But exclude the courtyard outside the temple _ a laymen's commentary. John 2:18-25

 The last time we spoke, we covered verses in John 2:11-18.

Having cleared the outer courts of money changers and merchants, the Jews then said to Him,

John 2:18 NASB “The Jews then said to Him, 'What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?"

I could picture Jesus popping His hand against His chest, as He countered,

"Destroy this temple," Jesus answered, "and in three days I will build it again!"
John 2:19 CEV

He wasn't stupid; as a craftsman, He knew how long it took to make certain things, such as a 32-gallon granite water storage container, especially if it was lathed, or to construct a temple where many of its stones are considered by many to be megalithic.

(This lathing aspect has been substantiated through Archaeologists, in Israel, as about five years ago, they uncovered a stone lathing shop about a quarter mile outside of Nazareth; it may have been a source of income for Jesus while He was living there.)

Why did they challenge Him about His authority?

Because He had made a scourge, a short, multi-stranded whip, and with that whip He drove the money changers and merchants out of the outer courts of the temple. This is comparable to when He permitted the demons to go into the herd of swine, which immediately ran off a cliff and into the sea of Galilee, where they drowned. His actions negatively affected the local economy, not to mention it humiliated those challenging Him, and they, like the pig farmers, responded with anger and drove Jesus out of their region. It is also rather obvious that the chief priests and scribes had condoned having those vendors there because they were getting their share of the profits.

Jesus, who, by the standards of the gossips in Nazareth, was an illegitimate child. Now it may not have played a role in what transpired that day at the temple, but since I came to this realization, it has not left my thinking.

Deuteronomy 23:2 NASB "No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD.”

The biblical “law” would have prevented Jesus from entering the Temple, a Synagogue, or a Rabbinical school, where most of us assume Jesus got His training in the Law and the Prophets. Oddly, this outer court distinction is rarely explained to us, but it would have allowed Jesus to go where these vendors were. These outer courts are also referred to as the court of the Nations.

For a moment, I referred to the courtyard outside the temple as the courtyard of the Gentiles. I thought I should substantiate this statement, but I could not find a direct quotation. Revelation 11:2 is translated as nations. Several of my concordances define nations as éthnos, and that leads us back to the Gentiles.

Nations, according to Strong's, is the Greek word éthnos, and its meanings include: A multitude, people, race, or belonging and living together.

The Word Study Dictionary states that: "In the Jewish sense, the nations, means the Gentile nations or the Gentiles in general as spoken of all who are not Israelites and implying idolatry and ignorance of the true God, i.e., the heathen, pagan nations."

So, it is safe to say that the outer courts have been given to the Gentiles.

Revelation 11:1-2 BSB Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the number of worshipers there. 2) But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

Revelation 11:2, which has its context enveloped within the first 42 months of the seven years that most deem to be the great tribulation.

How do I know that this is the time of the “Great Tribulation”?

The answer is embedded in time indicators.

Revelation 11:3-15 BSB “And I will empower my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4) These witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5) If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed. 6) These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish. 7) When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them. 8) Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city—figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where their Lord was also crucified. 9) For three and a half days, all peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will view their bodies and will not permit them to be laid in a tomb. 10) And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts, because these two prophets had tormented them. 11) But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered the two witnesses, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who saw them. 12) And the witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched them. 13) And in that hour, there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand were killed in the quake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14) The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe is coming shortly. 15) Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

What do you see beginning in verse three?

When Jesus says, “I will empower my two witnesses,” He is affirming that they are His. He sends these two witnesses directly to Jerusalem, most likely upon the steps of the newly built temple. This understanding is validated by Revelation 11:1-2, and this alone conveys the idea that the temple will be built swiftly after the church is caught up. 1,260 days is equal to 42 months, and that is three-and-one-half years.

The other thing you see jumps out at you when you get to verse five.

“If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.”

It only stands to reason that, with the outer courts being given to the nations, the attempts upon the lives of these two witnesses would be constant. Those who try to kill them are killed in the same manner. We, the church, will not be here to witness any of this, so our relating or telling someone else about what is to come would be thought of as a deterrent for anyone longing to live outside of God's grace and mercy.

Notice verse 10.

10. “And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them, and will celebrate and send one another gifts.”

If you know anything about Muslims, then you know that even the most bloody of actions against the Jews, no matter if it is young children, are celebrated by giving sweets/gifts to each other. 

Does verse ten surprise you?

When the false prophet comes on the scene he performs signs comparable to what the two witnesses have been doing; such as what we see in Revelation 11:6. “These witnesses have power to shut the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their prophecy, and power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.”

Where did the false prophet get the idea that he could do such things?

That implies that the false prophet is paying attention to the things that they do.

When you are giving serious consideration to Biblical study, then you have to understand that ONLY three people groups are being considered: The Jews, the nations, and the church.

The church is the body of Christ and includes anyone from the other two groups who have accepted Jesus as the Messiah who lived, died, and rose again from the dead so that we can live eternally with the Father/God.

The Jews - you should understand that the Jews, along with the Arabs, were descendants of Abraham; however, only the descendants of the promised son, Issac, would be considered the descendants of the promise. Don't get me wrong, we, like as in me, get to be grafted into the vine when we choose to believe.

This leaves the nations. The nations cover a vast and wide territory, effectively all those outside of the church, the bride of Christ. So we are talking about the Gentiles, the Arabs, and all those that fall between the cracks. No one is excluded, especially when we are talking about acceptance into the “family of God.”

Remember when I asserted that Jesus may have popped His hand against His chest when He spoke about raising up this temple in the last days?

Well, John tells us explicitly that He was talking about His own body.

John 2:21 NASB “But He was speaking of the temple of His body.”

John goes on to validate this claim by including so many of the disciples who witnessed Jesus alive after being laid in the tomb.

John 2:22 NASB “So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

Since it is obvious that Jesus' time in Jerusalem was nothing short of tumultuous, you might think it is safe to ask, did Jesus have a positive effect on the people?

John 2:23 NASB Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing.

Ah, but here is the flaw: people are spectators, much like with a horrific car crash.

John 2:24-25 NASB “But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, 25) and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.”

Entrust is the Greek word pisteuō and can also be translated as trust, believe, or commit.

Jesus, knowing their shallow little hearts, would not commit to these people. They were really there for the snacks. John 2:24 tells us that He knew all men; that includes women.

Know is the Greek word ginōskō, which also means to perceive, understand.

Another example of knowledge comes from Paul's second letter to Timothy. Consider the depth and definition of this paragraph, as Paul explains that it is essential for “young” Timothy to comprehend not only what is to come but also what surrounds us on a daily basis.

Read the passage below. It opens with the term ginōskō and then defines, with multiple terms, what this looks like. 

Then ask yourself: if Timothy or Paul is dealing with people in the church and they are acting like this, what is the problem?

2 Timothy 3:1-9 NASB “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2) For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3) unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4) treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5) holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 6) For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7) always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8) Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. 9) But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes's and Jambres's folly was also.”

The problem is, they came for the snacks. Obviously, they put on a good show for a time, but like everything else that this world has to offer, they got bored. Getting bored can happen to anyone, and like physical exercise, sometimes you just have to do it. 

Do what? 

Invest ourselves in the truth of God's word. If you have stumbled upon this, and you are silly enough to say, I don't have God's word to study, well, guess what, I have included portions of scriptures in everything I have posted. If you have internet, then you have access to the Word. Try the Blue Letter Bible (Bible Search and Study Tools - Blue Letter Bible) or Bible.com (John 2 | NASB1995 Bible | YouVersion )

While being announced by the Father is great, no one in the vicinity ofJesus understood. John 2: 13-22.

 Previously, Jesus, in what seemed to be a push into the public eye, began His ministry by getting baptized by His cousin, John, the baptizer. The Holy Spirit publicly announced the Father's acceptance of Jesus, His Son, by saying,

Matthew 3:13-17 NASB “Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14) But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" 15) But Jesus, answering, said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he *permitted Him. 16) After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17) and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."

While being announced by the Father is dramatic, no one but Jesus understood what was being said as God spoke out (I suppose that leaves us with the inference that Jesus eventually explained what took place)

The next event was the Holy Spirit driving Jesus into the wilderness to be tested.

Mark 1:12-13 NASB “Immediately the Spirit *impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13) And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.”

The testing ended, and though we don't see the transition, His mother makes sure He and His new friends come to the wedding in Cana. The push by mom clearly indicates that this was a relative or a close friend.

The changing of the water into wine.

A question: how many people at the wedding reception were aware of this dramatic miracle? We are not told how many people were in attendance, nor do we know how many people were aware that there had been a problem, but it would be a reasonable assumption to think that this handful of disciples, such as Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, and Nathanael, might have been. This was, evidently, a large wedding reception, a social event not to be outdone, and it is easy to assume many of the crowd had expensive tastes. In the televised series “The Chosen,” the host, a “rich” man, made a big deal of the splendid taste of the fresh wine which Jesus made (although he never knew that Jesus played a role in creating the wine). Consider for a moment the thought that Jesus made wine (whatever the extent and definition of that wine)

In John 2:13, we see that the Passover was near, but there might have been a problem.

John 2:13 NASB “The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”

It was now thought of as the Passover of the Jews. In my last post, I pointed out that the Passover had been Jesus' Passover.

Where do we find the initiation of the Passover?

The Passover is presented to us in Exodus chapter 12 and is part of God's wrath meant to motivate Pharaoh to release God's people. On the 10^th day of the first month, each household was to take a lamb into their houses. To remember this day is to remember God's mercy on His people.

Exodus 12:2-3 NASB "This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 3) "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household.”

I can assure you that many of the people, categorized as God's people, had no understanding or confidence in the God of Moses; why, even Moses, who pulled aside to see this bush that was burning and yet not consumed, had to be taught a few quick lessons about God. This statement concerning the overall lack of knowledge is not true of all the people, such as Moses's mother and family, because this is where Aaron comes from, and the command is not exclusive, because once we see Israel outside of Egypt, we find an excellent man called Caleb, who was NOT a Jew. Our understanding of Caleb has to include the possibility that an Israelite invited Caleb and his family into their home. However, based upon the directions that we see in Exodus 12:3, where each household was to take a lamb, it was NOT directed exclusively to the Jews. This implies that Caleb's family joined in and followed the directions. Again, we have questions that we may struggle to answer.

Clearly, it is the Lord's Passover.

Exodus 12:11 NASB 'Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover.”

Nonetheless, Jesus is now headed to Jerusalem. John 2:14

John 2:14 NASB “And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.”

None of these people and their activities would have been allowed in the temple, so we should be reminded that they were only allowed in the outer courts, the court of the Gentiles.

No one, that I can remember, as I sat on a bench seat at church, said anything that expounded on the whip.

John 2:15-16 NASB “And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16) and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business."

Years ago, I went to a men's camp. The entirety of the camp was based upon a book written by John Eldredge, called Wild at Heart. The book and camp focused upon the brokenness within the heart of almost every man. Those who claim no damage are probably lying. In one of the talks, the speaker brought out how Jesus, with purpose, planning, and intent, fashioned this scourge and then used it. We are not told that sellers received lashes, but that scourge played a role in their clearing out of the temple courts.

In Matthew's account, we are simply told that He overthrew their tables and drove them out.

Matthew 21:12 NASB “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.”

Perhaps the reason for this lack of elaboration may lie in the fact that the Greek word phragellion is only used once in scripture. It can be portrayed as a whip or a scourge (the Roman soldiers who whipped Jesus used a specific type of scourge meant to cut deep and draw blood) If you are like me and had a father that used his belt and fists to punish you, whether you deserved it or not, then you may struggle with anger issues and think that the belt, or a whip, is the answer to everything life throws at you.

Paul, in writing to the church in Corinth, tells us that God made His Son, who knew no sin, to be sin. He did this on the cross.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB 21) “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Jesus was sinless. How is that possible when He deliberately made a scourge, and probably hit a few of these vendors, as He chased them out of the temple courts?

I can guarantee you that if I had done that, there would be sin involved. The difference between Jesus and humanity has everything to do with the fact that Jesus has NO human DNA in Him. No, He is not an alien, but He is certainly not of this world. God created an egg, fertilized by Himself – no sex involved- and then He contracted with Mary, a young girl who was willing to carry that embryo to its maturity, knowing full well that she would be an outcast. An outcast? Well, yes, because, in the Jewish world where prophecy is pattern, however, no pattern demonstrated such a thing, and before her pregnancy, nothing like this had ever happened before.

A brief attempt at an explanation:

Sin was introduced into a “perfect” world, the garden.

(Stop here a moment. Ask yourself a question. Was sin a new thing that day? The answer is NO, and God, who knows everything, knew the definition of sin. Some would try to tell you that Satan only created one thing, sin. I don't think so, but I do think that Satan saw what looked like an opportunity to overthrow God's leadership by destroying the two people that God put on this earth, having dominion over everything, and to take care of it. I do not believe this caught God off guard. I also believe that this mutiny was, therefore, included in God's plan with the purpose of, once and for all, stripping sin and its effects out of existence.)

For Adam and Eve, the law boiled down to one command, “Do Not eat from that tree.” We are told that Eve was deceived, but Adam was not, and he made a choice. An acquaintance of mine said, " What was Adam thinking?" The thought process of Adam and the ramifications of his wife's death were beyond understanding.

Having gone through the ordeal of forced mask usage just to fight off some man-made virus, we should have some understanding that modern science has created vaccines that can change your DNA.

Eating the fruit off the forbidden tree changed their DNA; as a result, every human since Adam carries the exact same damaged genetic pattern, a genetic sequence that is now understood to be a common marker throughout all of humanity. This particular sequence (and no, I don't know which one it is) is the “sin” that motivates us - primarily, to do what we want, not what God wants us to do. In short, it is sin that lives within us, and God will NOT allow sin into the Holy City or eternity.

John 2:15-16 NKJV When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. 16) And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"

At some point, someone said, " You can see that, Jesus said to those who sold doves, take these things away!" Whoever pointed this out was trying to demonstrate how Jesus was gentle with such a delicate creature. I am not sure if this is relevant, but it does not seem to be in the character of Jesus to harm something that cannot protect itself; that, and we never saw Jesus harm innocent people. In other words, He only went after the scribes and the Pharisees.

John 2:17 NKJV Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE HAS EATEN ME UP."

Give some consideration to the context that includes this passage.

Psalms 69:6-9 NKJV Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me; Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel. 7) Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face. 8) I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother's children; 9) Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.

In effect, the passage is talking about those who wait for you. It goes to plead with God for those who choose to adopt His ways, when David says, “Let not those who seek You be confounded because of me” (Considering the behavior of King David, especially with Bathsheba – a married woman with whom he committed adultery, and her husband – whom David had killed, then I can totally understand why he would make such a statement.)

To be honest, I am lost on this statement.

“Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face.”

He did not take Bathsheba as a present from the Lord, so what is he talking about?

My Dake's Annotated Bible states, “This verse could refer to both David and Christ. Both suffered reproach and shame from enemies and friends.”

Examples that King David wrote, but also speaks about Jesus.

Psalms 22:6-8 KJV But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. NKJV 7) All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8) "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

We are told that Jesus was the lamb of God slain for us. How did David know that? In the television series “The Chosen,” they portrayed Jesus, the lamb, entering Jerusalem through the sheep gate. He did that, and it is fascinating that the producers chose to point that out to us.

Psalms 44:22 BSB Yet for Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

After clearing the outer courts of the temple in Jerusalem, we see the disciples saying this,

John 2:17 BSB “His disciples remembered that it is written: 'Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”

His zeal oozed out in a manner they did not expect.

John 2:18 BSB “On account of this, the Jews demanded, 'What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”

What would they have said if He called down fire from heaven? He could have easily done that. Remember that James and John espoused doing that when a town rejected them. Jesus response to the young men who were willing to use such a radical approach was that killing such a vast number of people, just to prove a point, is not how we are going to operate. In other words, Jesus did merely beat them up verbally.

His response.

John 2:19 BSB Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

I can easily picture Jesus popping His hand against His chest, as He said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

Having looked at Dr. McGee's commentary, he points out the Greek word that Jesus used for destroy is lúō. You have to dig a bit to find the concept of destruction. In contrast to destroying another option for translation, and that's to loose or unbind.

The Word Study Dictionary tells us something that seems to stand in opposition to destroy, “whatsoever you shall loose on earth," (a.t.) or declare as not a part of the individual anymore, such as his sins, having been forgiven.

Here is the problem. Some people will say to you, “I will only use the authorized version, the King James version, of the bible”. So, at the demand of the state church, at that time, the translation went through multiple changes to suit the Catholic/State church. At that time, there were functional, readable, “English” translations, but that was not good enough, nor did it serve the purpose of the Catholic church.

Obviously, one of those changes can be seen in “Destroy this temple...” when the reality of Jesus' statement comes across much less harshly.

If I compared Jesus' response here to a comparable response when He said, the only sign I will give you will be the Prophet, Jonah. Why Jonah? Because Jonah, in an attempt to commit suicide, was dead for three days in the belly of the great fish. Yes, they have such a fish in the Mediterranean Ocean, called the Megamouth shark; they eat krill, but their mouth can handle swallowing a human. If being loosed can be related to death, then yes, Jesus would experience death; that death, however, meant life for us, should we accept it.

John 2:20-22 NASB “The Jews then said, 'It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21) But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22) So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

These verses show that the Jews did not understand that He was speaking of His body, but the disciples, although it took some time, did understand once He rose from the grave.

Questions and concerns about the antichrist. Part four of four.

 Considering the title of these rants about the antichrist, does any of this affect the believer?

No, but if you are a follower of mine, then you know that I write to followers of Christ, and followers of Christ will be taken up in the catching away of the Church. 

That was uncomfortable, but only because I have struggled my whole life with my biblical understanding and, by extension, my faith due to false teachings. An example of false teachings is the narrative concerning David and Goliath. David is typically portrayed as a four-foot-tall, 60-pound weakling when, in fact, he was probably over six feet tall. My experience has demonstrated that I was taught traditions and broken beliefs instead of what the Bible says.

Was David a skillful warrior?

Absolutely, but his skill sets were honed against wild animals (not like I am willing to try to take on a lion). He, based on his Biblical description, had red hair and freckles, and that alone made him come across as a ruddy, pale-faced youth.

Sitting among some men at a home group, the question was asked,

“How tall do you think David was when he fought Goliath?”

No one dared put forth an answer, so I did. I said David was over six feet tall and had a frame that filled out his height. That brought out the criticism, so I responded by saying I can prove it. At this point, I showed them how Saul, before being anointed as king, was said to be head and shoulders above any man in Israel. Having had a salesman come to my door, who told me that he was an Israeli who had sustained a wound while serving in the IDF, was easily over six feet tall. Consider that imagery as Saul's shoulders began at the top of this man's head.

We know that Saul struggled with mental issues and may well have been bipolar. David, because he visited his brothers. On the front lines, became well known and was recommended to Saul as one who could play the guitar (lute, lyre) well and calm his spirit.

Saul was so impressed by this young man that he made David his armor-bearer. Among other things, David's job was to make sure that the armor was reliable, the fittings secure, and that Saul looked his best when he stepped out onto the battlefield. I can picture David putting that armor on sporadically to make sure that no one had changed the settings and that Saul could still maintain flexibility. Most people who retell this story assign variations where Saul put the armor on a “tiny little boy named David” and how he would be pinned to the floor, unable to move; hence, we have David saying, I can't use this equipment because I haven't tested it. This scenario doesn't even seem feasible, considering how big David would have to have been.

Move this narrative to where Goliath is now standing. We see David taking five smooth stones from the riverbed; this is a selection process that I have done as well. The rounder, the better.

Have you ever seen videos of the Palestinians slinging rocks at IDF soldiers and the passing cars of local villagers who happened to be Israelis? 

Their stones were about the size of lemons and were meant to kill should they strike you in the head. David put his faith in God and not his skill set, but skills certainly helped.

Goliath dead? 

I doubt it; nonetheless, after being struck in the head, Goliath went to the ground, and David ran to him, unsheathed the giant's own sword, and cut the man's head off.

Were you aware that one of the Philistine Kings, Og of Bashan, had an iron bed that was four and a half cubits long?

That equates to 13.5 feet.

Now, you might think that it is unbecoming for me to say my struggles had much to do with those who were my early teachers (We were made to go to church, sit through Sunday school, and then sit through a main service), but if all I got were simplistic stories, like the way I was taught, I would disagree with you. Certainly, I played a role in my false imagery of God because I, like most of you, would not pick up my Bible and read it. Well, thank God there was a day when all that changed, and since February of 2007, I have been consuming God's word like it was my necessary sustenance.

The antichrist persona does NOT have unrestricted reign throughout the seven years.

Revelation 13:5 indicates that this beast, which has migrated into what appears to be a solitary being – a male- now has the “authority to do whatever he wants for forty-two months.” (That is 3.5 years.) Immediately, I am struck by the idea that this man, the antichrist, only has 3.5 years to wreak havoc for the harlot that rides the beast.

“Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months.” Revelation 13:5 NLT

The NLT is the New Living Translation, and most of us understand that the Living Bible was written by an intelligent man who wanted something his children could read and comprehend. So when I look at a translation that some might consider scholarly and break down the words, such as the Berean Study Bible, I have a slightly different perspective.

“The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, ...” Revelation 13:6 BSB

I can immediately comprehend that the man already has a mouth, so this is telling me that they give him an opening or freedom to speak as though he represents them. It also implies that someone else is now doing the speaking. Once again, this feeds into the idea that the antichrist is having his power stripped away by someone or a group. Arrogant is the Greek word megas.

We understand mega to be very large or boisterous. The defining words are “exceedingly great, large, loud, strong,”

Your words cannot be considered strong unless they have some form of backing, like muscles or officiating individuals who will judge to your benefit. Seeing as this antichrist does not seem to have any official backing, power, or glory at this time, I can see why it seems that many go to war with him.

“For ships from Cyprus (Kittim, as many versions state) shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. "So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.” Daniel 11:30 NKJV

Empowered by Satan himself, who else is there to empower this man?

Those who can envision the antichrist as someone who can further their cause would be the likes of the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, or possibly the World Health Organization. One more thing on who is empowering this man. At the July 26^th, 2023, hearings on UAVs, one of those testifying was David Grusch, a former national reconnaissance officer and representative of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Task Force with the Department of Defense. Mr. Grusch said that there are those above the known officials who are calling the shots. Klaus Schwab, because of his publicity, is probably just a puppet, as is Bill Gates.

One of the unusual pieces of information that defines the character of the antichrist comes from Daniel 11. Daniel 11 is an intertwining of historical events and prophecy.

Here is where it begins to make sense to us.

Daniel 11:21-31 NKJV: And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.  

The NASB uses the term despicable instead of vile. The Strong's concordance gives us the word disesteem as our first option and means one held to scorn and thought of as a vile person.

Disesteem, when used as a noun, is seen as the want of esteem, slight dislike, or disregard. It expresses less than hatred or contempt. When used as a verb is to dislike in a moderate degree; to consider with disregard, disapprobation, dislike, or slight contempt; to slight.

Titles given to the person commonly known as "the Antichrist."

(1) "The king of Babylon" (Isa_14:4);

(2) "The Assyrian" (Isa_14:25; See notes on Mic_5:5); This alone should quell all of your arguments defending your assertion that a Revised Roman Empire will arise.

(3) "The Prince that shall come" (Dan_9:26);

(4) "The king of fierce countenance" (Dan_8:23);

(5) "The vile person" (Dan_11:21);

(6) "The willful king" (Dan_11:36);

(7) "The man of sin" (2Th_2:3);

(8) "The son of perdition" (2Th_2:3);

(9) "That wicked (or lawless) one" (2Th_2:3; Rev_13:18);

(10) "The beast with ten horns" (Rev_13:1);

(11) "The little horn" (Dan_8:9). Isa_27:1, Zec_1:18, Mat_24:5; Mat_24:15, 2Th_2:3-4, 1Jn_2:18; 1Jn_4:3.

• We are told that he will reaffirm the covenant for seven years. We assume that this is a peace treaty with Israel when Israel is NEVER mentioned, and I have shown you how the UN, in September of 2023, will reaffirm their 7-year agreement to enforce SDGs.

• Coming under the guise of peace, he is able to seize Israel. Now I cannot exclude a massive attack (see Ezekiel 38 and 39)

22  With the force of a flood, they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant.  

• “With the force of a flood”? This does not look good for Israel. Remember, God has always preserved for himself a remnant. Verse 22 also makes a bizarre statement: "they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant." We often see a picture of Jesus as being the prince of the covenant; the problem is that Jesus brought the new covenant. So this prince points to the high priest that will be serving in the newly built temple and fits in with an Islamic prophecy, which tells us that the high priest will convert to Islam and give the Mahdi (the antichrist) worship and allegiance.

23  And after the league is made with him (the Mahdi), he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people.  

24  He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time.  

Because he is an Assyrian, a hated enemy of Israel, this statement indicating that he shall do what his fathers have not done makes more sense. This is talking about an ancestral line of attackers.

25  "He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. And the king of the South shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for they shall devise plans against him.

Let's just take a shot. The king of the South is Egypt. They, like the Saudis, are probably Sunni Muslims (85 % percent of the Middle East is Sunni Muslim) and not Shiites (Only 15% of Muslims are Shia Muslims; Iran adheres to Shia ideals); therefore, they will not cooperate, and, as scripture points out, they will be destroyed.  Most of us never knew a group called ISIS or ISIL ever existed until the United States got involved in Afghanistan. According to an article dated Aug 25, 2021, on a website called "The Conversation," authors Sohel Rana, a Ph.D. Student at  Indiana University, and Sumit Ganguly, a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and the Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations at Indiana University, wrote an article entitled Taliban’s religious ideology – Deobandi Islam – has roots in Colonial India. https://theconversation.com/talibans-religious-ideology-deobandi-islam-has-roots-in-colonial-india-166323

Merely because they are the smallest portion of the sects, we cannot exclude them. 

26  Yes, those who eat of the portion of his delicacies shall destroy him; his army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain.  

His own people will betray him and die.

27  Both these kings' hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table, but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time.

The appointed time? This is the time when they try to go to battle with Jesus.

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.” Revelation 19:11 NKJV

“Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. “ Revelation 19:15 NKJV

 

28  While returning to his land with great riches, his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant, so he shall do damage and return to his own land.  

The question is, where is his land?

I don't know; no one does because he will not be introduced to the world until after the church is snatched out of here.

"his heart shall be moved against the holy covenant."

This has everything to do with Israel, and since Israel primarily focuses on the Torah and the Tanakh,  then we are really talking about those that hold tightly to the covenants or promises of God in those manuscripts.

29  "At the appointed time, he shall return and go toward the south, but it shall not be like the former or the latter.  30  For ships from Cyprus shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. "So he shall return and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant.  

Translations, such as the King James, say Kittim. This area can be identified as Cyprus today. While I am sure they have a military force, I would not have perceived them as dangerous.

Question? How far South can this man go and still have the Cyprian navy chasing him? 

31  And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.

“Then they shall take away the daily sacrifices 1240 days after the reaffirmation of the covenant, and place there the abomination of desolation.” When does this take place? 1290 days after they cause the sacrifices to cease. Do the math. Based upon a 360-day year, we will have exceeded the seven years by ten days.

One of the mysteries.

“Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.” Daniel 12:12 NKJV

Since we know that the antichrist will stop the sacrifices at the 1240 mark, then adding this time that God is most interested in gives us 2575. That number minus 2540 puts us 35 days beyond the seven years.

Why would God do that?

Because this is when Jesus comes back and cleans the house. In the 35 days, the antichrist will have the temple destroyed, and they, from every direction, will have gathered against Jesus for war.

How did they know to gather in the Megiddo Valley?

We are told that every eye will see Him. They will know, just as the Magi knew where to come to find the young Jesus.

Daniel 11:44-45 NLT  “But then news from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in great anger to destroy and obliterate many.  45  He will stop between the glorious holy mountain and the sea and will pitch his royal tents. But while he is there, his time will suddenly run out, and no one will help him.

What does this phrase “his time will suddenly run out, and no one will help him” speak of? It speaks of the final and sudden end of the antichrist and the false prophet.

Revelation 19:19-21 NLT: Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army.  20  And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  21  Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.

Revelation 19:11-12 NLT  Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.  12  His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.

Revelation 19:15 NLT: From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.

Question: Does He kill everyone from among the nations?

The answer is no, and you can see that in verse 15, as it states, “He will rule them with a rod of iron.”

If He kills them all, then who is left to rule over?

If you answered no one, you would be correct; therefore, there are those from among the nations that survive and go into the millennial kingdom.

Revelation 19:18-20 NLT  Come and eat the flesh of kings, generals, and strong warriors; of horses and their riders; and of all humanity, both free and slave, small and great.”  19  Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army.  20  And the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

It sounds like the end, but it is not. A few minutes after this, Christ will sit as the reigning King for a thousand years, and there will be peace, finally. Satan is bound for this time but will be released to test the nations one last time.

No, not everyone goes to hell, but that decision is entirely up to God. Since I have asked Him to come and live inside of me, so I am not going to worry about it. I do know that after the judgment from the great white throne, we will all, the saints, that is, migrate into an undisturbed eternity. The earth and all of its pollution will be burned up, but God will make all things new, and it will be fantastic.