He opened His mouth and taught them. Matthew 5:1-4.

We ended Matthew chapter four with this.

“… His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.”
(Matthew 4:24-25 NKJV)

Syria?

I have not heard that saga about Jesus was spread throughout all of Syria.

Can we attest to the fact that Jesus went throughout Syria?

No, I cannot prove any of that.

You know what we do know?

“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.”
(Acts 10:1-2 NKJV)

Cornelius became convinced of who Jesus was – God’s Son- and obviously shared his faith. Going off this ESV map, I assumed that Cornelius lived on the Southern border of Syria.

Again, there is no way to validate this.

Look at where Caesarea is located.  This map is from ESV Maps and provided through e-Sword Graphics.  Caesarea Philippi is inland, South of Mt. Hermon, and close to Syria. Other maps show Caesarea at the lowest point in which that nation touches Israel along the coast. So, I am not clear which one is true. The Southernmost version is about halfway between Jerusalem and Syria.

The Pulpit Commentary says this about the cohort. “Jose hus, in the passage above quoted, speaks of five such auxiliary cohorts coming from Caesarea to join Vespasian’s army, and he tells us in another place (’ Bell. Jud.,’ 2.18, 7) that the principal portion of the Roman army at Caesarea were Syrians.”

Why is the information about the Italian Regiment important?

Because it feeds into the traditional response, we apply to those troops destroying the temple as though they were Italians answering to Titus when, as we learned from Josephus, those troops who destroyed the Temple in 70 AD were primarily Syrians. Yes, they fought under the Roman banner, but they did this only because they were conscripted troops with no other option but to participate and had a bitter hostility for the Jews.

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:26 KJV)

Matthew 5 is entitled The Beatitudes by most translations.

“One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him,”
(Matthew 5:1 NLT)

Where did we leave off?

“News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.”
(Matthew 4:24-25 NLT)

So what did He do?

“and he began to teach them.”
(Matthew 5:2 NLT)

Teach? It is the Gk word didaskō and means to know, teach, or instruct by word of mouth. Didaskō has inherent in it the intent to influence the understanding of the person who is taught.

I find myself chuckling because many of those surging upon Jesus did not come to be taught; they wanted the free stuff, like healing and food.

As He taught, He said,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5:3 KJV)

A more simplistic translation tells us,

“Blessed are those who recognize they are spiritually helpless. The kingdom  f heaven belongs to them.”
(Matthew 5:3 GW)

Look at what Dr. J. Vernon McGee had to say. “Blessed ar the poor in spirit.” It doesn’t tell you how to become poor in spirit; it just says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

Having had the self-esteem beaten out of me as a child, being poor in spirit takes on a whole new meaning for me. Sure, there are those who think their feces doesn’t stink, and many of whom have wrangled their way into the pulpits of some massive churches. One that comes to mind averaged over 3000 in every service. The pastor would brag about his earned Doctorate, the high price of his suits, and how he could eat better food at the restaurants in Beverly Hills. He turned the church over to his arrogant son shortly before the Covid lockdowns of 2020 and 21; just the other day, I heard that this mega-church had locked its doors. To be honest, I felt some sadness about this rumor because there were many good people there.

Poor is the Gk word ptōchós; according to the Word Study Dictionary, it means to cower like a beggar, poor and helpless, completely destitute.

Perhaps the phrase from the GW translation, “… those who recognize they are spiritually helpless,” is more appropriate.

Before I move on, sometimes the simplest of words, like destitute, can take on a grander meaning. Destitute and a so convey the idea of being

• impoverished

• indigent

• poverty-stricken

• needy

• and downright poor

Now try to associate these mental images with your spirit.

Just this morning, one of the devotionals that a group of us read by Max Lucado. I responded to the question Max put forth that went something like this: will you be prepared to reply when the time comes for you to respond about your faith that could mean your death, as it did for Queen Esther and Mordechai?

I am barely comfortable when I have to respond, and it has nothing to do with life. Put in a situation where   can see a need to “witness” for Jesus, I can hear the Holy Spirit telling me to “go for it.” When I finally make the decision to just jump in (this entire process only lasts a couple of seconds,) the fear goes away, and an amazing courage takes over; I, too, am in tears because I can see how God, not only, blesses the person listening to me, but those words coming out of my mouth are speaking to me as well.

So what caused this perpetual internal struggle in me?

Much has to do with the way I was raised. Maybe this will help you understand. When I got married for the first time, I was a co-dependent disaster, so when the first marriage was coming to an end due to her infidelities, among other things, I was put in a psych hospital for threatening to kill her; there, they asked me how long my religious parents had been alcoholics. Considering that they never drank, I was hard-pressed to figure out how to deal with all these issues.

So, let’s take a moment to examine some of the defining issues associated with co-dependency.

• A lack of self-esteem and self-love.

• Inability to set functional boundaries with other people and protect oneself.

A website called priorygroup.com tells us that the red flags of codependency are: A mood that reflects how others feel rather than your own emotions. Guilt or anxiety when doing something for yourself. Doing things you don’t really want to do simply to make others happy. Idealizing partners or other loved ones, often to the point of maintaining relationships that leave you unfulfilled.

These are the things that escorted me into adulthood with little to no self-esteem.

Having grown up in “faith” churches that idolized strength and bravery, I can tell you that there is a tremendous amount of bullying and judgment that happens there. It may be a lack of understanding, but for the most part, they, too, are submitting to peer pressure while ignoring what the Word of God says.

What does the Word of God say?

How about this verse?

“But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6 KJV)

Offend is the Gk word skandalizō. This is the root of our word to scandalize, and I imagine it brings up a tremendous amount of negative imagery in most, but it also means to entrap, trip up (figuratively to cause to stumble [transitively] or entice to sin, To fall away from the gospel of Jesus Christ, or to offend.

And now you know the heart of the Father when it comes to children, and may I say it, abortion; and why Jesus said whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for him that a millstone was hanged about his neck, and that person was drowned in the sea.

Get real; if someone tied a two-hundred-pound millstone to your neck and tossed you into the ocean, there is only one thing that can happen to you, you die. Don’t get me wrong, this does not equate to the fiery hell that comes after the great white throne, but there is certainly judgment that comes while you are here on earth; some people think of this as karma.

“Therefore you are without excuse, O man—every one of you who is judging. For by whatever you judge an ther, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice t e same things. We know that God’s judgment  n those who practice such things is based on truth. But you, O man—judging those practicing such things yet doing the same—do you suppose that you will escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1-3 TLV)

Yeah, I get it, you don’t see your cruelty as a judgment, but it is, and you can expect cruelty in return, both now in your lifetime on earth and at the judgment seat of Christ.

“… for when you judge someone else, you are passing judgment against yourself; since you who are judging do the same things he does.” CJB

Okay, wait a minute. You said we, as Christians, will not receive God’s wrath and judgment because that all went on Christ at the Cross.

Yes, I did, but it does not give you the right to be a jerk down here on earth, and we will all stand before Christ’s bema seat, where we will account for the stupid stuff that we did in the flesh. I have this tendency to think we will be thankful that all this broken, earthly mentality and our actions will be burned away, and we will be clean and free before Him.

The NASB uses the word stumble instead of offend.

“Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that of enses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!”
(Matthew 18:7 KJV edited for readability)

What do they call it?

Oh yes, the formative years are when your self-esteem is supposedly being established. It probably occurs among females as well, but like a pack of wolves, the pecking order within the pack is established. This pecking order wasn’t just at school, it was a way of life at church, and I typically felt like I was at the back of the pack, and you wonder why religion disgusts me.

When I was around 12 years old, I was told by my mother that I would be beaten (and yes, that is the term mom used) if they found out I had defended myself. Now think about that; how would they find out that I defended myself unless I, or someone else, told them? They wouldn’t. The only other way would be physical marks on my face, arms, or hands.

On that note, I have been a stepdad twice. In the case of the first one, he came home from school with some horrible marks on his arms (these marks indicated that my son had been struck at least three times). I asked him what had happened, and he said that he had blocked a shot on goal in physical education class (with a teacher somewhere present). The kid who tried to score became enraged and began trying to hit my son on the head by striking downward with an overhand swing with the field hockey stick he was using. I said, what did you do? He responded with, I blocked his swings and then hit him back (I venture a guess that blocking those blows hurt a lot). My son said, I happened to hit him in the head, and he went down. He continued saying, I stood there for a moment in case his friends thought they might take a few shots at me, and then the teacher got involved and started tending to the boy on the ground. Having seen all the action, he told my son to go on to his next class, and nothing more was said. You see, even in the short time I was with that boy, I knew his heart, and he was not prone to violence. Now, imagine the injustice if I had beaten my son for defending himself.

I see that public education facilities will punish and suspend you for doing the right thing. Jesus did the right thing and sustained all the blows that were meant for us. Another way of describing this is to say that He redeemed us from sin – it didn’t matter how many or the manner of the sins; they were all taken upon Him through the cross.

Now, the question is, what will you do with the man upon the cross. His name is Jesus, and He is the only way to the Father. The thief on the cross next to Jesus merely asked, will you remember me and Jesus said yes. To some, this equates to asking Jesus into your life. Time is so short. Perhaps you should do that.

A layman’s commentary on Matthew 24. This generation will by no means pass away. Matthew 24:32-35

We are in Matthew 24 and now looking at the parable of the Fig Tree.

Let’s open this with a broad mental attitude.

Finis Jennings Dake tells us that this parable is the “First of five parables in Matthew 24-25: the fig tree, illustrating the nearness of His return.”

The parable has everything to do with Jesus returning as the Messiah. This has nothing to do with the church. The context of the conversations is expressly directed at the Jewish mindset, one that is looking for Jesus to come as the Messiah.

“Parable” is the Greek word parabolē. It is “the placing of one thing by the side of another for the purpose of comparing, or comparison.” (We need to find out what Jesus compares the fig tree to.) It is also an example by which a doctrine or precept is illustrated. (If the fig tree demonstrates a precept, what is the precept?)

Jesus told them (the Jewish disciples and those Jews that followed closely.)

“Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near;”
Matthew 24:32 NAS95

Not that it matters, but was there an actual fig tree?

I ask because I am a visual learner and understand that fig trees are relatively common around Jerusalem. One commentator seemed to think that they were purposely grown on the Mount of Olives, and because of environmental factors and the season of the year, they all came into bud and then fruit at about the same time.

Pay attention to this statement: “When its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.” I can imagine Him pointing to a fig tree that must have been nearby and mentioning things that they could see and relate to.

So, what do I gather from this concerning Israel? 

That spring has come, the trees have already come into bud, and in no time, we should be able to pick and eat the fruit. But this is NOT about figs, and eating them is it. It is about Israel and the conditions by which they rule their lives. These wars, governmental affairs, and rabbinical teachings are parallels to the factors hindering growth or advancement, as the Rabbis instruct the congregants to stay away from Isaiah 53 and the prophet Daniel’s writings. Other factors that define the fruit are streets filled with protests and terrorist attacks; all this makes it difficult to see Israel growing.

Matthew 24 opens with this, “What shall be the sign of the end of the age?”

What could Matthew have meant by the end of the age?

It is the end of the seven years of God’s wrath and the transition into the millennial reign of Christ.

But what signifies that this is happening?

Jesus rode back into the picture on a white horse, wearing a blood-stained robe and a sword proceeding out of His mouth. At this time, He slaughters all those who choose to fight with Him.

“So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!”
Matthew 24:33 NKJV

“So you also, when you see all these things,”

When could we even consider that there was a fig tree?

It was not until May of 1948 that Israel became a nation. Israel is moments away from turning 76.

The next clue. 

“Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.”
Matthew 24:34 NKJV

Which generation is He talking about?

The youngest of the generations that witnessed the birth of Israel as a nation is today, about 76 years old.

His final word as He finished this “parable” may have been one of comfort, particularly since it might have become painfully obvious that this would never happen in the lifetime of the disciples. If He had spoken to them about the trials that would befall them, I can see how they might become discouraged and, therefore, need a word like this to hold on to.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
Matthew 24:35 NKJV

“Pass away” is Strong’s number G3928. It is the Greek word parerchomai and, in this context, means to come near or aside, to go by (or away), (figuratively) to perish.

“Pass away,” is the speaker verbalizing the same Greek word twice to emphasize a concept.

I want you to consider something.

When and why would the earth and the heavens pass away?

If you had pointed to the millennial reign as the time this could happen, then I see a problem as God has allowed those from the nations who are still exhibiting their free will to live freely. It is evident that many will NOT accept Jesus as the Lord over their life. If God turned loose the heat necessary to burn and purify the earth, then people would die. Some might not see that as a problem, but God is NOT a murderer.

So, the best time is after the judgment from the great white throne.

Why? 

1. Revelation 19 shows us the devil, at the end of the time of wrath, cast into the lake of fire for a thousand years. The plus side of this is that there has been no deception or temptation coming from Satan for 1000 years, and yet, upon his release he deceives the nations and scripture tells us that God kills them with the breath of His mouth – actually, this sounds a lot like Jesus. Nonetheless, they are dead without Christ.

   Do all the people from the nations gather for this stupidity? We are not told that they do; however, there are quite a number. Since only the dead are judged at the white throne, one can assume that the remainder are changed and given entrance into the eternal kingdom.

2. The same people who want to reset us and the earth are the ones who have destroyed the earth with their industrial pollution. There is only one way, and that is to burn it completely and start over. The damage that is part of Adam’s handing over the dominion to Satan was extensive and rarely talked about. Doesn’t it seem odd that God would have to burn it to cleanse the earth?

Who, then, are the rest of the dead?

Let’s start this interrogation by determining who the dead are not.

Revelation 20:4 tells us that the souls of those who had been martyred during the seven years are reunited with their bodies, and they now sit as judges over Christ’s 1,000-year reign. So the martyred are not included in this crowd of raised dead people.

“But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”
Revelation 20:5 NKJV

Revelation 20:6 states that the martyred saints, who will be resurrected, are the first resurrection. I realize that this messes with the theology of many, but we are not in a position to argue against the scriptures. (This information, explaining that the martyred saints are resurrected at the end of the seven-year period, is monumental in terms of defining when they arise, as it describes when the first resurrection happens and who takes part in that moment of time.)

So it is NOT the martyred saints.

The catching away of the church is not a resurrection, although there are (allegedly) dead folk who will have their souls re-associated with their bodies ( I cannot imagine why it is necessary for us to reconnect with these abused bodies of ours.) The understanding you need to apply here is that those caught up in the rapture are in Christ and, therefore, alive. They are never perceived as being dead.

And it is NOT those who are part of the church.

How is it possible that the martyred saints are among the dead seen in Revelation 20:5?

“But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”
Revelation 20:5 NKJV

This, quite possibly, is where people become confused. To be honest, I think it is a grammatical and interpretive error. Look at how the NLT translation states this verse.

“This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.)”
Revelation 20:5 NLT

The NLT leaves no room for questions or doubts.

In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul tells us that when we (who are in Christ) are absent from the body — death, we are present with the Lord.

“So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 5:6 NKJV

These dead, who may have existed since the beginnings of humanity and were not raised in the rapture of the Church, are now being brought to stand before Jesus, the judge, who will be seated upon that throne. This is the second resurrection.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.”
Revelation 20:11 NKJV

Revelation 20:15 conveys that anyone not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life is cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the end of all judgment.

We who remain after this final judgment are all immortals, and our lives are hidden in Christ. So, we cannot be harmed in any manner, including the fire that burns up the earth and the heavens – if you can imagine that.

Adam and the beginnings of sin. Genesis 1-3.

Let’s begin this study with what I consider “the beginning.”

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

This statement opens our look into Genesis, but there is a difficulty, and it is this:

“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
Genesis 1:2 NKJV

If we operate on the basis that God does everything right, then this shouldn’t make sense. We can back up the premise by looking at what Isaiah tells us.

“For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
Isaiah 45:18 NKJV

Since sin is associated with death and destruction, it is evident that sin existed in the world prior to God putting man on the earth and giving him dominion. If this train of thought bothers you, then answer this: Why was the big, talking lizard (scripture calls him a serpent here, but later on in Revelation, he is referred to as the dragon) hanging out in the tree, which they were forbidden to eat from? 

(Note: Up until Adam ate from the fruit, Satan did not have control of the earth. Through his destructive acts, he created the illusion of control. Adam, by his actions – disobedience of and disregard for God’s command, caused the dominion of the earth to change hands.)

Adam, having set aside God’s commands, created havoc that may have taken days to realize.

“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3:17-19 NKJV

So, the command, or “law,” was that you shall NOT eat of the tree, and one effect is that the ground is now cursed because of what Adam did.

But what did Adam do? 

He listened to the woman and disregarded God’s command.

The effect of Adam’s actions was a transaction in which the dominion of the earth was handed over to Satan. (There are always those who doubt this, and so I give you the interaction between Satan and Jesus.) 

“Again, the devil took Him up on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory (the splendor, magnificence, preeminence, and excellence) of them. And he said to Him, These things, all taken together, I will give You, if You will prostrate Yourself before me and do homage and worship me.”
Matthew 4:8-9 AMP

You cannot legally give away something that is not in your possession; that means that it was in Satan’s possession. Jesus did not argue about who controlled the kingdoms and the glory. (If Satan had stated they are mine to give, he would have been correct, and all because of Adam’s actions.) He merely dismissed Satan with a portion of scripture from Deuteronomy. 

“Then Jesus said to him, Begone, Satan! For it has been written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve.” [Deuteronomy. 6:13.]
Matthew 4:10 AMP

The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury tells us that “Here, the words are varied by addition, for the words “and him only shalt thou serve” are not quoted from Deuteronomy but added by our Lord.”

Having been raised in the church, I heard on multiple occasions that Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy in withstanding Satan. Now I see that what He said is pulled from several locations and, as God’s son, took some creative license. What does that say to me? That I don’t have to be so precise in my assertions toward Satan and in my prayers. This is a convenient revelation, seeing as my memory grows worse as I grow older.

A side note for free.

Many will try to tell you that Genesis 1:26-29 is where God puts man on the earth; it is NOT. Pay attention to the terminology used as He creates man and woman in His image. 

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 1:26 NKJV

What is the image of God? 

Jesus explained that God is a spirit, and spirits, like the Holy Spirit, don’t have much in the way of a physical image.

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:24 NKJV

Spirit should be a familiar term to many of us. It is the Greek word pneuma. It is not only wind-air in motion but also the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit.

God also happens to be energy and light, among other things. Consider the burning bush that Moses encountered. It burned like fire, but it was not consumed. For all we know, God is nuclear energy, but it is under control. 

Perhaps the best way to explain this is to understand that God made the spiritual entities that would eventually become the male and female—the beginnings of humanity. So, our mental representation of humankind, at this point, is no different from God’s, and to think differently is pure conjecture.

Genesis 1:26 tells us that, in time, they would have dominion. Synonyms for this word dominion include ascendancy and control, which would happen over everything on the earth. 

Did God merely ignore the fact that Satan would wrangle the control of the earth away from Adam and Eve? 

I don’t think so; therefore, I can see that WE, as descendants of Adam and Eve, still, in theory, hold that dominion. Having been deceived, I think it would be rare to find anyone exhibiting this dominion – but there are always exceptions.

We see a physical Adam created in Genesis 2:7, a time frame well beyond the seventh day.

“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.”
Genesis 2:2 NKJV

Pay attention to the details.

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
Genesis 2:7 NKJV

Watch what happens next. 

“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
Genesis 2:8-9 NKJV

So far, there is only the man, Adam. Once again, God saw fit to restate that He had put the man in the garden. 

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”
Genesis 2:15 NKJV

No one seems to think that Adam had anything to do but name the animals, but that was not the case. 

The word keep is the Hebrew word shâmar and is also seen as care for, dress, look after, and guard. Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions give us options such as: have charge of; protect; to keep (within bounds); restrain; pay heed to. 

The terminology implies that the man was given control of the garden. 

The other word that jumps out at me is “tend.” This word is also translated as cultivate or dress. The Hebrew word ‘âbad’ means to labor and do work.

There is nothing about Adam being unable to touch the tree. You would almost think that touching the tree may have been part of his job description. Adam was given a single, direct command by God, and its importance cannot be overstated. 

“But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you must not eat. For when you eat from it, you most assuredly will die!”
Genesis 2:17 TLV

This command, delivered with such gravity, sets the stage for the events to come.

The King James Version of verse 17 reads like this. 

“for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

The Tree of Life Version does not imply a time frame, while the KJV conveys that death would come almost immediately. 

None of this was expressed to Eve by God directly. 

So, how did Eve understand that she was to NOT eat from “that tree”?

Adam had to tell her. 

This information was given to Adam first and then, over the course of an undefined time period, to Eve. I can see why Satan’s ploy worked on Eve. Adam, it may have been a different story, but it still worked.

What would the result be if he ate the fruit? 

It is easy to see that it was a multifaceted death that affected even the earth. Is it possible that Adam, who had never witnessed death, may not have understood what death meant? The effects of eating that fruit meant an instant death, or it meant a slow, lingering death, with the added feature of losing the ability to communicate with the one who brought you into the world. With over 32 translations to choose from, it is difficult to obtain a clear picture of what death meant to them. 

I am being facetious when I say this, but at least Adam had a good woman to help him keep that one command.

“Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
Genesis 2:18 NAS95

Here is why you should look up these simple words: “a helper suitable for him.” Here, you will find that the phrase ‘êzer neged can mean one who stands in opposition.

So, again, we lack a direct reference to the time involved until Eve is brought into the picture and we are introduced to the woman. 

“So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.”
Genesis 2:21-22 NAS95

Genesis chapter two closes by saying they were naked and unashamed.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
Genesis 3:1 NAS95

Think back in this thesis to where God instructed the man about the fruit he was NOT to eat. The NAS95 is a weak translation. Compare it to a couple of others.

(AFV) Now, the serpent was more cunning than any creature of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Is it true that God has said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’ “

(AMP) NOW, THE serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field that the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden? [Rev. 12:9-11.]

Was Eve given these instructions by God?

We have nothing to indicate that she was; therefore, it is understood that the instructions came from Adam’s mouth.

Satan’s ploy at deception was meant to provoke the idea that Adam fabricated this elaborate narrative for the purpose of dominating Eve. Even if it wasn’t true, that does not eliminate the possibility that God was lying. If you can’t trust God, then this narrative about the fruit may also be a fabrication.

The fruit had the ability to damage and change DNA (with the advent of the COVID-19 vaccine, we have seen evidence that demonstrates this very thing). Its effects would be distributed throughout humanity and all generations until an all-encompassing redemption was found. Fortunately, God had a plan the entire time.

“but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'”
Genesis 3:3 NAS95

Satan added an untruth, for God never said not to touch it. Adam may have needed to touch it as part of his maintenance program.

“When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”
Genesis 3:6 NAS95

Saw is the Hebrew word râ’âh and means to inspect, perceive, or consider.

Eve weighed all the things Satan said and shoved it in her mouth.

This next aspect is disturbing, as men I have known from church have said to me that Adam was not there or a long way away. Look at what the Holy Spirit intended for us to see.

“she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”

And then.

“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.”
Genesis 3:7 NAS95

Eyes is the Hebrew word ‘ayin and is referring to the physical eye as well as mental qualities.

Knew is the Hebrew word yâda‛ and implies that they were able to perceive, discern, distinguish, and experience (what God had already informed them what would happen,) and not in the best of ways.

In all of this, did we see the terminology sin at any point?

No, and while we consistently put human emotions and tendencies on God, we don’t see God displaying those emotions either.

How do you define what happened next?

God merely shows up.

“They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:8-9 NAS95

We do not see violent angry reactions, and scripture does not tell us that God went on a rant.

The God of the universe calmly and respectfully called out to the man He created, where are you. He knew precisely where they were, but they were naked, and they knew it. Even amid a treasonous act (which will affect every generation that is to come,) God is still showing them respect and allowing for at least Adam to acknowledge his failure/sin.

So, God gave Adam a commandment to live by, just one, and he failed. And Adam didn’t have a disposition to sin as we do. He was confronted by the foremost of deceivers.

Try to picture Adam standing there watching, the woman made from his side and brought to Adam as the finest and only woman on the face of the earth, and she just took a big bite out of the only thing on the earth that brings death to them. What goes through your mind?

• Where do I get another woman like this one? This is assuming that there is no replacement. (This opens a massive can of worms I won’t go into now.)
• How do I live without her?
• What happens next, because for all he knows, she may just die in front of me?

The questions could have been endless, and sadly, I can see the human frailty that Adam did not suffer from until after he bit into the fruit, integrated into my every thought. 

Was there a punishment for breaking that command? 

Yes, death, but even though we can see the effects, we do not see God having any conversations describing how the broken fellowship between Adam and God would be the most catastrophic aspect of this death. And all these years later, I still struggle to communicate with the Father.

As we know, Adam lived 930 years beyond that moment in which he ate the fruit ( and death came.) We foolishly make the assumption that this was all that Adam lived. If that is your logic, you would be wrong. The why is entwined in the fact that time was not accounted for until the day that Adam partook of that fruit (there was no reason.) What you do not take into account is that Adam walked this earth for an untold number of days, during which time he named all the animals on earth.

And yes, many of you think the earth is only a few thousand years old. You seem to be ignoring information such as: 

• God did not set the sun in the sky until the fourth day. This should have a horrendous effect on your understanding that God functioned within 24-hour periods.
• God did not wear a Timex watch, nor did He concern Himself with time as we know it. Time, as we see in the creation, was relative and defined by associated words. Most of what we see there in the creation narrative is described in terms of eons (which happens to be open ended segments of time.)

So, why is it that we cannot see that God’s moral law ruled over everything. Maybe the things I have talked about are some of those “mysteries” that scriptures speak of. I was aware that there was an admonition to not eat from “that” tree, but I never, until I wrote this paper, saw it as a commandment with as much clout as the ten that were to come.

And another thing. I can’t ignore how lovingly God treated them even after they sinned, or should I say, broke the law.

I got a message from a friend that I needed to address.

I received a message that read something like this—I say sort of because I had to make it legible.

I am not sure how my acquaintance integrated this point about “The blood on his cloak,”  but he added some say it’s the blood of the saints, while others say it is His blood. To this, my friend responds, “not so, it is the blood of His enemies.” To this statement, those people who asked him agreed and left. Apparently, my acquaintance took this last statement to a couple of Pastors at a Calvary Chapel, and they agreed.

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So let’s look at Isaiah 63:3,4.

Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the winepress? “I have trodden the wine trough alone, And from the peoples, there was no man with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And, their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My raiment. (Isaiah 63:2-3 NASB)

An obvious aspect of this passage is that the Messiah’s garment is soaked in blood, at least the lower half.  

Consider that there was a time when people actually stomped the juice out of grapes. If they were smart, they would lift up any outer garment so that it would not get covered in juice. Perhaps some juice would splash onto your clothing in the process of making it, but to merely allow your clothing to become completely inundated with this blood-red juice is preposterous.

What does this victor, coming from a battle, soaked in the enemy’s blood, say about the description we see in Isaiah 63:2-3?

It says He went into the battle prepared and that He really did not care about the outcome of His clothing. Perhaps, knowing that He would win, His blood-soaked clothing then becomes a symbol of victory and conquest.

Based on what the passage says, can we figure out who this is?

Absolutely. So, what clues are we given that identify who went into the bloody battle?

Who is this who comes from Edom, With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah, This One who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His strength? “It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”(Isaiah 63:1 NASB)

• With garments of glowing colors,
• One who is majestic in His apparel,
• Marching in the greatness of His strength.
• It is I who speaks in righteousness,
• Mighty to save.

All of these descriptives, speak of Jesus.

Who is with Him in Isaiah 63:3-4? 

Perhaps the question is, does anyone have to be with Him? The answer to that is NO. But for the doubter, I refer you to Exodus 12:12 NASB, where it says, 

The verse above makes it quite clear that there was NO death angel; it was Jesus, and He slaughtered all who were not covered by the blood.

So the answer to the question, who was with Him, is NO ONE else.

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Revelation 19:13 is the other reference given by my acquaintance, but I will add verse 14 for clarity.

He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. (Revelation 19:13-14 NASB)

Though we can’t be sure at this point, it sure sounds like the same blood-covered person we saw in Isaiah 63:3-4.

We must step back a bit to Revelation 16, where we see the end of the final judgments being poured out of the bowls. The preparations for the Battle of Armageddon are made because of a vial, which is part of the sixth bowl.

Revelation 16:12-16 NASB (12) The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. (13) And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; (14) for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (15) (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”) (16) And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.

In Revelation 16:17-21 The seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.” 

Chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation focus on the downfall of the Babylon system. 

There are some very telling facts about this greed and lust.

Revelation 18:3 NASB states, “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.”

The system collapses in one hour.

Revelation 18:9-10 NASB (9) “And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, … For in one hour your judgment has come.’

If you have been watching the news, this should sound familiar as the economic system completely collapses. This is notable as the oceanic shipping comes to a complete halt. Revelation 18:11-17 NASB

There is an aspect of this next verse that I find deeply troubling, as it implicates the wealthy of the earth in the death of the innocents.

Revelation 18:24 NASB “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”

“All who have been slain on the earth.” This should be an eye-opening statement for everybody.

So, as we come into Revelation 19, there are no more judgments to be poured out; they are merely the termination of the judgments. 

Watch what happens.

Revelation 19:1-2 NASB After these things, I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; (2) BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”

In Heaven, they are rejoicing. The Babylon system is gone; His judgments have come; And He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants.

How can it be said, “it is done,” especially since there is one more battle to be waged?

By Heaven’s standards, this mess is done, for God always looks toward the future (Abraham is a good example of that.)

Revelation 19:6-9 NASB Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns. (7) “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” (8) It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (9) Then he *said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'” And he *said to me, “These are true words of God.”

Since I was a child, I have heard sermons and sung songs about the marriage of the Lamb. Some have conveyed that at the church’s rapture, we get to sit down to a seven-year meal. Sadly, that is not the case, and the meal does not sound so appetizing either. Let me demonstrate.

Revelation 19:11-13 NASB (11) And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, He judges and wages war. (12) His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. (13) He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Look at that. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood. Everything about Him is brightness and glory, and His name is the Word of God—pure majesty. But now watch this. Here, He is not alone. 

Revelation 19:14 NASB And the armies which are in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean were following Him on white horses.

I cannot make absolute statements that compare what we see in Isaiah 63 and Revelation 19 and say they are the same thing. (But there are some strong similarities.)

Watch the descriptions as they unfold.

Revelation 19:15 NASB From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

From His mouth comes a sharp sword, with which He may strike down the nations. The saints, clothed in white, otherwise known as the bride, are part of the army that comes with Him, but we never see them in battle. There might be two adequate explanations for that.

1. Since we are in Christ, then we, too, partake in this battle.
2. The most reasonable alternative to a group battle is that sword that proceeds from His mouth.

So, if you have been patiently waiting for the marriage supper of the lamb, enjoy this visual.

Revelation 19:17-18 NASB (17) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid heaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, (18) so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men, and slaves, and small and great.“

Meat-eating birds are called to eat the flesh of mighty men, horses of war, those who sit on them, and everyone else – both great and small, who chose to fight against God that day.

But here is what the Scripture says,

Revelation 19:19-21 NASB (19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. (20) And the beast was seized, and with him, the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. (21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

So what do we see in Revelation 19:19-21?

• The beast is the Antichrist, a Muslim leader.
• The kings of the earth. This can be Muslim kings but may include the Presidents of Venezuela or the leaders of China and North Korea.
• They are assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
• The beast was seized, along with the false prophet, and these two, very specifically, were seized and thrown alive into the lake of fire. The rest – those gathered for war, were killed with the sword that came out of Jesus’ mouth.

A layman’s commentary on Matthew 24 verses 29 through 31 _ Immediately after the tribulation of those days.

Praise the Lord; He is coming.

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
Matthew 24:29 NKJV

If this portrays the end of the seven years, what has the world been enduring?

• The catching away of the church has come, and we are gone.
• The departure of the church opened the door for the antichrist to come onto the scene.

  This is pointing to 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and a few more verses. I will explain.

  “Let not any one deceive you in any manner, because it will not be unless the apostasy have first come, and the man of sin have been revealed, the son of perdition;.”
  2 Thessalonians 2:3 Darby

  With his earned Doctorate in Theology, Pastor Andy Woods tells us in a book he wrote several years ago that 2 Thessalonians 2:3 should read departure instead of apostasy. To conserve space, I am not detailing the whys involved. Regardless, you should ask if we are waiting for this falling away to get worse.

  How much further do we as a church need to fall?

  I think we have gone too far, but that is just me.

  If the church, in general, has adequately fallen, then what are we waiting for – that last person that God needs to be brought into the kingdom?

  On the other hand, if a departure must happen, as we are frequently told, there is nothing to prevent Jesus from collecting His church.

• And the seven years of God’s wrath have been poured out.

The seven years is not quite done yet, and we can know this based on the language used.

“immediately after the tribulation of those days.”

“I beheld therefore, because of the voice of the great words that the horn spoke; I beheld till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given up to be burned with fire.”
Daniel 7:11 Darby

After the seven years the beast will be slain, and its body destroyed, and it will be burned with fire.

Will the beast – the antichrist, die? 

Not in a spiritual sense. 

So, what then is death? 

Death, no matter who we are talking about, is a complete separation from God. The fact that the beast is tossed into the lake of fire merely helps to establish the eternal judgment and separation from God.

The Word Study Dictionary discusses the Hebrew word ḥēywāh, indicating that it means a beast (of the field), but it goes on to say that the word, in general, is used to refer to all beasts of the field.

Isn’t it interesting that Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, was made to crawl on his hands and knees, in the grass, like a beast of the field, for seven years, until he turned his heart toward God.

“As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.”
Daniel 7:12 NKJV

Even though the beast – antichrist is thrown into the lake of fire, there are others, that hold positions almost as deadly as the beast. How long their season lasts we are not told, but consider that the millennial reign is just moments away and it is not a land where bullies run rampant.

Daniel saw something that horrified him.

“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.”

Daniel 7:7-8 NKJV

Still, Daniel wanted to know what these beasts were.

‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.

Daniel 7:17 NKJV

What happens next?

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.”
Mark 13:24-27 NKJV

• “The sun will be darkened.”

  Illustration 1: The town at noon. May 18, 1980.

  An interesting article on Space.com talks more in terms of the sun expanding as it enters the red giant phase. This is projected to happen in about 5 billion years. So it would only be conjecture on my part to guess how this will happen. Although a picture from noonday after Mt. Saint Helens blew in the early 80s may help you to understand.

• “The moon will not give its light,”

  As most of you know, the moon only reflects the light of other light sources, so we probably not be able to figure how it works. However, darkness is intimidating and representative of evil.

• “the stars of heaven will fall,”

  Stars are effectively suns in distant galaxies. Held in place by the Word of God who put them there, there is only one thing that can make them fall, God.

• “the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

  Here is a fascinating piece of information from Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.

  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the . Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”
  Ephesians 6:12-13 NASB

  The word power is the same word dunamis that we see in Matthew 24:29, but in Ephesians, it is distinctly connected with forces of darkness—spiritual forces of wickedness “in the heavenly places.” 

   Perhaps a way to understand this is to ask, where did this all begin?

   In the heavenlies. If you were raised in the church, as I was, then you were given the idea that Satan, along with his crew of followers, were cast to earth, never to be heard from again. The reality is we are pestered by his demonic followers on a daily basis, and they all still have access to the heavenlies. If you must question that, then look at the opening passages of Job; there, you will find Satan mingling with the angels (the sons of God) and responding to God’s questioning.

  Shaken is the Greek word saleuō and means to waver, agitate, rock, topple or (by implication) destroy.

  Consider this. The seven years are coming to an end; I say that because Jesus told us immediately after and then described some additional things that begin to happen, and they don’t sound good. One might assume that the grief associated with the wrath would end immediately. A couple of ways to look at this moment in time. 1. Is that any additional grief is only coming against those who chose to fight against Jesus, who is riding on the white horse. 2. All those who chose Jesus during this ugly time will, in all likelihood, be martyred. Scripture tells us that this is the first resurrection. Note that there is a third group of people and you will see that highlighted in yellow below.

  Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.
  Revelation 20:4-5 NASB

• “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”

  When I first read Revelation 19:11, I might have said, finally, it is done, and yet the church has lived in peace for seven years. Now, with my eyes wide open, I see that the finish will take a few more minutes, to say the least. All of this shaking of the heavens can only be meant to demonstrate the awesomeness of God, the one who is in charge even now. Still, with all that, the heavens and the earth will be remade after being burned with fire after the thousand years and the white throne judgment.

  The fire will NOT touch those who belong to God, and I can assure you that this will all be sorted out by this time.

• “He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.”

  The Dake’s bible notes say this about the elect. “He is talking about the Jews, not the Church because”:
  (My thoughts are in italics.)

1. Jesus is answering a Jewish question (Mat_24:3; Mat_25:31-46; Act_1:6)

   Matthew 24:3 tells us that Jesus was talking, exclusively, to His disciples. “the disciples came to Him privately.”

   Matthew 25:31-46, unlike Matthew 24:3, does not affirm that these are Jews, nor does it convey that this is related to the seven years. Verse 37 makes a reference to the righteous, which we might assume is a reference to Jews; it is not. This scenario happens at the end of the thousand years and is associated with the white throne judgment. Our scriptural definition merely informs us that these are from the nations (Gentiles) who have died and did not previously go up in the rapture of the church, and it includes people from among the nations who have been born and raised during the thousand years and have died for various reasons.

   And the last reference is from Acts 1:6.

   Here, Jesus has risen from the dead, walked with the disciples, and is about to return to the Father. It is the disciples, once again, who are asking Him if this is the time in which He will restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus’ answer to them went like this, “it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” This statement does place a time frame or a nationality on the hearer, although we know they were Jews.

2. False Messiahs primarily concern Israel (Mat_24:5, Mat_24:23-26)

Think in terms of location and context. The location is centered on Israel in the majority of instances. The context is the seven year period, often referred to as God’s wrath.

3. Anti-antisemitism proves it (Mat_24:9)

   The obvious point here is that the church cannot be the recipient of anti-antisemitism because we Gentiles are not Jewish. We fall under the category of the nations, as far as the Jewish people are concerned. Should they give their lives to Christ, they can freely be with us in our church bodies, but it does not impact their Jewishness except to remove the stigma of their religious upbringing.

4. The travail of Israel (note, Mat_24:8)

   Matthew 24:8 NKJV: tells us that “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” 

   The context is everything related to Jesus’s Jewish answer to their Jewish question.

   The first eight signs of Mat_24:4-7 are the beginning of sorrows against Israel and the Jews, not the end. It will have an impact on the nations/gentiles as well. (UCRT)

   Dake goes on to explain “sorrows.” The Greek word: odin (G5604), birth pangs (Gal_4:19, Gal_4:27; 1Th_5:3; Rev_12:2). This refers to the troubles of Israel in the tribulation (Mat_24:15-21; Isa_66:7-8; Jer_30:4-7; Dan_7:21; Dan_8:9-14, Dan_8:24; Dan_9:27; Rev_12:1-17).

5. The abomination of desolation concerns Israel only. (note, Mat_24:15)

   From Dake’s notes: “When—this marks the starting point of the middle of Daniel’s 70th week when the Antichrist will break his 7-year covenant with Israel and enter Judea to take over Jerusalem as his capital and the Jewish temple as his capital building (Dan_9:27;

   Dan 9:27  Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;

   Dan_11:40-45;

   Daniel 11:41-42 NKJV  He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon.  42  He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

   Yes, it does mention the glorious land, which we understand to be Israel, but it does not tell us when this happens.

   Dan_12:1 NKJV reads like this.

   “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.”

   The problem with using Daniel 12:1 is that you lose focus on the context, and it makes no sense without it. It becomes quite obvious that Daniel 12:1 is speaking about the minute transition between the seven years and the millennial reign. You should be aware that many of the Jews who make it to this point—we know that 1/3 of Israel does survive—will come to a knowledge of Jesus as the Messiah.

   Dan_12:7 (NKJV): “Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time; and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.”

   When will all things be finished? Two points of view on this. 1. Is when the tribulation ends; and 2. At the end of the thousand years. Regardless, this is NOT speaking of the time of Jacob’s troubles.

   2Th_2:4. Let’s look specifically at 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 NKJV 

   “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,  4  who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

   Some will appropriately tell you that the falling away or departure of the church is the event that triggers the time of God’s wrath (“the tribulation.”) Does it make sense that the apostasy or falling away is the trigger when the process of falling away has been an ongoing event for a long time. The departure will be a soon coming, one time, event. If 2 Thessalonians 2:4 doesn’t seem to answer your questions, well, you are not alone, but continue reading because 2 Thessalonians 2:7 expounds on the fact that the Holy Spirit, working through us, is restraining the advent of the antichrist and will continue to do so until the day we are removed from the earth.

   “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.” NKJV 

   Rev_11:1-2; Verse two indicates that the Gentiles will trample the temple underfoot. Here is the verse to prove my point.

   “But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.” Revelation 11:2 NKJV

   You should know that 42 months equal three and one half years on the Jewish, 360 day calendar. The Gentiles/ the Assyrians have been trampling all over the temple mount already. What is the difference? No temple, so keep your eyes on the Holy Land because things are happening so rapidly.

   We can definitely say that Revelation 11 talks about the time of wrath.

   Rev_12:1-17; The signs/stars transpired just a few years ago. I did not follow this phenomenon that closely. And, by the way, we are still here—bummer. But it alerts us that time is drawing to a close. This theme carries through to verse 17.

   Rev_13:1-18). Gives us an overview of the beasts that comes to a conclusion with the antichrist. One that gives so many a problem is this:

   “And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.” Revelation 13:3 NKJV.

   Far too many portray this head as a human; it is NOT. The Revelation explains that all these, until the last one, are kingdoms and empires, so why change the pattern now.

   I believe that the head that appeared to sustain a mortal wound was the Ottoman Caliphate, a Muslim empire. Taken down in 1924 by the British, they immediately began rebuilding through the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

   The Islamic Revolution in 1979 seemed to awaken a sleeping giant, that has become a thorn in all our flesh. Look around you, we are surrounded by Muslims on every side, and they are a people that live by passages in the Quran and teachings of Imams that tell them to kill the infidel where ever you can find them. For your information, those who do not adhere to the Quran are infidels.

Dake states that “All this prophecy from Mat_24:15 on must be fulfilled the last 3 1/2 years of this age.”

There were 9 more scripture references from Dake’s Bible notes, but I have already overwhelmed many of you.

If you read the narratives about the antichrist and this covenant, you will find that Israel is not mentioned. In all of them. Can we make logical assumptions? Yes, but to say they are all talking about Israel is pure conjecture and something that we need to be cautious about.

An interruption of the Layman’s commentary. Are there prophets in this enlightened time of the New Testament?

My pastor, who is not the only one, will adamantly proclaim that there are NO prophets since the arrival of the New Testament.

Is that true? 

Let’s see what the scriptures say.

“For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith.”
Romans 12:4-6 NASB

These passages clearly identify prophecy as one of God’s gifts to us, Jesus’ followers. 

We may be missing something, and the terminology prophecy may be mistranslated, causing us to mishandle it.

Here, in Romans 12:6, the word used is prophēteía, from prophēteúō (Strong’s#G4395,) meaning to prophesy. It also conveys the idea of prediction, foretelling future events, including the prophets’ declarations, exhortations, and warnings while acting under divine influence. Thayer’s definitions tell us it is “a discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden; especially by foretelling future events.”

Since we tend to struggle with this divine inspiration part, we may add, “Thus saith the Lord,” when, in fact, you are not sure.

• According to Webster’s dictionary, Declaration is “An affirmation; an open expression of facts or opinions, or a verbal utterance; such as he declared his sentiments. We should keep our opinion out of the affirmation.
  • Affirmation is the act of affirming or asserting as true, as opposed to negation or denial. It is also a confirmation, ratification, or establishment of what had been done or decreed before.
• Exhortation – The form of words intended to incite and encourage. It also means advice or counsel.
• Warnings – Caution against danger or against faults or evil practices that incur danger.
• This sounds more like common sense. As a former group leader for the anger group in recovery, my advice, in many cases, could have easily been perceived as a caution against danger or faults, as they will lead to further dangers.

The words (which scare us) are merely a way of understanding the practical forms in which we share God’s word. With an understanding of prophecy that looks like common sense, why do we need to lose our minds over the prophetic? 

This might explain some of the reasons we get so upset about the prophetic.

Some time ago, on a Sunday morning, I was verbally assaulted by a “brother in Christ” with a theological doctorate who attended the same church that I did, as he angrily explained that under no circumstance should anyone operating in what they believe is a prophetic word say, “Thus saith the Lord.”

The reasons behind this admonition were defined by saying: 

• By doing so, you falsely qualify the word you give as a valid word from God. This is true because we consistently insert some aspect of our broken lives and emotions into every word we give. 

  I could not disagree with this assertion, and though I could not stand this “brother’, I have since integrated his “exhortation” to me about the words I gave to others.

The man with the doctorate went on to say,

• The phrase “thus says the Lord” is solely designed to raise the status of the word, which you believe is necessary to provide. 

  Therefore, you are trying to force people to accept what you are about to say. 

Habit is part of the problem.

• We have developed the habit of adding “thus saith the Lord” as an introduction and announcement; sometimes, it is simply a tradition. 

  Some would even tell you that God does not need to speak in Elizabethan English; therefore, this archaic word “thus saith” falls on deaf ears and sounds foolish. 

“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;”
Romans 12:6 NASB

Wow, according to the grace given to each of us.

First, the gifts differ according to the grace given to each of us.

This can imply that some have all or many gifts, but that rarely happens.

Grace is the Greek word charisma and, according to the Strong’s concordance, means a (divine) gratuity, that is, deliverance (from danger or passion); a (spiritual) endowment, that is, (subjectively) a religious qualification, or a (free) gift. The Word Study dictionary conveys that grace is to show favor. A gift of grace, an undeserved benefit.

I know many of us think that we deserve God’s benefits (grace) merely because we make lots of money, have a theological doctorate, wear fine clothes, and when we talk, people listen. If you are not aware, we were all born into sin, and all your self-applied traits will burn up at the Bema seat should you happen to get caught up in the rapture of the church. Perhaps the best way to picture this sin issue is to perceive the fact that by eating that fruit, Adam permanently damaged and changed his DNA, and he passed that damaged DNA to all humanity through the inescapable generations of sexual intercourse so that no one escaped the damage.

Some will say that it is not possible that ingesting some fruit could damage your DNA. Well, in taking that attitude, you have set yourself above, the one that knows all things and created this body that you perpetually damage with chemically laden “foods” on a daily basis. You are also living in denial that these so-called flu vaccinations are changing and damaging your DNA when it has been proven that this is precisely their purpose.

Secondly, the gifts are given according to the grace given to each of us individually. 

What does that mean? 

It means that we are individuals, and there isn’t an all-consuming blanket coverage. 

Romans 12:6 tells us that prophecy, for example, is given according to the proportion of that person’s faith. 

Having operated in this realm, I can tell you it requires much faith. You must trust that you are hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit, which often sounds like your own inner voice.

A dear lady, who, on previous occasions, operated frequently in giving words to people, stopped me one day as I walked into the church and said, why aren’t you doing what God told you to do? 

Do you know that we are to judge the prophetic?

Therefore, I responded, “I know what that means to me, but why don’t you explain what you think it means?” She was dead on in her explanation. If I had been honest, I would have said I have run from giving God’s words to crowds because they are incredibly intimidating, and I can hear all the negative voices telling me that I might lead people astray and fail. 

When I gave words to the church body, I was always in tears, and I can tell you that having the pastor whine at me and say, could you give these words to the church without tears; didn’t help. My lady friend repeatedly told me that no one could hear me except for the two rows in front of me. Once I started obeying God and giving these words, it went on for six weeks (Suddenly, the others that had been giving words went silent.) I worked to bring the volume up, and I am sure I could be heard on the street on the last occasion. I was told that a couple (who had the ability to control things that happened in the church because of their significant contributions) complained to the pastor because I made God sound angry (what a peculiar thing to say, as though I could control God,) and the following week, I was met at the door by the pastor, as I tried to enter. The pastor told me of this complaint and said, “you are done giving these words, though, as he said, he could find no fault in what I said. Should you think that you have a word beyond this point you will run it through me and I will let you know if you get to deliver it.” If only God worked that way with me. When the Holy Spirit’s motivation hit me, I would ask Him to give me a clue as to what I would say (all this happened in my head.) The Holy Spirit’s response was, as always, trust me. Trust Him is all I could do; therefore, the preposterous idea of running it past the pastor was improbable.

I told the Lord that I was through and to never ask me to give anyone a word again. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit laughed me off, and His speaking to me never stopped; some words were as simple as “God is not through with you yet.”

Here, in the days before the catching away of the bride, the implications are that we live in the age of grace (God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.) 

Let me remind you of the words of a song that goes like this – “He paid a debt I could not pay.” In so doing, we receive the benefits awarded to those who accept His (Jesus) death and resurrection, which gave us all of God’s benefits to those who love Him. 

We are also given this exhortation.

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
Romans 12:3 ESV

Every one of us has been given the measure of grace, but faith clearly varies among us, though that was not God’s plan. Faith is faith, but having experienced the pressures that can affect faith, it is easy to see that events can put enough pressure on you to NOT trust and that lack of trust can affect your ability to trust God’s plan. Paul tells us not to get high-minded; perhaps that is because you can be brought down quickly and with a crushing blow.

To be honest, I do not remember if this is the verse my pastor was referencing when he denounced New Testament-era prophets, but let’s look at it anyway.

“Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.”
1 Corinthians 13:8-10 ESV

• “As for prophecies…”

  The Greek word for prophecies is the same word we saw in Romans 12:6. We did a deep dive into the background of this word prophēteia , and we found that it can also mean declarations, exhortations, and warnings while acting under divine influence. Some of us are very adept at giving out words like this.

• “They will pass away;”

  Pass away is also translated (in some versions) as done away. The Greek word for “pass away” is katargéō , which means to render inactive, idle, useless, or ineffective.

  What would be the most logical reason to make giving declarations, exhortations, and warnings while acting under divine influence inactive, idle, and useless?

  The first place this would have an impact would be when the church leaves the earth.

  Why here?

  Because we no longer have to interact with those who are struggling with their faith and relationship with Jesus. This is valid because we will now be with Jesus and the Father, the source of all knowledge.

  But there is a problem, as there will be many who did not go up in the rapture but thought they would.

  Who then would give out these prophetic words once the church is gone?

  Those who may have had a bit of knowledge of God’s word and thought they should have gone. 

  In a sense, there will be an amazing revival on the earth, and this will be the second reason for the prophetic.

  In the Old Testament, the Prophet Joel speaks about the last days on earth before Jesus returns to end the pain down here and begin the millennial reign. Here is how he sets the tone.

  “…Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand: A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; … Joel 2:1-2 NKJV.

  And yet, in the midst of all this tumult.

  ““And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” Joel 2:28-29 NKJV

  People will try to tell you that the Holy Spirit leaves the earth when the church goes up in the rapture. How about NOT!

In case you have not read it, I will give you this bit of insight. A common translation reads like this.

“I bowed at his feet to worship him. But he told me, “Don’t do that! I am your coworker and a coworker of the Christians who hold on to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy!”
Revelation 19:10 GW

So as long (7 years) as there is the possibility of people on earth giving testimony to Jesus, then the spirit of prophecy (the Holy Spirit) will be active and necessary.

Let’s just admit it—for the most part, we don’t know what we are talking about when we say that prophetic words have not existed since the New Testament. I get it—there is nothing new under the sun, but people get beat down and forget who they are—a Child of the Living God and an heir to the kingdom.

Is there any doubt that we (humans) have turned the prophetic into money making schemes, none whatsoever. As irritating as their actions are that doesn’t make all of us bad or self-seeking.

We merely need to learn to judge correctly.

A layman’s commentary on Matthew 24, verses 16 – 28. Let those in Judea flee to the mountains.

We are now in chapter five of my Layman’s commentary on Matthew 24, and we are in the section identified by the publishers as the,

Abomination of Desolation.

Matthew 24:15 tells us this –

“Therefore when you see the ‘ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),” NKJV

The abomination, as described by Daniel, does not take place until the midpoint of the seven years of God’s wrath. 

I am trying to avoid the perpetual doubt and confusion associated with the terminology “the tribulation.” Why? Because we have for far too long ignored the fact that Jesus said, in this world, you will have tribulation. That means our daily lives may be associated with extremes of hardship and adversity. When these words were spoken by Jesus, most of those who listened to Him lived lives of daily attempts at survival.

Aside from what Scripture tells us, I cannot decisively tell you what the image will look like. 

• It is an image. This could easily be a statue or an animatronic device. 

• Because he (it is unclear whether this refers to the antichrist or the false prophet) makes it talk, we must assume it has a mouth. So this thing will dish out orders, commands, and perhaps demands, such as bowing before the image of the beast and worshiping it.

• Since the term beast is assigned to both the antichrist and Satan, and only a few have ever seen Satan (or Allah,) then our only logical assumption is that the image is an image of the antichrist. 

• None of us earth dwellers will know who this man is until after the church is removed from the earth. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:3,7,8)

• The beast is a spiritual entity, a demon or fallen angel, and a man who will be possessed by, at minimum, one powerful demon or fallen angel.

• The image is defined as the abomination. 

A definition of abomination can read like this, extreme hatred, abhorrence, defilement, and pollution. Look at other translations, and you will see that it is the image that causes the defilement and appears to be the hatred against the Jews and the tribulation saints.

“So when you see the abomination that causes desolation spoken about through the prophet Daniel standing in the Holy Place” (let the reader understand the allusion),”
Matthew 24:15 CJB

This brings us to Matthew 24: 16-20.

“then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”
Matthew 24:16-20 NKJV

You have to admit that some have specific instructions.

One goes something like this: ” Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

Where is Judea? 

It was the Southern kingdom, but now it is considered the southernmost region of Israel, near Petra. 

Where, in general, are the mountains Jesus may be referring to? 

The most commonly mentioned mountains are in the northern region called the Megiddo Valley, which borders Syria and Lebanon. While some would tell you that Jerusalem is the closest thing they have to a mountain, there is a range of mountains South of the Dead Sea, near the Negev and the area of Petra in Jordan.

This may be what Jesus is talking about. Look at what else He told them. 

[I must remind you that virtually everything in the Torah, and a significant percentage of the New Testament, is focused on Israel and the return of the Messiah – the Day of the Lord.]

• “Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.”

  Why say anything about that? In the midst of the October 7^th attacks, did people have time to pack? No, they just hid or jumped in cars and tried to flee.

• “And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.”

  If you have paid attention to what happened at the music festival, some tried to go back and rescue friends. That turned out to be a horrid decision for them, and they, too, were killed.

• “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!”

  God forbid you should ever say, this baby is a burden, but it is just one more thing to cause you grief as you try to move quickly or hide because Hamas has proven that committing horrors has no age limit.

• “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”

  Think about the fact that He is talking about devout and religious Jews. Jews that have to uphold religious laws that restrict the distance you can travel. [A Jew was permitted to travel 2,000 cubits on the Sabbath (Exod. 16: 29 and Num. 35: 5), about 1.2 km. (¾ mile), and the Mount of Olives was within this distance from Jerusalem (Acts 1: 12).] https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/middle-east/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories#:~:text=travel%20advice%3A%20Health-,Local%20laws,the%20Sabbath%20may%20offend%20people.

  Imagine having to flee but only being permitted to travel ¾ of a mile. That would be a hopeless situation.

In all of this, your head should be screaming, when does this all happen?

I want so badly to tell you that this event is exclusive to the midpoint of the seven years and beyond, but horrors of this magnitude are already occurring, and you can’t blame them on God, for it is people lost in their religious beliefs, who believe they are doing the will of their god – Allah.

So, although deadly events will occur throughout the seven years, the intensity of violence will ramp up at the three-and-one-half-year mark within the seven years and will heighten as the high priest—otherwise known as the false prophet—decides to make himself known to the world.

The following demonstrates that the Lord is involved in the wrath within the seven years.

“For the Lord shall judge by fire, and by his sword unto all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many.”
Isaiah 66:16 DRB

“And the Lord shall make the glory of his voice to be heard, and shall shew the terror of his arm, in the threatening of wrath, and the flame of devouring fire: he shall crush to pieces with whirlwind, and hailstones.”
Isaiah 30:30 DRB

Moving on.

“for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened.”
Matthew 24:21-22 MKJV

• “for then shall be great tribulation,”

  This is in excess of how the time period begins. Let me give you an example.

  “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures like a sound of thunder, saying, Come and see. And I saw. And behold a white horse! And he sitting on it had a bow. And a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, Come and see. And another, a red horse, went out. And power was given to him sitting on it, to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. And there was given to him a great sword.” Revelation 6:1-4 MKJV

  The rider on the white horse is the antichrist, and though he is associated with the word peace, don’t be deceived; he is carrying a bow, and so the truth be known, there will be bloodshed related to this man.

  The second seal, related to the seven years of wrath, brings us the red horse. Notice that it says, “and power was given to him… to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another.” Did you catch that? It says “they.” Now, that could be a generalization referring to anyone from the nations, or it could be referring to military forces who are enforcing the will of “governing bodies.”

  Now, ask yourself a question. If Revelation is chronological and Revelation 6:1 shows us the initiation of God’s wrath, then is there ever a time of peace, especially considering what the WEF and WHO are currently doing while the church is still here. Remember, there is NO antichrist as long as the church is still here.

• “ for then shall be (a) great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time,”

  Because our conversation concerns the abomination of desolation, the word “then” refers to the midpoint of said wrath.

  Seriously, since the beginning of the world? Virtually every despot has brought horrendous devastation and slaughter, and the associated deaths will surpass your most vivid imagination.

• “But for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened.”

  Many were taught, though disrespectfully, that the world revolved around the followers of Jesus Christ; they do not; we were merely grafted into the stock, which is Israel.

  Who, then, are the elect?

  To be elect is not a self-appointment, but clearly, we are talking about the Jews and even more so about those who have controlled people and suppressed the Word of God – the Rabbis.

“Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, There! Do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.”
Matthew 24:23-24 MKJV

• “Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, There! Do not believe it.”

  Consider the context. The world is crashing down on the Jews and saints, “Christ followers.” This idea of Christ’s followers is odd because it initially applied to the church, which had been caught up to be with Jesus three and one-half years before. What makes them saints now is their hearts turning toward God and the “testimony” associated with their actions- and, unfortunately, getting their heads lopped off.

  How laughable is this. But wait, Jesus said,

• “if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.” 

  How is this possible since these are the teachers of Israel? 

  The answers to the question might have much to do with this; the two witnesses from God who have been standing in the streets of Jerusalem preaching about Jesus the Messiah (I assume). But it’s not just the preaching; it’s the signs (and we may not have the details on all that they demonstrated – such as the fire that emits from their mouths should anyone attempt to harm them, and they stop the rain. (Doesn’t it make you wonder how the average citizen would know the rain had been stopped over a particular parcel of land?)

  As I was meditating on this very thing a short time ago, I was amazed at how odd it is. At about this same time, I ran across a video of an African nation where a man in regal attire declared that he was Jesus. Not only that, but he is proclaiming others to be the reanimation of the prophets and the apostles of the New Testament. How believable are this man’s actions? Consider that Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jew with olive-colored skin that was flailed mercilessly with a whip, which had sharp shards integrated into the whip; He was nailed to a cross; His side was pierced with a sword or spear; dead, He was taken from the cross and placed into a tomb where a large stone was rolled over the opening, and He rose from the dead after the third day. As far as I know, none of those things are exhibited in this man, and if they are, I would understand that we are dealing with the demonic.

  And yet, the number of people following this deceived human being is growing. Even worse, he is not the only one.

“Behold, I have told you beforehand.” Matthew 24:25 MKJV

The Albert Barnes commentary states, “The reason why he told them before was that they might be on their guard, and be prepared for those calamities.”

Ezekiel tells us of warning the righteous person – the elect. They will surely live because they took a warning. 

“If you warn the righteous person not to sin and the righteous person does not sin, he will surely live, because he took warning. You will have delivered your soul.” Ezekiel 3:21 TLV

I do not believe that your survival is the point here, but obedience certainly is, and Israel’s spiritual leaders are more concerned about obedience to laws and not the spirit of God. 

Jesus also emphasized that telling the listeners beforehand would demonstrate His love for them.

“From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.”
John 13:19 NASB

And He wants to prevent them from stumbling.

“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.”
John 16:1 NASB

Back to the context. 

“So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.”
Matthew 24:26 NASB

In his Bible notes, Finis Jennings Dake stated that this refers to “Anyone claiming to be Christ.”

What are the warnings to those living on Earth at this time? 

“Do not go out” there and try to see him and, even more straightforward, “do not believe “these people.

Jesus ends this section with two cryptic messages.

“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Matthew 24:27 NASB

This has a similar feel to the time Jesus was explaining the Holy Spirit and the new birth. In that case, the wind was dancing across the patio, but here, lightning is flashing across a clouded sky, and everyone, for miles and miles, can see it.

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:6-8 NASB

His coming will be no mystery; in fact, He explained, in great detail, the chain of events that will alert those still alive to when He is coming back as the Messiah and when.

Here is the second of those cryptic messages.

“Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” Matthew 24:28 NASB

For the majority of my seventy years, verse 28 has made no sense to me. Suddenly, I can visualize a bit of what He is saying. 

Death, during the seven years, will be an ongoing thing. 

• There will be death at the hands of humans.

  Consider Haiti, where cannibal gangs are killing, roasting, and eating the dead.

• We are told that the wild beasts will attack people and kill or eat them.

• “World leaders,” I say it like this because we already have, too, many who are self-appointed, trying to run the nations, are already actively killing millions. 

• An angel on an ashen horse will be released for the express purpose of killing a fourth of the earth’s population. The techniques they use include the sword, famine, and pestilence.

  Pestilence is the Greek word thánatos and also means plague, pests, and disease.

In case you have been living under a rock, these so-called “world leaders” have been financing and creating plagues while resurrecting several others that should have stayed gone. Perhaps this is the reason that so many undocumented people have been allowed to cross the borders of America. 

Is it that the corpses will be gathered and placed in a particular area? I don’t think so. It comes across as there are just that many deaths globally.

The context has much to do with the time frame, three-and-one-half years after the introduction of the antichrist, and the false prophet, as the Islamic prophecies call for, will be the orchestrator of the majority of these deaths.

Vultures or flesh-eating eagles, as several translations declare it, are symbolic and represent:

• • Jesus words to John in Revelation.

    “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid-heaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
    Revelation 19:17-18 NASB

  • Dake’s bible conveys that this is “Where the dead bodies are slain at Armageddon.”

    While that is possible, it is an assertion and an assumption that this is referring to the battle of Armageddon.

    If you do a word search for the word Armageddon in the King James Bible, you will only find one reference: Revelation 16:16.

    The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates, and its water was dried up so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.”
    Revelation 16:12-14 NASB

    And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.
    Revelation 16:16 NASB

Armageddon. i.e., hill of slaughter, *S# G717. i.e., Mount of Decision or Sentence (UCRT)

Dr. J Vernon McGee tells us. “It means “Mount of Megiddo.” It is a compound word made up of the Hebrew words Har, meaning “mountain,” and Megiddo, which is a mount in the plain of Esdraelon. … It is one of the most fertile valleys I have ever seen. I guess it is the most fertile valley in the world today. And, it is a place where many battles have been fought in the past.”

Lastly, the people who choose to fight will come to the Meggido Valley in preparation for the colossal battle that Jesus will participate in just before the millennial reign of Christ.

If you choose to reject Christ, then your fate will be put in the hands of an angry God, and you will have to endure, should you survive or get your head lopped off for your faith and testimony. 

Bypass all that and turn your life over to Him now. You will escape God’s wrath and live forever with Him in paradise.

A layman’s commentary on Matthew 24 verse 15. The Abomination of Desolations.

 The NASB entitles this next section,

The Abomination of Desolation.

As a standalone statement, this makes no sense to me, and thus, we begin a deep dive into Matthew 24:15 and beyond.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him understand:).” Matthew 24:15 KJV 

When I was young, one of the first Bibles I received was the King James; in time, I became more accustomed to it and would mentally change the “these and thous” to those and you. The KJV has many known issues, as do all the translations or transliteration, so pick a translation you feel comfortable with, and don’t be afraid to integrate other versions into your Bible study time. As you will see below, I used the New Living Translation. This particular version was the project of a father who wanted something simplistic that his children could understand. The NLT has been updated to a modern version of English, so tread lightly.

If something should concern you, it should be this statement, 

“The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about.” 

I say this in this manner because you need further explanation to know if it applies to you. Since the church must be extracted from Earth before the antichrist can be revealed – We can find evidence for this in at least two places. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, and 7,8. 

2 Thessalonians 2:3 is one of those places that have issues. The terminology was changed in the 1500s, from departure to apostasy, principally to appease the State church – the Catholic church. They did this because people were leaving the Catholic church and migrating to Protestantism; then it applies to those who will become the tribulation saints – Saints are all those who come to a personal acceptance and knowledge of Jesus Christ; however, there are many who think they are part of the church that will be caught up but they will not. Paul said they were not of us. So, after the rapture, many will come to Jesus and lose their heads for their faith, witness, and testimony. These, too, are called saints. In other words, they must die for their testimony and witness. Let’s stop here for a moment and then move on. 

What did Daniel understand and, therefore, speak about? 

Taken as a Jewish captive to Babylon, Daniel advanced relatively quickly within the Babylonian empire. Assuming that Daniel had hopes and dreams, many of those dreams may have been around the idea of what God would do with his life. Daniel may not have known, but God was about to use him to deliver a message that Daniel may never understand or experience, as many of these events were for the time, over two thousand years later, a time that concerns us. 

“Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I (Daniel) said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” And he said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.”  Daniel 12:8-10 NKJV

In the second chapter of Daniel, we see a young Daniel appealing for the lives of himself and three other Hebrews who were brought into captivity with him. Daniel not only tells Nebuchadnezzar his dream but interprets the dream (up to a point) for the king. You will see the details of that dream in Daniel chapter two. 

Dake’s Bible notes/commentary indicates that “The time of the vision was at the end of the reign of Belshazzar which corresponds to the time of the handwriting on the wall of Dan_5:1-31, for he only reigned a little more than two years.” 

“Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?”  Daniel 8:13 KJV

What Daniel saw explained the transgression of desolation as the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot, and it gave the time frame.

“He said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored.”  Daniel 8:14 NAS95

So, the temple will be held in abhorrence for three and one-half years.

The Dake’s Bible notes indicate that it is at the end of the 2,300 evenings and mornings (3 years, 2 months, and 10 days; Dan_8:11-13, Dan_8:26) that the sanctuary shall be cleansed of the abomination of desolation.

If you don’t know, the sanctuary is the final temple to be built. The host is the Jewish people in Israel.

The generalized idea is that the antichrist plays a massive role in the destruction of Israel and the temple, but that may not be correct.

“The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)  Matthew 24:15 NLT

Even though we can know through scripture that the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot are a part of the transgression of desolation, there is one more thing, and that is the desolation of the temple, and that is the unholy/unclean object that is either placed on the altar, or it is standing there in the holy place.

Abomination is the Greek word bdelugma and is defined by the following sources: 

• Strong’s From G948 indicates a detestation, that is, (specifically) idolatry: – abomination; 

• The Word Study Dictionary suggests that this means to turn away through loathing, disgust, or abhorrence. Abomination: 

• Thayer’s definitions tell us that this means a foul thing, a detestable thing, of idols and things pertaining to idolatry. Thayer’s, as you can see, uses the word detestable. I suspect that this is an offshoot of the phrase detestation, which has synonyms like this: abhorrence, loathing, odium, hatred, and disgust.

The Word Study Dictionary defines desolate as the act or the process of making desolate.

If you let your mind ponder the possibilities of what this might be, all you do is remind yourself how suddenly we have had artificial intelligence thrust upon us. 

Elon Musk’s scientists have successfully installed the Neuro-Link device in a volunteer’s head, and now that person can control a computer mouse merely by thought. In previous posts, I have alluded to the Mr. Lincoln exhibit that may still be there in Disneyland; if you have gone on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, there is an overload of animatronics. And, even though it has been explained multiple times, I am still mesmerized by the head in the crystal ball or the tiny little woman who thanked you for coming at the end of the Haunted Mansion ride. The attraction is filled with holograms that look so real that you may struggle to maintain a focus on reality.

We are told that “He” will make an image of the beast, cause it to speak, and everyone – though perhaps regionally, will be forced to accept this image as god, give their allegiance to it, and worship it. So when we talk about an image, are we talking about one that exhibits the face of the antichrist, as he is referred to as the beast, or are we talking about an image of Allah, the false god followed and worshiped by Islam, that should be interesting merely because Allah is a demon – a fallen angel representing himself as something to be worshiped; and never been seen.

For those who want to fight about what I just said by saying, no one has effectively seen Christ in about two thousand years. Well, that is true, but Jesus said that when you have seen Me, you have seen the Father, and we know the Father through His word, and yet we love Him. And then, there are those from the Middle East, and Jesus has appeared to them in their dreams. How odd they recognized Him. Perhaps He demonstrates the scars that helped bring about His death, or maybe He tells them, convincingly, who He is; I don’t know the answer. Most will tell how they just knew.

Now, will the antichrist place the detestable thing there, or is this the job of the mouthpiece of the antichrist, the false prophet?

As Daniel sought answers to this vision of the abomination, he apparently heard two angels talking about this very thing.

“Then I heard a certain holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, “How long shall the vision last, concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression that causes desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled under foot?” Daniel 8:13 AFV

Sometime later, Daniel got this piece of information.

“And forces from him will stand up on his part, and they will profane the sanctuary, even the stronghold, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.”  Daniel 11:31 AFV

The reference to “him” is the antichrist; the fact that he has forces would mean that he has control of a military force. Never does it say these are not Islamic forces, so don’t close the door to that idea. 

According to Webster, profane is the act of violating sacred things or treating them with contempt or irreverence. 

In the “civilized” world, an army would refrain from doing something like this. The problem with such naive thinking is that we (Americans) have moved down the bar a few rungs and have done horrid things to churches. So, there will be a purposeful violation of the sacred things in the temple. This sounds more like Islam as we progress. As evidence for my argument, consider the horrors that transpired on October 7th as Hamas attacked Israel and its citizens that day.

The AFV translation uses the term stronghold, but others consider it a fortress or a part of the temple/sanctuary. We may be talking about Israel’s defense forces and their bases. Missiles fired from Lebanon seem, for the most part, to be aimed at military posts, making this a reference to end times events.

Forces, on behalf of the antichrist, will “take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.” So, it seems inevitable that we put the blame on the antichrist for the abomination. 

I have heard the whining about how some will not accept anything extra-biblical, and yet we do it all the time, and many have been living most of their lives by un-biblical information, so spare me. 

With that being said, Islam has its own set of demonic prophecies, and they understand that a man of the lineage of Aaron will be the final priest in the last temple. This man will flop, give his allegiance to the Mahdi, the antichrist, and will set up this detestable thing in the temple. He will become the enforcer of Sharia law. And will enforce the worship of Allah and the beast – the antichrist, by beheading those who choose to ignore his demands. 

It is no wonder God comes crashing down upon these two when Jesus returns to rule for a thousand years. 

A layman’s commentary on Matthew 24. Matthew 24:14. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world

 Our last post on Matthew 24 opened with “Because Iniquity will abound.” Jesus equated this iniquity to false prophets and lawlessness. 

There are two prominent translations of the Greek word anomia, and the King James gives us this. 

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
Matthew 24:12 KJV

A common alternative reads like this.

“And because lawlessness shall abound, the charity of many shall wax cold.”
Matthew 24:12 JUB

Lawlessness in Greek means the condition of (being) without law, choosing to be ignorant of it, violating it (the law;), or contempt for the law. It also means iniquity.

Shall abound is the Greek word plēthunō and also means to increase or multiply.

Here it is, February 20, 2024, and I just read how, in one of the Northern African nations, a young couple was recently beheaded for rejecting Islam and turning to God. So, where there is NO COMMON law, a twisted religious belief gives you the freedom to chop people’s heads off?

Can you not see how the war that Israel is having with Hamas in Gaza is turning our hearts to cold stones?

Jesus was addressing His Jewish disciples about their questions: 

“What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” 

• Get this straight in your thinking. His coming pertains to the physical return of Jesus as the warring Messiah that the Jews are looking for. 
• The end of the age will be in part His wrath (the wrath of God being poured out upon the Jews and the nations during the seven years) and includes the few extra moments that we associate with the transition into the millennial kingdom, where Jesus will sit as the Judge over the earth.

Some think Jesus’ return in the clouds for His church – His bride, is the end. Well, yes, but only for His church. At this point, He only comes in the clouds and gathers His bride to Himself in the clouds. We, the church, will be with Him forever from this point on. 

We received this admonition from Jesus.

“But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”
Matthew 24:13 NASB: 

“But he that endures unto the end.” 

Endure is the Greek word hupomenō  and means to stay under (behind), to remain; figuratively, to undergo, bear up under (trials), have fortitude, persevere: endure, take patiently, suffer.

Considering the anguish and pain coming upon the world, who would sign up to bear the trials to come? 

No one, so this is speaking to those who (1) have missed the rapture and decided to give their lives to Christ. And (2) it speaks to those who will now have to give their necks to the sword, become saints in God’s eyes, and eventually enter into the kingdom of God; and (3), therefore undergo, stay under this torment, and have fortitude; because God, who is faithful, will bring these “saints” into His kingdom.

Have you ever asked, even facetiously, what it means to be saved? 

Safe is the Greek word sōzō  and means to deliver, protect, heal, preserve, and make whole.

If you survived the time of God’s wrath, then I would think you were delivered, protected, and preserved. On the other hand, if you had your head lopped off, then words like healing and made whole would be in order. 

After all that, I want you to look at a scripture passage.

“Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come. And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.” Revelation 2:25-26 BSB

Pay attention to the words “hold fast to what you have until I come.” Seriously, what do you have?

Some people don’t have much, but I can confidently assure you this has nothing to do with money.

“But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— “
Revelation 2:25-26 NKJV

An alternate version that may make more sense.

“Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come. And to the one who overcomes and continues in My work until the end, I will give authority over the nations.”
Revelation 2:25-26 BSB

People often ask, what will the martyred saints do during the 1000 year reign?

If you have read the Revelation, you know that the martyred saints sit on thrones and rule over the nations. Since authority and rule will be dealt out swiftly, then it seems appropriate that these people who brutally lost their lives would be the ones who meet swift punishment.

Hold fast or hold on is the Greek word kratéō (G2902) and means to use strength, seize, or retain. It also means to keep, lay hold of, obtain, retain, take, cleave to, apprehend, and guard.

So what, then, are we holding on to?

Some are clinging to their survival bunkers, but that will not help them, for God will find them no matter where they hide. Some hold fast to their great wealth, but their money will not save them, and the digital monetary system may take of that. 

This overcoming is accomplished by holding on to the Lamb (Jesus) and expressing their renewed affection for Christ for the rest of their lives, however short that may be.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
Revelation 12:11 NKJV

Who are the “they” in verse 11? 

Revelation 12:10 tells us they are the brethren; whether they came to know Jesus Christ during the age of grace or came to Jesus through the seven years of God’s wrath is irrelevant. Verse 11 explains that these people were killed while here on earth. 

In light of the context, which we have been chewing over, where does this next statement take place?

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:14 NKJV

I had been rebuked by a man who was undoubtedly intelligent (he ran the public works department of a large city), but when it came to the Bible, it might as well have been a foreign language to him. He told me that Jesus could not come back because the gospel had not been given to every living person – at least, that was the implication of what he said. 

Yet, verse 14 conveys that after the church’s catching away, those who come to accept Jesus will preach the gospel (the gospel is simply the good news of the kingdom) will be preached (proclaimed, declared) in all the world. 

Think about this statement, “in all the world.” We are rapidly watching attitudes change to hostility against those who stand up for scripture and the name of Jesus Christ. You have heard the saying, no doubt, that the squeaky wheel gets the grease; they get attention because that minority is making the loud, obnoxious noise and, therefore, getting their way and being appeased; all the while, the church remains silent. 

I am part of a very proactive church, and my pastor was recently invited to open the US Senate in prayer. He had to submit a prayer, in which many standard terms among the Christian community were banned. He tore up that prayer, wrote a quick one-page prayer, and said what the Holy Spirit wanted him to say. He is now taking tremendous flak, mainly from Senate Atheists, over what he did. You might accuse him of sabotaging himself by making those changes and, therefore, making himself susceptible to whatever they dish out upon him; I happen to think it was a demonstration of great strength by choosing to do what God has asked us to do, and that is to stand up for what is morally right. 

Did you notice that Matthew 24:14 tells us that the actions of these “tribulation” saints would be considered to be preaching to all the world as a witness to all the nations?

“This gospel of the kingdom,” is the Greek word kērussō and means to herald, proclaim, or publish.

“Be a witness” is the Greek word marturion and means evidence given and something that defines your current actions.

The nations, to a Jew, are anybody that is not a Jew and as loathsome as eating bacon.

God, it seems, doesn’t concern Himself on whether you come to Him before the wrath or after, you are still His. Allow me to show you something.

“So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelation 13:4-8 NKJV

“They” points to those who have chosen not to come to Jesus since the catching away of the church. 

This event will be so dramatic it is hard to understand why they would have continued to turn their back to God. A bizarre and stunning explanation has been erupting on the news for several years now, and that is what the government calls aliens and unexplained aerial vehicles. For many years, I have been trying to tell people that these fallen angels are demonic manifestations. They, being God-created beings, are not subject to gravity, our limitations of time, or the limitations of a dimensional understanding.

This next one is hard to understand. “They worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast.”

The dragon is Satan, and it tells us that they worshiped him. 

Worshiped is the Greek word proskuneō, meaning to kiss like a dog licking the master’s hand. Prostrating oneself.

So these lunatics are worshiping Satan because he gives power to the antichrist, otherwise known as the beast. 

We have never seen Satan, although many of you base your impressions of his appearance on a characterization they saw in a movie. So, let me give you a clue that will explain what he looks like. 

The (Amplified Bible) in looking at Isaiah 14:12, says this about Satan. 

“How have you fallen from heaven, O light-bringer and daystar, son of the morning!…”

The King James version calls him Lucifer.

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! …”

And finally, the English Standard Version.

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!…”

Lucifer is the Hebrew word hêylêl, and it also means morning star.

According to The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury, Lucifer is his original name and was or is a bright and eminent star that ushered in the sun and the morning. Still, here, it is metaphorically taken for the high and mighty king of Babylon.

Ezekiel 28:12 refers to him as the king of Tyre and tells us that he was “the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.”

“You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, …” Ezekiel 28:13 ESV 

“You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.” Ezekiel 28:14 ESV

“You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.” Ezekiel 28:15 ESV

But in that day when the nations shall see Satan get judged.

“Those who see you will gaze at you and consider you, saying, Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?– “
Isaiah 14:16 AMP

An interruption of the layman’s commentary of Matthew 24. Let’s talk about the age of the earth from a Biblical point of view.

We had a house guest recently, and I try not to overwhelm them with my deep dives into scripture. But a family member had also stopped in, and that person instigated this conversation under the pretense of pointing out the lack of understanding in someone else. This explosive delivery on the age of the earth was clearly directed at several of us because we do not adhere to the to a young earth orientation. Amid raised voices and argumentation, I want to take a moment for sanity and present a, not so familiar view of the creation; this point of view, which I am sure clashes with the beliefs of many, allows me to see creation in a larger time frame and a magnificence in God that I rarely saw when I was younger. 

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:1 AFV (A Faithful Version)

If you wish to challenge the italicized word “the,” then perhaps you should sharpen up on your Septuagint Greek, and we can do just that. 

enG1722 PREP archeG746 N-…Genesis 1:1 LXX-BYZ “en” transliterates to in, and “arche” transliterates to beginning.

We can, therefore, read verse one as “in beginning.”

The Septuagint (LXX/Greek Old Testament) 

The Romans banned the Hebrew language and all written forms, forcing the Jews to learn Greek around 200 BC. This initiated the secretive process of documenting the Torah and the Tanakh – the Old Testament to us rookies- into the Greek language. 

Imagine the difficulties in transliteration where the original language – Hebrew, which does not transliterate well into English – must now be turned into Greek, Aramaic, and back to Hebrew. The difficulty level increases as Hebrew, which for a long time was a dead language. 

It was not until the 1500s that we were introduced to the King James Version – a product of Roman Catholic influence upon King James’s royal throne. They pushed this change to influence those leaving the State Church and the Catholic church and going to Protestantism and Martin Luther. All this was done even though an English version of the Bible was published almost a year before this effort.

If you were to argue that most translations read “In the beginning,” you would be correct, but merely mimicking incorrect translations because of tradition does not make it a good idea. A few translations put the word “the” in italics to indicate that the word the is added to enhance clarity. 

I am not a grammarian, but I perceive that a read like this conveys alternatives, such as:

• The phrase “in the beginning “attempts to force the reader to understand this creation process as beginning and possibly completing at a specific moment in time. 

• A reading of verse one without the added word the, suggests that the Genesis creation took place over a period of time. 

The time frame of verse one, lacking other descriptive words, could have been more precise and may have transpired over billions of years. 

Genesis 1:2 intelligibly informs us that something cataclysmic transpired; the question is, what? 

“and the earth was formless and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was fluttering on the face of the waters,”
Genesis 1:2 LSV.

Accepting verses one and two as a chronological description is far too elementary. Are we expected to take it for face value? Verses one and two need to make more sense. The implications are that God created all creation through some swirling mass technique. This technique still allows for an undefined period, or else it was a quick creation and something tumultuous intervened. 

Regardless, I lean toward an intervention, and here is why. 

“For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
Isaiah 45:18 NKJV

Notice the words “Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited.” 

Genesis 1:2 tells us that all of creation was now:

• Formless – is the Hebrew word tôhû. The meanings include: confusion, unreality, emptiness, nothingness, wasteland, wilderness, or a place of chaos. 

Vain is a word we saw in Isaiah 45:18. It means Empty, worthless, having no substance, value, or importance.

• And Void. Void is the Hebrew word bôhû and means to be empty, an undistinguishable ruin.

What seems obvious to me is that creation was once distinguishable, and at this moment in time, it is no longer.

What could have caused such damage? 

Don’t say the fall of man because man has yet to be spoken into existence; even though there is an inference of man and woman in Genesis 1:26, it is only spiritual. Man’s physical presence on earth does not show up until Genesis 2:7.

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
Genesis 2:7 NKJV

And, we don’t see the woman until Genesis 2:20-25. 

There is, however, a character who may have contributed to this chaos. 

Jesus told the disciples: 

“…I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Luke 10:18 NKJV

Consider the physics of lightning for a moment.

“While the flashes we see as a result of a lightning strike travel at the speed of light (670,000,000 mph) an actual lightning strike travels at a comparatively gentle 270,000 mph.” (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/thunder-and-lightning/facts-about-lightning)

At least two known meteorite strikes were large enough to affect the atmosphere globally. Strangely, both struck in the vicinity of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Genesis 1:2 goes on to say:

• “and darkness was on the face of the deep.”

Darkness is the Hebrew word chôshek, which also means misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, and wickedness. 

So, it is safe to assume that this has gone far beyond merely not having light. Everything about this sounds like Satan inflicting death and misery.

If, as Isaiah 45:18 states, the creation was habitable before Genesis 1:2, then there was adequate light for plant life, and one of the arguments that was thrown out at us that day.

“Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.”
Genesis 1:3 NKJV

Obviously, the light was taken away.

Go back to the definitions of darkness I just gave. You will find misery, destruction, death, sorrow, and wickedness here.

Is there any place in God’s creation where He installs such grief?

The answer is no. 

Light, as used here in verse three, is the Hebrew word ‘ôr. While one of the definitions implies the light of day, we have yet to see that defined. As its primary usage, Strong’s concordance defines the word as illumination. That could be provided by any number of sources, such as stars, typically suns much larger than ours, or reflective bodies, like Jupiter and Saturn. The Word Study Dictionary defines light in this manner, “In a literal sense, it is used primarily to refer to light from heavenly bodies.”

Nope, no Sun, as we know it, yet.

“And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.” Genesis 1:4 NKJV

Having just covered light, the thing that grabs my attention is this, “God divided the light from the darkness.” Without any additional definitions, my mind noticed that if a disruptive entity put out the lights, God did not destroy that entity.

Good is the Hebrew word ṭôb. Its meanings include pleasant, agreeable, and having value. But those terms also include welfare, benefit, and prosperity. 

So far, this speaks to mental welfare as well. 

Divided is the Hebrew word bâdal, which means to separate, partition, set apart, and make a distinction.

Making a distinction makes more sense when a Sun is involved, but we don’t have that yet.

The last word I want to talk about is darkness. 

Darkness is the Hebrew word chôshek  and can also mean obscurity. The Word Study Dictionary tells us that chôshek  is associated with disorder, and in subsequent uses, whether used in a physical or a symbolic sense, it describes confusion and uncertainty (Job_12:25; Job_37:19); evil done in secret (Job_24:16; Proverbs_2:13; Ezekiel_8:12).

“God called the light Day and the darkness He called night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”
Genesis 1:5 NKJV

“God called the light day,” 

Light is the Hebrew word ‘ôr, which we already covered, but I will repeat, illumination (used primarily to refer to light from heavenly bodies.) (See Jeremiah_31:35; Ezekiel_32:7.)

Day is the Hebrew word yôm. The Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions tell us that the word can mean day, time, year, lifetime, or an undefined period of time.

 “So the evening and the morning were the first day.” And still no sun.

Lacking a sun, I think that most can see how ridiculous it is to try and assign a twenty-four-hour time frame to what appears to be God’s second creation event.

“Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. God called the space “sky.” And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.”
Genesis 1:6-8 NLT

And still no sun.

“Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.”
Genesis 1:9-13 NLT

Plants and trees, but no sun and no weeds.

“Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.”
Genesis 1:14-19 NLT

Finally, the Sun, the moon, and the stars govern their skies alongside His creation; it is the end of the fourth day.

If this is the first place we see stars, what were the luminaries that filled the skies and brought light to the world? 

Here is some interesting food for thought about Satan and light.

“And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 NKJV

The word transform is the Greek word metaschēmatízō and can also mean disguise, change the figure of, or change the outward form.

If Satan is changing his outward form into an angel of light, then there must be other, more noble, angels of light, and based upon what we have seen in scripture, these angelic beings may have been the light or at least added to the light.

At this point, I want you to pay attention to the emphasis on the “day” in which a thing or aspect is created. (Remember how this conversation started with God creating a habitable, perfect earth on the day He spoke it into existence.) Obviously, to me, all of it got corrupted.

“Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”
Genesis 1:20-23 NKJV

Notice how we are focused upon the waters, which are abounding with abundant living creatures. I have had my moments where I understood that the waters produced birds. There are certain birds that are well adapted to water and can fly, dive, and swim to feed themselves. By looking at other translations, which some people would wholeheartedly reject, I understand that God merely spoke the birds into existence. 

“And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:24-25 BSB

Here, the passage speaks of land creatures according to their kinds. Keep in mind that the curse that came with Satan is here and has been since Genesis 1:1.5. I know there is no 1.5. Since Jesus witnessed Satan being thrown to earth, and it appears that Satan had a destructive goal, it is easy to understand that the chance to annihilate God’s perfect creation was just waiting for its opportunity. Since humanity is not yet on earth, this means that the evil and destructive plans Satan had for humanity and the land have yet to occur. 

Now, how can I say this? 

All you have to do is go forward in scripture to where we find Adam and Eve in the garden, where the four-legged serpent, which speaks, is already there hanging around in that tree – the only tree for which they have a restriction of NOT eating. 

When did Satan get here on earth? 

“Long before the events in the Garden.” I already pointed out that Jesus told the disciples that He beheld Satan fall like lightning from the sky. The precise date associated with that date is NOT given to us. But Genesis 1:1 tells us that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” While that does not define how He went about creating or how long it took. 

Hebrews 11:3 can be rather eye-opening for some as there is a little weight put back on us as we are required to apply some faith.

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen did not come from anything visible.”  Hebrews 11:3 TLV

And as  I have pointed out in this post,

“For thus says Adonai—He is God who fashioned the heavens, who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it desolate but formed it to be inhabited—“I am Adonai—there is no other!” Isaiah 45:18 TLV

I see no room for a void and formless creation. If I wanted you to take anything away from this, it would be verse Genesis 1:25, where it states, “And God saw that it was good.” Considering the damage that is to come at the hand of Satan, I would not have said it was good, considering all his treasonous actions imply.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.” Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the face of all the earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. They will be yours for food. And to every beast of the earth and every bird of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth—everything that has the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.” Genesis 1:26-30 BSB

“Let Us make man in Our image.”

Who is doing the talking? 

Here are two versions of an answer: 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him, all things were made, and without Him, nothing was made that has been made.”
John 1:1-3 BSB

So, here, all three were talking, but primarily, Jesus, the living Word. 

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.”
John 1:1-3 NLT

Saying that Jesus was the Word is as good as saying Jesus has been here for a long time. Remember, we really don’t know how long ago the world was spoken into existence. So, the NLT merely tells us that “the Word,” Jesus, already existed. The narrative was not waiting for God to send Jesus to the earth so He could become the physical expression of the Word. Note that God created everything through him (the Son.)

What is the image of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? 

Well, before the Father sent the Son, as a human, to recover His creation, they were all Spirit beings. Consider the possibility that God is more like a ball of energy. I got this idea from Moses, who asked to see God. 

God’s response:

“Then Moses said, “Please show me Your glory.” “I will cause all My goodness to pass before you,” the LORD replied, “and I will proclaim My name—the LORD—in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” The LORD continued, “There is a place near Me where you are to stand upon a rock, and when My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back, but My face must not be seen.”
Exodus 33:18-23 BSB

“ but My face must not be seen.” 

We are not told why, but there is the potential that God is nuclear energy that burns brighter than the sun.

Oh, but wait, didn’t Adam hear God walking in the garden, in the cool of the day, after the fall? 

Yes, that is what we are told, but why is it necessary for God to define, in great detail, all the pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus Christ. 

Do massive balls of boiling hot energy make footstep sounds? 

The answer is NO, but you should realize I am being facetious, for we have evidence that Jesus showed Himself repeatedly throughout the Old Testament. He did so as the Angel of the Lord in most of these occurrences.

Ah, there it is, the sixth day.

“And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”
Genesis 1:31 BSB

Lacking the physical existence of man on the earth, God called it quits in terms of restoration. He was done, and it was done right, once again.

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on that day He rested from all the work of creation that He had accomplished.”
Genesis 2:1-3 BSB

“He rested from all His work.”

Did He rest because He was exhausted? 

“Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing.”
Isaiah 40:26 NLT

Seriously, could such a being get tired?  

Try this verse on for size. 

“Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end!”
Isaiah 51:6 NLT

Rested is the Hebrew word shâbath. 

Who would have thought that this Hebrew word was the basis for the word Sabbath? 

It means to repose, that is, desist from exertion. It also means to celebrate or rest. The Word Study Dictionary conveys that “this example of rest by God at creation set the requirement of rest that He desires for His people in order that they may live lives pleasing to Him, full of worship and adoration (Exodus_31:17).”

“These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, “
Genesis 2:4 KJV

Created is the Hebrew word bârâ‘, and it also means shape or form. 

Do you realize that God, who initially spoke the world perfectly into place, now has to reshape and reform all of creation? 

This may explain why the moon and Mars have oddities on them that cannot be explained by any human means. Verse four is also curious, for it speaks of generations (in the KJV) when they were created and associates these generations with the “day” that the Lord made the earth and the heavens. Reminder: day, according to Strong’s concordance, can mean “pace of time defined by an associated term.” In this case, the relational phrase is “in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.” We make no assumption that God created man on that day, so I have to presume that this refers to the entirety of the time, most of which is unconstrained by a Timex watch, which is what He is talking about.

With two potential beginnings of the earth, where would the men be that could be considered in these generations?

Generations is the Hebrew word tôledâh and means descendants, results, proceedings, and genealogies. Brown-Driver-Briggs says it is an “account of men and their descendants.”

It becomes evident that men get most of the acknowledgments in the Old Testament; however, when we get to the New Testament, we see Jesus lifting women up and giving them dignity.

So, here we are in verse four, talking about generations. Still, we will not yet see the physical manifestation of a human via the handmade version of Adam for several verses. All this makes this conversation about generations even more peculiar.

The earth means just that, but the heavens open a can of worms. 

Heavens are the Hebrew word shâmayim, and it implies sky, heaven, abode, firmament, air, and stars. The Word Study Dictionary explains that there is a singular or a plural version. “The word describes everything God made besides the earth: God made the heavens of the universe (Genesis_1:1; Genesis_14:19); the firmament or expanse which He created around the earth was named sky or heaven as well (and this is what we see in Genesis_1:8). Isaiah the prophet tells us that He stretched out the heavens (and we find this in Isaiah_40:22.)”

I have already covered this, but Genesis 1:2 tells us that the heavens were void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Take a deep dive into those two words, void and darkness, and you will come to find out that the destruction that Satan brought with him turned the lights out through his associated devastation.

“And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.”
Genesis 2:5 KJV

The NLT states, “neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth.” I am assuming this is after the destruction that Satan brought with him, and God is now having to replace him. So God reseeds the earth, but perhaps without weeds. (Free information: According to my Horticulture teacher at the college, weeds are any plant growing where it is NOT needed or wanted.)

There was a point to this: we make massive assumptions based on tradition, which are unfounded and non-biblical.

Do you want an example? Well, you are going to get one. 

A brother in Christ asked the men’s group one evening, how tall do you think David was when he killed Goliath? No one responded, so I threw in my two cents. I said, about six foot seven inches tall. After the angered tones had settled, I said, I can prove it. Remember King Saul? He was head and shoulders above every man in Israel when he was anointed to be King. I told them that I had a contractor come to the door, and in short order, I found out that he was an Israeli, taller than me, and I was 6’4” tall. In a short period of time, David came to work for Saul. He not only played soothing music but he was asked by Saul to be the armor bearer. The man who asked the question that night strongly suggested that David was about four feet tall and tried to demonstrate how ridiculous David would have looked with Saul’s armor clattering on the ground around his feet. I stated how absurd it would be to suggest such a thing or to even propose that Saul would do that. Still, it wasn’t unusual because David, a young man, happened to be large enough to wear Saul’s armor and test the straps and buckles before Saul put it on.

Time seems irrelevant to a God that made time and yet lives outside of it. 

Nothing here in the creation narrative tells me that God is restricted by our traditions and misconceptions, and He is fully capable, without harm, of using any method of His choosing to create this planet and the heavenly lights that we used to enjoy. I said we used to enjoy it because of smog and light pollution, which prevents our ability to see stars.

The word yôm, transliterated as day, has multiple meanings covering vast and extensive periods. 

Does it matter to me? 

Not at all, nor does it diminish who my God is or how He made the earth.

Since I know that Satan was thrown out of heaven, then it makes far too much sense that Satan would try to destroy all of creation and may give us clues as to why God had to make a specific garden of beauty in Eden.

A laymans commentary on Matthew 24. Chapter Four, verses 11- 15. “Because iniquity shall abound.”

 Chapter Four

“Because iniquity shall abound.”

Matthew 24:11 NASB “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.”

Matthew is not the only one to make this statement.

“Many will come in [appropriating to themselves] the name [of Messiah] which belongs to Me [basing their claims on the use of My name], saying, I am [He]! And they will mislead many.”
Mark 13:6 AMP

And we find something similar in Luke’s account.

“And He said, Be on your guard and be careful that you are not led astray; for many will come in My name [appropriating to themselves the name Messiah which belongs to Me], saying, I am He! and, The time is at hand! Do not go out after them.”
Luke 21:8 AMP

“Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.”
Matthew 24:12 TLV

You would have had to be born numb to NOT understand that the love of many is growing cold on a daily basis. Perhaps all these wars are having this effect.

The Amplified Bible conveys verse 12 in this manner.

“the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity.”

Here in America, where the moron lawmakers raised the monetary amount to around $900+ dollars before stores can get a police officer to respond, they have motivated the bad guys to form up in mobs and attack high-end stores. Each individual steals less than $900, so they can’t be touched, supposedly. But more than just a few of us have had enough. Perhaps our love has grown cold.

The word iniquity is the Greek word anomia and means illegality or violation of law.

• A CNN article by Terry Frieden, CNN Justice Producer, updated 10:01 AM EDT, Wed October 17, 2012, and pulled from the internet, states that – U.S. violent crime is up for the first time in years.

• Data collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in telephone surveys showed a 22 percent increase in assaults, pushing up the overall rate of violent crime for the first time since 1993.

Seriously, who has not noticed this?

Matthew 24:13 NASB: “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

If you are paying attention to the context and you are enduring, then you are neck deep in the time of wrath – the seven years of tribulation, specifically the last three-and-one-half years known as the great tribulation.

Endure is the Greek word hupomeno, which means to stay under or bear, as in a trial.

End is the Greek word telos. It means to set out for a definite point or goal.

I believe this makes it clear that some, not necessarily Jews, will survive the horrors of this time.

“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:14 NLT

I have already pointed out that God uses an angel as an instrument to proclaim the gospel around the globe. (Revelation 14:6-10.)

“It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.”
Isaiah 6:1-2 NLT

“The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)
Matthew 24:15 NLT

Parallel verse

“For warships from western coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant. “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration. He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.”
Daniel 11:30-32 NLT

Here it is, January 20, 2024, and suddenly, the idea that warships from western coastlands scaring “him” off and making “him” withdraw is becoming more understandable and more of a reality. Why? The Mediterranean Ocean and the Red Sea are currently filled with Western warships due to Israel’s war with Hamas.

“And from the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.”
[Dan. 11:31.] Daniel 12:11 AMP

1290 days divided by 360 days, the length of a year on the Jewish calendar, equals three-and-one-half years. From the time that the antichrist adds his confirmation to “the covenant,” until the time that they take away the daily sacrifice will be 1290 days. This assumes that the third temple is built, but it is NOT necessary as it seems that this “covenant” has a mandatory role in eschatology.

If the rapture comes today (1/22/2024), there is still no temple; the Jews have plans already laid out, and I would guess that the tilt-up cement panels that will be used to make the temple are probably already made and awaiting the crews to assemble them. I point out these things because there are so many things that must still happen, all of which will trigger the destruction of the mosque and an abundance of warfare, of which Israel will take a horrific beating, and only a third of its population will survive. 

Daniel 9:27, in the NASB, uses the Hebrew word gāḇar twice, “And he will make^H1396 a firm^H1396 covenant with the many.” Using a word repetitiously and in short order conveys the idea that something is very important.

The passage itself tells us that the antichrist will establish, confirm, and cause a covenant to prevail or make an existing covenant firm. I could easily retell this passage by reading that he will make this covenant and cause it to be established.

Covenant is the Hebrew word b^erı̂yth and can also mean confederacy.

Let’s put the situation in these terms. Hamas, nor any other Middle Easterner, is going to make a treaty with Israel, as the Islamic nations have but one goal, the total annihilation of Israel and the Jews.

The explanation that Daniel received went on to say.

“Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.”
Daniel 12:12 NKJV

That exceeded the seven years by 45 days.

“Then, after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.”
Daniel 9:26 NASB

One might assume that Jesus was coming back precisely at the end of the seven-year mark, but that does not appear to be the case. Is it possible that the incessant warring will extend the time?

Daniel 9:27 AMP “… until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator.”

Speculation seems pointless, as I know that the world’s system of doing things will come to a crashing halt, and then peace will reign for those who walk into Jesus’ thousand-year sovereignty on earth.

Do we know who this antichrist character is?

We have NO clue who will fill the role of the antichrist, and no one else will until the bride of Christ is lifted from the earth.

Do you want substantiation?

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 NKJV.

• “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work;”

  Do you realize that He is talking about the beast that empowers the antichrist? The beast is both a spiritual entity, a demon, and a man that will be possessed by, at minimum, one powerful demon/fallen angel.

• “He” is those who are filled with the Holy Spirit and stand against the destruction and demise of the world around us with our words of prayer and our actions.

• “ He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.”

  The only way we are going to be taken out of the way is through the catching away of the church, with us in it, prior to God’s wrath being poured out upon the earth.