Bible Study Seattle

Here’s an interesting presentation on the origins of many American Holidays:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZPrYA6Sfc0

For many people, science trumps religion.  It certainly trumps false religion.  But will there come a day when God destroys this false god?  Will technology continue its upward march forever?  Possibly not.  If Noah’s flood is any indication, the waters of truth will rise for 150 days (years) from the time the church begins to get in the ark (heaven).  That will be around 2028AD.  Technology might still be increasing, but it may no longer have positive effects.  In any case, it seems reasonable that God will destroy all false gods before and during Armageddon, in an anti-typical version of Moses’ plagues and the Red Sea destruction.

What impression do you get reading Revelation?  It has to easily be the most difficult book in the bible to understand.  Many have tried to decipher it and some details make sense.  Like the Diocletian persecution.  It lasted from 303AD to 313AD.

“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life,”  Revelation 2:10

Also, the forty two months or 1260 days map well to the peak of Papacy – 539AD to 1799AD, when Napoleon dethroned and humiliated the Pope.  While Revelation has had to be relevant throughout the church age, could it still be relevant to all people yet focus on the end of the age?  It is possible that applies specially to the last decades or centuries before Armageddon.  If all people are resurrected before Armageddon, then the message can reach all people, and they can choose who to follow.

” Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it.  Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months.  And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.  And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.  These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.”  Revelation 11:1-6

Shutting up the sky was done by Elijah.  Turning the waters to blood was done by Moses.  This then reminds us of:

“Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.  And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.”  Matthew 17:1-3

One of the amazing things about some Christians is how they believe they will live millions of years in heaven, but they don’t believe the patriarchs like Adam lived 930 years.  Which is more likely?  They also doubt Noah’s flood and they say the Exodus only had a small number of people.  But then they believe the parting of the Red Sea?  For our witness to be effective, we need to be consistent.  To believe in the resurrection of the dead but not to believe the lesser miracles is suspect.

“After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.  And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”

The 144,000

And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

A Multitude from the Tribulation

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying,

“Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”  And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying,

“Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

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?”  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.  For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.  They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”  Revelation 7

This sequence appears to happen during and after the great tribulation, which is the time right before Armageddon, during the days of awe before Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.  The reward is springs of the water of life, which immortal people would not need.  Everlasting life seems to be the reward.

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:  The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:  ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.  But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.  Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’”  Revelation 2:1-7

If the overcomers get to eat of the tree of life, they are not immortal.  Immortal people do not need to eat at all.  This is one scripture (there are others) that lead this author to believe immortality is not instant upon resurrection, not even for the church.

“And to the messenger of the congregation in Philadelphia write: These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens.  I know your works (Look!, I have set before you a door that has been opened, which none is able to shut), that you have little power, and yet kept my word, and did not deny my name.  Look!, I make those of the synagogue of the Adversary, who say they are Jews, and are not, but are lying, Look!, I will make them to come and fall prostrate at your feet, and to know that I have loved you.  Because you kept my word concerning endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of trial that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world, to test those who dwell on the earth.  I come quickly.  Hold on firmly to what you have, so that no one takes your crown.  Whoever overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, and the name of the city of my God (the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God), and my own new name.  Anyone who has an ear had better listen to what the Spirit says to the congregations!”  Revelation 3:7-13 REV

What is the hour of trial that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world?  Is this the battle at Armageddon?  Must the whole inhabited world be alive together for this test?

“And to the messenger of the congregation in Thyatira write:”  Revelation 2:18

“And I will kill her children with death, and all the congregations will know that I am he who searches the kidneys and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your works.”  Revelation 2:23 REV

There you have it.  Literal translations are fun!

Why do some Christians resort to megaphone fire & brimstone preaching in public places?  There are few instances of it in the scriptures.  One of the most prominent was Jonah preaching judgment to the Ninevites.   Recall that Jonah did not want to do it!  Ezekiel also did not want to preach judgment.  But they were told by God to do so.  On the other hand, I doubt many of our current fire & brimstoners are commissioned by God. They evidently have a gross misunderstanding of judgment.  Notice that Jesus and the apostles never stood around screaming at people.  How ineffective!  We have to be careful, because judgment begins with us!  “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”. 1 Peter 4:17