#christians — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #christians, aggregated by home.social.
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Pope Leo XIV gets India. Rome shouldn’t listen to India only when Christians are threatened
At Vatican audiences, gifts are usually the most visible and least consequential part of the encounter. Those presented…
#Italy #Europe #Europa #EU #Rome #'popeleoxiv' #Christians
https://www.europesays.com/italy/44986/ -
Celui qui veut garder sa vie, la perdra. Celui qui perd sa vie à cause du Fils de Dieu, la retrouvera.
#russie #russia #ukraine #chretiens #christians #france #franceinfo #cnews #bfmtv #Dieu #Christ
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Learn Hebrew Slang!
You’ll sound more natural when speaking Hebrew after reading my latest publication.
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
https://open.substack.com/pub/hebrewbyinbal/p/learn-hebrew-slang-10-israeli-expressions?r=2at7n8&utm_medium=ios#HebrewForBeginners #LearnHebrew #LanguageLearning #Slang #Christians
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On "real Christians."
This is a lightly edited version of a post I first made several years ago on Facebook. Sadly, it never seems to stop being relevant.
===
Every time I hear #Christians saying "they're not real Christians" or "this isn't real #Christianity," about other Christians doing something that brings discredit on the ##religion, my skin crawls.
Because if they're not Christians ... well, neither was Constantine. Neither were the generations of #monarchs who followed, invoking the divine right of kings. Neither were the #popes and #bishops and #priests—and note that I'm not just talking about #Catholics here—who almost universally supported and legitimized the idea that #God had put our leaders in place, and to oppose them was #blasphemy.
Neither were the #Crusaders, the #Inquisitors, the #witch-burners. Neither were the soldiers who fought generations of #religious #wars within #Christendom, including the Thirty Years' War that wrought devastation equal to both World Wars. Neither for that matter were the politicians who gave us what we *call* the First World War, in which most of the major combatants on both sides proudly claimed the Christian label, and in several cases were still official theocracies.
Neither were the Christians who rounded up their #Jewish neighbors in the Second for delivery to the camps—and if you claim that was the work of a #neopagan cult that maybe a few thousand people total ever took seriously, I'll laugh in your face before cutting you out of my life. (But I'll remember who and what you are, believe me.) Neither were the people who used Christianity to justify #conquest and #slavery and #genocide and #segregation, for centuries, and in many cases still do.
In short, if you say these people aren't Christians, you're saying most Christians throughout the *entire history of the religion* weren't Christians. You can die on that hill if you really want to. But you'll die alone, and most likely at the hands of your fellow believers.
Christians are, as a rule, no worse than other people. But you're no better, either. Do you *want* to be better? Great, that's what everyone else wants too.
So prove it. Stop making excuses. Own these people, and *then* confront them. Admit that they're yours, and then expunge them. Scourge the heretics with fire and sword, and send them wailing into the outer darkness tearing their hair and gnashing their teeth. Cast them into the lake of fire.
If you do this, if you have first the moral and then the physical courage to face this monstrosity in your midst unflinchingly and with full knowledge of what it is, then you'll have plenty of help. #Jews and #Muslims and #Hindus and #Wiccans and #atheists and all the rest won't just cheer you on. We'll be right there by your side.
And while there are in the US still more Christians than all of us put together, there aren't more of *this kind* of Christian than all decent human beings put together. We can't fight them alone. Neither can you. Together we can—as long as you're honest about what that means.
If you don't? We'll be right back to #Torquemada, with a high-tech gloss. You might live a little longer than the rest of us, but not by much, and you'll go to the rack and the stake and the oven with the words of your own holy writ shouted in your ears.
Those are the only two options. Your choice.
===
Addendum:
I have a great many friends who grew up Christian, and left the religion at some point. Despite having made the choice to walk away from their childhood faith, they often feel the reflexive need to defend the people they were, and in most cases their families still are.
Those who are still Christians, of whom I trust I also have a fair number left, may feel the same impulse—although interestingly, it seems to me they're less reflexive on the whole than the former believers.
We're all made of our #history. The people we were are still the people we are, in some corner of our brains. And there are complexities about being on the inside of any group that outsiders can never quite grasp. It's similar to the way I am about the #military, which is practically a religion in its own right.
Okay. Stipulated, as lawyers say on TV and maybe in real life too. I get it. Now please get this:
Unless you *grew up* as a member of a religious minority, you will most likely never understand, on a gut level, the terror the majority religion inflicts by its very existence.
This isn't unique to Christianity, to be clear. Every majority religion, in every time and place, has unconsciously (and often consciously as well, to be sure) been casually brutal to infidels and heretics. Nature of the beast. But here in the US, that beast invariably carries a cross, so there's the focus of my attention.
You don't have to understand it. Just accept that it exists, and it leaves scars. I can live with those scars, and so can nearly everyone else who bears them. That *stigma*, if you will.
But if you cut us, we still bleed. We'll heal from those wounds too, and add new scars to the old. Long after the bleeding stops, we'll remember who gave them to us.
Here I stand; I can do no other. How about you?
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#God #Forgives #Rapists & #Murderers… But Not This?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ULU27JMtOk
#Christians claim that God is all-forgiving—so why does the #Bible say there's one sin He can’t #forgive? In this video, I break down the doctrine of #blasphemy against the #HolySpirit, examining the verses, #contradictions, and #theological confusion surrounding it. We also expose how #Christian #pastors and #apologists can’t even agree on what this sin actually is or if it can be committed today.
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wake up babe, #lutherans aren't considered #christians any more (at least not by the #QAnon crew)
https://x.com/GenFlynn/status/1885872007062892568
#lutheran #MikeFlynn #ChristianNationalism #conspiracytheorist
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Alleging religious conversion, mob vandalises Christian prayer service in Chhattisgarh
Residents alleged that five members of the minority community were attacked, but the police refuted allegations of assault and vandalism.
#chhattisgarh #durg #amleshwar #BajrangDal #CommunalViolence #HinduMobs #christians #minorities #conversions #ReligiousFreedom #christianity #hindutva #india
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Sign of the Times and the Last Days #2 Wars, natural disasters, famine and false Messiahs
The first thing to understand about the Last Days is that Jesus Christ will return to Earth to establish his Father’s Kingdom. The Bible says so quite plainly.
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)
“The Last Days” is the term used to describe the period of time immediately before the actual re-appearance of Jesus. This is why the subject is of such great interest to Christians today.
The “Signs of the Times” are those events, which suggest to us that the return of Christ is imminent. This is a great source of encouragement for Christians and a warning sign to those who have not committed themselves to Christ that their window of opportunity is closing.
The Signs of the Times are detailed particularly in Matthew chapter 24 and the parallel account in Luke. Jesus is talking to his disciples about the destruction of the Temple and they asked him when this would happen. Jesus replied:
“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” (Luke 21:7).
Jesus then proceeded to list a series of signs.
Before we look at the signs, it is necessary to understand that in prophecy, there are often minor as well as major fulfilments. The minor fulfilment, which normally happens soon after the prophecy is given, provides proof that the greater fulfilment will also come to pass. So we need to consider what the minor and major fulfilments are. But first, let’s detail what the signs are, as listed in Luke 21.
- False Christs (Verse 8)
- Wars and Revolutions (Verse 9 & 10)
- Earthquakes (Verse 11)
- Famines (Verse 11)
- Plagues or Pestilences (Verse 11)
- Fearful Events (Verse 11)
- Signs from heaven (Verse 11)
- Persecution of Believers by Authorities(Verse 12)
- Betrayal of Believers by those close to them (Verse 16)
- Believers hated because of Christ (Verse 17)
- Jerusalem surrounded (Verse 20)
- Jews will fall by the sword, be taken prisoner and be dispersed (Verse 24)
- Jerusalem trampled by the Gentiles (non-Jews) until the end of the Gentile times (Verse 24)
- Signs in the sun, moon and stars (Verse 25)
- Nations will be in anguish and perplexity (Verse 25)
- Men will faint from terror (Verse 26)
In verse 27, is describes the return of Jesus. Then in verse 29, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree, saying that when the leaves come out summer is near. For reference, we will call that sign 17.
The minor fulfilment of Christ’s words concerned the destruction of Jerusalem in ‘AD 70’ by the Roman army. This followed a rebellion by the Jews, which is mentioned in our second sign. The relevance of the signs we have numbered 11, 12, and 13 is immediately obvious, but it also introduces something called the Gentile times, which we need to deal with.
The seventeenth sign, as we have numbered it, is the parable of the fig tree. This tree is a symbol of Israel and appeared on many coins etc. Therefore the renewal of the fig tree symbolises the renewal of Israel. This happened in 1948, when the Jews returned to the land to establish an independent state.
The Times of the Gentiles were ended when Jerusalem ceased to be trampled by non-Jews. This happened in the “Six Day” War of 1967, when Israel expelled Jordan and gained total control of the city.These two events that have taken place in direct fulfilment of Bible prophecy, strongly suggest that we re in the Last Days, but what about the other signs?
It is worth noting that critics of Bible prophecy often argue that these “signs” have always happened; for instance, there have always been wars, there have always been famine, earthquakes, plagues etc. This is true, But Jesus himself says in verse 32
“I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.”
So the major fulfilment will occur when ALL these events happen within a certain timescale. The most likely timescale is 40 years, which is the Bible “definition” of a generation. So when all these things have come to pass, there is a definite time-limit. If, for instance the last sign to be fulfilled was the re-capture of Jerusalem from Gentile hands in 1967, then the latest time Jesus could return in order to fulfil prophecy would be 2007.
David Koresh in a 1987 mug shotJim or James Warren Jones, American religious cult leader at an anti-eviction protest in front of the International Hotel in 1977
This also highlights the problem or trying to guess too accurately the return of Jesus. He himself said that he return will not come with “careful observation” but rather it will come suddenly and unexpectedly as a “thief in the night”.
Lastly, Jesus stated that no-one knew when he would return. Jesus did not know himself. Only God knows.
Again, the minor fulfilment gives us encouragement, because Jesus said the words in approximately CE 33 and the destruction of Jerusalem took place in CE 70, just within the 40 year “limit”.There have been numerous False Messiahs over the centuries. One very recent and prominent one was David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidian sect who perished in the flames of the Waco siege in Texas, USA, 1993. It seems important to false messiahs that they die, rather than admit the failure of their prophecies. They also prefer to take as many as possible of their followers with them. In March 1997 in San Diego, 39 Heaven’s Gate followers [ led by Marshall Applewhite (1931–1997) and Bonnie Nettles (1927–1985)] poison themselves believing UFO would pick them up. In October 1994 in Switzerland, 48 Solar Temple members found burned in chalets. In November 1978 in Guyana, 914 drink cyanide, led by the Rev. Jim Jones.
We don’t need to think hard about the issue of wars. In the last 50 years, there has been the Korean Wars (1950–1953; 1974-1976; 2010-2013 ), the Falklands War (1982), the Vietnam war (1954–75) and the Gulf War (1990-1991), Second Persian Gulf War or Iraq War (2003–11), Afghanistan War (2001–2014) to name but a very few.
Damaged buildings in Port-au-Prince – 2010 Haiti earthquakeThe study of earthquakes is an interesting one. Obviously, communications are much better than they were 500 years ago and the world is more densely populated, so we hear a lot more about earthquakes than we used to. However, if we just look at the last 30 years, in 1970, there were 4,139 recorded earthquakes, in 1980 there were 7,348 earthquakes, an increase of 77% on ten years before. In 1990 there were 16,612 recorded earthquakes, an increase of 126% over the 1980 figure. In 2000, there were 22,256, an increase of 34% over the 1990 figure. So obviously, something is going on!
Famine in Yemen could become one of worst in living memory, UN saysAgain, there have always been famines. The Bible speaks of them often. But they were always either preceded or followed by prosperous years and in this way, the people could put by a little grain each good year to help them through the bad years. The Genesis story of Joseph and the seven fat and seven thin cows bears this out.
The difference now however is that countries are not recovering. Climate changes and Man’s inhumanity to Man are causing countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan to be permanently short of food, despite all the best efforts of the Western Aid agencies.
There have always been plagues and pestilences, but once more, we see a “cluster” of AIDS, BSE, CJD, Foot and Mouth and ME all been prominent in the last few years.
Signs in the heavens, or in the Sun, Moon and Stars can be taken two ways. The first way is the literal way and there have been numerous astronomical “signs” in recent years, such as comets, meteorites etc. The other possible meaning is the symbolic one, where the “heavens” (often translated the “high places”) represent government and the Sun Moon and Stars represent rulers. Taking this route, there are many situations that could have this prophecy applied to them.
We then have three prophecies concerning the persecution of Christ’s followers, namely Christians. This is one prophecy where the past really does seem to have more examples than the present, although persecution does exist, for instance in China and Islamic nations. Perhaps this is one prophecy where we will see greater fulfilment in the near future.
The persecution of the Jews has been a common pastime in western Europe for over 1,000 years. They were persecuted in England in the Middle Ages and In 1858 Lionel de Rothschild became the first Jewish MP who was permitted to take his seat without taking the oath that involved the words “by the true faith of a Christian” and in 1890 the last of the government posts became open to members of the Jewish faith. Russian pogroms, particularly between 1903 and 1906 saw many Jews killed. And of course, we can never forget the 6 million Jews killed in the Second World War.
We hope it is clear that these prophecies apply to the times we are living in now. This means that the return of Christ is imminent. As Jesus says in Luke 21:27
“At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
And again,
“36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
+
Preceding
The Greatness of the eternal God
The New Testament and Judgement
To be prepared for the Day of Judgment
Living as a believer in Christ
A participation in the body of Christ
Do you believe what Christ’s Apostles taught?
Bible Reading: is it worthwhile?
The importance of Reading the Scriptures
The Bible: is it contradictory?
The Development of Differences
Bible Teaching and Vital Doctrines to Discover
Avoiding friction and distraction in the body of Christ
A participation in the body of Christ
Brothers and sisters in Christ for you
The Christadelphians or “Brethren in Christ”
Video: Introducing the Christadelphian Community
Who has the power of prophecy?
Prophecy concerning Babylon and Israel
Why is the nation of Israel being restored?
The Jews have fulfilled Bible Prophecy
Will There Ever be Peace on Earth?
Sign of the Times and the Last Days #1 The Son of man revealing
+
To be prepared and very well oiled
Signs of the times – “An object of scorn and ridicule”
Signs of the times – “A new order in the Middle East”
Memorizing wonderfully 59 Word of God, the Book and finished work
Next: Sign of the Times and the Last Days #3 Coming events revealed in the prophetic wrings
++
Additional reading
- Date Setting
- Jesus … will come in the same way as you saw him go
- The Rapture Wars
- May we be “ready” when Jesus returns
- Increasing turmoil and fear but a rock to look at and go for
- Afraid to see the man of the heavens opened
- Together tasting a great promise
- The corpus separatum and Mahmoud Abbas
+++
Further related articles
- Are We in Danger of Repeating History
- Is it Just Me, or Does it Seem Like Everything is Going Crazy These Days?
- Getting ready for change…
- it’s a sign of the
- The Last Days Acceleration of Time, pt. 2 by Pastor Kevin E. Johnson
- The Last Days Acceleration of Time, Pt. 3 by Pastor Kevin E. Johnson
- The Last Days Acceleration of Time, Pt. 4 by Pastor Kevin E. Johnson
- Jesus Is Coming Back!
- Great Red Dragon Series #4 – Part 196 of Riddles, Enigmas & Esoteric Imagery of Revelation
- A Rising Called For!
- “Warning To Be Heeded”
- Yemen: More than 50,000 children expected to die of starvation and disease by end of year
- Famine in Yemen could become one of worst in living memory, UN says
- Yemen on brink of ‘world’s worst famine in 100 years’ if war continues
Rate this:
#1858 #1890 #1948 #1967 #1978 #1994 #1997 #2007 #70 #AstronomicalSigns #BonnieNettles #BranchDavidianOffshootGroupOfTheDavidianSeventhDayAdventistChurch_ #Christians #ClimateChange #DavidKoresh #Earthquake #Ethiopia #FalseMessiah #Famine #FigTree #GentileTimes #HeavenSGateAmericanUFOReligiousMillenarianReligiousGroup_ #JimJones #LastDays #LionelDeRothschild #Luke21 #Luke211617 #Luke2120 #Luke212426 #Luke212428 #Luke212728 #Luke2129 #Luke2136 #Luke217 #Luke21812 #MarshallApplewhite #Matthew24 #OrdreDuTempleSolaireOTSOrOrderOfTheSolarTemple_ #ParableOfTheFigTree #PersecutionOfGodSPeople #PestilenceS_ #ReturnOfChrist #RussianPogromS_ #SecondComing #SecondComingOfChrist #Sign #SignsInTheHeavens #SignsOfEndtimes #SignsOfTheTimes #SixDayWar1967_ #Sudan #TimesOfTheGentiles #WacoSiege #War
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Sign of the Times and the Last Days #2 Wars, natural disasters, famine and false Messiahs
The first thing to understand about the Last Days is that Jesus Christ will return to Earth to establish his Father’s Kingdom. The Bible says so quite plainly.
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)
“The Last Days” is the term used to describe the period of time immediately before the actual re-appearance of Jesus. This is why the subject is of such great interest to Christians today.
The “Signs of the Times” are those events, which suggest to us that the return of Christ is imminent. This is a great source of encouragement for Christians and a warning sign to those who have not committed themselves to Christ that their window of opportunity is closing.
The Signs of the Times are detailed particularly in Matthew chapter 24 and the parallel account in Luke. Jesus is talking to his disciples about the destruction of the Temple and they asked him when this would happen. Jesus replied:
“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” (Luke 21:7).
Jesus then proceeded to list a series of signs.
Before we look at the signs, it is necessary to understand that in prophecy, there are often minor as well as major fulfilments. The minor fulfilment, which normally happens soon after the prophecy is given, provides proof that the greater fulfilment will also come to pass. So we need to consider what the minor and major fulfilments are. But first, let’s detail what the signs are, as listed in Luke 21.
- False Christs (Verse 8)
- Wars and Revolutions (Verse 9 & 10)
- Earthquakes (Verse 11)
- Famines (Verse 11)
- Plagues or Pestilences (Verse 11)
- Fearful Events (Verse 11)
- Signs from heaven (Verse 11)
- Persecution of Believers by Authorities(Verse 12)
- Betrayal of Believers by those close to them (Verse 16)
- Believers hated because of Christ (Verse 17)
- Jerusalem surrounded (Verse 20)
- Jews will fall by the sword, be taken prisoner and be dispersed (Verse 24)
- Jerusalem trampled by the Gentiles (non-Jews) until the end of the Gentile times (Verse 24)
- Signs in the sun, moon and stars (Verse 25)
- Nations will be in anguish and perplexity (Verse 25)
- Men will faint from terror (Verse 26)
In verse 27, is describes the return of Jesus. Then in verse 29, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree, saying that when the leaves come out summer is near. For reference, we will call that sign 17.
The minor fulfilment of Christ’s words concerned the destruction of Jerusalem in ‘AD 70’ by the Roman army. This followed a rebellion by the Jews, which is mentioned in our second sign. The relevance of the signs we have numbered 11, 12, and 13 is immediately obvious, but it also introduces something called the Gentile times, which we need to deal with.
The seventeenth sign, as we have numbered it, is the parable of the fig tree. This tree is a symbol of Israel and appeared on many coins etc. Therefore the renewal of the fig tree symbolises the renewal of Israel. This happened in 1948, when the Jews returned to the land to establish an independent state.
The Times of the Gentiles were ended when Jerusalem ceased to be trampled by non-Jews. This happened in the “Six Day” War of 1967, when Israel expelled Jordan and gained total control of the city.These two events that have taken place in direct fulfilment of Bible prophecy, strongly suggest that we re in the Last Days, but what about the other signs?
It is worth noting that critics of Bible prophecy often argue that these “signs” have always happened; for instance, there have always been wars, there have always been famine, earthquakes, plagues etc. This is true, But Jesus himself says in verse 32
“I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.”
So the major fulfilment will occur when ALL these events happen within a certain timescale. The most likely timescale is 40 years, which is the Bible “definition” of a generation. So when all these things have come to pass, there is a definite time-limit. If, for instance the last sign to be fulfilled was the re-capture of Jerusalem from Gentile hands in 1967, then the latest time Jesus could return in order to fulfil prophecy would be 2007.
David Koresh in a 1987 mug shotJim or James Warren Jones, American religious cult leader at an anti-eviction protest in front of the International Hotel in 1977
This also highlights the problem or trying to guess too accurately the return of Jesus. He himself said that he return will not come with “careful observation” but rather it will come suddenly and unexpectedly as a “thief in the night”.
Lastly, Jesus stated that no-one knew when he would return. Jesus did not know himself. Only God knows.
Again, the minor fulfilment gives us encouragement, because Jesus said the words in approximately CE 33 and the destruction of Jerusalem took place in CE 70, just within the 40 year “limit”.There have been numerous False Messiahs over the centuries. One very recent and prominent one was David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidian sect who perished in the flames of the Waco siege in Texas, USA, 1993. It seems important to false messiahs that they die, rather than admit the failure of their prophecies. They also prefer to take as many as possible of their followers with them. In March 1997 in San Diego, 39 Heaven’s Gate followers [ led by Marshall Applewhite (1931–1997) and Bonnie Nettles (1927–1985)] poison themselves believing UFO would pick them up. In October 1994 in Switzerland, 48 Solar Temple members found burned in chalets. In November 1978 in Guyana, 914 drink cyanide, led by the Rev. Jim Jones.
We don’t need to think hard about the issue of wars. In the last 50 years, there has been the Korean Wars (1950–1953; 1974-1976; 2010-2013 ), the Falklands War (1982), the Vietnam war (1954–75) and the Gulf War (1990-1991), Second Persian Gulf War or Iraq War (2003–11), Afghanistan War (2001–2014) to name but a very few.
Damaged buildings in Port-au-Prince – 2010 Haiti earthquakeThe study of earthquakes is an interesting one. Obviously, communications are much better than they were 500 years ago and the world is more densely populated, so we hear a lot more about earthquakes than we used to. However, if we just look at the last 30 years, in 1970, there were 4,139 recorded earthquakes, in 1980 there were 7,348 earthquakes, an increase of 77% on ten years before. In 1990 there were 16,612 recorded earthquakes, an increase of 126% over the 1980 figure. In 2000, there were 22,256, an increase of 34% over the 1990 figure. So obviously, something is going on!
Famine in Yemen could become one of worst in living memory, UN saysAgain, there have always been famines. The Bible speaks of them often. But they were always either preceded or followed by prosperous years and in this way, the people could put by a little grain each good year to help them through the bad years. The Genesis story of Joseph and the seven fat and seven thin cows bears this out.
The difference now however is that countries are not recovering. Climate changes and Man’s inhumanity to Man are causing countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan to be permanently short of food, despite all the best efforts of the Western Aid agencies.
There have always been plagues and pestilences, but once more, we see a “cluster” of AIDS, BSE, CJD, Foot and Mouth and ME all been prominent in the last few years.
Signs in the heavens, or in the Sun, Moon and Stars can be taken two ways. The first way is the literal way and there have been numerous astronomical “signs” in recent years, such as comets, meteorites etc. The other possible meaning is the symbolic one, where the “heavens” (often translated the “high places”) represent government and the Sun Moon and Stars represent rulers. Taking this route, there are many situations that could have this prophecy applied to them.
We then have three prophecies concerning the persecution of Christ’s followers, namely Christians. This is one prophecy where the past really does seem to have more examples than the present, although persecution does exist, for instance in China and Islamic nations. Perhaps this is one prophecy where we will see greater fulfilment in the near future.
The persecution of the Jews has been a common pastime in western Europe for over 1,000 years. They were persecuted in England in the Middle Ages and In 1858 Lionel de Rothschild became the first Jewish MP who was permitted to take his seat without taking the oath that involved the words “by the true faith of a Christian” and in 1890 the last of the government posts became open to members of the Jewish faith. Russian pogroms, particularly between 1903 and 1906 saw many Jews killed. And of course, we can never forget the 6 million Jews killed in the Second World War.
We hope it is clear that these prophecies apply to the times we are living in now. This means that the return of Christ is imminent. As Jesus says in Luke 21:27
“At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
And again,
“36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
+
Preceding
The Greatness of the eternal God
The New Testament and Judgement
To be prepared for the Day of Judgment
Living as a believer in Christ
A participation in the body of Christ
Do you believe what Christ’s Apostles taught?
Bible Reading: is it worthwhile?
The importance of Reading the Scriptures
The Bible: is it contradictory?
The Development of Differences
Bible Teaching and Vital Doctrines to Discover
Avoiding friction and distraction in the body of Christ
A participation in the body of Christ
Brothers and sisters in Christ for you
The Christadelphians or “Brethren in Christ”
Video: Introducing the Christadelphian Community
Who has the power of prophecy?
Prophecy concerning Babylon and Israel
Why is the nation of Israel being restored?
The Jews have fulfilled Bible Prophecy
Will There Ever be Peace on Earth?
Sign of the Times and the Last Days #1 The Son of man revealing
+
To be prepared and very well oiled
Signs of the times – “An object of scorn and ridicule”
Signs of the times – “A new order in the Middle East”
Memorizing wonderfully 59 Word of God, the Book and finished work
Next: Sign of the Times and the Last Days #3 Coming events revealed in the prophetic wrings
++
Additional reading
- Date Setting
- Jesus … will come in the same way as you saw him go
- The Rapture Wars
- May we be “ready” when Jesus returns
- Increasing turmoil and fear but a rock to look at and go for
- Afraid to see the man of the heavens opened
- Together tasting a great promise
- The corpus separatum and Mahmoud Abbas
+++
Further related articles
- Are We in Danger of Repeating History
- Is it Just Me, or Does it Seem Like Everything is Going Crazy These Days?
- Getting ready for change…
- it’s a sign of the
- The Last Days Acceleration of Time, pt. 2 by Pastor Kevin E. Johnson
- The Last Days Acceleration of Time, Pt. 3 by Pastor Kevin E. Johnson
- The Last Days Acceleration of Time, Pt. 4 by Pastor Kevin E. Johnson
- Jesus Is Coming Back!
- Great Red Dragon Series #4 – Part 196 of Riddles, Enigmas & Esoteric Imagery of Revelation
- A Rising Called For!
- “Warning To Be Heeded”
- Yemen: More than 50,000 children expected to die of starvation and disease by end of year
- Famine in Yemen could become one of worst in living memory, UN says
- Yemen on brink of ‘world’s worst famine in 100 years’ if war continues
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Sign of the Times and the Last Days #2 Wars, natural disasters, famine and false Messiahs
The first thing to understand about the Last Days is that Jesus Christ will return to Earth to establish his Father’s Kingdom. The Bible says so quite plainly.
“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11)
“The Last Days” is the term used to describe the period of time immediately before the actual re-appearance of Jesus. This is why the subject is of such great interest to Christians today.
The “Signs of the Times” are those events, which suggest to us that the return of Christ is imminent. This is a great source of encouragement for Christians and a warning sign to those who have not committed themselves to Christ that their window of opportunity is closing.
The Signs of the Times are detailed particularly in Matthew chapter 24 and the parallel account in Luke. Jesus is talking to his disciples about the destruction of the Temple and they asked him when this would happen. Jesus replied:
“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” (Luke 21:7).
Jesus then proceeded to list a series of signs.
Before we look at the signs, it is necessary to understand that in prophecy, there are often minor as well as major fulfilments. The minor fulfilment, which normally happens soon after the prophecy is given, provides proof that the greater fulfilment will also come to pass. So we need to consider what the minor and major fulfilments are. But first, let’s detail what the signs are, as listed in Luke 21.
- False Christs (Verse 8)
- Wars and Revolutions (Verse 9 & 10)
- Earthquakes (Verse 11)
- Famines (Verse 11)
- Plagues or Pestilences (Verse 11)
- Fearful Events (Verse 11)
- Signs from heaven (Verse 11)
- Persecution of Believers by Authorities(Verse 12)
- Betrayal of Believers by those close to them (Verse 16)
- Believers hated because of Christ (Verse 17)
- Jerusalem surrounded (Verse 20)
- Jews will fall by the sword, be taken prisoner and be dispersed (Verse 24)
- Jerusalem trampled by the Gentiles (non-Jews) until the end of the Gentile times (Verse 24)
- Signs in the sun, moon and stars (Verse 25)
- Nations will be in anguish and perplexity (Verse 25)
- Men will faint from terror (Verse 26)
In verse 27, is describes the return of Jesus. Then in verse 29, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree, saying that when the leaves come out summer is near. For reference, we will call that sign 17.
The minor fulfilment of Christ’s words concerned the destruction of Jerusalem in ‘AD 70’ by the Roman army. This followed a rebellion by the Jews, which is mentioned in our second sign. The relevance of the signs we have numbered 11, 12, and 13 is immediately obvious, but it also introduces something called the Gentile times, which we need to deal with.
The seventeenth sign, as we have numbered it, is the parable of the fig tree. This tree is a symbol of Israel and appeared on many coins etc. Therefore the renewal of the fig tree symbolises the renewal of Israel. This happened in 1948, when the Jews returned to the land to establish an independent state.
The Times of the Gentiles were ended when Jerusalem ceased to be trampled by non-Jews. This happened in the “Six Day” War of 1967, when Israel expelled Jordan and gained total control of the city.These two events that have taken place in direct fulfilment of Bible prophecy, strongly suggest that we re in the Last Days, but what about the other signs?
It is worth noting that critics of Bible prophecy often argue that these “signs” have always happened; for instance, there have always been wars, there have always been famine, earthquakes, plagues etc. This is true, But Jesus himself says in verse 32
“I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.”
So the major fulfilment will occur when ALL these events happen within a certain timescale. The most likely timescale is 40 years, which is the Bible “definition” of a generation. So when all these things have come to pass, there is a definite time-limit. If, for instance the last sign to be fulfilled was the re-capture of Jerusalem from Gentile hands in 1967, then the latest time Jesus could return in order to fulfil prophecy would be 2007.
David Koresh in a 1987 mug shotJim or James Warren Jones, American religious cult leader at an anti-eviction protest in front of the International Hotel in 1977
This also highlights the problem or trying to guess too accurately the return of Jesus. He himself said that he return will not come with “careful observation” but rather it will come suddenly and unexpectedly as a “thief in the night”.
Lastly, Jesus stated that no-one knew when he would return. Jesus did not know himself. Only God knows.
Again, the minor fulfilment gives us encouragement, because Jesus said the words in approximately CE 33 and the destruction of Jerusalem took place in CE 70, just within the 40 year “limit”.There have been numerous False Messiahs over the centuries. One very recent and prominent one was David Koresh, leader of the Branch Davidian sect who perished in the flames of the Waco siege in Texas, USA, 1993. It seems important to false messiahs that they die, rather than admit the failure of their prophecies. They also prefer to take as many as possible of their followers with them. In March 1997 in San Diego, 39 Heaven’s Gate followers [ led by Marshall Applewhite (1931–1997) and Bonnie Nettles (1927–1985)] poison themselves believing UFO would pick them up. In October 1994 in Switzerland, 48 Solar Temple members found burned in chalets. In November 1978 in Guyana, 914 drink cyanide, led by the Rev. Jim Jones.
We don’t need to think hard about the issue of wars. In the last 50 years, there has been the Korean Wars (1950–1953; 1974-1976; 2010-2013 ), the Falklands War (1982), the Vietnam war (1954–75) and the Gulf War (1990-1991), Second Persian Gulf War or Iraq War (2003–11), Afghanistan War (2001–2014) to name but a very few.
Damaged buildings in Port-au-Prince – 2010 Haiti earthquakeThe study of earthquakes is an interesting one. Obviously, communications are much better than they were 500 years ago and the world is more densely populated, so we hear a lot more about earthquakes than we used to. However, if we just look at the last 30 years, in 1970, there were 4,139 recorded earthquakes, in 1980 there were 7,348 earthquakes, an increase of 77% on ten years before. In 1990 there were 16,612 recorded earthquakes, an increase of 126% over the 1980 figure. In 2000, there were 22,256, an increase of 34% over the 1990 figure. So obviously, something is going on!
Famine in Yemen could become one of worst in living memory, UN saysAgain, there have always been famines. The Bible speaks of them often. But they were always either preceded or followed by prosperous years and in this way, the people could put by a little grain each good year to help them through the bad years. The Genesis story of Joseph and the seven fat and seven thin cows bears this out.
The difference now however is that countries are not recovering. Climate changes and Man’s inhumanity to Man are causing countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan to be permanently short of food, despite all the best efforts of the Western Aid agencies.
There have always been plagues and pestilences, but once more, we see a “cluster” of AIDS, BSE, CJD, Foot and Mouth and ME all been prominent in the last few years.
Signs in the heavens, or in the Sun, Moon and Stars can be taken two ways. The first way is the literal way and there have been numerous astronomical “signs” in recent years, such as comets, meteorites etc. The other possible meaning is the symbolic one, where the “heavens” (often translated the “high places”) represent government and the Sun Moon and Stars represent rulers. Taking this route, there are many situations that could have this prophecy applied to them.
We then have three prophecies concerning the persecution of Christ’s followers, namely Christians. This is one prophecy where the past really does seem to have more examples than the present, although persecution does exist, for instance in China and Islamic nations. Perhaps this is one prophecy where we will see greater fulfilment in the near future.
The persecution of the Jews has been a common pastime in western Europe for over 1,000 years. They were persecuted in England in the Middle Ages and In 1858 Lionel de Rothschild became the first Jewish MP who was permitted to take his seat without taking the oath that involved the words “by the true faith of a Christian” and in 1890 the last of the government posts became open to members of the Jewish faith. Russian pogroms, particularly between 1903 and 1906 saw many Jews killed. And of course, we can never forget the 6 million Jews killed in the Second World War.
We hope it is clear that these prophecies apply to the times we are living in now. This means that the return of Christ is imminent. As Jesus says in Luke 21:27
“At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
And again,
“36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
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Preceding
The Greatness of the eternal God
The New Testament and Judgement
To be prepared for the Day of Judgment
Living as a believer in Christ
A participation in the body of Christ
Do you believe what Christ’s Apostles taught?
Bible Reading: is it worthwhile?
The importance of Reading the Scriptures
The Bible: is it contradictory?
The Development of Differences
Bible Teaching and Vital Doctrines to Discover
Avoiding friction and distraction in the body of Christ
A participation in the body of Christ
Brothers and sisters in Christ for you
The Christadelphians or “Brethren in Christ”
Video: Introducing the Christadelphian Community
Who has the power of prophecy?
Prophecy concerning Babylon and Israel
Why is the nation of Israel being restored?
The Jews have fulfilled Bible Prophecy
Will There Ever be Peace on Earth?
Sign of the Times and the Last Days #1 The Son of man revealing
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To be prepared and very well oiled
Signs of the times – “An object of scorn and ridicule”
Signs of the times – “A new order in the Middle East”
Memorizing wonderfully 59 Word of God, the Book and finished work
Next: Sign of the Times and the Last Days #3 Coming events revealed in the prophetic wrings
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Additional reading
- Date Setting
- Jesus … will come in the same way as you saw him go
- The Rapture Wars
- May we be “ready” when Jesus returns
- Increasing turmoil and fear but a rock to look at and go for
- Afraid to see the man of the heavens opened
- Together tasting a great promise
- The corpus separatum and Mahmoud Abbas
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Further related articles
- Are We in Danger of Repeating History
- Is it Just Me, or Does it Seem Like Everything is Going Crazy These Days?
- Getting ready for change…
- it’s a sign of the
- The Last Days Acceleration of Time, pt. 2 by Pastor Kevin E. Johnson
- The Last Days Acceleration of Time, Pt. 3 by Pastor Kevin E. Johnson
- The Last Days Acceleration of Time, Pt. 4 by Pastor Kevin E. Johnson
- Jesus Is Coming Back!
- Great Red Dragon Series #4 – Part 196 of Riddles, Enigmas & Esoteric Imagery of Revelation
- A Rising Called For!
- “Warning To Be Heeded”
- Yemen: More than 50,000 children expected to die of starvation and disease by end of year
- Famine in Yemen could become one of worst in living memory, UN says
- Yemen on brink of ‘world’s worst famine in 100 years’ if war continues
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#1858 #1890 #1948 #1967 #1978 #1994 #1997 #2007 #70 #AstronomicalSigns #BonnieNettles #BranchDavidianOffshootGroupOfTheDavidianSeventhDayAdventistChurch_ #Christians #ClimateChange #DavidKoresh #Earthquake #Ethiopia #FalseMessiah #Famine #FigTree #GentileTimes #HeavenSGateAmericanUFOReligiousMillenarianReligiousGroup_ #JimJones #LastDays #LionelDeRothschild #Luke21 #Luke211617 #Luke2120 #Luke212426 #Luke212428 #Luke212728 #Luke2129 #Luke2136 #Luke217 #Luke21812 #MarshallApplewhite #Matthew24 #OrdreDuTempleSolaireOTSOrOrderOfTheSolarTemple_ #ParableOfTheFigTree #PersecutionOfGodSPeople #PestilenceS_ #ReturnOfChrist #RussianPogromS_ #SecondComing #SecondComingOfChrist #Sign #SignsInTheHeavens #SignsOfEndtimes #SignsOfTheTimes #SixDayWar1967_ #Sudan #TimesOfTheGentiles #WacoSiege #War
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Today’s thought “Death by being taken captive” (May 15)
Today’s thought
“Death by being taken captive”
(May 15)
In the previous posting we looked at a “death” and spoke about Saul of Tarsus seeing the stoning of apostle Stephen.
At the beginning of this contemporary time table, we find several people who were willing to face death by stoning, like Stephen, or in the arena or at the stake, by hanging or burning, after being humiliated in front of many. The process of bearing witness was not intended to lead to the death of the witness, although it is known from ancient writers (e.g. Josephus) and from the New Testament that witnesses often died for their testimonies.
For Christians there is the archetypal martyr Jesus Christ, who was killed for the words he said and for the position he was taking in. That Nazarene Jewish teacher was not willing to give in to human philosophy and preferred only to keep the the words of his heavenly Father, the Only One True God. He also did not mind to give his body for the sins of many. He had to suffer greatly because of his religious but also political beliefs, preaching understanding between all people, but also preaching a kingdom that would be governing all over the world. He became admired and respected by billions of people who came to share those beliefs.
Several people found the sayings of that curious man, who could deliver miracles, very interesting, and thought it worth following him. But as soon that it seemed they had to do certain things, “doing works” and could not participate any more in folk traditions, they choose to go back to their old way of living, enjoying life like it was.
Also the convert Saul saw that many, who first wanted to follow the teaching of Christ Jesus, felt attracted by very tempting doctrines of certain preachers. This did not prevent Paul from warning them. He wrote in his letter to the Colossians
8 Beware lest there be anyone of you taken captive through philosophical tevunah (wisdom) and empty deceit according to the kabbalah (oral tradition) of mere Bnei Adam, according to the ikkarim (basic principles) of the Olam Hazeh and not according to Moshiach; (Kehillah in Colossae 2:8 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
Today we still see a lot of people who are taken captive by philosophic arguments and empty deceit according to human tradition.
When Jesus was alive, he too wondered why so many kept going against the command of God because of their tradition. All those people who were showing off how much they loved God, and how much they could give to the synagogue, were “undressed” by the words of Christ who showed others the importance of those who honour God in small things and sometimes unseen or at the site (out of the way). He watched all those play-actors and remembered them of the prophet Isaiah who had the right words for them in his prophecy, declaring their worship which they offered to be in vain, because they taught, as law, mere human precepts.3 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, in reply to them, said, Why [do] also you transgress the mitzvat Hashem for the sake of your own masoros?
4 For Hashem has said, KABED ES AVICHA VES IMMECHA (honor your father and your mother, Shemot 20:12; Devarim 5:16), and MKALEL AVIV VIMMO MOT YUMAT (the one cursing his father and mother to die he must die, Shemot 21:17; Vayikra 20:9).
5 But you say, Whoever says to his abba or his em, whatever support you might have had from me, [it is] a gift [i.e., korban, dedicated to G-d].
6 By no means does [anyone who says this] honor his abba or em. And you nullify the Dvar Hashem on account of your masoros.
7 You tzevuim, well did Yeshayah give a dvar hanevuah concerning you, saying,
8 YAAN KI NIGASH HAAM HAZEH BEFIV UVISHFATAV KI-BDUNI VLIBO RICHAK MIMENI VATEHI YIRATAM OTI MITZVAT ANASHIM MELUMADAH (This people with their lips honor me, but their heart is far away from me,
9 and in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the mitzvot of [mere] men, Yeshayah 29:13.) (Mattityahu 15:3-9 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
In Roman times many statues where made of gods and people loved kneeling down in front of statues. In later years many Christians also started doing such things, bowing down in front of statues, paintings and burning incense or candles in front of these graven images or on graves. They, like many today, have forgotten that creating things to observe and keep do not make us more righteous – indeed they have the opposite effect – they can make us self-righteous.
Lots of people seem to forget the many verses in the Bible which emphasise how we should be careful how to honour people and to whom we only may offer worship. The infallible Word of God is very clear on that, that there may only be worshipped One God of gods.
Not man’s words should be cherished, but the Words of God. Man has even to set those Words on their hearts and they should not be a futile thing for us, because we should know that the words of man perish, but God’s Word always shall stay alive and shall be the giver of life.
Man should know that the Word of God is like a rock. It is also perfect and in all its ways right. It is given by some One of Whom we may be sure that He is really true and faithful, good and honest.
4 He is the Tzur, His po’al is tamim; for all His ways are mishpat; El Emunah and without avel (iniquity), tzaddik and yashar is He. (Devarim 32:4 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
7 Remember the yemot olam, consider shenot dor v’dor: ask Avicha, and he will show thee; thy zekenim, and they will tell thee. (Devarim 32:7 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
We have the Book of books which tells us about the days of the past. We should think about what happened so long ago. If we do not know it we should ask our ancestors or our spiritual leaders, so that they will tell.
Today we face the many countries, because there had come division between the haughty ones who wanted to build a tower high in the sky to defy God. But from all those people God choose one particular nation as His People, the Nation of God.
8 When HaElyon divided to the Goyim their nachalah, when He separated the Bnei Adam, He set the gevulot (borders) of the people according to the number of the Bnei Yisroel.
9 For Hashem’s chelek is His people; Ya’akov is the chevel (allotment) of His nachalah.
10 He found him in an eretz midbar, and in a barren and howling wilderness; He encircled him, He granted him discernment, He preserved him as the pupil of His eye. (Devarim 32:8-10 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
But though they knew they where the chosen ones, they more than once angered God.
18 Of the Tzur that fathered thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten El that formed thee.
19 And when Hashem saw it, He spurned them, because of the provoking of His banim, and of His banot.
20 And He said, I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very perverse generation, banim in whom is no faithfulness.
21 They have moved Me to jealousy with that which is lo El (not G-d), they have provoked Me to anger with their vanities; and I will move them to jealousy with those which are lo Am (a nonpeople); I will provoke them to anger with a goy naval (foolish, senseless nation) [Ro 10:19].
22 For an eish is kindled in Mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest Sheol, and shall devour Eretz and her increase, and set on fire the foundations of harim.
23 I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend Mine khitzim (arrows) upon them.
24 They shall be burned with hunger, and devoured with burning heat, and with bitter destruction; I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the venom of serpents of the aphar (dust).
25 The cherev without, and terror within, shall destroy both the bochur and the betulah, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.
26 I said, I will dash them in pieces, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men;
27 Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should misinterpret, and lest they should say, Our hand is triumphant, and Hashem hath not done all this.
28 For they are a goy (nation) void of sense, neither is there any seichel in them.
29 O that they were wise, that they had seichel, that they would consider their acharit (latter end, future)!
(Devarim 32:18-29 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
Those living in the 21st century should recognise how those Chosen Ones suffered more than once and how even certain people tried to destroy them totally, not taking into account that God always would be with them. Even a Holocaust made them not perish from the earth. Death may have come over them but lots of them kept going strong and after many wars always found the way back to the Most High Elohim.
But the patience of God came to a point where the goyim also where called to become part of those God was willing to accept in His Kingdom. Though each of those non-Jews shall have to decide themselves if they want to be part of that Kingdom and step over the “death of this world”.
For the period where God shall make an end to the power of the adversary of God, Jehovah God has given the world His only begotten son, Jeshua (Jesus Christ) the authority to judge the living and the dead. People will have to know that when they die it is too late to make a choice. Before that time they shall have to have made up their mind. When in their lifetime they kept preferring to love all those saints, martyrs, and many gods, the Only One True God shall in a certain way laugh at them, seeing that their power shall be gone and that they are all helpless.
36 For Hashem shall judge His people, and relent for His avadim, when He seeth that their power is gone, and there is none left, slave or free.
37 And He shall say, Where are their elohim, their tzur in whom they trusted,
38 Which did eat the fat of their zevakhim (sacrifices), and drank the yayin of their nesakhim (drink offerings)? Let them rise up and help you, and be your shelter. (Devarim 32:36-38 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
Yes we may not forget that there is only One Who Is The Supreme Being or I Am that Is, The One and Only One God! When taken by death, for many, it shall be too late, to see at last, that there is no other God! Then, when Jesus returns and shall come to judge them, they shall realise that it is Jehovah Who put people to death and Who let people live.
39 See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no elohim besides Me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand.
40 For I lift up My hand to Shomayim, and say, Chai Anochi L’Olam (I live forever).
41 If I sharpen My glittering cherev, and Mine hand take hold on mishpat; I will render nakam (vengeance) to Mine enemies, and will reward them that hate Me.
42 I will make Mine khitzim (arrows) drunk with dahm, and My cherev shall devour basar; and that with the dahm of the slain and of the captives, from the head of leaders of the foe.
(Devarim 32:39-42 Orthodox Jewish Bible)In our life we encounter many who try to make us afraid, want to hurt us or even threaten us with the worst. They should know that no one can save another person from the Power of God!
When we look at the past we can see that all the promises God made became a reality, except the few ones which still have to happen. But we may be sure also these things will happen!
Those who now also are allowed to fall under the Grace of God, should be fully aware that in the same way as God punished His Chosen people He shall look at those who now where bought free by His son’s blood. If those non-Jews also prefer to follow human doctrines, instead of Biblical doctrines, and to make graven images of their gods and keep sinning wilfully, after they have received the knowledge of the truth, then they shall be considered being people having chosen for the slavery of the world, having no more sacrifice remaining for their sins.26 For when we intentionally commit chet b’yad ramah [“wilful sin with a high hand of defiance” Bamidbar 15:30] after having received the full da’as of HaEmes, there remains no longer a korban for chattoteinu, (Yehudim in Moshiach 10:26 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
Therefore we should be very alert not to fall in the trap of the adversary of God, who every day tries to catch a lover of God, as an easy pray.
It may be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, but when falling in the hands of the worldly people, there shall be no place in His Kingdom.When reading the bible regularly one should come to understand that we should know the importance of God’s Word and the sent one from Him, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
When having received Christ Jesus, we should walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as we have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. So let yourself be careful that no man comes to spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Always be aware of the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing.
2 For I want you to have da’as of how great a ma’avak (struggle) I have for you and the ones in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen me panim el panim (directly, in person),
2 That their levavot may be given chozek (strength), having been made an aguda of ahavah and all osher (wealth) of the full assurance of binah, resulting in the da’as of the raz of Hashem, namely Moshiach,
3 In whom is nistar (hidden) all the otzarot (treasures) of chochmah and da’as. [YESHAYAH 11:2; YIRMEYAH 23:5]
4 This I say so that no one may delude you with the sleight of hand of the ba’al melitzot (rhetorician).
5 For, though absent in basar, but present with you in the Ruach Hakodesh, with lev same’ach (glad heart) I am seeing your order and the firmness of your [Orthodox Jewish] emunah in Moshiach.
6 Therefore, as you became mekabel Moshiach and received Moshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua, so let your halichah be in Him,
7 Having been rooted and built up in Moshiach and being firmly founded in the emunah as you were given Messianic [orthodox] lernen [study], abounding in hodayah.
8 Beware lest there be anyone of you taken captive through philosophical tevunah (wisdom) and empty deceit according to the kabbalah (oral tradition) of mere Bnei Adam, according to the ikkarim (basic principles) of the Olam Hazeh and not according to Moshiach;
9 Because in Moshiach kol melo Elohim (all the plentitude of G-d) finds its bodily maon laShechinah (dwelling place for the Shechinah).
10 And you have been granted melo (plentitude) in Moshiach, who is the Rosh of all rule and authority.
11 In Moshiach also you were circumcised with a Bris Milah not made with human hands, a Bris Milah of the surgically removing of the body of the basar (old fallen and unregenerate nature) in the Bris Milah of Moshiach,
12 Having been buried in the Ohel of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach’s tevilah with him, with whom also you were made to stand up spiritually in the Techiyah together through your emunah and bitachon in the ma’aseh of Hashem who made Moshiach stand up from the Mesim. (Kehillah in Colossae 2:1-12 Orthodox Jewish Bible)
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Preceding articles
Today’s thought “Ability to see that God is not dead” (May 12)
Today’s thought “Ability to circumcise your heart” (May 13)
May reading the Bible provoke us into action to set our feet on the narrow way
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Additional reading
- Hello America and atheists
- Solipsism
- Blaming their circumstances for what they are
- Truth never plays false roles of any kind, which is why people are so surprised when meeting it
- The inspiring divine spark
- Knowing where to go to
- Eternity depends upon this short time on earth
- Act as if everything you think, say and do determines your entire life
- Foundation to go the distance
- Not trying to make the heathen live like Jews #2
- Preferring to be a Christian
- Aim High: Examples of Godly Characters to follow
- I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late !
- Not making yourselves abominable
- Not following the tradition of man
- Leaders in disguise
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Further reading
- There Is No Dark, You Are Missing Out The Light!
- When everything goes wrong…
- Something Missing in Your Life?
- Acts 7 – The Martyr
- What happened to the 12 disciples of Jesus ? How did they die and where?
- The Living Martyr
- Faithful to the End
- Memorial of St. Athanasius
- Martyrdom and the French Revolution
- 15 Martyr Saints Who Teach Us How to Carry The Cross With Jesus
- My Lost Paradise…
- Come and join us
- Redeeming The Colosseum
- The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
- Deceit Fills Hearts That Are Plotting Evil
- SOAP Journal – 15 May 2017 (Deuteronomy 13:6-9)
- The Power of Truth
- Pope Francis’ teachings on how to conquer hatred
- Pope Francis: Russian Needs to Defend Christians
- Will Christianity Perish in Its Birthplace?
- Beware of Motivational Preachers
- I’m not Brave
- Living for God
- Why Don’t We Care About the Slaughter of Christians?
- And God Said, “Okay. My List Is Full. No More…”
- Mornings at the Mission: The Patient Compassion of God
- Choose Milk as the Lord is Gracious
- Where To Draw The Line?
- A day of reckoning
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Related articles
- The Only Requirement…
- Good Friday: Cleric urges Christians to emulate Christ’s life of sacrifice
- Turn the Other Cheek? Peace!
- For Getting to know Jesus
- Jewish and Christian traditions of elders
- Saul, Paul, Jackman and film
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