Very often, we hear of the phrase - The Fear of the Lord - being trumpeted at the pulpit to goad church members into actions of some sort. This is taken from Proverb 9:10 which states, 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is inderstanding.' In this post, I will attempt to explain the meaning with its attendant implication and application of the Fear of the Lord.
There is a widespread belief that once a person is saved by grace, the blood of Jesus Christ will free the believer from all sins and he/she is free to live life the way he/she wants. While it is true that salvation is free and nobody can earns it by any amount of good works, the convert is accountable for all his/her actions after salvation. Unless the sins of commission and omissions are repented of before God the Father (Acts 20:21) and confessed through prayer, the believer stands to lose the rewards accorded to him/her.
Those who understand the Fear of the Lord are wise because they will live righteous lives to please God who is the ultimate Judge of all His creation, including all humanity. They know that their reward is the inheritance of the kingdom of God when Christ returns to rule and reign as the King of kings and Lord of lords on earth (Rev 3: 11,21; 22:12). The Apostle Paul uses the phrase ' The Terror of the Lord' to describe the judgment seat of Christ for good works and bad ones (2 Cor 5:10-11). Colossions 3: 24-25 vividly describes the rewards of inheritance and the punishments commensurate with those who have done wrong. It is worthy to note that these admonitions are delivered to those who are believers.
The Lord Jesus Christ warns in Matthew 22:11-13 that those who have no good works to show forth his/her faith will be excluded in the kingdom of God - means that they will not be part of the divine royal Family. The term 'wedding garment' symbolises good works of the saints. While those who claim to be God's ministers but instead serve their own interests (known as 'hypocrites' - Matthew 24:51) will be severely punished. They will be cut into two - probably separation of the spirit and soul making one incomplete - a situation far worse than death!
Let us make this clear - salvation is by grace, but rewards are according to works. But works do not just confine to doing good deeds, it has to begin with right character qualities. For without the right spiritual character qualities and attitudes, all works are merely works of the flesh which God will not recognise! To be sure of our calling and election, eventually being ushered into the everlasting kingdom of God (2 Peter 1:10-11) with the divine nature, we need to follow the teachings of 2 Peter 1:5-9. The result of an obedient and faithful life is one of honor, position and glory of eternal life to come in the kingdom of God.
In 2 Peter 1:5, we are urged to give due diligence with efforts, striving and yearning after the things of God. This involves putting off the old selfish nature and putting on the new spirit man with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God in us. After repentance towards God the Father, we must have faith in Christ as His words say He would do for us as the High Priest before our Heavenly Father. Virtue is the determination to live for the Lord and not for the pomp and glamour of this world. To have godly virtue one must have the right knowledge, for Christ cautions us in John 7:17, 'If onyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.' Unfortunately, not many Christians would put in the time and effort to search the truth but being swayed into following man's ways and teachings that are contrary to the Word of God. They are worshipping God in vain (Mark 7:7).
With knowledge comes responsibilities, and that is why self-control or self-government is required of us to obey and put right what is wrong. Little wonder the Apostle Paul speaks of disciplining his body in order to win the prize (reward) of his inheritance in the kingdom of God as if running a race to win (1 Cor 9:24-27). He is not talking about salvation which is by the grace of God that he cannot earned. Then there is perseverance or endurance. A true follower of Christ has to endure hardship, trials and tribulations to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22b).
How then can one become godlike? By gazing and studying into His word on a consistent basis to know and understand His will for our lives. To these are added brotherly kindness and love. If we have the love of God in our life, we will be kind and gracious to others, not just those in the household of faith but even those we dislike! The key to be able to practise this is to adopt the 'give way of life' instead of the world's system of the 'get way of life'. When we understand and put into practice what the Scripture teaches, we will be frutiful in the work of the Lord (verse 8).
Those who practise the works of the flesh like adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry,sorcery, heresies, drunkenness, murders, envy etc will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21). Unless they repented and confessed their sins, they stand to miss the kingdom of God during the millennial reign of Christ when He returns. The major stumbling block to our inheritance is when our flesh and the Spirit of God are in conflicts striving to gain control of our lives. The Apostle Paul describes such conflict in Romans 7:15-25. We have to learn to become overcomer by starving the flesh and nurture the spirit within us so that the Holy Spirit can work God's will in and through us.
We have to earn our right to inherit the kingdom of God just like Joshua and Caleb earned theirs by entering the promised land. Jude 11 is a timely warning to those who waver (being double minded) in the service of God, 'Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.' Cain brought a bloodless sacrifice for worship hoping that it will satisfy the demands of God. However, this reminds us that only through the blood of Jesus Christ can man's sin be forgiven and cleansed. Balaam's error was trying to compromise the laws and commandments of God with worldly gains and status. Those who hold on to the doctrine of Balaam (Rev 2:14) are teaching and or practising things contrary to the Word of God. Such people have not understood the severity of the Fear of the Lord. They have every reason to fear for their destiny!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
THE SONS OF GOD
The conventional teaching in Christianity is that once a person receives Christ as his/her personal Lord and Savior, the believer then becomes a son or daughter of God. But a closer examination of Scriptures shows that this is not so. It is much more than that. If it were that simple, the bible should not be more than a few pages thick! In this blog, we will discuss who are the potential sons of God and how does a believer qualify as one.
It is God the Father who creates, designs and forms the spirit of man in every human being (Numbers 27:16).
Just as the spirit in man (1 Cor 2: 11-13) differentiates a human being from that of an animal, the Spirit of God indwelling in the mind of a convert differentiates him/her from that of a pre-believer. After repentance and water baptism, the believer will receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands of a spiritual leader. This connection of the Holy Spirit with the spirit in man is what makes a believer a child of God. At that point, the convert is begotten of God on his way to become a son of God as the Holy Spirit works in cooperation with the human spirit in the mind of the convert (Romans 8:16). However, the convert is like a foetus in the womb of the mother (Gal 4:26), awaiting to be born. The 'mother' is the church who is responsible to feed the new believer the word of truth for the believer to grow into maturity as a son of God.
A true Christian is one led by the Spirit of God, for they are the sons of God (Rom 8:14). To be led by God's Spirit is to be prompted and directed by the Holy Spirit in the disciple's daily life who is called to develop the spiritual character qualities of Christ-likeness (Rom 8:28-30). The disciple must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt 6:33), and righteousness is the character of Christ-likeness, for Christ will be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jeremiah 23:6) when He returns to establish the kingdom of God on earth.
The potential sons of God have yet to be born again, which will happen at the first resurrection (Rev 20:5)just before Christ returns at the sound of the last trumpet to set up the kingdom of God on earth (Rev 11:15). Once born again, they will become immortal spiritual God beings to be members of the Divine Family (1 Cor 15:54). For flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50) but only immortal spirit being can see, enter and inherit it. Just like the wind which can be felt but cannot be seen (John 3:8), the kingdom of God can only be seen and entered into by spirit beings, not human beings (John 3:3,5)! Potential sons of God are presently heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Christ being the firstborn from among the dead -Rom 8:29d) which after death, will be glorified - meaning, being resurrected from physical death (Rom 8:17). When the sons of God are perfected at resurrection, they will be like Christ (1 John 3:2), no longer able to sin (1 John 3:9).
Christ will bring the rewards of the individual sons of God with Him when He returns (Rev 22:12) - not daughters of God because there is no sex and mariage in the world of the spirit beings (Matthew 22:30). The rewards are given by God the Father who is in heaven, not that the rewards are presented in heaven.The rewards are determined by the Heavenly Father who is the Head of the Divine Family. Earthly marriage and family is a symbolism of God's plan for His own Divine Family. A type of rehearsal for the creation of His eternal Divine Family! Theologians, scientists and philosophers can search and research all their life but can never find the truth, unless the Spirit of God is working in them to reveal His marvellous divine plan for mankind.
No wonder that 2 Timothy 3:7 states that men are always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. The Apostle Paul warns that those who do not love the truth will fall into deception and perish (2 Thess 2:10). Christ on the night before He was betrayed, prayed for His disciples before God the Father, 'Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.' (John 17:17). Truth can never be compromised, for it is the universal spiritual law set by God which cannot be broken. Christ told the Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' (John 8:31-32). That is what the Scriptures meant by righteousness - understanding and obeying the truth as taught by Christ. Details of which can be found in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5 through 7. These teachings are for the sons of God to abide to overcome Satan, society and self. Once they overcome, they will qualify to be born again as sons of God to rule and reign with Christ, just as Christ overcame Satan in the wilderness and qualify to rule as King in His coming kingdom!
The Apostle Paul in his inspired writings from 1 Cor 15:45-49 states, 'The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam (Christ) became a life giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust (flesh and blood), and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man (composed of spirit after resurrection).' Those who are called and chosen to become sons of God are those whom God is working in their lives. They are literally a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Sadly, these are a small minority who will understand and obey, such 'little flock' (Luke 12:32) will ultimately inherit all that God has destined for them in the kingdom of God. Make no mistake, only those who enter and inherit the kingdom of God have obtained salvation and have eternal life! Even the patriarchs and prophets of old are still waiting for the first resurrection when Christ returns (Hebrews 11:13).
Potential sons of God are called to take on the divine nature of their Parent (2 Peter 1:4), holy and righteous in character. To accomplish this, disciples basically have to overcome the pride of life and the lust of the eyes that is dominant in this world's value system. Without this understanding and discipline, it is an uphill task like going against the forces of gravity. Christ's sermon on the mount in Matthew chapters 5 through 7 is a series of teachings about the give way of life as compare to the get way of life that is practised by the people of this world. But there is hope. The Lord of Righteousness will return to change all that has gone out of sync with God's will for mankind. The Day of Lord will be time when God will supernaturally intervene in the affairs of mankind (Zachariah 14:1-5) to bring about permanent change for mankind and all the governments of this world!
The sons of God will see, enter and inherit the kingdom of God. But many wrongly assume that once they are 'saved, baptised and become a church member' they will so inherit it. In Mark 1:15, Christ preached, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel.' Notice that at that point in time, the church has not even being formed. The church came about on the day of Pentecost which was fifty days after Christ ascended to heaven. It is a no brainer to know that Christ message about the kingdom of God cannot be referring to the church. What he was saying is that after overcoming Satan at the wilderness (Matthew 4:3-11), He is now qualified to be King of the coming kingdom of God - that is what He meant by 'the time is fulfilled'. Since the time of John the Baptist, the kingdom of God was being preached and everyone is pressing (striving) to enter it (Luke 16:16). The time to preach the kingdom of God and to qualify to enter it was then and still is now! Only born again resurrected spirit beings can see, enter (John 3:3-8) and inherit the kingdom of God with all the riches of God's inheritance and rewards for those who qualify!
One must accept God's terms to qualify for the kingdom. It is not automatic as many wrongly assume. Most churches failed to worship the Heavenly Father. One of Christ's main goals on His first advent was to reveal God the Father and His will for mankind. Sadly, most simply do not believe Him. The majority will wake up in the second resurrection to find that they have missed the most glorious time of history - the inauguration of Christ on the throne of His Millennial Reign, together with His resurrected saints as kings (Daniel 7:13, 14, 18), probably to different positions of key appointments in His kingdom. They will reign with Christ forever and ever into eternity! The parable of the Minas in Luke 1912:27 clearly teaches the principle of rewards for those servants who will believe and obey what He teaches. For no one will be fit to rule and reign in the kingdom of God if they do not believe and obey in this lifetime. For those who are servants of God but refuse to submit to His governmental authority for the church, they will be severely punished ((Luke 19:26-27).
Every potential son of God will have his/her role in the church carve out by God (1 Cor 12: 18). They are not at liberty to do as they please. To do so would be like those rebellious servants in Christs' parables in Matthew 24 and Luke 19 who are 'doing their own things' and ultimately lose their rewards and be punished. They are not connected to the Head of the church, who is Christ. Only those who are found faithful and wise will ultimately made rulers over God's kingdom (Matthew 24:45). God's ultimate purpose for the resurrected spirit beings is to propagate His government over all His creation in the universe (Isaiah 9:7). Will you take step to believe and obey Him and be counted as a son of God? Your awesome potential is yet to be!
It is God the Father who creates, designs and forms the spirit of man in every human being (Numbers 27:16).
Just as the spirit in man (1 Cor 2: 11-13) differentiates a human being from that of an animal, the Spirit of God indwelling in the mind of a convert differentiates him/her from that of a pre-believer. After repentance and water baptism, the believer will receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands of a spiritual leader. This connection of the Holy Spirit with the spirit in man is what makes a believer a child of God. At that point, the convert is begotten of God on his way to become a son of God as the Holy Spirit works in cooperation with the human spirit in the mind of the convert (Romans 8:16). However, the convert is like a foetus in the womb of the mother (Gal 4:26), awaiting to be born. The 'mother' is the church who is responsible to feed the new believer the word of truth for the believer to grow into maturity as a son of God.
A true Christian is one led by the Spirit of God, for they are the sons of God (Rom 8:14). To be led by God's Spirit is to be prompted and directed by the Holy Spirit in the disciple's daily life who is called to develop the spiritual character qualities of Christ-likeness (Rom 8:28-30). The disciple must seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt 6:33), and righteousness is the character of Christ-likeness, for Christ will be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jeremiah 23:6) when He returns to establish the kingdom of God on earth.
The potential sons of God have yet to be born again, which will happen at the first resurrection (Rev 20:5)just before Christ returns at the sound of the last trumpet to set up the kingdom of God on earth (Rev 11:15). Once born again, they will become immortal spiritual God beings to be members of the Divine Family (1 Cor 15:54). For flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 15:50) but only immortal spirit being can see, enter and inherit it. Just like the wind which can be felt but cannot be seen (John 3:8), the kingdom of God can only be seen and entered into by spirit beings, not human beings (John 3:3,5)! Potential sons of God are presently heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Christ being the firstborn from among the dead -Rom 8:29d) which after death, will be glorified - meaning, being resurrected from physical death (Rom 8:17). When the sons of God are perfected at resurrection, they will be like Christ (1 John 3:2), no longer able to sin (1 John 3:9).
Christ will bring the rewards of the individual sons of God with Him when He returns (Rev 22:12) - not daughters of God because there is no sex and mariage in the world of the spirit beings (Matthew 22:30). The rewards are given by God the Father who is in heaven, not that the rewards are presented in heaven.The rewards are determined by the Heavenly Father who is the Head of the Divine Family. Earthly marriage and family is a symbolism of God's plan for His own Divine Family. A type of rehearsal for the creation of His eternal Divine Family! Theologians, scientists and philosophers can search and research all their life but can never find the truth, unless the Spirit of God is working in them to reveal His marvellous divine plan for mankind.
No wonder that 2 Timothy 3:7 states that men are always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. The Apostle Paul warns that those who do not love the truth will fall into deception and perish (2 Thess 2:10). Christ on the night before He was betrayed, prayed for His disciples before God the Father, 'Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.' (John 17:17). Truth can never be compromised, for it is the universal spiritual law set by God which cannot be broken. Christ told the Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' (John 8:31-32). That is what the Scriptures meant by righteousness - understanding and obeying the truth as taught by Christ. Details of which can be found in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5 through 7. These teachings are for the sons of God to abide to overcome Satan, society and self. Once they overcome, they will qualify to be born again as sons of God to rule and reign with Christ, just as Christ overcame Satan in the wilderness and qualify to rule as King in His coming kingdom!
The Apostle Paul in his inspired writings from 1 Cor 15:45-49 states, 'The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam (Christ) became a life giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust (flesh and blood), and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man (composed of spirit after resurrection).' Those who are called and chosen to become sons of God are those whom God is working in their lives. They are literally a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). Sadly, these are a small minority who will understand and obey, such 'little flock' (Luke 12:32) will ultimately inherit all that God has destined for them in the kingdom of God. Make no mistake, only those who enter and inherit the kingdom of God have obtained salvation and have eternal life! Even the patriarchs and prophets of old are still waiting for the first resurrection when Christ returns (Hebrews 11:13).
Potential sons of God are called to take on the divine nature of their Parent (2 Peter 1:4), holy and righteous in character. To accomplish this, disciples basically have to overcome the pride of life and the lust of the eyes that is dominant in this world's value system. Without this understanding and discipline, it is an uphill task like going against the forces of gravity. Christ's sermon on the mount in Matthew chapters 5 through 7 is a series of teachings about the give way of life as compare to the get way of life that is practised by the people of this world. But there is hope. The Lord of Righteousness will return to change all that has gone out of sync with God's will for mankind. The Day of Lord will be time when God will supernaturally intervene in the affairs of mankind (Zachariah 14:1-5) to bring about permanent change for mankind and all the governments of this world!
The sons of God will see, enter and inherit the kingdom of God. But many wrongly assume that once they are 'saved, baptised and become a church member' they will so inherit it. In Mark 1:15, Christ preached, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel.' Notice that at that point in time, the church has not even being formed. The church came about on the day of Pentecost which was fifty days after Christ ascended to heaven. It is a no brainer to know that Christ message about the kingdom of God cannot be referring to the church. What he was saying is that after overcoming Satan at the wilderness (Matthew 4:3-11), He is now qualified to be King of the coming kingdom of God - that is what He meant by 'the time is fulfilled'. Since the time of John the Baptist, the kingdom of God was being preached and everyone is pressing (striving) to enter it (Luke 16:16). The time to preach the kingdom of God and to qualify to enter it was then and still is now! Only born again resurrected spirit beings can see, enter (John 3:3-8) and inherit the kingdom of God with all the riches of God's inheritance and rewards for those who qualify!
One must accept God's terms to qualify for the kingdom. It is not automatic as many wrongly assume. Most churches failed to worship the Heavenly Father. One of Christ's main goals on His first advent was to reveal God the Father and His will for mankind. Sadly, most simply do not believe Him. The majority will wake up in the second resurrection to find that they have missed the most glorious time of history - the inauguration of Christ on the throne of His Millennial Reign, together with His resurrected saints as kings (Daniel 7:13, 14, 18), probably to different positions of key appointments in His kingdom. They will reign with Christ forever and ever into eternity! The parable of the Minas in Luke 1912:27 clearly teaches the principle of rewards for those servants who will believe and obey what He teaches. For no one will be fit to rule and reign in the kingdom of God if they do not believe and obey in this lifetime. For those who are servants of God but refuse to submit to His governmental authority for the church, they will be severely punished ((Luke 19:26-27).
Every potential son of God will have his/her role in the church carve out by God (1 Cor 12: 18). They are not at liberty to do as they please. To do so would be like those rebellious servants in Christs' parables in Matthew 24 and Luke 19 who are 'doing their own things' and ultimately lose their rewards and be punished. They are not connected to the Head of the church, who is Christ. Only those who are found faithful and wise will ultimately made rulers over God's kingdom (Matthew 24:45). God's ultimate purpose for the resurrected spirit beings is to propagate His government over all His creation in the universe (Isaiah 9:7). Will you take step to believe and obey Him and be counted as a son of God? Your awesome potential is yet to be!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM
For many years after I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, I always thought that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is synonymous with the Gospel about Christ. How wrong I had been. The bible stated categorically in Mark 1:14-15, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.' But what exactly is the gospel of the kingdom of God? He can't be talking about Himself since He has yet to die for the sins of the world then, and not even His close disciples knew!
Throughout the centuries, millions and perhaps billions of people were confused. Rather, I should say being blinded to the truth! Most thought that the kingdom of God (or kingdom of heaven) is the universal church, many thought it is heaven and some presume it is the faith residing in the hearts and souls within you. Some are misled by the incorrect translation in Luke 17:21b which states that 'the kingdom of God is within you'. In truth, the correct translation should be 'the kingdom of God is in the midst of you'. This points to Christ as He is the divine Representative of the soon coming kingdom. Misguided preachers compounded the problems multifold.
Shortly after the passing of the first Apostles towards the close of the first century, there had been a conspiracy to deceive the masses about the true gospel. The gospel of the kingdom is about the coming kingdom of God which God the Father will send Christ at His Second Coming to establish a worldwide government to dethrone Satan who is the current king of this world (2 Cor 4:4). A kingdom will have four elements - King (Christ), territories (all nations of the earth), subjects (humans who survive the Great Tribulations and reconstituted humans from the second resurrection) and Laws (the ten commandments and laws of Christ). Without the Laws, there will be lawlessness leading to anarchy!
The gospel of the kingdom was what Christ came to preach at His first advent (Luke 4:43). The gospel of Jesus Christ is about the good news of the kingdom of God. He is the Prophet spoken of by Moses (Deut 18:15) and we are all told to hear Him - His message given by God the Father for mankind! Christ is the Messenger of the covenant (Malachi 3:1). Sadly, most so called Christians only believe in Him (even the demons do and trembled) but do not believe Him - His message and commandments! Many put their trust in the traditions and teachings of man whom they see, but lack the faith to believe the words and teachings of Christ whom they do not see.
Please don't get me wrong, we must all accept Christ as our personal Savior in order to find acceptance for the forgiveness of our sins in order to be born again as spirit being to see and enter the kingdom of God. But by preaching only Christ and ignoring His message is like accepting the means but forgetting the end! We need to proclaim both hand in hand. Christ is preached in conjunction with the gospel not apart from it! This is evident in Acts 8:12 when Philip preached 'the things concerning the kingdom of God AND the name of Jesus Christ ' to the Samaritans. Subsequently, those who heard the gospel were then baptized. Similarly, the Apostle Paul preached 'the kingdom of God AND teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence.' (Acts 28:31). These show that the gospel of the kingdom and Christ are clearly two separate matters but yet to be preached together!
Note that Christ sent out His twelve disciples and told them to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 9:1-2).Whenever the gospel of the kingdom was preached, there is healing! Christ cannot be talking about Himself since He has yet to walk the road to calvary then. Make no mistake, it is the gospel of Christ. The gospel that Christ preached and not the gospel about Christ. Readers may ask how did all this confusion come about? The answer is both religious and political.
By the middle of the first century A.D. the mysteries of lawlessness is already at work (2 Thess 2:7). Simon the Sorceror, aka Simon Magus was one of the founding fathers of heresy. Such heresy sought to twist the gospel . With the Jewish religious leaders under the patronage of the Roman authorities (kind of civil servants), they were afraid to proclaim the kingdom of God as the gospel lest it be misconstrued to challenge the Roman Empire and taken as subversives and be put to death. Obviously, these religious leaders were looking after their own interests at the expense of God's gospel message to mankind!
One must believe the gospel of the kingdom of God (the kingdom and kingdom of heaven are all used interchangeabley) to be saved. Because without seeing and entering the kingdom of God, no salvation can take place. All those who will be saved will be changed into spirit being at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). In the New testament, these words 'kingdom', kingdom of God' and 'kingdom of heaven' are used a total of 136 times.This is so important that the Apostle Paul issued a warning not to pervert the true gospel or else be accursed (Gal 1:6-9). Notice the good Apostle emphasised the gospel OF Christ and not the gospel about Christ (verse 7). The gospel of Christ is the gospel of the kingdom of God, with Christ as the means to fulfill the end salvation of it all.
As a Prophet sent by God, Christ came to proclaim hope to a hopeless world that one day He will return to govern the world to bring world peace, harmony, universal health, universal education and prosperity! The religious leaders including Christs' disciples thought that it will happen in His first advent. Everywhere He went, Christ spoke about the kingdom of God, many of them through parables. He sent His twelve disciples and later His seventy disciples to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God and also to heal the sick (Luke 9:1-2, 10:1,9). Make no mistake, the gospel of the kingdom is the goods news of the coming government of God to rule all the nations of the world - only then will every knee bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
The Apostle Peter preached the gospel of the kingdom, 'for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11). And so did the Apostle James in James 2:5, 'Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?' Notice that Paul in Acts 20:21& 25 preached about the kingdom of God to the Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. All these passages clearly show that Christ Himself and the early Apostles consistently preached the message of the kingdom of God.
But that is not all. The early prophets of the Old Testament also preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. This was revealed by the Apostle Peter in Acts 3: 21, 'the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.' - starting with the righteous men before the Flood, Enoch and Noah. Jude 14-15 tells us that Enoch prophesied that the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment on all people. This is in clear reference to Christ millennial reign on earth after His Second Coming. Next came Noah - the preacher of righteousness - a reference to the time when God's Law will be instituted worldwide (2 Peter 2: 4-9) which can only happen during the millennial reign of Christ.
God promised Abraham that through him, all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Geneses 12:3). In Galatians 3:8, we are told that the gospel was preached to Abraham (probably through Melchizedek) and that all the nations shall be blessed. It is a no brainer to understand that only when God's government is firmly established on earth can such prophecies be fulfilled! Then there was Moses, who preached the gospel in the wilderness about the coming Messiah and Prophet Jesus Christ Who will someday rule and judge the world as King of the earth (Deut 18:15, 18-19). King David proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom in many of his Psalms, 'For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations' (Psalms 22:28); 'For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth' (Psalms 37:9, 11, 18,22,29,34); 'Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For YOU shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth' (Psalms 67:4).
The prophet Isaiah stated clearly and succinctly in many of his prophecies about the government and coming kingdom of God on earth that will bring lasting peace, power and prosperity and that it will last forever (Isaiah 9:6-7). Even the nature of the animal kingdom will be changed during the coming kingdom (Isaiah 11: 6-9). Jeremiah 23:5-6 states, 'Behold, the days are coming, the Lord will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.' The prophet Ezekiel wrote in Ezekiel 36:24-30 of the coming rule of God's government on earth to bring about restoration and forgiveness. Then there was prophet Daniel who stated in Daniel 2:44 about the coming kingdom that will stand forever and never be destroyed.
Let's get the Christian goal clear - it is to be born into the kingdom of God as a spirit being (sons of God for those in the first resurrection and children of God in the second) to rule under the Kingship and leadership of Christ on earth for a thousand years and then onto eternity. It is only through the Blood and forgiveness of Christ can this be made possible. With one trillion galaxies and quadrillions of stars in the universe, the tasks of restoration and rebuilding upon the creation of God is humongous. Satan and his demons will by then be banished into the blackness of darkness (Jude 13) to spend eternity in the far flung corner of the universe without light forever.But the sons and children of God will be equipped for the glorious tasks ahead!
Throughout the centuries, millions and perhaps billions of people were confused. Rather, I should say being blinded to the truth! Most thought that the kingdom of God (or kingdom of heaven) is the universal church, many thought it is heaven and some presume it is the faith residing in the hearts and souls within you. Some are misled by the incorrect translation in Luke 17:21b which states that 'the kingdom of God is within you'. In truth, the correct translation should be 'the kingdom of God is in the midst of you'. This points to Christ as He is the divine Representative of the soon coming kingdom. Misguided preachers compounded the problems multifold.
Shortly after the passing of the first Apostles towards the close of the first century, there had been a conspiracy to deceive the masses about the true gospel. The gospel of the kingdom is about the coming kingdom of God which God the Father will send Christ at His Second Coming to establish a worldwide government to dethrone Satan who is the current king of this world (2 Cor 4:4). A kingdom will have four elements - King (Christ), territories (all nations of the earth), subjects (humans who survive the Great Tribulations and reconstituted humans from the second resurrection) and Laws (the ten commandments and laws of Christ). Without the Laws, there will be lawlessness leading to anarchy!
The gospel of the kingdom was what Christ came to preach at His first advent (Luke 4:43). The gospel of Jesus Christ is about the good news of the kingdom of God. He is the Prophet spoken of by Moses (Deut 18:15) and we are all told to hear Him - His message given by God the Father for mankind! Christ is the Messenger of the covenant (Malachi 3:1). Sadly, most so called Christians only believe in Him (even the demons do and trembled) but do not believe Him - His message and commandments! Many put their trust in the traditions and teachings of man whom they see, but lack the faith to believe the words and teachings of Christ whom they do not see.
Please don't get me wrong, we must all accept Christ as our personal Savior in order to find acceptance for the forgiveness of our sins in order to be born again as spirit being to see and enter the kingdom of God. But by preaching only Christ and ignoring His message is like accepting the means but forgetting the end! We need to proclaim both hand in hand. Christ is preached in conjunction with the gospel not apart from it! This is evident in Acts 8:12 when Philip preached 'the things concerning the kingdom of God AND the name of Jesus Christ ' to the Samaritans. Subsequently, those who heard the gospel were then baptized. Similarly, the Apostle Paul preached 'the kingdom of God AND teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence.' (Acts 28:31). These show that the gospel of the kingdom and Christ are clearly two separate matters but yet to be preached together!
Note that Christ sent out His twelve disciples and told them to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God and to heal the sick (Luke 9:1-2).Whenever the gospel of the kingdom was preached, there is healing! Christ cannot be talking about Himself since He has yet to walk the road to calvary then. Make no mistake, it is the gospel of Christ. The gospel that Christ preached and not the gospel about Christ. Readers may ask how did all this confusion come about? The answer is both religious and political.
By the middle of the first century A.D. the mysteries of lawlessness is already at work (2 Thess 2:7). Simon the Sorceror, aka Simon Magus was one of the founding fathers of heresy. Such heresy sought to twist the gospel . With the Jewish religious leaders under the patronage of the Roman authorities (kind of civil servants), they were afraid to proclaim the kingdom of God as the gospel lest it be misconstrued to challenge the Roman Empire and taken as subversives and be put to death. Obviously, these religious leaders were looking after their own interests at the expense of God's gospel message to mankind!
One must believe the gospel of the kingdom of God (the kingdom and kingdom of heaven are all used interchangeabley) to be saved. Because without seeing and entering the kingdom of God, no salvation can take place. All those who will be saved will be changed into spirit being at the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). In the New testament, these words 'kingdom', kingdom of God' and 'kingdom of heaven' are used a total of 136 times.This is so important that the Apostle Paul issued a warning not to pervert the true gospel or else be accursed (Gal 1:6-9). Notice the good Apostle emphasised the gospel OF Christ and not the gospel about Christ (verse 7). The gospel of Christ is the gospel of the kingdom of God, with Christ as the means to fulfill the end salvation of it all.
As a Prophet sent by God, Christ came to proclaim hope to a hopeless world that one day He will return to govern the world to bring world peace, harmony, universal health, universal education and prosperity! The religious leaders including Christs' disciples thought that it will happen in His first advent. Everywhere He went, Christ spoke about the kingdom of God, many of them through parables. He sent His twelve disciples and later His seventy disciples to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God and also to heal the sick (Luke 9:1-2, 10:1,9). Make no mistake, the gospel of the kingdom is the goods news of the coming government of God to rule all the nations of the world - only then will every knee bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!
The Apostle Peter preached the gospel of the kingdom, 'for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11). And so did the Apostle James in James 2:5, 'Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?' Notice that Paul in Acts 20:21& 25 preached about the kingdom of God to the Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. All these passages clearly show that Christ Himself and the early Apostles consistently preached the message of the kingdom of God.
But that is not all. The early prophets of the Old Testament also preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. This was revealed by the Apostle Peter in Acts 3: 21, 'the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.' - starting with the righteous men before the Flood, Enoch and Noah. Jude 14-15 tells us that Enoch prophesied that the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment on all people. This is in clear reference to Christ millennial reign on earth after His Second Coming. Next came Noah - the preacher of righteousness - a reference to the time when God's Law will be instituted worldwide (2 Peter 2: 4-9) which can only happen during the millennial reign of Christ.
God promised Abraham that through him, all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Geneses 12:3). In Galatians 3:8, we are told that the gospel was preached to Abraham (probably through Melchizedek) and that all the nations shall be blessed. It is a no brainer to understand that only when God's government is firmly established on earth can such prophecies be fulfilled! Then there was Moses, who preached the gospel in the wilderness about the coming Messiah and Prophet Jesus Christ Who will someday rule and judge the world as King of the earth (Deut 18:15, 18-19). King David proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom in many of his Psalms, 'For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations' (Psalms 22:28); 'For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth' (Psalms 37:9, 11, 18,22,29,34); 'Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For YOU shall judge the people righteously, and govern the nations on earth' (Psalms 67:4).
The prophet Isaiah stated clearly and succinctly in many of his prophecies about the government and coming kingdom of God on earth that will bring lasting peace, power and prosperity and that it will last forever (Isaiah 9:6-7). Even the nature of the animal kingdom will be changed during the coming kingdom (Isaiah 11: 6-9). Jeremiah 23:5-6 states, 'Behold, the days are coming, the Lord will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.' The prophet Ezekiel wrote in Ezekiel 36:24-30 of the coming rule of God's government on earth to bring about restoration and forgiveness. Then there was prophet Daniel who stated in Daniel 2:44 about the coming kingdom that will stand forever and never be destroyed.
Let's get the Christian goal clear - it is to be born into the kingdom of God as a spirit being (sons of God for those in the first resurrection and children of God in the second) to rule under the Kingship and leadership of Christ on earth for a thousand years and then onto eternity. It is only through the Blood and forgiveness of Christ can this be made possible. With one trillion galaxies and quadrillions of stars in the universe, the tasks of restoration and rebuilding upon the creation of God is humongous. Satan and his demons will by then be banished into the blackness of darkness (Jude 13) to spend eternity in the far flung corner of the universe without light forever.But the sons and children of God will be equipped for the glorious tasks ahead!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT
There are three spring Holy Days that represent the true church of God - whose members were called by God before the Second Coming of Christ to fulfill His Master Plan of Salvation for Mankind. The remaining four fall Holy Days represent salvation for the rest of manknind - probably a hundred billion or more people who have ever lived on planet earth since the creation of Adam and Eve.
In order for all mankind to be saved, God's Master Plan involves the atonement of all their sins. Since the Lord Jesus said in John 12: 32, If I am lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL PEOPLES to Myself', and it is God's desire that none should perish, God's Master Plan of Salvation involves Christ Second Coming and restrainting the great deceiver and his proxies who have blinded the world from God's truth!
The Day of Atonement, observed just after the Feast of Trumpets, gives answer as to how this is to be achieved. For six thousand years, Satan, his demons and their human representatives have ruled the world with much injustices and sufferings for the majority of mankind. This is accomplished through a world system of distorted values and deceptions, accomplished largely through complicated webs of political and religious hidden agenda with the control of the monetary system and mass media (Eph 2:2, 5:11-12, 6:12, 2 Thess 2:9-12, 2 Peter 2:1-3, Rev 17:17). Their ultimate goal is world domination (codeword: NEW WORLD ORDER) to usher in the Antichrist!
For God's Plan of Salvation to be accomplished, not only sin has to be removed, but the source as well. Scriptures tell us that Satan is the primary instigator of all sin, though human nature has a part too. Not only is Satan the primary cause of sin, he is also the one who blinded billions to God's truth (2 Cor 4: 3-4). Many things that we think we know to be the truth turn out otherwise, and this more so in these last days.
The command to keep the Day of Atonement is found in Leviticus 23:27 and Numbers 29:7. It is a day of fasting in remembrance of the time when God will save all mankind after the establishment of the kingdom of God by Jesus Christ in the Millennial Age with His resurrected Divine Family. The sons of God who will be in the first resurrection will help Christ to rule and teach all the rest of humanity (probably a hundred billion or more) to be resurrected in the second resurrection towards the last one hundred years of Christs' thousand year reign. These sons of God (kings) of the royal Divine Family will be endowed with supernatural power and knowledge like in the days of Jesus when He first walked the earth, perhaps even more! They will perform the humongous tasks of teaching, ministering and ruling the countless billions to turn to God's truth and way of life! Hence, they need to have the Christlike character qualities to fit the tasks.
The Day of Atonement is meant to look forward to the time when Satan and his demons will be incarcerated to deceive the world no more (Rev 20: 1-3), so that all humanity can be saved. This is symbolised in the Old Testament two-goats sin offering performed by Aaron and found in Leviticus 16:5-10. The priest was to select two goats as a sin offering for the people. Aaron as the high priest was to cast lots to select the one for the Lord - which typologically represents Jesus Christ as the sin offering to pay for our sins - and the other to be released into the wilderness as the escape goat ( escape goat is a more accurate translation than scapegoat)." The sending of the sin-laden goat... signifies the complete removal of the sins of the people and the handing over, as it were, to the evil spirit to whom they belong" (The One Volume Bible Commentary, page 95). The escape goat represents Satan and his demons. However, God will remove them from humanity before establishing Christ on the throne as the King of kings and Lord of lords during the coming millennial rule.
Once Satan and his demons are removed, mankind will be free to understand and apply the truth and Laws of God. 'For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.' (Isaiah 11:9).The command to fast is to represent our dependence to God in repentance and humility to remember the horror of sin that has wreck mankind for generations! As the High Priest takes the blood of the slain goat into the Holy Place - the mercy seat - it is a symbol of God's throne with His Laws and Government established over all His creation. Similarly, we are reminded of Christ in heaven who is our High Priest making intercessions on our behalf.
Since Christ had done all for us, we need not come with animal sacrifices, but a humble spirit and a contrite heart to remember God's Master Plan of Salvation for mankind. For those whom God has called, it is a time to reflect in preparation of the coming tasks ahead to bring in the great harvest into the kingdom of God. The Day of Atonement also reminds us that until Satan and his demons are put away, sin will continue to wreck havoc worldwide. But with the faith of Christ, we can overcome and look forward to the day when humanity will be at peace with God and with one another !
In order for all mankind to be saved, God's Master Plan involves the atonement of all their sins. Since the Lord Jesus said in John 12: 32, If I am lifted up from the earth, will draw ALL PEOPLES to Myself', and it is God's desire that none should perish, God's Master Plan of Salvation involves Christ Second Coming and restrainting the great deceiver and his proxies who have blinded the world from God's truth!
The Day of Atonement, observed just after the Feast of Trumpets, gives answer as to how this is to be achieved. For six thousand years, Satan, his demons and their human representatives have ruled the world with much injustices and sufferings for the majority of mankind. This is accomplished through a world system of distorted values and deceptions, accomplished largely through complicated webs of political and religious hidden agenda with the control of the monetary system and mass media (Eph 2:2, 5:11-12, 6:12, 2 Thess 2:9-12, 2 Peter 2:1-3, Rev 17:17). Their ultimate goal is world domination (codeword: NEW WORLD ORDER) to usher in the Antichrist!
For God's Plan of Salvation to be accomplished, not only sin has to be removed, but the source as well. Scriptures tell us that Satan is the primary instigator of all sin, though human nature has a part too. Not only is Satan the primary cause of sin, he is also the one who blinded billions to God's truth (2 Cor 4: 3-4). Many things that we think we know to be the truth turn out otherwise, and this more so in these last days.
The command to keep the Day of Atonement is found in Leviticus 23:27 and Numbers 29:7. It is a day of fasting in remembrance of the time when God will save all mankind after the establishment of the kingdom of God by Jesus Christ in the Millennial Age with His resurrected Divine Family. The sons of God who will be in the first resurrection will help Christ to rule and teach all the rest of humanity (probably a hundred billion or more) to be resurrected in the second resurrection towards the last one hundred years of Christs' thousand year reign. These sons of God (kings) of the royal Divine Family will be endowed with supernatural power and knowledge like in the days of Jesus when He first walked the earth, perhaps even more! They will perform the humongous tasks of teaching, ministering and ruling the countless billions to turn to God's truth and way of life! Hence, they need to have the Christlike character qualities to fit the tasks.
The Day of Atonement is meant to look forward to the time when Satan and his demons will be incarcerated to deceive the world no more (Rev 20: 1-3), so that all humanity can be saved. This is symbolised in the Old Testament two-goats sin offering performed by Aaron and found in Leviticus 16:5-10. The priest was to select two goats as a sin offering for the people. Aaron as the high priest was to cast lots to select the one for the Lord - which typologically represents Jesus Christ as the sin offering to pay for our sins - and the other to be released into the wilderness as the escape goat ( escape goat is a more accurate translation than scapegoat)." The sending of the sin-laden goat... signifies the complete removal of the sins of the people and the handing over, as it were, to the evil spirit to whom they belong" (The One Volume Bible Commentary, page 95). The escape goat represents Satan and his demons. However, God will remove them from humanity before establishing Christ on the throne as the King of kings and Lord of lords during the coming millennial rule.
Once Satan and his demons are removed, mankind will be free to understand and apply the truth and Laws of God. 'For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.' (Isaiah 11:9).The command to fast is to represent our dependence to God in repentance and humility to remember the horror of sin that has wreck mankind for generations! As the High Priest takes the blood of the slain goat into the Holy Place - the mercy seat - it is a symbol of God's throne with His Laws and Government established over all His creation. Similarly, we are reminded of Christ in heaven who is our High Priest making intercessions on our behalf.
Since Christ had done all for us, we need not come with animal sacrifices, but a humble spirit and a contrite heart to remember God's Master Plan of Salvation for mankind. For those whom God has called, it is a time to reflect in preparation of the coming tasks ahead to bring in the great harvest into the kingdom of God. The Day of Atonement also reminds us that until Satan and his demons are put away, sin will continue to wreck havoc worldwide. But with the faith of Christ, we can overcome and look forward to the day when humanity will be at peace with God and with one another !
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
GOD'S END-TIME WARNINGS
The Lord Jesus Christ walked the earth some two thousand years ago to deliver the gospel message of the kingdom of God from the Heavenly Father. After preaching the gospel for three and a half years, only one hundred twenty believed what He preached (Acts 1:15). The rest who heard the gospel either disbelieve it, or worse, distort it into 'another gospel'. Throughout the centuries that follow, except for a small group of faithfull believers, the church has ignored preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. For those preachers who do so in the end-time, they either misunderstood or misinterpreted the gospel to suit their agenda. Looks like it has come full circle since the days of the first century Apostles!
The kingdom of God is the Government of God which will be established on earth for a thousand years after the Second Coming of Christ, with Jerusalem as the headquarters. But before this is to happen, the Great Tribulation will come upon earth as Satan unleashed his vengeance on planet earth before being dethroned with his incarceration for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-3). It will then be followed by judgment from God known as the Day of the Lord or the time of Jacob's Trouble!
Before Adam was ever created, the angels walked and inhabited the earth. The Government of God was over them. Unfortunately, they sinned and rebelled against God. God created Adam and Eve with the plan to restore the Government of God but they failed. The Word finally came, incarnated as the Son of God (John 1: 1-14) - aka Jesus Christ - the second Adam to save the world from ultimate destruction! Even Jesus Christ had to pass the test at the wilderness to qualify as the King of kings and Lord of lords to rule in the Millennial Age. Testings and trials will be required of His true disciples.
The prophet Ezekiel was given the message by God to warn the house of Israel - the lost ten tribes of Israel - about the impending judgment to come (Ezekiel 2:3, 3:1,17). However, Ezekiel himself was a slave from the house of Judah, not that of Israel. The house of Israel was taken to captivity by the Assyrian more than one hundred years before the house of Judah was taken to captivity by the Babylonian. The people of the house of Israel would have migrated to Britain and Western Europe by the time Ezekiel issued the warning. There was no record that Ezekiel left the Middle East and go west to deliver the message. In all probability, the warning of Ezekiel to the house of Israel was not meant for that time. It could mean that the warning message of Ezekiel was meant for the modern descendants of the house of Israel - people who have since taken roots in modern day United Kingdom, Western Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America.
The warning is a call to repentance before the coming of the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is the time when God supernaturally intervenes in the affairs of this world. Currently, it is the day of man when man manages his own affairs. Though the prophecy targets specifically the house of Israel, it is also applicable to all who would heed the call. For God is no respecter of persons. God commanded Ezekiel to convey the message of warning of the coming judgment (Ezekiel chapter 2) as it contains lamentations, mourning and woe (2:10).
The sixth chapter of the book of Revelation shows the opening of the first six seals of judgment. The sixth seal ushers the world to the Day of the Lord with catastrophic signs of the sun, moon and the stars.The seventh chapter unleashes the seventh seal which consists of the first four trumpets of the seven trumpet plagues. Only the servants of God - at that time will be the 144,000 and the multitudes from all nations - that have been sealed on their foreheads will be protected (Rev 7:3).
Seven trumpet plagues make up the seventh seal. The first plague burns up one third of the trees and grass, the second turns one third of the seas into blood , the third fell upon the rivers and water source and the fourth struck the sun, moon and stars (Rev chapter 8). The last three plagues, called woes, struck and killed one third of mankind (Rev 9:18). But still man will harden their hearts and not repent of their sins (8:20-21). The seventh trumpet consists of the seven last plagues, and will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom on earth with the sounding of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15!
Ezekiel was called to be a watchman to warn the house of Israel - not for his days but for end-time such as ours. It will continue on with the two witnesses preaching much to the same drumbeat (Rev: 11:3). The call to repentance with the coming of the kingdom of God is God's work of pre-eminence in these last days. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:14, 'And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.' The true church is tasked to complete this Great Commission in this end time. Sadly, few would heed the call.
The primary reason is found in Ephesians 2:1-2, 'And you He made alive, who were dead in trepasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.' Most who claim to be Christians lack the faith to believe Christ - His very words - though many believe in Him, of who He is. As such , many were being deceived to follow the slippery path of the great deceiver. That is why pop stars and sports personalities command more attention, wealth and influence than preachers and politicians. The mass media has been sold out to lure fame and fortune, and generally does not care what values and morals are being conveyed.
Even if the Lord tarrys His coming, a new world will dawn in the horizon. In it will be a totally new paradigm where values and systems will be based on the laws of God. The coming Millennial Age will be ruled by Christ with the resurrected born again saints as kings and priests to reign and teach God's truth and to reclaim all that have been lost to evil during the six thousand years of man's history (Acts 3:19-21). Will you heed the call and be a partaker of the most exciting time ever ?
The kingdom of God is the Government of God which will be established on earth for a thousand years after the Second Coming of Christ, with Jerusalem as the headquarters. But before this is to happen, the Great Tribulation will come upon earth as Satan unleashed his vengeance on planet earth before being dethroned with his incarceration for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-3). It will then be followed by judgment from God known as the Day of the Lord or the time of Jacob's Trouble!
Before Adam was ever created, the angels walked and inhabited the earth. The Government of God was over them. Unfortunately, they sinned and rebelled against God. God created Adam and Eve with the plan to restore the Government of God but they failed. The Word finally came, incarnated as the Son of God (John 1: 1-14) - aka Jesus Christ - the second Adam to save the world from ultimate destruction! Even Jesus Christ had to pass the test at the wilderness to qualify as the King of kings and Lord of lords to rule in the Millennial Age. Testings and trials will be required of His true disciples.
The prophet Ezekiel was given the message by God to warn the house of Israel - the lost ten tribes of Israel - about the impending judgment to come (Ezekiel 2:3, 3:1,17). However, Ezekiel himself was a slave from the house of Judah, not that of Israel. The house of Israel was taken to captivity by the Assyrian more than one hundred years before the house of Judah was taken to captivity by the Babylonian. The people of the house of Israel would have migrated to Britain and Western Europe by the time Ezekiel issued the warning. There was no record that Ezekiel left the Middle East and go west to deliver the message. In all probability, the warning of Ezekiel to the house of Israel was not meant for that time. It could mean that the warning message of Ezekiel was meant for the modern descendants of the house of Israel - people who have since taken roots in modern day United Kingdom, Western Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America.
The warning is a call to repentance before the coming of the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is the time when God supernaturally intervenes in the affairs of this world. Currently, it is the day of man when man manages his own affairs. Though the prophecy targets specifically the house of Israel, it is also applicable to all who would heed the call. For God is no respecter of persons. God commanded Ezekiel to convey the message of warning of the coming judgment (Ezekiel chapter 2) as it contains lamentations, mourning and woe (2:10).
The sixth chapter of the book of Revelation shows the opening of the first six seals of judgment. The sixth seal ushers the world to the Day of the Lord with catastrophic signs of the sun, moon and the stars.The seventh chapter unleashes the seventh seal which consists of the first four trumpets of the seven trumpet plagues. Only the servants of God - at that time will be the 144,000 and the multitudes from all nations - that have been sealed on their foreheads will be protected (Rev 7:3).
Seven trumpet plagues make up the seventh seal. The first plague burns up one third of the trees and grass, the second turns one third of the seas into blood , the third fell upon the rivers and water source and the fourth struck the sun, moon and stars (Rev chapter 8). The last three plagues, called woes, struck and killed one third of mankind (Rev 9:18). But still man will harden their hearts and not repent of their sins (8:20-21). The seventh trumpet consists of the seven last plagues, and will culminate in the return of Jesus Christ to establish His kingdom on earth with the sounding of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15!
Ezekiel was called to be a watchman to warn the house of Israel - not for his days but for end-time such as ours. It will continue on with the two witnesses preaching much to the same drumbeat (Rev: 11:3). The call to repentance with the coming of the kingdom of God is God's work of pre-eminence in these last days. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:14, 'And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.' The true church is tasked to complete this Great Commission in this end time. Sadly, few would heed the call.
The primary reason is found in Ephesians 2:1-2, 'And you He made alive, who were dead in trepasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.' Most who claim to be Christians lack the faith to believe Christ - His very words - though many believe in Him, of who He is. As such , many were being deceived to follow the slippery path of the great deceiver. That is why pop stars and sports personalities command more attention, wealth and influence than preachers and politicians. The mass media has been sold out to lure fame and fortune, and generally does not care what values and morals are being conveyed.
Even if the Lord tarrys His coming, a new world will dawn in the horizon. In it will be a totally new paradigm where values and systems will be based on the laws of God. The coming Millennial Age will be ruled by Christ with the resurrected born again saints as kings and priests to reign and teach God's truth and to reclaim all that have been lost to evil during the six thousand years of man's history (Acts 3:19-21). Will you heed the call and be a partaker of the most exciting time ever ?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
The Feast of Unleavened Bread follows on from the Passover as the Israelites came out of Egypt, signifying a life of sin and the old way of life. They are to adopt a new way of life of obedience to God's Laws and commandments. Similarly, for a new believer in Christ, once he has been forgiven of his past sins he has the opportunity to start anew going forward. This is a necessary stage for a Christian to undergo once he makes a decision to follow Christ - its kind of a rite of passage.
Exodus 12:15-20 is the biblical basis for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Feast is to be celebrated after the Passover and the first and seventh day kept holy with an offering to God. Exodus 12:17 says it is to be observed 'as an everlasting ordinance' - meaning that it is still applicable in modern times. The primary purpose of this Feast is to remember this phase of God's Plan of Salvation which is a typology of putting sin out of our lives.
Leaven is a sign of sin in biblical terminology. By calling for repentance and putting away of sin, it is a sign of being called out of this world to follow Christ. There can be no turning back if one to is qualify as a son of God. It is to be kept as a remembrance annually (Exodus 13:10). It is worthy to note that both the parents of Jesus and Christ Himself kept the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. (Luke 2:41-43; Mark 14:1-2 & 12-16). Interestingly, the early Apostles of Jesus Christ also celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Acts 12:3; 20:6-7). I believe that it is the Lord's command for us to observe these Feasts as well though not in a ritualistic manner, as given to us in 1 Cor 5:7-8, ' Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrified for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.'
To purge off the leaven is to resist sin and pride, much like a leaven which 'puffed up' the loaf of bread. This takes persistence and perseverance to overcome and much effort is often needed. Though salvation is free and nobody can earn it, but to become mature and attain the status of being a son of God requires sustained effort and time. After all, it was the pride of Satan that ultimately caused his downfall and deceive mankind into sin. The Christian has to overcome the deception of Satan, the temptations of society and the selfish nature of man to become an overcomer in order to inherit all that God has installed for us.
(Rev 1: 6; 2:7,10,11,17,23,26; 3:11-12,21). The give way of life, rather than the get way of life is God's plan for those whom He called.
The seven days of Unleavened Bread typify believers leaving behind spiritual Egypt which is in bondage, to a life in the promised land which signify freedom from sin and to receive blessings from God. To achieve that requires sustained effort on the part of the believer and God will assist through the power of His Spirit working in the lives of those whom He called and responded to His call (Philippians 2:12-13). When the Israelites fled Egypt, Pharaoh pursued right to the very end with the objective of destroying them. Only through God's supernatural intervention were the Israelites saved from imminent dangers. Much like what the great deceiver is doing now to hinder believers from abandoning the pomp and glamour of this world of which he now reigns. Only by cooperating with God's Holy Spirit can believers succeed in overcoming the afflictions of this present evil age (Galatians 1:4).
Since a little leaven can leaven the whole lump (1 Cor 5:6), we are admonished to put away sin as a way of life. One small sin can distort the mindset of a believer and eventually corrupts his character. It is your attitude, mindset and character that will eventually outlive your physical life, and these are what God is looking for with those who qualify as members of His Divine Family! The parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22: 1-14 shows that those without the wedding garment (righteous character will inevitably produce righteous acts and spiritual fruits) will be barred from partaking the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19: 8-9). Which means to say, those without the righteous character and spiritual fruits will not enter the kingdom of God to become members of God Divine Family!
The Apostle Paul stated this truth clearly in 1 Cor 6:9-10, 'Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor homesexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.' It is true that the following verse goes on to say that those who were once corrupted but are now washed clean will be accepted. However, believers have no licence to go back to the former way of life once they leave spiritual Egypt. In a similar vein, Galatians 5:19-21 warns us of the works of the flesh. For those who do will NOT inherit the kingdom of God - they will be barred from membership in God's Divine Family.
From my own personal journey and working experiences, I have had come across many instances where people of immense talents and giftings were capable of producing great results in all that they do. However, when one looks into their characters, they fall far short of what is to be desired. It is somewhat ironical that people will work diligently to achieve all their dreams and goals but never give a thought to work on their character, which is what matters from an eternal standpoint. This is made worse when people in power and authority made themselves appear what they are not. None of us is perfect no doubt, but what is crucial is the heart. Does one has the heart to please God by obeying Him or just to please man (could be your boss or anyone) or ourselves. The choice is yours to make.
Exodus 12:15-20 is the biblical basis for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Feast is to be celebrated after the Passover and the first and seventh day kept holy with an offering to God. Exodus 12:17 says it is to be observed 'as an everlasting ordinance' - meaning that it is still applicable in modern times. The primary purpose of this Feast is to remember this phase of God's Plan of Salvation which is a typology of putting sin out of our lives.
Leaven is a sign of sin in biblical terminology. By calling for repentance and putting away of sin, it is a sign of being called out of this world to follow Christ. There can be no turning back if one to is qualify as a son of God. It is to be kept as a remembrance annually (Exodus 13:10). It is worthy to note that both the parents of Jesus and Christ Himself kept the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. (Luke 2:41-43; Mark 14:1-2 & 12-16). Interestingly, the early Apostles of Jesus Christ also celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Acts 12:3; 20:6-7). I believe that it is the Lord's command for us to observe these Feasts as well though not in a ritualistic manner, as given to us in 1 Cor 5:7-8, ' Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrified for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.'
To purge off the leaven is to resist sin and pride, much like a leaven which 'puffed up' the loaf of bread. This takes persistence and perseverance to overcome and much effort is often needed. Though salvation is free and nobody can earn it, but to become mature and attain the status of being a son of God requires sustained effort and time. After all, it was the pride of Satan that ultimately caused his downfall and deceive mankind into sin. The Christian has to overcome the deception of Satan, the temptations of society and the selfish nature of man to become an overcomer in order to inherit all that God has installed for us.
(Rev 1: 6; 2:7,10,11,17,23,26; 3:11-12,21). The give way of life, rather than the get way of life is God's plan for those whom He called.
The seven days of Unleavened Bread typify believers leaving behind spiritual Egypt which is in bondage, to a life in the promised land which signify freedom from sin and to receive blessings from God. To achieve that requires sustained effort on the part of the believer and God will assist through the power of His Spirit working in the lives of those whom He called and responded to His call (Philippians 2:12-13). When the Israelites fled Egypt, Pharaoh pursued right to the very end with the objective of destroying them. Only through God's supernatural intervention were the Israelites saved from imminent dangers. Much like what the great deceiver is doing now to hinder believers from abandoning the pomp and glamour of this world of which he now reigns. Only by cooperating with God's Holy Spirit can believers succeed in overcoming the afflictions of this present evil age (Galatians 1:4).
Since a little leaven can leaven the whole lump (1 Cor 5:6), we are admonished to put away sin as a way of life. One small sin can distort the mindset of a believer and eventually corrupts his character. It is your attitude, mindset and character that will eventually outlive your physical life, and these are what God is looking for with those who qualify as members of His Divine Family! The parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22: 1-14 shows that those without the wedding garment (righteous character will inevitably produce righteous acts and spiritual fruits) will be barred from partaking the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19: 8-9). Which means to say, those without the righteous character and spiritual fruits will not enter the kingdom of God to become members of God Divine Family!
The Apostle Paul stated this truth clearly in 1 Cor 6:9-10, 'Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor homesexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.' It is true that the following verse goes on to say that those who were once corrupted but are now washed clean will be accepted. However, believers have no licence to go back to the former way of life once they leave spiritual Egypt. In a similar vein, Galatians 5:19-21 warns us of the works of the flesh. For those who do will NOT inherit the kingdom of God - they will be barred from membership in God's Divine Family.
From my own personal journey and working experiences, I have had come across many instances where people of immense talents and giftings were capable of producing great results in all that they do. However, when one looks into their characters, they fall far short of what is to be desired. It is somewhat ironical that people will work diligently to achieve all their dreams and goals but never give a thought to work on their character, which is what matters from an eternal standpoint. This is made worse when people in power and authority made themselves appear what they are not. None of us is perfect no doubt, but what is crucial is the heart. Does one has the heart to please God by obeying Him or just to please man (could be your boss or anyone) or ourselves. The choice is yours to make.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS
In the Old Testament book of Leviticus 23:24-25, the Lord told Moses to gather the people for an annual Sabbath called the Feast of Trumpets. This celebration begins the four fall festival seasons which commences from the first day of the seventh month depicting the completeness and perfection of God's Plan of salvation for mankind. In the Jewish community, this holiday is observed as the Rosh Hashanah - which means the beginning of the Jewish civil year. In Scriptures, it is called the Yom Teruah - the Day of Trumpets - as the children of Israel are to blow trumpets on that day.
A ram's horn - shofar - is blown announcing the commencement of the festival. It was also used to warn of imminent danger such as a call to arms when enemies are near the gates. According to Numbers 10:8, only the sons of Aaron of the Levitical Priesthood had been given the authority to blow these trumpets. In our days, we are no longer required to literally blow these trumpets as Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews 6:20).
The Lord Jesus Christ spoke of this in His Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24 of a time before His return (Second Coming) when the whole world will be entrenched in war, epidemic, famine and natural disasters. Such is the time of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21; Rev 7:14), a time of immense sufferings and disasters that the world had never seen until that time - which is yet to happen. Without God's supernatural intervention in the affairs of man, humanity would tip over the brink of total destruction! The day when God intervenes in the affairs of man is also called the 'Day of the Lord' - a day when the blowing of the trumpet is called for.
In today's context , the work of the true church of God is to be the watchman (Ezekiel 33: 5-9; Jeremiah 6:17) to proclaim the Gospel of the coming kingdom of God to all the nations (Matthew 24:14) and to warn the people of the impending dangers yet ahead. Unless they repent, many will perish when the wrath of Satan is unleashed, followed by the punishment of God - the Day of the Lord! Therefore, God's watchmen are to raise their voice like a trumpet to warn the people to repent (Isaiah 58:1), especially in these last days.
The Day of the Lord has its former and latter days fulfillment. The former part had been fulfilled in ancient Isreal and Judah while the latter part has yet to happen in the future. Zechariah 14:1-4 prophecies that the Day of the Lord is coming when nations of the world will gather together to wage battle in Jerusalem. The battle will be so intense that Christ has to return for the sake of the elect (the potential sons of God who are living then -Matt 24:22) or else mankind will be totally annihilated -probably through nuclear weapons!
Matthew 24:29-31 gives a clear account of what will happen after the Great Tribulation. The Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth accompanied by the sound of a trumpet (verse 31). Those who are His elect who are dead (sleeping) will hear His voice and be the first to resurrect - for His sheep know and hear His voice (John 10:4, 16), follow by the elect who are alive then. This will be the last trumpet call (1 Cor:15:52) - the seventh trumpet - when all His elect (to be born again as members of the divine family - a new creation) will be resurrected to immortality (1 Cor 15:53-54). Then and only then is their salvation complete.
The Apostle Paul warned the church in Thessalonica not to sleep - meaning not to be spiritually blurred, blinded or deceived - but to watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:6). For the Lord will return at a time most unexpected and those who are spiritually blinded, deceived and not prepared will not escape the cataclysmic events that will unfold before their very eyes (1 Thess 5:3; Matt 25:1-13). Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36). Yes, Christians have to be found worthy as overcomers to escape the cataclysmic events of the Great Tribulations(Matthew 25:1-13). The testing for them is already in progress (1 Peter 4:17)!
Revelation 8:7-12 describes the four trumpet plagues that will affect mankind. The first plague affects one third of all plant life and hence the source of food for mankind. The second plague affects the seas with one third of all sea creatures dead, another important source of food. The third plague affects a third of all waters in the rivers and springs, an essential life source. The fourth plague affects the light source, without which mankind is doom. Through God's grace, only one third of mankind is affected but man will still refuse to repent and turn to God. With humanity unrepentant, God will unleash His wrath.
God will destroy the Beast power and the false religious systems of this world. When the last trumpet is sounded, Christ will resurrect His saints to His divine Family to set up the kingdom of God on earth (Rev 11:15). The armies of this world will turn against Christ and His resurrected divine Family for one final battle. The King of kings (Christ) and the resurrected saints (sons of God) will completely rout the rebellious human army (Rev 19:17-21). The seventh bowl plague will result in a cataclysmic earthquake that completely change the face of the earth (Rev 16:18-20) and finally a loud voice from heaven saying, 'It is done!' (Rev 16:17).
The Feast of Trumpets is to remind us of the coming events culminating in the resurrection of the saints (First Resurrection), the destruction of the world's false religious systems and the Return of Christ to set up the kingdom of God on earth. Proverbs 25:2 tells us that 'It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,but the glory of kings (sons of God) is to search out a matter.' God's elect (sons of God) will continue to sow in tears, but they shall reap in joy (Psalms 126:5-6). For the sufferings and hardship of this world will never last since they are only temporal. But the overcoming saints will last as they inherit the divine Family with immortality to gain eternal joy when Jesus Christ return to rule and reign the world with His Headquarters in Jerusalem!
A ram's horn - shofar - is blown announcing the commencement of the festival. It was also used to warn of imminent danger such as a call to arms when enemies are near the gates. According to Numbers 10:8, only the sons of Aaron of the Levitical Priesthood had been given the authority to blow these trumpets. In our days, we are no longer required to literally blow these trumpets as Jesus is our High Priest (Hebrews 6:20).
The Lord Jesus Christ spoke of this in His Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24 of a time before His return (Second Coming) when the whole world will be entrenched in war, epidemic, famine and natural disasters. Such is the time of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21; Rev 7:14), a time of immense sufferings and disasters that the world had never seen until that time - which is yet to happen. Without God's supernatural intervention in the affairs of man, humanity would tip over the brink of total destruction! The day when God intervenes in the affairs of man is also called the 'Day of the Lord' - a day when the blowing of the trumpet is called for.
In today's context , the work of the true church of God is to be the watchman (Ezekiel 33: 5-9; Jeremiah 6:17) to proclaim the Gospel of the coming kingdom of God to all the nations (Matthew 24:14) and to warn the people of the impending dangers yet ahead. Unless they repent, many will perish when the wrath of Satan is unleashed, followed by the punishment of God - the Day of the Lord! Therefore, God's watchmen are to raise their voice like a trumpet to warn the people to repent (Isaiah 58:1), especially in these last days.
The Day of the Lord has its former and latter days fulfillment. The former part had been fulfilled in ancient Isreal and Judah while the latter part has yet to happen in the future. Zechariah 14:1-4 prophecies that the Day of the Lord is coming when nations of the world will gather together to wage battle in Jerusalem. The battle will be so intense that Christ has to return for the sake of the elect (the potential sons of God who are living then -Matt 24:22) or else mankind will be totally annihilated -probably through nuclear weapons!
Matthew 24:29-31 gives a clear account of what will happen after the Great Tribulation. The Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth accompanied by the sound of a trumpet (verse 31). Those who are His elect who are dead (sleeping) will hear His voice and be the first to resurrect - for His sheep know and hear His voice (John 10:4, 16), follow by the elect who are alive then. This will be the last trumpet call (1 Cor:15:52) - the seventh trumpet - when all His elect (to be born again as members of the divine family - a new creation) will be resurrected to immortality (1 Cor 15:53-54). Then and only then is their salvation complete.
The Apostle Paul warned the church in Thessalonica not to sleep - meaning not to be spiritually blurred, blinded or deceived - but to watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:6). For the Lord will return at a time most unexpected and those who are spiritually blinded, deceived and not prepared will not escape the cataclysmic events that will unfold before their very eyes (1 Thess 5:3; Matt 25:1-13). Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:36). Yes, Christians have to be found worthy as overcomers to escape the cataclysmic events of the Great Tribulations(Matthew 25:1-13). The testing for them is already in progress (1 Peter 4:17)!
Revelation 8:7-12 describes the four trumpet plagues that will affect mankind. The first plague affects one third of all plant life and hence the source of food for mankind. The second plague affects the seas with one third of all sea creatures dead, another important source of food. The third plague affects a third of all waters in the rivers and springs, an essential life source. The fourth plague affects the light source, without which mankind is doom. Through God's grace, only one third of mankind is affected but man will still refuse to repent and turn to God. With humanity unrepentant, God will unleash His wrath.
God will destroy the Beast power and the false religious systems of this world. When the last trumpet is sounded, Christ will resurrect His saints to His divine Family to set up the kingdom of God on earth (Rev 11:15). The armies of this world will turn against Christ and His resurrected divine Family for one final battle. The King of kings (Christ) and the resurrected saints (sons of God) will completely rout the rebellious human army (Rev 19:17-21). The seventh bowl plague will result in a cataclysmic earthquake that completely change the face of the earth (Rev 16:18-20) and finally a loud voice from heaven saying, 'It is done!' (Rev 16:17).
The Feast of Trumpets is to remind us of the coming events culminating in the resurrection of the saints (First Resurrection), the destruction of the world's false religious systems and the Return of Christ to set up the kingdom of God on earth. Proverbs 25:2 tells us that 'It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,but the glory of kings (sons of God) is to search out a matter.' God's elect (sons of God) will continue to sow in tears, but they shall reap in joy (Psalms 126:5-6). For the sufferings and hardship of this world will never last since they are only temporal. But the overcoming saints will last as they inherit the divine Family with immortality to gain eternal joy when Jesus Christ return to rule and reign the world with His Headquarters in Jerusalem!
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