If outside your village where you live with your family and tribe, there was a beast which demanded a human sacrifice as a meal.. then later two for a meal, and on and on until it demanded twenty, thirty people for a meal, would we just keep feeding it? I can understand why the Bible prophecy calls human governments, beasts!
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Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Thursday, January 22, 2015
The Serpent Guise Of The Dragon
All through Revelation, chapter twelve, of the Bible, we read about "the dragon". He waits in front of the woman who gives birth to a manchild who will rule all nations with a rod of iron (unbreakable law and principle) in order to devour the manchild (a son of man) as soon as he is born. We can almost hear "Rachel weeping"...
But the manchild is not devoured. Instead he is caught up to God and his throne. (Hebrews 1:3) At which point, said dragon is enraged and pursues the woman, and there is a first migration (of the faith). There's war in heaven, Michael and his angels battle with the dragon and his angels, who do not prevail, and after which, the dragon is denied further access to the heavens.
He's pretty ticked off about that, so he persecutes the woman, and she is given the two wings of an eagle - a second migration of the faith - so she may fly away from the inquisitions to a new place where she is, for a "set time" (Strong's #2540) and "short while" kept safe from the face, countenance, fashion (Strong's #4383) of the dragon. (A set time of 3.5.)
But the serpent, after the set, short while, spews some sort of flood (proliferation) (Strong's #4215 current, stream, river) after the woman so she will be washed away (Strong's #4216) "overwhelmed, carried away" by the flood.
We know the serpent is the dragon, for the next verse (verse 16) says "But the earth" (in the vision John saw) "came to the rescue of the woman, and the ground opened its mouth and swallowed up the stream of water which the dragon had spewed from his mouth." (Amplified Version) [Cross-Reference - Luke 23:31!]
Why is the dragon in the one verse, referred to as "the serpent"?
But the manchild is not devoured. Instead he is caught up to God and his throne. (Hebrews 1:3) At which point, said dragon is enraged and pursues the woman, and there is a first migration (of the faith). There's war in heaven, Michael and his angels battle with the dragon and his angels, who do not prevail, and after which, the dragon is denied further access to the heavens.
He's pretty ticked off about that, so he persecutes the woman, and she is given the two wings of an eagle - a second migration of the faith - so she may fly away from the inquisitions to a new place where she is, for a "set time" (Strong's #2540) and "short while" kept safe from the face, countenance, fashion (Strong's #4383) of the dragon. (A set time of 3.5.)
But the serpent, after the set, short while, spews some sort of flood (proliferation) (Strong's #4215 current, stream, river) after the woman so she will be washed away (Strong's #4216) "overwhelmed, carried away" by the flood.
We know the serpent is the dragon, for the next verse (verse 16) says "But the earth" (in the vision John saw) "came to the rescue of the woman, and the ground opened its mouth and swallowed up the stream of water which the dragon had spewed from his mouth." (Amplified Version) [Cross-Reference - Luke 23:31!]
Why is the dragon in the one verse, referred to as "the serpent"?
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
It's widely believed that the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" (rev/apoc chapter 6) begin their gallop during very latter days. I strongly disagree with this! Their gallop, progression, escalates during very latter days, but begins much sooner. The first horse and rider is upon a white horse. He comes riding out into Earth's story when the "first seal" of the "Seven Seals" is opened in heaven.
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are the first four "seals". They begin their ride when each seal is "opened". This first horseman wears a crown of victory and has conquered. This seal, or element of the latter age (the years of our Lord A.D.) is the conquering march of the gospel (the good news of death and the grave overcome).
- The second horseman is war, man and history's constant companion, this one (eventually) is given "a long sword" (surely our modern weaponry).
- The third horseman is holding an imbalanced scale and is called famine (a companion to war).
- The fourth horseman is another companion to war, pestilence (which will come to include chemical pestilence). This horseman has a name and his name is death and the grave follows him. Most translations say "hades" or "hell" follows him, but a much more accurate translation in tune with the "Sheol" of the Old Testament, is simply, "the grave". This fourth horseman includes the mass grave wherever (and whenever) it has occurred. All these riders escalate as very last days (of man's system) progress.
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are the first four "seals". They begin their ride when each seal is "opened". This first horseman wears a crown of victory and has conquered. This seal, or element of the latter age (the years of our Lord A.D.) is the conquering march of the gospel (the good news of death and the grave overcome).
- The second horseman is war, man and history's constant companion, this one (eventually) is given "a long sword" (surely our modern weaponry).
- The third horseman is holding an imbalanced scale and is called famine (a companion to war).
- The fourth horseman is another companion to war, pestilence (which will come to include chemical pestilence). This horseman has a name and his name is death and the grave follows him. Most translations say "hades" or "hell" follows him, but a much more accurate translation in tune with the "Sheol" of the Old Testament, is simply, "the grave". This fourth horseman includes the mass grave wherever (and whenever) it has occurred. All these riders escalate as very last days (of man's system) progress.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Checkmate
I have this very big history book, which I had my eye on for some time, but the cost was sixty dollars. Needless to say, this is just too much to pay in order to own a book. But! Much to my delight I saw it was on special sale for thirty dollars!
It's a very big book and has mostly sat on a bookshelf for sometime now. I took it out intending to begin reading it, or at least scanning through, regularly, a couple of months ago, but only finally am doing so now. So yesterday I found myself scanning the index at the end of the book and realized, if I was to just read my way through that first of all, I'd learn quite a bit just doing that, as they list many occurrences and events with their page number after each name in the index. So you really do get a lot of information after each index entry.
I noticed, as I was reading through a lot of names starting with A, down through some centuries, what weird lives some of them lived! Which of course I've heard of before, but not so much at once. Like so and so, son of a king, accused his brothers of something, then defended them against the father, then killed his brothers, then plotted to kill his father, got discovered in some espionage in order to carry it out, and was executed. I mean really? This is how you're going to spend your life? When you could have leisure and enjoyment of days without having to toil like most of the population of mankind. It was his father who had him executed of course.And there were lots and lots of this type of thing! Married his sister.. murdered his sister.. grand father.. what ever.. slew 40,000 people of a town.. this type of thing, over and over.
I started to notice it all had one thing in common. And that is they all had one branch of government. There was one power in the land.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
All The Bible And The Lesson Of All Human History In Eleven Words
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" - 1 Peter 1:3
Friday, December 19, 2014
The Serpent Guise Of The Dragon
All through Revelation, chapter twelve, of the Bible, we read about "the dragon". He waits in front of the woman who gives birth to a manchild who will rule all nations with a rod of iron (unbreakable law and principle) in order to devour the manchild (a son of man) as soon as he is born. We can almost hear "Rachel weeping"...
But the manchild is not devoured. Instead he is caught up to God and his throne. (Hebrews 1:3) At which point, said dragon is enraged and pursues the woman, and there is a first migration (of the faith). There's war in heaven, Michael and his angels battle with the dragon and his angels, who do not prevail, and after which, the dragon is denied further access to the heavens.
He's pretty ticked off about that, so he persecutes the woman, and she is given the two wings of an eagle - a second migration of the faith - so she may fly away from the inquisitions to a new place where she is, for a "set time" (Strong's #2540) and "short while" kept safe from the face, countenance, fashion (Strong's #4383) of the dragon. (A set time of 3.5.)
But the serpent, after the set, short while, spews some sort of flood (proliferation) (Strong's #4215 current, stream, river) after the woman so she will be washed away (Strong's #4216) "overwhelmed, carried away" by the flood.
We know the serpent is the dragon, for the next verse (verse 16) says "But the earth" (in the vision John saw) "came to the rescue of the woman, and the ground opened its mouth and swallowed up the stream of water which the dragon had spewed from his mouth." (Amplified Version) [Cross-Reference - Luke 23:31!]
Why is the dragon in the one verse, referred to as "the serpent"?
But the manchild is not devoured. Instead he is caught up to God and his throne. (Hebrews 1:3) At which point, said dragon is enraged and pursues the woman, and there is a first migration (of the faith). There's war in heaven, Michael and his angels battle with the dragon and his angels, who do not prevail, and after which, the dragon is denied further access to the heavens.
He's pretty ticked off about that, so he persecutes the woman, and she is given the two wings of an eagle - a second migration of the faith - so she may fly away from the inquisitions to a new place where she is, for a "set time" (Strong's #2540) and "short while" kept safe from the face, countenance, fashion (Strong's #4383) of the dragon. (A set time of 3.5.)
But the serpent, after the set, short while, spews some sort of flood (proliferation) (Strong's #4215 current, stream, river) after the woman so she will be washed away (Strong's #4216) "overwhelmed, carried away" by the flood.
We know the serpent is the dragon, for the next verse (verse 16) says "But the earth" (in the vision John saw) "came to the rescue of the woman, and the ground opened its mouth and swallowed up the stream of water which the dragon had spewed from his mouth." (Amplified Version) [Cross-Reference - Luke 23:31!]
Why is the dragon in the one verse, referred to as "the serpent"?
Saturday, December 13, 2014
The Heartbroken Prophet
Poor Hosea. He lived in hard times, a time hard to find a good wife. Prophet for the Most High God of the Bible, during a time when the nation was, let's say very sexually active. Finally God said "Go ahead, get yourself a wife from the nation, she'll symbolize the unfaithfulness of my people".
Now lest we get on our high horse and judge Israel, it's not hard to see Israel is but a micro example of the macro situation.. the world has wandered far from the One who created it as a garden of peace and delight.
It's been said of prophet Hosea, "his sentences fall like the throbs of a broken heart." His wife had run off with another man, likely one who could pamper her with luxury. Hosea's heart was broken. This, God said, was the exact same thing Israel (and mankind) had done to him. Like sheep gone astray, Israel then, and the world now, has wandered far away from Him and life's simple garden of peace and delight. We could truthfully say God's heart mourns.
Mourning the unfaithfulness of his wife, Hosea, wrote that he "bought her back". Before we judge them too harshly, let's note it was a day when religion (other than Israel's) involved sex rites in the shade of lush groves. "The spirit of harlotry leads them astray" Hosea recorded, "and Most High God is a stranger to them".
This marriage was an example of God's marriage to mankind, and Israel, appointed to prophecy, to record the words of Scripture, and to be the place a little bit prepared for the rescuer, Messiah, whom it is prophesied will return and restore paradise and eternal life, after the course of mankind and world history has run its course. You see, God too, has "bought back" His unfaithful wife.
Before God sent Hosea to prophecy, He had sent Elijah, Elisha and Amos. Meanwhile, He also had sent Jonah to preach to Nineveh the capital of Assyria. You see Assyria was a great nation whose main theme and occupation was conquest, and they had their eye on Israel.
Back when Israel was faithful to God, His radiant Spirit (His Presence with them) was a shield round about them. But this could no longer be said. Mighty Nineveh, and all Assyria amended their ways at the preaching of Jonah, long enough to delay their aggressive conquest of Israel, what God called "fiery judgment".
In the day when mighty Assyria was getting ready to pounce on Israel, Israel, according to the Bible, had, for some time, fallen prey to practices of the popular religion of the day, which had progressed into human sacrifice, especially of infants and children. Sex rites brought about what was likely many unwanted babes, and it doesn't seem too big a leap to assume one had to do with the other, a natural progression if you will.
What Almighty God worth his salt wouldn't cease to protect a people who had adopted such horrific practice!
Bible prophet Hosea never did say how he and his (once) unfaithful wife got on. Did they end their days in peace and grow old together? Assyria did come, make war with and terrify Israel, and carried the people away with them back to Assyria, to be the slaves they had become. But a few poor folk of the land had been left behind. I like to think Hosea and his wife, Gomer, found peace and happiness in the end.
And as for Israel? (The northern ten tribes of Israel that is.. the ones some think of as "the lost ten tribes of Israel, but that's another story.)
God also said through His prophets that Messiah would regather and restore Israel. They would turn to Him and the nations would stream to Jerusalem to learn. And Jerusalem/Israel will become the beautiful and verdant capital of a New Earth within a New Heavens, where the "lion will eat straw like the ox, and the bear will be seen grazing with the cow" (paraphrased just a little).
Now lest we get on our high horse and judge Israel, it's not hard to see Israel is but a micro example of the macro situation.. the world has wandered far from the One who created it as a garden of peace and delight.
It's been said of prophet Hosea, "his sentences fall like the throbs of a broken heart." His wife had run off with another man, likely one who could pamper her with luxury. Hosea's heart was broken. This, God said, was the exact same thing Israel (and mankind) had done to him. Like sheep gone astray, Israel then, and the world now, has wandered far away from Him and life's simple garden of peace and delight. We could truthfully say God's heart mourns.
Mourning the unfaithfulness of his wife, Hosea, wrote that he "bought her back". Before we judge them too harshly, let's note it was a day when religion (other than Israel's) involved sex rites in the shade of lush groves. "The spirit of harlotry leads them astray" Hosea recorded, "and Most High God is a stranger to them".
This marriage was an example of God's marriage to mankind, and Israel, appointed to prophecy, to record the words of Scripture, and to be the place a little bit prepared for the rescuer, Messiah, whom it is prophesied will return and restore paradise and eternal life, after the course of mankind and world history has run its course. You see, God too, has "bought back" His unfaithful wife.
Before God sent Hosea to prophecy, He had sent Elijah, Elisha and Amos. Meanwhile, He also had sent Jonah to preach to Nineveh the capital of Assyria. You see Assyria was a great nation whose main theme and occupation was conquest, and they had their eye on Israel.
Back when Israel was faithful to God, His radiant Spirit (His Presence with them) was a shield round about them. But this could no longer be said. Mighty Nineveh, and all Assyria amended their ways at the preaching of Jonah, long enough to delay their aggressive conquest of Israel, what God called "fiery judgment".
In the day when mighty Assyria was getting ready to pounce on Israel, Israel, according to the Bible, had, for some time, fallen prey to practices of the popular religion of the day, which had progressed into human sacrifice, especially of infants and children. Sex rites brought about what was likely many unwanted babes, and it doesn't seem too big a leap to assume one had to do with the other, a natural progression if you will.
What Almighty God worth his salt wouldn't cease to protect a people who had adopted such horrific practice!
Bible prophet Hosea never did say how he and his (once) unfaithful wife got on. Did they end their days in peace and grow old together? Assyria did come, make war with and terrify Israel, and carried the people away with them back to Assyria, to be the slaves they had become. But a few poor folk of the land had been left behind. I like to think Hosea and his wife, Gomer, found peace and happiness in the end.
And as for Israel? (The northern ten tribes of Israel that is.. the ones some think of as "the lost ten tribes of Israel, but that's another story.)
God also said through His prophets that Messiah would regather and restore Israel. They would turn to Him and the nations would stream to Jerusalem to learn. And Jerusalem/Israel will become the beautiful and verdant capital of a New Earth within a New Heavens, where the "lion will eat straw like the ox, and the bear will be seen grazing with the cow" (paraphrased just a little).
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