Posted by: biblestudyseattle | April 7, 2014

Treasures in Heaven

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

How do we store treasures in heaven? Do we send by UPS? What’s the address? Can we store our book collection? No, we can only store our relationships there. God has promised to bless those that do good, and that will happen in the resurrection. Remember the parable of the talents?

“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:19-21

Notice how he says he will now put the man in charge of many things? Won’t this literally happen in the second life? During the Millennial reign? Yes. Christians have to remember that heaven is a promotion. The others are held back, like a child who must repeat second grade.

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Posted by: biblestudyseattle | April 7, 2014

Standards of Judgment

“Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

This is how God will judge us – by our own standards! Is that not fair? Whatever we do to others is how we will be treated – good or bad. Sin has a way of blinding us. We feel justified. But what happens when the security camera plays the footage back? Who will lie then? The growing lack of privacy via cameras and other devices is a hint of what’s to come.

Imagine being a child. With angelic parents that protect and correct from heaven. These parents are much more powerful than earthly parents. They have the ability to immobilize your arms if you get angry. Imagine what happens when these angelic parents mediate a dispute between their kids?

Much sin is committed currently because of power or position. But in the resurrection there will be no power or position to hide behind. And the truth will be shouted from the rooftops if necessary. So we must make all efforts to be on good terms with everyone, even our enemies.

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Posted by: biblestudyseattle | March 31, 2014

Jesus’ offspring

“But the Lord was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.” Isaiah 53:10

He will see his offspring?? Was Dan Brown right – was Jesus secretly married to Mary Magdalene? Certainly he did prolong his days, since his death was interrupted by a resurrection that will never end. Who are these offspring? Most would probably say spiritual offspring, like his followers. But could there be a more literal understanding? While Jesus was not married to Mary Magdalene, he will marry the church and Israel’s saints. And that marriage will produce children. The mechanics are anyone’s guess. This is the whole point of the Millennium – to raise up these children into hopefully mature saints to be presented to the Father at the end.

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Posted by: biblestudyseattle | March 30, 2014

Death

“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:25-26

Wait a minute. I thought Jesus conquered death at the cross?? 1 Timothy 1:10 could be seen this way:

“but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,”.

Who abolished death, past tense? It will be seen that the abolition of death is actually a very long process which had its start at the cross. Jesus did his part, but now the church has to do its part, and then the world after that. It adds up to about 3,000 years! The time from the cross to the end of Jesus’ millennial reign. When it says the final enemy to be abolished is death, it means all death. Why can’t Jesus hand over the kingdom to the Father until death is eliminated?

“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.” 1 Corinthians 15:22-24

Perhaps the Father cannot fully commune with anyone unless they are perfect?

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Posted by: biblestudyseattle | March 27, 2014

Joel 3

“For behold, in those days and at that time,
When I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will gather all the nations
And bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat.
Then I will enter into judgment with them there
On behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel,
Whom they have scattered among the nations;
And they have divided up My land.
“They have also cast lots for My people,
Traded a boy for a harlot
And sold a girl for wine that they may drink.” Joel 3:1-3

This is still future. When have all the nations come against Israel?

“Proclaim this among the nations:
Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men!
Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up!
Beat your plowshares into swords
And your pruning hooks into spears;
Let the weak say, “I am a mighty man.”
Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations,
And gather yourselves there.
Bring down, O Lord, Your mighty ones.
Let the nations be aroused
And come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat,
For there I will sit to judge
All the surrounding nations.
Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.
Come, tread, for the wine press is full;
The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!
For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
The sun and moon grow dark
And the stars lose their brightness.
The Lord roars from Zion
And utters His voice from Jerusalem,
And the heavens and the earth tremble.
But the Lord is a refuge for His people
And a stronghold to the sons of Israel.
Then you will know that I am the Lord your God,
Dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain.
So Jerusalem will be holy,
And strangers will pass through it no more.” Joel 3:9-17

The valley of Jehoshaphat is the same as the Kidron Valley. It runs between the old city and the Mount of Olives. Is this the valley of the great battle that will end with Christ coming down and standing on the Mount of Olives in a super earthquake?

“And in that day
The mountains will drip with sweet wine,
And the hills will flow with milk,
And all the brooks of Judah will flow with water;
And a spring will go out from the house of the Lord
To water the valley of Shittim.
Egypt will become a waste,
And Edom will become a desolate wilderness,
Because of the violence done to the sons of Judah,
In whose land they have shed innocent blood.
But Judah will be inhabited forever
And Jerusalem for all generations.
And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged,
For the Lord dwells in Zion.” Joel 3:18-21

This describes how it will be after that great battle.

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Posted by: biblestudyseattle | March 26, 2014

Noah Scriptures

Here are some scriptures about Noah’s flood:

“In an outburst of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,”
Says the Lord your Redeemer.
“For this is like the days of Noah to Me,
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Would not flood the earth again;
So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
Nor will I rebuke you.
“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
Says the Lord who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:8-10

“Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast, even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,” declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 14:13-14

“For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:37-39

“And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.” Luke 17:26-30

“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Hebrews 11:7

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.” 1 Peter 3:18-20

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Posted by: biblestudyseattle | March 25, 2014

The Great Pyramid

These are the scriptures referencing the great pyramid:

Psalm 118:22
Zechariah 4:7
Isaiah 19:19
Job 38:4
Matthew 21:42
Isaiah 28:16

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Posted by: biblestudyseattle | March 22, 2014

Gog & Magog

There are only two scriptures regarding the battle of Gog & Magog:

“And the word of the Lord came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.” Ezekiel 38:1-3

“When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” Revelation 20:7-9

It appears from these two scriptures that the battle of Gog & Magog has two fulfillments, one before Christ comes down and sets up Ezekiel’s Temple, and another at the end of the thousand years. Regarding the first battle, Ezekiel tells us:

“On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call it the valley of Hamon-gog. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land.” Ezekiel 39:11-12

“As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a man’s bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.” Ezekiel 39:15

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Posted by: biblestudyseattle | March 19, 2014

Immortality revisited

Depending on which version you look at, there are three to eight scriptures about immortality.

“In the way of righteousness there is life;
along that path is immortality.” Proverbs 12:28
“Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.” Romans 1:22-23
“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” Romans 2:7
“in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 1 Corinthians 15:52-54
“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17
“which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:15-16
“but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” 2 Timothy 1:10

If we synthesize all these passages, a few things become apparent. 1 Corinthians 15:52-54 seems to say that immortality is instant upon resurrection. But it also connects immortality with the elimination of death. 2 Timothy 1:10 also links immortality to Christ destroying death. This brings to mind:

“For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:25-26

Since death will not be destroyed until the end of the Millennium, can we assume that immortality will not commence till then? Must all death be destroyed before immortality begins? It’s interesting that a couple of the scriptures above say that only God the Father is immortal. Why doesn’t it say that Jesus is immortal?

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Posted by: biblestudyseattle | March 18, 2014

Love & Respect

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs has done a good job of highlighting these two important things for Men & Women. Unfortunately, Satan wants to destroy the family, and one of his subtle lies has been teaching that wives should love their husbands. Sounds fine, no? It doesn’t work.

What’s the number one way to show anyone respect? Listening! Where there is no listening, there is no conversation. Without conversation, there is no relationship! Husbands & wives need to listen to each other. If anyone has trouble paying attention, this is a big problem. Another killer of respect is control. No one wants to be controlled. Yet some people would rather control another rather than knowing another.

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