REVELATION 18: 20 - 24 PART 3 of 3

REVELATION 18: 20 - 24

PART 3 of 3

image courtesy of slideplayer.com

Now the scene switches back to heaven:

   20) Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

   21) And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

   22) And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

   23) And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee:  for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

   24) And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.  King James Version (KJV)  public domain

COMMENTARY

   All the people on earth are horrified and beyond sorrowful.  However, the scene in heaven is just the opposite.  We see the apostles and prophets, whose blood is in the cup of Babylon, avenged.  While they preached The Word unwaveringly, in this life, it appeared that Babylon triumphed.  They were martyred but did not denounce Jesus.  Now, they are avenged.

   Understand this one thing, though, from Ezekiel 33:11:  "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked."  Our Father in heaven loves us and wants a flourishing relationship with us.  He loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to pay for our sins that we could be forever with Him.  No, there is no pleasure for Him in the death of the wicked...if they would have only accepted the gift He provided!

   Babylon is to be thrown down into everlasting oblivion.  No more music, no more luxurious living, no more lucrative commerce, no more raucous pleasure, no more social and cultural events.  The light in the city has been extinguished forever.

  "All that were slain upon the earth" is due to Babylon.  Come out of her and serve The Lord.  Accept the gift of salvation through our Savior, Jesus Christ.  The Day of The Lord is at hand. Click here to learn more:   https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.


   If this ministry is a blessing to you, please pray for us and share this post on your favorite social media.  Thank you.
  

REVELATION 18: 9 - 19 PART 2 of 3

REVELATION 18: 9 - 19

PART 2 of 3

photo courtesy of Jesus Loves You Today.org

9) And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

   10) Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city!  for in one hour is thy judgment come.

   11) And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

   12) The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

   13) And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

   14) And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

   15) The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

   16) And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

 17) For in one hour so great riches is come to nought.  And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

   18) And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

   19) And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness!  for in one hour is she made desolate. 
King James Version  (KJV) public domain

COMMENTARY

   The kings of the earth have thrown their lot in with Satan.  Angels have warned them.  Just think about that for a moment.  When was the last time you saw an angel flying through the air globally, declaring what God says?  When earth dwellers finally do see this, they harden their hearts and greed takes over.  They sell their souls for that which will rust and moths will devour.  Now, they witness the total destruction of political Babylon.  They keep their distance, lest they be discovered and suffer the same fate.  Oh, snap!  That is exactly what is in store for them!  But they don't cry for their souls, they cry for their wallets, their bank accounts,  They don't repent and turn their eyes to God.  

   The merchandise listed in verse 12 is a representative list.  The first listed are items of timeless value:  precious metals, gems, and pearls.  People have been using these to hedge against inflation since the beginning of time.  Then we have valuable cloth listed in the most desired colors.  This represents the tremendous commerce of clothing for the world.  Next is all kind of materials for both domestic and industrial building uses. Ivory and fine woods are the best materials for construction, furniture, housing, and ornaments.  Two of the most important metals for practical uses are also included, brass and iron, which can be used for building and furnishings, and also musical instruments, appliances, machinery, tools, weapons, etc.

   The next  luxury items represent export-import items, including wine and oil.  Wine includes all intoxicants such as alcohol and drugs.  Currently, we in America are being advised that we have an opioid epidemic.  It will be so much worse during the tribulation..  In the days of the Apostle John, oil was understood as being olive oil.  Today, crude oil is far more valuable than olive oil.  Agricultural commodities, livestock are included.  Sadly, slaves and souls of men are also listed and is probably speaking of prostitution, as Babylon is the "mother of harlots".

   The fruits that thy soul lusteth after refers to those things mostly desired that are just out of reach; just before "ripening"; just as you are expecting all you desire to be yours.  Then, "poof", it is gone.  The "kings" were mourning their losses; the merchants were mourning their losses.  None repented.  This is where Matthew 16:26 comes into play:  "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"  Back in the great depression, men were killing themselves for much less than these lost.

   All those who were employed in these places mourned.  All was lost.  No 401K's, no employment, no unemployment checks, all gone....just like that!


What about you?  Are you banking on the things of this world?  Let me introduce you to my Jesus, Who paid the penalty for YOUR sins and gave you Life!  Please see our "Pathway to Salvation" page:    https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

If this ministry is a blessing to you, please pray for us and share this post on your favorite social media.  Thank you.

SHOULD I THITHE TO THAT MINISTRY?

SHOULD I THITHE TO THAT MINISTRY?

   We were in discussion the other day about tithing see  https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/tithes-and-offerings.html).We are to tithe so God's barns are full AND we receive blessings from our act of obedience. This post was prompted due to the good Reverend Timothy Rogers of Prince of Peace Church in Blytheville, Arkansas; but in reality, this could be so many "preachers" throughout my lifetime and the ages.

   But where do we give our tithe?  We are instructed to test the spirits:  1 John 4: 1 - 6:  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.  2) By this you know the Spirit of God:  every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3) and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.  This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming AND NOW IS IN THE WORLD ALREADY.  4) Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  5) They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.  6) We are from God.  Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us.  By this we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.  English Standard Version (ESV)

   The question remains:  WHERE DO WE GIVE OUR TITHE AND OFFERINGS?  When you go to church, watch church on television, or read blogs/websites, it is up to YOU to discern if they are spreading The Gospel or not.  You support those ministries that preach Christ, and Him crucified, and stick to what is in The Holy Bible.  

   Once you give your gift back to God, leave it there.  He will deal with it after that.  If you were unaware that your particular ministry was deviating from The Word, relax.  Once you give it, it belongs to God.  Just give to another ministry next time.  You are responsible for being obedient by giving and for testing the spirits.  See our study of the first three chapters of Revelation in regards to testing the spirits.

   If you do not have a relationship with The One Who loves you so much that He took your sins upon Himself and set you free, you are encouraged to click here to become one of His:   https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

  You are welcome to leave us a comment with your questions if you have any.

REVELATION 18: 1 - 8 Part 1 of 3

REVELATION 18 1 - 8

PART 1 of 3

photo courtesy of Angels Among Us

   1) And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

   2) And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

   3) For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

   4) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

   5) For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

   6) Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works:  in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

   7) How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her:  for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

   8)Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire:  for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.  King James Version (KJV) Public Domain

 

COMMENTARY

   Remember that after the fifth bowl, that Babylon and Jerusalem were the only two cities not destroyed by the great earthquake.  Babylon had been shrouded in darkness since.  Now, a new angel appears who did not participate in the earth's judgment.  One reserved for the judgment of Babylon.  This angel illuminates the entire earth.  It must be a happy time in Babylon to see the light; until the inhabitants realize it is coming from an  angel, then he speaks (and the whole earth hears him) and pronounces the destruction of political Babylon---Babylon the Great!

   There was an angel in chapter 14 that announced the fall of Babylon as though it had already taken place.  Now, this is the final word.  All the plagues that the rest of the world had experienced is now released on Babylon.  Just imagine seeing the angels warning earth dwellers of the coming judgment.  But their hearts were hardened.  They chose Satan.  Their greed and lust; their idols doomed them.  How sad when Jesus paid it all so none of us had to perish!

   Where once mega power was centered in New York, London, Geneva, Paris, Moscow, etc., it ultimately was transferred to Babylon:  commerce, money, power, greed, etc.

   But consider this:  there are positions of power everywhere:  education, medical, government.  When your teacher preaches that there is no God; everything evolved from a big bang and slithered out of slime; when society says that fathers are irrelevant in the home; when your physician tells you that your wife will die if she gives birth to the baby she is carrying and that killing the baby is your best choice; when a handful of rich people chose who will be political candidates; when the psychiatric community say that the homosexual lifestyle is perfectly normal, etc.  There are many in positions of power.  People are greedy and power hungry and they have their own personal agenda.  My mind cannot quite grasp the "10 kings" giving up their power to one man in Babylon.

   There have been 144,000 men preaching The Word since the beginning of the tribulation.  Obviously, some have been saved.  However, they have the same jobs as they did before.  Jesus calls to them to come out of Babylon, not to drink of her cup.  I don't understand how believers would have access to anything of Babylon without having received the mark of the beast, but Jesus surely calls them out because God has remembered her iniquities.  She will receive double portion of God's wrath.

   What about you?  Can you identify today how mystery Babylon has been operating in your town, county, state, country?  Can you identify how mystery Babylon has been operating in your life?  Now the biggest question:  do you have the saving faith in The Lord Jesus Christ?  Allow me to direct you to our "pathways to salvation" page:   https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

   If this ministry is a blessing to you, please feel free to share this post on your favorite social media that your friends may be blessed.  You are also encouraged to leave a comment here with your thoughts.  We would love to hear from you.  Also, we covet your prayers.  Please pray that God will use our efforts in publishing this blog for His glory.  Thank you.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

THE LORD'S PRAYER

MATTHEW 6: 9 - 13

   When the Apostles asked Jesus how they should pray, He answered:

   8) Do not be like them (hypocrites), for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

   9) After this manner therefore pray ye:

   "Our Father Which art in Heaven, 

     Hallowed be Thy Name.

   10) Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.

   11) Give us this day our daily bread

   12) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

   13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: 

      For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

  (KJV  public domain)

COMMENTARY

   The last part of verse 8 is what I like to quote to my grand babies:  "I know the answer before I ever ask the question."  They think I am psychic or something; but in reality, when you know your dependents, you know them enough to anticipate their every thought.  How much more does our Heavenly Father know us?  those He created?  those who He loves and protects?  Besides, He is not bound by time.  He knows all of our needs and wants, so we come to Him in prayer to show our dependence upon Him for our needs, our wants, when we hurt, when we are happy.

   Also of great importance is to Whom our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ instructed us to pray:  Our Father!  We are not instructed to pray to any man, either alive or dead, which includes those men who other men have declared as saints.  We are not to pray to stones or wood, etc.  We are instructed to only pray to The One True God.  Sometimes when I visit the grave of my Dad, I catch myself asking him to put in a word to my Father due to his proximity to Him in Heaven.  However, I have Jesus interceding at God's right hand on my behalf, so I have to laugh at myself and hope my Dad is doing the same.

   This "Lord's Prayer" is not a prayer that we are to pray verbatim, although there are times that we fall back to this prayer when we are distraught, when we cannot concentrate on praying but are aware that we need to pray.  This is in reality, a blueprint of how to pray:

   1) We address our God, our Creator, as our Father.  Although He is with us to the end of the age, His place of power is on the throne, which is in Heaven.  His Name, His very essence is holy.

   2) Thy kingdom come:  may Your Word be heard by everyone and be accepted by all.  May You be glorified, by those who hear and accept Salvation.  Have Your will with me, especially, but also my family and friends.  Use me to further/grow Your kingdom.  Help me to reflect Your mercy and Your grace.

   3)  We ask for "our daily bread" that we receive honestly and that keeps us dependent upon our Father.   (See also James 4: 2-3) Give us "our" daily bread, not just "mine", that we can have fellowship with others or can share with others.  Also, Jesus is "the Bread of Life".  Give us Jesus EVERY DAY.  Give us the desire to study Your Word, O Lord, and be able to share Your wisdom with others or at the very least, to support those who share Your wisdom.

   4) And forgive us our debts/sins/trespasses daily, our sins against You, O Lord, as we sin every day.  We therefore, forgive the insults, affronts, etc. done to us.  When we forgive others when they hurt us and those we care about, we receive hope that God has forgiven us.  Likewise, this particular part of the prayer can be a curse to us if we don't forgive.  Forgiveness is hard.
 
   5) I like Psalms 19 for this one.  Lead us not into temptation:  Satan goes back and forth looking for those he can devour.  Tempting preacher and the youth, presidents and the poor.  He tempts everyone.  We are hereby instructed to pray against being tempted.  Giving in to temptation causes guilt, grief, and all kind of sorrow.  Deliver us from evil, that we may not be caught up in it's snare, but that we can overcome.

   6) My children would give me treats when they would ask me for favors during their childhood.  They expected to get their way when they did this.  They also used the treats to inform me of  their misbehavior but they expected that they wouldn't be in so much trouble.  I guess I got this from my God.  We give Him praise and honor and glory when we ask Him to intervene in our lives, whether it is for our needs or our wants.  But there is more:  we give Him praise and honor and glory forever.  He  deserves eternal praise, not just for today.  This also lets Him know we want to be in heaven with Him eternally to give him praise.  There is no other who deserves it all like my Father.

   7) Then, in closing, we say "amen" to indicate we are finished, we tie up our petition to our Loving Father, our Powerful Father with expectation and confidence.

  How about you?  Is The One True God your Father?  Would you like to have this peace, joy, love?
You are encouraged to visit our "Pathways to Salvation" page to learn more:    https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

   If this ministry is a blessing to you, you are invited to share this post on your favorite social media.  We also welcome comments with your thoughts.  Thank you.

REVELATION 17: 12 - 18 PART 3 of 3

REVELATION 17 - 18

PART 3 of 3

  12) And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

   13) These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

 14) These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:  for He is Lord of lords and King of kings:  and they that are with Him are called, and chose, and faithful.

   15) And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

   16) And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

   17) For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

   18) And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.  King James Version (KJV), Public Domain

COMMENTARY

   The ten kingdoms in verse 12 are yet in the future.  There will surely be some cataclysmic event that will require strong leaders to take the helm and steer this world on a smooth path:  At this time in our study, there has been a global earthquake, three and a half years of drought, all kind of creatures attacking the two thirds of the population remaining after the initial third of the population perished.  So there is an opening for the strongest of leaders.  However, as strong as they are, they will all give up their power to one.  The one who was able to overcome the two witnesses of God, perhaps?  The one who receives his power from the dragon (Satan).  Let us not forget that he appears to die and be restored with life.

Verse 15: refers to all those who have been deceived by spiritual Babylon since the beginning of time.

Verse 16:  There is no Holy Spirit on earth.  True believers have been raptured excluding the 144,000 who were chosen and received the seal of God.  And the apostate churches have multiplied in direct conflict of which the 144,000 preach.  Even so, the beast only allows Israel to have their religious system restored for 3.5 years.  Then, ALL religions will cease and the earth dwellers will be forced to worship the beast only.

   Do you know the One True God?  Now is the time to give your life to Him.  Learn more on our "Pathway to Salvation" page here:   http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

Let us know what you think by leaving a comment.

If this ministry is a blessing to you, please pray for us, that God will use our efforts in publishing this Holy Study blog for His glory.  We also ask that you share this post on your favorite social media so your friends also have the opportunity to receive a blessing.  Thank you.

REVELATION 17: 6 - 11 PART 2 of 3

REVELATION 17: 6 - 11

THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST

   6) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus:  and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

   7) And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel?  I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

   8) The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition:  and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

   9) And here is the mind which hath wisdom.  The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

   10) And there are seven kings:  five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

   11) And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

COMMENTARY

   Throughout the ages, Christians have been persecuted for their testimony:  The saints before Christ,
and the martyrs of Jesus.  Their blood have been mixed with the wickedness and idolatry in the golden cup in the woman's hand.  It is a deadly potion that make her and hers drunk and irrational.  If she cannot infiltrate, cajole, and convince you to accept her lies, she will set out to destroy and kill you.  Oh, snap!  This continues to sound like a political blog!  Think about that for a moment!

   Christianity is the most persecuted religion ever.  There have been multitudes of true believers slain for the cause of Christ for their testimony.  Other religions:  Muslims, Communists, etc., die for the cause of aggression.  Christianity is a loving, peaceful religion.  The others are power hungry.

   Now, the Apostle John did not "marvel" as to admire or like her, but was amazed at the breath and scope of her power throughout history.  Until my study of this Book of Revelation, I, too, did not understand the scope of the spiritual war that has been raged throughout the ages.  Not to say I was ignorant of the battles.  I have read the stories, but to study Revelation and be able to connect the dots, is eye-opening.  I have to say that our churches have failed in preaching and teaching this Book.  The Woman (spiritual Babylon) is riding on the Beast (political Babylon), so spiritual Babylon influences every political system, with the goal of a one world unified government.  This is to thwart God's plan of central and localized governments serving the purpose of maintaining peace and freedom for each community, as implied in Genesis 9: 1, 7).  He did not say to scatter and be subservient to one powerful governmental entity as Nimrod attempted to establish in Genesis 6.

   The person of the beast is not Satan but Satan indwells him and gives him power.  The Beast is not just a person, as we have discussed, but a kingdom, the human system.  We go back to the Book of Daniel chapter 2 to identify the "kingdoms" or "empires",  The golden head of the Daniel statue was Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.  Babylon has long been "dead".  Today, we don't think about it much.  But the time is coming when it will be revived and THE place to be.  This will be the headquarters of the world government.  The human  king of Babylon was indwelled and energized by Satan, so the human king is symbolic of the real "king", Satan.  So, both the human king and the kingdom was, is not, and is yet to come.

   Verses 9, 10:  the seven mountains and the seven kings are seven kingdoms.  Going back to the Daniel statue:  King Nebuchadnezzar was the head of the statue, but there were already two other kingdoms before him:  Egypt and Assyria.  Babylon, then, is the third kingdom with Persia, Greece, and Rome filling out the other three.  These were six kingdoms (as stated) before the time of the Apostle John.  Rome was in control during his lifetime, so Rome was the "is".  But there was one yet to come.

   The bottom line, I suppose, is that The Woman is intangible (powers and principalities) and The Beast is tangible (kings, rulers, kingdoms, etc.).  Both receive their power from The Dragon (Satan).


   Tell me, where do you want to spend eternity?  Would you like to burn in the Lake of Fire with Satan and his followers or would you like to spend eternity with my Lord?  Today, the choice is yours.  Do not wait until the rapture, as one third of the population will loose their lives at the onset of the tribulation.  None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.  That is why that even though I believe the rapture will occur before May 15, 2019, I still have life insurance.

   Here is a link to our "pathways to salvation" page:    http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.


If this ministry is a blessing to you, please share this post on your favorite social media.  They might also be blessed by it.  And pray that the LORD will use this ministry for His glory.  

 Also, we would live to hear from you, so you are encouraged to leave a message by clicking the "comment" button.  Thank you