THE BRIDE OF SATAN
Chapter Four
By Neville V. Stevens
New International Version used throughout unless otherwise specified.
As we review all that God has said, it becomes patently obvious that Jerusalem is the prize that the bride of Satan hopes to control. Jerusalem is the City of God, and will be so forever! God intends to establish righteousness there, and from there the Kingdom of God will be administered for all eternity. This obsession of Satan’s, in trying to control Jerusalem to his own ends is typified in his ruthless bride today who want control of the Holy Land. Satan began his existence as the highest of nobility and filled with Godly Wisdom, only to see his aspirations shattered following his rebellion, and all his glory stripped away. No longer does he possess Godly Wisdom, instead he has become a cunning, crafty manipulator.
Similarly, many people began to see a need to worship the Great Creator, and were filled with the joy of discovery as they began to peruse His Sacred Word. The Bible describes this as a ‘first love’. During this initial period, many students saw God’s Sacred Word as the key to life and a joy to behold. Frequently, they sought out others of like interest and began to congregate with them. In all too many cases, their enthusiasm was dampened by a doctrine that was extremely, narrowly focused, and what emerged was a doctrine of emotionalism. The love of discovery was replaced with emotional, symbolic worship of Almighty God to the total exclusion of the form of worship required by God Himself. No longer did it seem necessary to search out God’s hidden Wisdom, instead they began to believe that they were already ‘saved’ immediately after ‘accepting Jesus as their personal Saviour’. It became a foregone conclusion and a done-deal. Everything else had no relevance.
After a while it became obvious that their church was not unique in that many other churches were teaching the same thing, so the manipulators went to work to fabricate doctrines that made them exclusive, or at least, made them feel exclusive. As an example of this, Mormons seized on a Scripture in 1Cor 15 in an effort to show that all their followers must be ‘baptized for the dead’. In fact, what Paul was saying is, that we are not to be baptized for the dead. Paul made the point that the Son of God came as a man and died, but more importantly, He was raised from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. In summary Paul was saying that ‘if Jesus was not raised from the dead, then why are we being baptized for a dead man?’ So Mormons do exactly the opposite to what Paul was saying! They go around baptizing for dead people. And where does the Bible ever suggest this? Millions of Mormons cannot read a single chapter of the Bible and understand its meaning.
Paul made the point strongly that Jesus was raised from the dead, otherwise our faith is worthless: 1Cor 15:12-19 “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead. But He did not raise Him if in fact the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith if futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” Paul makes the point that if Christ was not raised from the dead, then our faith is futile and we are to be pitied above all men. And if we join a ‘dead man’ in the burial of baptism, then it’s little more than a charade if Christ has not risen from the dead. Paul explains this in 1Cor 15:29 “Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for [a dead man]? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for [Him]? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day – I mean that, brothers – just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die”. Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character”. Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God – I say this to your shame.”
Baptism is a symbol that we believe that Christ arose from the dead, but it’s also a commitment that we are prepared to submit ourselves to God in the same way that His Son did. It’s our commitment that we are prepared to give up our lives, just as Christ did, in the hope of a better resurrection (see Heb 11:35). This is certainly not a commitment we can make on behalf of those who have already died, and who remain dead! And if anyone thinks they can be baptized for departed loved ones, or for anyone who is now dead, then they truly are ignorant of God.
It’s always amusing to see those who are appallingly ignorant of God, in this case, the Mormons, leveling criticism against others about things they don’t understand, and for which they have no knowledge. The amusing side of it all is they are trained to ask questions, but are also trained to ignore the answers. They flat-out refuse to acknowledge God’s Word, or to accept that God’s Way is right. And to supplant God’s Word, they quote the book of Mormon – a silly fabrication from the mind of a deranged man. Reading it is like a descent into madness! And what does this crazy book teach? It weaves an unsupported mish-mash of ‘Arabs and Islam’, and ‘Indians of the Americas’, and tries to induce people to believe that these are the 12 Tribes of Israel. Of course, there is nothing in the entire Bible that remotely supports their view – hence, the book of Mormon!
On the meaning of baptism Christ made it very plain: Luke 12:49 “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” This is the baptism of death that must be completed. Christ completed it, and so must the living Body of Christ!
Paul then goes on to detail Christ’s purpose after going through the baptism of death, and being raised from the dead, and of course, it’s in the same chapter that speaks of baptism and the resurrection of the dead: 1Cor 15:20-23 “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when He comes, those who belong to Him.” Apparently, the ‘wisdom of the Greeks’ was beginning to gain hold in Corinth. They were beginning to teach that Christ was not raised from the dead because He didn’t die in the first place. According to them, He was in some form of suspended animation from which He awoke. They weren’t denying that Jesus is the Christ; they were denying the need for Him to die and be resurrected. To them, it mattered not that Jesus had to die and give up His life to prove His faithfulness to God. (The same thing happened in the days of Abraham. God required Abraham to sacrifice his son. God had to know if he would qualify to be the father of the faithful. Abraham passed the test!)
Of course, it didn’t have to be this way! Jesus could have called the whole thing off! He plainly said so: Matt 26:53 “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” The Scriptures Christ refers to are the only ones that existed at that time, and these same Scriptures are the ones that many Christians reject as being irrelevant today. Had Christ requested the twelve legions of angels to rescue Him, the request would have been granted at once, but prophecy would have failed and so would have Jesus’ mission, and the hope of Jesus’ offspring would have been aborted. It had to happen this way, or Jesus would not have been the Christ or Ruler to replace Satan. It was all or nothing! Christ understood this clearly.
When Christ spoke of this baptism of death and its fulfillment, He immediately warned that He had not come to bring peace – but division! (Luke 12:49-51) In the same verses, He spoke of bringing fire to the earth. Of particular interest is the fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41). The prophet speaks of this in the Song of Moses: Deut 32:22 “For a fire has been kindled by my wrath, one that burns to the REALM OF DEATH below. It will devour the earth, its harvests and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.” Satan and his brood think they can hide away from God and do whatever they choose, but God’s wrath is going to bring to a swift end all their achievements.
Paul knew what Christ’s purpose was and plainly states it in the chapter on death and resurrection: 1Cor 15:24 “Then the end will come, when He hands over the Kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is DEATH.”
All these things should be elementary to true students of the Bible, but it seems that many people who claim to be Christians have an entirely different agenda to God. They don’t see the need for prophecy to be fulfilled, or as Christ put it: ‘It must happen this way!’ They couldn’t care less whether prophecy is fulfilled or not, just as long as they finish with a long suit and everlasting glory. The things that are important to God are not factored in at all! Is this the attitude that God expects of His servants?
Is seems that thousands of Moslems are prepared to die as suicide bombers, maiming and killing thousands of innocent victims, yet they believe that God is going to reward them and raise them from the dead. Even Satan is unable to form any sort of rationale for this behaviour, but then he doesn’t need to as long as the Moslems continue to be mindless degenerates who require no form of rationale. They believe that killing the people of God – the 12 Tribes of Israel – will qualify them for everlasting glory in heaven. Islam knows they are not the 12 Tribes of Israel, and they also know they have descended from, and have their origins in Ishmael and his children – the 12 tribes of Ishmael. All Arabs claim Ishmael as their common ancestor.
Similarly, we have the irrational, illogical conduct of Christianity today, who believes that God requires nothing of them except to believe they are to be rewarded for doing nothing that God requires of them. They speak contemptuously of the Laws of God, which God describes as GREAT AND GLORIOUS, and attempt to force God’s hand to accept them just as they are.
Paul went on to speak about the resurrection following his explanation concerning Christ’s death. He points out that if there is to be a resurrection, then God has in mind a hierarchical structure, and this has nothing to do with the hierarchical structure that Christians have devised among themselves. To the contrary, it is not permitted in the Churches for anyone to elevate themselves over others (Matt 20:25). God will decide who is elevated over others and what level of glory they will possess – not human beings! In a kingdom there are hierarchies, in the Church there are none! And while some might like to argue to the contrary, you will soon learn that it isn’t so!
Paul makes it clear that in the Kingdom of God there is to be a hierarchical structure, and over all will be the Father and His Son. Apparently, the question was raised concerning the resurrection, and Paul explained it: 1Cor 15:35 “But someone may ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come? How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. When you sow, you do not plant the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else. But God gives a body as He has determined, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.” Paul then goes on to more fully explain that different seeds have different purposes just as the animals have different purposes. V39 “All flesh is not the same: Men have one kind of flesh, animals have another, birds another and fish another. There are also heavenly bodies and there are earthly bodies; but the splendour of the heavenly bodies is one kind and the splendour of the earthly bodies is another. The sun has one kind of splendour, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendour. SO WILL IT BE WITH THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.” Notice the difference in splendour comes after the resurrection – not before! And while some like to stand out among the crowd in earthly splendour, their chances of heavenly splendour is extremely remote. God detests arrogant people!
Paul uses the example of the sun, moon and stars to explain what will be in the resurrection of the dead. He points out that one star will differ from another in splendour. It should not go unnoticed that Jacob, Rachel and the 12 sons of Jacob are described as the sun, moon and stars (Gen 37:9-11). Well, there is only one sun and there is only one moon in earthly terms, but there are many stars. These stars differ from each other in splendour just as the holy seed will differ in splendour, and this splendour is reward-based. Rewards are handed out according to what each has done, not what each has said! Earthly beings have a penchant for promoting their own egos. And the bigger the ego, the more inflated their assessment of themselves. God’s purpose becomes greatly diminished in their minds as they promote their own interests. Those who seek their own glory become spiritually stone-dead! Their glory is in this life only! All those who think they are some great one, enjoy yourselves, because this life is the only reward you will ever receive!
Jesus our Christ is the great example. He was humiliated and beaten and finally killed as a Lamb going to the slaughter. For reasons known only to themselves, many Christians today refuse to believe that Jesus is the example they are to follow. In their twisted minds they believe that Jesus was their proxy who did it all in their stead, and that nothing is required of them but to believe this. They say, ‘Don’t do anything – Jesus did it all for you! Don’t obey God – it’s totally unnecessary!’ Is this really what God has in mind? Well, this is what He says: Rev 20:12 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the Throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.” As an aside, this is when Death and Hades (see Rev 6:8) are hurled into the fire reserved for the devil and his angels: V14 “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” God wants to make it plain to all that those who have left their first estate and returned like cockroaches to their filth, and the filth of this world, will be like the angels who also left their first estate and corrupted themselves. Both the angels and all those who have tasted of the heavenly gift and turned away will face the same fate.
In support of this, Jude wrote a very interesting letter to the saints. He prefaced his comments by identifying the recipients of his letter: Jude 1:1 “…To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ…”. V3 “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 and 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 [the only Sovereign God and our Lord Jesus Christ] (NKJV).” In a church setting today, you don’t have to look far to see many godless men; men who have nothing in common with all that God has done throughout the ages. In fact, by their teachings, they condemn the Almighty God Himself. They agree with nothing He did, and commonly present arguments that their righteousness exceeds that of God. Jude uses the example of the Exodus from Egypt: V5 “Although you already know this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered His people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.” Of course, the Exodus occurred some fifteen hundred years before Jude wrote this, but he determined to remind them as if they had already forgotten. It’s a common trait today that people refuse to acknowledge that those God led out of Egypt are His people! It’s probably the perfect example for our time because the world is determined to extinguish any acknowledgement of God’s people Israel. Even many in the Churches of God have fallen victim to the corruption of the rulers of the heavenly realms, and have acceded to the belief that God’s people Israel are no longer important in their ‘salvation stakes’. To them, God’s promises to Abraham are no longer applicable today. These Churches, nestled among the richest and most productive nation on earth, have no desire to give up their present home and migrate to the Holy Land. To them, the Holy Land is a hellhole of treachery and terrorism – who’d want to live there? ‘So, no thank you, God, we are perfectly happy living right where we are!’ From their perspective, it’s better that the Jews live there than them. Not only this, but it also provides a platform for them to conduct their ‘holier than thou’ attitudes towards God’s people of Judah, and to side with the enemies of God. I can tell you this: those who do such things will suffer terribly for their lack of judgment!
While the Holy Land, which God gave to His friend Abraham, may not seem desirable now, it will be! God calls it the Glorious Land and a most desirable land, and it’s here that God will bring His people Israel in the great and final exodus. Never again will they be uprooted from this Land. But this is yet in the future – a few years hence. And doesn’t the Book of Hebrews confirm that the people of God are looking for a country of their own? Heb 11:13 “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised, they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
Jude likened the conduct of those he was condemning to the angels who rebelled against God: V6 “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their home – these He 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.” Again, Jude uses a good example of those who are already condemned.
About 20 years ago, Britain legalized homosexuality among consenting adults. A certain celebrity, when interviewed, said that he was leaving Britain. When asked why, he replied, “Because parliament has legalized homosexuality.” His interviewer said, “Surely this is no reason for leaving your home land!” “Yes it is!” he said, “I’m getting out before they make it compulsory!” While it’s legalized in most Israelite nations, it’s not yet compulsory; but if homosexual behaviour is mentioned, it’s almost mandatory to add ‘not that there is anything wrong with it’. Apparently, God is wrong in their eyes. Of course, Jude was speaking of Sodom and Gomorrah as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. This is exactly what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah! And this is exactly what will happen to all those who have abandoned their first love.
It’s worth noting a few things about Sodom and Gomorrah. In the days of Abraham, the king of Babylon and his cronies swept through the region destroying every nation that didn’t yield to them. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were plundered and Abraham’s nephew Lot was taken captive. This is when Abraham mounted up and rode out with 318 of his servants. Against overwhelming odds, he cut down the four kings and slaughtered their armies, and returned from the slaughter to be greeted by the Mighty Prince Himself and was blessed by Him. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah were allied with Abraham and saw all these things. Abraham restored all their property to them, and for a few years they were grateful. These kings acknowledged that Abraham was far greater than them and revered him as a servant of Almighty God. But, sure enough, the rabble amongst them began to introduce abominable practices, and this came under the notice of the Great God of Heaven. He determined that these insolent dogs should die, but discussed the matter with Abraham first. It was determined that Lot and his family should be brought out of there and this was done. Then God brought fire down from heaven and set the whole region ablaze, which utterly consumed all trace of these cities – even to this day! It should be noted that the very old and the very young were probably not guilty of homosexual behaviour, but they were all found guilty. Readers may like to ponder the reasons why. The same situation exists today, and Sodom and Gomorrah are, as Jude said, the perfect example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
All this brings into question the slanderous beliefs of those who despise God’s authority, and Jude didn’t shrink back from indicting them: V8 “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!” Slanderous accusations are the devil’s forte (Job 1:9-11, Rev 12:10), and it’s not something that celestial beings engage in, nor the servants of God. And neither did Jude! There was nothing slanderous or libelous in what he said – it was the truth! For the record the word ‘celestial’ is a reference to stars.
Some in the Churches of God may still remember the slanderous accusations (usually called ‘evaluations’) by some of the dreamers who occupied ‘positions of authority’ and who conducted themselves in the same manner as the Gentiles (Matt 20:25). They rejected Christ’s authority, and gave themselves a whopping big helping of power to lord it over everyone – just like the Gentiles! The slightest challenge to their ‘authority’ was enough to turn them into foaming maniacs.
It seems that Jude was of the mind that these were godless men also. He refers to them as shepherds – who feed only themselves! Jude 1:12 “These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm – shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted – twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; WANDERING STARS, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.” Remember what Paul said in 1Cor 15:41 “The SUN has one kind of splendour, the MOON another and the STARS another; and STAR DIFFERS FROM STAR IN SPLENDOUR. So will it be with the resurrection of the dead.”
There are plenty of movie stars around today, and there are plenty of stars in the sky, but the real STARS are not so abundant. Jude’s condemnation was for wandering stars. He was of course, comparing them to the angels or stars who left their first estate, and for whom a raging fire has been reserved. It’s prepared for the devil and his angels. So what is the significance of comparing the different stars? Firstly, the wandering stars, referred to by Jude, are set for the same punishment as the wretched angels who rebelled against God.
Paul makes it clear that each star, that is, each real STAR, will differ in splendour in the resurrection. This is where the reward-system comes into play. Each will be rewarded for what he has done. If they have tasted of the heavenly gift and have not done that which was required of them, then their names will not be found in the Book of Life, and if not, then there is no place for them on earth! They will be dispatched to the Lake of Fire. Those who have received God’s Holy Spirit and have wandered from the straight path can only expect to face the raging fire.
Peter spoke of this very thing, and what he said closely parallels what Jude said. 2Pet 2:15 “They have left the straight way and have wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.” So here we see what a wandering star is! These are the ones who have wandered off from following God’s Way. These wandering stars take comfort from the fact that they will have plenty of company, largely because they have been taught that God is to resurrect everyone who has ever lived – and it’s just not true! Billions of people have lived and died and will never live again!
The resurrection of the dead is for those people who had the Spirit of God at some point in their lives. It should be pointed out that Satan once had the Spirit of God – he was filled with the Wisdom of God, until sin was found in him. He no longer has the Spirit of God, and therefore cannot understand the things of God. Pride-filled, arrogant boasters never grow spiritually, and that’s a fact, and this applies whether they once had the Spirit of God or not! At the judgment they will face either life or death. Daniel made this very clear! Dan 12:1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But AT THAT TIME YOUR PEOPLE – everyone whose name is found written in the Book – will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the STARS for ever and ever.” So even Daniel refers to STARS and he also confirms that many people will arise from the dust, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting contempt. All this at the time of the greatest distress that ever was, or will ever be! And it shouldn’t go unnoticed just whom God was talking about. It was Daniel’s people – the people of Israel. Can we be sure? This is what Daniel said in his prayer to God: Dan 9:7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame – the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you.” These are Daniel’s people – all Israel!
Of course, Paul was careful to confirm that not all Israel will be saved. He was confirming what Isaiah had said: Rom 9:27 “Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out His sentence on earth with speed and finality.” And notice that the Apostle Paul confirms that Isaiah was speaking of the last days.
Isaiah actually gives more clarity: Isa 10:20 “In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the House of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return. Destruction has been decreed, overwhelming and righteous. The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land.” This time around, God will use a small army, much smaller than anciently, to defend the Holy Land. Prior to this, God will use overwhelming power to bring destruction to His enemies and to clear the Holy Land – the same kind of power used against Pharaoh in Egypt. There will be a small number of STARS trained for this very purpose. These will be purified, trained and taught by God Himself. These are the ones who have been chosen to prepare the Way for the Christ (Mal 3:1-3).
Returning again to the Book of Romans, we find that Paul adds more: Rom 9:29 “Is is just as Isaiah said previously: “Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants (most translations: seed), we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been like Gomorrah.” Yes, Isaiah said it all right, and it’s found in Isa 1:9. Paul confirms that it will be just as Isaiah said! It’s the rest of what Isaiah says in this chapter that should set alarm bells ringing throughout the House of Israel. Remember that Paul was speaking of a time when the Israelites would be like the sand of the sea in number when only the remnant would be saved (Rom 9:27), and he was speaking of a future time, and was confirming all that Isaiah said. So let’s also confirm what Isaiah said: Isa 1:7 “Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. The Daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a field of melons, like a city under siege. Unless the LORD Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.” And Isaiah also adds this in V29 “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens you have chosen. You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water. The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no-one to quench the fire.” And we all know whom the oak tree represents, don’t we?
In the very next verse, Isaiah says this: Isa 2:1 “This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the LORD’S Temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the House of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His Ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” The Law will go out from Zion, the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.” This is the passage of Scripture that absolutely demolishes mainstream Christianity’s pathetic doctrinal theories.
q Firstly, the Mountain of the LORD will tower above the hills, and it’s on this Mountain that the LORD’S Temple will be located. God will form a great plateau around the present Temple Mount (Zech 14:4) and then raise this plateau. This is the Mountain which will replace the Mountain of God that formerly existed and was destroyed. Just a remnant of this former Mountains still exists in the area of the Holy of Holies (now located under the Mosque of Omar). Omar deliberately located this mosque over the very site of the Holy of Holies after making enquiries of the Jews still in the area as to its exact location. Such is the evil of these degenerate Moslems! They want to control all areas that are sacred to God. In days of old, God gave very specific instructions to the Levites on how He was to be worshipped. The Temple (or the Tabernacle for that matter) was a model of the great care that must be taken in our worship of Almighty God. The Levites scrupulously followed the instructions given by Almighty God and set the example for all Temple worship.
Today, we have Christianity claiming to be the Temple of the Living God, and they could be, but not unless they worship God with the same dedication as the Levites. The Temple was a place of sacrifices, just as the Temple of Christ’s body was. The Temple of Christ’s body – the Church – must come to the realization that they too, like Christ, are sacrifices.
Christ described the Temple that existed in His day as His ‘Father’s House’. Immediately after this He was asked for authority for cleansing His Father’s House and gave a mysterious answer: John 2:18 “Then the Jews demanded of Him, “What miraculous sign can you show to prove your authority to do all this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this Temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the Temple He had spoken of was His body. After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” (This is one of those prophecies that the disciples remembered but didn’t understand until after it was fulfilled – more about this later.) This Scripture is yet another confirmation that Christ would be in the grave for three days, not the day and a half that Gentile Christianity has taught for generations. They admit that Jesus was the Passover Lamb, but refuse to believe He was sacrificed on the Passover, which was a Wednesday in 30ce. This is easy to check! Just use an online Hebrew Bible to calculate the day of the week for this year and you will know. And incidently, this will also prove that the Hebrew Calendar is accurate even today. But leaving all this aside, Christ clearly identified His own body with the Temple – His Father’s House – and He wasn’t lying!
q Secondly, this is after the Temple is built according to the instructions that God gave to Ezekiel (Eze Ch. 40-48). It’s from this Temple that the Living Waters (the River of Life) will flow (Eze 47:1-12, Rev 22:1-2). It’s in this Temple that the Mighty Christ will reside forever: Eze 43:7 “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever.” It really is blasphemy, for those who should know better, to deny that this Temple will be built, or to suggest that it is not necessary in this present age. Notice what else the Mighty Christ said to Ezekiel: V10 “Son of man, describe the Temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider the plan, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the Temple – its arrangements, its exits and entrances – its whole design and all its Regulations and Laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its Regulations. This is the Law of the Temple: All the surrounding area on the top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the Law of the Temple.” Remember how Christ compared His body to the Temple that then existed, and said He would raise it up in three days? And remember how He spoke to the Samaritan woman about Living Waters (John 4:10-14)? Ezekiel confirms that the Living Waters will flow from the threshold of the Temple – the Temple that represents Christ’s body! And since this Temple has not yet been built, the time is yet future when the people of Israel will be ashamed of their sins and all they have done! And this is an indictment against all those in the Churches who shabbily disregard the Law of the Temple and its meaning today! They are rejecting Christ and the purpose for which He came! They really are without excuse! Since they have rejected knowledge, God will also reject them! God hates half-hearted, lukewarm people. He despises those who corrupt others with worthless teachings and meaningless platitudes, and especially those who deny that Jesus is the Mighty Christ – the Commander of the Armies of the Living God. He loves those who are filled with zeal, who search the Scriptures and hold to everything He has taught. He loves those who are able to recognize the enemies of God and who stand firm against them. He also loves those who prepare His people Israel for the terror that lies ahead. Not in your wildest imagination could you begin to understand what lies ahead unless you have totally surrendered to God’s Way and believed everything He has said. What the House of Israel and the Churches now face is a time of distress unknown since the foundation of the world. It’s a time that is more horrific than any time in the history of the nations or ever will be – just as Daniel said (Dan 12:1), and just as Christ confirmed (Matt 24:21).
When all hope is gone, it will become evident that those only who are still standing (and standing firm, I might add), will be the representatives of the Kingdom of God. Christianity loves to quote Jesus’ prayer outline and the words ‘Thy Kingdom come’, yet have no idea of what to expect. Starting out as a tiny mustard seed it will burgeon to become an invincible force and the hope of all Israel. And the Mighty Commander of Armies will be at its head. From its inauspicious beginnings, this Kingdom will eventually fill the whole earth.
God gives fair warning that all Israel (and the Churches) had better start fearing Him (Mal 3:5) and stop taking Him for granted. They should cringe with fear at the very thought that they may have misled someone concerning His Truth. God confirms that He hasn’t changed, and His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are set in stone, so He won’t entirely destroy Israel, but the call will go out to return to God when all hope is gone: V6 “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty.” God goes on to give instructions on how to return to Him. God expects faithfulness to His Kingdom and it should be foremost in the minds of the whole House of Israel and also the Churches of God to long for that Kingdom and to truly mean it when the words ‘Thy Kingdom come’ are spoken. The House of Israel is riding high (though not as high as it was before Sept. 11), and there is a degree of national pride in the invincibility of Israel’s armies against Islamic terrorists, but all this will soon change. God gave them this great power, and He expects them to use it against His enemies. He has decreed that a deadly wound will be struck against the forces of evil – Satan’s brood. When this is accomplished, all hell will break loose! And that day is tragically near!
q Thirdly, those who are left alive of the nations will stream to it to learn God’s WAYS and His LAW. Not everything will be peachy among the nations – there will be disputes to settle. These people will be regular human beings who will be on a giant learning curve, and in order to have peace, they must follow God’s Ways and His Law. Regardless of what Gentile Christianity did to Paul’s manuscript or how the translators decided to render it (and there are subtle alterations), things are wholly different to that which is taught by mainstream Christianity! It stands out like ‘a dunny in a field of melons’ as being out of place and extremely vulnerable – a description God gives in Isa 1:8. The predominant view in mainstream Christianity today is that God’s Laws are no longer applicable. How could disputes be settled according to Law if there was no Law? Many religious scholars acknowledge that a certain beast, who will appear, will try to change times and the Laws: Dan 7:25 “He will speak against the Most High and oppress His saints and try to change set times and the Laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.” Oddly enough, this strategy began over a thousand years ago. Islam decided they wanted to supplant God’s Sabbath, yet the Jews had claimed the Seventh Day and mainstream Christianity the first day, so they decided on the sixth day. And believe it or not, Friday was called the ‘Islamic Sabbath’ right up to the early part of the twentieth century. (It mattered not to them that the word ‘Sabbath’ means seventh. Just ask any Italian what they call the seventh day, that is Saturday – it’s Sabato!). Confirmation of the ‘Islamic Sabbath’ and the demonic fervor that surrounded it can be found in a book by Thomas Thornton ‘Present State of Turkey’, Vol. ii, (1802). Islam celebrated their ‘sabbath’ from sundown Thursday to sundown Friday (same source), and anyone who violated their ‘sabbath’ was as good as dead! So don’t imagine that Satan’s brood will not try to change set times and Laws – it’s already in the pipeline! So if you are weak-minded and faithless, then you’ll probably be willing to observe the Islamic ‘sabbath’ when the time comes.
Most people cannot conceive that America could fall and be conquered by foreigners. It’s presently true that they’re invincible because the LORD Almighty is still their God. But have you seen the growing trend among the left-wing loonies as they try to appease Islam? Have you noticed the oak-like appearance of many of them? Since the House of Israel no longer keeps any day holy, it’s no great leap to honour the day chosen by Islam. The left-wing loonies wanted to disengage the war in Afghanistan during the period of Ramadan out of respect for Islam, however wiser heads prevailed. But it shows the growing trend.
For years Islam has been speaking of a Jihad against the western nations, with particular emphasis on their hatred for America and Israel. Everyone knew what the Jihad meant, but chose to blame isolated extremists rather than whole nations. Jihad means a holy war – a crusade against ‘infidels’ who don’t support Islamic views. With satanic fervor, Islam has promoted their objectives – the desire to destroy the whole House of Israel. To their great disdain, they have had to learn the hard way that Allah the Oak is not the only super power; in fact, Allah is not a super power at all.
In late 1998, this calendar was handed out to millions of Moslems so they would be reminded daily what Jihad (Jehad) means! No Moslem doubted the meaning of the word ‘Jihad’! Only left-wing loonies in the Western World have put a different spin on it. The words say ‘JEHAD IS HOLY WAR AGAINST AMERICA’. The semi-circular inscription says ‘ALLAH IS ONLY SUPER POWER’.
Islam believed that their father the devil would give them dominion over the people of God, but their god doesn’t have the power to overrule the Almighty God. The backlash against Islam by all sound-thinking Westerners has caused the Islamic spin-doctors and their cronies to come out in force. Now they’re presenting the meaning of ‘Jihad’ as a personal struggle for personal improvement – and there are some who actually believe them! For hundreds of years prior to Sept. 11, there is not a single reference anywhere in any Islamic literature that describes ‘Jihad’ as a personal Islamic struggle of self-improvement, as the subversives are now suggesting. After years and years of talk of an Islamic holy war by Moslems all over the world, they’ve started their lying propaganda to deny it all. The amusing side of it all is that no-one in the Western world is permitted to speak of a holy war or a crusade, and if they do the knives come out immediately. Apparently, only Islam is allowed to speak of such things in this politically- correct mad world!
If you understand clearly what God was telling Daniel concerning the ‘time of distress’ unequalled since the beginning of nations, you will understand why all Israel will not be spared. This is speaking of a slaughter than could not be envisaged. If you don’t now understand how much the whole world hates the whole House of Israel, then you have learnt nothing!
Presently, when Ephraim speaks men tremble – he is the exalted one of Israel. There never was a nation like the United States of America, but God foresees trouble ahead and gives the reason why: Hos 13:1 “When Ephraim spoke, men trembled; he was exalted in Israel. But he became guilty of Baal worship and died.” And who is Baal? It’s Satan the devil (Matt 12:26-27) (Beelzebub, Baalzebub, or Baal are the same being). And just a reminder that if any worship apart from God’s Way, then they are worshipping Satan the devil. There are thousands of religions, but only one Way to worship God. Almighty God anticipated the foolish doctrines that would be taught in the final days and speaks of a Ministry of repentance that would appear, teaching repentance from the foolish nonsense that is currently being taught. The Churches of God believed they had nothing to repent of! They were firmly convinced that their entire doctrine, including all the fanciful ‘prophecies’ they had invented would get them over the line. They demonized God’s people Israel with their abominable lies, and twisted everything so that God’s Purpose would be unrecognizable. For the most part, the collective minds of the Churches are filled to the gunwales with appalling blasphemy against God and His Great Plan. And God’s Great Plan is foolishness to those who are about to perish. By their fruits you will know them – provided you are prepared to believe and obey God!
Left to their own devices, it becomes very obvious what level of degradation people descend to. You just have to look at the primitive races of this earth and their former and present conduct to understand what can result from a total void of Godly wisdom. History is awash with atrocities all of which seems to be affiliated with devil-worship in one form or another.
The Queen of Sheba wrote the Song of Solomon. What is curious about this book is that no one in the New Testament ever quotes it. On this basis, it is never confirmed as Scripture. This is one of the tests of Scripture: whether or not all the books were quoted by men of God. The Song of Solomon fails this test, but it’s not the only test! For instance, was the writer of this book mentioned favourably at any time in Godly terms? We find that she was, and by none other than the Christ Himself! A long time ago, I formed the opinion that the Song of Solomon (some versions: Song of Songs) didn’t represent Scripture because none of the men of God ever quoted it. There seemed to be nothing in this Book that gave any understanding of anything of God. It seemed to portray the devotion of a love-sick woman for the love of her life – Solomon. She mentions in the Book that the watchmen of the city beat her up (SoS 5:7) – other sources translate it as the palace guards. But in spite of this, her love for him was undiminished. At the time, Solomon had sixty wives (SoS 6:8), and this young queen was becoming a real drain on him. Perhaps out of all his women, she was the only one that really loved him. Well, it’s now become evident that the Song of Solomon is Scripture and very important Scripture for this endtime.
What of the Queen of Sheba? And what did Christ have to say in her regard? Matt 12:42 “The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.” Three things here! Firstly the Queen of the South is the Queen of Sheba who came to hear Solomon’s wisdom. She will rise at the judgment! And she will condemn ‘this generation’. And which generation is this? Christ explains in the next three verses: V43 “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of the man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.” This wicked generation will wander around seeking a home in a man! This is how it will be with the wicked demons hordes – the wicked generation! This is the same wicked generation that Christ accused of killing Adam’s righteous son Abel four thousand years before (Matt 23:35-36). And finally, this wicked generation, which existed in the days of Adam (and long before), plotted and killed Jesus Christ Himself. Remember Paul saying “Don’t you know that we will judge angels?” (1Cor 6:3). Well, the devil’s angels will certainly be judged, and as Paul says, human beings will judge them. One of whom will be the Queen of Sheba.
An interesting aside to all this is Candice Queen of Ethiopia who, in all likelihood was a descendant of the Queen of Sheba. In the Book of Acts, Luke makes mention of her by name (Acts 8:27). There is a long tradition of the Ethiopian royalty claiming descent from Solomon – Haile Selassie being one example. He not only claimed descent from Solomon, but also called himself the ‘Lion of the Tribe of Judah’. He lifted this title from Rev 5:5, which also linked him to the Root of David. Modesty wasn’t his long suit. One point that bears mentioning is that the Israelis were convinced of the ancestry of some of the Ethiopians and actually ‘purchased’ some of them from the Ethiopian government and secretly air-lifted them to Israel:
‘During 1955, twelve Jewish children were brought to Israel from Ethiopia. They were followed a year later by fifteen more. These children were black – members of the Falasha community tens of thousands strong whose history has been traced back to the fourteenth century, and some believed much earlier than that. Certainly, they had preserved Jewish practices dating back at least a thousand years. Various emissaries and made contact with them and were confident that they were Jewish by belief, tradition and descent.’ (From a book called ‘Israel, a History’, pp 303, by Martin Gilbert.) The ‘descent’ part of this report is widely accepted as being from the union of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who bore Solomon a son.
It should be pointed out that the Israelis airlifted most of the Jewish Ethiopians to Israel, but the rest of the nation is divided, almost equally, by Christians and Moslems – about 40% each.
Yassar Arafat, following his comment, ‘This food stinks’ at the lavish banquet given at the White House in his honour. Diplomatically, Clinton takes him aside and asks him what sort of fish bait he uses.
More migrations of the Falasha community continued in 1977 (pp 484). By 1985, some 14,305 of these people had reached Israeli shores (pp 498). In 1990, negotiations were conducted with the ruler of Ethiopia for the migration of more Falashas. But this time, Colonel Haile Mariam Mengistu (a Muslim) demanded money, and the sum of $30,000,000 was agreed to for 15,000 Falashas (pp 537).
Most of these migrations were done with the utmost secrecy because the Ethiopian government didn’t want the Arab world to know about it. But the Palestinians noticed the influx of these people and reacted. Immediately, a mangy dog called Yasser Arafat issued an interfada, which was reported in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Moharer, published in Paris: “I want to say clearly,” he declared, “Open fire on the new Jewish immigrants, be they Soviet, Falasha or anything else. It would be disgraceful of us if were were to see herds of immigrants conquering our land and settling our territory and not raise a finger.” Arafat added, “I want you to shoot, on the ground or in the air, at every immigrant who thinks our land is a playground and that immigration to it is a vacation or a picnic. I give you explicit instructions to open fire. Do everything to stop the flow of immigration.” (pp 544). These are the words of Bill Clinton’s buddy Yasser Arafat, the one whom he accepted as ‘a partner for peace’ in the region. How quickly people forget that Yasser Arafat is a terrorist! It makes nonsense of the U.S. policy of ‘refusing to negotiate with terrorists’. Yet he forced the Israelis to do just that!
Map of Ethiopia. It shows the Great Rift which divides the country, and this rift is filled with rivers.
Concerning the Falashas, all of this would be insignificant except for one thing. God also makes mention of these people and describes them as a tall, smooth-skinned race of people who would come to Jerusalem with gifts for the LORD (Isa 18:7). These people are described as living along the rivers of Cush (V1). V2 “…Go, swift messengers, to a people tall and smooth-skinned, to a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers.” The Great African Rift divides Ethiopia and is filled with rivers. As a point of interest the Blue Nile (not the White Nile) has its origins in Ethiopia at Lake Tana (Ref. Microsoft Encarta Atlas, subject: Ethiopia). The country is also divided almost equally between Coptic Christians and Muslims, who each represent about 40 percent of the total population. There has been some horrific slaughter of Christians in this country by fanatical Muslim lunatics. The same thing is true today of Egypt. There is massive persecution of Christians living in Egypt, and the government does nothing about it. So much for the farce of ‘anti-terrorism’ they claim to support. But when did Islam ever represent sincerity?
We have a description of these people in V7 “At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers – the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty.” Notice the words ‘At that time....’. Which time is this? God explains in V3 “All you people of the world, you who live on the earth, when a banner is raised on the mountains, you will see it, when a trumpet sounds, you will hear it. This is what the LORD says to me: “I will remain quiet and will look on from my dwelling-place, like shimmering heat in the sunshine, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.” For before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, He will cut off the shoots with pruning knives, and cut down and take away the spreading branches. They will all be left to the mountain birds of prey and to the wild animals; the birds will feed on them all summer, the wild animals all winter.” Yes, there is quite a bit of symbolism here, but importantly, when the banner is raised the whole world will see it. At this time, the Vineyard of God is going to undergo some pruning and just before the harvest when the grapes are ripening. And which vineyard is this? It’s just as Isaiah said: Isa 5:7 “The vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the House of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of His delight.” Isaiah had a few more things to say in this regard: V1 “I will sing for the One I love a song about His vineyard: My Loved One had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then He looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.” Now here’s a shock for a lot of people: God tells the dwellers in Jerusalem and the men of Judah to judge between Him and His vineyard: V3 “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.” It should be noted that God makes a distinction between the dwellers in Jerusalem and the men of Judah in Zech 12:5. It’s these two groups who will understand why plans to turn the House of Israel into a wasteland and to sent them far away into strange lands. And it’s through these two groups that God will communicate with the whole world and bring them to heel – or else! That’s when a spade will be called a spade! In that day, there will be no more pussyfooting around.
Jeremiah also spoke of God’s vineyard and confirms what God has said: Jer 12:7 “I will forsake my house (Israel), abandon my inheritance; I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies. My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me, therefore I hate her. Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack? Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour. Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no-one that cares. Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm, for the sword of the LORD will devour from one end to the land to the other; no-one will be safe.” And lest we forget, the Song of Moses tells us who God’s inheritance is: Deut 32:9 “For the LORD’S portion is His people, Jacob (Israel) His allotted inheritance.” And haven’t many shepherds (pastors in some versions) ruined the vineyard? Did anyone really care about God’s Truth – or did they only care about their own image? These shepherds used whatever means possible to deceive people in order to enhance their own well-being. They didn’t care about God’s overriding purpose to establish a Kingdom that would last forever! They’ve made excessive demands of God; yet have offered nothing but lies and deception in return! Since the whole House of Israel has cared nothing for God’s great purpose, God will care nothing for them – until they come to their senses! And in their distress, they will seek Him early.
What does it all mean? Some of this type of symbolism (Isa 5:1) is reflected in the Song of Solomon, which just happened to be written by the Queen of Sheba. What is peculiar about all this is, the Queen of Sheba came bearing gifts of immense value to Solomon and his kingdom. And now we find a prophecy about some tall, smooth-skinned people from the Cushite land of Ethiopia, which is divided by rivers, and they will bring gifts to Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty.
When speaking to the House of Israel (the descendants of Jacob) in Mal 3:6-7 God tells them to return to Him and He will return to them. He details to them, that is, the whole nation of Israel, to bring their tithes into the storehouse, that there might be food in His House. It’s obvious that the whole nation of Israel is not now prepared to do this. God knows this, and is preparing a tall, smooth-skinned people to do just this! And all this at a time when the pruning knives come out.
To give us a better idea of why God will do this, we have the account of Paul to the Gentiles: Rom 11:13 “I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the Apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may arouse MY OWN PEOPLE to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will be their acceptance be but life from the dead? If part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches have been broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand in faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either.”
God will use Gentiles (both Jews and Christians) from the very heartland of Muslim Africa to set an example of faithfulness. In the land of Ethiopia, God has blessed the Coptic Christian regions and has cursed the Islamic regions. And this has not gone unnoticed by the slimy Muslims of the region. The Hutu (Muslims) have been killing the Tutsis (Jews and Christians) for years in a mindless slaughter that is almost unknown in this day and age. The great majority of them were hacked to death with machetes; women or children or the aged; it made no difference to these black, Muslim beasts. It was a pitiless slaughter of defenseless people! The Tutsis for centuries, have been the ruling class and controlled most of the wealth. These are the tall, smooth-skinned people of the region, and it’s their height that differentiates them from the murderous Hutu (Muslims). At a future time, when a banner is raised (Isa 18:3), these people will be rescued amid a slaughter of the Hutu in accordance with ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’. We all know the importance of raising the banner, and the banner raised will be that of the Kingdom of God. It’s this banner that will strike fear into the hearts of all Satan’s detestable offspring.
In the days of Solomon, rulers came from all over the world to hear the wisdom of Solomon, yet only the Queen of Sheba is spoken of in great detail. And to reaffirm these things at a much later time, we have the account of Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch who was the first lord under Candice Queen of Ethiopia. This eunuch controlled her treasury. The angel of God (Acts 8:26) specifically sent Philip to explain the Book of Isaiah to him, and then he was baptized and became a Christian. And what is more, the eunuch had come (or was sent by Candice) for the specific purpose of worshipping at the Temple. It appears that the eunuch had a royal chariot there, and there were others with him because he was reading aloud when Philip heard him. Immediately after the eunuch was baptized, the Spirit took Philip away, and nothing further is mentioned about this. It must have had some importance if the angel of God directed Philip to contact him in the first place. The account is found in Acts 8:26-40. Of particular interest is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was trying to understand. It was Isa 53:7-8. Importantly, the eunuch knew that he couldn’t understand it unless someone explained it to him. Many Christians have thought they understood it and have come to completely wrong conclusions.
So what did Isaiah say? Firstly, Isa 53 begins with this verse: V1 “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” The next few verses describe the Son of God. And then we come to the part the eunuch was trying to understand: V7 “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression [margin: arrest] and judgment, He was taken away. And who can speak of His descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people He was stricken.” Well, all those who believe God and receive His Holy Spirit and believe the message can speak of His descendants. The first step is to repent of the lies and deceptions that have kept you captive, and to begin to believe the message, and then you will receive the down-payment of God’s Holy Spirit. You will then be required to adopt unswerving obedience to God – just as Jesus did! He was obedient to the very end. If you exercise the Holy Spirit in this manner, then God will give you another Spirit – the Counsellor – the very Spirit of Christ. Then you will have the full measure, and then you can truly call yourself the Seed or offspring of Christ. These are Christ’s descendants because they truly have the same Spirit as God’s Mighty Son.
Students of the Bible should know what John 14:25-26 has to say. Those who can’t bring themselves to believe God insist that there is no offspring of Christ because they insist that offspring can only be born through a human sperm. Are they so stupid that they don’t understand that Mary was a virgin and was impregnated by the Holy Spirit? THIS IS HOW CHRIST WAS CONCEIVED, and THIS IS HOW HIS OFFSPRING IS CONCEIVED! What’s so difficult to understand about this?
But the ‘spiritual’ bantam lightweights understand nothing because they don’t even have the down-payment of the Holy Spirit, and they can’t conceive of anyone having the Spirit of Christ – the Counsellor – that teaches all things.
So it was left to Philip to explain to the eunuch the meaning of Christ’s descendants. No doubt the eunuch hoped that being of the line of Judah (through the union of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba) would qualify them to be called ‘descendants’. As a true servant of God, Philip went on to explain from the Scriptures what these verses meant. He only needed to go to V10: “Yet it was the LORD’S will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the LORD makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the Will of the LORD will prosper in His hands.” God could not have been clearer! Christ has offspring on this earth – these have the very Spirit of Christ – the Counsellor! And by this Spirit of Christ they have been conceived as Christ’s offspring.
No doubt Philip also explained the rest of the chapter of Isaiah, and this is what it says: V11 “After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge my Righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Perhaps Philip went on to explain many things concerning these Scriptures, and the markers and pointers here are almost endless. Let’s just hit a few of the highlights: For instance, ‘He will divide the spoils with the strong’. This is mentioned in Zech 14:1 “A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you.” And we learn who ‘the strong’ are who ‘divide the spoils’ in V14 “Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected – great quantities of gold, silver and clothing.” Yes, it’s Judah! They too will be there!
And what about the statement He was ‘numbered with transgressors’? Who are these ‘transgressors’? Perhaps these are the ‘wicked ones’ who wield a deadly sword. In fact, these are the very disciples of Christ! In order that this be fulfilled while He was still on earth, Christ ordered swords to be purchased: Luke 22:36 “He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written, ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors, and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.” The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That is enough,” he replied.” So who are the ‘transgressors’ that Christ was numbered with? It was His disciples! These were the ones that received the Counsellor – the Spirit of Christ – and these were the offspring of Christ. So amid all the other false accusations that emanated from the rulers of the heavenly realms when they sought to arrest and convict Christ, His disciples were also considered to be ‘transgressors’. And all those who have the Spirit of Christ today are considered to be transgressors by those who are not Christ’s offspring, those who don’t have the Spirit of God, not even the down-payment of that Spirit. They are twice dead because they have not been justified by the knowledge of God’s Righteous Servant (Isa 53:11).
The ‘transgressors’, in fact, are those who are constantly being accused by Satan the devil, just as Satan’s henchmen accused Christ. These are the brothers who are considered to be ‘transgressors’ by Satan and his agents: Rev 12:10 “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now has come the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of God, and the authority of His Christ.
