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Horrors of Hell


Horrors of Hell

 
In our present society almost no one trembles at the Word of God or before God Himself.  We have become a proud, although broken, generation that is glorying in our self-esteem and positive thinking.  Since we do not need to fear Him, we do not respect Him and are therefore slowly replacing Him with an impersonal god that is more on our human level.
 
Religious educators and leaders have convinced the modern preachers to present a more benign God and gospel to this generation to attract a larger portion of the community to their institutions.  Indeed it has, but the level of Christianity in these churches is woefully unbiblical.
 
America needs a dose of the theology of Hell.  A proper presentation of the final judgment and the eternal abode of unsaved and wicked men would help shake our churches back to their senses.  Our permissive discipline in the home has destroyed the family and is now destroying the church.  Three doctrinal truths must be clearly enunciated before the realities about Hell are taught and preached.
 
Commitment to the Bible
If you don’t believe the Bible is absolute, you will have trouble believing what it says about the horrors of Hell and the Lake of Fire.  I would not dare write what I’m writing about this horrible place if I did not know the Holy Scripture was God-breathed and perfect.  “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (II Timothy 3:16).   I also believe the reverse is true, that families and society will have a greater respect for Holy Scripture when they clearly understand eternal judgment.
         
The Holiness of God
Our God is absolutely holy.  He is perfect in every aspect of His eternal being and cannot tolerate rebellion in His universe without proper consequences.  To think of our Heavenly Father turning murderers and rapists loose to continue the defiling of humankind right into eternity defies the perfect nature of His very person.  The flaming sword at the entrance to the Garden of Eden sets the tone for how He treats sin and rebellion.  Rebellion could not eat of the Tree of Life lest it exist forever.
 
The Redemption of Jesus Christ
The cruelest thing you can suggest is that Jesus Christ died for everyone; that He took our sins on Himself as our substitute; and that He experienced the judgment of God against sin at Calvary.  Yet, that same God will not send anyone to Hell because a loving God could not possibly do that.  “For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
   
The Biblical Picture of Those Assigned To Eternal Horrors:
Nothing will awaken you to spiritual things like the picture of damned souls separated forever from everything beautiful.  According to the Bible, the following is an incomplete list of persons and groups of individuals who will be lost and judged to spend eternity in the “Lake of Fire.”
 
1. The Children of this World’s Kingdom:  “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:11-12).

2.  The Selfish and Worldly Who Live For Themselves:  “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence” (Luke 16:23-26).

3.  Unprofitable Servants Who Bury Their Talents:  “Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matthew 25:28-30, 41, 46).

4.  Multitudes Who Were Undisciplined As Children:  “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.  Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell” (Proverbs 23:13-14).

5.  Those Who Offend And Do Iniquity:  “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity” (Matthew 13:30, 38-41).

6.  Those Who Reject the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ:  “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

7.  Whosoever Was Not Found Written In The Book Of Life:  “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”  “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15, 10).

8.  The Fearful, Unbelieving, Abominable, Murderers, Whoremongers, Sorcerers, Idolaters, and All Liars:  “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
 
Difference Between Hell and the Lake Of Fire
Remember, Hell is the abode of the wicked dead, but the Lake of Fire is the place of eternal judgment.  The wicked will remain in Hell from the time of their death until the White Throne Judgment.  Then Hell will deliver up its dead to be judged.  Then, they will be assigned to the Lake of Fire.  It’s important to understand the kind of bodies that the wicked will possess for eternity.
 
Jesus described the resurrection of all men during His earthly ministry.  St.  John records His words, “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation”  (John 5:28-29).
 
Notice the difference in the two groups; one is a resurrection of life, while the other is a resurrection of damnation.  The children of God will come out of the graves with glorified bodies, endued with life in the fullest sense.  It will be life without the limitation of anything human.
 
The opposite is true for the wicked and unsaved.  There is a resurrection of damnation.  Even their bodies will be fashioned in the horrors of depleted humanity.  Every conceivable limitation and misery of human experience will constitute the design of these eternal creatures.  They will dwell forever in a body that is full of death.  It will be an eternal death.
 
The Horrors of the Lake of Fire
The bodies which these damned creatures will inhabit is Hell itself, but that’s just the beginning.  Let’s use only the explicit words of Holy Scripture to try and paint a picture of this horrible damnation.  God never intended that one living soul would spend eternity in this place.  It was prepared for the devil and his angels.  “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).
 
Outer Darkness
“But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12).  This term is used three times in Holy Scripture.  We are not talking about a moonless midnight or the condition of a dark and foreboding cloud.  The term outer darkness would suggest a place completely outside the realm of all light: beyond the very light of creation or a place of uncreated blackness and darkness.  In the Book of Genesis the Bible speaks before God created light, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).
 
In such a place of outer darkness or uncreated darkness, there will never be even a glimmer or ray of light.  No beauty of a created sunshine or sunset, a rainbow, or even a moon or stars will ever appear.  There will be nothing, as we know life, to brighten or cheer the constantly deepening gloom.  We are talking about darkness totally beyond the reach of light.
 
Weeping and Wailing
“And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:42, 49-50).  The physical pain that we presently experience has no kin to what a resurrection of damnation suggests.
 
The mental stress of such an environment will be shattering.  I would suggest that these words, “weeping and wailing” is more descriptive of emotion and mental pain than physical.  We probably know nothing in this present world of the kind of insanity this suggests.  It will be conscious insanity, while present insanity is more likely to be unconscious.  A mental hell is the ultimate fact this truth seeks to convey.
 
Gnashing Of Teeth
“Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”  (Matthew 22:13).  While weeping and wailing is suggestive of emotional pain, gnashing of teeth is probably evidence of both emotional and physical pain.  This term certainly means excruciating pain that causes individuals to grind their teeth, but we are talking about more than physical discomfort.  The term suggests rage or an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.
 
It’s one thing to hurt, but it’s another matter to be hopeless of ever experiencing relief.  “Gnashing of teeth” certainly implies that these individuals have reached a state when they know pain is beyond their escape.  It is a conscious experience of misery -- emotionally and physically -- that will never end.
 
Everlasting Punishment and Destruction
Acceptance is a basic need of every individual.  Our Creator created the God-shaped vacuum in man and acceptance by Him is the basis of happiness.  When the prodigal was away from home, sitting on a pig fence, the Bible says, “He came to himself.” In this renewed, clear state of mental health he wanted to go home.  That’s God-given sanity.
 
The place of everlasting punishment is to be removed from this acceptance forever.  Chastisements, as we now know it, are for a moment and we know that even as we suffer.  This punishment is for eternity and we will be conscious of that.  Please note that this Scripture emphasizes, “Everlasting punishment from the presence of the Lord.” The rankest sinner on earth can still drink in the blessings that fall on the just and unjust alike.  While man is in his present state, even though he has rejected God, he still experiences a multitude of things that represent the Creator and His presence.
 
Where the Worm Dieth Not
“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44).  The reality of eternal destruction reaches an indescribable level at this point.  The very words, “where their worm dieth not,” mean exactly what he said.  Jesus used a word that means a maggot or grub, which feeds on dead bodies.  It is the exact word used in Acts 12:23 which states, “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost” (Acts 12:23).   We are talking about dying bodies being invaded by devouring worms that cannot die.  The only words to describe that state are “a living hell.”
 
Unquenchable Fire
“Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable” (Luke 3:17).      Here we see fire that far surpasses what is presently known to man.  Fire consumes; therefore, we know only of a fire that is limited to the limitations of our present world.  Hell and the Lake of Fire are both unquenchable fires.  Very clearly, it does not consume and is unlimited in its Fahrenheit.  The Bible then adds the last level to this fiery judgment.
 
Tormented With Fire and Brimstone
“And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image.  These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:20).  “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).
 
When you add the idea of being “tormented in fire and brimstone” to the prior elements of eternal damnation, the Lake of Fire becomes an unexplainable horror.  Brimstone is burning sulfur.  It is both a destructive chemical when burning and is insufferable in its heat and terror.  The Encyclopedia Britannica says that .06% of the earth’s surface is sulfur and that it is the 9th most abundant element in the universe.  When found in its original form, it is yellow, but turns red and then black as it is heated.  It boils at 444.6 degrees Fahrenheit.  Volcanoes are made up mostly of boiling hot sulfur.  It sounds apocalyptic when you understand the changes of colors that sulfur passes through in becoming brimstone.
 
The torture of this kind of burning experience defies one’s comprehension.  No wonder many modern preachers and students of Scripture have rejected this truth.  How can God send men and women to a living hell? The truth is “He does not.” He is absolutely bent on keeping you out of this horrible place.
 
Don’t ever say, “God will send you to Hell.” Only your denial and rebellion before His marvelous grace can determine such a hopeless eternity.  Yes, Hell is a horrible place! Everything the Bible says about Hell or the Lake of Fire is true.  It will be a Christ-less and hellish place.  Billions will inhabit its misery.  Will you be one of them or will you fling yourself on Jesus Christ and His forgiving and cleansing Blood today?  “What will wash away my sin?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”



 Joseph R. Chambers
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So You Wanna Be A Rock Star ~ Keith Green


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Last Days Ministries > Keith Green

So You Wanna Be A Rock Star

                                                                     by Keith Green

For as long as be could remember, Keith Green's greatest dream was to be a musical success.  After be gave his life to Jesus, however, he felt the need to surrender those dreams and aspirations by laying down his music...perhaps never to perform publicly again.

Ironically, when sometime later he felt God release him to pick up his music again, he soon had a recording contract and his first album soared straight to the top of the Contemporary Christian Music charts.

The following message was birthed out of Keith's  encounters with those who approached him, usually after a concert, to ask how they too could "make it big" in Christian music.  
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Today, so many people ask me if I can tell them how they can start or enter into a music ministry. At concerts I get countless questions about this, and I also get lots of letters and even some long-distance phone calls from many people who feel they are only "called" into the music "ministry." One day I began to ask myself why so few have ever asked me how to become a missionary, or even a local street preacher, or how to disciple a new believer. It seems everyone would prefer the "bright lights" of what they think a music ministry would be, rather than the mud and obscurity of the mission field, or the streets of the ghetto, or even the true spiritual sweetness of just being a nobody whom the Lord uses mightily in small "everyday" ways.

Are You Willing?

My answer to their question is almost always the same. "Are you willing to never play music again? Are you willing to be a nothing? Are you willing to go anywhere and do anything for Christ? Are you willing to stay right where you are and let the Lord do great things through you, though no one may seem to notice at all?" They all seem to answer each of these questions with a quick "yes!" But I really doubt if they know what their answer entails.

Star Struck

My dearest family in Jesus...why are we so star struck? Why do we idolize Christian singers and speakers? We go from glorifying musicians in the world, to glorifying Christian musicians. It's all idolatry! Can't you see that? It's true that there are many men and women of God who are greatly anointed to call down the Spirit of God on His people and the unsaved. But Satan is getting a great victory as we seem to worship these ministers on tapes and records, and clamor to get their autographs in churches and concert halls from coast to coast.

Can't you see that you are hurting these ministers? They try desperately to tell you that they don't deserve to be praised, and because of this you squeal with delight and praise them all the more. You're smothering them, making it almost impossible for them to see that it's really Jesus. They keep telling themselves that, but you keep telling them it's really them, crushing their humility and grieving the Spirit that is trying to keep their eyes on Jesus.

Ultimately, what we idolize we ourselves desire to become, sometimes with our whole heart. So a lot of people who want to become just like their favorite Gospel singer or minister, seek after it with the same fervor that the Lord demands we seek after Him! And again, we insult the Spirit of Grace and try to make a place for ourselves, rather than a place for Jesus.

A Thankless Job

How come no one idolizes or praises the missionaries who give up everything and live in poverty, endangering their lives and families with every danger that the "American dream" has almost completely eliminated? How come no one lifts up and exalts the ghetto and prison ministers who can never take up an offering, because if they did they would either laugh or cry at what they'd receive?

How come?

Because (1) we're taught from very early on that comfort is our goal and security… and (2) that we should always seek for a lot of people to like us. Who lives less comfortably and has had less friends and supporters than the selfless missionaries who have suffered untimely, premature deaths trying to conquer souls and nations for the whole glory of God? Do you really believe we're living in the very last times? Then why do you spend more money on Gospel records and concerts than you give to organizations that feed the poor, or to missionaries out in the field?

There are ministries all over the world where "penniless" people are being saved and transformed. They are broken people who have promise and qualities, but just need someone to bring them God's light during the times when their lives seem so completely hopeless.

I repent of ever having recorded one single song, and ever having performed one concert, if my music, and more importantly, my life has not provoked you into Godly jealousy (Romans 11:11) or to sell out more completely to Jesus!

Quit trying to make "gods" out of music ministers, and quit desiring to become like them. The Lord commands you, "Deny yourself take up your cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23). My piano is not my cross, it is my tool. I'd never play it again if God would show me a more effective tool in my life for proclaiming His Gospel.[God gives us each our own unique tools. But we may never use them if we become more interested in someone else's. Seek God, ask Him for His plan for ministry (true, God glorifying ministry) in your life.]

Conclusion

To finish, let me say that the only music minister to whom the Lord will say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant," is the one whose life proves what their lyrics are saying, and to whom music is the least important part of their life. Glorifying the only worthy One has to be a minister's most important goal!

Let's all repent of the idolatry in our hearts and our desires for a comfortable, rewarding life when, really, the Bible tells us we are just passing through as strangers and pilgrims in this world (Hebrews 11:13), for our reward is in heaven. Let's not forget that our due service to the Lord is "... not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake"(Phil. 1:29).

Amen. Let us die graciously together and endure to the end like brave soldiers who give their lives, without hesitation, for our noble and glorious King of Light.



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The Wedding Model ~ Chuck Missler (Harpazo)



Pattern is Prologue: The Rapture, Part 2:

The Wedding Model

by Chuck Missler
  
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The Wedding Model

In this second article in our series on the Rapture, we will explore another reason why we favor a "pre-tribulation" view of the Harp�z�, the "snatching up" of the Church.

All through the Gospels, Jesus relied on the ancient Jewish wedding pattern for many of His parables,1 climaxing in His promise in the Upper Room in John 14 (as reviewed in our previous article). Many of us miss the full import of these allusions if we aren't familiar with the model of ancient Jewish wedding practices.

Jewish Wedding
The first step, the Ketubah, or Betrothal,2 was the establishment of the marriage covenant, usually when the prospective bridegroom took the initiative3 and negotiated the price (mohair) he must pay to purchase her.4
Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was established, and the young man and woman were regarded as husband and wife. 5 From that moment on, the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified - set apart - exclusively for her bridegroom.6 As a symbol of the covenant relationship that had been established, the groom and bride drank from a cup of wine over which the betrothal had been pronounced.7

After the marriage covenant was established, the groom left his bride at her home and returned to his father's house, where he remained separated from his bride for approximately 12 months.8 This afforded the bride time to gather her trousseau and prepare for married life. 9

During this period of separation, the groom prepared a dwelling place in his father's house to which he would later bring his bride. At the end of the period of separation, the bridegroom came - usually at night - to take his bride to live with him. The groom, the best man, and other male escorts left the father's house and conducted a torch-light procession to the home of the bride. 10 Although the bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the time of his coming.11 As a result, the groom's arrival was preceded by a shout,12 which announced her imminent departure to be gathered with him.

After the groom received his bride, together with her female attendants, the enlarged wedding party returned from the bride's home to the groom's father's house,13 where the wedding guests had assembled.

Shortly after their arrival, the bride and groom were escorted by the other members of the wedding party to the bridal chamber (huppah). Prior to entering the chamber, the bride remained veiled so that no one could see her face. 14 While the groomsmen and bridesmaids waited outside, the bride and groom entered the bridal chamber alone. There, in the privacy of that place, they entered into physical union for the first time, thereby consummating the marriage that had been covenanted approximately one year earlier. 15

After the marriage was consummated, the groom came out of the bridal chamber and announced the consummation of the marriage to the members of the wedding party waiting outside.16 Then, as the groom went back to his bride in the chamber, the members of the wedding party returned to the wedding guests and announced the consummation of the marriage. 17

Upon receiving the good news, the wedding guests remained in the groom's father's house for the next seven days, celebrating with a great wedding feast.18

During the seven days of the wedding feast, the bride and groom remained hidden in the bridal chamber19 (Cf. Genesis 29:21-23, 27-28) for the seven days of the huppah.20 Afterwards, the groom came out of hiding, bringing his bride with him, but with her veil removed so that everyone could see her.

The Ultimate Bride
The New Testament portrays the Church as the Bride of Christ in Ephesians 5:22-33 (Paul even quotes Genesis 2:24 as the union at the Parousia of the Bridegroom in v.31!); cf. Romans 7:4; 2 Corinthians 11:2; James 4:4. In the opening verses of John 14, the marriage covenant is confirmed. 21 Paul continually reminds us of the purchase price 22 and the covenant23 by which we, the Bride, are set apart, or sanctified.24

Ecclesiology vs. Eschatology
It is this distinctive nature of the Church that is often overlooked by students of prophecy: it is more a matter of ecclesiology than eschatology.

One thing that seems to highlight this distinctiveness is the strange remark Jesus made regarding John the Baptist:
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. -Matthew 11:11
What does that mean? Jesus goes on to explain,
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. - Matthew 11:13

It is John the Baptist that closes the Old Testament, not Malachi. 25 A profound distinction appears to be drawn between the saints of the Old Testament and those of the New.

One of the challenges in fully appreciating Paul's epistles is the need to understand the staggering and distinctive advantages afforded the Church, in contrast to those of the Old Testament saints.26 And it is this role as the Bride of the Bridegroom that is emphasized in the parables and in the Book of Revelation.27

�The Departure of the Bridegroom
The Bridegroom has departed, and His return to gather His Bride is imminent.28 He has gone to prepare a place for you and me. (He has been at it for 2,000 years! It must be a spectacular abode!)
This very doctrine of "imminence" is taught throughout the New Testament and is a cornerstone of the "pre-tribulational" view: there is no event which is a prerequisite condition for His gathering of His Bride.

The Great Tribulation
There are those who believe the Church will go through the Great Tribulation. In exploring this issue, it is essential to distinguish between persecution, which clearly has been the lot of the Church for 19 centuries, and "the Great Tribulation" of eschatological significance. The persecution - and tribulation - of the Church was clearly promised to us:
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. -John 16:33
The source of this tribulation is the world and, of course, Satan. However, "the Great Tribulation" of eschatological significance is quite another matter.
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. -Matthew 24:21

The context here is clearly Israel.29 Jesus is quoting from the Old Testament:
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book -Daniel 12:1
Note that "thy people will be delivered": the focus of the "Great Tribulation" is Israel. That is why it is called "the time of Jacob's Trouble":

Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. -Jeremiah 30:7

Jesus (in the Old Testament) explains:
I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. 30 -Hosea 5:15
To "return," He must have left His place! The offence referred to is singular and specific: their rejection of Him. In "their affliction" they will ultimately repent and He will respond.31

The Great Tribulation also involves more than the wrath of the world or the wrath of Satan: it involves the indignation and wrath of God. 32 In contrast, the Church has been promised:
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,-1 Thessalonians 5:9

And,
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. -Romans 5:9
And, specifically,
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour [time] of temptation [trial], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. -Revelation 3:10
Peter also emphasizes,
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: -2 Peter 2:9
Here, Peter is using the judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah "as an example,"33 as Jesus also did,34 in which the prior removal of Lot was a precondition before the angels could do their work.35
�A complete study of this issue involves careful and diligent study of both the Church (ecclesiology) as well as the eschatology (end time aspects) of the Great Tribulation, which, of course, far exceeds the focus of this brief review. It requires precise definitions of the terms used, and great care to understand how each of the elements of the revealed truth relate to each other.

But the fundamental doctrine of imminence has to be forfeited with any view that requires the Great Tribulation - or any other precedent event - to occur prior to the Rapture.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. -Luke 21:36

Are you going to escape these things that shall come to pass? If so, how? Or are you relying on the notion that the Lord is "delaying His coming?" 36 This could be a very dangerous presumption. Do your homework. It is important.

* * *

**NOTES**
  1. Cf. Matthew 22:1-14 and Matthew 25:1-13 for notable examples.
  2. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, Isaac Landman ed., Universal Jewish Encyclopedia Co., Inc. New York, 1948, pp. 7, 372.
  3. David R. Mace, Hebrew Marriage, Philosophical Library, New York, 1953, p.167.
  4. The Universal Jewish Enclopedia, p.372.
  5. The Jewish Encyclopedia, Isidore Singer ed., Funk and Wagnalls Company, New York, 1907, III, pp.126,127. Cf. Mal 2:14; Mt 1:18-19.
  6. George F. Moore, Judaism, Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA, 1946, II, p.121.
  7. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, p.373.
  8. Ibid., p.372.
  9. Ibid.
  10. The Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr ed., Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids MI, 1957, III, p.1998.
  11. Emma Williams Gill, Home Life in the Bible, Broadman Press, Nashville TN, 1936, p.20.
  12. James Neil, Everyday Life in the Holy Land, Cassell and Company, Limited, New York, 1913, p.251.
  13. J. Jeremias, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol IV, ed. by Gerhard Kittel, trans. and ed. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids MI, 1967, p.1100.
  14. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, ed. Isaac Landman, Universal Jewish Encyclopedia Co., Inc., New York, 1948, pp. 10, 399.
  15. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, p.373.
  16. Cf. Psalm 19:5; John 3:29.
  17. The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, pp.5, 504.
  18. Ibid.
  19. Ibid.
  20. Ibid.
  21. 1 Corinthians 11:25.
  22. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
  23. 1 Corinthians 11:25-26.
  24. Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; 13:12.
  25. Luke 16:16.
  26. Ephesians 3:3ff.
  27. Matthew 22:1-4; 25:1-13; and Revelation 18.23; 19:7-9; 21:2, 9; 22:17.
  28. Cf. Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:19, 20; Luke 5:34, 35; John 3:29; Revelation 18:23.
  29. Matthew 24:16, 20.
  30. KJV: "early." The word is shachar, to seek, seek earnestly, look early or diligently for.
  31. See our briefing pack, The Next Holocaust and the Refuge in Edom, for a detailed review of Isaiah 63, et al.
  32. Revelation 6:16, 17; 11:18; 14:10, 19; 15:1, 17;16:1, 19; 19:15.
  33. 2 Peter 2:6.
  34. Luke 17:28-37.
  35. Genesis 19:22.
  36. Matthew 24:48-51.
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Lessons From The Millennium


Lessons From The Millennium

Q. From your teaching, I understand that the earth will be repopulated, repaired, and refurbished by believing, but mortal, survivors of the Tribulation.   And I know we are told little or nothing about life on earth or the organization of society during the Millennium.

Yet, at the end of the thousand years, when Satan is released, he will have no problem recruiting a vast army of new rebels against God and His rule.  To me, that indicates that as new generations are born during the Millennium, mankind will have reverted to its old, rebellious, sinful nature just as it is today despite the presence of the Lord ruling from Jerusalem with a Rod of Iron.

How can I resolve the apparent contradiction seen when Jesus, God Himself, ruling with a stated and emphasized Rod of Iron, is unsuccessful, powerless, to overrule man’s rebellious spirit? This has caused me great distress for years.

Q. Without going into a lot of unnecessary detail, I think what the Millennium is meant to teach us is that because of his sin nature there’s no set of circumstances in which natural man can be obedient to God. Because He has given man sovereignty over his own life, not even God can make it so. 

Man’s sin nature makes it impossible to live according to God’s Law, and when the opportunity presents itself, he’ll rebel.

Jack Kelley
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Psalm 83 and the Battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39


                 Psalm 83 and the Battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39         
 By Kit Olsen 

Psalm 83 is an imprecatory prayer, an imprecatory psalm, it seems very obvious to me. After careful research, I have found quite an interesting lecture: “The Ezekiel Solution,” [1] presented by Dr. Ken (Doc) Beshore in California during the summer of 2008. He has a PhD in hermeneutics, the study of Bible interpretation, and his expertise is eschatology. He has five Doctorate degrees: Doctor of Divinity, Doctor of Letters, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Sacred Literature, and Doctor of Theology. I would say Doc Beshore is a very qualified analyst in the matters of eschatology, with an exceptional ability to properly decipher Scripture. He is also a huge advocate of Israel. Through his extensive evangelistic radio ministry, he shares the salvation message with a large portion of the Jewish population throughout Israel. He is also very involved with evangelism in Russia, and is president and founder (1968) of the World Bible Society.


“But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20).
Some popular theories regarding the meaning of Psalm 83 are circulating, claiming it is an unfulfilled prophecy, and describing a major separate war that will take place before the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39. Accompanying that particular interpretation is a belief that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will successfully defeat Arab enemies, therefore getting the credit for defeating the Arab nations that surround Israel. It is true that in Ezekiel 37:11, an “exceedingly great army” is mentioned, but the verse does not say that that a great army will be responsible for the destruction of Israel’s enemies. I would also say it is much more likely a war that we will see before the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 will be the fulfillment of Isaiah 17, which could very possibly take place shortly before the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39. The destruction of Damascus could very likely trigger the Gog-Magog battle.


“The burden against Damascus, Behold. Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1).


In "The Ezekiel Solution" lecture, Doc Beshore goes into a definitive description of Psalm 83, confirming my own analysis of the psalm. He teaches that Psalm 83 is an imprecatory prayer. He also agrees that the Arab states mentioned in the psalm are the modern Arab states that are members of the Arab League. Their agenda is to reduce Israel to nothing. Bible scholar Doc Beshore is also very proficient in the Hebrew language. In reference to Psalm 83, verse 5, he states the word “confederacy,” berith in Hebrew, can be translated into the English word “league.” Also, according to The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, the Hebrew word berith is translated “covenant” in the English Bible. The concordance also states the word berith appears 227 times in the Old Testament, and means “confederacy, league or covenant.” [2]


Doc Beshore further contends that Psalm 83 is a fulfilled prophecy, a prophecy that continues to be fulfilled, and a prophecy that will be completely fulfilled when the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 takes place. He definitively states that the next major prophetic war in the Middle East will be the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39.


By carefully comparing Psalm 83 with Ezekiel 38 and 39, Psalm 83 appears very much to be an imprecatory prayer for Israel, and certainly relates to current events. Both Christians and Jews have been praying for God’s intervention--to stop Israel’s enemies from the continuous barrage of threats and assaults from those who also happen to be members of the Arab League. This fervent appeal can be witnessed today. Every time Israel is threatened, prayers go before the throne of God on Israel’s behalf. An imprecatory prayer is pleading with God to bring down judgment upon a dangerous enemy. To "imprecate" means to call God’s judgment down upon a people. The following verses sound like what the enemies of Israel are saying today, including those who are members of the Arab League:


“They have taken crafty counsel against Your people and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, Come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more. For they have consulted together with one consent, they form a confederacy against You” (Psalm 83:3,5).


Psalm 83 speaks about a future war, which sounds very much like the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39. Doc Beshore believes, as I do, that Psalm 83 is a prayer to bring about the fulfillment of battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39. Psalm 83 speaks about a “confederacy” and all the nations listed in that psalm are part of the Arab League, whose members are frequently calling for Israel’s demise The political leader of Iran, Mahamoud Ahmadinejad, is well known for spewing his hatred for Israel and calling for its total destruction.


Psalm 83 is a prayer to circumvent the conspiracy against Israel. I would further say that Psalm 83 describes and correlates what will happen during the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39, when the nations of the world will know God and God alone will save Israel from the Russian-led invasion. To imply that the Israeli Defense Forces will liberate Israel from Islamic threats cannot be confirmed or supported by any Scripture found in Psalm 83, or in Ezekiel 38 and 39. If the IDF is given the credit for winning that war, then God will not be known for saving Israel.


Where does it say in Psalm 83 that man-made military forces will save Israel? Where does it say in Ezekiel 38 and 39 that an army will save Israel? Only God will save Israel during the war described in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38, 39. There will be no mistaking His supernatural intervention when He rescues Israel. To paraphrase Doc Beshore: This event will be a vanguard moment in history. The entire world will see God in a new light, in a different way because of His undeniable, supernatural miraculous intervention.


On October 23, 2009, I had a fascinating conversation with Doc Beshore, primarily on the topic of Psalm 83. He unequivocally stated: “Psalm 83 is not a war, but an imprecatory prayer calling for Ezekiel 38 and 39 to be fulfilled.” He was also strong in his conviction that without proper hermeneutics, it is impossible to correctly interpret Scripture. This man is a brilliant, very seasoned, highly respected, exceptionally credentialed scholar amongst scholars. His words and analysis should be given serious attention. During our conversation, he also expressed that the circumstances of the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 would surpass even the historic miracles of the Exodus. He said: “The Exodus will pale in comparison to what will happen at the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39.” God’s new historic identity, “the Lord who lived who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north” is based on Jeremiah 16:14:


“Therefore behold the days are coming, says the LORD, that it shall be no more be said, ‘The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, but the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers” (Jeremiah 16:14,15). 


Approximately one million Jews have already emigrated to Israel from Russia (the north country). Further, Doc Beshore spoke of how the Islamic population will be tremendously decreased because of that war, and remarked: “Russia will be destroyed.”


“And I will send fire on Magog [Russia] and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 39:6).


According to Ezekiel 38:13, Saudi Arabia (ancient Sheba and Dedan) will not participate in the Ezekiel 38 and 39 invasion. Even now, the Saudis are leading the central banking group into pressuring Israel into a land-for-peace deal, and most probably will keep pushing for that deal, rather than joining the future Russian-led Islamic forces when Israel is attacked. The Saudis appear to be leaning in the direction of those who form the Mediterranean Union, pressuring Israel to make land-for-peace concessions. The prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran is of great concern to the leaders of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has never been very cozy with Iran or Russia, although the Saudis did recently purchase some weapons from Russia. In my opinion, the attempt to subvert Israel will continue to be done in a more “civilized” way, by pressuring them to make land-for-peace agreements.


Amir Tsarfati is a sought-after Israeli speaker and very knowledgeable Bible teacher who lives in Jerusalem. During a number of speaking engagements at Calvary Chapel churches, he has stated that he believes the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 is coming soon. He also stated that he disagrees with the argument by some prophecy teachers regarding Ezekiel 38, teaching that Israel has to be living peacefully (safely) before that battle can take place. He believes all the physical conditions for the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 are already in place today.
Amir is a strong Hebrew Christian, carefully following prophetic events.


 Living in Israel gives him an advantage when discussing and discerning the meaning of the relevant prophetic passage, Ezekiel 38:11. “Dwelling safely’’ does not mean the Israelis dwell peacefully, but that the conditions that exist are considered “safe” to a degree. A wall to protect the Israeli population from Palestinian missile attacks does exist. However, there are no extensive walls surrounding all of Israel. Each village or community in Israel does not have “bars” or “gates.” The common situation for cities or villages during the time of Ezekiel was one where rock walls and gates were prevalent. In my opinion, these are the types of walls, fences, and barriers Ezekiel was referring to in verse 11. These rock barriers no longer exist. In general, the people of modern Israel move about freely. Doc Beshore also states in his “Ezekiel Solution” lecture that in general, “Israel has secure borders” and the current border circumstances qualify for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39.


Another point to consider is the fact that Israel as a whole is quite rebellious against God and is not engaged in a genuine spiritual relationship with the Lord. Generally speaking, Israel is secular to the core, and government leaders have a history of settling for false peace agreements by giving away chunks of land, land that was given to them by God Himself. Therefore, we could say that Israel has no spiritual walls, fences, or barriers. Israel at the moment is lacking spiritual walls or hedges of protection from the Lord. In general, the Israelis are living carelessly, without a genuine relationship with the Lord, and this is a contributing reason why they are opening themselves up to being pounced on by many enemies.


 In order for the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39 to occur, there will be plenty of enemies who will eagerly march against Israel. To imply that the Israelis will ever be living peacefully before the Gog-Magog battle simply cannot be. Clearly, those who participate in the Gog-Magog war will be great enemies of Israel. I don’t believe for a minute that Israel will let down its guard until the son of perdition, the Antichrist, deceives the Israelis into thinking he is their savior. This argument is also in keeping with the conditions necessary for a pretribulation rapture of the Church. 


“You will say, I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates (Ezekiel 38:11).


The passage says the people of Israel are a “peaceful people”--not that they are living in “peace.” The verses from Psalm 83:17 and 18 correlate with what will transpire when the Lord supernaturally intervenes during the battle of Ezekiel 38 and 39. As a student of Bible prophecy, it is my opinion that a portion of Psalm 83 is speaking of a partially fulfilled prophecy--the Arab League, and its despotic verbal rumblings.


I have already addressed the prayer aspect of the psalm. Next, it also speaks of events that will take place as described in Ezekiel 38 and 39, when the Lord confounds the enemies of Israel and shows His indignation, halting the onslaught against His nation Israel. If you carefully read through Ezekiel 38 and 39, and Psalm 83, their interdependence and similarities cannot be denied.


 “O my God, make them like a whirling dust like the chaff before the wind! As the fire burns the woods and as the flame sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Your tempest, and frighten them with Your storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Your name O LORD. Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; yes, let them be put to shame and perish. That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, And the most high over all the earth” (Psalm 83:17,18).


The previous verses are very similar to the verses of Ezekiel 39:2 and 3 and verse 7. They appear to be speaking about the same event, as you can see here:


“And I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the mountains far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane my holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know I am the LORD, the Holy One of Israel” (Ezekiel 39:2,3,7).


In both Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 39, the Lord is describing what will happen when the Russian-led, predominately Muslim army marches down from the north to decimate Israel. It is the Lord Himself who will give the Russians the idea to invade Israel (Ezekiel 38:4,11) so He can be glorified and reveal Himself to the nations. He will not be defending Israel for Israel’s sake, but for His name’s sake, so the nations of the world will see He is in control, Almighty God that He is.


No dangling carrot is necessary for this invasion to take place. Israel does not have to be bigger or richer for this battle to ensue. It is God’s battle to fight, and He intends to make Himself known. God Almighty has a plan to personally foil the wicked plans of the enemy. He will use the enemy’s extreme hatred for Israel to bring His redemptive plans for His chosen nation and the world to fruition. Both Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 39 make it perfectly clear that it is the Lord Himself who will intervene in such a mighty way that no one will be able to deny His awesome power. The nations will realize God defended Israel and destroyed the enemy. The Israeli Defense Forces, as great as they are, will not be responsible for Israel’s victory. To say they will save Israel from the enemy is an assault upon the promises of God and His Holy Word. Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 83 both state God and God alone will be the One to deliver Israel during this prophesied battle. Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 each reveal that God’s awesome presence will be undeniable.


“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).  


Kit Olsen                                                                                                                                     Friends of Yeshua 


 [1] The Ezekiel Solution DVD - The World Bible Society - http://www.worldbiblesociety.org/subjects/products/dvds.htm
 [2] The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong Editor, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1996, Hebrew Appendix p.23.                                                                                        
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