If You Could See What I See (song)

I'm really missing my sister this Christmas! For all those who have lost loved ones-

Who Or What is Jesus?

 Who or what is Jesus?  God? Man? Angel? 

This subject deserves far more space than we have here, but here goes...

If anyone requires that all that can be learned and understood about Jesus Christ, had to come out of His own mouth, then you will be very limited in your understanding about who & what was Jesus.  (see John 21:25). You may have noticed in the Bible that Jesus came to speak of the Father, and the Holy Ghost came to speak of the Son? Surprisingly, Jesus did NOT come speaking of Himself. (see John 5:19-47) To learn the greater truth ABOUT who & what was Jesus, one must search the Scriptures, which were made know to God's servants by the Spirit.  (2 Peter 1:21, "...holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." & "All scripture is given by inspiration of God..." (2 Tim. 3:16).  The answers to our questions about Jesus must come right out of the Bible, but will not necessarily come from the lips of Jesus about Himself.

Perhaps we should begin at the beginning.  

The Holy Scriptures reveal that Jesus Christ existed in eternity past, prior to His entering the womb of Mary at conception.  Gabriel said to Mary, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:  therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Lk. 1:35_ the Father, Son & Spirit are together in this verse, again in 3:22, and in John 3:34, and again in John 14:16 & 14:26, and many other references.  The doctrine of the Godhead [Father, Son & Holy Spirit] is easily established from the Scriptures.)

The Bible proof that Jesus existed prior to His first advent is in Colossians 1:12-17, where "by Him [Jesus] were ALL THINGS CREATED, that are in heaven...earth...all things were created by Him and for Him: and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."  Also, we read in the gospel of John "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word WAS GOD.  The same was in the beginning WITH God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made...And the Word BECAME FLESH, and DWELT AMONG US, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-3, 14) 

Those are powerful verses, which state clearly that Jesus is the Word, who spoke and all things were created, just as we read in the book of Genesis!  This Word was clearly identified as God in verse 1, then said to have been the Creator of "all things," then that Word is revealed as none other than JESUS!

If this isn't enough, we have the testimony of the Father about the true identity of the Son in the book of Hebrews.  The writer of the book of Hebrews makes the point that Jesus is superior than any of the angels. He quotes from Psalm 2:7, applying those words to Jesus, as the Son, whom the Father calls GOD!  That's right, God the Father called Jesus GOD.  Here is the verse: "But unto Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom...And, Thou, Lord [Christ], in the beginning hast laid the FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH; and the heavens are the works of thine hands..." (Hebrews 1:8-10, the entire chapter should be read, to fully appreciate the meaning in context.)  This is PROOF, for any who will receive it, that the one who came to earth as Jesus, was the Son of God, who shared glory with God the Father in eternity past, AS God, and is the Creator mentioned in Genesis one!  The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God!  (Holy Spirit is God, Acts 5:3-4).  This is an astounding truth revealed right in the Bible.  It doesn't require man's comments or interpretation, for it is plainly stated in the Word of God.  But why didn't Jesus say this about Himself over and over again, while He was on earth?  Because He came to make the Father known, then after Jesus would depart, the Holy Spirit would then make the Son known through individual believers.   He -- the same one who came to earth and obtained a mortal body from Mary, so that He could die for our sins -- is the God who created all things!  

Now I have only used a very few verses in the Bible to prove the grand truth that Jesus is in fact God, but there are more, many more that could be given.  Space, as I mentioned at the outset, doesn't allow for an exhaustive study of this subject.

But one more truth.

How can the Father be God, the Son be God, and the Spirit be God, when the Bible plainly teaches that there is but ONE true God?

The answer is simple.  The word "God" is a uniplural  noun, like the words "people," "family," "church." Each of those words are uniplural nouns, which imply MORE THAN ONE.  One person is not a people, one person does not a church make, nor is one singular person a family.  But God is one God, who exists as three persons: the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.  Each is God, with the same essence and character, yet God is made known as ONE GOD made up of three persons.  

"Great is the MYSTERY OF GODLINESS," wrote the apostle Paul to a young pastor.  "God was manifest in the flesh..." (1 Tim. 3:16).

Yes, I believe Jesus is God.  Not because it feels right, or seems right, or because some scholar, priest, pastor or rabbi said I should believe it.  I believe it because of the testimony of Holy Scripture.

Jesus is God.

-David Cosma

Middle of My Storm (song)

The Road Not Taken (poem)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

Funny Happenings- Christmas List

 My d-year-old granddaughter grabbed a marker and started drawing on a piece of paper. I asked her what she was doing and she answered, “I’m writing something.” When she finished she handed it to me and said, “This is my Christmas list!” It was then set on my nightstand for future purchases.

Jesus Marvelled (video sermon)

What Happens On Earth During The Tribulation?

On earth, during the Tribulation period, God is pouring out His wrath on a reprobate humanity while showing that He already sent the Messiah and the Jews rejected Him.

It's important to note that God always deals with humanity through their false gods. Today's society worships evolution, nature, and self, and therefore God goes after those things to show that He is more powerful than their fake deities.

There are two distinct time periods during this seven year time frame. The first is just the Tribulation; the second is the Great Tribulation. Both have their own horrors, but the last three-and-a-half years will be dreadful! Revelation seems to repeat itself, however it appears that things are either mentioned twice or the "judgments" are repeated in each of the timeframes. Like much in the Bible, it will really only be understood by those who go through it, or those who are looking back after it has already happened.

After millions disappear, God begins showing Himself greater than nature and humanity. Revelation 6 kinda boils it all down.

Revelation 6:2-8- And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

These verses deal with the first half where the Man of Sin shows up followed by war, famine, and death. This rider on the white horse is not the Lord. This rider has a bow, but no arrows- he obtains the kingdom through flatteries. When Christ shows up it's with a sword.

Daniel 11:21- And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

Psalms 55:20-21- He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

He rules with ten kings. The ten toes in Daniel's prophecy. They will be present, but it's not certain whether they gain their power during the entire Tribulation period or just at the last half.

Revelation 17:12-13- And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

While this is happening, God raises up the 144,000 Jewish male virgins and seals them in their foreheads. The Jehovah's Witnesses like to claim they are part of that number, but they aren't reading the words by which John describes them.

Revelation 14:1,4- And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

These are Jewish males who are virgins that have been sealed by God during the Tribulation!

Revelation 7:2-4- And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

These go about preaching during the first half of the Tribulation.

Up until this point there is a uniting of the earth's governments into a global conglomerate. The Man of Sin will either be in charge or near the very top. You will see an emergence of global digital banking, the Jewish temple rebuilt, and a push to a one world government controlled by a select few.

There will be bad stuff, but not the mark of the beast or forced idol worship by threat of death- that comes in the second half. You're going to need to learn to pray!

In the middle of the Tribulation, two events occur that kick off the Great Tribulation, and I'm not entirely certain which of them will happen first. There will be another rapture of Mid-Tribulation Saints who are guests at the wedding in heaven, and the Man of Sin will be Assassinated and then will resurrect as the AntiChrist being possessed by Satan himself.

Zechariah 11:17- Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.

We don't know exactly how he is killed, but we do know that it will make his right eye and right arm completely useless.

Revelation 13:1-3- And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

This ties in with one of Daniel's visions. It's amazing how some of these things were spoken of years before Christ came the first time!

Revelation 6:9-17- And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Revelation 12:17-And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The fury with which he comes back is pure evil. 

Now begins the Great Tribulation where the AntiChrist will enter the rebuilt Jewish temple and will sit on the Mercy Seat proclaiming that he is God and will demand worship. 

The Beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit with all the mutant monsters is the spirit that indwells the body of the Man of Sin. He is also known by two other names.

Revelation 9:11- And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

He will erect an image and institute a mark, and those who dare to rebel against him will be killed.

Revelation 13:16-18- And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Revelation 13:7- And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

It's dreadful to think that technology has gotten so advanced that it will be hard to run. And the Lord gives the devil the power to appear to be winning. Many Christ followers will be killed.

He doesn't stand alone. Besides his ten mutants, he also has two other beasts that encourage and enable him.

Revelation 13:4-6- And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Forty-two months. Three and a half years. This will feel like the longest time!

Revelation 13:11-15- And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

So we have the first beast (the AntiChrist), a second beast (false prophet) who is his religious leader, and a dragon (spiritual entity that inhabits an  image) which he demands everyone fall down and worship. It's a Satanic trinity.

But taking the mark and worshipping this image will come at a cost both while living on the earth and in eternity.

Revelation 14:9-11- And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

There will be human sacrifice, even more destruction of nature, mutant monsters unleashed on the earth, and even more famine and war.

Revelation 8:7-12- The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

It's not a pretty picture. Things have been bad up to this point, but not despairingly. Most of the vegetation will be destroyed, which in turn will cause the land animals to die. There goes the food supply. The seas and oceans will be turned to bitterness and the fish will die. There goes the water supply. And the heavenly bodies are darkened. There goes the light. To say that depression will be rampant is an understatement!

What do you think people will consume when there is no food left? The answer is each other. What will they drink when there is no water. The answer is blood.

Proverbs 30:14- There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

Micah 3:2-3- Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones; Who also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; and they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.

This isn't just prose or analogy, it's very literal. The poor and needy are the people who refuse to take the Mark, and therefore cannot buy food.

God is going to pour out judgment on those who have taken the mark. This will touch humanity.

Revelation 16:2- And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

They will be living in a destroyed world with no food or water and full of bodily disease- probably a type of leprosy- all because they bowed to the Devil's demands. Everything that God does has a reason- cause and effect, sowing and reaping. And this effect is reaping the wrath of God.

Revelation 16:3-6- And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

There is darkness that can be felt for the majority of the day, but when the sun does shine it's an angry ball of furious flame that's hotter than normal.

Revelation 16:8-11- And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

If that wasn't bad enough, there's going to be mutant monsters that creep about and attack. 

Revelation 16:12- And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

Revelation 9:1-6- And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

Terrifying, yes. But they aren't the only mutants released. There are two specific, different ones.

Revelation 9:7-10- And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

One have faces of men and tails of scorpions. They are described as locust and are probably pretty small, meaning they can get into places where people may try to hide.

Revelation 9:13-19- And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

The second has heads of lions that breathe fire, and tails like serpents. They're said to be an army of 200,000 led by four angels. They're probably large, like the size of horses, and will be able to move quickly after their prey.

While all this craziness is happening around the world. There is an angel preaching and there are two witnesses in Jerusalem preaching and calling down more plagues- Moses and Elijah.

Revelation 14:6-7- And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The Everlasting Gospel is basically worship God as Creator. Why? Because they're teaching and promoting evolution- another false diety.

Malachi 4:4-5- Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Revelation 11:3-6- And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

Moses and Elijah show up in the AntiChrist's back yard just causing chaos! If you read in the book of Daniel, you'll see that there are some rebel fighters out there making it difficult all over the place. All this opposition will make the AntiChrist quite furious!

The AntiChrist will be turning on his own at this point. First, his religious church system will be destroyed by the ten kings that rule with him. Then, he will have three of his mutant comrades turn on him. 

The Bible describes this church as a woman. It may be figuratively, or it may just be literally. The world seems to want a woman to worship; they're already worshiping Mary. So why wouldn't the devil capitalize on that? Perhaps there will be a woman pope in the future.

Revelation 17:3-6- So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Revelation 18:24- And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

The ten kings go after the religious system, and the AntiChrist either doesn't stop them or he can't.

Revelation 17-16-17- And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

Daniel is where we find the prophecy of three of his mutant kings getting struck down. 

Daniel 7:8,24- I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

Whether they betray him, or it is in response to the destruction of his religious system we aren't told. But the Bible foretells that he's going to take out three of his kings.

Lastly, the AntiChrist will turn his fury to the two witnesses and strike them down.

Revelation 11:7-10- And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

Just as the AntiChrist is thinking he's finally winning, a final rapture (the post-tribulation rapture) happens. Moses and Elijah resurrect and are taken to heaven along with the souls that the AntiChrist has trapped under the altar.

Revelation 11:11-13- And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Now the AntiChrist is in a frenzied fury. He will call the armies of the earth to gather to fight with him against Christ. He will actually have them thinking they can win.

Revelation 16:13,14,16- And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Armageddon is where Christ destroys them and feeds them to the birds- literally!

Revelation 19:17-19- And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

When Christ's feet touch the earth, there will be no fighting. It will be like a nuclear explosion!

Zechariah 14:3-4,12- Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.

The armies of heaven will follow and will march over the entire earth destroying all that would dare to stand against the Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 16:17-21- And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Then, Christ will judge the beast and the false prophet by casting them in a literal lake of fire on earth.

Revelation 19:20-21- And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Lastly, he will bind Satan for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:1-3- And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

It all ends with Christ setting up His millennial kingdom. Where he reigns for a thousand years on the earth in a physical kingdom. The earth will be regenerated like the garden of Eden, and people will live for hundreds of years. 

Zechariah 14:9- And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

The Two Witnesses of Revelation

 

MOSES AND ELIJAH, NOT ENOCH AND ELIJAH  

For the past three decades I've been hearing folks claim that the two witnesses of Revelation 11 have to be Enoch and Elijah because these two men never experienced death and must do so (Rev. 11:7), according to the demands of Hebrews 9:27: "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." 

Not that it really matters in your day-to-day life and ministry, but since the Enoch theory keeps floating around out there, I felt it necessary to put it to rest for at least a few people, if possible. There is no way that the two witnesses of Revelation 11 can be anyone other than Moses and Elijah. Please consider . . .

(1) Hebrews 9:27 doesn't read the way that it's usually quoted and the way that I quoted it above. Hebrews 9:27 begins with two words that are almost always omitted, and it is connected with verse 28 by a colon, which is seldom mentioned. The whole passage says, "And AS it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: SO Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." The author of Hebrews never intended for PART of verse 27 to be used as an absolute rule for every person to ever live. The main context is the DEATH OF CHRIST (verses 1-28), not the required death of every human being.

(2) The notion that the death of Enoch and Elijah would fulfill the demands of Hebrews 9:27 just won't work, even if Hebrews 9:27 WAS an absolute rule requiring the death of every person, because there will be MILLIONS of believers to be caught up in the first resurrection to never die (I Ths. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:51-52; John 11:26).

(3) SO! Rather than honoring the Scriptures by making Enoch one of the two witnesses, many of the brethren DISHONOR the Scriptures by destroying God's typology! Enoch CANNOT die because, since the last days are "as the days of Noah" (Luke 17:26), there must be someone from the days of Noah to picture the saints of the last days who are taken to heaven without dying before God's judgment falls, and that someone is Enoch: "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." (Gen. 5:24) Hebrews 11:5 further stresses this by saying, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." What's the point in stressing the fact that Enoch didn't see death, if he has to return and see it in the Great Tribulation? He does NOT return to see death, just as raptured Christians do not return to see death. He lives forever without dying.

(4) Claiming that Hebrews 9:27 is an absolute rule would also mean that every word in the verse is absolute, not just the ones you like. That would mean that the phrase "ONCE to die" is also absolute. That won't work because some people die MORE than once, such as Lazarus, the son of the widow of Nain, Tabitha, the son of the Shunammite woman, and even Moses (Rev. 11). Hebrews 9:27 is in your Bible to stress the fact that CHRIST died once to take away sin (since the wages of sin is DEATH); it is NOT in your Bible to establish an absolute rule on the death of every human being.  

(5) The descriptions of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 clearly match the works of Moses and Elijah, not Enoch and Elijah.

(6) Moses and Elijah, not Enoch and Elijah, are the proper representatives of the LAW and the PROPHETS, and these are the words that Jesus used to sum up the Old Testament (Luke 16:16).

(7) Moses and Elijah, not Enoch and Elijah, appeared with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:3: ". . . there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him."

(8.) The last chapter of the Old Testament gives the names of Moses and Elijah in connection with the Second Coming of Christ (Mal. 4). Enoch isn't mentioned in ANY of the prophetic books. In fact, he's mentioned only four times in the New Testament while Moses is mentioned seventy-seven times.

(9) Jesus said that two men will sit beside Him in the coming kingdom (Mat. 20:21-23), and all indications are that these two men will be Moses and Elijah, the proper representatives of "the law and the prophets," which find their fulfillment in Christ, thus making up a three-fold cord of witnesses (Deu. 19:15; Mat. 18:16; Ecc. 4:12).

Enoch doesn't fit into any of this. It is true that Enoch WALKED with God (Gen. 5:24), but both Moses and Elijah STAND WITH GOD (I Kgs. 17:1; Exo. 34:5) as two prophetic witnesses and probably as the two prophetic anointed ones of Zechariah 4:14.   

I've heard and read other views, but no view holds a stronger witness of the scriptures than Moses and Elijah.

 -James L Melton 

biblebaptistpublications.org

Just as I Am / I Come Broken (song)

Butter Drenched Biscuits recipe

 5 cups flour

2 TBS plus 2 tsp baking powder

2 TBS sugar

2 tsp salt

3 and 1/2 cups milk

2 TBS lemon juice

2 sticks butter

Combine all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Add in milk and lemon juice. Stir until just combined (it doesn't have to be lump free); over stirring can change the texture.

Pour melted butter into a deep 9X13 pan and top with your biscuit batter. Spread it out evenly and then "cut" your biscuits allowing the butter to flow into the cuts.

Please note that as the biscuits rise, the butter will be pushed out of a shallow pan and your kitchen will fill with smoke!

Bake at 450* until the tops are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow the biscuits to soak up any butter liquid that remains.

Grandma’s Biscuits (video sermon)

 

The Feed (poem)

Glutinous generation!! Welcome to “the feed”-

Endless Facebook likes and tick tock streams

In the palm of your hand so you can consume 

a delectable snack that will be your doom. 

Minutes turn to hours as your ego gets fatter,

A perfected algorithm as a tasteful appetizer.

We tell you what you want and what you like 

To wet your forked tongues and appetite. 

A hint of smokiness from the fiery heat-

Online debates, and political schemes. 

Want to play the victim? Have a slice!

Online therapy because the trolls aren’t nice? 

A media induced coma to keep you compliant;

Labeled “Racist Homophobic bigotry” if defiant.

Gun shootings, police brutality- eat up, just try it!

Sex trafficking, pedophile rings- Shhh! Be quiet.

The vaccine is safe, You can trust the science.  

If the professionals don’t agree, we can buy their silence. 

A buffet of narcissism and sweet deception-

All you can eat- pay no attention. 

A flamed broiled agenda compliments of the elite 

Chaotic world order with a side of peace.

Inside our kitchen, a failed inspection,

Multiated babies, lab made infections-

Our skillful chefs will keep you full on riots  

While we cater little children to pedo island. 

May I interest you with a savory distraction? 

On a scale from Oscars to elections, please rate your satisfaction. 

No reservations needed, please, take a seat! 

And again we’d like to welcome you to “the Feed”.

-Isabella Sarai Williams 

What Happens In Heaven During The Tribulation?

 The Tribulation period is one of the most well known prophecies in the Bible. Books have been written about it, movies have been made about it, and even the apocalyptic video games revolve in some way around it.

There are two very different things happening during the Tribulation. Most people focus on what will happen on the earth. But there is a secondary scenario that happens in heaven during this time.

The whole thing kicks off with the Rapture.

I Thessalonians 4:16-17- For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

All the Christians from the last two millennia who ever asked Christ to save their souls will meet in the clouds. We will be taken directly to heaven while the wrath of God is poured out on the world.

Perhaps you think we'll be privy to all the things happening around the throne, but we'll actually be doing something very different.

While God judges the earth, Christ will be judging the Christians.

II Corinthians 5:10- For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Every work that we have ever done will be judged for motive. Each and every one will go through the fire of Christ's judgment and will come out the other side as gold, silver, precious stones, or ashes.

I Corinthians 3:11-15- For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

It's a good thing there is no time in heaven! I cannot imagine how long it would take before everyone had their turn before the judge!

I believe it's after this judgment that we enter God's throne room and are somewhat a part of the heavenly throng.

Revelation 5:1-10- And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

We are not part of those twenty four elders, but we are part of that throng of saints who sing out to God in praise for His salvation! 

Some time after this, there is a wedding between Christ and His bride, the church.

Revelation 19:7-9- Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

The exact timing of this is uncertain to me, but I do know that it is during the first part of the Tribulation. In the middle of the Tribulation, there is another rapture of tribulation saints. They are taken to meet the bridegroom- Christ, and to be guests at the wedding supper.

Matthew 25:1-13- Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

The people in the tribulation have to keep the commandments of God and accept Christ as their Savior. The ones who are actively trying to do this, and are watching for his coming will be taken out before the Great Tribulation.

Along with the Tribulation Saints will be the 144,000 Jewish, male virgins.

Revelation 12:1-5- And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

We know that this is not Mary, because Jacob translated what this woman was in Genesis 37 when he gives the meaning of Joseph's dream. 

These are taken out before the second part of the Tribulation. We know this by the fact that the dragon goes back to make war her seed for another three-and-a-half-years. This seed is the nation of Israel- which is another way we know this isn't Mary; she gives birth to Christ, not the nation of Israel.

Revelation 14:1-5- And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

The Saints who are waiting and watching along with the 144,000 are raptured and meet the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe He is on His way to the wedding supper and they will now be guests who get to be served by the Lord Jesus Christ at this momentous occasion.

Luke 12:35-38- Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

The devil is really mad about this and comes to wage war against God and the heavenly army of angels.

Revelation 12:7-12- And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Many people think that Satan was cast out of heaven way back in Genesis. But the book of Job shows us that is not the case; he comes and goes until this point when he is cast out for good.

Revelation 8:1-5- And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

While we are off getting served a magnificent feast by our Lord and Savior, the rest of heaven is finishing the judgments on the earth.

It's not long after this supper ends that we get ready for His return- the Second Advent.

There will be one more rapture. The two witnesses, Moses and Elijah, will be resurrected along with all the souls that Satan has trapped under the altar.

Revelation 15:2-4- And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Revelation 7:13-17- And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Now that his faithful have been removed from their captivity by the devil, the Lord will return to avenge the Jews!

Revelation 19:11-16- And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

We will be there. We are part of the armies which were in heaven, and we follow Him into battle on white horses. In fact, we will be an unstoppable army!

Joel 2:1-11- Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

Once the enemies have been vanquished. Christ will set up His Millennial kingdom and we will get to rule and reign with Him if we served Him while we were living.

II Timothy 2:12- If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Revelation 20:4-6- And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

What a terrifying and yet amazing time we will have when the Trump of God shall sound! We will either reign with him for a thousand years, or spend that time regretting our decision to live for ourselves instead of Him!

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

I feel very much compelled to post one final article regarding Halloween in order to admonish and encourage those dear brethren perhaps not fully convinced of its spiritual danger. This issue seems to come up over and over in discussion amongst God's people. Prompting this posting was a visit to a local Walmart last Friday where I was shocked to see two full aisles dedicated to Halloween accoutrements with all of darkness that goes along with it all. As I went to the greeting card aisle to select a “thank you” card, I was shocked to see one entire section of Halloween holiday greeting cards. I never imagined such a thing growing up.

Take note that Halloween is the most important day of the year for Satanists, according to the late Anton LaVey the founder and “high priest” of the Church of Satan. Participation is tantamount to endorsement.

Anton LaVey himself declared that he took joy, great joy, in Christians who take part in the tradition, saying: “I am glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year. Welcome to Halloween.” LaVey’s statement is corroborated by a former Satanist who said that when you dress up even as an angel or a mermaid for Halloween you play right into Satan’s hand by association. No genuinely born-again believer can honestly declare that Halloween glorifies God in any possible way. No possible way! I have been criticized, sometimes angrily, by some brethren when I lovingly, with all longsuffering and doctrine, try to warn them about the spiritual dangers of Halloween. It is anti-Christ and dangerous to the spiritual welfare of precious little children. Participation constitutes the appearance of evil from which the believer is to abstain (I Thessalonians 5:22).

Included here is a quote from a tract identifying the origins of Halloween:

. . .Unlike many other holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, Halloween has no origins in Christianity. Halloween is unmistakably pagan in its origin, its symbols, and in the ways people celebrate it.

What Does the Bible Say?

Both the Old and New Testaments explicitly forbid God's people to become involved in witchcraft, spiritism, and the demonic. Consider these Old Testament prohibitions:

Deuteronomy 18:9-13- When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

• Thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations [the heathen].

• There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, [child sacrifice, exposing children to heathen worship, the demonic and occult].

• or that useth divination [delves into fortune-telling or occult knowledge of the future],

• or an observer of times [interprets omens or tells the future by astrology],

• or an enchanter [one who casts spells or practices the magic arts],

• or a witch [one who practices sorcery, a spiritist],

• or a charmer [one who casts spells],

• or a consulter with familiar spirits [a medium, one who consults demons or evil spirits for guidance],

• or a wizard [a spiritist, one who seeks knowledge from the unseen world],

• or a necromancer [one who calls up and consults the dead for guidance and secret knowledge].

I Chronicles 10:13- So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;

The observance of Halloween with its focus on death, witches, luck, and foretelling the future, links one to the very things the Scripture forbids. At best, seemingly ‘innocent’ Halloween practices weaken one's position against the occult, and at worst, they openly invite the demonic.

The New Testament condemns witchcraft as one of the works of the flesh that God will judge.

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21).

The conversion of the heathen in the Book of Acts brought conviction against heathen and occult practices. The new believers wanted nothing to do with the practices from which God had delivered them.

"And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Acts 19:18-20).

How might God bless if Christians today would rid themselves of all the pagan customs of our society?

The Christian's Response

Bible-believing Christians certainly do not want to become involved in occult practices or Satan worship. Yet many professing Christians unthinkingly allow their children to dress as witches, ghosts, or even devils and take them out to trick-or-treat. How many churches hold Halloween parties or sponsor haunted houses to keep the kids out of trouble? How can Christian and pagan customs mix so freely?

Some may argue, “But we don't worship Samhain or devils at Halloween. We do not believe in witches anymore. These things do not mean what they used to. Now Halloween is just a time of harmless fun for the children.”

On the other hand, can any thoughtful Christian give a Scriptural reason for observing a holiday so steeped in paganism and witchcraft? With the modern resurgence of witchcraft and Satan worshipers who openly claim Halloween as their holiday, how can Christians observe it, even in fun?

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Ephesians 5:8-11).

Note: I would highly recommend God’s people research the origin and history of Halloween.

 -Paul Mershon

The Book That Stands Alone

The Bible is one of the oldest known records of history in the world. If you thought the Bible was primarily a religious book, then you have never read it. It deals with the history of the world, the Jewish people, and the time of the early church. It contains prophecy about the future of the world, too.

It contains genealogies, heroism, conquests, failures, oppressions, and miracles. There's stories of ghosts, witches, giants, mutants, plagues, and destruction. It's written by poets, rebels, prophets, shepherds, kings, murderers, and slaves.

How did we get this book of history and prophecy? It took a divine hand, supernatural preservation, and the spiritual guidance of many different people in many different lands throughout time.

The oldest book in the Bible is Job, which is believed to be written some time after the flood, but before Moses wrote the Pentateuch, the first five books in the index of the Bible.

We are not entirely certain who wrote Job. Some believe it was written in the 5th Century BC. It could have been written and handed down through the generations, or it could have been told by God to Moses- it's a mystery, because only God Himself knows.

We do know that Moses is the author of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, with the exception of the last 8 verses (documenting his death). This was written in the Hebrew of his day. 

From Joshua through Malachi, the Scriptures were written by leaders, scribes, seers or prophets, kings, and other men of God who were chosen by Him to record the important events of their day.

Because the lineage of the Jews copied, read, and often told stories from the Bible, their language has been the same since the time of Moses. Almost all of the books of the Old Testament originally were written in Hebrew, with the exception of Daniel. 

Daniel was written in two languages- chapters 1–6, written mostly in Aramaic, and chapters 7–12, written mostly in Hebrew. Because Daniel was a captive in Babylon, he was forced to learn their language, and when writing the history of his experiences, he wrote in the language of the Babylonians- Aramaic. When he was writing the visions that he received of God in the last half of the book, however, he wrote them in his native tongue- Hebrew.

From the time of Daniel, the land of Israel went through many different foreign occupations. From Babylon, to Media-Persia, to the ancient Greek kingdom, the Jewish people had to accommodate many different peoples and a variety of languages. From the third century BC until the time of Christ it was the Roman Empire who held power.

Koine Greek was the common form of Greek spoken and written during the Hellenistic period (323 BC - 31 BC), the Roman Empire (31 BC - c 395 AD) and the early Byzantine Empire (395 AD - 1453 AD).  It evolved from the spread of Greek following the conquests of Alexander the Great in the fourth century BC. 

Koine is also the language of the Septuagint (the 3rd century BC Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible), and is the original language in which the Christian New Testament and of most early Christian theological writing by the Church Fathers was written. In this context, Koine Greek is also known as "Biblical" Greek.

It is unclear whether Matthew and John, Hebrews, Peter, James, and Jude were originally written in Hebrew or Greek. But, the rest of the New Testament were written to Gentiles and therefore we know that they were written in the Koine Greek language.

Latin comes from the early people of Italy, who called their region Latium. By the 3rd century BC, Latin was the official language of the Roman Republic. It was used by the Roman administration as well as for law, politics, and religion. The location of the Roman Republic is currently known as Rome, Italy.

After the foundation of Rome in (753 BC) and its expansion, Latin prevailed as the main language in both speaking and writing within the limited borders of Italy and the surrounding areas, however most of the vast territory of the Roman Empire spoke Greek. 

In AD 395, during Theodosius I reign, the split between the Western part of the Roman empire and the Eastern part officially created two different empires. This division changed Roman life and government. There were now two emperors in each empire, and they governed independently. The capital of the Western Empire was Rome, and the capital of the Eastern Empire was Constantinople (modern day Istanbul).  Although they governed separately, their forms of government were similar and they enforced many of the same laws. However, as time went on their differences grew, mainly in the aspects of religion, language, and culture.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476, Greek became the language of administration in the Eastern Roman Empire (or Byzantine empire).

The Holy Roman Empire was an attempt to revive the Western Roman Empire, whose legal and political structure deteriorated during the 5th and 6th centuries. In AD 1054, The Holy Roman Empire was divided into Western Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. 

Latin eventually rises to replace Greek after the Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks in AD 1453. This was due largely to the control brought on by religious dominance. There was a good deal of appropriation, especially when the Roman Catholics. The need to control sacred writings and more that were all in Greek brought about the mass translation of the Greek civil and religious documents into Latin.

Ecclesiastical Latin refers to the styles used by the writers of the Roman Catholic Church; the term 'Vulgar Latin' was used to differentiate the common language of the people.

The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Old Latin gospels used by the Roman Church. Jerome chose to make a new translation of the Old Testament while working from Hebrew Masoretic text. However, he used the Old Latin, instead of the Greek to translate the New Testament. He finished in AD 405. The Vulgate was to become the Catholic Church's officially promoted version of the Bible declared at the Council of Trent (1545 - 1563 AD).

Jerome could not fully capture the participial nuances of the Koine Greek New Testament. Instead he resorted to using many more words than necessary that often complicated the text. 

None of the original books of the Bible were ever written in Latin. They are written in the language of the people who would be reading them- Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

The Textus Receptus, or the “received text” as it is also known, was translated by Erasmus in the 15th Century AD. He compiled the New Testament books from Greek manuscripts which became the first published Greek New Testament.

Since all of Erasmus' Greek manuscripts dated from the 12th century or later, many modern scholars consider his text to be of subpar quality. But you have to consider that writings of the apostles would presumably have been written on papyrus or parchment, since they were the easiest and cheapest to acquire. These letters would be copied by others on the same readily available materials down through the centuries. The old, worn out copies would be disposed of and replaced with the new copies. 

There are no original Hebrew scrolls written by Moses. The psalms of David are not the actual psalms written by his hand. Neither would you find the letters written by Paul himself anywhere in this present world. Everything we have in our Bibles today comes from copies of the originals, not the originals themselves, as they have been lost to time and history. 

The Dead Sea Scrolls, which were found by an Arab shepherd boy in 1947 in the Qumran caves near Jericho, Israel, actually agree with the King James Bible translation. This fact makes them unattractive to scholars desiring to retard the KJV translation. So, other than commenting on the irony of the way in which they were found, they are largely ignored.

The KJV translation authorized by King James in 1604 was done by six committees composed of 47 scholar: three assigned to work on the Old Testament, two on the New Testament, and one on the Apocrypha. 

Because we no longer possess the original biblical texts as written by authors like Moses, Jeremiah, John, and Paul, the scholars used all available materials to discern as accurately as possible what the originals said. They sifted through mountains papyri, scrolls, fragments on parchment and vellum, manuscripts, various translations in different languages, and literally millions of quotations from early church fathers who cited Scripture in their writings. Th​ese were mainly written in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin, although early translations in ancient languages like Coptic, Syriac, Ge’ez, and Gothic must also be consulted. 

The New Testament was guided by using the Textus Receptus Greek texts. For the Old Testament, the Masoretic Hebrew and Aramaic text was used, and for the Apocrypha, the Greek Septuagent text was used primarily. 

Once the work of the committees was completed, two members from each committee met for the final review before publication. This work took them seven years from beginning to printing. Scholars agree, that this large group of men, with diverse resources, produced a better version of the English Bible in its entirety than had previously been available.

It is a book of history, prophecy, and power. Its pages reveal the creation of the world, the beginning of the Jewish nation, and the predictions of our future. It shows the state of humanity, the fate of our souls, and the presented choice that could change our futures.  Its powerful, majestic style has made it a literary classic, and the only book in the world that can tell you where you come from, why you are here, and what will happen to you after you die.