3:1-30), before which, at the sounding of musical instruments, the people were commanded to bow down and worship under penalty, for those who disobeyed, of being cast into a burning fiery furnace.  Doubtless there will be many in the ‘Day of Antichrist‘ who will refuse to bow down and worship the Image of the Beast and who will not escape as did the three Hebrew children, unless miraculously delivered by God, but will die by the guillotine [or sword- like Islam]  (Revelation 20:4).

There are reputable scholars today (Dr. Chuck Missler, Tom Horn, Bob Schenkler- to name a few) who strongly believe that the Image of the Beast will be a cloned hybrid human life form, mixed with the serpent seed of the fallen angels known in Scripture as the Nephilim. That controversy will be a subject for future study.  Suffice it to say, that there are things going on that very few know about that would turn your hair white overnight! (for the curious and strong of heart:  see ‘Vigilant Citizen‘; ‘Secret Arcana‘; and ‘Open Scroll‘).  Prepare to be troubled…

The reason that it is critical to look closely at Daniel’s references to the abomination that makes desolate, is that there is a key verse that unveils a mystery.

Daniel 8:13 ,14… Then I heard one holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”  And he said to me, “For 2300 days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” 

THIS IS CRITICAL!!!  The 70th week of Daniel is a week of years or seven years.  It is clearly stated in the Bible that the Antichrist will confirm a covenant with many for seven years, but break it after just 3 1/2 years, or 42 months, or 1260 days… Jewish calendar months are 30 days each.  Therefore the 2300 days in the above Daniel reference overruns the last 3 1/2 years of the 70th week by exactly 1040 days!  Based upon the Jewish calendar that would equal exactly 2 years, 10 months, and 20 days.  I therefore agree with Clarence Larkin, Arthur Pink, and Dr. Roland Rasmussen who all state that the overrun from the middle of the seven-year week (2300 days minus 1260 days) equals a period of 1040 days which  is the time-frame of the beginning of the Day of the Lord, and the pouring out of God’s wrath!!!

Angel of Wrath

As I carefully disclosed in the three previous posts- Christians will go through the entire 70th week of Daniel, the Tribulation Period, and will then experience the rapture of the church at the opening of the sixth seal of Revelation 6:12.  There will be unrelenting persecution of all those who will not accept the Mark of the Beast, and multitudes will be beheaded for our faith in Christ.

Revelation 20:4… And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.  And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the Beast or his Image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands.  And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Revelation 12:11… And they overcame him by the blood of the  Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Revelation 6:9-11… When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”  

And a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

A literal interpretation of the Bible with respect to the events of the fifth seal can only conclude that the Wrath of the Lamb has not yet been poured out up to the time of the opening of the fifth seal during the Great Tribulation.   These events also rule out any claims that the wrath of the Lamb is retroactive in any way.

The Innocent for Guilty Mankind

Time is Short! RUN to Christ Jesus!

It is my firmly established opinion that the apostasy that is spoken of in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 that precedes the coming of Christ for His church is due to the fact that the vast majority of Christendom have been deceived by a pre-tribulation rapture theology that does not stand up under careful scrutiny when you employ the whole counsel of GOD in His Holy Word!  We are not prepared to actually see the Antichrist rise to power, deceive the world system and nations by a lying tongue and false peace, and then initiate wide spread persecution of all who will not take his Mark as allegiance to his idolatrous intentions.  When it says in this portion of Scripture that:

vv3-5… Let no one deceived you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

That is the abomination of desolation! 

So the period of 1040 days or 2 years, 10 months, and 20 days… is the period of God’s wrath poured out on an unrepentant human race that has chosen to follow the Antichrist, instead of being willing to die rather than bow to him as God.

The Sun will be darkened- the Moon will not give its light

What events will occur in the Great Day of His Wrath?

Revelation 6:14 through Revelation 19:21 sequentially describes the dreadful events of the great day of His wrath.  These horrifying happenings will all occur in the Day of the Lord.  After the sealing of the 144,000 and the opening of the seventh seal (Revelation 7:1-8; 8:1, 7) the seven trumpets judgments will be poured out.  Although it seems peculiar, the outpouring of the wrath of the Lamb constitute the judgments that introduce the Millennial Kingdom, and will not occur during the 70th Week of Daniel.

First Trumpet-  The third part of trees will be burned up, and all green grass will be burned up.

Second Trumpet- The third part of the sea will become blood; the third part of the creatures which are in the sea will die; and a third part of the ships will be destroyed.

Third Trumpet- The third part of the rivers in the fountains of waters will become wormwood; and many men will die of the waters, because they will be made bitter.

Fourth Trumpet-  The third part of the Sun and Moon will be smitten, so the third part of them will be darkened.

Fifth Trumpet- The bottomless pit will be opened, and smoke will arise out of the pit.  Locusts will arise out of smoke and they will torment men for five months.

Sixth Trumpet- The third part of men will be killed.

Seventh Trumpet-  There will be lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

After the seven trumpet judgments, the seven vials of God’s wrath will be poured out.

Matthew 24:7 "For nation will rise against nation..."

First Vial- Blistering angry sores will come upon the men who have received the mark of the beast.

Second Vial-  The sea will become as blood, and every living soul in the sea will die.

Third Vial-  The rivers and fountains of waters will become blood, and those who will have shed the blood of saints will be given blood to drink.

Fourth Vial- Power will be given to the Sun to scorch men with fire and great heat.

Fifth Vial-  Darkness and pain and sewers will afflict the kingdom of the beast and the wicked.

Sixth Vial-  The Euphrates River will be dried up so that the kings of the East might be prepared to cross over.  Three unclean spirits will gather the kings of the earth to the battle of the great day of God Almighty.

Seventh Vial-  There will be voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and a great earthquake, and the great city of Jerusalem will be divided into three parts.  The cities of the nations will fall, and Babylon will be remembered before God-to give her the cup of His wrath, and there will fall upon men a great hail-every stone about the weight of a talent. (According to Wikipedia- a talent of silver weighed about 100 lbs., while a talent of gold weighed almost 200 lbs.)

The Fierceness of His Holy Wrath!

After the pouring out of of the vials God’s wrath, Mystery Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth will be judged!    Then, Christ will come on a white horse to unleash more wrath at the Battle of Armageddon.

The Full Fury of GOD's Final Wrath Poured Out!

Jeremiah 46:10… For this is the Day of the Lord God of hosts, A day of vengeance, that He may avenge Himself of His adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood…

Zephaniah 2:3… Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice.  Seek righteousness, seek humility.  It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

Revelation 11:15-18… Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in Heaven saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”  And the 24 elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:

“We give You thanks, O Lord God, Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.  The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

Are you ready to stand face to face with the One who died in your place?  We will either see Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10) to receive our rewards, or we will meet naked and ashamed at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:10-15)!  You choose… choose NOW!

Cleansed and Forgiven!

Please click on link- ‘Watch on YouTube’

Mark Farner- Judgment Day Blues  

John 18:6... "Jesus said, I AM He."

The Incredible Art of the late Rick Griffin

This is the third in a series of posts dealing with the Last Days scenario that we are all entering into worldwide.  Although in my study I believe that the end is not as near as many proclaim, but rather that we have about two decades before the fulfillment of these Last Days events- it is up to each individual to make up his or her own mind concerning these very grave matters.  We still have much to do; America still has an awesome Destiny to fulfill, and the Greatest Harvest of souls in the history of mankind is on the immediate horizon!

My previous two essays The Day of Christ-and the Day of the Lord and The Tribulation- the Great Tribulation need to be read in sequence, so that this post as well as the one that will follow will make complete sense.  I will therefore assume that you will take the time to read and study those two essays first with your Bible in hand, so that you in all humility, will be genuinely awed and blessed by the knowledge of the  future reality of His Glorious Appearing.

I am of the opinion after careful study of GOD’s Word that the Day of Christ refers to the Rapture of the church, while the Day of the Lord deals chronologically in sequence in the future with the Wrath of GOD and the judgment of the nations being poured out into finality.  This is followed subsequent to the final battle campaign of Armageddon, with the Lord Jesus Christ establishing His Millennial Kingdom on earth from Heaven- reigning with the overcomers for 1000 years.  Then the ultimate transformation of the entire universe will happen, resulting in a new heavens and a new earth- that will be His headquarters for the Universal Empire in both the physical and spiritual realms- where the Triune Yahweh will rule and reign.

Marriage Supper of the Lamb

In my prior Tribulation post I showed the clear biblical evidence for what the Bible teaches about the tribulation period and the wrath of GOD.  The pivotal Scripture in this discussion is Paul’s clarification of when the Rapture would occur, what events must precede it, and what the children of GOD must anticipate:  increasing suffering and persecution at the hands of wicked mankind.  We shall experience the wrath of satan and the wrath of man… but not the Wrath of GOD!  That was laid on Christ at the Cross, Praise His Holy Name!  We are and will be more than conquerors through Him who loves us!

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5… Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together unto Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled… Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called GOD  or that is worshiped, so that he sits as GOD in the temple of GOD, showing himself that he is GOD.

As laid out in the prior posts these events will be experienced by all who are alive at that time, including all the saints who suffer increasing persecution.  We will be trained for battle-both in the arena of prayer, as well as in the physical realm for I firmly believe that we will be called to resist the hordes of the seed of satan, as we declare allegiance to our Risen Lord- and win souls to His Kingdom when the veils of deception are stripped away from the eyes of many.  We must still be here to lead them to Christ… in sincere repentance, confession, and crying out to the Lord for forgiveness, healing, and deliverance.  That is our mission- we will not be taken out of the world, until it is fulfilled at the opening of the sixth seal.

 There will be 2 years and 10 months between the true rapture of the church, and Armageddon- the final phase of GOD’s Wrath being fully poured out on an unrepentant world.   Revelation Chapter 7 deals with the 144,000 Jewish evangelists who will be sealed and set apart to win the children of Israel back to their Messiah.  Chapter 8 then unveils the opening of the 7th seal which releases the 7 trumpets and 7 bowls- all of which deal with increasing measure, the full-blown Wrath of GOD being poured out.  I will go into much greater detail regarding this nearly three year period with clear biblical evidence in the final post of this series.

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 they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

As we have seen up to this point, the Lord Jesus in his great prophecy called the Olivet Discourse gave clear indication as to the sequence of events that would precede His return.  I have shown that Matthew 24 correlates with Revelation 6 in seamless parallels.  The pivotal transition is the verses quoted above, and…

Revelation 6:12,13… I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.  And the stars of Heaven fell to the earth. 

"... With Power and Great Glory."

In review, as Jesus and His disciples were leaving the Temple, He made His remarkable statement about the approaching destruction of Jerusalem by His startling references to this Temple- all of which would occur in 70 A.D.   His prophecy evoked two questions from the disciples:  “When shall these things be?”  and “What shall be the sign of thy coming?”  The answer to the disciples’ first question is not found in either Matthew or Mark’s Gospels, but only in the gospel according to Luke 21:20-24.  This account in directly dealing with the desolation and destruction of the second Temple in 70AD, states that at that time the inhabitants of Jerusalem ‘shall be let away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.’

Now let us consider the disciples’ second question.  They asked, ‘…what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the age?’  Please note that the disciples did not ask for signs [plural] but rather sign [singular].  The Greek word for sign is semeion which means “a wonder, remarkable event, or extraordinary phenomenon.”  Therefore we see that a sign  calls attention to the thing which is signified by the sign.  A good example is the token or sign of the covenant God made with Noah.  Yahweh confirmed his promise not to destroy the earth again by flood, signifying the covenant with the rainbow.

The Noahic Covenant

Most of the Body of Christ recognizes having been taught, that the return of our Lord Jesus Christ has two manifestations:  His Glorious Appearing to His saints at the genuine Rapture of the church, and His Glorious Return with the angelic hosts of Heaven including His transformed saints for the final battle campaign called in Scripture:  Armageddon.  This will be clarified in the next installment, while here we will focus on our gathering together unto Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18… But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so GOD will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from  Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of GOD, And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Matthew 24:31… And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

As we have clearly seen because the darkening of the sun and moon at the opening of the sixth seal is coincident with the rapture taught in Matthew 24:29-31, the sealing of the 144,000 described in Revelation 7 must occur after  a post-tribulation rapture.  This is alluded to by Paul in:

Romans 10:25,26… blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.  And so all Israel shall be saved:  as it is written, “There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob…”

The 144,000 Jewish evangelists will not be raptured with the elect as described in Matthew 24:31 at the darkening of the sun and moon, for they are not called servants and sealed until after the opening of the sixth seal.  Furthermore, if the 144,000 were saved before the coming of Christ in the clouds (Matthew 24:30), they would be part of the church, and would have been raptured with the church… right?

Angels that Gather

Revelation 7:1-3… And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.  And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living GOD:  and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our GOD in their foreheads. 

The 144,000 are sealed at that time for protection from the Wrath of the Lamb that is about to fall upon those who have received the mark of the beast.   Therefore the sealing of the 144,000 will occur after the Seventieth Week ends, and after the opening of the sixth seal.

There are several things that we should notice about the coming of Christ in the clouds with great power and glory.  First, it is not a secret coming: 

Matthew 24:30… for then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven:  and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven…

Second, when Christ comes in the clouds, there is no mention of a white horse, and no mention of an army on white horses coming with Him.  Third, the coming of Christ in the clouds is not His coming to the earth, for the Scripture says He comes in the clouds, in the air.  His coming to earth on the white horse will occur at the end of the period of judgment in the great Day of His Wrath, in the Day of the Lord.  This will be amplified in detail in the final post.

Therefore, the coming of Christ in the clouds is not the coming of Christ for the Battle of Armageddon.  Armageddon will occur after the seventh seal is opened, and after the seven trumpet judgments, and after the seven vial judgments are poured out, and after the whore of Revelation 17 and 18 is destroyed.  Then and not until then, will Christ descend on a white horse with His army dressed in white for the Battle of Armageddon,  which is detailed in Revelation 19:11-20.

The Bible reveals plainly and irrefutably where the elect will be taken when they are gathered together at the coming of Christ in the clouds.  The elect will be taken to the uttermost part of Heaven.  The word to in the Greek is heos and in this verse is a preposition of place or location;  it denotes the place to which the elect are gathered together.  That place is clearly the uttermost part or extremity of Heaven.

John 14:3… I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.  

The church will remain with Christ there until He returns for the Battle campaign of Armageddon.  During this time, the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb will take place.  While we are there, planet earth will be experiencing 2 years and 10 months of unrelenting and consecutive judgments in the pouring out of GOD’s great wrath.  I look forward to that Day of Christ- of our catching away, and meeting all my eternal brothers and sisters as we partake of our inheritance and rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and are finally wed eternally with our Betrothed King of Glory at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!  Praise His Majestic and Holy Name!

Holy Lion of the Tribe of Judah

I am Not Ashamed- Hillsong United

Sands of Time Running Out...

Matthew 24: 15,21… When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place… then shall be great tribulation…

The Lord Jesus was very candid with His disciples of a very difficult truth.  To them and to us He said, “In the world you shall have tribulation…” (John 16:33).  His Apostle Paul also said, “… all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

History through the ages and into this present day documents the level and severity of tribulation and satanic persecution that the people of GOD have experienced and are experiencing… with greater intensity.  Tribulation for the believer is a certainty, the changing variable is the degree of suffering.  Besides the link on the right panel to Voice of the Martyrs, get yourself a copy of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and please let it break your heart over what has been suffered by the Body of Christ through the many centuries.

The word tribulation is from the Greek word thlipsis which means “pressure, compression, distress of mind in difficult circumstances, trial, and affliction”.  Whether as a noun or verb (thlibo) the definitions show plainly that tribulation does not mean wrath!  In the KJV eight different words are used to translate these Greek words in 55 separate occurrences.  They are:  tribulation, affliction, persecution, trouble, anguish, burden, throng, and narrow… with the words tribulation appearing 22 times, and affliction 21 times. 

Conformed to His image, in the midst of the storm

Examples of Tribulation in the New Testament

Matthew 13:20,21… But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

What is clear from the Lord’s plain teaching is tribulation arises and has its source in those who are enemies of GOD’s Word.

Matthew 24:21…  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  See also Mark 13:19.

The Lord Jesus taught that believers are to expect tribulation as a normal occurrence in this present evil world.  In fact, we all know that the more we stand for the truths of the Holy Bible, and honor the Savior of all mankind- the more animosity, affliction, and persecution we will encounter at the hands of wicked men.

John 15:18-21… If the word hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you… If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you… But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

In Acts 11:19 the dear and glorious physician Luke wrote “Now those who were scattered abroad after the persecution [thlipsis] that arose about Stephen traveled as far as…”  The persecution of the saints came from those who murdered Stephen and hated the preaching of GOD’s Word.  And again Luke describing the stoning of Paul in Acts 14:19-22 said in vv21 &22… And when they had preached the gospel to that city  and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra… strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of GOD.”

Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-5… but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character, and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of GOD has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Holy Spirit Presence in Tribulation

Matthew 5:10-12… Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.  Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

2 Corinthians 4:17… For the light affliction [thlipsis] is but for a moment, and works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory…

These passages teach clearly the sober and glorious truth that believers who endure tribulation will enjoy a better resurrection! (… having received the word in much affliction… 1 Thessalonians 1:6).  There are many other passages that bring similar illumination regarding the subject of tribulation.  Please see Revelation 1:9,10; Revelation 2:9,10.  But in Revelation 2:22 we see that a person can escape what in this particular verse constitutes great affliction from GOD because of sin- by sincere repentance.  The context will always determine what the subject-verb-object of the specific grammar connotes.  As stated, it is established by the Scriptures that tribulation of the saints of GOD come from the Devil, the Antichrist, and wicked men who hate Christ, His Word, and His people.

Is Tribulation equivalent to the Wrath of GOD?

It is clear from the above verses and what the entire Holy Bible reveals that the source of tribulation is the wrath of satan, his seed in the world, and the corrupt world system.  Therefore, tribulation for the saints is not equivalent to the divine Wrath of GOD upon the wicked.  There are two greek words translated wrath in the Scriptures:  thumos & orge.

Thumos means “a violent swelling and outburst of anger; strong passion or emotion of mind.”  This specific word representing GOD’s wrath is used nine out of eighteen occurrences in the New Testament, all nine are in the Revelation, in which the divine wrath is poured out upon the wicked in the Day of the Lord.

Orge means “the settled state of wrath, impulse of anger, indignation, vengeance, and punishment.”  Neither thumos nor orge is ever used to refer to tribulation experienced by the saints.  Therefore (tribulation)  thlipsis is not synonymous with (wrath) thumos and orge.

1 Thessalonians 5:9… GOD has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.  There is a wide gulf between the tribulation which the saints will experience during the Great Tribulation, and the Wrath of the Lamb that will be poured out upon the wicked in the Day of the Lord.  In my last post The Day of Christ… The Day of the Lord it has been demonstrated by biblical confirmation that the Day of the Lord cannot begin until  after the sun and moon are darkened, immediately after the Great Tribulation, and therefore it cannot be equivalent to the tribulation which will be experienced by the saints during the Great Tribulation.

Power of Prayer

Touching the 70th week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27 w/Matthew 25:15;21) we see that it will begin with the confirming of the covenant of Antichrist with many.  This will allow the re-instituting of the Jewish sacrificial system and the building of the third temple.  ”The Tribulation” or the 70th week of Daniel will be divided into two equal parts (3.5 years, 42 months, 1260 days) by the abomination that makes desolate (the Antichrist enters the Temple and declares himself as GOD).  This event will occur in the middle of the week, and it will be the demarcation point of the Great Tribulation.  The end of the 70th week will be marked by the darkening of the sun and moon immediately after the Great Tribulation coincident with the opening of the sixth seal (Matthew 24:29; Revelation 6:12,13) as has been clearly developed in the current and last post on this site.  The Rapture should occur at the opening of the sixth seal, immediately followed by the commencement of the Day of the Lord.

This also reconciles the length of time of the Great Tribulation as it will last exactly 3 1/2 years.  Speaking of the Antichrist as the ‘little horn’ (Daniel 7:8) in Daniel 7:25… And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High… and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.  A ‘time’ is equal to a year and therefore this confirms the account in the Revelation of 42 months, 1260 days, and 3.5 years… equivalent ‘accounting’.

The sad fact in my understanding is that the Bible teaches that the saints will suffer tribulation during the Great Tribulation, as well as the Jews- and all who will not hold allegiance to the Antichrist in his rampage of worldwide control.  My contention is that the pretribulation rapture theology is a profound deception that is not based upon the clear and comprehensive analysis of all the Old and New Testament Scriptures that deal with the Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord… and the clear distinction that I have presented in these two consecutive posts.  According to the following verses in the book of the Revelation, our comfort must rest in the Holy Spirit’s continuing Presence with us in our extended travail and testing of allegiance to our risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 12:11… And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Revelation 6:9-11… When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of GOD and for the testimony which they held.  And they cried with a loud voice saying, “How long O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

Revelation 20:4… And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them.  And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of GOD, who had not worshiped the Beast and his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands, And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

Islam and their Mahdi (Messiah according to their Qu’ran) are the only people in the present age that behead their adversaries… who shall be many in these Last Days.

In the next post I will deal with the Day of the LORD, Armageddon, and the Lord’s Glorious Appearing.  Kingdom Blessings in Christ ~Santos

The Eternal Power of the Cross

In Christ Alone

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My wife Robyn and I came to the saving knowledge of the Lord in the mid-70′s.  A prevalent teaching of the church then and even now is the ‘imminent’ return of the Lord Jesus Christ.  In my ignorance for many years I was gullible enough to believe that Jesus would come to ‘catch away’ the true church at any moment:  in 1981 then 1988… etc. and obviously the Rapture didn’t happen then or yet!  Now with decades of comprehensive study of the entire Holy Bible from Genesis to Revelation, I have come to a greater understanding of what biblical eschatology actually teaches.

Although there is substantial confusion and the ‘traditions of men’ I believe misinterpreting the Scriptures concerning the 70th week of Daniel, the pivotal issue as far as I can tell has to do with the error in falsely assuming that the Day of Christ is synonymous with the Day of the Lord.  This post is my attempt to deal with the significant differences with solid biblical confirmation to support my thesis.  The primary reason that this is so critical at this time, is that the enemy has used the incorrect teachings with respect to the Rapture, the tribulation period,  and the wrath of GOD to cause much of Christendom (especially in the Western church) to sit on their hands, not willing to get them ‘dirty’ in the Harvest of souls- and waiting in a dispassionate (lukewarm) way for the return of the Lord to rescue us out of this fallen world.

The premise of the ‘pre-tribulation rapture’ of the church assumes that Matthew 24 & Revelation 6 (the seals) describes the wrath of GOD being poured out.  In my next post I will tackle this doctrinal position head-on since in both portions the wrath of GOD is correctly equated with… ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars [angels] will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then (M-v29 & R-v12,13 respectively). We are called to be witnesses!

Matthew 9:35-38; 10:7 &8… And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.  But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few, Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

10:7 &8… And as you go, preach- saying “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”  Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.

The sound of Heaven touching earth

Rather than delve into controversy, let’s focus on what the Bible says specifically about two different future events or spans of time and their respective characteristics:  the Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord.   Once we make clear biblical distinctions, I anticipate that many will have a Holy Spirit impartation of truly being co-laborers with Christ in the coming massive Harvest at the end of the age… rather than limp spectators- diminishing our inheritance by our lack of obedience.

The Day of Christ

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3… Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together to Him, we ask you not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the Day of Christ had come.  Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition…  

Without adding or subtracting from this portion of Holy Scripture, it clearly teaches that the church will still be here during a coming (or continuing) falling away from the faith, and the recognizable appearance of the ‘man of sin’ known by many names- primarily called the Antichrist.  We know that this is no one else because of verse 4 that follows- when he sits in a future temple (not yet built) and declares himself as GOD!

George Mueller, the 19th century giant of faith (personally responsible for caring for over 10,000 orphans- many who became missionaries throughout the world- who never once solicited funds for his great work, but rather trusted GOD for full provision)… in 1879 at a conference was asked:  ”Are we to expect our Lord’s return at any moment, or that certain events must be fulfilled before He comes again?”

He replied without equivocation, “I know that on this subject there is a great diversity of judgment, and I do not wish to force on other persons the light I have myself.  The subject, however is not new to me; for having been a careful student of the Bible for nearly fifty years [read through over 100 times], my mind has long been settled on this point, and I have not the shadow of a doubt about it.  The Scriptures declare plainly, that the Lord Jesus will not come until the apostasy shall have taken place, and the man of sin- Antichrist- shall be revealed as seen in 2 Thess.2:2,3.

From the whole counsel of GOD over 130 years later from Mueller’s correct exegesis,  we also know that the nation of Israel had to be reborn, when the Hebrews had not existed in the Holy Land from 70 A.D. to May 1948.  Because of ‘replacement theology’ the prophesied return of the children of Israel was misinterpreted, as has also been the case with different aspects of End-time theology.  So what else does the Bible say about the Day of Christ?  Let’s ‘unpack’ some key verses with brief comments:

1 Corinthians 1:6-8… even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible clearly teaches that all believers will be wholly sanctified at the true rapture.

1 John 3:2… Beloved, now we are children of GOD; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Philippians 1:5,6… for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident in this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…

These verses teach that in the Day of Christ there will be blessings and rejoicing for believers.  It is the work of progressive sanctification which is being worked out in believers, and it will continue unto completion in each of us until the Day of Christ- which then manifests our complete transformation at the Rapture of the church.

Romans 8:29,30… For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

One can only come to the conclusion from these Scriptures that since our Lord is performing the good work of sanctification which He began in each of us when we were born-again… and as it states it will continue until the Day of Christ, therefore the Rapture of believers- at which time we will be wholly sanctified, cannot occur until the Day of Christ.

Looking back to the 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 reference, we see that there must be a clear distinction between the Day of Christ and the Day of the Lord.  Why?  Let’s change horses and see what the Word of GOD says about the Day of the Lord.

Christ the Firstfruits

The Day of the Lord

If the Day of Christ ends with the Rapture, which it does as shown in the above Scriptures, the Rapture cannot be either imminent or pretribulational.  I do admit that some translations have been inaccurate in translating the Day of Christ, inserting Day of the Lord instead- but the KJV and NKJV are clear and correct.  The vast majority of the Western church including so-called conservative seminaries promote the concept of the Rapture before ‘the beginning of birthpangs (sorrows) described in Matthew 24.

What the Scriptures clearly teach in many portions of different books is that the wrath of GOD is not poured out until after the sun and moon are darkened- immediately after the Great Tribulation!

Theologian Harry Ironside said of the Day of the Lord:  ”When at last the day of grace is ended [the Day of Christ], the day of the Lord will succeed it.  It will be the time when the judgments of GOD are poured out upon the earth. It includes the descent of the Lord with all His saints to execute judgment on his foes and to take possession of the Kingdom… and to reign in righteousness for a thousand glorious years.”

Also John Walvoord said:  “The significant truth revealed here is that the Day of the Lord, which first inflicts terrible judgments, ends with an extended period of blessing on Israel, and this will be fulfilled in the millennial Kingdom…”  Let’s confirm these truths with Scripture:

Isaiah 2:10-21… Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty.  The lofty looks of man shall be humbled,… And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.  For the Day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty… And it shall be brought low… v19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily.

Isaiah 13:6-13… Wail, for the Day of the Lord is at hand!  It will come as destruction from the Almighty.  Therefore all hands will be limp, Every man’s heart will melt, And they will be afraid.  Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; They will be amazed at one another; Their faces will be like flames.

Behold the Day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it.  For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light;  The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.

I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.  I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold… Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place in the Wrath of the Lord of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger.  (See also Zephaniah 1:14-18).

Zechariah 14:1-5… Behold the Day of the Lord is coming… For I will gather all nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished.  Half of the city will go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.  Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle…

Joel 2:30-32… And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth; Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.  The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.  And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

So we see that the Day of the Lord is preceded by these signs:  the sending of Elijah (Malachi 4:5…); cosmic disturbances (Joel 2:1-12; Matthew 24:29; Acts 2:19,20; Revelation 6:12-17); the apostasy [the falling away] of the professing church and  the revealing of the ‘man of sin’, i.e. the Beast (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

The Preparation of the Bride... in Spirit & Truth

To reiterate for emphasis:  The Lord Jesus describes in the Olivet Discourse of Matthew 24:1-28 in great detail all manner of calamity, including his disciples being killed during this period of great tribulation.  Then He says:

Matthew 24:29… Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken…

But please note in the parallel passage in the Revelation where the first five seals coincide with Matthew 24:1-28: 

Revelation 6:12;16,17… I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.  And the stars of heaven fell to earth… 

v16,17… and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb!  For the great day of His Wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”   THIS IS WHERE THE WRATH OF GOD IS FIRST DECLARED!  NOT BEFOREHAND.  

At the opening of the sixth seal, the Rapture of the Church must occur (we are not subject to GOD’s wrath…), followed immediately by the commencement of the Day of the Lord.  It must be noted that although the primary aspect initially of the Day of the Lord is the severe judgment of the nations, the positive side will be the defense of and full salvation of Israel (see Revelation Chapter 7 and beyond).  Also the full inauguration of the Millennial Reign of Christ is the longest aspect of the Day of the Lord which is both the third day (A.D.) and the seventh day (since Adam)… a set of teachings that will be developed in detail in future posts.

For an exhaustive study of all the prophetic Scripture both Old and New Testament yet to be fulfilled, I highly recommend:

The Post-Trib, Pre-Wrath Rapture by Dr. Roland Rasmussen…  which is linked on Amazon.com via the book title.

  Also I encourage you to make some popcorn and watch the entire 2 hr. 20 minute YouTube video:  ”Ken Peters- I Saw The Tribulation!”  At the end of this personal testimony he shares 22 specific prophetic words about coming events.  Since this was filmed in 2003- many of his predictions have happened- such as:  the housing market collapse; the worldwide economic crisis; the sky-rocketing value of gold and other precious commodities; increasing terrorist attacks on our American soil; riots and violence in the streets of many cities (especially those regions blatantly scorning GOD and His ways); and other sobering circumstances.

He also lays out 11 steps of how to prepare for what is yet to come (believe me, it ain’t pretty…).  And again, I implore all those who have the burden for prayer (the pure Watch of the Lord) to study carefully and apply the principles defined in these three very important posts:

In the Mouth of 3 (John) Witnesses  3 different men of GOD all named John, are interviewed at different times in 2009.  Their prophetic concerns overlap with remarkable precision (Video links in the post).

The Joy of Fasting:  Discipline, Deliverance, and Delight  The reasons for- and proper method of preparation, carrying out, and successfully ending a spiritual (liquid only) fast.  Done right you will heal dramatically- body, mind, and spirit:  many tangible benefits of this awesome discipline.

Praying for the Healing of America  Our national need for genuine repentance (beginning with the House of GOD) in order to enter into the reality of 2 Chronicles 7:14… 

King of Kings (Messianic Praise- Karen Davis)

The Feast of Trumpets

Biblical Christianity encompasses the whole Counsel of GOD:  the entire Holy Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.  We will continue studying the Word of the Lord throughout the entire Millennial Reign of Christ!  The privilege and joy that is ours in knowing the ultimate truth of salvation through the atoning work of Christ alone, is a treasure beyond measure!  And yet we need to continue to dig deeply into the Scriptures that we may receive greater illumination and present truth confirmation of what belongs to us as children- sons and daughters of the Kingdom of our Sublime Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:22-29… ‘..the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.  But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.  Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.  

For you are all sons of GOD through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

This post will ‘unpack’ some of the riches that can be gleamed by all believers from the Moedim, the appointed Feasts of Israel.  Specifically we will focus on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur since they are imminent on the Jewish calendar, and have many blessings to reveal and impart to the spiritual as well as the natural seed of Abraham. 

Before we delve deeply into the significance of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, a brief overview of the 7 Holy Feasts of Israel is important for our understanding of the unity of this spiritual revelation:

I- Passover

Memorial Aspect:  Israel’s deliverance out of Egypt’s bondage                           Prophetic Aspect:  Death of the true Lamb of GOD on the cross                             Doctrinal Aspect:  Justification by faith in the Blood of Christ:  repentance, regeneration, redemption, adoption.

II- Unleavened Bread

Memorial Aspect:  The going out of Egypt                                                                       Prophetic Aspect:  The burial of Christ                                                                           Doctrinal Aspect:  Sanctification and separation from evil.  Water baptism.

III- Firstfruits

Memorial Aspect:  Crossing the Red Sea.                                                                          Prophetic Aspect:  The Resurrection of Christ.                                                            Doctrinal Aspect:  Walking in resurrection and newness of life.

  IV- Pentecost

Memorial Aspect:  Giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai.                                                       Prophetic Aspect:  Pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost; the Birth of the Church.                                                                                                           Doctrinal Aspect:  Baptism of the Holy Spirit; the Earnest Seal of the Spirit.

V-  Rosh HaShanah (the Feast of Trumpets)

Memorial Aspect:  To prepare GOD’s people for Atonement and Tabernacles.                                                                                                                                 Prophetic Aspect:  To prepare GOD’s people for the end-time gathering.          Doctrinal Aspect:  Revivals; Awakenings… the Call of the Spirit.  Preparation for the second Coming of Christ.

VI- Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement)

Memorial Aspect:  High Priest opened the Holy of Holies for the cleansing of sins of the people.                                                                                                                  Prophetic Aspect:  The cleansing of the church in the end-time.                          Doctrinal Aspect:  Purification; reconciliation; maturity; perfection; sin judged.

VII- Tabernacles

Memorial Aspect:  Entering into the Promised Land with great rejoicing.    Prophetic Aspect:  Final ingathering of souls; the Second Coming.                    Doctrinal Aspect:  The rest of GOD; Kingdom rest.  The Lord Jesus Christ tabernacles in His people.

Announcing a New Year!

All seven of these feasts have more than just the listed applications in the lives of true believers.  The unfathomable depths of the riches of Christ and ABBA Father’s blessings and provision are for us to strive to discern.

Psalm 42:7,8… Deep calls unto deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.  The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me– a prayer to the GOD of my life.

Rosh HaShanah- the New Year Feast of Trumpets

Rosh HaShanah, the Ten Days of Repentance that follow it, and Yom Kippur make up the High Holy Days of the Hebrew faith.  Jewish tradition says that GOD writes every person’s thoughts, words, and deeds in the Book of Life, which He opens and examines on this day.  If good deeds outnumber sinful ones for the previous year, that person’s name will be inscribed in the book for another year on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).  So according to this rabbinical teaching during Rosh HaShanah and the Ten Days of Repentance, people can repent of their sins and do good deeds to increase their chances of being inscribed in the Book of Life.

Prior to Rosh HaShanah, the shofar (ram’s horn) is blown to call the people to repent and remind them that the Holy Days are arriving.  During the Rosh HaShanah synagogue services, the shofar is blown 100 times.

Rosh HaShanah is also referred to as the Day of Judgment.  The Lord Jesus said He has the authority to judge people (John 5:24-27) and the Apostle Paul referred to Him as the judge of “the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1).  GOD does have a Book of Life- it is called the Lamb’s Book of Life in Revelation 21:27.  True believers know that the only way to have one’s name inscribed in it is through faith in Jesus as Savior from sin, and then it is permanent!

John 10:27-30… My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.  I and My Father are One.

Those whose names are not in the book will be judged and sentenced to perdition.

Revelation 20:15… If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Many recognize that the four spring holidays (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost) were fulfilled in the Messiah’s first coming.  It is also considered that the three Autumn feasts (Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Booths [Tabernacles]) will be completely fulfilled at our Lord’s Second Coming.

Rosh HaShanah is a solemn New Year holiday; not like our traditional New Year’s celebration on January 1st.  A common custom is sending cards to relatives and friends to wish them a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year.  The message includes the greeting:   L’shanah tovah tikatevoo which means “May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year.”   It is also traditional to eat apple slices dipped in honey- the apples represent provision, while the honey represents sweetness for the coming year.

Like Christians who only attend church on Christmas and Easter, many Jewish people attend Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur services even if they have not attended synagogue services the rest of the year.

Yom Kippur- The Day of Atonement

Temporary Atonement

The Day the High Priest makes Atonement for Sin

Yom Kippur is the most solemn holy day of the Jewish people.  Kippur means ‘atonement’ or ‘covering’, and means the reconciliation of GOD and man.  As stated the ten days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are known as the ‘days of repentance’.  Yom Kippur is the final day of judgment when GOD judges the people.  In the Biblical account according to the Aaronic and Levitical priesthood, the High Priest sacrificed an animal to pay for his sins and the sins of the people.  It was a time of solemn fasting and prayer.  The shofar is blown at the end of the evening prayer service for the first time since Rosh HaShanah.  When the High Priest was finished with the atonement sacrifice, a goat was released into the wilderness.  This “scapegoat” carried Israel’s sins away, never to return (Leviticus 16:8-10; 20-22; 29-34).

The Holy of Holies in the Temple, was separated from the congregation by a massive thick veil from floor to ceiling.  It was entered only once a year on Yom Kippur, when the High Priest offered the blood sacrifice of atonement on behalf of the people.  When Jesus died on the cross, the heavy veil was ripped from top to bottom (Luke 23:44-46).  The Lord Christ came as the Ultimate High Priest and entered the Holy of Holies (in Heaven itself) once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own Blood, having obtained eternal redemption (see Hebrews 9:11-28).  Believers in Christ Jesus accept His sacrifice on the cross as the final atonement for sin.

Romans 3:21-25a… But now the righteousness of GOD apart from the Law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of GOD which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe.  For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD, being freely justified by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, who GOD set forth to be the propitiation by His Blood…

When the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ returns, Israel will look on Him whom they have pierced (along with the rest of us who were in sin and rebellion until He became our propitiation), and they will repent! (Zechariah 12:10).  On that day of repentance, Israel will be forgiven and permanently restored (Isaiah 66:7-14; Romans 11:26).

After the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., Jewish people could no longer offer the prescribed sacrifices for atonement from sins.  They have substituted prayer, good works, and charitable donations hoping to take away the penalty of sins.  We fully know that ‘works’ will accomplish little; and literally nothing to permit us to stand blameless before a Holy GOD.  Yom Kippur is a day of fasting, and the book of Jonah is usually read during the afternoon service to remind people of GOD’s forgiveness and mercy.

The Ark of the Covenant

The Power of the Blood of Jesus

The ultimate truth concerning the atonement is that the blood of Jesus will bring the church to perfection, ultimately sinless perfection when we are transformed at His Coming!  It is what every true believer yearns for… to put off this mortal coil and be like Him when we finally see Him as He is!  Many scholars and Bible students believe that just as the spring feasts fulfilled key transitions in the Lord’s first coming, that the Feast of Trumpets may well be a date in the future when the Rapture of the Church will occur.  This will be followed by the Day of the Lord and all the judgments and wrath of GOD poured out on an unrepentant mankind- pointing to the period of the final atonement.  Tabernacles as stated earlier points to the peaceful Kingdom of our Lord when he inaugurates the Millennial Kingdom reign.  Praise His Holy Name!

References

The Feasts of Israel by Kevin J. Connor… City Bible Publishing, 1980

Feasts and Holidays of the Bible… Rose Publishing, 2004

Baruch Hashem Adonai

My first published book (2010) is available in two different formats.  As a paperback edition it can be purchased on Amazon.com via this link.  This allows for personal and family reading and study- anywhere and anytime, as well as home church or cell group review and discussion.  Via Amazon’s Look Inside feature you can read the Introduction, see the Table of Contents, and read brief excerpts of different chapters.

 It is also available as a free PDF download on the OpenHeaven.com website on their resources page… here.  Please scroll down to the bottom of the page under other authors for the PDF link.  This format would be 220 8.5 x 11″ pages without the cover art.  Although it can be read on your computer, it is less convenient and does not allow portability.  I chose to make it available both ways for expanded exposure, because I believe it has a very timely message concerning where we are in GOD’s time-table in the consummation of all things.

... For Such a Time as This...

America is in grave peril!  Looking from our shores to the mayhem and destruction, misery and death that is happening worldwide… what do we see:

• Rioting and destruction in the streets of England- this is a country where Fabian Socialism has promoted and implemented a huge entitlement society that they can no longer afford to fund.  Other similar protests and rioting is going on in Greece, Italy, Spain- western economies that are now crushed with debt… and yet our financial crisis is far worse!  View this brief 3 minute youtube video for corroborated proof of our debt fiasco- here.
• Somalia is experiencing severe famine, widespread pestilence, and radical terrorism.  300 children are starving to death daily while United Nations food supplies are either confiscated or held up by Islamic factions.  Christians continue to disappear daily with entire families murdered or enslaved.  This is not the only African country that is suffering to this depth of horror… please be aware and pray!
• Libya, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other Muslim nations are daily headlines with protests, bombings, warfare, and death continuing… so much so that we’ve lost track of the numbers of those dying… and persecuted Christians are the highest casualties.
• Our United States Federal government system has turned into a pathetic joke of incompetence causing 3 trillion dollars of company and individual assets to vaporize in thin air in just the past 15 days… because we didn’t have the spine to implement the Cut, Cap, and Balance plan that would have proved to the world that we were serious about getting our financial house in order.  Our 14 trillion dollars of debt will balloon to 23 trillion by the end of the decade!  Now the Federal Reserve wants to print even more funny money (with no substantive backing) that is in reality hardly worth the paper and ink it’s printed on!

Malachi 4:5&6

We the people of this great Republic as a whole citizenry don’t fully understand how very bad it really is.  Many do because we have been hit with loss of work, loss of assets, even loss of homes… all the different aspects of the American Dream that we have been divinely privileged to live for so long.  GOD’s grace has been with us… in spite of our waywardness.  But sadly we kicked GOD, the Bible, and prayer out of school in 1963- and since then we’ve stood by while moral decay has permeated all aspects of our society, from the oval office to Skid Row.  Before that year disciplinary problems in public schools were limited to chewing gum, running in the hallways, and talking in class- without permission.  Now it’s daily gang activity, guns, violence, drug addiction, teen pregnancy, abortion, and people graduating without being able to read, understand our history, and compete for career employment.

David Barton’s book- America: To Pray or Not to Pray says it all.  Please browse the book on Amazon via the name link. He reveals over 35 different graphs of social issues that have spiraled downward since the Supreme Court ruled against GOD in our educational system.  And of course since then the ACLU has made sure they sue almost daily for the bogus ‘separation of church and state’ issue that totally contradicts and subverts the first amendment of our Constitution, forcing Christianity out of the our American public square.

I am not hopeless… but only hopeful that a Great Awakening is imminent!  The question is:  How far does GOD have to humble America before we all repent as a nation?  I thought to quote Deuteronomy Chapter 28 in its entirety, but that will be your responsibility to study and ponder.  We have been privileged as a nation like no other in the history of mankind.  And yet we have assumed that it’s because we’re special somehow.  NO!  It is only because from the pilgrims’ landing until today we have been the recipients of answered prayers:  the prayers of the first settlers who dedicated this continent to the Lord Jesus Christ; the prayers of all the godly men and women over the past 400 years; the prayers of our founding fathers- signers of the Declaration of Independence, many of whom lost everything including their lives- to fulfill the call for a nation like no other in mankind’s history:  a nation that was founded by YHWH ( Jehovah) GOD just as much as Israel was… and both of these nations are still the apple of His eyes- because we have been the stewards of the true oracles of GOD revealed in the Holy Bible.

Read Deuteronomy Chapter 28… and notice that in the 68 verses, the first 14 detail the blessings of obedience and submission to the true and living GOD- while the remaining 54 verses are very graphic in describing the curses that would fall upon willful disobedience.  Before I became a mature Christian I did not fathom how a loving Holy GOD would allow this all to happen based upon our disobedience.  I came to understand that the judgments of GOD are progressive- He strives to cause us to repent, and turn back to Him that He may continue to bless us.  But when His Hand of Grace is slowly removed, the intensity of the judgments deepen until final destruction is the result.  We as a nation must turn back to GOD- before it is too late!  The evidence is clear and irrefutable!  We have but a short time… since clearly judgment is already upon us!  

LORD, HAVE MERCY… Father- I pray that you will still give us space to repent as a nation.  That we will eliminate abortion (the blood of 58 million innocent babies in America alone [since Roe v. Wade- Jan.'73] continually cries out to GOD for judgment); that we would stand for the sanctity of marriage between one man and one woman as You have ordained in Your Holy Word; that we would individually and as a nation obey the Ten Commandments and the Perfect Law of Love that Jesus gave us all:

Matthew 22:37-40… Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your GOD with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

… And that we will individually stand for the truths of Your Holy Bible; that we will be responsible citizens of this republic ensuring that the reins of government are entrusted only to men and women who are people of integrity, who will do what is right and best for our country in light of Your Perfect Revealed Will.

In Jesus’ Holy Name, AMEN.

Christ for the Nations- Alabaster Jar

The Lord Jesus Christ- Our Captain

Amos 3:7,8… Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.  A Lion has roared!  Who will not fear?  The Lord GOD has spoken!  Who can but prophesy?

This essay is one of the very most important blog posts that I have ever done!  We are living in very desperate times: the earth is reeling with calamities wherever one looks; radical terrorism is in our daily news; economic crisis is now a worldwide phenomenon; and the transition that we are all in requires fervent prayer with fasting more than ever in our lifetimes.

I strongly encourage all who come to this site to very prayerfully read this entire essay.  Once you have reached the end, you will clearly understand the urgency and gravity of what is before us with respect to the Season of the Basilisk.  This information was originally published on the outstanding web site  Elijahlist.com- June 2007.  They graciously give permission to reprint articles in their entirety as long as appropriate credit is given to the original authors as well as their web site.  Complete information will be provided at the end of this post.  I have also taken the liberty of modifying it slightly in updating the three-week period that will be critical not only this year, but also in the next few years-for future reference in concerted prayer.  I will also provide several links to additional posts on this site that will bring clarity to this need, and provide additional tools for diligent prayer with fasting.

Therefore the complete essay is as follows:

By Bob Jones and Paul Keith Davis:

“ The Season of the Basilisk”…

• evening of July 19 through August 9, 2011
• evening of July 8 through  July 29, 2012
• evening of June 25 through July 16, 2013
• evening of July 15 through August 5, 2014
• evening of July 5 through July 26, 2015

The period identified as  the Basilisk season is approaching, and we once again want to reiterate the importance of this time frame and the great need for consecration, repentance and prayer.  In times past, we greatly emphasized Israel and her need for prayer covering and spiritual intervention.  That emphasis continues.  However, we perceive an equal prominence for our nation and the American Church and its need for extraordinary covering during this notable time.

In 1999 we wrote in the “Basilisk” article that terrorism was not coming… it  is already here.  That threat remains real.  Nonetheless, intercession can nullify those spiritual plans of the enemy both for Israel and our nation.  In recent weeks, the Lord has given specific permission to call upon Heaven for the release and activation of the mighty warring angels, including the distinguished Archangel Michael.

In the book of Daniel we see specific significance on the role of Michael and implementation of Heavenly plans here on earth.  Our vision and concentration is place solely upon the Lord and His Holy Spirit.  Nevertheless, GOD has chosen the agency of man to release the resources of Heaven and hosts of ministering spirits to engage the adversary.  That provides a source of great comfort knowing there are more for us than for our enemies.

Daniel in the lions’ den

2 Kings 6:16-17… So he answered “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.  Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD open his eyes that he may see.”  And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Great and notable end time purposes are presently being birthed and the enemy is doing all that he can to abort the destiny of this generation.  Thankfully, the Lord has made an abundant provision of grace to establish us as overcomers if we will cooperate with the Holy Spirit and yield our will to the will of the Father.

Introduction

One need only read the daily paper or watch the evening news broadcast to discover the turmoil, tension and political unrest in the land of Israel.  Never has there been greater need for prayer concerning the government of Israel, the land of the Bible and the natural seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ has not only a responsibility but also a great privilege to stand in the gap and intercede for the land of Israel during these turbulent times.

The Scriptures promise the Lord’s blessings for those who bless the natural seed of Abraham.

Genesis 12:2,3… And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.  And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.

The Lord’s love for Israel is eternal, and to share His heart is to participate in His love for the Jewish people and the land upon which the blood of Christ was spilled.

A deep and affectionate passion is being imparted to the Christian Church for the land of Israel and the natural seed of Abraham.  Even as Esther sanctified and adorned herself in her royal attire, so is the Bride of Christ in order to come boldly before the Throne of Grace to obtain mercy for the land of Israel and find divine help in time of need.

For the past several years, the Lord has spoken prophetically concerning strategic intercession against the spiritual enemies of Israel and the Church.  Perpetual, daily prayer is essential in the spiritual warfare on behalf of Israel and the enemies of the Church.  However, the Lord has identified a particular season in the Spirit in which considerable warfare is amplified.  This has been known as the Season of the Basilisk.

Over the past several years, considerable revelation has been released to disclose the workings of this evil opposition historically and currently in Israel and the Church.  As a result, we have published an article entitled “Lance of the Basilisk” to outline the revelations and prayer strategy against this great enemy.  The time is quickly approaching for this season to begin.  For the year 2011, this notable season begins the evening of July 19 and extends until August 9-which is the 9th of Av on the Jewish calendar.  It is during this time frame that heightened prayer and caution should be exercised in our spiritual warfare.

This unique season has produced many of the most catastrophic events in Jewish history.  This historic enemy of the Cross has an extraordinary hatred not only for Israel but for all of God’s covenant people.  We trust the following outline will assist each reader in this spiritual encounter.

Paul Keith Davis

Plans and Strategy For Spiritual Warfare

History has proven that nothing unites a diverse group more than having a common enemy.  Opposing political parties will even join together when our nation is confronted by a foreign enemy.  This was certainly proven during World War II and again on September 11, 2001.  This fundamental truth is also applicable to the Church.  Though there may exist different streams within the Church, as long as each stream leads to the same River, we are joined in purpose.  The Holy Spirit is not revealing to us that we have a common enemy who has set himself against the purposes of God in the earth.

The Scriptures declare that Israel is given to us as an example.  The enemies of Israel and the Old Testament typify spiritual opposition faced by the Church.  Graciously, the Lord continues to assist us in much the same way that He did Israel by sending prophets to not only reveal the plans of Heaven but also disclose the intent of the enemy.  On one such occasion, the King of Aram was enraged because he was unable to make plans for war without Elisha the prophet divulging those plans to the kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 6:8-12).

The Holy Spirit, through divine revelation, has outlined a portion of the plans of the enemy in his effort to disrupt this nation causing considerable hardship and death.  In addition, He has also revealed His divine strategy for defeating this foe in His prescribed manner.  The enemy we speak of is called Basilisk.

Visions of Basilisk

On July 23, 1996 and again on July 23, 1997-Bob Jones was given visions from the Lord displaying this powerful demonic spirit He is desiring that we understand and oppose.  It was clear in the visions that this spirit did not expect to be uncovered nor revealed.  This evil spirit is accustomed to operating in secret without being detected or obstructed.  This great enemy of the Cross has authority to release extensive destruction and misery in the earth, especially if unopposed by the praying Church.  This evil spirit is identified as Basilisk.

Basilisk is the exemplification of the devil himself whose primary purpose is death and destruction.  The natural physical death resulting from the spirit is derived from plagues, sickness and disease, natural disasters, and even terrorism.  Its origin can be traced all the way back to ancient Israel.  The Egyptians worshiped the spirit as “the Lord and King of serpents to awe all others, nor to be destroyed by any”.  They displayed a crowned Basilisk on the heads of their gods as observed in the Bembine table and other Egyptian monuments.  This demonstrates satan’s attempt to elevate himself above God as an object of worship.

In the second vision given to Bob in 1997, this spirit was multiplied hundreds of times larger than the previous year.  This demonstrates a progressive increase in authority given to the spirit.  Apparently, during certain cyclical seasons, a tremendous increase in power is given to this spirit to cause death and destruction.  Additionally, in 1997 this spirit was shown brooding over a nest of eggs desiring to periodically birth wrath and misery in the earth.

Isaiah 59:5… They hatch vipers’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web;  he that eats of their eggs dies, and from that which is crushed a viper breaks out. 

With each revelation, this prince of darkness expressed considerable surprise at being exposed as he is accustomed to operating undetected.  So well hidden is the spirit that he did not even require the darkness of night to operate as most evil spirits.  He can operate and even prevail in the brightness of the noonday.  Though he does not require the darkness of night, like all evil spirits, he prefers to be hidden in darkness.

Psalm 91:5,6… You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

Basilisk in Scripture

The word Basilisk is derived from basiliskos meaning “kinglet” or “king” signifying a mythical reptile hatched by a serpent from a cock’s egg.  In Scripture, Basilisk is sometimes translated “cockatrice” or “adder”.  The Hebrew word for Basilisk occurs in Psalm 91:13, Isaiah 14:29, Isaiah 11:8, Isaiah 30:6, Isaiah 59:5, Proverbs 23:32, and Jeremiah 8:17.

Psalm 91:13… Thou shalt walk upon the asp and on the Basilisk; and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon.

Proverbs 23:32… But in the end, it will bite like a snake, and will spread abroad poison like a Basilisk.

Isaiah 11:8… And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall thrust his hand into the den of the Basilisk.

Isaiah 14:29… Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, that the rod of him that struck thee is broken in pieces; for out of the root of the serpent shall come forth a Basilisk, and his seed shall swallow the bird.

Isaiah 30:6… The burden of the beasts of the South.  In a land of trouble and distress, from whence comes the lioness and the lion, the viper and the flying Basilisk.  They carry their riches upon the shoulders of beasts, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels to a people that shall not be able to profit them.

Jeremiah 8:17… For behold, I will send serpents, basilisks, among you which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the Lord.  

In the land of Palestine, this term is generally presumed to denote the cerastes or horned viper, a very poisonous serpent, considered one of the most dangerous of all vipers.  Clearly, the spiritual symbolism points to a prince of darkness diametrically opposed to the purposes of God in the earth.  In Daniel 10 we discover the Prince of Persia withstanding Gabriel prohibiting the release of divine instruction for 21 days.  Basilisk, also a high-ranking prince, desires to likewise withstand the intentions of God and has been delegated the power of death.  It was believed in mythology that the power of death existed in his breath or even in the glance of his eyes.

In each of the visions, the Holy Spirit gave Bob Psalm 91:13 as a defense against this evil opposition.  Repentance and steadfast faith in the declared Word provides a protection against this identified enemy.  In so doing, our sanctified hearts would then be prepared for the release of the divine authority necessary to defeat this enemy.

The Scripture declares our foot shall be placed upon the scorpion and the basilisk, not because of any strength of our own, but because of the great victory appropriated to us through Christ.  The Church has been given authority to deal with this spirit, yet mankind has perished throughout history because of lack of knowledge concerning this enemy and the appropriate application of our Savior’s triumph over all opposition.  In Luke 10:19 the Lord promises that He has given us authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means injure us [from an eternal perspective].

The Anti-Nicene Fathers records the priceless writings of the early Church leaders.  One of these great Church patriarchs was Irenaeus, an anointed messenger to the second century church who died a martyr’s death.  His words provide valuable insight on this subject:

“For this end did He put enmity between the serpent and the woman and her seed, they keeping it up mutually: He, the sole of whose foot should be bitten, having power also to tread upon the enemy’s head; but the other biting, killing, and impeding the steps of man, until the seed did come appointed to tread down his head-which was born of Mary, of whom the prophet speaks: “Thou shalt tread upon the asp  and the basilisk; thou shall trample down the lion and the dragon”- indicating that sin, which was set up and spread out against man, and which rendered him subject to death, should be deprived of its power, along with death which rules [over men]; and that the lion, that is antichrist, rampant against mankind in the latter days, should be trampled down by Him; and that He should bind “the dragon, that old serpent” and subject him to the power of man, who had been conquered so that all his might should be trodden down.”

The great theologian and writer Tertullian spoke of Basilisk in this regard:

“Who is He that shall bestow the power of treading on serpents and scorpions?  Shall it be He who is the Lord of all living creatures- or he who is not god over a single lizard?  Happily the Creator has promised by Isaiah to give this power even to little children, of putting their hand in the cockatrice den and on the hole of the young asps without at all receiving hurt.  And, indeed, we are aware (without doing violence to the literal sense of the passage, since even these noxious animals have actually been unable to do hurt where there has been faith) that under the figure of scorpions and serpents are portended evil spirits, whose very prince is described by the name of serpent, dragon, and every other most conspicuous beast in the power of that Creator.

This power that Creator conferred first of all upon His Christ, even as the 90th Psalm says to Him:  ”Upon the asp and the basilisk shall Thou tread; the lion and the dragon shall Thou trample underfoot.”  So also Isaiah:  ’In that day the Lord God shall draw His sacred, great, and strong sword’ (even His Christ) ‘against that dragon, that great and torturous serpent; and He shall slay him in that day.’  But when the same prophet says, ‘The way shall be called a clean and holy way; over it the unclean thing shall not pass, nor shall be there any unclean way; but the dispersed shall pass over it, and they shall not err therein; no lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon; it shall not be found there,’ he points out the way of faith, by which we shall reach to God; and then to this way of faith He promises this utter crippling and subjugation of all noxious animals.

This evil spirit is also described in Deuteronomy 32:24, according to the rabbinical writings.

Deuteronomy 32:24… And they shall be wasted with hunger, devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction; I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, with the poison of serpents of the dust.

The early rabbis taught that this passage could accurately be rendered “and I will fight against them with flaming demons”.  The “flaming demons” would be a reference to the spirit that the Lord desires that we understand.

Basilisk in History

Throughout history the spirit has sponsored plagues at various times causing great numbers of people to experience death.  During those periods of time in history, especially the Dark Ages, man attempted various superstitions and fables in his attempt to combat this evil spirit and the death that it had brought, rather than applying the blood of Christ and accepting the victory [of the Cross] through His revealed Word.  This spirit promotes religious superstition in place of faith.  This resulted in Christians praying out of their superstitious imagination rather than the Holy Spirit anointed promises of God.  In his address to the Athenians, the apostle Paul described them as being “too superstitious”, or “religious” as some translations rendered it.  Paul presented the truth of the Gospel to replace misguided trust in fables and superstitions.  The Lord desires to do the same today.

During the 1997 vision of Basilisk, Bob saw this prince of darkness approaching land between two bridges utilizing the winds bringing plagues, and viruses, and natural disasters causing considerable misery.  It was revealed in the vision and confirmed through Jewish literature that this evil spirit prevails during a certain season of the year.  This season is called Bein Ha’m'tarim by the Jewish writers.

This term means “between the straits” or “dire straits”.  This season is a three week cycle beginning on the 17th of Tammuz extending until the 9th of Av in the Judaic calendar.  It is a time when the spirit that is prevalent, is even more predominant when unchallenged by the authority of Christ given to the Church through His shed blood.  This high level authority can not be combated individually and but must be engaged through corporate united intercessory prayer.

At the time that the subsequent vision was revealed to Bob in 1997, hurricane Danny entered Mobile Bay in Alabama, in an area that perfectly fits the description “between the bridges”.  According to biblical definitions, Dan means “to judge” once again pointing to the coming just  God.  Uncharacteristically, hurricane Danny brooded over Mobile Bay for twelve hours dumping a reported 40 inches of rain combined with high winds seemingly verifying in the natural the spiritual truths of this revelation.

Lamentations 1:1-3… How lonely sits the city that was full of people!  How like a widow is she, who was great to among the nation!  The princess among the provinces has become a slave!  She weeps bitterly in the night, her tears are on her cheeks; Among all her lovers She has none to comfort her.  All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies.  Judah has gone into captivity, Under affliction and hard servitude; She dwells among the nations, She finds no rest; All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.

The effects of Basilisk are not exclusively demonstrated during this season, rather it is during that specific span that the authority of Basilisk operates at its peak.  History records many of the catastrophic events that have taken place during these 21 days within these dates.

17th of Tammuz

• Moses smashed the tablets of the Torah at Mt. Sinai.
• Daily sacrifices ceased.
• A Torah scroll was burned in the Temple by “Apostomos”.
• An idol was erected in the Temple.
• The city wall was finally breached.

9th of Av

• 1200 B.C.- Israel told by God in the wilderness that generation would not enter the land of promise.
• 586 B.C.- The Babylonian army destroyed the Holy Temple.
• 70 A.D.- Titus and the Roman army destroyed the Holy Temple.
• 135 A.D.- “Bethar” the stronghold of Bar Kochba, fell ending the last trial for Jewish independence.
• 136 A.D.- Rome began to erect the pagan city on the site of the Temple dedication.
• 1096 A.D.- The first crusades began.
• 1290 A.D.- The Jews were expelled from England.
• 1306 A.D.- The Jews were expelled from France.
• 1492 A.D.- King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella signed expulsion.  By July on the 9th of Av, all Jews had to be out of Spain.
• 1648 A.D.- Chmelnicky massacred tens of thousands of Polish Jews.
• 1914 A.D.- Declarations for World War I began.
• 1942 A.D.- Plans for the annihilation of Jews were drafted escalating World War II.

Historically, the 21 days extending from the 17th of Tammuz until the 9th of Av represented a notable time of bitterness and destruction for the Jews.  According to the rabbis, the demon that prevails during this time is also called “ketev” meaning destruction/bitterness.

To Jewish rabbis regarded “ketev” not solely as a plague, but a demon with authority to cause death and destruction through plagues.  It was during this precise time that the Lord’s prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem was fulfilled.  On the 17th of Tammuz 70 A.D. the Romans breached the walls of Jerusalem.  For three weeks Roman troops ransacked and destroyed the city until the 9th of Av when they burned the Temple [down to the ground- fulfilling Matt.24:2].  In both the Babylonian and Roman captivity, the Temple was destroyed on this agonizing date.  It is reported that during the Holocaust, the Nazis systematically chose the 9th of Av to carry out murderous and other demonically inspired actions against the Jewish community.

The prophets Zechariah spoke of these days:

Zechariah 8:19… Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth (months) will become joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’

The fast of the fourth month was to be conducted on the 17th of Tammuz representing a day of mourning because of the capture of Jerusalem and the various other calamitous events that took place on this date.  The fast of the fifth month was to take place on the 9th of Av because of the historical tragedies that occurred on this date.  These periods of mourning and fasting were to be conducted until the promise of the coming restoration of Judah and the Messianic Kingdom.

The ancient leaders recognized that the righteous must be hidden in the secret place of the Most High during this time of trouble, which they believed was a dress rehearsal for the birth pangs of Messiah.  In Isaiah 26:17-21 the prophet Isaiah speaks of the season where the righteous are directed to hide themselves while wrath and indignation take its course.  Zephaniah 2:3 also prophetically forecasts a season when the Godly are directed to seek the Lord… seek righteousness… and seek humility and perhaps be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger.

According to these rabbis, the heat of the noonday from 12:00 until 3:00 was a time of extreme activity for this evil spirit.

Even a review of recent years will reveal that this season of time has produced considerable destruction through storms, droughts, floods, extreme heat and famine.  If this evil prince continues to go unchecked through intercessory prayer, then great destruction will come to people.  We must be brought out of darkness into light so that we would not perish because of a lack of knowledge concerning the spirit and its operations. 

On July 16, 1994- which was the 9th of Av on the Hebrew calendar, the 21 pieces of the Shoemaker-Levi comet began its bombardment on the planet Jupiter.  Jupiter is commonly recognized as a symbol of idolatry and paganism.  One of the most devastating events in the history of Israel occurred when the image of Jupiter was placed in the Temple of God.  We continue to observe the feast of Hanukkah as a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees, and the removing of this pagan god from the Temple and re-instituting Temple worship.

It is clearly prophetically significant that the Shoemaker-Levi comet began its assault on the planet Jupiter on this notable date.  The heavens declare the Glory of God!  It is also significant that the comet was broken into 21 pieces also representing the 21 days extending from the 17th of Tammuz until the 9th of Av, the season in which this prevailing spirit operates with its greatest authority.

Even though Jupiter is a symbol of idolatry for the pagan world, it is also a term for righteousness in the Hebrew language.  The Hebrew name for Jupiter is “Tzedeq” and comes from the word meaning ‘righteousness’ or ‘righteous one’.  It is from this term that the name Melchizedek is derived denoting ‘King of Righteousness’.

Clearly we can see that satan has perverted Jupiter into a symbol of idolatry.  However, we can glean understanding from this term as a symbol of righteousness in the hope of our being cleansed by the Truth of God’s Word thereby making us a suitable habitation for His Holy Spirit so we can share in His Holiness.

The Plans of Basilisk

In the enemy’s desire to weaken our overall economy, Basilisk intends to bring such calamity to various geographic regions so as to destroy vital supplies, produce and agricultural goods- further disrupting our economy beyond the staggering cost natural disasters and terrorism already generate.  Again, the Lord has made it painfully clear, terrorism is not coming, it is already here. [Note that this was originally written in 1999.]

Much of the terrorism and disasters will be directed at densely Jewish population areas.  The ripple effect of these calamities will not be limited to those residing exclusively in these states; rather, the entire nation will be adversely affected if the enemy successfully carries out his plans.  These supplies are essential for meeting the needs of our population as well as those we support abroad.  With a diminished national security and a crippled economy, we would then be vulnerable to military conflict.

A weakened military force combined with severe economic hardship would make it substantially more difficult to defend and supply the needs of our nation.  More importantly, our ability and willingness to stand by Israel would be compromised.

The enemy desperately desires to separate this nation from Israel.  If successful, the spiritual and natural implications would be significant.  The Bible plainly announces that the Lord will bless those that bless Israel and curse those that cursed her.  One of the great attributes of this nation’s leadership in times past has been the willingness to adamantly [and unequivocally] support Israel, thereby releasing divine prosperity and blessing.

Additionally, Israel provides America with a strong military ally in that region of the world.  Without the close alliance of Israel, our military and economic opportunities in the Middle East and Europe would be severely compromised.  Our enemy is attempting to prematurely set in motion events before their time.  He is attempting to bring about military conflict, economic shaking, and political upheaval prematurely; especially hostile confrontation between Israel and her many enemies.  God’s people must stand in the gap as a voice toward Heaven withstanding these evil aspirations.

Defeating Basilisk

Our Lord in His grace has given us this insight into the plans of the enemy for the purpose of equipping us with the blueprint for success in defeating this adversary.  The more we understand his plans and purposes the more capable we will be to pray with pinpoint precision.

The Lord also has His plans and purposes;  plans for welfare and not for calamity toward those obediently following His divinely ordained strategy.  Nothing could be more rewarding for a Christian than to find favor with God by willingly offering ourselves as instruments of righteousness, hating what He hates and loving that which He loves.  This can be accomplished, at least in part, by committing ourselves faithfully to this battle both individually and corporately.

Foremost in our preparation for this battle is sincere repentance for our sins and the sins of our ‘fathers’.  Repentance will always bring forth times of refreshing from the Presence of the Lord.  Genuine sorrow that is not merely the articulation of our mouths but the incentives of our hearts will also paved the way for the impartation of righteousness and divine authority necessary for defeating our enemies.  The Scriptures declare that our Savior came into this world to destroy the works of the devil.  He has chosen His Church as the instrument through which this victory is to be manifested.

Daniel 9 records the great prophet repenting for his sins and those of his people, leadership and forefathers for not having obeyed the Word of the Lord to obediently walk in His teachings.  Like Israel of old, we have allowed the spirit of the world to invade our lives promoting compromise and spiritual error.  We are now being given the divine opportunity to make this right to individually and corporately.  City and regional repentance is especially crucial in the south eastern United States, the target zone for Basilisk.  Sincere repentance will touch the heart of the Father releasing the spiritual ‘ammunition’ to defeat Basilisk.

This victory will be achieved through corporate intercessory prayer.  When the early believers worked together praying IN ONE ACCORD, great and mighty things were accomplished for the Kingdom of Heaven.  [EVEN MORE SO IS REQUIRED OF US AT THIS TIME- THE VERY END OF THE CHURCH AGE!!!]

Romans 15:5-6… Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Few things please the Father more than to see His people in unity:

Psalm 133:1-2… How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard.

Though often geographically separated, we are united in purpose with one mind and passion… to defeat the enemies of our God.  As one expositor put it, “As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of the ekklesia of Christ.”

Psalm 91 has been given to us as a Scripture of protection, an instrument of war against this evil spirit. The Church has been given authority over all the power of the enemy… authority and victory in Christ must be rightly appropriated through the Body.  Like the sons of Issachar, we must be equipped with the knowledge of the times and seasons of the Spirit, dedicated to the Lord’s plans and strategy.  As many as are lead by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.  The Lord is calling for repentance and corporate intercession against the specific plans of the enemy here outlined.

• Bob Jones- The Prophetic Ministry of Bob Jones                               www.bobjones.org
• Paul Keith Davis- WhiteDove Ministries                                                 www.whitedoveministries.org 
• ElijahList Publications- 310 2nd Ave SE, Albany, OR 97321      www.elijahlist.com

 More insight into our relationship with Israel, and the threat of rising anti-semitism and radical terrorism- are extensively detailed in this post link:

In the Mouth of Three (John) Witnesses

To better understand the spiritual dynamic power of prayer with fasting, always guided by the Holy Spirit- please study for your edification and the pulling down of all strongholds:

The Joy of Fasting: Discipline, Deliverance, and Delight 

2 Corinthians 10:4-6… For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through GOD to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the Will of GOD… bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and BEING READY TO PUNISH ALL DISOBEDIENCE WHEN YOUR OBEDIENCE IS FULFILLED.

Continued Blessings in Christ,  ~Santos

The Prayer of the Children- Baylor Men’s choir