Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

Greetings Friends! It's been a while since I posted on this blog, but I felt the urging from the LORD since today is Halloween. Personally, I've never liked this day, but as a kid, I did go trick or treating with my neighborhood friends. I have never liked the monsters, vampires, ghosts, etc...they were evil and scary to me. As a born again Christian, these images are even more repugnant to me.

My family hasn't celebrated Halloween for many years, but we do go to Harvest events in lieu of taking our kids to Halloween parties. We went to a church this past weekend, and I was shocked at how a church can embrace the world, while showing NO SIGN of being set apart in Christ! This "church" had no images of Christ, and allowed kids to dress as zombies, ghosts, vampires, etc. They had a haunted house trailer, and gave out vampire teeth to go along with the candy.

Needless to say, I was very disappointed. However, I did use this example to teach my kids, and I suggest y'all do the same on this day.

Halloween is a pagan celebration of the dead. Like Christmas, the day has been overly commercialized, but the concept of Holloween is death. I choose to point this out to my kids, and teach them that we should be celebrating life. Jesus is the life! John 14:6

I know many people will think I'm being overly sensetive, but if we step back and think about what messages we are sending our kids if we celebrate this day of death and evil, while professing to be Christians, we would act differently.

As for me and my house, we choose to serve the LORD! Joshua 24:15

Here is an article that explains this more, and my prayers go out to all you parents, to teach them life, instead of death!

http://www.khouse.org/articles/1997/27/

The Love of the Cross

PSALM 22 – The Love of the Cross

By Douglas Sipple (April 2007)

This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. After I re-dedicated my life to Christ, I was reading the Psalms and Proverbs to get my feet wet, and Psalm 22 gave me goosebumps...It was written by David, but in the first-person as Jesus on the cross! I went on to hear commentaries by Chuck Missler and Jon Courson and I found out even more. Here is what impresses me:

v.1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?

This first verse has so much to it. Jesus uttered this verse on the cross (Mk 16:34) The first thing I noticed was that You and Me were capitalized. The "You" is obviously the Father, but why would David be capitalized? I have come to think that it was obviously David's writing, but he was writing in the Spirit, thus, that is why the "Me" is capitalized...It is Jesus on the cross.

Secondly, I have read that Rabbis would say the first verse to a chapter in the Tenach, and the people or students would be required to look up that chapter and understand it. By Jesus saying this on the cross, it was a hint to those around that He was fulfilling prophecy and to look up Psalm 22.

The most disturbing part is that when Jesus went on the cross for us, He became sin...the Father could not be with Him (2 Cor 5:21). That is why Jesus sweat blood the night before in the garden of Gethsemane...for the only time in eternity, the Son was seperate from the Father...we have no idea how much torment Jesus went through for us!

v.6 But I am a worm and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.

I have read that there was a worm whose blood was used to dye garments to scarlet color. That worm was called a Tolaith worm (the Hebrew word for worm is "tola"). When the worm was to birth its eggs, it would climb a tree. It would attach itself to the tree and explode...leaving a scarlet stain on the tree. The birthed eggs would shower to the ground and hatch. Doesn't this sound familiar?...Jesus left a blood stain on a tree (cross) and birthed His church when his side was pierced...blood and water came out (just as in childbirth).

v.12 Many bulls have surrounded Me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.

Here again the "Me" is capitalized. Also, this is referencing the demonic presence around the cross...Satan was just as interested in what was happening as the rest! This also references the pagan idols that were prevalent at that time.

v.14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax, it has melted within Me.

As we all know, Jesus was severely beaten prior to the cross. Jesus lost a lot of blood, and it is commonly held by scholars and doctors that Jesus was already in a state of hypovolemic shock before He was on the cross. Hypovolemic shock is basically massive loss of blood, and the heart begins to shut down since it can't pump enough blood through the body...this is what probably what Jesus was feeling...like his heart was hardening due to loss of fluid (blood).

According to medical doctors and historical scholars, when someone was put on the cross, their shoulders were seperated to enable their arms to be fully extended on the cross beam. (If you have seen Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, you might remember this depicted).

The part where it says He was "poured out like water" troubles me. I have read some concordances and it may be saying here that Jesus lost control of His bowels. My Chuck Smith NKJ Bible references Daniel 5:6...It recounts how Belshazzar's "knees knocked together" and the "joints of his hips were loosened" when he saw the hand writing on the wall. I have heard Chuck Missler say that this means he soiled himself!

I am not sure if this is what happened, but think of the utter humiliation for the Creator of the universe to have that happen...I don't think we have any idea how much torture, pain and humiliation Jesus went through for us.

v.16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet.

The first part shows the wicked and unruly surrounding Jesus on the cross and jeering at Him.

The next part really amazed me...when David wrote this, crucifixion wasn't even invented until 700 years later! Why didn't it say that they cut His hands and feet? Or that they slashed His hands and feet? This was very specific, and the Pharisees and the devout Jews should have seen that the Messiah would be crucified.

v.17 I can count all My bones, they look and stare at Me.

Jesus fulfilled the Law in His ministry by being sinless and keeping all the Jewish laws and practices. He also became the ultimate Passover Lamb by being perfect and without blemish (Ex 12:5). Despite the horrific beating Jesus endured for us, He didn't have a single bone broken...so He could be our Passover Lamb!

Often, it took many hours and even days to die from suffocation on the cross, to hurry things up, the guards would break the legs of the condemned so they couldn't push up with their legs to take a breath. But due to the severe beating that Jesus endured, and the Father's Divine Plan, Jesus died within six hours on the cross. The guards knew that Jesus was dead, so they pierced His side to make sure.

By the way...for anyone to claim that Jesus survived the cross and was revived in the tomb is absurd. Jesus was severely beaten and lost a lot of blood (hypovolemic shock) before He had to carry His cross to Golgatha (Calvary). Plus, His heart was punctured by the spear in His side...How could anyone who isn't God survive that?

v.18 They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.

This was fulfilled at Calvary (Matt 27:35)

The rest of the chapter speaks of Christ's second coming. I pray that this blessed you as much as it has me. Let’s say an extra prayer thanking God for coming down into His own creation, becoming flesh like us, and going through the crucifixion so that we could be saved! There is no other way to say this, but He did it because He loves us so much!!!

April Fools Day - Happy Atheist's Day!

This is the atheist's national holiday! For God said it Himself:

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." ~ Psalm 14:1

To look at the universe, the seasons, the human body, and all around us, and not recognize DESIGN and order is just plain ignorance!

Even those people in history, and even now, who have not heard about Jesus, are held acountable by God to recognize His creation.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse
~ Romans 1:20

Let's take time to have some fun with this day, but do so in love, and with the purpose to share the Gospel of Christ!

~ Doug

31 Dec (Revelation 22)

Revelation 22

30 Dec (Revelation 21)

Revelation 21

29 Dec (Revelation 20)

Revelation 20

27 Dec (Revelation 18)

Revelation 18

In the previous chapter, God dealt with the Satanic religion of man...the church of works, paganism and humanism. All these things deny the work of God on the cross, and have devised a way to earn a way into heaven by their own works or for being "a good person."

In this chapter, God deals with the power of the anti-Christ...the world money system. Remember, Babylon has been the symbol of Satan and humanism from the beginning. From the Tower of Babel to the anti-Christ using that area now known as Iraq to influence the world, Satan has been at work.

Those that have denied God, and have been enticed by the worldly things, have fallen for the anti-Christ's sales pitch. They will wail and gnash teeth, for they have believed the lie.

Babylon has been ravished time and again over the centuries, but there has always been inhabitants...a remnant. After the LORD deals with Satan's Throne for the last time, no one will live or work there again!

The good news is that one glorious day, as it's written in Isaiah 55:1, that there will no longer be a need for commerce...there will be such an abundance of food and water, that mankind will no longer want for anything! That will be, of course, for His believers.

26 Dec (Revelation 17)

Revelation 17

This chapter can take a long time to understand, and in addition to that, there are different opinions as to the imagery according to good scholars. I have no doubt that after we are in heaven, the imagery will make perfect sense to us, and we will marvel at how easy it should be to label and identify the images!

With that said, I will try to give the crux of the chapter, with possible identities of the images described.

v.2 As we all know, a harlot is not good, and doesn't care for purity or goodness. In fact, a harlot hates goodness, and will try to corrupt it as much as possible! Do those motives and attributes sound familiar to some fallen angel who rebelled against God? Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:12-19

Notice how the harlot sits on many waters...when God uses the earth or oceans in Scripture, it points us to the world, not the heavens. So we see where this harlot is coming from. She is able to seduce the kings of the earth, and they follow her in wanton drunkenness and rebellion. Typically, when drunkenness is mentioned in Scripture, or in other literature, we think of bad drunks. Sure, we all know someone in our family who was a funny drunk. But most of the time, a drunk gets rude, sloppy and even violent. This is the case here...the harlot will entice the kings of the world to fight against God and His beloved.

v.5 There isn't much to add to the writing on the forehead of the woman! She is the world religion. As we know, religion is man trying to reach God, or even be like God. True Christianity is a relationship with God...there is a big difference!

v.6 It's pretty easy to see this image...the world church that is far removed from the true Church, using government and coercion to slay the faithful of Christ. But here is a question: Why did John marvel at this? After all, a pagan Rome wouldn't have baffled him if it was persecuting the Church. In fact, at the time of John's life, Rome had taken over from the Jewish leadership of persecuting Christians worldwide.

This is where some scholars will debate, but I will offer my belief, and encourage you to study and decide what is true. To recap some history, during the Roman Empire, they were swallowing up countries and nations wholesale. With the people they enslaved, they also adopted or accepted parts of their pagan practices and beliefs. As we saw in the Dark Ages, the Roman Catholic Church had combined government with the church, leading to atrocities.

What I think John marveled at was how unrecognizable the church had become! In the last days, most "Christian" churches will be preaching different gospels, humanism, self-help and financial windfall lessons, etc. Does that sound familiar with what we see now?

v.9 So the angel tells John that this harlot is from Satan. That makes sense, but the following is where scholars again debate the meaning of the seven mountains. In a Western mind, it is common knowledge that the Vatican sits on seven hills. Many Western scholars believe that the last world religion, and thus, the Anti-Christ, will come from Rome.

Another view is slightly different. Other scholars don't argue about the Roman Empire being the home of the Anti-Christ, but they argue that he will come from the Eastern part of the Empire...that would be the Middle East! Remember Daniel 2

A third view is what I've heard Walid Shoebat teach. He teaches that when mountains are used in imagery, it represents kingdoms. He believes that seven kingdoms...Muslim kingdoms...will be the ones to wage war against God and His beloved. I can't argue with any of them, and perhaps all three views will play out in different ways or stages.

Looking at our world today, the Roman Catholic Church has repeatedly attempted to unite all world religions, while we see almost daily, the Jihadists waging war on Israel and Christianity!

We are so fortunate to live during these times! No other time in history has bible prophecy been revealed in human events as now!

25 Dec (Revelation 15 & 16)

Revelation 15 & 16

Revelation 15

v.1 I remind my kids that God is loving, and He doesn't like to bring His wrath upon His creation. However, He gave us free will, to choose to love Him or not. He made everything, and all He asks of us is to accept Him.

"Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways," says the Lord GOD. "Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Ezekiel 18:30

The Lord is not slack concerning [His] promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

v.7 I like to remind my kids that in the Bible, numbers have meaning. The number seven means completion. This book completes everything before it!

Revelation 16

The Bowls of Wrath:

1. Sores ~ When we have sores on our bodies, it is a sign of something wrong internally. The people who experience this, may look OK on the outside, but these sores display that they are wrong inside...they don't know Jesus!

2. Seas turn to Blood ~ God had Moses do this in Exodus 4:9, 7:19-21.

3. Waters turn to Blood ~ water is essential to life...Jesus' blood is essential to our eternal life!

4. Men are scorched ~ Even when God is bringing His wrath, there are those who won't come to repentance...very sad.

5. Darkness ~ This is a prelude to hell...the absence of God's light.

6. Euphrates Dried Up ~ The Euphrates is mentioned in the Bible 25 times! In fact, the Euphrates is the boundry of the land that God promised Israel.

On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates. Genesis 15:18

Isn't it odd that the world won't even let Israel border the Jordan River, when they were promised all the way to the Euphrates River?

7. Earth Shaken ~ The bowl was thrust into the air...the last place of dominion of Satan. The earth will experience an earthquake of immense power...we fear an 8.0 earthquake, but this will be like a 15.0!

24 Dec (Revelation 14)

Revelation 14

v.1 We see the Lamb again...this is Jesus! He is seen as He had been slain in Rev 5:6 by His Church, and was referenced as such by John the Baptist in John 1:29, 36 and here as the Savior of Israel and Mankind.

This is one of the most difficult books of the Bible to explain to our kids, but if we keep in mind that all the imagery is Jewish, and from the Old Testament, the types and images make much more sense. If we refer to Daniel 3 where Daniel's three friends were saved and "sealed" by Christ (a theophany), we see the typology coming to fruition. Daniel's friends (a type for Israel) were thrown into the great fire (Great Tribulation) while Daniel was away (the Church raptured). Jesus saved them as He does again in the last days!

v.3 Your kids may wonder why certain people or groups of people have their own special songs for the LORD, and no one else can learn them or sing them...they may think that God shows favoritism. First of all, all the saved in heaven have their own song...so there is no one left out. Secondly, we all have different experiences and means of salvation: The Jews in the Tribulation have a different experience than the Church before the Rapture. We sing to God about how He saved us from what we were experiencing.

v.4 The Tribulation saints, the sealed Jews during the Tribulation, are walking with God...the Lamb. Like the Church before them, they are seen as righteous because they are walking with the Son, and are washed clean by the blood of the Lamb. John 1:29, 36

v.7 God gives mankind a "Last Call" before everyone's eternal fate is sealed...God is patient and kind, wishing for no one to go to hell. However, throughout all our lives, we have multiple instances to accept His love for us on the cross, so some choose salvation, and others choose damnation.

This reminds me of the famous C.S. Lewis quote:

In the end, there will be some who say to God, "Thy will be done" and others to whom God says in the end, "Thy will be done."

Each of us, individually, must choose to follow God or reject Him...our eternal destiny is not God's choosing, but ours! Choose wisely! This is important for our kids to understand, for during times of crisis, where natural disasters happen, and many people die, kids may wonder why God did that. He didn't create this world with sin and death...that was a result of Mankind's rejection of Him. However, God provided a way out of death for our souls...His Son, if we choose Him!

v.8 Babylon is where the beginning of mankind's open rebellion of God occurred...the Tower of Babel. Gen 11 All cults and false religions have roots in Babylon...God will rid the earth of this actual place (modern day Iraq) and also the spiritual Babylon.

v.11 It is important to teach our kids that hell is a real place...and it's forever. Hell is the absence of God, and eternal torment, knowing that pride brought them there.

v.14 Scholars debate who this person is...is it Jesus or an angel?

First of all, the wording is like the Son of Man...not THE Son of Man.

Secondly, if we look at what Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 13, He says that He instructs the angels to reap. Matt 13:39

If this is confusing to your kids, what matters most is that God will separate His followers from the unbelievers...make sure you're in the right harvest pile!

23 Dec (Revelation 13)

Revelation 13

v.1 I know when I first read this book, the imagery was confusing and seemed like a science-fiction novel! However, this is God's Word, and He did say we would be blessed if we understand this book! Rev 1:3

We need to understand the Old Testament in order to understand this book. All throughout the Bible, the sea is a type of the peoples...most often referring to Gentiles. So this "beast" is a man who comes from the Gentiles and is what we call the Anti-Christ.

Remember to tell your kids that Anti-Christ not only means against Christ, but it also means in place of Christ. In other words, the Anti-Christ will try to emulate Christ, and deceive many.

Why does John call this man a beast? Because he is more than just a man...he is the devil incarnate...like Jesus is God incarnate.

10 Horns = 10 Kings Rev 17:12
7 Heads = 7 Kingdoms Rev 17:9-10

There have been 7 great empires that have been Israel's enemy over history:

Sameria (Nimrod/Tower of Babel/Nineveh)
Egypt
Assyria
Babylon (modern day Iraq)
Medo-Persian (modern day Iran)
Greece
Rome (Two parts to Roman Empire = East and West)

v.2 This description is the same as in Dan 7:3-8 but in reverse. I had a teacher remind me that John is writing this from the point of view of eternity, so the events are reversed since he is looking back on history, where Daniel was looking forward.

v.4 Many times, Satan tries to copy God, in order to fool people. Satan has his own unholy trinity:

God the Father vs. Satan (Satan wishes to be like the Most High) Isaiah 14:14
Christ Jesus vs. Anti-Christ (emulate Christ and deceive many who don't know Christ)
Holy Spirit vs. False Prophet (The HS tells us to worship Jesus; the FP will do the same with AC)

v.5 The Anti-Christ will be a great orator, but since the believers will be already raptured, the unsuspecting unbelievers will think that he is speaking wisdom. To our ears, he will be speaking blasphemy and gibberish, but to the world, he will have the answers to heaven on earth.

v.8 Is your name written in the Book of Life? If you have allowed Jesus to be your Savior AND Lord, then it is! Satan will make war with God, His chosen people (Israel), the Church (already in heaven).

v.11 This is the False Prophet...who "looks" like a lamb, but speaks like Satan. He comes from the earth, so we see the typology of people who worship Satan here...he will be a religious leader who tells everyone to listen to the Anti-Christ who is a political leader.

v.12 The AC will be wounded...but not die. We see some more detail of this in Zech 11:17

v.14 The earth dwellers are unbelievers in Christ...they will be fooled because they don't know the Bible and don't have a personal relationship with Christ. Also, because they chose wickedness, the blasphemies that the AC speaks, will be music to their ears!

v.15 The people must decide...follow God and be killed, or follow Satan and be doomed to hell.

v.16 The right hand and the forehead jumped out at me...this is Satan emulating God again. In Exodus 13:9 God commanded Israel to have His Word on their foreheads and right hands. They would have Scripture in leather pockets that they tied around their wrists and foreheads when they worshiped.

v.17 With computers, online banking, and eventually a world economy and leader, all money transactions will have to have the number of the Beast in them to purchase and sell goods. If one refuses to have that number, they will starve.

22 Dec (Revelation 12)

Revelation 12

v.1 The Church often misunderstands who this woman is...she is Israel. How do we know that? Let's look further.

~ She has a garland of 12 stars...this is typology of the 12 Tribes of Jacob
~ She is with child...this would be the Messiah...Jesus was a Jew

v.4 Satan's goal from his fall has been to thwart God's plan of redemption for Israel and the world. The dragon (Satan) tries all throughout the Bible to kill the Messiah or the ancestors of the Messiah.

Scholars believe this is a reference to one-third of the angels following Satan, and falling from heaven. In Genesis 6, we see how that ended up!

v.5 Jesus was raptured to the Father after His resurrection Acts 1:10

v.8 God can't abide with sin in heaven, so the fallen angels and Lucifer had to be driven out of heaven.

v.10 Satan means "the Accuser"...he constantly tries to make us feel unworthy of God's love and grace. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, and keep our faith in His Word!

v.11 How do we fight off Satan? We are saved by the blood of Christ, and our witness to others combat the devil's temptations!

v.16 Satan has always tortured and persecuted Israel. With the Holocaust and anti-semitism rampant throughout history and the world, he has cause great pain to Israel. However, God always is watching over His beloved, and will always have a remnant to fulfill his plans!

21 Dec (Revelation 11)

Revelation 11

v.2 We must remember that God's plan ALWAYS had Israel as the focus...the Gentiles and the Church were results of Israel's disobedience and unfaithfulness...we benefit from Israel. The Gentile Court is to be separate from the Temple.

v.6 Who are these two witnesses for God? Let's see what they can do:

Shut Heaven ~ We know that Elijah did this in 1 Kings 17:1
Water to Blood ~ Moses did this in Egypt in Exodus 7:19
Plagues ~ Moses did this to Egypt in Exodus 7-12

There are two schools of thought as to the identity of these witnesses, either Moses and Elijah, or Enoch and Elijah.

The reason why Enoch is considered, is that he was raptured, like Elijah was. As it is written:

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment ~ Hebrews 9:27

So the thinking is that since these two men didn't die, they are the ones to come back and die after giving a great witness first.

Those who believe that it's Moses and Elijah, have a couple of reasons:

~ Only Moses and Elijah performed the miracles listed
~ Moses represents the Law, and Elijah represents the Prophets

One other thing to consider...when Moses died, we read that God buried him. Deut 34:6

Perhaps Moses was raptured as well, for we see that in Jude 1:9 Michael the Archangel, fought over the body of Moses with Satan. This could have been as the body was being raised up.

I personally believe the Two Witnesses are Moses and Elijah, but it's not something the Church needs to argue and fight over...it's fun to discuss and research, but not proper to divide the Brethren.

v.9 How could John write this? How could all the peoples of the world see these Two Witnesses dead? Here we have another proof that God wrote this book through John, for not until today can we understand the ability of technology to make this happen! With satellite TV and 24-hour news, the whole world will see this live!

v.11 My kids laugh when we picture the looks on the peoples' faces when the Two Witnesses come back alive!

v.15 Jesus paid the price for us and the earth...with His blood! When Adam and Eve sinned, they gave the dominion of the earth over to Satan, but now, it will be under new management....God!

v.19 What a scene it will be when heaven will open up, and the Temple and the Ark of the Covenant will be revealed!

20 Dec (Revelation 10)

Revelation 10

(v.1) The word, angel, means messenger. Often angels give us messages from God, and minister to us for God. Many scholars believe that this mighty angel is Jesus Himself. The main reason is the description of this angel is similar to the description of Jesus in Dan 7:9 and Rev 1:15

In Mark 13:26 it says that Jesus would return in the clouds, and that this book is most likely the scroll that Jesus took from the Father in Rev 5.

(v.10) This is the duality of Christ...He is Wonderful and our Good Shepherd, but to those who refuse to believe in Him, He will be terrible. John is experiencing the glory of God, and the wrath of God at the same time!

19 Dec (Revelation 9)

Revelation 9

(v.1) Is this star Satan? It sure seems like it, since he unleashes the demons who make war with mankind. Demons or Satan can't kill us, but they can tempt and lead us to desire sin and evil so much, that one day, we will seek death than endure the torment we are under.

(v.5) Your kids might find it interesting, that five months is the time that the rain and flooding lasted in the Flood of Noah. Again, the end times will mirror events in the Old Testament! God has already called His Church, so He is speaking to the Jews...they missed the signs the first time, but they will finally get it the second time!

(v.9) Scholars believe that John was seeing modern-day war helicopters, that have fangs painted on them, and inflict much damage. If we think about it, John had no concept of airplanes or helicopters, so these things were metal, but looked like locusts and birds to him.

(v.15) One third of the earth's population (approximately 1 billion people) were killed in the opening of the seals Rev 6:8, and now another billion will die from this! Like Jesus said many times, the end days will be like no other in history! Aren't you grateful that we have His Word to know Him, and to give our lives to Him now?!?

(v.20) This is one of the saddest parts in the Bible to me...even after all this death and destruction, people's hearts are so hard that they won't accept God's offer of forgiveness.

18 Dec (Revelation 8)

Revelation 8

(v.1) If you read the book of Joshua, specifically Joshua 5 & 6, you will see a lot of the same details unfold. The reason I mention it here, is that after six times the Jews circled around Jericho in the book of Joshua, they were silent...then God brought down the walls. This is a template for what is now described in Revelation.

God ultimately fights the battle for us, but He uses us for His purposes to train us and empower us.

If we compare Joshua to Revelation, we see a pattern:

After Joshua and the Jews conquer Jericho (by God's wrath), they reclaim the land, all debts are forgiven, and the slaves are freed. Think about the Millennium, where after Jesus brings justice upon the earth, and we are all freed from sin and death! This would be a good study for those of you that have older children.

(v.7) God's first creation in the beginning, trees and vegetation, will be the first to receive His wrath. We will see this repeat itself by mirroring the Genesis creation order.

Again, if we understand the Old Testament, we will understand this complicated but very insightful book!

(v.12) Scholars believe this is a reference to the fallen angels who left God's service for serving Lucifer.

One thing I remind my kids, is that when the Bible mentions earth dwellers, He is talking about non-believers. We who are His are not of this earth...we are sojourners, working and serving until He calls us to our real home...heaven!

17 Dec (Revelation 6-7)

Revelation 6

(v.2) At first glance we think that this is Jesus coming on the white horse, but if we look at what he does, and the company that he keeps, the identity is much clearer. Remember, the word, Antichrist, doesn't just mean "against Christ" it also means "like Christ." In other words, the Antichrist will use characteristics of Christ, and fool many who don't really know Christ.

The reference to a bow should also remind us of Nimrod, who was the first world ruler who competed with Christ for men's souls. Gen 10:8

(v.4) This is the beginning of the Great Tribulation spoken of by Christ Himself in Matt 24:6

(v.6) In the last days, it will take more than a days wages to buy one loaf of bread! The food supply will be hard to get, and many people will perish from hunger and violence over getting food for their families.

(v.8) Disease and pestilence will abound...aren't we so grateful that we won't endure this since we will have been raptured before this happens?

(v.11) We see again another sign that the Church will be in heaven when this happens, for they are clothed in white. Do a word search in a good Bible concordance for white robes or white clothing, and you will see this means the saints...the Church.

(v.16) We don't usually see a lamb as having wrath...unless it's the Lamb of God...Jesus!

Revelation 7

(v.4) God is going to seal 12,000 Jews who believe in Christ from each tribe...that's 144,000! They will preach the Gospel like no one has ever done before, and gather the last believers before God closes the door on salvation!

(v.9) This is the Church...from all over the world, speaking different languages, and from different times in history!

16 Dec (Revelation 4-5)

Revelation 4

(v.1) ...after these things...here we go into another phase of the book. In chapter one, John wrote about what He saw concerning Christ and visions. In chapters two and three, he wrote about the state of the Church in his day. Now, Jesus is showing John what will happen in the future.

Come up here...this is another reference to the Rapture, and it seems that John was spirited to heaven to see the last days! Remember, God had done this in Scripture quite a few times with Phillip, Paul and others.

(v.4) Another reason I believe that the Church is raptured before the Tribulation, is that the 24 elders represent the Church...and they are in heaven before the Tribulation starts. Elders in the church are the leadership, and David initiated the meaning of the number 24 in 1 Chron 24:1-19

If you look at the appearance of the elders, they fit with the Church and the faithful saints who believe in Christ...that's us!

(v.7) Here we need to remember the Jews in the Wilderness, and the camps of Israel as they traveled. Each face of the angels in heaven represent the four faces of the camps of Israel. Also, they represent the four gospels. Look at the Gospels part of this blog to study up on that.

(v.8) Holy, holy, holy...this is another reference to the Trinity! God is called Elohim in Hebrew, which is a singular noun in the plural tense...three in one!

Revelation 5

(v.1) The Father has the scroll in His hand.

(v.3) No man...not Peter, nor Paul, nor any pope, nor Martin Luther, nor Billy Graham, or anyone...can fulfill the Law and take the scroll. It took God Himself to do it...Jesus!

(v.5) Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy to take the scroll!

(v.6) The Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb are the same...Jesus! When we get into heaven, we will see the scars and cuts on Jesus for His love for us on the cross! I believe this will be the cause of our tears, and He will wipe them away and we will forget all our sins for eternity!

(v.10) We must be clear with this verse to our kids...we will not be gods like Christ, but we will be kings and priests like Him. Because like Him, we were redeemed to the Father, we are kings and priests forever...He is our Kinsman Redeemer!

15 Dec (Revelation 3)

Sardis ~ The Dead Church

The church of Sardis represents the Reformation movement, away from the Nicolaitan doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. The Reformation deservedly has been praised for moving back to the Word of God, instead of the practices of men, but they fell short as well. Remember, it's never good to put your faith in a particular church, pastor or denomination...all are lead by men and prone to sin and pride.

I hope you see my point here, since I'm tough on the RCC, but I also want you to see that the Protestant Churches erred just as much.

(v.1) This describes the Protestant church then, and even today...it has the name of Christ, but is not following Christ. So many churches focus on traditions and works, that they fail to focus on fellowship with each other and especially God.

I was raised in the Lutheran Church, where Martin Luther is given the credit for starting the Reformation movement. He was a big player, but many other Catholic priests were involved in going back to the Word of God, and not the word of a pope.

Unfortunately, one of the results of the Reformation was the failure to acknowledge the Jews as God's people. Martin Luther and many other Reformists were anti-Semites, and believed that the Church replaced Israel for God's promises and blessings. This is called Replacement Theology, and not only is it completely against Scripture, but it makes God out to be a liar!

I suggest you look up Martin Luther's quotes in his books about the Jews, and how the Church has replaced Israel for God's blessings.

(v.3) Of course, as with the Catholics, the Protestants are filled with believers...it's the leadership that Jesus is rebuking.

(v.4) It all comes down to a personal relationship with Jesus, not any affiliation with any particular church that saves us.

Philadelphia ~ The Faithful Church

(v.8) The church of Philadelphia faced all the same temptations and persecution of the earlier churches, but God is commending them for keeping the faith, and for persevering.

(v.10) This is another verse that shows us that the faithful believers will be Raptured before the Tribulation comes upon the earth.

Laodicea ~ The Lukewarm Church

(v.14) Cults use this verse to say that Jesus was created, and not God Himself. What they fail to see is that the Greek word used to say "beginning" here, is Arche, where we get the word "architect" from. This word also means authority, and since Jesus created the universe, He is the authority of it as well. John 1:1

(v.16) There are many ways to approach this, for the neighboring towns had hot and cold springs that Laodicea tried to pull from, but the main focus for us is our faith. It's one thing to be an atheist or to deny Christ as our Creator...that is bad. But it's also bad to know who Jesus is, and not do anything about it...lukewarm faith.

This church is prophetic to the state of the church in the last days...apathetic and ineffective.

(v.17) We can see this being so relevant to today, for in most of the Western world, we are rich and forget to praise God for the blessings and wealth He has given us. This is why Solomon didn't want to be overly rich and think that he created his wealth, and not God. Prov 30:9

(v.19) Like a loving parent, God rebukes us to open our eyes and see the right path!

(v.20) Remember, at the beginning of these churches, Jesus was in the midst of them. Now, because the apathy has been so severe, Jesus is outside the church, knocking on the door to come in!

If we let Jesus into our lives to be the LORD of our lives, then we will one glorious day dine with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Rev 19:9

14 Dec (Revelation 2)

Revelation 2

These seven churches encapsulate the seven stages of Church history. These were real churches in the day of John's writing, but they also are types of the churches to come.

Ephesus ~ The Loveless Church

(v.2) We can look at each of these churches in a personal way, as a church, and as prophecy to Church history. It seems that the people of Ephesus were great about spotting counterfeit Christians, and were holding true to the doctrines taught them by Paul and others.

(v.4) Ouch! Like Martha in Luke 10, they were obsessed with deeds and actions, where they forgot to sit and worship Him! We all have to watch out for this, for it's easy to get caught up in serving and doing the Church things, when we forget to have quiet time listening to God!

(v.5) If they can lose their lampstand, it means they aren't saved. This is how I interpret this, and it makes sense. So many people do the "Church Thing" every Sunday, but they don't have a personal relationship with Jesus. They don't have a prayer life of conversing and listening to Him, and they just keep doing what they think pleases God.

(v.6) Nicolaitans are the ruling class over the people. It seems that in the early Church, there were some who thought they should be listened to more than Jesus. Their pride got in the way of true worship.

(v.7) Here is another reason I believe these people aren't truly saved at this point, for Jesus promises to let them eat from the Tree of Life if they overcome their sins.

Smyrna ~ The Persecuted Church

Smyrna has the same base word as Myrrh, which means death. This church faced rampant persecution by the hands of the Romans, and were martyred and killed for their faith.

(v.8) Again, when did the Father (YHWH or Jehovah) die? It was the Son, and He is God!

(v.10) This must have been hard to take, knowing you were about to be put in jail and killed for your faith! However, many Christians have suffered this same fate over the centuries...even today. We are lucky in America, and we should use that fortune to be more vigilant about spreading the Good News of Christ!

Pergamos ~ The Compromising Church

This church speaks of the time in history where the Roman Catholic Church made Christianity blend with pagan practices to create unity in the Empire. So many practices by the RCC can go back to Babylon, and their acceptance of pagan practices into the church.

The word, Pergamos, in Greek, means mixed or perverted. This is what the church did...they mixed the pagan practices with Biblical Christianity, and created a mixed marriage that wasn't devoted to Christ. Remember what Paul said to those that allowed sin and pagan practices into their lives? 1 Cor 5:6

(v.13) Scholars believe that the Tower of Babel was erected in the same area as Pergamos. The start of Satanic practices was where the RCC decided to make Christianity the only religion, and worse, that the State would run it!

(v.14) The docrine of Baalam Num 31:16 was the act of tempting God's people into sin...this is what this church did with its believers.

(v.15) Notice that Ephesus was doing the deeds of the Nicolaitans, where now it is doctrine. The Church had incorporated the pagan practices and moved away from Scripture.

Remember, once Satan lost at the cross, he tried to kill the church through persecution at the hands of the Jews and Romans. This only made the Church grow stronger! So what did Satan do? He made up the phrase, "If you can't beat them, join them!" He infiltrated the Church, and little by little, had people focus on traditions and doctrines not from Scripture, and thus, the beginning of cults were born!

Thyatira ~ The Corrupt Church

(v.18) This is the same description of Jesus as noted in Daniel 7:9, 10:6

(v.20) There is so much to research here, and I suggest you do, but in short, He is talking about the popes of the Roman Catholic Church. They used their power to seduce and enslave.

(v.22) Very scary...they aren't saved and will endure the Tribulation on earth. This doesn't mean that Catholics aren't saved...most are, but the doctrines and leaders of the RCC have a lot of explaining to do with Jesus!

(v.24) So many people follow the traditions of men, and don't know why. They think it's just what God wants. But if they read their Bible, they will see that God doesn't want us to chant or say repetitive prayers, or worse yet, pray to mortal people!

God knows who hearts are pure and seek Him, and He will lead them to Him.