Questions and challenges: Revelation 20 and the Great White Throne.

The premise, posed far too many times, is that God sends everyone appearing before this throne to the lake of fire and it's eternal hell.

Question: If all you used for your argument was Revelation 20 verse 15, could you find God showing anyone mercy there?

The mercy is there, but you have to look for it, and you have to take in the entire context of an aspect of God's conversation that he is having with John, as he describes the judgment taking place there.

Before we dive in, there are some considerations to keep in mind.

• The entirety of the Revelation is about Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1:1 KJV The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

• This reference to a Great White Throne is only found here in the Revelation.

However, you can find references to, the throne of His kingdom; a great throne of ivory, covered over in gold (1Kings 10:18); the Lord's throne (Psalm 11:4); His Holy throne (Psalm 47:8); Isaiah 66:1 says, Heaven is My throne; Jeremiah 17:12 calls it a glorious throne, and, Matthew 25:31 which declares that He will sit on His Glorious Throne.

• This throne represents judgment.

Isn't that odd, our introduction to Matthew 25:31 is presented by the translators of the NASB as the throne of judgment as well, and that idea is seen here in Psalm 9:7.

Psalm 9:7 But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment,
In opposition to the throne of judgment, Psalm 76:9 tells us that His purpose is to save the humble of the earth.

To the Jews he said,

Jeremiah 2:35 Yet you said, 'I am innocent; Surely His anger is turned away from me.' Behold, I will enter into judgment with you Because you say, 'I have not sinned.'

Ezekiel 20:35 and I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face.

Ezekiel 39:21 "And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them.

But to those who have placed their hopes and lives into His hands, He says,

John 5:24 NASB "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Jesus, as recorded in John 5:25-27, tells us the same thing we see in Revelation 20. There is, however, a difference as he says, “when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” Perhaps this can explain how the dead are now standing before the throne.

John 5:25-27 NASB "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26) "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; 27) and He gave Him authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of Man.

Note how many of the aspects of this statement from 1 Corinthians parallels Matthew 25:31

1 Corinthians 4:5 NASB Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.

One last thing I want to consider as I ponder the potential for mercy in Revelation 20:15, is that all judgment has been given to Jesus and that all punishment for sins was placed upon Him, on the cross.

The evidence for this statement comes from several locations throughout the Bible; here are just a few.

Ezekiel 16:62-63 NASB "Thus I will establish My covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, 63) so that you may remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your humiliation, when I have forgiven you for all that you have done," the Lord GOD declares.

Jesus declared and established this new covenant when He ate the last supper, with the disciples. For us, the cross was sealed with the blood of that covenant, His blood.

Colossians 1:20 NASB and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

To reconcile is to bring a thing back into harmony. Did that happen that day on the cross? Without a doubt. I know this because Colossians 1:20 tells me it happened through the blood of His cross.

Colossians 2:13-14 NASB 13) When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14) having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

So, with all that being said, what then are these people being judged for, as they are brought before the “Great White Throne”?

Perhaps the answer to that could easily be summed up with a verse or two.

John 12:44 NASB And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.

Believe in Jesus and believe in the Father who sent Him. While there is always more to such a simplistic statement, the premise is just that simple. Here is a bit more depth.

John 14:10-13 NASB "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11) "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13) "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Romans 4:21-25 NASB and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22) Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23) Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24) but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25) He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

Your belief in Jesus is tied in with your faith in the Father. That Father is Jehovah, Elohim, not Allah.

Occasionally, our men's study leader takes a few weeks off and switches topics, but eventually, the judgmentalism creeps back in. When it does most of the men that attend the study, side with the leader and demand that all before that Great White Throne are sent to hell. While there is no doubt that some in that crowd get sent to hell, but it is only because they have chosen, in their arrogance, to go there.

2 Peter 3:9 NASB The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

As you can see from above, that God is not looking for reasons to punish anyone; and, He is certainly not going to penalize us merely because we currently have this built-in ability to create and participate in iniquity. I understand this based on the passages I have already shown you. If your actions include breaking the laws of man, then there is a prescribed punishment met out here on earth, and it often includes jail time. But God has set all sin aside, by putting the sentence and payment upon Jesus. Since that time God is looking for one thing, did you, in any way, act in the nature and character of God who created you?

Revelation 20:15 – We will start this dissemination here, with the KJV, as that was shoved in my face recently.

Revelation 20:15 KJV And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

As I have pondered these words a bit more, I can see that the KJV is not so ominous and that it does demonstrate some variability.

The phrase, “and whosoever was not found,” indicates that there was a serious look, in this case, into the Book of Life. Obviously, there were some who did not have their names written in that book. There is nothing about the phrase that indicates an all-encompassing number. It does, however, open the door to some quantity that was found there.

As I have talked about this Great White Throne scenario with a few open-minded people, I pointed out how this becomes little more than a cruel joke when you bring people before this throne of judgment, with the possibility that you might gain entrance into the kingdom of God; only to find that God knew all along that there was no hope for you. What I have described in this paragraph, is in complete opposition to who God is and how He acts. God already knows whether your name is there or not, and some of these people are found in God's books. Look at this interaction between God and Moses.

Exodus 32:32-33 KJV Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33) And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Without the assurance of salvation which we obtain in Jesus Christ, how did Moses understand that his name was written in God's book? And then, God's response, whosoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. The implications are that we are erased, not written in.

How did King David know that his name was already in the book?

Psalms 139:16 CJB Your eyes could see me as an embryo, but in your book, all my days were already written; my days had been shaped before any of them existed.

When I was challenged about Revelation 20:15, it was an attempt to draw me into an ongoing argument with my father and another bible screamer who was a part of the dinner crowd that night. My dad pushed his phone at me, which was the KJV and said read it. I responded by bringing up the NASB and thrust it at him and said the same thing. My version reads, “if anyone.” This phrase takes no effort on my part to see that it is a variable. I used see statements like this in math. The variable is that He does look for their names and finds many.

I believe that what we see here in Revelation 20:15 is the same story as Matthew 25:31, only from a different perspective. The major differences are,

• The Revelation focuses on Jesus as God, while the story in Matthew 25 focuses on Jesus as a gentle shepherd.
• In Matthew's account, it merely says that all the nations shall be gathered before him, while the Revelation tells us that all the dead are brought before Him.

How do you rectify the differences between the two versions? Walk through the known factors.

• The church was caught up, and the dead in Christ rose first.
  This act, on God's part, eliminates the church from the equation.
• After the rapture, the wrath of God is now being poured out upon the earth, and people are being slaughtered for the testimony which they held. There is little to protect these people from 100-pound hailstones, and the other onslaughts being poured out and are therefore killed by God's wrath and the wrath of humankind.

Those who die for their testimony are resurrected at the end of the seven-years and reign with Christ throughout the thousand years. So, they are not included among the nations or the dead we see before this throne.

So, who is left?

Keep in mind that since Christ formed the church, there have only been three people groups in the world: the Jews; the nations, and the Church. Since the church has been caught up, leaving only the Jews and the nations those who' have not accepted God's leadership, then you are left to fall under the category of the nations – those outside of a relationship with God. We know from the Revelation that the number of people who come to a relationship with Jesus Christ is innumerable.

From the beginning of time there have always been those outside of relationship with the Father, and these are the focus here at the Great White Throne, but the assumption is that you have to be alive to stand there, and that is not what we see in Revelation 20:12 "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God."

The next question you have to ask is, do we ever really die? The answer is no. God then, brings in all those who have previously ceased to breathe, and, have no standard religious form of salvation, as the church requires. Some would argue that NO ONE comes to the Father except through Jesus and their path through the religious form would prove their acceptance into the kingdom.

Isaiah 26:19 KJV Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Again Matthew's gospel recorded one of Jesus responses which we find in Matthew 25:1-13. Here Jesus told us about the ten virgins, all receiving the same invitation to the wedding. However, half were not prepared and therefore missed the entry. If this is an allusion to the church, then next time you sit among your congregation look around, for half are not prepared and will prove their allegiance to the Father, during the time of wrath, with their lives.

Since the book of Revelation is the revealing of Jesus, then this is none other than Jesus sitting upon this great throne. Should they obtain mercy, then yes, they are only coming to the Father through Jesus, and the dilemma is solved.

Matthew 25 speaks only of the nations being brought before his throne of glory. I point this out in contrast to Revelation 20 where we only see the dead being brought before the throne. Once again, the church was taken out of the way, and the martyred saints were resurrected to reign with Christ, leaving only the Jews and the nations. This throne of judgment is set up at the end of the thousand-year reign, immediately after the mass deception where the nations have risen against God and the Holy City. Here, all those deceived are killed (caused to no longer breath.) While this number makes up a vast portion of those standing before the throne, there will be others and may include some Jews and pretend church people.

Since we can't tell who the pretenders are most of the time, perhaps the best approach is to educate them on and in, God's word.

Lightning, voices, and thunder - edited part two of two. Revelation 11:19

Jesus, the Messiah that came as a lamb and offered himself up as our sacrifice, told us that in this world we would have tribulation as an ongoing aspect of our lives. While discomforts come in many forms, such as illness, distress, or finance, the real grief seems to come from religious folk, and if Jesus, Paul or Stephen (of the New Testament) are our example, then lynching, beatings, and death at the hands of these zealots are a possibility. Take the time to read 2Corinthians chapter 11. In it, Paul gives considerable detail about the things that happened to him and takes pride in the fact that he could bear the marks of Christ.

Tribulation, many of you are up to your necks in it, and I pray for your strength and courage. But know this, as followers of the risen one we have an unquenchable hope, and that is an eternity in the arms of Love himself, God the Father. I long for that day, but until then, I attempt to explain what is coming upon the earth, and perhaps, warn those that will listen so that they may avoid the horror that is yet to come.

What is the context of what John sees here in chapter eleven?

• In verses one and two, the temple has been given over to the nations.

The Complete Jewish Bible calls them, the Goyim. In the Jewish mindset, this indicates idolatrous outsiders. Since the Jews give little consideration to Christianity, we too may be included in this thought process. Since the rapture has taken place and the church is removed from the earth, the focus here in Revelation is on those who are utterly contrary to God's laws. The primary group that fits this descriptive is Islam. This trampling of God's ways, and what is thought of as, God's temple, goes on for forty-two months - three-and-one-half years.

• In Revelation 11:3 we see this: God places two witnesses in the middle of Jerusalem. Revelation 11:3-12. Read this passage intently, as it is eye-opening, and the actions of these two are almost played in reverse when the false-prophet comes on the scene.

When the scene opens, the CJB says, "also." Also indicates that there is a multitude of things happening at the same time. As you saw in the first point I made, the temple is given over to the nations. The ramifications of this event are beyond belief, especially when you consider how

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="75" class="zemanta-img"] English: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli politician (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

strongly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks about the strength of Israel. Many Israelis think they are invincible, and that is not the case.

As you will see in a moment, the two witnesses are called back home. Since their "ministry" lasts three-and-a-half years, there is only one logical place to insert them, almost immediately after the catching away of the church.

• God will call these two witnesses back home after they have laid dead in the streets for three-and-a-half days. This time period is hugely significant and is the same number days that Jesus was in the grave. We, however, know that no tomb could hold Him, but to the Jews this was precise.

We are told in Revelation 11:14 that this ends the second woe, and now a third is coming. How could things get any worse? While still within the framework of, “what is the context of what John sees?”, we have this section which takes us up to verse 18 of chapter 11.

Revelation 11:15-18 NASB 15 Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." 16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, "We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. 18 "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

What we see here in Revelation 11:15-18 is extremely condensed.

• We have to jump forward to chapter 19 to see Christ, sitting upon the white horse and a flaming sword coming out of his mouth. It is with this sword that He subdues the nations. But this does not happen until the end of the seven-year period, and we are presently looking at the midpoint so far.

The Messiah is in control, and yet not.

Luke 22:69 Jesus, speaking of himself, said,

"But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD."

Paul, in Ephesians 1:19-20, is describing Jesus when he says,

“and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,...”

This line, “and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe,” was not a question, Paul is telling us what God had done in the process of raising His son from the dead.
Does the fact that Christ is sitting on the throne ruling, and yet, has a rule that is still to come, imply that Christ is not in control right now?
Not at all, for nothing is out of his control, and all things are going according to His plan, even when it makes us uncomfortable or looks like it is out of our control. He is seated upon that throne as we speak, and yet, there is coming a day when the totality of government will come. In the meantime, we watch the plan being played out.

As I talked about the events of verse 18, I indicated that the outcome described applied to the end of time. But, as you read, you are frequently thrown back in time and then abruptly brought forward again, such as we see here. Why do that? Because all time is His, and it is all under His control. Another way to perceive this is that it is a revealed mystery, as scripture calls it all, “the day of the Lord.”

• Yes, Revelation 11:15-18 speaks of a judgment of the nations, and Christ, upon the white horse brings much of that about, but, it is not the final judgment, as my legalistic friends think. This final judgment happens at the Great White Throne, which takes place at the end of the thousand-year reign.
  But make no mistake, neither of these events is a final, concluding judgment, for in both cases, which are spelled out in Matthew 25 and Revelation 20, there are those that are shown mercy. Matthew 25 most clearly spells out the fate of the sheep – those from among the nations, that acted in the character of God by exhibiting kindness in the smallest of ways.

As usual, that was a bit long, so allow me to jog your memory by showing you from where we came.

Revelation 11:17-18 ESV (17) saying, "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. (18) The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth."

There is a line in verse 17 which says, “for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.” If I focus on this from a Jewish mindset; one in which Jesus reigns as the recognizable Messiah, then what we see in John's writing is precisely that. This idea of reigning is what Israel thought they were going to see that day He rode into town on the young colt - the luxury vehicle and ride of kings. But did he take control and overthrow the Roman oppressors? No, He began overturning tables in the courtyard of the Gentiles and arguing vehemently with the elders, scribes, and Pharisees.

When we read the letters that comprise the lion's share of the New Testament, we see events that had to take place. Things like His going into the depths of hell; stripping Satan of the keys to death, hell, and the grave; preaching to the captives and releasing them; and, His ascension into the heavens. These truths come from various places in scripture, and yet, put together, tell the whole story. Colossians 2:12-15; Ephesians 4:8; Hebrews 2:14-15; Revelation 1:18; Hebrews 1:3.

At this point in the timeline, things are falling precisely into place.

The world, as we know it, is finally at peace. Christ is seated as the Messiah and the martyred saints, an innumerable quantity of people, have been raised from the dead and are set upon thrones to maintain peace. Weapons are quickly being turned into farming tools, and thrones are set up to keep order and rule over the earth. Why, under the rule of the Messiah, would anyone dare to carry out some form of an uprising?

But you must remember that, contrary to popular religious belief, not everyone is arbitrarily slaughtered and sent to a burning hell. Many from among the nations enter the millennial reign with their free wills intact.

We are finally in verse 19.

After all that introduction the question I find myself asking is, when does this event we see in Revelation 11:19 take place?

Revelation 11:19 ESV Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

If what we see here is a demonstration of God's glory and power, then the beginning of the time of wrath is the perfect time to show the world those attributes, as they are descriptives of many of the things the earth will experience during the seven years.

Two persons stand out in my mind as I read this, Daniel and the Apostle Paul when he was known as Saul. Both apprehended God's voice, but those around them only heard what sounded like rumblings and peals of thunder.

Albert Barnes commentary explains that “The vision was of the temple the symbol of the church - and it was “opened” so that John could see into its inmost part,” and that may be true. As you transition from Revelation chapter three into chapter four, there are the words, “after these things.” The implication is, after the church age. This idea would cause Albert Barnes commentary to sound very logical.

But the focus throughout the eleventh chapter is primarily on the last three-and-a-half years of the tribulation.

Will God fling the doors to the temple open and leave them that way for the entire period?

Maybe, and maybe that is none of our concern. If I have been raptured with the church, then I am in heaven with Jesus, and this is nothing worthy of worry. I am not saying I do, but because the things we talk about in our gatherings of the body scare and concern the newer Christians and those who prefer to let some administrator read the Bible for them, then someone needs to be able to answer these questions intelligently. No doubt that within the seven-year period horrible things happen, but it all comes to an end someday.

A quick overview of what transpires during the seven-years of wrath.

Immediately after the church is removed from the earth, the judgment begins. This removal of the righteous from harm's way has direct ties to the ruling God brought upon the earth in the days of Noah (Luke 17:26-27.)

Jesus never said, this period, in which all the things that happen will be bad migrating rapidly to worse, will be the tribulation. What he did tell us was that it would be bad, and at the mid-point, there will be great tribulation. It is non-stop horror during the seven years. However, it will get so much worse from the halfway point on. Jesus said it would be so intense that unless God shortens time no one would survive. (Revelation 4:1; Matthew 24: 21, 22)

If you look at Revelation 7:14 you will notice that the speaker uses the phrase great tribulation, but it does not classify the seven-year event as “The Great Tribulation.” It is merely pointing out a time of severity.

Revelation 7:13-14 NASB 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?" 14 I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

This seven-year period is also clearly established as a time of God's wrath and anger against the nations and Israel.

As you read the Revelation, the things that begin to happen are also categorized as being a part of the seals; the trumpets; the bowls and the vials. There is a tremendous amount of death, shaking, fire, and destruction.

• First seal judgment - Revelation 6:2 ESV And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
• The second seal – Peace is taken from the earth. Rev 6:4
• Third seal – Widespread famine. Rev 6:6
• Fourth seal – Massive casualties over a fourth of the earth: from the famine, pestilence and predatory wild beasts. Rev 6:8
• Fifth seal – Tremendous numbers of God followers will be merciless martyred.
• Sixth seal – A devastating earthquake, accompanied by severe cosmic disturbances. People everywhere try to hide. Rev 6:12-17
• Seventh seal – Results in the unleashing of the trumpet judgments, which are even more catastrophic.

A man that scripture calls: the anti-Christ, the beast, the Assyrian, and a number of other things will show up. The anti-Christ will be charismatic and well-spoken (I believe that he will be Islamic). Islam calls this man the Mahdi, a long-awaited prophet of Allah. He will bring Israel into a seven-year peace treaty. (Why would Israel sign a peace treaty unless there is a significant issue with peace. Here we are five years after I wrote this piece originally, and finally, things seem to be escalating for Israel. There are now the threats are almost daily from Iran, Syria, Turkey Hamas, PLO, and others; and yet, Israel still acts like they are well defended and secure.

Something drastic is going to change all that. Ezekiel 38,39 describes armies amassed against Israel, and a firestorm from the God wiping those armies out. Where exactly this fits into the seven-year scene, I am not sure. Joel Rosenberg portrays this happening right before the rapture of the church [You can read a description of this in his book The Copper Scroll.] Since the players are rapidly falling into place, I cannot imagine why this does not happen any day now.

Lightening, voices, and thunder - edited part 1. Revelation 11:18 through.

I believe what we see here in Revelation 11:18 is the end of all things, but on what do I base that assessment?

"And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

Taking this sentence apart, we find:

• “Now is the time for the dead to be judged,”
  
  

  Revelation 20:12 NASB And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

  
  

  Daniel 12:1 NASB 2 "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

• “the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great,”
  
  

  Revelation 2:23 NASB 'And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

  
  
  
  

  2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

  
  
  
  

  2 Timothy 4:8 NASB in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.

• “and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
  
  

  Psalms 58:10 NASB The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

  
  
  
  

  Daniel 11:44-45 NASB "But rumors from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. 45 "He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain, yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

  
  
  
  

  1 Corinthians 3:16-17 NASB 16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

By this point, you should get the general idea that this is the end of the thousand-year reign. If you have read the Revelation all the way through then, you have a general idea of how things fall into place.

1. The church is caught away to be with Jesus Christ.
   
   
   We love to call this the rapture, and since the Latin Vulgate calls it rapio, then we should be okay with the word. The rapture seems to be a trigger for the entrance of the seven years. While being caught away is a good thing; it is not for everyone who sits quietly beside you in the congregation. Matthew 25:1-13 tells us that fifty percent are not prepared and will have to endure the seven-years of wrath.
   
   
2. The seven-year period entails a comprehensive and disastrous volume of events; we call it the Tribulation. 
   
   The seven-year period entails a comprehensive and disastrous volume of events; we call it the Tribulation. This time is also called: the day of the Lord; the time of wrath, and the time of judgment. It's all God's plan and will be carried out from above as 100-pound hailstones, mixed with fire and ice, fall from the sky. Earthquakes of deadly proportions, and the violence of men, as they loot, rape, plunder, and kill.
   
   In addition to all the dreadful things that will happen during the seven years, there is the advent of the anti-Christ. There is a good chance that this man is active today. I strongly suspect he will be a Muslim because of the power he will wield over Islamic forces. 
   
   We see this in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
   
   

   (CJB) Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom. 4 He will oppose himself to everything that people call a god or make an object of worship; he will put himself above them all, so that he will sit in the Temple of God and proclaim that he himself is God.

   
   
   Another aspect that is seldom mentioned.
   
   Almost as quickly as the church is caught away, there will be a call for peace. Why? Because there will be extensive fighting. If I asked where the next big war will be, the majority would probably say, Israel, as they fight against Islamic fighters from Iran, Syria, and Lebanon. You might justifiably feel good about adding Turkey into the mix. Just look at the daily news. Israel is shooting down drones and jet fighters while pointing out how military installations in Lebanon and Syria, impede the safety of Israel as a nation. The prophet Daniel speaks of this in chapter 9:26, 27. The strong covenant this man makes only lasts three-and-a-half years.
   
   There is one more piece of information that impacts this scenario above.
   
   

   Ezekiel 38:14-16 NASB "Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will you not know it? 15 "You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army; 16 and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog."

   
   
   Unmistakably, someone is coming. 
   
   Gog is definable. Descendants of Noah, they have ties that run deeply through every known enemy of Israel. This group of people integrated with Assyrians, Egyptians, Siberians, and tribes to the West. Do a little research and you will Attila the Hun intertwined in the family mix. They were an expansive tribe of aggressive and dominant horseman and feared by everyone.
   
   

   Ezekiel 38:22 NASB "With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

   
   
   Because of God's intervention, the armies against Israel will be firebombed. The description sounds almost nuclear. No wonder the Antichrist cries peace.
   
   By the way, the temple has not been built. Plans have been made for a tilt up, which can go up rather quickly, and Israel will be using the temple for almost the full three-and-a-half years. We know this because the Antichrist breaks the covenant, and the false-prophet sets up the image of the beast in the temple, halting all Jewish practices and worship.
   
   
3. There is a midpoint three-and-one-half years into this time. 
   The anti-Christ which may be known as the Mahdi will have been calling for peace. All fury should break loose, as another persona, the false-prophet will come upon the scene. Islam calls him the enforcer of Sharia. This series of events is the reason that Jesus told us, that if God did not shorten time at this point, no one would survive. In the "Revelation," John had two looks into the heavens, in which he saw the martyred. With the second look, which would be associated with the second look, the number of martyred dead, was uncountable.
   
   
4. As the end of the seven-years comes to a close, Revelation 19 tells us that Jesus Christ returns riding on a white horse with all the saints. He will fight with and slaughter all those who choose to fight against Him. This return causes peace to reign on the earth, as the martyred will now sit on thrones and rule over the earth during the thousand-year reign. Those Jews who have survived will come to acknowledge Christ as the Messiah and will lead many to a knowledge and understanding of Him. By the way, Satan will have been cast into prison during this time, so, if you act out, it is all on you and your depravity.
   
   
5. At the end of the thousand years - the Millennial reign, Satan is released. 
   
   Immediately he goes out and deceives the nations. Yes, there will be those, at the end of this road, who will not wholeheartedly accept Jesus as the ruler over their lives. This lack of acceptance is their choice, - it is important to note that God has not removed free will, nor will He. The deceived will try to come against God by surrounding the Holy City in an attempt at killing God. They will be killed with fire from heaven, and almost instantly brought, with other dead, before the great white throne.
   
   
6. I cannot tell you with precision what happens next. What I do understand is that we walk into eternity, never to deal with the problems of earth, as we know it, again. Some have referred to this restored earth as the restored Eden. Considering what I suspect Eden was like, bring it on.

I have come to a point in life where I need to make something profoundly clear. We the church have caused great misunderstanding and harm to ourselves. Why?, because we have attributed the terminology "tribulation" to the seven-year period that begins in Revelation chapter 4 when it is a very well defined time of wrath and judgment, from God, being poured out upon the earth, the nations, and Israel for their rejection of Him.

If you are a follower of Christ, let me remind you that Jesus said, in this world, you will have tribulations. Those tribulations may come in a wide variety of forms, and from many sources; some will look like friends and family. Many will cause your death. Stay strong and committed to the faith and hope that we have in Jesus Christ. He is coming for those who are alive and remain, the others, those who have passed from this life, are with Him already, for to be absent from this body, is to be present with the Lord.

I have made my understanding and beliefs known to many. Is God just mean? Matthew 25:31-46.

Many years ago, my life took a nasty turn, and I lost everything precious to me. It has taken years to recover from that chain of events, and yet, I have never fully recovered. You might think that something like this would be considered total devastation. In spite of my decisions, I have found many silver linings within this dark cloud, and one of those was a God I never honestly knew. 

As part of my recovery, I took a job at a large hardware store, where I was fortunate enough to get the opening shift with some frequency. Those early hours worked out well for me, as I would stop at McDonald's for coffee and breakfast. While there, I began to read my Bible and write about what I found in it. I had already done my fair share of mouthing off to God previously, and He did not strike me dead, so I knew He could handle my thoughts and questions now. This one-person Bible study went on for the seven years that I worked for the hardware store and has continued to this day, some four years later. 

One way to look at this is, I have spent the last 20 years of my life intentionally investing in God's word.

Before this time with God, and after spending a majority of my life in the church, I knew little more than what others told me, and most of it was either not true or such gross distortions that I could not believe what I had heard. By spending that time reading, I found a God that I did not know, and I found Him to be full of mercy and grace. You see, an aspect of what I challenged God with was that He make Himself real to me, and to do it from His word. Well, he did just that, and now, I cannot separate His nature and character from the mercy and grace that I found in Him. Once I learned these things, they became a focus of my conversations, as I tried to convince others, principally believers, that God was the opposite of what most think of Him.

As you can imagine, I have made my understanding and beliefs known to many, so I am often the target of their challenges, rebuttals, and criticisms. I was not surprised when I got verbally attacked with a comment/question, which went something like this: “I think more people need to feel the wrath of the angry God. You know He is coming back with a vengeance, and those who think they can fall back on a message of mercy and grace are merely asking for hell's fire.” 

Is that what I have been doing, merely asking for hell's fire? 

How absurd can you be? 

I can tell you that I decided long ago that if I was going to make a mistake in describing God, I was going to err on the side of mercy. Since we should have the understanding, especially if we are the type that looks for God to come down on us, that “we will be judged in the same manner in which we judge.” Then we should be the fearful ones because we might just get exactly what we called down on others. Matthew chapter 7 states this quite clearly.

Matthew 7:1-2 NASB "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.

Another version of the same theme comes from Luke's gospel.

Luke 6:36-38 NASB "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. 38 "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return."

I included Luke 6:38 because it is frequently used in the faith movement. 

Pay attention to the context, which has everything to do with a merciful God and not condemning people, no matter who they are, NOT money. The last phrase of the paragraph says, “For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” He is talking about our judgmental attitudes, comments, and actions.

Since my last post discussed the false teachings surrounding the Great White Throne and how I believe God scrutinizes the books mentioned in Revelation 20, because He is seeking a reason to show mercy to those before Him. Sadly, that is in opposition to what most people see when they read about the Great White Throne, and here is why: 1. Because it is “the” throne, then, of course, God has to be sitting on it. Well, they are half right, but only because Jesus is God. The entire book of Revelation is about Jesus, and no one else holds the focus. Therefore, it is Jesus on that great throne. 2. Because He calls all dead people to Himself, there is the presumption that these people have no hope, and that is not true. 3. And, in Revelation 20, unlike Matthew 25, we only see the outcomes of those He did not find in ALL those books, and in Revelation 20, their outcome is hell. However, there is a fourth reason people are in opposition to a merciful God; these religious zealots cannot handle a God who gives people entrance into the kingdom without having to resist the temptations and do the hard work of trying to win the lost, which these unmerciful ones have. 

The sheep we see in Matthew 25, at their last opportunity, are given entrance into the kingdom (Matthew 20:1-16). That hope of entrance into the kingdom is our only true anchor and a form of payment. And yet, the sheep gained that same entrance without the years or time spent. And, though they won't admit it, the religious mind is jealous and envious, thinking, I could have spent years in frivolity and still acquired God's mercy and entrance into the kingdom. Or, perhaps not, because this life we live is about faith, isn't it, and where is yours?

A friend of mine, whom I respect very much, wrote me back and said, they were judged for their deeds, which focused on their not receiving Jesus. I admonished the readers, at the end of my Great White Throne treatise, to submit to the truth, which is the Word of God, and adjust their beliefs to line up with what that Word says. Note the argument at the end of this parable.

Matthew 20:12-15 MSG 'These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.' 13 "He replied to the one speaking for the rest, 'Friend, I haven't been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn't we? 14 So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. 15 CJB Haven't I the right to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'

Ultimately, the decision is God's and not ours.

So what does Revelation 20 tell about the deeds of those sent off to hell's flames?

Revelation 20:12 NASB And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

They were judged according to their acts, with NO definition of what those deeds were. There is nothing in this passage or any passage near it that tells us what got them excluded. We should all know by now that people will be judged based on what they did with Jesus Christ, not their sins. (You either accept Him, or you reject Him. It's that simple.) Since sin and deeds, even if they are remotely naughty, seem to be our constant religious focus and can condemn us to hell, as religion wants you to believe, then what was the purpose of the cross?

While there may be a passage that defines this more clearly, Paul's letter to the church at Colossae spells out rather well the effects of the cross.

Colossians 2:13-14 NASB 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

All I can think about is the fact that, in Christ, the sins, transgressions, and decrees against me are gone.

The fascinating thing about this letter is that the Apostle Paul walked this earth at the same time as Christ. Unaware that he walked about drowning in sins and transgressions, because Saul, the Pharisee, was the finest of Jews. The thought that a Jew was unrighteous would have been entirely foreign to him, and because they were Jews, righteousness and entrance into the kingdom were practically a given. That day, when God knocked, Saul the Pharisee to the ground, while on the road to Damascus, Saul had the intent of harming those who followed the WAY; he learned that he had no righteousness and that Jesus was the one being hurt when he touched one of these followers... This sentiment gives a whole new spin to the concept of being dead in your transgressions, for Saul, before his conversion, was just that, a walking dead man.

So Jesus Christ died while Saul, the Pharisee's apprentice, walked the earth. Because Jesus Christ did that, ALL sins, past, present, and future, were forgiven, and humankind was forgiven. Saul, the Pharisee, was forgiven. Did Christ on the cross change Saul's life? NO, and if it did, he did not know it, nor did he receive the peace that is gained when you accept that sacrifice.

So who is this God we supposedly serve?

I can comprehend that He is the God who forgave, but is there more?

Without directly thinking about the question, Who is this God I serve, I already stated a few paragraphs ago, one of the most significant aspects of who He is.

Luke 6:36 NASB "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

The presumption on my part would be that you had read this verse at some point in your life. If that is the case, then what did you do with that directive? Ah, but you say, we are not under the law and therefore cannot, and will not receive a “command,” even if it tells me to be merciful! But we do have a strong warning from the book of James; why you might also say, it's the law.

James 2:12 CEV Speak and act like people who will be judged by the law that sets us free.

Does it say you will be judged and therefore get excluded, even after Jesus said that no one will ever strip you out of His hands? No, it tells us to ACT as though we will.

If the Laws that brought death and condemnation are to be our guide for how we act, then we would be a sorry lot indeed. Our looks would probably be no different than they are now, as many of the teachings we sit under continually push us back under those laws of bondage. But note how the verse says, “by the law that sets us free.” This law of liberty is the very thing that Paul wrote about in most of his letters. And, he said, I can never go back to the bondage those Jewish laws put on me.

Galatians 2:16 CJB even so, we have come to realize that a person is not declared righteous by God on the ground of his legalistic observance of Torah commands, but through the Messiah Yeshua's trusting faithfulness. Therefore, we too have put our trust in Messiah Yeshua and become faithful to him, in order that we might be declared righteous on the ground of the Messiah's trusting faithfulness and not on the ground of our legalistic observance of Torah commands. For on the ground of legalistic observance of Torah commands, no one will be declared righteous.

No one is asking you to put yourself in bondage; however, God is asking you to submit to the grace and mercy that set you free and become faithful to Him. So, in acting like one who will be judged by grace and mercy, the law of liberty, you then speak and demonstrate this grace, mercy, and freedom consistently, to those who need it; that happens to be everyone.

He is our peace.

Romans 5:1 NASB Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Ephesians 2:13-15 NASB But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,

He shows mercy to all.

Romans 11:32 NASB For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.

Paul, writing to Timothy, tells this young man why Saul, the Pharisee, obtained mercy, as an illustration of God's patience.

1 Timothy 1:15-16 Moffatt NT 15 It is a sure word, it deserves all praise, that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"; and though I am the foremost of sinners, 16 I obtained mercy, for the purpose of furnishing Christ Jesus with the chief illustration of his utter patience; I was to be the typical instance of all who were to believe in him and gain eternal life.

He is the God of grace. Stop for a moment and remind yourself what grace is. It is God's riches, at Christ's expense. And, in John's gospel, this is stated as an observation.

John 1:16 ESV For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

John 1:16 portrays the Father heaping his grace upon us. While Dr. Luke wrote that we are saved because of the grace of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 15:11 ESV But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

The general impression you should have is that the Father and the Son are exuding grace and mercy toward us, and in us.

How, then, do we come up with the crazy idea that God is looking to destroy people?

John 10:27, 28 speaks of those who are His sheep. 

This life in Christ is not an exclusive club; He desires for everyone to jump in. For those who do, there is the guarantee of His word, which tells us that we will never perish in hell, nor will anyone ever take us out of the Son's hand.

John 10:27-28 ESV My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

This answer seems so simple, and yet some are capable of entertaining the idea that God does not love some people.

John 3:16 ESV “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

How can you feel comfortable decreeing the eternal punishment of so many, when God loved the world enough to allow His own Son to be murdered on a cross? 

All one has to do to receive this life is believe in Him who made this life possible; his name is Jesus.

The entire reason that we are still here on this earth is that God, in His patience, is waiting for that last one to come into the kingdom.

2 Peter 3:9 ESV The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

If you think God is so ominous, then how do you explain the Shepherd, showing mercy to those who apparently did not go through the proper religious ceremonies, missed the rapture of the church, and fell asleep in death, not knowing where they stood with the Father? 

You see all this portrayed in Matthew 25:31-46. I will let you look it up at your leisure. 

Suffice it to say that given mercy, these sheep that gained entrance to the kingdom have an immediate understanding that they had missed the mark, and yet, Jesus, the one sitting upon the throne, is showing them mercy. 

The response given by the great shepherd shocked me to my core, as it challenges a multitude of things I have been taught to the contrary. 

It is because of the simple acts of kindness demonstrated by the people represented as sheep, such as: giving ME a drink when I was thirsty; coming to visit ME when I was in prison; clothing ME when I was naked, and feeding ME when I was hungry.

A part of that challenge to my treatise on the Great White Throne indicated that those before the throne received no mercy because they had rejected Jesus. 

Scripturally, do we see any evidence of God directly rejecting any for rejecting Jesus? 

No, but what do we see in Matthew 25 are people who fed, visited, and clothed JESUS, without even knowing it. 

What they did was to act as though they had the nature and character of the Father in them. 

The logic of such a moment gets lost, because how do you have the Son's life in you, making you theoretically a “Christian,” and not get caught up in the snatching away of the Church? 

I suppose the answer to that comes from the parable of the ten virgins. 

This story is an inference to the modern-day church; the people who will experience Christ's return for those who are His.

The parable demonstrates a problem.

Ten virgins (so far it sounds good as all are pure) get the same invitation (we too have received that same message, and it seems very similar to what the future disciples heard – deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.) 

They all grab their lamps as though they all seem to understand that this will be a long wait (However, five of them have to good sense to bring extra oil for themselves – this is not a coordinated effort from what we can read, and that aspect makes the story even more enticing.) 

All of them fall asleep (this fact brings them no condemnation.) Awakened by the voice of the bridegroom, calling them to come, five refill their lamps, trim their wicks, and light the oil lamps. Sadly, the others discover they are out of oil. What do they do? They clamor and demand that the others give of theirs (there is something preposterous about this component of the story, not because they ran out of oil, but because of their attitude). 

Those without oil are sent by the others to go off and buy more. (I joke as if they had a convenience store where they can get a late-night cup of coffee and some lamp oil. But this is Jerusalem, and ordinary people are asleep with their families nearby.) 

In the process of trying to buy more lamp oil, the bridegroom comes, opens the doors, lets those who have come because they were prepared and waiting for the bridegroom to call them, and they enter. The door was then shut.

What is the problem here? 

If this is speaking of the Church, then we are talking about a fifty percent ratio of people who got the invitation and did not prepare themselves, and were, therefore, not ready when the bridegroom called.

Now, if these are representations of the church, do they have the nature and character of the Father in them? 

Were they awaiting His return? 

In the story of the ten virgins, they all got the invite. But what did they do with that information, especially since they had a pretty good time frame of when he would come? 

Besides that, they know where this guy lives and where he is building the home for his bride. All you have to do is casually walk down that street, and you will know that the time is almost here. 

That information might prompt you to buy more oil just in case, wouldn't it? 

Fifty percent of the church is like this. 

One brother I know, a very genuine man, recently ranted to me that we have been waiting for over two thousand years, so why are you getting worked up now? 

I see that as a man with no excess oil.

If you remember, there is a very dark detail from the story of Noah, in which God's description of humanity demonstrates what happens to a world with free choice without the influence of a reborn spirit to restrain us.

People chose to live outside of God's control, and their decisions impacted the whole earth, for it was filled with violence, and every thought was only evil.

Acting like civilized people is not what we do, unless something inside of us is changed.

There is just one thing that brings about that change,

and it is our acceptance of Jesus Christ in a restored relationship with the Father.

Is it possible that you might not have understood that this internal change had come over you?

Maybe.

A quick study on False Teachers. 2 Peter 2:1-3

I have had an up close and personal relationship with a false teacher for some time now. As usual, the Holy Spirit prompts me to see that far too many of us have to deal with people like this. Why would a false teacher be such a problem, especially since most of the influence asserted on us is minimal and annoying at best. For myself, I feel like I have wasted that portion of my day, and always have to do some quick research into the Word to debunk the garbage I, and the others had to listen to. Others ask outlandish questions, questions they would not ask if they spent anytime pursuing the Word of God. Sadly, the false teachers waste our time with garbage instead of the Word.

Having recently started a commentary on 2Peter I would have come to this discussion eventually, but for several days now, I feel compelled to do a quick study on false teachers. It would seem we are surrounded by them.

Also, I am not sure I understand what quick is either. If you do a phrase search in the NASB (my version of choice) there is only one reference to false teachers, and this is it:

2 Peter 2:1-3 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2) Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3) and in their greed, they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Peter has projected this into the future, but if you know your Bible, then you know that false teachers came on the scene quickly. You may not see it, but there is a list presented here that describes the false teacher:

• “secretly introduce destructive heresies,”

Having a familiarity with someone who plays the role of false teacher, does he secretly introduce destructive heresies? First, let's look at the word secretly.

Secretly is the Greek word pareisago – which means to introduce surreptitiously; privily bring in. This tells me that under the guise of organized church policy and beliefs, he is teaching or advocating outside the scope of scripture or church doctrines.

The man I know told us that he was an ordained teacher in that particular religion. I knew they ordained Pastors, but teachers? The question is if they thought you were worthy of holding such a title many years ago, are you still adept enough to teach now?

Since joining the group over two years ago I became aware of false teachings. I know how many of you think and trust me, I was asked the same question; did you do or say anything about the teachings? Yes, on several occasions. At one point I left the group and was gone for about six months. A friend who still attended asked me to come back as I was one of the few who attempts to withstand the teacher. I assure you, I have not been called to aggressively confront deeply entrenched and admired Bible teachers; I also know my own personality and I have the propensity to be aggressive – a rather non-productive approach. Nothing changed, in fact, the teacher actually became more adamant in espousing his opinions.

The problems were many, and I attempted to inform the then new Pastor that someone needed to at least monitor the group. It seems that new pastors clean house by firing dissenting staff members, and that is exactly what we saw at this church. However, our renowned teacher is not a paid staff member and apparently of no concern. Two years have come and gone, and even though there is an esteemed church member and former deacon in attendance, to keep the study on the straight and narrow way of truth, he does and says nothing to correct blatant and horrendous falsehoods.

How then do we call it a secret and mutinous attempt if everyone keeps turning their backs and allowing the offender to go on teaching?

Destructive – Gk apōleia and means ruin or loss (physical, spiritual or eternal): - damnable (-nation), destruction, die, perdition, X perish, pernicious ways, waste.

The ruin, loss, destruction, and waste come in the form of misinformed participants who are either mislead or incapable of seeking out the truth. Why should they, as the false teacher has by intimidation implied that the information he gave was true and not to be challenged.

Heresies – Gk hairesis – meaning a choice, that is, (specifically) a party or (abstractly) disunion. The Word Study Dictionary says, a form of religious worship, discipline, or opinion.

One of the main things we hear from this teacher, especially after a Biblical refute of something he has espoused, is, that's my opinion, and that is all that matters. Oh really. In those moments he is clearly in disunion from the Word of God and the doctrines of the church. (As I side note: I often find myself annoyed by church doctrines as they tend to be the rules of man as they attempt to establish a hierarchy.)

• “even denying the Master who bought them,”

At first glance, this seems rather extreme, up to and including a denial of Jesus Christ. It's not quite that direct and requires you looking up the “simple” words.

Denying – Gk arneomai meaning to contradict, that is, disavow, reject, abnegate: - deny, refuse.

The actions and reactions described here are a common occurrence with this individual I am describing, as he contradicts, rejects, and refuses to hear the truth. (By the way, if you were to respond correctly to anything, it should be the truth. Truth in this example is exclusively the Word of God.)

It would seem that all you have to do is consider the words in question: “denying the Master who bought them.” Who brought us to this grand party? Jesus Christ, the Father God. So, in contradicting, disavowing, rejecting and refusal, you are doing just that, denying.

DISAVOW is to deny; to disown; to deny to be true, as a fact or charge respecting one's self; as, he was charged with embezzlement, but he disavows the fact. A man may disavow his name or signature; he may disavow a knowledge of a fact or his concern in a transaction.

If I operate on the principle that God's word is the truth, then to teach in opposition to that Word is to disavow.

• “Many will follow their sensuality,”

Follow – Gk exakoloutheō meaning to follow, to imitate:

Such a simple word, follow, but if we all emulated the practices, lifestyle, and teachings of the false teacher, then we become his imitators, as we live our stunted lives (A huge implication here is, that few of us have the ability to read the Bible and understand it.)

How pathetically sad this idea of following someone like this. Jesus is the one I am aware of who advocated people following Him, although I am sure even Paul the Apostle wrote and told others to emulate him as well.

To follow all aspects of the false teacher I speak of would leave me seriously stunted, judgmental, and legalistic.

Sensuality – Gk aselgeia meaning licentiousness or wantonness.

As I try to understand I am lead to this word licentiousness, and I can't find it in my memory banks; that is why I look things up.

LICEN'TIOUSNESS, n. Excessive indulgence of liberty; contempt of the just restraints of law, morality, and decorum. The licentiousness of authors is justly condemned; the licentiousness of the press is punishable by law.

Anyone who has sat under this brother in Christ knows that he exhibits both of these things traits, every week.

• “and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;”

Maligned; what a pathetically simple way of saying blasphemed. The Gk word is blasphēmeō meaning to slander, hence to speak lightly or profanely of sacred things:

Slander is defined as A false tale or report maliciously uttered and tending to injure the reputation of another by lessening him in the esteem of his fellow citizens, by exposing him to impeachment and punishment, or by impairing his means of living;

Wow, in Christianity, and among false teachers, the idea of blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and thereby committing the unpardonable sin, is tossed around with frequency. Jesus gave us the clearest and most defined example when He went after a group of Pharisees. The setting: He had just delivered a young man of a demon when the Pharisees began their verbal attacks, saying, He casts them out by the power of the Devil, the enemy. His response:

Mark 3:22-30 The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons." 23) And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? 24) "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25) "If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26) "If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! 27) "But no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. 28) "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29) but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"-- 30) because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

Did you catch that? All this was said in response because “they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."”

Typically, the word blasphemy is used as a method of control (Control, if you do your homework, is a form of witchcraft.) Just for the fun of it, let's see what God has to say about witchcraft.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 9) "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. 10) "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11) or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12) "For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.

Let me ask you a simplistic, childlike question. What is truth? The answer to the question is, God's Word is Truth; plain and simple. So, does God win over the opinion of any man? Without a doubt.

• “and in their greed, they will exploit you with false words;”

Greed is the Greek word pleonexia and means advantage, covetousness.

The word greed tends to force you to look for the money, but that is far from where we need to be thinking right now. I realize this can be a problem for television evangelists and some pastors, but this is just a small town “Bible Study” leader, and he does not get paid.

Because the word advantage is an alternate understanding of the Gk word pleonexia, let's see what the definition of advantage is.

ADV'ANTAGE, n.1. Any state, condition, or circumstance, favorable to success, prosperity, interest, or reputation.

Wait a minute; this man had a reputation; and, he certainly wants to be seen as a success, and, he wants the conditions to be favorable to achieving that goal. But keep in mind that the verse says, “they will exploit you with false words.”

Allow me to give you a grand example of what we hear with consistency.

The generalized statement was made that, everyone that goes to the great white throne is sent to the hell they deserve. Is this a true statement? Absolutely not. How do I know that? Because I have read my Bible; I have a brain, and I choose to use it.

The Great White Throne judgment. Do you realize it only shows up in two locations; one of those is here:

Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12) And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13) And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 14) Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15) And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

False teachers will dare to assume that no one's name is found written in the book of life and therefore thrown into the lake of fire, but that is not conveyed in Revelation 20:11-15. It merely tells you what is to befall those He does not find listed in the books. It says that the dead, from all time apparently, are raised and brought before this throne. God then, opens the books, and there are several, and He scours those books looking for some act for which He can show mercy. Sadly, for some unfortunate few, He finds nothing, and they are sent to their permanent place of separation.

Now, I said there were two places we find this throne. The second is in Matthew 25. The NASB entitles this section, “The Final Judgment.” Wow, that should have a familiar ring to it, especially since I just gave you the paraphrased version of the final judgment.

Matthew 25:31-46 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32) "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33) and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34) "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35) 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36) naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37) "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38) 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39) 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40) "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 41) "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42) for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43) I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44) "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45) "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' 46) "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

So how is this similar to what we saw in Revelation 20?

• Matthew 25 states,“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.”
• Revelation 20 tells us, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it,”

There is only one Him, and His name is Jesus. This is relatively easy to ascertain if you keep in mind that the Revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ. So when we see God in the Revelation we are seeing Jesus.

• In Matthew 25:32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him.”

Here they are not specifically designated as dead or formerly dead folk. I think this throws many off as they cannot extrapolate. Why should this concept of the dead be a problem anyway; especially since we are all eternal in our spirits - that thing made after the image of God.

• In Revelation 20 we see this: “I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, .. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them.

These dead came from everywhere imaginable; the sea, and death and Hades gave up the dead which was in them. One of the problems people have when trying to make this comparison is the idea that only live people are brought to the throne in Matthew 25. Is it a critical error if God's word fails to give you what you think is a scathing omission? Dead or alive, we are all alive eternally in our spirits; we were, by the way, made in the image of God and He is a spirit. So, in the long run, no one is really dead in the sense of answering for our transgression's, are we.

Here is an excellent question and worthy of some thought, especially since it helps our understanding. Since this is the end of time who are the people, we are dealing with as we try to understand those before the throne?

Since the church age, there have only been three people groups. (Note: God does not care where you are from or what color you are. They are:)

• The Jews/Israel;
• The Church – the church is the living breathing organism made up of us, and we, are in Christ.
• And, the nations – those outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ,

A piece of information you theoretically should know, unless of course your time was squandered by a false teacher who made you endure some derisory teaching about backsliding for two months, is that by this time the church will have been caught up to heaven, leaving those Jews that were not part of the church to endure the wrath that is coming. Sadly many who sit in churches will miss out on this catching away and have to endure the wrath as well. Those outside of the first two groups; and remain, are primarily called the nations. The nations are a diverse group that can include religious people, cannibals, brutal bullies, the poor, and the rich.

In terms of timing, the millennial reign has come to an end. Satan is released long enough to deceive the nations - once again, and they surround the 1500 square mile City of God along with its people, thinking that they can kill God. God sends a fire and destroys this uncountable number. It is at this time when the Great White Throne is set up. If I focus on Matthew's account, there is a clear separation of acceptable folks from the bad, with the bad sent off to an eternal hell. Many are shown mercy simply on the basis of some kind act. Revelation 20 is where false teachers like to focus and will advocate that all go to hell, all the while ignoring that God is scouring through these books to find a reason to show mercy. If God, who knows all and sees all, knew who would be destined to hell why then even have books. In Matthew's account, the crowd is separated and seemingly without the aid of these books. This kind of merciless logic conveys a God that merely mocks those destined for hell since He already knows their names and whether they are in the books or not. 

No, God is looking for a reason to show mercy.

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