jhaynes@ohstpy.mps.ohio-state.edu (05/17/91)
Before jumping into this study please keep an open mind. I hope Jesus does
come in my life time, but if he doesn't then I know I should continue to live
as if he were coming today.
Revelation 20:1-3 1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having
the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great
chain.
2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is
the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it
over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore
until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must
be set free for a short time. (NIV)
Satan's short time is at hand and the Church is at it's final stage of
the prophecies of God. God himself will appear before all the nations and
cast judgment on them all. The signs are clear to those who will seek the
truth in God's word.
The scriptures you are about to read will show the evidences that we are
in the end times and the redeptions of God's people is at hand.
Daniel 12:1-10 1 "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects
your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress
such as has not happened from the beginning of nations
until then. But at that time your people-- everyone whose
name is found written in the book-- will be delivered.
2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will
awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and
everlasting contempt.
3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the
heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the
stars for ever and ever.
4 But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the
scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and
there to increase knowledge."
5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two
others, one on this bank of the river and one on the
opposite bank.
6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was
above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before
these astonishing things are fulfilled?"
7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of
the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward
heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever,
saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When
the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all
these things will be completed."
8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord,
what will the outcome of all this be?"
9 He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are
closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but
the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked
will understand, but those who are wise will understand.
(NIV)
Matt 24:21-25 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from
the beginning of the world until now-- and never to be
equaled again.
22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would
survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be
shortened.
23 At that time if anyone says to you, `Look, here is the
Christ!' or, `There he is!' do not believe it.
24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and
perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--
if that were possible.
25 See, I have told you ahead of time. (NIV)
Looking to the prophecy in Daniel 12 the word wise and knowledge are used.
The word wise refers to the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus, and the word
knowledge refers to the wisdom of this world were people will travel to
increase worldly knowledge. Those who are wise will understand what is
happening Jesus warns us that there will be and infact are false christs
and prophets in the world today to deceive even the elect if that were
possible. This is the powerful delusion that God himself send to deceive
thought who will not look to the bible for the true meaning.
The next set of scriptures will show that a believe can come to know the
truth in the scriptures if he continues to seek a understanding through
the guides of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you. (NIV)
John 16:12-15 12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now
bear.
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide
you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will
speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet
to come.
14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and
making it known to you.
15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I
said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it
known to you. (NIV)
1 John 2:27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in
you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his
anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing
is real, not counterfeit-- just as it has taught you, remain
in him. (NIV)
Here we see that Jesus tells us that when the Holy Spirit comes to us that
he will guide us into ALL TRUTH not partial truth but ALL TRUTH. Satan is
the one who gives us partial and uses the word of God yes for Satan used
the word against Jesus to try to deceive him.
We get this truth through the Word of God and no place else. This can only
come about through constant use.
1 Peter 2:2-3 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that
by it you may grow up in your salvation,
3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (NIV)
Hebrews 5:12-14 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of
God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not
acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use
have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
(NIV)
1 Corinthians 2:10-16 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The
Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of
God.
11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man
except the man's spirit within him? In the same way
no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit
of God.
12 We have not received the spirit of the world but
the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand
what God has freely given us.
13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by
human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit,
expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the
things that come from the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand
them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all
things, but he himself is not subject to any man's
judgment:
16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he
may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
(NIV)
We are to test everything even the things we believe the Holy Spirit
is teaching us to be certain that the teaching is from God. Through
constant use of the scriptures we can see and test that what we receive
from God is true.
Now to look to some of the things the bible says about the end of time and
what the signs will be.
Luke 21:25-28 25 "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the
earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the
roaring and tossing of the sea.
26 Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is
coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
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."
(NIV)
Gen 1:14-19 14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the
sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as
signs to mark seasons and days and years,
15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give
light on the earth." And it was so.
16 God made two great lights-- the greater light to govern the
day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the
stars.
17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the
earth,
18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from
darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening, and there was morning-- the fourth
day. (NIV)
Here we see that Jesus speaks of signs in the sun, moon, and stars and
using the bible to get an understanding of this we see in Genesis that the
sun, moon, and stars are to mark of seasons. I believe that we will see
unseasonable weather around the world. This are some end time signs to
look for.
Let's look to other places in the bible to see others signs to look out
for.
Luke 21:10-11 10 Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against kingdom.
11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences
in various places, and fearful events and great signs from
heaven. (NIV)
Matt 24:7-8 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various
places.
8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. (NIV)
Romans 8:18-25 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth
comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of
God to be revealed.
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by
its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected
it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its
bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of
the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in
the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits
of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our
adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is
no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for
it patiently. (NIV)
Here are a few other signs that show us that we are closer to the end.
Nations rising against nations and wars and the earth itself is showing
the signs of decay. Through the ages though we can see this signs all
appearing in part but all of them have to be happening at the same
time. Such like the prophecy in Daniel where people will travel to
increase worldly knowledge, the pestilences, earthquakes, and as in birth
pains they will be more severe and closer together.
Now we will look to the bible of the signs of the false christs and false
prophets because this to must be in place for all the other signs to line
up to show us of the time of the end.
I believe that through the next set of scriptures you will see that Satan
will imatate the Church and all of the functions the church had in the
begin in the first century. First the scriptures on the early church and
the imatation church and at the end of the age.
Mark 16:16-20 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my
name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new
tongues;
18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they
drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will
place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up
into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and
the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the
signs that accompanied it. (NIV)
Heb 2:4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles,
and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
(NIV)
1 Cor 12:11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he
gives them to each one, just as he determines. (NIV)
These three passage clearly state that the signs, wonders, and mircles were
given to confirm God's word and distributed according to the will of God
and not by the will of man.
Acts 2:1-13 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in
one place.
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came
from heaven and filled the whole house where they were
sitting.
3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated
and came to rest on each of them.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from
every nation under heaven.
6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in
bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own
language.
7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are
speaking Galileans?
8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native
language?
9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia,
Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near
Cyrene; visitors from Rome
11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-- we
hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"
12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does
this mean?"
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had
too much wine." (NIV)
We can see that on the day of Pentecost that the tongues that were spoken
were understood by the hears in there own language.
Acts 2:42-43 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to
the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and
miraculous signs were done by the apostles. (NIV)
Signs done by the apostles.
Acts 10:44-48 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy
Spirit came on all who heard the message.
45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were
astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured
out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said,
47 "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with
water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few
days. (NIV)
Tongues are a sign for unbelievers not believers.
1 Corinthians 14:22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for
unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not
for unbelievers. (NIV)
Acts 19:1-6 1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through
the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some
disciples
2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you
believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that
there is a Holy Spirit."
3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's
baptism," they replied.
4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He
told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that
is, in Jesus."
5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the
Lord Jesus.
6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on
them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. (NIV)
2 Corinthians 12:12 The things that mark an apostle-- signs, wonders and
miracles-- were done among you with great
perseverance. (NIV)
Rev 21:14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were
the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (NIV)
In these two verses it tells us that there are ONLY twelve apostles of the
Lamb.
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 8 Love never fails. But where there are
prophecies, they will cease; where there are
tongues, they will be stilled; where there is
knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect
disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I
thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When
I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror;
then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part;
then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love. (NIV)
In the text on 1 Corinthians 13 needs to be exmined for the truth of this
matter on prophecy, tongues, and knowledge. Prophecy is the truth from
God of a future event. Tongues is the ability to speak another man's
language without prior training in it. Knowledge is a true reveal about a
prophecy that is only in part or the fulfilment of the prophecy. An
example of knowledge is like the prophecy of the resurrection the old
testament reveals this true but Paul reveal knowledge of this. The
following text reveals this.
Job 19:25-27 25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he
will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I
will see God;
27 I myself will see him with my own eyes-- I, and not
another. How my heart yearns within me! (NIV)
Isaiah 26:19-20 19 But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You
who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew
is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth
to her dead.
20 Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors
behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his
wrath has passed by. (NIV)
Daniel 12:2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some
to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.
(NIV)
1 Cor 15:51-54 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep,
but we will all be changed--
52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be
raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54 When the perishable has been clothed with the
imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the
saying that is written will come true: "Death has been
swallowed up in victory." (NIV)
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant
about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the
rest of men, who have no hope.
14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and
so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those
who have fallen asleep in him.
15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you
that we who are still alive, who are left till the
coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede
those who have fallen asleep.
16 For the Lord himself will come down from
heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and
the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 After that, we who are still alive and are left
will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be
with the Lord forever.
18 Therefore encourage each other with these
words. (NIV)
The knowledge that Paul reveals about the resurrection is that we who are
still alive will be changed in a flash to immortality.
Back to 1 Corinthians 13 the text is talking about the word of God when
it is complete or perfect as the texts states. For prophecy is God's
word, tongues are a gift to reveal God's truth in another language and
knowledge is more truth about God's truth. This text is clear in saying
that when this is complete or prefect that prophecy, tongues, and
knowledge will ceased. And in contrast, that these three will remain
after the perfect word of God is here, faith, hope, and love. Now some
teach a false doctrine that the passage is speaking about when Jesus
return but Paul is speaking on prophecy coming to perfection not when
Christ returns he speaks of Christ return in Chapter 15. And keeping with
the text why would we need faith and hope when the bible speaks clearly on
this.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of
what we do not see. (NIV)
Romans 8:24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no
hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? (NIV)
There will be no need for hope or faith when Jesus return because we will
already have obtained what we have put our hope and faith in.
Now to the false church at the end of the age.
Matt 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform
great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect-- if that
were possible. (NIV)
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our being gathered to him, we ask you,
brothers,
2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by
some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have
come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has
already come.
3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for
that day will not come until the rebellion occurs
and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man
doomed to destruction.
4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over
everything that is called God or is worshiped, so
that he sets himself up in God's temple,
proclaiming himself to be God.
5 Don't you remember that when I was with you I
used to tell you these things?
6 And now you know what is holding him back, so
that he may be revealed at the proper time.
7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already
at work; but the one who now holds it back will
continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom
the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of
his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his
coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one will be in
accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all
kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,
10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those
who are perishing. They perish because they refused
to love the truth and so be saved.
11 For this reason God sends them a powerful
delusion so that they will believe the lie
12 and so that all will be condemned who have not
believed the truth but have delighted in
wickedness. (NIV)
This passage scripture says that countfeit signs, wonders, and mircles
will proceed Jesus's second coming.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful
workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as
an angel of light.
15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants
masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end
will be what their actions deserve. (NIV)
Rev 16:12-15 12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river
Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for
the kings from the East.
13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they
came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the
beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs,
and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather
them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays
awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go
naked and be shamefully exposed." (NIV)
The bible reveals to us that this will be a powerful delusion that will
deceive many but Jesus tells us that the elect will be able to see that
these men are not from God but of the devil. Let's see how we are to test
there teachings and to see if they are from God.
Matt 7:15-23 15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick
grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot
bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father
who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and
perform many miracles?'
23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away
from me, you evildoers!' (NIV)
Note that their defence is that they thought they were doing these things
in the name of Jesus and by his authority. But I believe that Jesus tells
us that when we see people doing this that Satan's end has come. This
delusion will be so powerful that I believe that the people caught up in
this that they are truly saved.
Mark 3:23-26 23 So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How
can Satan drive out Satan?
24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom
cannot stand.
25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot
stand.
26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot
stand; his end has come. (NIV)
2 Pet 2:1-3 1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just
as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly
introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign
Lord who bought them-- bringing swift destruction on
themselves.
2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way
of truth into disrepute.
3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories
they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging
over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. (NIV)
1 Timothy 4:1-5 1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will
abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things
taught by demons.
2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose
consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain
from certain foods, which God created to be received with
thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to
be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and
prayer. (NIV)
2 Timothy 4:3-4 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with
sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they
will gather around them a great number of teachers to say
what their itching ears want to hear.
4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn
aside to myths. (NIV)
1 Timothy 6:3-5 3 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree
to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to
godly teaching,
4 he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an
unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about
words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil
suspicions
5 and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who
have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness
is a means to financial gain. (NIV)
James 1:5-8 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given
to him.
6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he
who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the
wind.
7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the
Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (NIV)
Doctrine is very important to know it and to see that it agrees with the
teachings of the bible. Their are many who just take man for his word and
do not test what they say. We need to pay careful attention to see what
is said is true by the scriptures. Jesus says to look at the fruit to see
that they from God the fruit is the fruit of the spirit.
Gal 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is
no law. (NIV)
Be careful to look carefully at each teacher who claims to be from God
because Satan himself masquerades as and angel of light and the
teachers appear to be minsters of righteousness.
2 Tim 3:1-5 1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last
days.
2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without
self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather
than lovers of God--
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have
nothing to do with them. (NIV)
This to you should test to see if this document conforms to the Word of
God. I always pray that this verse for myself.
2 Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a
workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly
handles the word of truth. (NIV)
I believe that we are in the end times for the reasons that the false
church is in the world today and they are performing signs, wonders, and
mircles and claiming to be from God and many of the T.V. evangelist are
using them for finacial gain but by there fruits they can and have been
convicted of there fruits of greed.
I do believe God answers prayers and that he works in his church today
through prayer.
James 5:13-16 13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone
happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the
church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name
of the Lord.
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person
well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will
be forgiven.
16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for
each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a
righteous man is powerful and effective. (NIV)
Put on the full armor of God and test the spirit and see if they are from
God.
Eph 6:10-18 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your
stand against the devil's schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of
evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the
day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and
after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your
waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes
from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with
which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil
one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of
prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always
keep on praying for all the saints. (NIV)
1 Jn 4:1-4 1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false
prophets have gone out into the world.
2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is from God,
3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from
God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard
is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them,
because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in
the world. (NIV)
1 Thes 5:21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. (NIV)
The bible reveals that these falses teachers will use the name of Jesus.
2 Cor 11:3-4 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the
serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from
your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other
than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different
spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from
the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
(NIV)
In conclusion I believe that through constant use of the scripture you
will see that what is stated above is true and that those who practise the
prophecy, tongues, and knowledge and also the false sign, wonders, and
mircles are caught up in the powerful delusion that is from God and if
they do not come to the truth they will perish.
Words of Jesus he warns ahead of time.
Matt 24:24-25 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and
perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--
if that were possible.
25 See, I have told you ahead of time. (NIV)
In His Hands,
Joel A. Haynes
Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." (NIV)
clh you can cut this into part one and two or three if you like.hudson@athena.cs.uga.edu (Paul Hudson Jr) (05/19/91)
One of the points of your message was that signs accompanied the apostles, and that the gates in Revelation only had the names of twelve apostles. Then you continued to quote the writings of Paul. Paul was not one of the twelve. Some people hold to the theory that Matthias was not God's choice, and that Paul was supposed to be the twelth apostle. Yet Paul travelled with another apostle, Barnabas. Barnabas was not one of the twleve. Yet he was an apostle. So we see that one does not have to be one of the twelve to have a gift. Also, look at I Corinthians 14. These were not apostles, and they exercised gifts of the Spirit. I agree with your statement that in the last days false signs will be shown. Yet false signs and false apostles traveled in the Paul's day. Did that make Paul any less an apostle? Did that make his gifts or his work any less legitimate. Even so the gifts that are exercised in the church today, that are legitimate, are not from Satan. There are those who use the name of God and the name of Christ to make money, and they work against the Lord's will. But that does not make those who teach teh truth into liers. I have a question about I Corinthians 13. Do we know see God perfectly? Do we see him face to face? Are we more grown-up than Paul, who had revelations that he was not allowed to share with mankind (I Corinthians 12.) Did Paul live to see the cannon put together. He would have lived over 250 years. Paul was looking forward to seeing Him face to face. But if this refers to the Scriptures, then it was not something that Paul would see in his lifetime. Was Paul a child, where we are adults? I think not. Link Hudson.
BINDNER@auvm.auvm.edu (05/23/91)
The mention of the twelve is in keeping with revelation as a mysitical book. Twelve apostles are used as the new model of the twelve sons of Isreal (the twelve tribes). These correspond to the twelve stones which are found on the walls of the new Jerusalem. These twelve stones are the twelve birthstones of the zodiac. This is an obvious allusion to astrology. From this allusion (a as in aardvark, not i as in illusion) we can conclude one (or both) of two things: 1. God is the author of astrology and approves of its use (the middle aged church believed this) and 2. the author of Revelation was knowledgeable in the area of astrology. If you don't believe me look it up in Rev and crossreference with a jeweler or an astrologer or book on astrology. Until I post again, Peace Michael
billg@bony1.bony.com (Bill Gripp) (06/02/91)
In article <May.22.21.16.20.1991.21005@athos.rutgers.edu> BINDNER@auvm.auvm.edu writes: >The mention of the twelve is in keeping with revelation as a mysitical >book. Twelve apostles are used as the new model of the twelve sons >of Isreal (the twelve tribes). These correspond to the twelve stones >which are found on the walls of the new Jerusalem. These twelve stones ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I don't have a Bible here at work, but aren't these 12 stones 12 layers of the foundation of the New Jerusalem (not the walls)??? >are the twelve birthstones of the zodiac. This is an obvious allusion >to astrology. From this allusion (a as in aardvark, not i as in illusion) >we can conclude one (or both) of two things: 1. God is the author of >astrology and approves of its use (the middle aged church believed this) and >2. the author of Revelation was knowledgeable in the area of astrology. >If you don't believe me look it up in Rev and crossreference with a jeweler >or an astrologer or book on astrology. ..or 3) Astrology adopted these stones after Revelation was written (as a link to "justify" and/or legitimize astrology). 4) God has a sense of humor (see this parallel thread) and used these stones even though there is no relationship between astrology and Judaism or Christianity. BTW: If you check different sources for birthstones, you are likely to find that not all months have the same stone in the different sources. Some month have as many as 2 or 3 different stones depending upon which sources you check.
jclark@sdcc6.ucsd.edu (John Clark) (06/03/91)
In article <Jun.2.01.41.52.1991.16506@athos.rutgers.edu> billg@bony1.bony.com (Bill Gripp) writes:
+
+>are the twelve birthstones of the zodiac. This is an obvious allusion
+>to astrology. From this allusion (a as in aardvark, not i as in illusion)
+>we can conclude one (or both) of two things: 1. God is the author of
Have you ever heard of the 'Kabbala'? There is a long tradition of
interpreting Biblical text in terms of some esoteric knowledge.
There has been much crossover from Kabbala, ceremonial magick and
various forms of occultisms.
Of course there are some who would argue that the Revelations writer
was well steeped in Middle Eastern magick practices and was writing
accordingly.
--
John Clark
jclark@ucsd.edu