PLUG IN THEIR NAME

 

No Other Name

When I was in the Worldwide Church of God I hung on to every word that was taught by Herbert W. Armstrong.  Everything he and his ministry taught I believed.  I know that many here on Simply Christian have had the same or similar experience.  After coming out of this deception more than 30 years ago I realized that Armstrong was my idol, Romans 6:16 , Romans 6:21 , Matthew 6:24 , 1 Kings 18:21 ,  the churches today, 1 Kings 17:41 are in this fleshy program , Galatians 1:10 . 

Did you realize this ?  I know now that Armstrong was an unconverted man because a truly converted man will tell you the truth, that God is your teacher and Christ is your leader and not puffing himself up as though he was.  Who was your Baal, your Armstrong? Or do you still have one ? Plug his name in as a false god, false Christ, false minister.  If we were deceived it wasn’t God and Christ who deceived us was it ?  When I realized what I was doing I repented and asked God through Christ to forgive me, did you ?  I did not go out and again follow some other man, did you ?  How can you possibly begin a new life without making peace between you and your Creator?  We’re you baptized in the one true baptism?  Did you have hands laid upon you to receive the Holy Spirit ?  Have you died with Christ to your former life of sin ?  Have you, like Elijah, slain your prophet of Baal ? If so, plug his name in here ,  @#@#&$%#$ .  If not, get out your two edged sword and have the courage to slay him.  To totally eliminate the enemy and his ministers posing as angels of light you need to rely on Yahweh and Christ only.  Can we take fire to our bosom and not be burned ?  How many times do we allow ourselves to be burned ? To many seem to think that they need another mediator in addition to Christ, another teacher in addition to the Holy Spirit of the Father.  Jesus gave his life so that each of us can through him have a relationship with the Father.  In this personal relationship there is no room for some other pretender.  We are told to work out our own salvation in fear and trembling.  Philippians 2:12

It says your own salvation.  We do this with God and Christ no one else.  There is no other name given , under heaven, this means some other name on Earth, under heaven is the Earth, by which we must be saved.  Acts 4:12  So then if we include some other name what are we doing ?   We are forgetting that there is no other name.

 

PROVE ALL THINGS

1 Thessalonians 5:1  Paul is telling us to prove all things , not to the world but to ourselves, the saints. 

The people of the world cannot receive the knowledge of the truth.  John 4:17  , Romans 8:9 , 1 Corinthians 2:14 .  The commission to preach the gospel was only given to the Apostles, no one else.  They alone were the chosen witnesses .  Acts 10:41 , Acts 10:39 , Acts 13:31 , Acts 1:8 .  Even to this day the words of these chosen witnesses are recorded for anyone to read their testimony. Even though dead they yet speak.  John 17:20   The elect alive today, indeed all the elect of all time, know that only the Apostles were given the great commission.  This is why the elect are not out preaching the gospel and how we know that those who do are false witnesses.  As I have written before, God and Christ have totally controlled the church after the death of John, the last of those chosen witnesses .   From that time God through Christ teaches His people, no man.  This shows the elect how easy it is to identify a deceiver.   Among the elect the gospel is taught but it is not taught to the world .  Matthew 13:11 ,  to you, not them.  John 14:22-24 , John 13:35 .

Jesus resurrected on the Sabbath

 

JESUS RESURRECTED ON THE SABBATH

Smiths Literal Translation of the scriptures, in all four gospels, verifies that Jesus was raised from the dead near the end of the weekly Sabbath.  The following list of translations record the same information;

The Concordance Literal New Testament 

The Literal Standard Version 

Young’s Literal Translation 

The Interlinear Bible

The people that translated the Bible from its original language did so with a hatred of everything Jewish and changed words that plainly identified the weekly Sabbath as the day Jesus was resurrected.  The Catholic Church changed the Ten Commandments by eliminating the second that prohibited idols then the ninth and tenth concern coveting, the ninth saying not to covet your neighbors wife and the tenth your neighbors property . Also the  Sabbath day was changed from the seventh day to the first day of the week, thus violating the words of Jesus ;  Matthew 5:17-18 .  To fulfill the shadow days of ancient Israel Jesus would do this on the actual day they occurred in the law.  The Passover was fulfilled on the Passover, the weekly Sabbath on the Sabbath, the week of unleavened bread on those days and Pentecost on the day of Pentecost.  Jesus emphasized that not one jot or tittle of the law would pass away until everything was accomplished in the new heaven and Earth, the accomplishing will happen in Revelation 21:1 

The entire carnal world is yet under the law, Romans 3:19 .  I am not involved with legalism, I keep no days but I am extremely familiar with the law and I know how it operates.  So then, to fulfill the law and the only sign Jesus gave that he was the Messiah, Jesus had to be resurrected in the late afternoon  on the weekly Sabbath.  There is another post here that shows plainly that if you count backwards from Pentecost 50 days it will be on the weekly Sabbath.  To see all these things for yourself, you must invest yourself in them, to diligently seek the truth of what I have written here.  

 

                     CLUES FROM SOLOMON 

1 Kings 10:19-21   Six steps led up to Solomons throne and on each side of those steps was a lion.

6 lions, 6 steps, 6 lions

1 Kings 10:14  six hundred three score and six talents of gold, in todays money would be over a billion dollars.  

Solomon was the son of David, the king of Israel, Solomons reign was one of peace, his name actually means peace, so he was viewed by many in Israel as the prince of peace and the messiah.  Solomon built the temple and on the day of its dedication fire came down from heaven, 2 Chronicles 7:1,  Revelation 13:13 , 1 Kings 18:38. 

Solomon became a man of sin. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 , 1 Kings 11:1-8   The beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, the second death , a final everlasting punishment for anyone committing the unpardonable sin.  These two were once converted, like Solomon, but they blasphemed the Holy Spirit .

Solomon was exceedingly rich.  Daniel 11:43

The dream of every Jewish person is the coming of their idea of a messiah even in Christs day.  Acts 1:6   The Jewish people long for the glory days of Solomon when Israel was the premier nation on Earth.  1 Kings 10:23  All other nations paled in comparison to Israel thus giving us an important clue into the identities of the 8 kings in Revelation 17:10-11   The eighth king is one of the previous seven who each in their day was the preeminent nation on the Earth, Solomons Israel was definitely one of these seven and in the future be the eighth king.  The Jewish people in that day will think the antichrist is their promised messiah, the false Christians will think he is Jesus, perhaps the Islamics will think he is the Mahdi , their version of the messiah.  The kingdom of the antichrist is not Rome or Babylon, Iraq or united Europe, it is the resurrected Israel. The beast/ antichrist a Solomon figure.  Thus antichrist creates an image of the beast, the one that rises up out of the sea, symbolic of the worlds people, where their population made Aliyah or return to Israel.  Israel a beast, a nation, that was, is not and yet is, the only nation in history that totally disappeared only to return again.  The ten horns of the beast are ten nations antichrist will enter with into a covenant and the seven heads are the seven mountains, not hills, that are around Jerusalem. One of these heads or mountains suffered a deadly wound but the wound is healed, the temple on Mount Moriah was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD but a third temple will be built and begin again the sacrifices made.  Then a beast out of the Earth a false prophet Elijah who calls fire down from heaven to deceive.  The harlot is the capital of Israel , Jeremiah 3:3  Revelation 17:5 , who controls the beast nation and from where the antichrist will rule as a king and priest.  Exodus 13:9-16 ,  Deuteronomy 6:8 , Deuteronomy 11:18 

Antichrist will bring the people under the law of Moses, denying Jesus, this is why there is a temple with sacrifices.  The mark of the antichrist is like the head and hand tyings of the ancient Israelites.

The revival of the law is an excellent deception because it is biblically based, even today there are people who claim to be Christians that keep the law of Moses.   Once antichrist enters into the holy of holies and says he is God the Jews will instantly realize their error and reject antichrist thus bringing in the time of Jacobs trouble that spills over on to all nations. The harlot will be punished double for sins, Isaiah 40:2 , Revelation 18:6 .  In Jerusalem was found the blood of prophets and saints and the slain on EarthRevelation 18:24 , Matthew 23:5  This will be when the mark of the beast will be demanded.  This will be the great tribulation, a time unmatched in history for its horrors.  

 

            PROPHETIC PERFECT TENSE

1 Corinthians 2:10   I am going to write about something that is one of those deep things of God.

To be clear on a point, Philippians 3:10-16   All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view.

In these verses Paul is explaining a deep thing of God.  In much of Paul’s writings he comes across a one who has attained.  He speaks as though what is a promise or hope as a present reality.  This is due to the zeal in response to the power of God that worked in him.  2 Kings 19:31 This spiritual phenomenon is called Prophetic perfect tense.  This is a style of preaching that describes future events that are so certain to happen that they are referred to in the past tense as if they had already happened.  Under the powerful influence of the Fathers Holy Spirit Paul on many occasions wrote or spoke in this manner.  God was in effect speaking through Paul.  This was also in the prophets as well as Jesus himself.  Hebrews 1:1-2  1 Peter 1:10-12  

Isaiah 9:6  is an example of prophetic perfect tense as the verse seems to say the son was already given when we know this son would not be born or given until the future. Romans 8:30:31  is an example of Paul’s prophetic perfect tense as he says, “and he also glorified “ ,  we know our glorification is still future.  This effect is true in many scriptures because the God who inspired these men speaks this way.  Romans 4:17  ,  Isaiah 46:9-10 ,  and Jesus also Matthew 22:32  .   If the God of our inspiration speaks in this manner then is it not also true of His prophets, His son and the Apostles.  Those who do not understand this may well think that future events have indeed been already fulfilled.   Again, the possibility of mistaking the prophetic perfect tense effect as truly fulfilled prophecy when the prophecy has not actually been fulfilled will hide the reality to believe a fantasy .  An event of the past which in some ways are very similar to a future event is called, shadow prophecy, which is the result of a persons belief that the shadow is real.  Isaiah 9:6 where the son seems to have already been born and given is the shadow but it cannot be believed that it was fulfilled in Isaiah’s time.  The same is true when Paul said we are glorified, we should not take this literally and turn it into a doctrine.   Prophecy and doctrine are not the same. Doctrine is prophecy fulfilled and prophecy is yet to be fulfilled doctrine.

Jesus was a prophetic character until the prophecies concerning him were fulfilled then it became doctrine.

Knowing this shows Jesus did not pre exist. We must be aware of many things in order to come to a correct understanding.

 

HOW DID JESUS FULFILL THE SYMBOLISM OF THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD ?

The feast of unleavened bread began on the 15th day of Nisan.  Passover was not a day of unleavened bread or a holy day but was a preparation day for the first day of unleavened bread, the day the Jews did not want Jesus to be on the cross, a high day, John 19:31.  No Israelite was to eat or have leaven in their homes.  This feast lasted 7 days.  The first day the 15th of Nisan was an annual holy day and the last day the the 22nd was a holy day, these days were annual sabbaths or high days.  Now the nearly universal idea is that leaven always is symbolic of sin.  This is incorrect.  Leaven is symbolic of spirit.  What spirit are we leavened with, are we children of Satan or children of God. Luke 9:55  Matthew 13:33  Jesus compared the kingdom of God with leaven, how if leaven always symbolizes sin ?  The annual holy days of Israel were to remind the Israelites of their sins.  Hebrews 10:3  It was impossible for the blood of animals to forgive sin. Hebrews 10:4  So the carnal Israelites were always in their sins.  Jesus makes it possible for the saints to be clean, not unclean as the carnal Israelites were. Acts 10:15   Through Jesus the saints are leavened with the Holy Spirit made possible not by the blood of animals but by the blood of the son of God.  The reason there are 7 days are because over the entire plan of God for the saints there would be 7 churches, those listed in the book of Revelation, over the passage of time each church era would be leavened with the Holy Spirit.  Revelation 1:4  These 7 churches are leavened with the Holy Spirit else the could not be called the church of God.  From these 7 churches are the true people of God , those who truly were called and chosen because in some of these churches like Sardis had only a few names who would walk in white, would inherit the kingdom of God. Also on Pentecost two loaves of bread were baked with leaven that symbolized the saints before and after Christ, the elect. Leviticus 23:17  Twelve loaves representing the twelve tribes for the showbread were not baked with leaven.  Leviticus 24:5  The Laodiceans must be leavened by being martyred because neither being cold of hot they are not of the elect but are the innumerable multitude.  Also, after the resurrection of Jesus he met two of his disciples but God did not permit them to recognize Jesus.  The three went to eat and Jesus took bread and broke it and gave it to them. Luke 24:30  The word used for bread here is “artos” Strongs G740  meaning bread baked into a loaf or leavened, the same bread Jesus used at the Passover meal . The word for unleavened bread is “azumos” Strongs G106.  After this Jesus vanished.  Now Luke 24:35 reveals how the disciples knew it was Jesus, in the breaking of the loaf of leavened bread, “artos” .  This was because this event took place during the days of unleavened bread.  The disciples understood because of , Luke 24:27 , where Jesus probably mentioned this thing about leaven.  All events like these that Jesus did were explained by him to his disciples. Luke 24:44-45   So, you see how Jesus fulfilled the days of unleavened bread.

                      THE RESURRECTION 

This will prove when Jesus was resurrected. It does not matter how the days flowed just that there were 7 days in a week.  Pentecost is always on a Sunday and the weekly Sabbath is always Saturday. Follow the instructions below.

                               APRIL

Su.     M.     Tu.     W.     Th.     F.     Sat. 

1.         2.       3.        4.      5.       6.      7. 

8.         9.       10.      11.     12.     13.    14. 

15.      16.       17       18.     19.    20.     21. 

22.     23.        24.       25.     26.    27.     28. 

29.     30.    

                                   MAY

SU.       MO.      TU.      WED.      TH.     FR.   SA.  

                             1.          2.             3.        4.       5. 

6.           7.            8.          9.            10.       11.      12. 

13.        14.          15.         16.          17.       18.      19. 

20.        21.          22.         23.          24.      25.    26. 

27.        28.          29.         30.          31. 

The 27th is PENTECOST, THE 50th DAY.  IF YOU COUNT BACKWARDS 10 DAYS YOU WILL BE ON THURSDAY THE 17th, THIS IS THE DAY JESUS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN.  THEN COUNT BACKWARDS AGAIN FROM THE 17th 40 DAYS AND YOU WILL BE ON THE 7th A SATURDAY THE WEEKLY SABBATH DAY, THE DAY JESUS WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD.  NOW COUNT BACK FROM THE 7th 3 MORE DAYS AND THIS IS PASSOVER, THE DAY OF THE CRUCIFIXION. 

 ACTS 1:3  IT WAS 40 DAYS THAT JESUS SPENT WITH HIS DISCIPLES THEN ON THE 40th DAY ASCENDED AND 10 DAYS LATER ON PENTECOST SENT THE HOLY SPIRIT.MATTHEW 28:1 , IN THE END OF THE SABBATH AS IT BEGAN TO DAWN TOWARD THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.  THE SUN HAD NOT YET SET BUT WAS CLOSE TO SETTING, THE SABBATH WAS NOT YET OVER.  THIS IS WHEN THE WOMEN CAME TO THE SEPULCHER.  LUKE IS SAYING THE SAME THING, LUKE 24:1 , SO DOES MARK, WHEN YOU HAVE THE CORRECT TRANSLATION; VERY EARLY ON THE FIRST OF THE SABBATHS.  THE MODERN VERSION OF MARK IS INCORRECT DUE TO TRANSLATORS BELIEVING JESUS WAS RAISED ON SUNDAY.  LOOK AT YOUNGS LITERAL TRANSLATION.  THE PHRASE, AT THE RISING OF THE SUN DISAGREES WITH MATTHEWS ACCOUNT, WHILE IT WAS YET DARK.  NOTICE THAT THESE WOMEN DID NOT WITNESS THE ACTUAL RESURRECTION, THEY ONLY SAW AN EMPTY TOMB. GIVEN HOW CLOSE IT WAS FROM THE END OF THE SABBATH JESUS HAD TO HAVE RISEN WHILE IT WAS YET THE SABBATH.  ALL EYE WITNESSES WERE AFTER THE FACT AND NO ONE ACTUALLY SAW JESUS WALK OUT OF THE TOMB.  IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE LAW OF MOSES JESUS HAD TO DIE ON THE PASSOVER AND BE RESURRECTED ON THE SABBATH JUST AS HE SENT THE SPIRIT ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST.  

Human Marriage

 

Human Marriage 

Human marriage is the first covenant that God made with humanity. Adam and Eve were married by God.  It is believed today that people who think they are ministers, preachers or priests of God can perform marriages  They cannot because this authority was not given to them.  You will not find anywhere in scripture that even remotely resembles the modern day marriage ceremony.  It is ironic these false people even say, “ what God has joined together let not man put asunder.”   Marriage is a covenant between the man, woman and God, no one else.  The only thing mentioned in scripture is the celebration of the covenant not the making of it.  In very brief words, to be married the man and woman love one another and in prayer ask God to make them husband and wife, then the act of sexual intercourse seals the covenant.  That’s it, there is nothing else.  God will hold both man and woman responsible to honor each others God given roles in marriage as Jesus and the Apostles explained in scripture.  What marriage is today is human intervention into a thing that is Gods business only.  Many people today that do not fit into the modern idea of marriage are considered living in sin because they did not go through the pomp and circumstance of the churches and governments of the carnal world.  I do however recognize that in this ungodly evil world that currently has control it is advisable to go through the motions of fake marriage in order to qualify for the legal benefits under man’s laws.  When my wife and I were married by God alone we both agreed to do the carnal thing as well for these reasons but we do not recognize their authority to marry anyone.  Human marriage is a type or shadow of our marriage to Christ. It is God the Father who chooses those to be a part of the bride, the church, no man.  John 6:44

Just as in human marriage you do not commit adultery you do not commit spiritual adultery against Christ by blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The penalty for each is death but the one against  the Holy Spirit and Christ is everlasting death.  Hebrews 10:26-27  In many other things carnal churches and governments have corrupted the truth as Jude said in his letter.  Marriage is a serious thing and guiding principles from God should be employed when couples are considering marriage.  If someone cannot abide by the way Yahweh has ordained for marriage they should not marry.  These ordinances of Yahweh have not changed and remain the same as Yahweh gave them to Adam and Eve.  

 

Preterism

Preterism is a belief that most or all of prophecy has been fulfilled.  The tribulation, abomination of desolation, the mark of the beast all took place around 70 AD and that the book of Revelation was written about 67AD .

According to  Irenaeus of Lions in his work called, Against Heresies , book 2 chapter 22 paragraph 5 the Apostle John lived in Ephesus after Emperor Domitian died and Nerva took the throne. Then Emperor Trajan took the throne around 98 AD John died a short time later and this information is confirmed by others who wrote in that time.  This fact proves a date of 67AD for John writing Revelation is wrong.  None of the Apostles ever mentioned the destruction of the temple in 70AD. It was not important to them

because it had nothing to do with the second advent of Christ, which was part of the question asked by the disciples in Matthew 24:3 .

The miraculous events recorded by Josephus in 66AD of chariots in the clouds at the time prior to the Jewish Roman war can also be found in 2 Maccabees 5:2-3.  Also at this time Antiochus Epiphanies desecrated the temple by sacrificing a pig on the alter, a type of the abomination of desolation.  Josephus is not a fellow to be trusted as he betrayed his people and joined the Romans.  Could he have plagiarized part of 2 Maccabees to juice up his story ?  It is highly unlikely that these two events both happened over 100 years apart with exact similar miraculous events.  Neither of these historical events are true if one attempts to say that they have fulfilled all or most prophecy of the end times.  People who adhere to Preterism will be totally lost concerning prophetic events.  

Mark Twain took a tour of Jerusalem in 1867 and in his book about this entitled, The Innocents Abroad, chapter 54, describes stones yet stacked on top of one another and sections of various walls and pillars which does not fit what Jesus said about the temples destruction.  This is because Jesus was not speaking of the second temple but the third, the antichrist temple. 

Another claim of Preterism is that Revelation 20:5 where it says, the rest of the dead lived not again until the 1000 years were finished.  They say that this part is uninspired and not in many of the oldest translations .  I have done extensive reading and study to see if this claim is true.  As it turns out only one of the early papyri , codex Sinaiticus , does exclude this verse, but all others contain it.  Even the Lamsa has it but it is in verse 4 not 5.  The Peshitta also has the verse but in verse 7 rather than 5.  The Latin Vulgate also contains the verse as the others do.  Even some translations of the codex Sinaiticus contain it.  

2 Samuel 14:14.  The means by which the banished ones will not be expelled is the second resurrection.   In Ezekiel 38:1-23  is the account of Gog and Magog in Revelation 20:7-9 it is a long time , a time after the 1000 years, after the second resurrection, which Ezekiel 37 describes in the valley of dry bones.  All of Ezekiel 39 continues to describe events of the attempted invasion by Gog and Magog.  So then it is plain that these events are after 1000 years and the whole house of Israel resurrected at this time is attacked by Gog and Magog who will be destroyed by fire.   Ezekiel 36 begins the story and in ends in chapter 39 

 

When was the Book of Revelation Written ?

Eusebius book 3, chapter 23, verse 1

At that time the Apostle and evangelist John, the one who Jesus loved, was still living in Asia and governing the churches of that region, having returned after the death of Domitian from his exile on the island.

Domitiannus was emperor of Rome from 81 AD  to  96 AD.  John was sent to Patmos by emperor Domitianus  so even if John was sent early to Patmos in 81 AD this would still disprove the claim the Revelation was written in 67AD.  

Irenaeus in Against Heresies, 5.30.3

 

The Connection with Solomon and antichrist 

1/20/24

2 Chronicles 9:13  &  1 Kings 10:14  give the number 666 as the amount of gold Solomon received yearly.  Revelation 13:18  666 is the number of the beast/antichrist.  1 Kings 11:1-8 describes how Solomon went into sin and the antichrist is a man of sin.  2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Both antichrist and Solomon are known for their wisdom, both are very rich, both are a son of David and both were/are believed to be the messiah.  After the gold Solomon received was calculated it amounted to 666 talents which today would be worth over a billion dollars.  This calculated number of Solomon is used to help identify the antichrist.  The antichrist will be a Jew who can trace his ancestors back to king David making firm his false claim as the Jewish messiah.  He will reign in Jerusalem the harlot city , the capital that controls/rides the beast nation Judah or modern day Israel.  He makes a new covenant with ten nations and has a false Elijah/prophet who calls fire down from heaven to burn the sacrifices offered at the third temple just as Solomon did at the first temple.  2 Chronicles 7:1 .  All these things are done to convince the Jews and the world that the antichrist is the messiah.  Antichrist will bring people under the law thus denying Christ.  Galatians 5:4 , the great falling away.  Many will believe they are in the millennium as the works of the antichrist change times and law.  Daniel 7:25

Antichrist will use scripture to deceive by twisting its true meaning.  1 Timothy 4:1 ,  2 Corinthians 4:4  .   There are a few differences between the antichrist and Solomon but the similarities are numerous.  I think Solomon did repent and this is seen in his writings but antichrist does not repent.  Solomon had to many women but antichrist doesn’t seem to bother with women.  Solomon was king of Israel in Israel’s glory days and todays Jews want that glory again just as the apostles did before they had understanding.  Acts 1:6    There are organizations in Israel today that have acquired everything needed to build the third temple except the location. With the current war, if it escalates , would it be possible for Israel to become the top power in the Middle East ? Will Israel be forced to use their nuclear weapons?  Would this put Israel in a position to force a ten nation covenant, a mix of iron and clay?  We will have to wait and see how things develop.

 

 

Josephus, Allen, Armstrong, LaHaye

1/13/24

For the sake of discussion only, let us assume that your view of prophecy is correct, what detriment would that be to me ?  However, if my view is correct then this would leave you totally in the dark and unprepared for what the future holds. 

To rely on the writings of Josephus to interpret prophecy is to place confidence in a man who was a Pharisee and a betrayer of his people. He convinced his companions to kill each other but he gave himself up to the Romans and accompanied the Romans when they destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.  These truths show that Josephus was a despicable character.  Many historians do not trust everything he wrote and some accuse him of plagiarism when he wrote about chariots in the clouds copying exact wording from 2 Maccabees 5:2-3 comparing this to the Wars of the Jews, book 6 chapter 5 paragraph 3 .

2 Maccabees 5:2-3  “And then it happened that through all the city for the space of forty days there were seen horsemen running in the air in cloth of gold and armed with lances like a band of soldiers and troops of horsemen in array and running one against another and multitudes of pikes and drawing of swords and casting of darts and glittering of golden ornaments and harness of all sorts.”

Josephus , Wars of the Jews, Book 6 Chapter 5 ,  “before sunsetting chariots and troops of soldiers were seen running about among the clouds and surrounding the cities.”

Josephus was not present in Judea when these alleged events took place.  Historians accuse Josephus of embellishment in some of his writings so as to be more entertaining for the reader.  

Josephus had a very high opinion of himself, he was vain, callous, arrogant , selfish, immoral and self seeking, Encyclopedia Britannia, 1/1/24 

As a historian, Josephus shares the faults of most ancient writers; his analyses are superficial, his chronology faulty, his speeches contrived.  He is especially tendentious when his own reputation is at stake: Gary William Poole Associate Editor, Encyclopedia Britannica. 

Author Joseph Raymond describes Josephus as Benedict Arnold by betraying his own troops at Jotapata.

Historian Mary Smallwood describes Josephus as conceited and turned his captivity by the Romans to his own advantage living the rest of his days benefiting from his defection to Rome.

Dr. Brenton Cook, professor of apologetics said of Josephus;

Christians should be careful not to read Josephus as an apologist for Christianity or to rely upon him too heavily.

It is easy to find extra biblical writings that borrow scripture and twist it to fit a totally unscriptural idea.  Herbert W. Armstrongs book, The U.S. and Britain in Prophecy attempts to prove that the lost ten tribes of Israel are the white European and American people.  An obvious issue with his book is that he plagiarized large portions of a book written by J.H. Allen entitled, Judahs Scepter and Joseph’s Birthright.

You would be amazed how many people believe this garbage especially when both Allen and Armstrong were both unconverted men devoid of the Holy Spirit just as Josephus was.  A fellow who calls himself a pastor, Tim LaHaye became famous, not to mention rich, with his books the Left Behind series that proliferates the lie of the rapture as well as a host of other lies, but look how popular they are and how many actually believe this nonsense.  There have been many writings over the centuries that people have gravitated to and have wholeheartedly believed, some to their own deaths. Here are a few more false prophets you may have heard about; Harold Camping, Hon-ming Chen, William Miller, Joanna Southport.  

I believe in sola Scriptura ,  as the Bible is the only Yahweh inspired writings and we should look to nothing else to form truth and doctrine or to understand prophecy. To use extra biblical sources is adding to the word.  Proverbs 30:5-6

Prophecy came to us by men who were inspired by the spirit of Yahweh and the Apostle Paul , 1 Corinthians 14:5 , encourages the saints to seek the gift of prophecy as this edifies the church.  1 Corinthians 13:9-12 ,  prophecy is seeing through a glass darkly, it is given over time as we watch events unfold. In the finality of things prophecy will fade away.  Any prophecy given by a new covenant saint is subject to the prophets of old. 1 Corinthians 14:32 , the saints cannot speak a prophecy that conflicts with the prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and the minor prophets.  We must be extremely careful that we do not handle the word of God deceitfully. 2 Corinthians 4:2 . Prophecy is within scripture and by Yahwehs spirit no other place or power.  Do not go to unconverted men to understand prophecy.  

All indicators given by Jesus, the Prophets and the Apostles are that end time events come upon the world as a total surprise.  1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 , Psalm 48:6 , Isaiah 21:3 , Isaiah 13:8 , Jeremiah 30:6-7 , Luke 21:34 , 2 Peter 3:10 , Revelation 16:15 , Matthew 24:42-44 , Matthew 25:13 , Mark 13:32-37 .  If we obey Jesus we watch for the signs he gave only and none of these signs had chariots in the clouds.  2 Thessalonians 1:6-10  and Isaiah 66:15  both speak of the day of the Lord or the return of Jesus not prior to it with concocted pre warnings of chariots in the clouds. 

 

THE CROWN

1/11/24

REVELATION 3:11

I am coming soon.  Hold fast what you have that no man take your crown.   This admonishment by Jesus was to the Philadelphia church, the church directly preceding the Laodicean.  In Matthew 25:1-13 .  These five foolish virgins are the Laodiceans.  They both have grieved and quenched the Holy Spirit and need to buy either oil or gold.  When the bridegroom came neither were ready and both were shut out, the door was shut.  The Philadelphia church is the one with an opened door and when their number is fulfilled that door will be shut.  Today that door is yet open but for how long ?

We know that this crown is the symbol of the elect in glory as kings and priests.  The above scripture indicates it is possible to lose this crown.  We also know that this is what happens to the Laodiceans. 

Revelation 7:13-14  there is a white robe but no crown.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 ,  being neither cold or hot, not making your calling an election sure, having wood, hay and stubble on your foundation is the condition of a Laodicean.  We know that the Laodiceans must experience the horror of the great tribulation with no protection from God.  They must buy God gold tried in the fire, the fire of the great tribulation . Both the Philadelphia and Laodicean churches are alive during the great tribulation and the fire will prove what foundation they have.  Even though the Laodiceans suffer loss by losing their crown they are yet saved by martyrdom. Isaiah 49:10 , Isaiah 25:8-9 , by their foundation tried in the fire and the wood, hay and stubble burned up.  Laodiceans must refuse the mark of the beast.  Revelation 20:4 , Revelation 14:13 , Revelation 13:15

Revelation 12:6  is the elect alive and remaining with the seal of God.  This is not carnal Israel but spiritual Israel, that woman through Abraham to whom the promises were made and was the church in the wilderness that gave birth to the male child.  This faithful end time remnant is attacked by Satan with a flood of lies to deceive them,  Matthew 24:24 , but this remnant cannot be deceived but the Earths people swallow up all the lies and deceit to follow after the beast. Satan the becomes enraged and goes after the Laodiceans, the Jews and all others who will not take the mark.

The scriptures below speak about the crown.

1 Corinthians 9:25 , Revelation 2:10 ,  2 Timothy 2:5 , Proverbs 4:9 , Isaiah 62:3 , Isaiah 28:5

Since we know these things we must search ourselves to see if we have any wood, hay or stubble on our foundations,  having any false doctrine,  sins we have not addressed, being to much of and in the world, perusing physical rather than spiritual things, not loving with Gods love and not taking this great election seriously.  

We need to help one another, love one another, pray for one another, fellowship with one another;  Hebrews 10:19-25  

No one should want to be a Laodicean but a Philadelphian.  The Apostle Paul knew that he would receive a crown. 2 Timothy 4:8 .  There is more good advice from Paul , 2 Corinthians 13:5 .

Also in by the Prophets , Lamentations 3:40 , Psalm 119:59 , Psalm 139:23-24  .   At present we all went through the gate and travel on that narrow road knowing that at its end is the kingdom of God ,  but only those who endure to that end, hold to the faith, live the gospel and continually examine themselves will arrive.  Make your calling and election sure,  2 Peter 1:10-11 .

 

Solo Scriptura    2 Timothy 3:16

1/2/24

The title of this article is, Solo Scriptura, a Latin phrase that means by scripture alone.  This phrase means that any doctrine, teaching or truth can only come by the scriptures and no outside source.  In John 17:16-23  Jesus states plainly that the Apostles were sanctified by Gods truth and that by the the words of the Apostles others may believe through their message to be one with God as Jesus was.  We know that the Apostles and prophets with Jesus as the chief cornerstone is the foundation of the church, the pillar and ground of truth.  No others are mentioned anywhere in scripture as having the truth unless it comes through these sources.  Ephesians 2:19-22 , 1 Timothy 3:15  This direct proclamation by the scriptures rules out completely any outside source to be taken as the truth of God.  We are not to add to or diminish from the scriptures.  Proverbs 30:6 , Deuteronomy 12:32 , Job 13:7 , Revelation 22:18-19   When some extra biblical source is used this opens the door for Satan to inject lies and deception.  This is how the many false doctrines of the false churches entered.  The trinity, the immortal soul, legalism, the rapture theory, liberal Christianity, universal salvation and many more lies have entered into the minds of the deceived because they do not solely adhere to the scriptures alone as the truth.  The scriptures are the inspired truth written in such a way as to hide the truth from those God is not calling and choosing at this time.  Scripture is like a gigantic parable or a collection of writings in tongues both which absolutely require the spirit of the Father through Christ to properly understand.  Matthew 13:13 , Deuteronomy 29:4 , John 9:39 , John 12:40-41   The major problem is that many people are totally convinced they have the Holy Spirit when they do not and if someone told them they do not it would bring great wrath. 

People claiming to be Christians is easy but scriptures definition of a Christian would disqualify them easily.  If God and Christ know who is truly a Christian should we then know one another ?   Yes.  The Holy Spirit leads into truth opening up the understanding of what scripture teaches and no lie is of the truth.  By trying the spirits , 1 John 4:1-4 , it is very easy for a true Christian to determine if someone else is a Christian.  I do not say that the saints should vocally accuse the guilty but rather to be aware of people who are wolves in sheep’s clothing.  The number of deceptions in this world are many but the truth is only one truth.  Whenever you rely on non biblical sources for truth you stray off of that straight and narrow way into the broad way.  If you stand on that sure foundation, on that rock, your house will not fall but if on sand your house will fall.  There is no other foundation to build on than that of the Apostles, Prophets and Christ.  1 Corinthians 3:10-15