One of the frequent discussions I hear centers on this phrase, “as it was in the days of Noah.”

 One of the frequent discussions I hear centers on this phrase,

“as it was in the days of Noah.”

This comes from Luke 17:26, where it says, “And [just] as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the time of the Son of Man. (AMP)” 

Those that speak on this subject talk about how people just went about their business, getting married and having birthday parties, as though everything was good for their level of advancement (instead of merely banging two rocks together.)

What I just brought up doesn't even come close to assessing how bad the world was at this time. So let's start in Genesis 6:1-2 and see where this takes us.

“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.” (Genesis 6:1-2 ESV)

• “When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,”

  It is not the multiplying part that creates the problem; there was plenty of land. It was this next aspect that God was paying close attention to.

• “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.”

Who were the sons of God?

They were angelic beings, and though there are both righteous and fallen angels our focus is on the fallen ones. Jesus in trying to explain a twisted and unusual question to some Jews, spoke of the angels that did not fall, when He said,

"... For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven." Matthew 22:29-30 NKJV)

What can I make of this? 

That the angels, that remained subject to God and heavens laws, do not participate in sexual activity.

One of our primary pieces of evidence that these were fallen angels comes from an interaction between God and Satan, found in the book of Job.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God (the righteous ones) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason?”
(Job 1:6-9 ESV)

Some obvious things you might have picked up on, as Satan - who the Revelation describes as being thrown out of heaven, is meandering about in the heavenlies with the angels that did not fall, is that he is there and nothing no one is doing much to challenge him. 

Satan doesn't seem to care if he is welcome or not, and so what do we see? 

Satan shoves himself right up near the throne to get God's attention.

God asks Satan a question.

Does God ask questions because He is lacking answers?

Never, and so we can think of these inquiries as forensic – as He is studying the words you say and the manner in which you respond. You cannot lie to God.

How did Satan respond to God's question, Have you considered my servant Job?

Well, of course, he had, and it was probably the basis for his being there in heaven, among the sons of God, of which he was still considered to be one. Consider the response of the disciples after being sent out. (This sending happened on two occasions: In Mark 6:7, it was only the twelve, but in Luke 10, the number being sent out was seventy. On both occasions, they were sent in pairs.)

“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
(Luke 10:17-18 ESV)

Satan didn't just trip and fall out of heaven, he was thrown out.

“A war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels were fighting against the dragon and its angels. But the dragon lost the battle. It and its angels were forced out of their places in heaven and were thrown down to the earth. Yes, that old snake and his angels were thrown out of heaven! That snake, who fools everyone on earth, is known as the devil and Satan. Then I heard a voice from heaven shout, "Our God has shown his saving power, and his kingdom has come! God's own Chosen One has shown his authority. Satan accused our people in the presence of God day and night. Now he has been thrown out! Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. They were willing to give up their lives. The heavens should rejoice, together with everyone who lives there. But pity the earth and the sea because the devil was thrown down to the earth. He knows his time is short, and he is very angry." When the dragon realized that it had been thrown down to the earth, it tried to make trouble for the woman who had given birth to a son. But the woman was given two wings like those of a huge eagle, so that she could fly into the desert. There she would escape from the snake and be taken care of for a time, two times, and half a time. The snake then spewed out water like a river to sweep the woman away. But the earth helped her and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon's mouth. This made the dragon terribly angry with the woman. So it started a war against the rest of her children. They are the people who obey God and are faithful to what Jesus did and taught. The dragon stood on the beach beside the sea.” (Revelation 12:7-18 CEV)

So the life-changing question that people ask is, When did Satan get thrown out of heaven?

Logic would tell you that this happened somewhere between Genesis 1:1 and the serpent showing up in the garden.

Genesis 2:2 indicates that God felt everything was done and good, but it was good once before and then not. The prophet Isaiah tells us that God made it perfect, to begin with.

“For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
(Isaiah 45:18 ESV)

So when I read a verse like Genesis 1:2, I can see that something cataclysmic happened.

“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
(Genesis 1:2 ESV)

Well, Genesis 1:2 may have been the result of Satan's being tossed to earth.

Were there any people other than Adam and Eve on earth?

The answer is a strong maybe. Look, you put a young, naked man and woman in the most spectacular of settings, and they will find a multitude of things to explore ( if you get my hint.) Didn't you ever notice that God said to Eve, after the fall, now you will have pain in childbirth?

Why would He say that if she had never had children?

Give me a break; they had many. And, if all they knew was what Adam, their papa, said and acted like, then they, too, were Godlike. I know this opens a large “can-o-worms,” but try not to let your mind melt over this.

Then why didn't the serpent – Satan go after one of the others?

Because, in the long run, Satan was going specifically after “God's” creation,  those who had been given dominion over the earth, Adam and subordinately, Eve.

“And God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that crawls upon the earth."”
(Genesis 1:26 AFV)

Dominion is the Hebrew word râdâh and means to tread down, subjugate, have dominion over, prevail against, and most importantly, have rule over.

Adam had been given command over this planet, and just like Jesus, he only did what the Father told him, except for that moment in the garden.

In that brief moment of time, he handed the entirety of the planet over to Satan by following his wife's lead.

Now, if you read Genesis 1:26 attentively, you noticed that there is a plurality inferred, and you would be right, but God does not put a body on the man until Genesis 2:7, and then He only formed one of the two; so conversations about making humanity was all in the spiritual mode until He put flesh on them. All the instructions pertaining to this dominion were given specifically to the man, who, in time, informed Eve once she had been made.

If you can understand what I have just told you, then you will better understand what took place when the Serpent said to Eve, did God really say that?

Satan was trying to put a rift between God and Adam, Adam and Eve, and eventually all humanity that could never be repaired. In that masterful move, Satan sowed seeds of doubt, deceit, lying, and an unending heap of trust issues.

Oh, about that rift that could never be repaired. 

The laws that make this universe run are moral laws created and put in place by God himself. Therefore, the only one who could pay the price that justice demanded was God himself, and He did so by sending His Son, Jesus. He also bypassed an inherent problem we have had since the garden, and that is our built-in sin mode. Jesus did not have that, as He was not a creation of either man or woman and was, therefore, sinless. Jesus, being sinless, is the thing that Satan did not count on. So this irreparable rift was not too big of a problem as long as you have a sinless God-man to take your place, and Jesus did just that.

Back to this paragraph,

“the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.”

Having established that these “sons of God” were fallen angels that fell when they followed Satan in his folly, then they were taking the daughters of men, anybody at any time, as they chose. And I don't think they cared about looks (even though the passage, as though the writer had interviewed them, says they noted the attractiveness of women) as they were trying to manipulate the human genome even further. Hold that thought for a moment. 

We live in a day when science is consistently modifying or attempting to modify the human genome. The American Department Of Defense (under the guise of DARPA) has been doing it for years as they try to create super soldiers. 

Since the ingesting of that fruit changed the human genome and instilled a propensity within us to sin, it permanently damaged the DNA strain that was the base origin of humanity. Every human from that moment forward has that same damaged marker. If that be the case, then when science began looking at DNA, they saw a commonality in every human strand compared. This damaged marker, for which they cannot find a purpose, becomes an expected marker in all of humanity.

I know most translations are using delicate wording so that you cannot easily pick up on the offense of the word "took." Perhaps we could say they were merely grabbing these women, or shall I say abducting, whomever, whenever, they wanted. These fallen angels may not have copulated with their victims in the manner to which we are accustomed, but the scriptures tell us that they did it.

Do we have anything bizarre like this happening today?

Unfortunately, yes, we do. If you are into the paranormal, a Christian brother named LA. Marzulli writes books and speaks at conferences about demonic abductions. By the way, those that have withstood these encounters have only done so because they possessed ownership of the name of Jesus Christ because they had accepted Christ into their lives at some point, and they used it against what was happening to them.

LA Marzulli, along with others, like Brian Forester, have pursued unexplainable oddities, such as elongated skulls – that have had their DNA tested, and, though in this case found in Paracas, Peru, had parentage leading the researchers back to the Middle East and NO known earthly being.

Let's assume that you don't believe me at this point. Let me ask you a question;

Can you accept the Bible as non-challengeable?

I am not talking about known errors or translation disputations, of which there are many, but I know that God's unchanging moral authority runs through the entirety of scripture. I also know that there is nothing of note in the New Testament that cannot be validated by prophetic words in the Old Testament. Our standard for proving this comes from the Law.

“One witness shall not rise against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin which he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses a thing shall be raised up to judgment.”
(Deuteronomy 19:15 LITV)

So, no matter whether it is a law matter or the validation of God's Word, it can and should be validated by scriptural witnesses.

I brought up the possibility that Adam and Eve had other children. How do you explain that?

1. Time, as we understand it, began that day in the garden. If you wish to say the earth is only ten thousand years old, basing the presumption of time from the garden event makes all the sense in the world. Sin, death, and rebellion in the lives of humans all came out of the garden and the eating of that fruit.

2. What else happened that day? If you foolishly said that the plan of redemption began that day. To a degree, you would be right, but do you seriously think that God was caught off guard and had to come up with a plan now that the two people you have been close to for an untold amount of time will come to an end. Knowing that Satan would rebel and, in a way, take out God's man, Adam, the plan to recover His creation and entirely eliminate Satan came into being long before we were a thought – and based upon what King David said, you knew me before time began.

3. So children born outside of the garden do not fall under the category of sin, as sin, it would seem, became a genetic issue. The logical course would follow the change that began as the parents damaged their genetics and then passed that along to any children that followed.

   If they were outside of sin through genetics, then why would they have to be “judged” alongside everybody else?

   Good question, and maybe they are not. Consider that the fallen angels are given no recourse for their mutiny; perhaps those children which were not affected by tainted genetics sustained damage, just as the creation did and cries out for the day of their redemption.

   “All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children. For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth. But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free.” (Romans 8:19-23 GNB)

So, anyone born outside of the garden was still affected by what happened there, just as the entirety of the earth was. 

Some would say, how would those born outside of the garden know about salvation? 

Well, first off, who was their daddy? Yep, Adam. Adam told Eve, and he also told them as well.

I told you that the garden and its sin were the basis of the world we live in. That moment in the garden initiated the prophetic insertion of Jesus into humanity and the plan of redemption's calendar.

Did you, as you read, pick up on the fact that the method of momentary relief from sin came through appropriate sacrifice?

God, on the same day as the conversation in which He told Eve that one of her seed would crush the serpent's head, killed animals - adequate enough to make appropriate coverings, and He showed Adam how to make sacrifice using those same animals. Do not assume that Adam had been stripped of his title; therefore, he was still meant to take dominion.

“for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29 NASB)

Testimony from the Old Testament.

“God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes his mind! Does He speak and then not do it, or promise and not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19 TLV)

That meant he was still in the chain of command for the redistribution of information. Since we DO NOT see any mention of those born outside of the garden, the most logical assumption is that they fell and went out of fellowship with God, as Cain did. 

If you can't handle the idea that there were others born outside the garden and wish to hold to a chronological reading of the scriptures, then where did Cain get the idea that there were others, as violent as he, waiting to kill him?

“Since You expelled me today from the face of the ground and I must be hidden from Your presence, then I will be a restless wanderer on the earth—anyone who finds me will kill me!”” (Genesis 4:14 TLV)

Another bizarre anomaly also follows Cain as he went to a city (?) and found a wife (?). Keep in mind that we are trying to follow a chronological pattern. So, Cain, then, would have to wait for Mom and Dad to produce a daughter that he could have. 

But who was next to be born? 

Seth, a “righteous” son. Try to imagine how long you might have to wait before a sister was born that you could have for a wife. A bizarre train of thought, but so is the logic.

Then Cain left Adonai’s presence and dwelled in the Land of Wandering, east of Eden. Cain was intimate with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. And he was building a city, and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
(Genesis 4:16-17 TLV)

Assuming that we have eliminated the possibility that children born outside of the garden could have been called the sons of God, then the only beings left, as we have pointed out when we looked at Job, are the fallen angels.

One of the boisterous arguments against the angels procreating with humans is that angels have no male organs and, therefore, have no sex. This is based on this passage, where the Pharisees, who were always trying to trap Jesus, brought up a scenario in which a woman is passed through the family members, much like a sex slave, to produce children with the family name.

“In the resurrection, when they (these family members who each had her) rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”
(Mark 12:23-25 ESV)

Luke's gospel conveys this theme.

“In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.” And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
(Luke 20:33-36 ESV)

At the moment, we live in the age of grace; this age will come to an end with the removal of the church. At that point in time, those of us in heaven become a part of a term that I have come to despise, that “new age,” where we will be married to Christ, the groom. We will be like the angels in that they are eternal. We will be the Sons and Daughters of God that we were designed to be. Stop here. Our spirits are already eternal as we have been made in the image of God – an eternal spirit, and as such, we will merely go on living with our Father. Our relationship with Jesus moves us into what we call the body of Christ. So, in a sense, we are already married to the Lamb. The angels, who also have free will, for the most part, know their duties and place – and it does not include sex. Satan, his name was Lucifer, decided to supplant God, an act that exceeded the limits of his position. He managed to convince a third of the uncountable number of angels to follow him in this rebellion.

Did their spirits die?

No. Many of them were locked up in chains, as they, in their rebellion, became very dangerous. They will be cast into outer darkness, along with Satan and those who choose to follow him, to the place where there is gnashing of teeth, fire, and perpetual anguish.

The scripture leaves no one out, and the flooding killed everything that walked on land and breathed air, that includes half-breed angels, referred to as Nephilim. The giants died, but scripture tells us that they came back after the flood. 

"The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown." (Genesis 6:4 NASB)

This can be attested to by Joshua and Caleb's testimony upon their foray into Canaan and David's killing of Goliath. Because we have very few records of Titans upon the earth, anymore, then I would suggest that the fallen angels changed their techniques and game plan.

So, the question is, who will you willingly be married to?

There are only two options, Jesus or Satan.

Things that puzzle and provoke me. Matthew 3:9-12.

 In the previous post on Matthew 3, we touched on verses 9 – 12, but as I look at these verses again, I see things that provoke and puzzle me. For example:

“And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”
(Matthew 3:9 BSB)

If you are unaware, one of the primary purposes of the seven years of God's wrath is to drive Israel to God and bring about their repentance.

When you read a statement such as “I tell you that out of these stones, God can raise up children for Abraham,” at the least, it sounds like a threat, as though God is telling the Jewish listener, don't be so sure of yourselves. If you don't know God's capabilities, this thing with the rocks is doable. (Think about it, He -Jesus, created it all and made man from dirt. Dirt is a combination of many things, and one of them is rock.) I cannot begin to imagine what raising up stones as His children would look like, but it would be easy for God to do a substitution. Suddenly, this Gentile, who was graciously adopted into the family, feels very small.

Now look at what Jesus has to say.

“The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
(Matthew 3:10 BSB)

Who is He referring to when He says trees?

The Children of Abraham.

“And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.”
(Romans 11:16 NLT)

Many will try to tell you that the Gentile church replaced Israel. NOT by a long shot. The Apostle Paul begins to explain.

“Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.”
(Romans 11:11-12 NLT)

I can't help but think about the implications where “the axe lies ready at the roots of the trees.”

• If you cut even a single, large root, you will severely damage the tree and possibly kill the tree; death, in this case, is slow. Some of the effects from such damage may have played a role in several tall trees falling due to rain, wind, and who knows what else. Fortunately, no one was struck by the trees.

• Cut all the roots, and you will cut off the water and nutrient supply. Death will come quickly, anywhere from days to weeks.

If you are a farmer and your life is dependent upon the crops you produce, you only buy the best. A tree represented as top quality should not produce bad fruit; if it does, then you have insect damage or soil nutrient issues, which you should have checked. 

But what does Jesus say?

Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I think about my life, where I was raised in the church. Whether I understood what I was doing or not seems irrelevant because I have been able to look back upon these detrimental events and know that God has always been a part of my life. Undoubtedly, I turned my back on God several times as I soaked in my shame, but God NEVER turned His back on me.

This would be an excellent place to throw in my two cents.

First, many have said God cannot look upon sin. Most recently, in my hearing, Pastor Greg Laurie once again made this assertion. The implications are that God must turn His back on you, effectively cutting you off from His active grace and mercy.

Is that true?

No, How can it be? 

Adam and Eve did not only sin (they missed the mark and blew it up for all of us) in the garden, but some feel it is appropriate to say that Adam committed high treason. 

So what did God do in response to their actions?

Turn His back on them?

No, He comes down, as usual, and walks in the cool of the garden, as He always did. Yes, He spelled out what the sin had done and what would continue to happen. But have hope, as Eve's seed would eventually crush the Serpent's head.

And while a rant like this could go on for volumes, let me repeat what the Apostle John told us.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
(John 3:16-17 BSB)

Not only did He NOT turn His back on us, but He put Himself on the cross for us. Just the opposite of turning His back.

Did God cut me down and throw me into the fire?

This statement certainly sounds permanent, much like Gehenna/hell, and in a recent conversation with my wife, I think I realized that God had brought the fire into my life to purge and purify me. The circumstances drove me into the Word, where, as one dear lady puts it, it made me a Bible Nerd.
Look at what John the Baptizer has to say in the very next verse,

“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
(Matthew 3:11 NLT)

There is that word fire again.

I understand baptism with the Holy Spirit because of statements that Jesus made to explain it. Still, there were the cloven tongues that appeared like fire upon the disciples, equaling about 120 persons. There was obvious evidence of speaking with other tongues and power, which for many equated to boldness.

Jesus had to go so that the Holy Spirit – the comforter, could come, and He did, but along with comfort comes boldness.

“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”
(John 16:7 NLT)

People are always willing to fight over terminology, especially if you did not say the correct word by their standards. So let me show you the Amplified translation, as they give more than enough supplementary words to define.

However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].
(John 16:7 AMP)

The Holy Spirit, acting on God's behalf and doing only what the Father says, as Jesus did, strengthens our hearts about Jesus.

“But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.”
(John 15:26 NLT)

The Holy Spirit will abide with you forever. Doesn't this speak of a God that will not let you go?

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.”
(John 14:16 NLT)

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

If you live under a rock and put your faith in Him, the comforter will teach you what you need to know and help you understand. Now, mind you, Jesus was referring to the things the disciples had been told at a time when there were no Bibles, and absorbing the Word of God could only come through repeated hearing from the Torah scrolls - typically kept in the synagogues.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
(John 14:26 NLT)

I tried to run this past the wife, where John the baptist says, “ He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire,” and she had to ask me what the fire is supposed to be in our lives. Well, to be honest, I don't know, in spite of the fact that many have tried to explain what they think this is.

Elijah called fire down from heaven upon troops that would take him, prisoner. And when you consider the two witnesses that show up on the streets of Jerusalem after the church has been removed, they are adeptly spewing literal fire upon anyone who tries to harm them.

Here is the drawback to thinking regarding the physical spewing of fire.

James and John exclaimed at one point,

“Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” (Luke 9:54 NLT)

They had no lack of faith that this could be done, but you won't see their potential motivation if you use one of the simplistic translations. So instead, the Amplified expands the verse appropriately and gives you the backreference.

“But [the people] would not welcome or receive or accept Him, because His face was [set as if He was] going to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John observed this, they said, Lord, do You wish us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did ?” [II Kings 1:9-16.] (Luke 9:53-54 AMP)

Some things to notice here in this narrative about Elijah. It's an amazing narrative; perhaps you should read it.

• Because at least these two disciples had paid attention that day in synagogue school, James and John had a strong faith that they, too, could call fire down. Paying attention and having Jesus perform miracles on many levels could have built their confidence to the point where they felt they could call down fire on people. It's a fantastic narrative; perhaps you should read it. 

  The context begins in 2 Kings 1:2.

  “One day Israel’s new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover.” (2 Kings 1:2 NLT)

• So instead of turning to the Lord, he turns to Baalzebub, the god of Ekron. On their way to the temple of Baalzebub, the king's messenger meet Elijah.

  “But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’” So Elijah departed.” (2 Kings 1:3-4 BSB)

  Of course, there is a God in Israel, but it is so easy to forget, and secondly, no one wants to hear that they are going to die, and the messengers return to Ahaziah.

  “When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?” They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’” (2 Kings 1:5-6 BSB)

  If you send someone on a mission knowing how long it should take, and they are back within 30 minutes when it should have taken a couple of hours, you know there is a problem. Having had experiences with Elijah, the King asks:

  “The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” “He was a hairy man,” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.” “It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.” (2 Kings 1:7-8 BSB)

  I am the king; go get him.

  “Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’” (2 Kings 1:9 BSB)

  The response from Elijah to this command.

  “Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.” (2 Kings 1:10 BSB)

  This happened three times, but the third captain was wiser and could see the results of the previous two attempts.

  “So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be precious in your sight. Behold, fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty, with all their men. But now may my life be precious in your sight.” (2 Kings 1:13-14 BSB)

  This response also pleased the Lord, so God gave Elijah the green light to go with the captain. 

  “Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.” So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And since he had no son, Jehoram succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah.” (2 Kings 1:15-17 BSB)

  Setting aside the fire momentarily, God carried out His word, and Ahaziah died. There is an intriguing phrase within this paragraph: "So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken.” Wow, I am sure that Elijah merely said what the Lord had told him to say. Perhaps there is a relationship thing that we are missing when we skim over something like this. 

• Jesus didn't denounce the two disciples. The Bible tells us, depending upon the translation, that He reprimanded them.

  The word that the majority of translations use is rebuked.

I'm not too fond of that word because, as a child, I was rebuked savagely, and let's leave it at that.

The word rebuke is the Greek word epitimaō, and the meanings read like this:

REBU'KED, pp. Reproved; reprehended; checked; restrained; punished for faults.

REPROVED, pp. Blamed; reprehended; convinced of a fault.

CHECKED, pp. Stopped; restrained; repressed; curbed; moderated; controlled; reprimanded.

RESTRAINED, pp. Held back from advancing or wandering; withheld; repressed; suppressed; abridged; confined.

Did Jesus control, hold back, curb, restrain, and convince of a fault, these two disciples?

Most certainly, and He did it without rage. He did NOT tell them that what they were proposing was stupid and impossible because it wasn't, but they were learning that they were living in the age of grace. So the instructions that Jesus had repeatedly given them were to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.

Alright, the last verse for this post.

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
(Matthew 3:12 ESV)

The idea behind a fork like this is that the lightweight, unwanted portion gets caught by the breeze and moves away, forming a pile of debris while the wheat falls at your feet. 

Eugene Peterson's The Message tells us that “He (God) is going to clean house" soon. He goes on to say, “He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned.”

The seemingly simplistic word burn is the Greek word katakaiō and means to burn down (to the ground), that is, consume wholly.

The King James Concordance tells us that the word katakaiō was used 13x in the New Testament. Revelation 18 is one of those places where the term katakaiō is used and is used concerning Babylon. Many seem to think that Babylon, the physical place, is to be rebuilt.

How about NOT. About a year ago, a Christian archaeologist went to the site of former Babylon and demonstrated how much it matches the description in Isaiah 13.

“And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans' pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there. But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there. Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come And her days will not be prolonged.” (Isaiah 13:19-22 NASB)

So Babylon is a demonic spiritual entity; watch what happens to it.

"To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, 'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.' "For this reason, in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. "And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour, your judgment has come.' "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more --” (Revelation 18:7-11 NASB)

And it goes on.

"The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?' "And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!'” (Revelation 18:15-19 NASB)

One more passage where the word katakaiō is used.

“The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”
(Revelation 8:7 ESV)

When you start with Revelation chapter six, you see the beginning of God's wrath being poured out upon Israel and the nations in the seals. Then, as the seals end, God moves into the “trumpet” judgments that begin in Revelation eight. Remember that the word katakaiō implies a complete burning where nothing is left.

I began this look at Matthew 3:11, where John the baptizer discussed how Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire. I focused on fire and pointed out what it was not. What fire does is purify, so I cannot exclude God from bringing fire into our lives. If it needs to bring that idol you have set up to the ground, let it, as God is purifying you.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
(2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV)

We will be tested with fire as part of the judgment seat. This is NOT a trying to see if you pass the admission test, but removing those things NOT allowed into the Holy City.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
(1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV)

Fire brings warmth and comfort, so I hope you can see yourselves as someone who brings these aspects into the lives of others.