I got a message from a friend that I felt needed to be addressed.

I received a message that read like this - ( I wanted to say "sort of" because I had to make it legible.)

“I told some people that Jesus fights two battles, one by himself, and then Armageddon.” 

 Picture yourself standing there with a sandwich in one hand and a soda in the other, and someone comes up to you and accosts you with an assertion like this, expecting an answer. It's difficult, at best, to come up with an answer, especially when they are creating their questions and assertions from multiple locations in the Bible, and they often take the scriptures out of context.

These people responded with, “Are you sure.” To which he said, “Yes, turn your bible to Isaiah 63:3,4, and then look at Revelation 19:13.”

So let's look at Isaiah 63:3,4.

Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the winepress? "I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples, there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And, their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. (Isaiah 63:2-3 NASB)

I am not clear if this next response came from his church or if this is an argument he had in his head. Knowing that we have had conversations like this, I would say it was in his head. He added that some say it's the blood of the saints, while others say it is His blood. To this, my friend responds, “Not so; it is the blood of His enemies.” To this statement, those people who asked him agreed and left. They probably staggered out bewildered. 

My acquaintance, who took this last statement to a couple of Pastors at a Calvary Chapel, agreed.

---

An obvious aspect of this passage is that at least the lower half of the garment of the Messiah is soaked in blood. 

The scriptural narrator asks, “Why are your garments like the one who treads in the winepress?” 

Consider that there was a time when people actually stomped the juice out of grapes. If they were smart, they would lift up any outer garment so that it would not get covered in juice. Perhaps, in the process of making juice, some would splash up onto your clothing, but to merely allow your clothing to become completely inundated with this blood-red juice is preposterous.

What does this victor, coming from a battle soaked in the enemy's blood, say about the description we see in Isaiah 63:2-3?

It says He went into battle, prepared for battle, and that He really did not care about the outcome of His clothing. Perhaps, knowing that He would win, His clothing then becomes a symbol of victory and conquest.

Based on what the passage says, we can figure out who this is.

So, what clues are we given to identify who went into the bloody battle?

Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? "It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." (Isaiah 63:1 NASB)

• With garments of glowing colors,
• One who is majestic in His apparel,
  Psalms 93:1 NASB He is clothed with majesty;
• Marching in the greatness of His strength.
  Psalms 93:1 The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength
• It is I who speaks in righteousness,
  Isaiah 45:23 NASB The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness..
• Mighty to save.
  Joshua 4:24 KJV  That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God forever.

All of these descriptives speak of Jesus.

Who is with Him in Isaiah 63:3-4? 

Perhaps the question is, does anyone have to be with Him? The answer to that is NO.

But for the doubter, I refer you to Exodus 12:12 NASB, where it says, “For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments--I am the LORD.”

The verse above makes it quite clear that there was NO death angel; it was Jesus, and He slaughtered all who were not covered by the blood.

So the answer to the question, who was with Him, is NO ONE else.

---

Revelation 19:13 is the other reference given by my acquaintance, but I will add verse 14 for clarity.

He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. (Revelation 19:13-14 NASB)

Though we can't be sure at this point, it sounds like the same blood-covered person we saw in Isaiah 63:3-4.

In Revelation 16, we see the end of the final judgments being poured out of the bowls. The preparations for the Battle of Armageddon are made because of a vial in the sixth bowl.

Revelation 16:12-16 NASB (12) The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. (13) And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; (14) for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (15) ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.") (16) And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.

In Revelation 16:17-21 The seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done." While horrendous things are still happening, the central focus is Babylon, or, should I say, the Babylon system. (Keep in mind that the love of money is the root of all evil.)

Chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation focus on the downfall of the Babylon system. 

There are some very telling facts about this greed and lust.

Revelation 18:3 NASB "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."

The system collapses in one hour.

Revelation 18:9-10 NASB (9) "And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, ... For in one hour your judgment has come.'

If you have been watching the news, this should sound familiar.

The economic system completely collapses.

Revelation 18:11-17 NASB

There is an aspect of this that I find deeply troubling, as it implicates the wealthy of the earth in the death of the innocents.

Revelation 18:24 NASB "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth."

“All who have been slain on the earth.” This should be an eye-opening statement for everybody.

So, as we come into Revelation 19, there are no more judgments to be poured out, merely the termination of the judgments. 

Watch what happens.

Revelation 19:1-2 NASB After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; (2) BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER."

In Heaven, they are rejoicing. The Babylon system is gone; His judgments have come; And, He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants.

How can it be said, "it is done," especially since there is one more battle to be waged?

By Heaven's standards, this mess is done, for God always looks toward the future (Abraham is a good example of that.)

Revelation 19:6-9 NASB "Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. (7) "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." (8) It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (9) Then he *said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he *said to me, "These are true words of God."

I have heard and sung songs about the marriage of the Lamb since I was a child. Some have conveyed that at the rapture of the church, we get to sit down to a seven-year meal. Sadly, that is not the case, and the meal does not sound so appetizing either. 

Let me demonstrate.

Revelation 19:11-13 NASB (11) "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, He judges and wages war. (12) His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. (13) He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God."

Look at that. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood. Everything about Him is brightness and glory, and His name is the Word of God. Pure majesty.

But now watch this. Here, He is not alone. 

Revelation 19:14 NASB "And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean were following Him on white horses."

I cannot make absolute statements that compare what we see in Isaiah 63 and Revelation 19 and say they are the same thing. (But I will work on it.)

Watch the descriptions as they unfold.

Revelation 19:15 NASB From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so He may strike down the nations with it. The saints, clothed in white, otherwise known as the bride, are a part of the army that comes with Him, but we never see them in battle. There might be two acceptable explanations for that.

1. Since we are in Christ, then we, too, partake in this battle.
   Keep in mind that we are immortal at this point and cannot be hurt. Since Jesus is the head of the Church, all victory goes to Him. I am okay with that - like I have any room to argue.
2. The most reasonable alternative to a group battle is that sword that proceeds from His mouth.
   That sword has the potential to kill instantly. Since we understand that He was the “death angel” that killed all the firstborn of Egypt that night and needed no one to help, then he doesn't need us now. That sword is the Word of God and implies that the Word alone kills those who stand against Him, but then there is all that blood. Perhaps the blood is symbolic, although we are told that it runs as deep as the horses' bridle, and that is fairly deep.

So, if you have been waiting patiently for the marriage supper of the lamb, then enjoy this.

Revelation 19:17-18 NASB (17) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid heaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, (18) so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great."

Meat-eating birds are called to eat the flesh of mighty men, horses of war, those who sit on them, and everyone else – both great and small, who chose to fight against God that day. I have had this discussion before: He only kills the fighters that day. As always, the religious come against me with tradition and false teachings they have learned.

But here is what the Scripture says,

Revelation 19:19-21 NASB (19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. (20) And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. (21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

So what do we see in Revelation 19:19-21?

• The beast is the Antichrist, a Muslim leader.
• The kings of the earth. This can be Muslim kings but may include the Presidents of Venezuela or the leaders of China and North Korea.
• They are assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
• The beast was seized, along with the false prophet, and these two, very specifically, were seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire. The rest - those gathered for war, were killed with the sword that came out of Jesus' mouth.

Why would someone feel it is necessary to control us? Galatians 1:6-10

While I wrote these studies on Galatians about three weeks ago; since then, so much has happened. As you probably gathered from my last post I had a bit of a verbal collision with my pastor. Whatever definitions I might understand from scripture that defines a pastor, there has only been a couple that even came close, and this one, in my mind, isn't one of them.

An example could come from the sermon many years ago, where he is telling the audience how the shepherd intentionally snaps the leg of the little sheep that continues to stray. He said all this with a horrifying gusto. I can remember sitting there in shock, and thinking, if this who or what God/Jesus is really like, then no thank you. As I have given this idea more thought over the years, the practicality of such a scenario is ludicrous, especially if you look at scripture through befitting, Jewish eyes. You see, the shepherd, in Jewish society, is trying to make a living, and, he does so by selling unblemished lambs for three reasons: food, clothing, and sacrifices. The sacrificial lamb had to be without spot or blemish as mandated by the law of God. Breaking the leg of a valuable sheep seems counterproductive, doesn't it?

Not only that, but the idea of breaking the leg of one of the lambs also seems to go against everything I understand God to be - grace and mercy. Since breaking the leg of one of the sheep might fall under the category of wrath, and WE are not subject to wrath, then the idea gets more absurd. A couple of scriptures for you to look up, on your own, would be 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9.

Now, to be fair, I talked with a lady from church whose family had raised sheep in Texas; she responded with, oh yes, it was a common method of controlling young sheep. Well, that sounds horrid, but not being a farmer, castration sounds horrid also, and we don't do that in our churches, or, do we?

How appropriate then is this line from verse 6 - “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” Give yourself a moment to think about things that have been said and done in the name of religion. I am not just talking about history; I am talking about NOW. The things done to me, and said from the pulpit, are nothing more than methods of control. Why would someone feel it is necessary to control us? I can think of many – all of the reasons have some deep insecurity attached to them. The reality is, the person acting this way does not trust the Holy Spirit's ability to lead and guide us and therefore does not believe God.

John 16:13 KJV Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The NASB entitles this section, No Other Gospel.

Galatians 1:6-10 KJV I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9) As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 10) For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

• Verse (6) “I marvel,”

Marvel is the Greek word thaumazō; from G2295; to marvel, wonder: - am amazed (1), amazed (15), amazement (1), astonished.

Considering the context, the usage of word amazed doesn't fit the scenario unless Paul is simply that shocked. The two significant usages, as we can see from KJC are marveled and wonder. An example from Matthew:

Mat 21:19-20 KJV And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. 20) And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

The Word Study Dictionary also expresses the idea of being struck with astonishment or admiration. Since the people, Paul is writing to have allowed themselves to be removed from the one who called them to grace (This, of course, is Jesus Christ.) Paul is not conveying an attitude of admiration.

• “that ye are so soon removed from him”

Keep in mind that Paul is writing to a generalized region called Galatia. Since this is not a specific church body, then you can assume that a significant number of people, across the region, had walked away from the freedom/grace that is in Jesus. I would love to say, “you should know,” but recently sat in an adult Bible class, where we read from a purchased book, focused on the Acts of the Apostles. Since the majority of the book of Acts was focused on Paul; In the book of Acts, you can see that Paul's primary influence was on Jews. Since his intent was never to pull them away from the truths in the law and the prophets, then these are Jewish converts that returned to the abundance of man created laws and oppressive traditions.

• “that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:”

While evangelists and pastors may think they are the ones who called you into the grace of Christ, it has never been anyone other than the Holy Spirit/Jesus himself.

If the gospel is the good news, what other good news could there have been?

Considering that these were, in the majority, Jewish converts, then the message used to draw them back could easily have been “Come back to the synagogue; we are God's people; you are God's people. Reject this Jesus, a man – hung like a common criminal, and called, by Pilate, the king of the Jews.” The point here is that there was no other gospel – no good news. It was a pull to come back to traditions and a way of life, filled with bondage.

These days we have a multitude of variations on the gospel, as some, while preaching freedom and forgiveness in Jesus, will hold you in bondage and never forgive you; even to the point of lording over you as a judge. This lording over people in judgment is in opposition to what the Word says, such as, all judgment has been given to the Son.

The word another is the Greek word heteros and means (an-, the) other or different: - altered, else, next (day), one, (an-) other, some, strange.

This (idea of another gospel) leans more heavily upon the idea of twisting the gospel of Christ; the message that Paul delivered to them. Contributing to the idea that Paul is talking about a twisting of the gospel, the translators, or editors, placed the continuation of verse 6 in verse 7, where it says, “Which is not another;.” 

Seeing the verse unbroken may help you understand that Paul is talking about a twisting of the gospel of grace. “that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another;”

Having experienced a twisting of the gospel of grace on many levels, I can tell you that it takes on many forms, most coming under the cloak of religious guidance.

• Verse (7) “Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.”

If, as Paul says, it is not another gospel, then it is some perversion of the gospel of grace.

Allow me just to say, that anything or anyone that strives to put you under the law is not only perverting God's grace but attempting to put you under bondage. In doing this, they have essentially exercised witchcraft on you, which is a form of slavery and manipulation through words and curses.

Pervert is the Greek word metastréphō; fut. metastrépsō, from metá (G3326), denoting a change of place or condition, and stréphō (G4762), to turn. To turn about from one direction to another. In the NT, to turn into something else, to change.

At our men's Monday morning bible study, the leader recently spent far too much time on Matthew 25. In doing so, he focused on the great white throne judgment (this can also be found in Revelation 20.) A cursory read will demonstrate the true nature and character of God, as in Matthew 25 where the sheep, a part of that vast crowd, obtain mercy. The sheep receive this mercy because they performed some simple act of mercy or generosity. The goats, on-the-other-hand, are sent off to eternal separation and flames of torment with Satan. In the Revelation, the Holy Spirit is trying to make the point that Jesus is God and deservedly angry with those whom he does not find written in those books before Him. These are sent off to that same eternal torment and separation. Just because the sheep who obtain mercy in Matthews exposition is not apparent in Revelation 20, does not mean they are not there. Simply put, they are not an aspect of the context in Revelation 20. The bible study leader still, many weeks later, persists in sending everyone who stands before the great white throne to hell. Since this is unquestionably in opposition to the heart and nature of God, and, it is a perversion of the gospel of Christ.

“but there be some that trouble you” Trouble is the Greek word tarassō; from a prim. root ταραχ- tarach-; to stir up, to trouble: - disturbed (1), disturbing (2), stirred (3), stirring (1), terrified (2), troubled (9). The Word Study Dictionary tells us this: tarassō is, “Figuratively used of the mind, to stir up, trouble, disturb with various emotions such as fear, put in trepidation.” 

I might rewrite this to read: there will those who will disturb and stir up your emotions through a twisting of the gospel.

• Verse (8) MSG Let me be blunt: If one of us--even if an angel from heaven!--were to preach something other than what we preached originally, let him be cursed.

(Moffatt NT) Now even though it were myself or some angel from heaven, whoever preaches a gospel that contradicts the gospel I preached to you, God's curse be on him!

I don't know if this is merely Paul expressing his disdain for anyone who might teach or preach anything other than what he has already said, or, this is the heart of God. Since God is love and longs that everyone should be saved, why would He want someone to be cursed? What evidence do we have then of God drawing a line in the sand?

Matthew 12 lays out a scenario in which Jesus casts out a demon. The Pharisees attributed his actions to Satan. Verses 31,32 tell us His direct response.

Matthew 12:31-32 KJV Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32) And whosoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Plainly we can see that God does draw a line, and blasphemy is it. I doubt Paul knew of this declaration by Jesus. If he did, and this was an aspect of what he wrote, then it would have been by direct revelation through Jesus.

One other piece of evidence might be drawn from the Revelation.

Revelation 21:8 KJV But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

While the verse takes in much more than blasphemers, it scares me, as I have: lied, wanted to kill, been unbelieving far too often, and spent the majority of my life feeling trapped by fear.

One other thing you need to consider if you are, to be honest in trying to decipher what is being said. Look at the verse once again.

Galatians 1:8 KJV But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Now, ask yourself, how many translations are there? Do they vary? Of course, they do, and one of the reasons for that is the variations a Greek word can carry depending on the defining word associated with it. This is one of the reasons why I used the Message in conveying the intensity of verse 8. I love how Eugene Peterson interpreted what Paul is trying to convey and therefore said, "Let me be blunt."

"or an angel from heaven”

This seems simple enough, but analyzing words opens doors to understanding. Angel is the word aggélous. The Word Study Dictionary tells us: A messenger, an aggelous, is one who is sent in order to announce, teach, perform, or explore anything;

Matthew 11:10 KJV For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Matthews gospel tells us that Jesus explained to the crowd, that the messenger/aggelous was John the Baptist.

In Luke 7:24 John the Baptist had sent messengers to Jesus. KJV And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

In Luke, the messengers were men sent from John.

Galatians 4:14 KJV And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

Paul, here, points out that the people, of the region of Galatian, received him as an aggelous/messenger.

James 2:24-25 KJV Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25) Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

Here, the messengers/aggelous were men from Israel under the leadership of Joshua.

Malachi 2:7 KJV For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

Malachi speaks of the priest as an aggelous/messenger of God. A rewrite of this verse could read like this: For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the one who is sent in order to announce, teach, perform, or explore.

Does this imply that the priest is untouchable or above all reproach? Not at all, but it is not our place to judge and execute judgment against them. I suppose that is why we have these horrific church hierarchies – to displace bad priests/pastors. It seems all we can and should do is pray; pray that the Lord of Hosts can straighten this brother out or remove him. Having done all that, all we have left is to move on in most cases.

• Verse (9) KJV As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Verse 9 is merely a repetition of what Paul previously said.

• Verse (10) KJV For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

“Paul had to speak harshly to the Christians in Galatia because they were in danger. He did not apologize for his straightforward words, knowing that he could not serve Christ faithfully if he allowed the Galatian Christians to remain on the wrong track.” Life Application Study Bible

The Greek word for persuade is peíthō, meaning to persuade, particularly to move or affect by kind words or motives. [WSD] We don't know what he said or how he said it, but I have never pictured Paul speaking in a manner that was anything other than straightforward and to the point. The statement he just made is an example of that - “I have said it before and I now repeat it: whoever preaches a gospel to you that contradicts the gospel you have already received, God's curse be on him!” Moffatt NT

Please is the Greek word aréskō meaning to fit, adapt, or please. Having recently been accosted by a pastor who told me, with the admonition that his was a Godly council, that I should not pursue or study Eschatology for the next five years. If I took his “so-called” Godly counsel to heart, then I would be attempting to please a man, for I can assure you that what he gave me was nothing less than demonic. Paul asserts, “I am not trying to please people. I want to please God. Do you think I am trying to please people? If I were doing that, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (CEV)

So, much like Paul does - with an adamant declaration, I emphasize, once again, “As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us],” (AMP)

Since I was not there and could not listen to Paul orations, then I must trust his words given to us in the Bible and presume the tone and inflections in his voice. I have to establish in my mind that these words are the basis and foundation of what I believe and charged to understand. Therefore, when a pastor accosts you, telling you that eschatology (end times teachings) does not and cannot change people, and, that you should not study it or speak of it, then he is operating in contradiction to God's word. This subtle opposition moves him into the category of a false teacher, and he needs to repent publicly.

2 Timothy 3:16 AMPC Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action),

The point being made here, in 2Timothy, is that eschatology can and does change people. We can know this because it is the spirit breathed Word of God. If you stand around waiting for the changes to happen, you may not see them.

2 Peter 2:1 BBE But there were false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly put forward wrong teachings for your destruction, even turning away from the Lord who gave himself for them; whose destruction will come quickly, and they themselves will be the cause of it.

The subtlety of what they say can catch you off guard, especially when they speak in an authoritarian manner, and add, I am telling you this because I love you; sadly, this is what most of them do, and we are expected by them to accept what they say without question. Shouldn't this be proof enough that we desperately need to be invested in the Word of God?

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What drives you?

This was the title of the morning sermon.

This morning, the pastor stepped back into the audience as he handed the microphone to a lady with a gift for evangelism. Every time she speaks, the message has strong overtones of evangelism. I am sure we will probably have more of these, as the pastor alluded to how great it is to have an evangelistic pastor on staff.

I will tell you straight out, I am not an evangelist. Oh, you could go on a big rant about how we all are to be evangelists, but then you don't deal with the damage in my head and what I have seen that turned me so hard against doing something like that.

My gifting is as a teacher. Do I get the opportunity to do this teaching thing as I wished? A big NO is in order here, but I do push the door as often as I can, as I look for opportunities to do just that.

I want to tell you about how one of those moments arose recently.

The wife and I got up leisurely, drove without incident down the freeway, and made it to the beach, spending a pleasant and relaxing day at one of our favorites. We had stopped in a pastry bakery and got two of the largest chocolate fudge cheesecake brownies I have ever seen. We took those to a nearby McDonald's and got a couple of diet sodas to wash what we could consume of these brownies down.

While we could only put a small dent in the brownies - they were so overwhelmingly sweet- and I did not notice a man reading what looked like a Bible.

I know how I can react when challenged or disturbed, so I was hesitant to bother the man. Quickly, the atmosphere was changing inside the hamburger stand as the roving band of white, wealthy, skateboard punks moved into the center of the restaurant. I glanced back to see if the man with the Bible was still there; he was. The tug to go and talk to him grew greater (blame that on the Holy Spirit) With the skateboarders gone and the need to wash my hands, I took the opening and stopped to talk with the man with the Bible.

I definitely had the drive to talk with the man, but going up to him and stating the obvious is painfully obvious. I find myself asking myself why I would be talking to him. Perhaps my motivation was to merely encourage the gentleman because I can assure you, someone reading a Bible in public is no longer a common sight, and my own experiences have many times been less than pleasant.

Nonetheless, taking advantage of a window of opportunity, I took it. Immediately, I focused on the fact that he was reading from the book of Leviticus, a book of the law. I could have made several assumptions about the man, but I was so excited to potentially find another believer that I overlooked that aspect. I also noted that he was reading from a commentary on Leviticus, furthering the idea that an intense study was going on.

I mentioned the depth of the book and that it was a good thing that he was using a commentary. Like so many others, he shot back with, I let the Holy Spirit lead and teach me! It did not occur to me to get sarcastic with him; that was not my purpose or desire, but think about the process of using a commentary to gain insight and then, by adding that you rely exclusively on the Holy Spirit, your logic is slightly twisted and a bit of an enigma; wouldn't you say?

His next utterance went like this: Then let me ask you a question? If you died tonight, do you have an assurance of where you would spend eternity?

I am not going to lie to you; his question made me angry; I was angry at the fact that he would even feel the need to ask me a question like that. 

Why should I have let that bother me? 

Because I would have never asked you a question like that unless you started talking about flat earth theories and aliens. 

Someone with a bent or twisted theology will expose themselves quickly; an example showed up at our men's group recently where a new man began espousing that we are saved by hope. He ranted that though he could not think of the scripture, he could guarantee that it existed. We proved him incorrect with the very scripture that he could only remember parts of. 

This is one of those moments I appreciate my notebook computer and the Bible database I have on it, as it enabled me to find what he was speaking about and show him clearly, from the Moffatt translation, that he was incorrect. I don't relish putting people in their place, but I cannot stand false teachers.

I never answer challenges with quick responses anymore; I always give them a moment of thought. Strangely, this throws the person asking the question for a bit of a tailspin, as they usually have something prepared with which they are hoping to shred you. I also find this gives me the opportunity to listen to the Holy Spirit; often the answers He gives stun even me.

So, standing almost in the middle of a McDonald's hamburger stand, surrounded by foolish skateboarders, I began to answer his challenge to tell him why I believe there is a hope and that the hope is real to me.

Before I tell you what I said, I feel a need to say (once again) I am not an evangelist; I am a teacher of God's word. That is all.

I stuck my finger on his Bible as I said, I believe that the Word of God is alive and true; I know this because I have spent eleven years of my life pursuing the character and nature of the God I love, and I have found that character and nature embedded in His word. I have His assurance that He loves me because He was willing to put himself on a cross, die, and rise again, just for me. And all I had to do was to accept and acknowledge that He is the Messiah God that I have longed for and needed. Because I did this, I have the guarantee of hope and eternity in Heaven with the Father, God Himself. I will rule and reign with Him in peace forever.

I said those things, and then I said (don't ask me to explain why) one of the books that taught me about the nature and character of God was The Shack, by William Paul Young. We spoke of that for a moment, and I moved on. In those moments, as I loudly proclaimed my allegiance to the one true God, I was an accidental evangelist, and maybe I was a teacher.

As we left, I turned back to him with one last parting comment. I said, You have never met anyone like me before. I told him there is no time to explain, and I am not sure what it means, but God called me to be a prophet. Today, you met the prophet. As you lie in bed tonight, God will explain it to you, and you will understand why he put me in your face this day.

Perhaps my words will have the same effect on you. I hope so, for we were not called to be ordinary, and we serve a jealous and relentless God. 

What are some of the signs that tell us we are in the last days?

 Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey (Photo credit: Duckgo AI)

The Monday morning “bible” study initiated with the topic: “What are some of the signs that tell us we are in the last days?” 

I love introductions like this because they can be filled with hope. However, that was not the case this day. Immediately, we were introduced to the following scriptures: Matthew 24:14; Matthew 24:33; and Matthew 24:42-44.

Let's start where the group leader started.

Matthew 24:14 EMTV: "And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come."

Try to imagine where your thoughts go when you have this verse thrown in your face by some legalistic “brother”, trying to prove that Jesus cannot come back because "we know with certainty" that there are 114 people groups that do not have Bibles in their language. That is what I heard about 17 years ago. 

Fascinating how Iran has made the bible illegal ever since 1979, and yet Jesus himself still shows up at people's doors, in their dreams, and they know who he is. 

In the case of one man, whom I met on the street at a Halloween festival, Jesus showed up at his door over the course of eight years. That man, who finally got his family out of Iran and into Italy, was handed a Bible, written in Farsi, by a stranger. The first thing he read when he opened it was 

Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door, and I am knocking. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, then I will come into him and I will dine with him, and he with Me.” 

That man told me that this is exactly what Jesus had done all those years, and yet I would not receive him because I was a Muslim (He told me that he had a brother who was an Imam and could have had him killed for revealing his story about Jesus). Well, he did come to know and accept Jesus, and he is now an evangelist for God. 

It was not a physical Bible that spoke to him; however, it served as a witness. It was Jesus himself doing the evangelism.

What does this do to our demand that every man gets a printed bible in their hand before the Lord can come back?

Are you not aware that an angel, or angels, will preach the gospel around the globe?

Revelation 14:6 KJV: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,"

And though Revelation 1:7 does not specifically infer that an angel will spread the gospel, it is clear that every eye will see Him. We foolishly assume that those who witness this event will immediately be slaughtered; that does not appear to be the case.

Revelation 1:7 KJV: "Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."

And although it does not speak about the angels spreading the gospel message, in Colossians Paul tells us this:

Colossians 1:23 KJV: "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;"

Paul, without a doubt, did not go to every creature, and the disciples had not had enough time to reach the ends of the earth by the time this letter was written. Without a doubt, the number of people coming to Jesus has exploded exponentially since the day of Pentecost, but we don't give any credence to that. 

What then does this say about personal responsibility, for every human has the knowledge of good and evil? 

That directly implies that God has imprinted his life and character in every human, and without Jesus we can be held responsible for the sins that so easily beset us. Thank you, Jesus, for the cross.

Sometimes it seems as if we "humans" are only a shade above rocks on the evolutionary scale, because - having both been made by God - we humans have the ability, with our free choice, to worship. Yet, we reject Him. The rock, on the other hand, fully understands that man corrupted the existence God put it in, and can and does cry out to God for its redemption.

Look at what we see in Romans 1:18-20:

Romans 1:18-20 KJV For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

We hold the truth unrighteousness? 

That statement has nothing to do with a bible; it is what we are doing with an internal truth. 

Did Cain, one of Adam's sons, have a bible? 
No, and yet he had a responsibility to hold the truth in righteousness. 

Did he do that? 
No, he acted out of selfishness and jealousy and killed his brother Abel. 

So, whether you have a printed copy of the scriptures in your hand or not, you will be without excuse.

The second verse that was tossed at us was this:

Matthew 24:33 ESV: "So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates."

This is great, but we never touched the signs or anything else that would have established us in this amazing hope, even though we have been looking at this Revelation for several weeks. 

Let's do a quick breakdown.

• Who is the “you” Jesus was talking to?
  The disciples. He is, of course, also speaking to us. Remember, all Scripture is given for our benefit. 2 Timothy 3:16
• And they were what?
  Jews first, disciples second.
• What was their motive for asking the questions that prompted the answers?
  The context begins in Matthew 22, where Jesus had entered triumphantly into Jerusalem, riding on the colt. (Hence the picture.) The people were shouting Hosanna, and the hope was that this would be the time He would show Himself as the Messiah they had longed for. However, He did not do that; instead, He intentionally made a whip of cords and threw the vendors out of the court of the Gentiles. He also raged at the Chief priests and elders about how they had defiled His house. This "verbal" battle lasted for two days.  Finally, they were all heading out toward the Mount of Olives. It seems the disciples were a little undone by it all. Not sure what to say, one of the disciples points out the temple's structure and the massive stones on which it was built. Thus begins Jesus' responses. 
• 
  

Matthew 24:2 ESV But he answered them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."

There are definite signs, and Jesus spells out almost all of them, but I will get to that later.

The third verse the group leader threw out that morning was Matthew 24: 42-44 (EMTV).

 "Watch therefore, for you do not know in what hour your Lord is coming. (43) But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have kept watch, and he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. (44) For this reason, you also must be ready, for, at an hour that you think not, the Son of Man comes."

The group leader focused on this for a moment and asked, why does God not want us to know the exact day, time, or hour? 

This kind of thinking is comparable to living in the Dark Ages, and guess what, we, for the most part, are no longer in the Dark Ages.

• First, the question is filled with false beliefs, teachings, and assumptions.
  It is filled with assumptions because even our modern leaders will not take the time to find out if there is something that contradicts their inferences: conclusions based on false or skewed information; and then, false beliefs, because when confronted with the truth (and I have confronted them on multiple occasions), they refuse to listen to the truth and try to make an alternative solution so that they can keep their tainted beliefs intact.
• Secondly, if this is really the way God feels, then the most likely reason is that we have a natural tendency to be slackers. This is also the most likely reason the church cannot handle talking about the freedoms we have in Christ. Think about it. If I told you how very simple it is to have this life in Christ, and that you have already been forgiven, you might choose to live a wild life with no restraints, and perhaps not go to church. What is the problem with all that? 
  The morning's “discussion” even included a loud rant about how there is not enough preaching on sin and personal responsibility these days.

Well then, just how is religion supposed to control you, and you are looked at as a source of tomorrow's funding?

In light of this, why do we foolishly take passages like Matthew 24:36 NASB: "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” 

A passage that was meant to explain to the disciples what the end-time salvation of the Jews would look like, and apply it to ourselves?

There is a direct answer to this fallacy:

1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 ESV:  "Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. (2) For you, yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (3) While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. (4) But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. (5) For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness."

Darkness is the Greek word skot'-os and means shadiness, obscurity (literally or figuratively), and darkness.

We are capable of knowing, and we are not in the dark. As a matter of fact, we are not even in the shadows. 

Jesus himself gave us two huge clues, or signs, if you will, about when we might expect him.

Matthew 24:32-34 ESV "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. (33) So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. (34) Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Israel is that fig tree, and it was transplanted in 1948. 

A generation has no firm understanding of the time frame, so we turn to the dictionary, which states: A single succession in natural descent, as the children of the same parents; hence, an age. Thus we say, the third, the fourth, or the tenth generation. But it also applies to the people of the same period or living at the same time. 

So a child born in 1948 would today (2026) be 78 and would have lived out all their acknowledged years. Fortunately, or not, God does not seem to be too wrapped up in precise time frames (We have lived in Daniel's seventieth week for over two thousand years). I suppose since God created time, He can do what he wants with it, including making it fit His scheme of things.

If you really want to understand Matthew 24 and 25, then you need to think context.

• Jesus was talking directly to Jews/his disciples, but He was also speaking toward a future audience, and we are that audience.
  In talking to Jewish ears, he said things that their training in the synagogue would have immediately caused them to associate with Scripture. Therefore, it was not all mystery as we think. We just need to adjust our thinking.
  You also need to understand that prophecy to a Jew meant that they were looking for a pattern, and therefore Jesus told them things that the prophets like Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Jeremiah had already declared.

You, as a believer, should be aware of what "all these things" are.

• Matthew 24:5 False messiahs will come.
• Matthew 24:6: Wars and rumors of wars.  This is an ongoing issue in the Middle East.
• Matthew 24:7 Nations will rise against nations, kingdom against kingdom, earthquakes in various places, and famines.
• Matthew 24:9 ... "they" will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you (the Jews and Israel) will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. (I will add, this simple word "they" has its greatest meaning buried in "religion". Islam likes to deem itself to fall under the category of religion; and, if you live under the oppression of Islam, then you know how murderous the zealots can be.)
• Matthew 24:10 Many will fall away from belief and betray one another and hate one another. Many of these young ones have drifted toward Socialism thanks to our higher learning colleges.
• Matthew 24:11 False prophets will arise and lead many astray.

  false prophets comes from two words pseudoprophētēs and means: a spurious prophet, a pretended foreteller, or a religious impostor

  
  
• Matthew 24:12 ... lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

This is a shortlist, but you should get the idea. 

One aspect that keeps coming up is the idea of apostasy. 

It means an abandonment of what one has professed, or a total desertion or departure from one's faith or religion. This can apply to the government as well. 

Look around you; can you see this happening? I can.

If you have a desire to know this Jesus that I speak of, merely and sincerely ask him into your life. 

He gave his life so that you could have a restored relationship with him again, and we have the promise that we will spend eternity with Him, in the presence of the Father forever. 
If you ask him, he will come into you and wash you, heal you, and fill you with the power of his Holy Spirit. All you have to do is ask.

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