PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS MINISTRY

Jude, Gateway To Revelation ... Part 1 -

Jude, Gateway To Revelation ... Part 1 - A Bible Study by Jack Kelley - http://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/the-bibles-authority/jude-gateway-to-revelation-part-1/

The Book of Acts is sometimes called the Acts of the Apostles because it's a record of their experiences in building the early Church. That being the case, the Book of Jude could be called Acts of the Apostates because it's devoted to warning the Church of the false teachers who were coming to tear it apart.

I've sub-titled this series "The Gateway to Revelation" not just because Jude's letter immediately precedes Revelation in the Bible, but also because the same false teaching Jude warned believers about at the beginning of the Church Age has been invading the Church in our times as well. Paul said a great falling away (apostasy) would occur in the time before the anti-Christ is revealed (2 Thes. 2:3). Since we're we're currently witnessing this falling away, we should review Jude's 1 chapter letter to the Church and see what it says to believers in the end times, too. Let's begin.

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. (Jude:1-2)

The author identified himself as a servant of Jesus and a brother of James, who was head of the Church in Jerusalem in the years between Pentecost and his martyrdom in 62 AD. Since James was a half brother of Jesus, Jude would also have been the Lord's half brother. Neither James nor Jude were believers until after the resurrection (John 7:5).

Jude was clearly writing to the Church. The Greek word translated "called" in verse 1 means sanctified (set apart) and is from the word for saint. The claim that we are loved by God and kept by Jesus Christ combines John 3:16 (for God so loved the world) and John 6:39 (my Father's will is that I should lose none of all that He has given me) and serves to confirm that once we're saved the Lord takes responsibility for keeping us that way (2 Cor. 1:21-22).

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. (Jude: 3-4)

Jude wanted to write about loftier things, but in 65 AD when he wrote his letter, the Church was already being invaded by false teachers, and he felt the need to warn us about them instead. This is something that continues to this day, and like it is today, these teachers were saying that sin doesn't matter, Jesus wasn't really God in the flesh, and he's not the only way to salvation. Back then this was called the gnostic error, one teaching of which held that all Spirit is pure and all matter is evil, so what we do in the flesh is irrelevant to our spiritual life.

This same teaching proposed that God, being spirit, is pure and could never have dwelt in a physical body. Therefore Jesus could not have been divine. They said the Spirit of God came to be with Him for a time but departed before His crucifixion leaving Him to die alone. Followers of gnosticism believed that salvation could not be attained through the death of a man, but rather came through the acquisition of secret knowledge. (The Greek word gnosis means "to know".) The New Age religions are modern examples that build on this kind of thinking.

The Bible makes a powerful case for Jesus being God in human form, yet there are many "Christians in name only" who deny that. And of course none of the world's other religions accepts the divinity of Jesus. Also, the doctrine of inclusivism in liberal Christian theology teaches that Jesus is not the only way to salvation. Different religious philosophies have their own unique beliefs and as long as people are sincere in practicing the beliefs of their chosen religion, they can find the way to God. They say it would be arrogant of Christians to insist that ours is the only way, even though Jesus made that very claim (John 14:6) .

Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority (literally, their origin) but abandoned their own home (the dwelling place of their spirit)-these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude:5-7)

These false teachers think they're smart, behaving like they do. The way they distort the Scriptures and emphasize their advanced degrees shows them to have a superior attitude, acting as if they're the only ones who really understand. But we should remember what happened to those who thought they were too smart for God in the past. Paul said, "Although they claimed to be wise they became fools" (Romans 1:22) and reminded us that God promised the wisdom of the wise will perish and the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish. He was quoting Isaiah 29:14 where God had Isaiah lodge the same complaint against the religious leaders of his time. Having learned nothing from history these people will find themselves repeating it, reaping for themselves the same consequences.

Even the angels had to learn this. When some of them thought they could rebel against God and begin a new order, they took on human form without permission, chose human women as wives and produced a hybrid race of super humans (Genesis 6:4). Before long the human gene pool was almost entirely corrupted. But God brought the Great flood and destroyed them all, preserving only Noah and his family to begin again. The angels who led this pre-flood rebellion have been chained in darkness for over 4,000 years, awaiting their judgment. Peter had them in mind when he wrote,

"God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment" (2 Peter 2:4)

Later, Satan tried to pull this same stunt again, infesting the land God promised to His people with giants to frighten the Israelites away (Numbers 13:30-33). It worked for a while, but God gave His people the supernatural strength and courage to drive them out.

Some are convinced Satan will try this one more time, as the End of the Age approaches. They say beings like the Nephilim of Genesis 6 are returning as extra-terrestrials to help Satan kick God off the planet for good. I have no first hand evidence to prove or disprove this theory, but this I know. The Bible says it has happened before, and there are hints it could happen again. (For our complete study on the Nephilim go here)

And who could deny the current effort to re-create Sodom and Gomorrah in our midst? Using the law of the land to force the acceptance of deviant behavior on the people pits human governments directly against the Word of God and will produce the same response that has followed every preceding attempt of this kind; God's judgment.

In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals-these are the very things that destroy them. (Jude:8-10)

Some Gnostics of old believed the body was beyond redemption. Therefore they felt comfortable indulging to excess in every form of perversity. And if you think this kind of thing only happened long ago, just watch a few prime time TV shows. A short generation ago such behavior would have been scandalous, unfit even for public discussion. Now it's openly celebrated, and admired by many.

In this passage we come closer than any other place in the Bible to understanding why God allows Satan into His presence. Satan is a dignitary, a celestial being at the top of the created order. Even Michael the Archangel, who also occupies a high position in the angelic hierarchy, can not speak disrespectfully to him. With all the harm Satan has done to the creation, at least for now he is still afforded the courtesy due to someone in his position.

But the false teachers of yesterday and today feel free to slander anybody, including God, who they don't understand. They even rebel against the things they intuitively know are right, suppressing Biblical truths about such things as how our world came into existence, when human life begins, and whether what they call an "alternative lifestyle" is sinful or not.

Speaking of these false teachers Peter said, "Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand" (2 Peter 2:10-12).

And Jude continues, Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion (Jude:11).

The way of Cain is to offer the works of our hands as payment for our sins rather than accept the sacrifice of an innocent substitute (Genesis 4:3-4). The Bible says Cain knew what was right, but refused to do what was right (Genesis 4:6). Similarly some preachers today put their flocks in greater bondage than they were before they were saved by teaching that although Jesus died so we could be saved it's up to us to earn the right to stay that way.

Balaam's error was to offer prophecies for a fee. He loved the wages of wickedness (2 Peter 2:15). Today we would say, "He's in it for the money." Some well- heeled televangelists teach things they know in their heart to be untrue just to coax more money from their gullible followers.

Korah rebelled against God's chosen one (Moses) inciting the people to disobedience (Numbers 16). Because of him many people refused to follow God's constituted authority. For the Church today, God's constituted authority is His word. But I get emails almost every day from people who can't find a Bible believing church where they live. Others write to bemoan the fact that the church they've grown up in is suddenly taking a dramatic turn away from the Bible into things its writers have repeatedly warned us against doing.

So far it's not looking good for the false teachers whether of Jude's time or ours. But Jude is far from concluding his rant against them and before we're finished Peter will have more to say too. Be sure to check in next week for the rest of Jude, Gateway to Revelation.

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11 Shocking Proofs That Disaster Strikes America When It Mistreats Israel -

11 Shocking Proofs That Disaster Strikes America When It Mistreats Israel - http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=22211

For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. Obadiah 1:15

1. 1993 30 October - The Oslo Accord

President George H. Bush promoted and proudly signed the infamous Oslo Accord at the Madrid Peace Conference on October 30, 1991. The Oslo Accord was labeled a "Land for Peace" accord that demanded Israel award their land to the Palestinian murderers and terrorists in exchange for peace. The perverse Oslo proposition was simple: give us your land and we'll stop killing you.

1993 31 October - The Next Day - The Perfect Storm hits

A very rare huge storm starting in the north Atlantic, moving east to west (wrong direction for storms to move - although in the Bible, the Holy Spirit and history move east to west). This storm was so unusual and contrary to "mother nature" it was immortalized by the book The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and later a popular movie. Amazon says of the book The Perfect Storm, "Meteorologists called the storm that hit North America's eastern seaboard in October 1991 a "perfect storm" because of the rare combination of factors that created it. For everyone else, it was perfect hell. In The Perfect Storm, author Sebastian Junger conjures for the reader the meteorological conditions that created the "storm of the century" and the impact the storm had on many of the people caught in it."

Interesting, one of the first places The Perfect Storm hit was Kennebunkport, Maine. Waves over 30 foot demolished the home of guess who - President George H. Bush, the instigator of the Oslo Accord.

2. The Second massive "coincidence"....1992 23 August

A year later, President Bush literally picked up the pieces from Oslo attempting to rob Israel again. Meeting in Washington D.C. Bush and crew again attempted to "sell" the fictitious Madrid "Land for Peace" agreement.

1992 23 August - Same Day - Hurricane Andrew visits Florida

Hurricane Andrew smashes and crashes into Florida. Andrew causes over $30 billion in damage while destroying over 180,000 homes. At that time, Andrew was the worst natural disaster ever to hit America.

3. No 3.... another "coincidence"

1994 16 January

President Bill Clinton meets with terrorist and Israel hater Syria's President Hafez el-Assad in Geneva. They talk about a peace agreement with Israel that includes Israel giving up the Golan Heights.

1994 17 January - less than 24 hours - 6.9 Earthquake rocks California

In less than 24 hours, a powerful 6.9 earthquake rocks Southern California. This mysterious quake, centered in Northridge, is the second most destructive natural disaster to hit the United States, behind Hurricane Andrew.

4. A disaster of another kind, but destructive just the same.... Impeachment.

1998 21 January

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with President Clinton at the White House and is coldly received. Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright refuse to have lunch with him.

1998 21 January - the same day - Monica Lewinsky scandal erupts

After Clinton's rejection of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, later the very same day, the Monica Lewinsky scandal breaks out, destroying the Clinton presidency and resulting in his impeachment.

5. No. 5.... 1998 28 September

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright finishes the final details of an agreement which requires Israel to surrender 13 percent of Yesha (Judah and Samaria). President Bill Clinton meets with Yasser Arafat and Netanyahu at the White House to finalize another Israel "land for peace" hoodwink. Later, Arafat addresses the United Nations and declares an independent Palestinian state by May 1999.

1998 28 September - Same Day - Hurricane George hits Gulf Coast

Hurricane George blasts the Gulf Coast with 110 mph winds and gusts up to 175 mph. The hurricane hit the coast and stalled until the agreement was finalized and Arafat addressed the UN. Then it hit and caused $1 billion in damage. At the exact time that Arafat departs the U.S., the storm begins to dissipate.

6. Number Six in the list of "coincidences"...

1998 15 October

Arafat and Netanyahu meet at the Wye River Plantation in Maryland. The talks are scheduled to last five days with the focus on Israel giving up 13 percent of Yesha. The talks are extended and conclude on October 23.

1998 17 October - Two days later - Tornadoes hit Texas

On October 17, heavy storms and tornadoes hit southern Texas. The San Antonio area is deluged with rain. The rain and flooding in Texas continue until October 22 and then subside. The floods ravage 25 percent of Texas and leave over one billion dollars in damage. On October 21, Clinton declares this section of Texas a major disaster area.

7. Number 7 A Financial Disaster...(3rd worst day in financial history)

1998 30 November

Arafat arrives in Washington again to meet with President Clinton to raise money for a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital. A total of 42 other nations were represented in Washington. All the nations agreed to give Arafat $3 billion in aid. Clinton promised $400 million, and the European nations $1.7 billion.

1998 30 November - Same Day - Financial Disaster

The Dow Jones average drops 216 points, and on December 1, the European Market had its third worst day in history. Hundreds of billions of market capitalization were wiped out in the U.S. and Europe.

8. Number 8... "Coincidence"

1998 12 December

President Clinton arrives in the Palestinian-controlled section of Israel to discuss another "land for peace" fiasco.

1998 12 December - Same Day - Clinton impeached

The U.S. House of Representatives vote four articles of impeachment against President Clinton.

9. Number 9 in the list of "Coincidences".

1999 3 May

Yasser Arafat schedules a press conference to announce a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital.

1999 3 May - Same Day - Powerful Storms in Oklahoma and Kansas

The most powerful tornado storm system ever to hit the United States whips through Oklahoma and Kansas. The winds are clocked at 316 mph, the fastest wind speed ever recorded. Arafat postpones his announcement to December 1999 at the request of buddy President Clinton. In his letter to Arafat, Clinton praises and encourages Arafat for his "aspirations for his own land."

10. This is the number 10 "Coincidence"

2001 8 June

President George W. Bush sends Secretary Tenet to Jerusalem to promote his "Roadmap to Peace," the continuation of the failed Oslo Accord.

2001 8 June - Same Day - Tropical Storm Allison hits Texas

Tropical storm Allison hits Texas the home state of President George W. Bush. Allison causes over $7 billion in damage and closes George Bush Airport for two days. Allison continues for five long days. When Tenet leaves Jerusalem, Allison settles down.

11. 2005 23 August ..... This was one of the saddest days as I watched and listened to Jews being evicted from their homes in the most beautiful of places....

Gush Katif was paradise. And it was destroyed by those who took it over.

Israel completed the evacuation of the Gaza Strip and gave it to the Palestinians. The Gaza Strip evacuation came directly from President Bush's "Roadmap to Peace."

Destruction was to see another "coincidence"....

This was how one American viewed the storm......

2005 23 August - the Same Day - Tropical Storm Katrina appears

August 23, a small insignificant tropical storm slowly appeared in the Atlantic below the Bahamas named Katrina. From her beginning meteorologists stated the U.S. had nothing to fear. Katrina packed little punch, plus the computer forecasts kept Katrina calmly corralled in the Atlantic. Defying the computer models, Katrina turned south-east, scraped the south tip of Florida and then with the vengeance of a runaway freight train Katrina took an unexpected turn into the warm Gulf Coast. Meteorologists tracking Katrina's unusual path labeled Katrina one of history's most bizarre hurricanes.

2005 29 August - Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans

Katrina raced directly toward New Orleans, harnessing deadly strength every moment. Literally recording wind strength "off the scale" On Monday, August 29, the nation watched in horror as deadly Katrina slammed and slaughtered the fragile Gulf Coast. Destructive Katrina left beautiful homes as piles of worthless rubbish. Deadly Katrina tossed bodies like litter along the highway. When Katrina ended her deadly mission America suffered the worst disaster in her storied history. As I saw the thousands of homes destroyed, my mind kept going back to those U.S. ordered bulldozers destroying the Jewish homes in the Gaza Strip. As I saw the thousands and thousands of United States citizens being evacuated from their land, my mind could not keep from remembering the Jewish people crying and literally begging to stay in their land. America found no mercy for the Jewish people.

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'Allahu Akbar': Arabs harass Jews on Temple Mount -

'Allahu Akbar': Arabs harass Jews on Temple Mount - Aaron Klein - http://www.wnd.com/2014/05/allahu-akbar-arab-mobs-harass-jews-on-temple-mount/

Police close sacred site after dozens of clashes, including rock-throwing

Mobs of Arab rioters Wednesday intimidated Jewish worshippers, attacked police officers and caused the closure of the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest site.

Jewish visitors had ascended the mount on the day Israelis celebrate as Jerusalem Day, which marks the reunification of the nation's capital and its liberation from temporary Jordanian occupation.

Hundreds of Jews waited to go up to the site in small groups of about 10 to 15. Arab mobs surrounded one of the first groups to ascend, intimidating the Jewish visitors and yelling at them in Arabic.

Yishai Fleisher, a local activist, said he was with a group of 11 on the mount that was surrounded by about 40 Arabs shouting "Allahu Akbar," or "Allah is the greatest."

Fleisher told WND he saw rocks being thrown from the Al Aqsa Mosque at Israeli police and Jewish worshipers. He pointed out that his group was unarmed due to security restrictions that ban weapons on the Temple Mount.

Fleisher captured on video the Arab mob flanking and intimidating his group.

His was one of dozens of reports of clashes and Arab rock-throwing on the mount today. One policeman was reportedly lightly injured by a stone.

Eventually, the Israeli police closed the mount to Jewish visitors, citing security concerns.

Holiest Jewish site, Islamic claims

The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Judaism. Muslims claim it is their third holiest site, although their stake has changed several times throughout history.

The First Temple was built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. The Second Temple was rebuilt in 515 B.C. after Jerusalem was freed from Babylonian captivity. That temple was destroyed by the Roman Empire in A.D. 70. Each temple stood for a period of about four centuries.

According to the Talmud, the world was created from the foundation stone of the Temple Mount. It's believed to be the biblical Mount Moriah, where Abraham fulfilled God's test of his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac.

The Temple Mount has remained a focal point for Jewish services for thousands of years. Prayers for a return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple have been uttered by Jews since the Second Temple was destroyed, according to Jewish tradition.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque was constructed in about A.D. 709 to serve as a shrine near another shrine, the Dome of the Rock, which was built by an Islamic caliph. Al-Aqsa was meant to mark what Muslims came to believe was the place at which Muhammad, the founder of Islam, ascended to heaven to receive revelations from Allah.

Jerusalem is not mentioned in the Quran. It is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible 656 times.

Islamic tradition states Muhammad took a journey in a single night on a horse from "a sacred mosque" - believed to be in Mecca in southern Saudi Arabia - to "the farthest mosque." From a rock there, according to the tradition, he ascended to heaven. The farthest mosque became associated with Jerusalem about 120 years ago.

According to research by Israeli author Shmuel Berkovits, Islam historically disregarded Jerusalem as being holy. Berkovits points out in his book "How Dreadful Is This Place!" that Muhammad was said to loathe Jerusalem and what it stood for. He wrote that Muhammad made a point of eliminating pagan sites of worship and sanctifying only one place - the Kaaba in Mecca - to signify there is only one deity.

As late as the 14th century, Islamic scholar Taqi al-Din Ibn Taymiyya, whose writings influenced the Wahhabi movement in Arabia, ruled that sacred Islamic sites are to be found only in the Arabian Peninsula and that "in Jerusalem, there is not a place one calls sacred, and the same holds true for the tombs of Hebron."

A guide to the Temple Mount by the Supreme Muslim Council in Jerusalem published in 1925 listed it as Jewish and as the site of Solomon's temple. The Temple Institute acquired a copy of the official 1925 "Guide Book to Al-Haram Al-Sharif," which states on page 4: "Its identity with the site of Solomon's Temple is beyond dispute. This, too, is the spot, according to universal belief, on which David 'built there an altar unto the Lord.'"

No-prayer zone

The Temple Mount was opened to the general public until September 2000, when the Palestinians started their Intifada, or "uprising," by throwing stones at Jewish worshipers after Ariel Sharon, who at the time was a candidate for prime minister, visited the area.

After the onset of violence, the new Sharon government closed the Temple Mount to non-Muslims, using checkpoints to control all pedestrian traffic for fear of further clashes with the Palestinians.

The Temple Mount was reopened to non-Muslims in August 2003. It's been open to non-Muslims only during certain hours and not on any Christian, Jewish or Muslim holidays or other days considered "sensitive" by the Waqf.

During "open" days, Jews and Christians are allowed to ascend the mount, usually through organized tours and only if they conform first to a strict set of guidelines, which include demands that they not pray or bring any "holy objects" to the site. Visitors are banned from entering any of the mosques without direct Waqf permission. Rules are enforced by Waqf agents, who watch tours closely and alert nearby Israeli police to any violation of their guidelines.

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Israel Watch: The Coming Temple -

Israel Watch: The Coming Temple - Jim Fletcher - http://www.raptureready.com/rap15.html

Every time I stand on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, I do what most Christians and Jews do in that spot: imagine where the Temple once stood. The exact location has been a source of mystery and controversy for years.

In AD 70, the 10th Roman Legion completely destroyed the Second Temple (the first having been leveled by the Babylonians some six centuries earlier). This of course had been predicted in the New Testament and now, a tourist/pilgrim can stand on the spot and see nothing but flat paving stones underneath. At the base of the Western Wall are huge stones from the Temple, still resting where Roman soldiers pushed them over the edge. So thorough was their destruction that at that time, the whole plaza was flat as a tabletop.

Now today, of course, the Muslim Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque occupy the site (there's the real "occupation"!). But in your mind's eye, the completeness of the prophecies that foretold a tragic siege is laid bare.

I've had the privilege of visiting with Temple scholars. A couple foundations in Israel are dedicated to rebuilding the Temple, spoken of in Ezekiel. On a broader level, even the prophesied Third Temple, the Messianic Temple, is a point of controversy among Christians. Students of Bible prophecy absolutely expect it to be rebuilt, and reports of vessels and other Temple necessities being prepared excite those of us who look for it.

Elsewhere, though, Ezekiel's prophecy (from the last nine chapters of his prophetic book) is thought to be symbolic, or a metaphor. A great many Christians today in America do not believe the Temple will be rebuilt, and there are all sorts of theological reasons to cause real infighting over this subject.

There is so much to learn about the subject.

So it is that a fabulous new book is out, by Chaim Clorfene: "The Messianic Temple-Understanding Ezekiel's Prophecy." I got my copy recently and have devoured it. This book has the whole package, as they say: fascinating information and rich photographs and illustrations that fully explain the Messianic Temple.

Note: this is not a book written by a Christian, but rather by Clorfene, a scholar who lives in Tzfat, Israel. He is an expert on the Third Temple, and the work he's done with "The Messianic Temple" is truly extraordinary. The book has more than 250 images, 200 of them in color, along with the history of the Temples, a verse-by-verse description of the physical design of the Temple, and an added neat feature: each verse is in Hebrew, followed by English translation, followed by descriptive text.

As a person who believes fully in the Temple being built in the Messianic Age, I find this book thrilling. And in our technological age, the book is available in a variety of formats: printed hardcover; Kindle; and for phone apps.

You can order through Amazon, or through the website: www.messianic-temple.com.

I get feedback all the time from readers who want to know what I think about the Third Temple: Will it be in our lifetime? Is it a literal description? What about the implications for Christians?

I can think of no better resource for learning about this subject than "The Messianic Temple-Understanding Ezekiel's Prophecy."

Not long ago, I stood in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, and gazed at the Temple Mount. Next to me was the spectacular, golden menorah, under glass...awaiting use in the Third Temple. My heart beat faster and I felt privileged to stand there, to reflect on what has been, and what is to come.

The detail in Clorfene's masterpiece book will stun you, and definitely add to your knowledge of the subject. In fact, you just might find yourself making a presentation to your Sunday school class or congregation.

Let us redeem the time, and study, to anticipate the soon-coming glories of the Lord.

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As It was in the Days of Judges -

As It was in the Days of Judges - By Vernon Gray - grayworxx@gmail.com

We know from our Lord that at His Second Coming conditions on earth will be as it was during the time of Noah.

"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:37).

Many theories exist as to what the above verse actually means, but I do not want to discuss the meaning of this verse here. Aside from the days of Noah, there is a time in Israel's history, recorded in the Bible that is very much like the world is right now.

In fact it is not farfetched to say that Israel too is like that right now. The world is also like this period right now and worst of all the Laodicean Church is like this period right now.

The book of Judges is that period of time between the leadership of Joshua and Caleb and Kings Saul and David. It was a time that may be described as the lowest point in Israel's history when there was no central authority. The entire book is characterized by the oft repeated refrain "In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

This was not in any way a good thing. It was in fact a period in Israel's history where the most sordid of events were recorded and there was disorder and confusion throughout the land.

More than that, Israel was dominated by various pagan peoples including the Canaanites, Midianites and the Philistines.

Confusion reigned in the land, in the home and in the ministry of the Levitical Priesthood.

This is exactly what one could expect if "...every man did that which was right in his own eyes." It is the same today where aberrant ministries do whatever they can think of to entice a disinterested world into some form of church setting. Seeker friendly marketing tactics, mysticism, signs, wonders and miracles seem to do the trick for a world that is ignorant of the Bible and the things of God. There is a famine of God's Word in the land.

Jeremiah knew what he was talking about when he said "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Man is not capable of running his own life without input from God. The fast approaching Millennium will prove this once and for all.

·            There will be no more devil to tempt you.

·            There will be no demons to torment and entice you.

·            There will be no more sickness.

·            There will be no more poverty.

·            There will be no more hunger.

·            There will be no longer a present danger.

·            There will no longer be fear,

·            There will no longer be wicked people around you to entice you.

·            Jesus Christ Himself will rule from Jerusalem.

·            There will be a worldwide set of rules for everyone to follow.

·            There will no longer be any danger from animals or insects.

Yet in spite of the above facts, man still goes off the rails at the end of the thousand year period.

"When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth-Gog and Magog-to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever" (Revelation 20:7-10).

The only time we can do as we please is when we are in His will and walking in the spirit.

"If it pleases you to please the Lord, then you can do as you please."

I would like to draw your attention to one story in Judges17 going on to chapter 19 about a man named Micah. It must be said that this is not about the prophet Micah, this is another man. The first thing about Micah is that we notice that he is a very religious man. (Micah means "One who is like Jehovah.")

We start off with Micah stealing 1,100 (eleven hundred) shekels of silver from his mother.

(The number 11 occurs several times in Judges; eleven is the number of confusion.) His mother promptly places a curse on whoever stole the money so Micah confesses. It was the fear of the curse, not the fear of the Lord that motivated Micah to confess his crime and restore the money.

As a reward for such "honesty," from her son, his mother sought to neutralize her curse by blessing him.

Then in verse 3 we read: "And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee."

Verse 4 says, "Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah."

In gratitude for the return of her money, Micah's mother dedicated part of the silver to the Lord and made an idol out of it. Micah's mother paid a silversmith 200 silver shekels. Not a cheap idol. This woman actually thought that the Lord would be impressed if she made an idol to Him.

To do this was in direct disobedience to the command in Exodus 20:4, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:"

Her thinking reflects the influence that the Canaanites had over Israel during this time. The phrase "a graven image and a molten image" suggests two objects of false worship, an image carved out of stone or wood, and a cast idol made out of melted metal poured into a mold. Whatever these idols were they were clearly distinct objects as seen in Judges 18:18.Micah broke seven of the Ten Commandments and it did not appear to bother him because of his spiritual condition.

·            First, Micah coveted his mother's silver. (According to Col. 3:5, covetousness is idolatry.)

·            He then stole the silver.

·            Micah dishonored his mother by stealing from her.

·            He then lied about the whole enterprise until the curse scared him into confessing.

Thus he broke the fifth, eighth, ninth, and tenth commandments; and he broke the first and second commandments by having a shrine of false gods in his home. According to Proverbs 30:8-9, when he stole the silver, he broke the third commandment and took the name of the Lord in vain.

Breaking seven of the Ten Commandments without leaving your own home is quite an achievement! His spiritual condition was so warped that he did not even think that he was doing wrong. In the church today there are many Micah's who abuse the Word of God and do it with such conviction and "authority" that many are they that accept and believe the lie of their doctrine.

The Canaanite influence was pagan and spiritually devastating to Israel. They became superstitious and steeped in mysticism .Not unlike what we have in the Laodicean Church of today. Many ministries are stealing from the flock they are supposed to care for spiritually.

They themselves do not know the Scriptures and teach false pagan ideas that are accepted as biblical by a laity that in turn is grossly ignorant because they do not read or study the Word of God for themselves. The graven images and idols in the Laodicean Church are many.

Verse 5 tells us... "And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest."

According to Deuteronomy 12:1-14, there is only one place of worship in Israel, and the people were not permitted to have their own private shrines. And furthermore if anybody outside   of Aaron's family served as priests, they were to be killed (Numbers 3:10). Micah's mother didn't really deal with her son's sins; his character certainly didn't improve by the way she handled the matter. But being a corrupt person herself, she knew no better.

These were not the only idols in Micah's aberrant shrine, for he had an ephod (possibly as an object of worship; see Judges 8:24-27; or for a priest to wear) and some idols (Teraphim; Genesis 31:17-50). He then installed one of his sons as his priest to conduct worship in this shrine. The Torah is clear that only a priest from the tribe of Levi could be a priest, not just anyone we decide to ordain as we see fit.

The parallel to our modern day Church is obvious.   Many "big name" churches have their spouses and children serving in their ministry, not because they are competent or called into the ministry, but because nepotism is rife in the Laodicean Church. If a wife or child is NOT CALLED into the ministry, they should not be there trying to fill hubby or daddy's shoes no matter how lucrative it may be. It is a terrible shame that money is the main idol of the aberrant Laodicean Church of our time. The main idol of choice in our day is money.

Of course we knew that this would be the case as we read Jesus' letter to the Laodicean's...

"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:17-20).

The "be zealous" here is applied to the acquisition of money power and fame, and not the "storing up of treasures in Heaven." Fleecing the Flock is the prime objective of the Laodicean Church. They of course would deny this accusation and justify their actions using misquoted Scriptures or Extra-biblical sources to sustain their errant position. Notice too that Jesus is outside of this Church wanting to come in. The problem is that if Jesus were inside the church. He would insist on them being Bereans. He would want the congregation to submit their will to the will of the Father and walk in truth, living a life that honors the Father, not the self.

He would insist on Bible study and the reading of the Bible in order to understand it and not to "cherry-pick" blessings from it only. He would chastise those who claim to be prophets and teachers who are not. He would remove from leadership those persons of authority who bring shame to the gospel and disrepute the Christendom in general. He would remove those wolves who claim a special relationship with God which sets them above the lower level Christians.

The rich would not be treated any differently to the poor, and those living in sin would be challenged and rebuked to repentance.

Nope, Laodicea cannot have Jesus in the church; it would be too risky and disruptive. Instead they use His precious name like a talisman. This church gives the name of Jesus "honor" and they "worship" Him with worldly methods which they have concocted; they worship and honor Jesus with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. Entertainment supersedes doctrine and sound doctrine.

Many are the strange unbiblical doctrines of the Church in these last days, and there seems to be an endless stream of misguided followers who idolize the wolves in sheep's clothing. We speak of Islam being a religion of "blind faith," but so is the religion of so many Christians who accept blindly the teachings and doctrines of obvious frauds. They cannot see the deception because they have no discernment. They have no discernment because they have a seared conscience; they have lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and pride of life.

There is a great emptiness in them where discernment ought to be. They are influenced by the

"Canaanites" of our day worshiping God in an unbiblical manner thinking that all is well because their "good motive" is all that counts. Unfortunately Cain's good motives got him into a lot of trouble with God as did Saul's good motives. God has not changed; He is the same God that dealt with Cain and Saul.

We read further in verses 8 to 13...

"And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehem-Judah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-Judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest."

Micah now thought he had the favor of God because he no longer needed his son to be a priest for him; now God had given him a genuine Levitical priest to serve as his private chaplain. This was forbidden in the Law... "And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death" (Numbers 3:10).

Micah practiced a false religion and worshiped false gods (with Jehovah thrown in for good measure), and all the while he rested on the false confidence that God was blessing him! The Levite, of course, was perhaps more to blame for having accepted a position he knew was under false pretenses.

These acts of disobedience to God's Law were typical of the Israelites in the time of Judges.

The Levite was a hireling, as are so many "pastors" in the church today. Their motives are for self-gain and not the protection, nurturing and well-being of the church of God. Many are they that are in the pulpit under false pretenses. They have a form of godliness, but their motives are for their private gain.

When you have a hireling in the pulpit, it will not end well as this story goes on to prove.

Superstition and mysticism will flow from the pulpit and penetrate into every deceived life that supports a false teacher or false prophet. Micah practiced a false religion and worshiped false gods in direct disobedience to the Torah, and all the while he rested on the false confidence that God was blessing him!

The Laodicean Church is also blessed out of its socks. They think that when good things happen, it is God who is blessing them.   Big numbers at church services are not a sign that you are on the right road, especially when you consider Matthew 7:13 -15:

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

And ... 1Timothy 4:1- 2: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron."

And of course... Matthew 21-23: "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.   Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Notice that there are "many."

2 Timothy 4:3- 4: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

It is clear that those who follow false teachers, prophets and pastors do so because they want to hear only that which makes them feel good. They are just as much to blame for the apostasy in the church today as are the leaders. They want to serve God "My Way."

Strangely enough the false church does in fact give honor to God for the blessings they receive; but so did Cain, so did Saul and many others who were walking in total disobedience to the Word of God and just assumed that it was God who was blessing them. They equated material blessings with spiritual acceptance.

Blessings are NOT a measure of someone spirituality.

Read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews and you will see how God often allowed true believers to suffer. Blessings can in fact be a curse from God. Put down those stones and allow me to explain! In the book of Kings the Northern Kingdom of Israel under Ahab and Jezebel flourished materially in spite of their Baal worship.

In fact it was made law that no one could read the Torah, pray to Jehovah or circumcise a baby under pain of death. Judaism was Jezebel's sworn enemy and she almost wiped it out in the Northern Kingdom. In spite of their sordid religious practices they were flushed with success and blossomed with affluence and influence.

There are reprobate Christian leaders and pastors who are blessed financially beyond that which is considered "decent." The obscene amount of money they cheat God's people out of becomes a curse in that they reach a point where they cannot do without the money and trappings that come with it.

The very thing that they thought was a "blessing" is now a snare to them and they remain trapped in a cycle of lies and deceit. They find it difficult to repent because that would mean giving up the comfort of the money and admitting that their doctrine and teachings are false.

Also they would have to admit that they have been stealing from God's precious children for many years. Pride and arrogance will shun repentance and justify a lifestyle that is dishonoring to God. The cycle that they are in is in fact a downward spiral. It is not going to end well, watch and see.

The "Positive Confession" and "Gimme Gimme" generation of Laodicea probably never read Hebrews 2:10...

"For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings."

Yes God wants to bless us as His children, but not at the expense of our character. In chapter 18   of Judges we find that certain spies of the tribe of Dan came upon the Levite priest in Micah's house:

"And he said unto them, 'Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest'" (Judges 18:4).

When they asked what a Levitical priest was doing in a private home in Ephraim-(a very good question, by the way) he told them the truth: He was hired to do the job! He was a hireling and not a true priest of the living God. The motivating factor in the false priest's life was the love of money.

As it is today in Laodicea, if someone who claims some close "connection" to God they want a prophecy or some blessing from God.

"And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous" (Judges 18:5).

Upon learning that he was functioning as a priest, they superstitiously sought some word of God's blessing on their spying mission. In modern terms they said "Give us a word from God and prophecy over us."Since somebody else was paying the bill, the spies thought it was permissible to get "spiritual counsel" from the "priest." Being a good charismatic, he told them what they wanted to hear. Later in the passage the hireling priest decides to follow the money and he dumps Micah and steals his god of silver.

"And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel? And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people."

It is truly amazing that even in this day there are gods that need to be defended by man.

The God of the Bible does not need our help in defending Himself or preserving His Word.

Yet Allah (to name but one) seems helpless without the rabid bloodshed and wide-eyed fanaticism by Muslims who murder in the name of Allah. The violence is often rained upon non-Muslims, but mostly the rampaging brutality is on other Muslims. Makes you think.

A final analogy from the Book of Judges

At the end of this terrible phase in Israel's history a king finally arrives to stabilize the nation.

True they wanted Saul who started out well and finished poorly. But God had already been preparing another king for Israel, David. They jumped the gun by wanting Saul so God gave them what they wanted, to their detriment.

Israel is today without a king. The Laodicean Church has discarded "dry doctrine" and sound study of God's Word. Instead they prefer a brand of Christianity that is seeker-friendly and does not require any great commitment on the part of the congregation (except perhaps for the giving of tithes and offerings.)

There are ministries out there who are "doing their own thing." Among other aberrant practices they bark like dogs, hiss like snakes and "get drunk in the spirit." There is no law to govern their human imagination, and everyone does what is right in his own eyes. For them, Relativism is the flavor of the day. Your truth is necessarily my truth, and as a result there is no absolute truth. The world and the Laodicean Church are ripe for a strong but false leader that can use the biblically illiterate Christians who think that they are doing God's work because they said a quick prayer after a service one Sunday morning. No repentance, just good motives.

This man will charm the Laodicean's into joining him in a "New Thing of God." The world too will join the new move of the spirit upon the earth. But it will not be the Holy Spirit, and it won't be new. It has been around for thousands of years since the Tower of Babel and Nimrod. Soon and very soon one will arise who, like Saul will be tall handsome and the flavor of the century. He will charm Israel like Saul did, but it will end very badly.

God has been planning for the true King of Israel; The King of Kings to arrive on the Mount of Olives to stake His claim to what is rightfully His. The disaster of a seven-year-period, especially the final three and a half years called the "Time of Jacob's Trouble" will end in the Messiah finally being accepted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Vernon

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