Paul's Parables

John sees the new heaven and earth containing the new Jerusalem– a glittering city with every precious stone reflecting the Light.  The open gates are of pearl, the foundations are named for each of the Lord's apostles, and the streets are of transparent gold.  Nothing impure is there and there is no crying.  Those whose names are found in the book of life dwell there and God is its light.  The river of life flowing from the throne has the tree of life on its banks bearing fruit every month.  Jesus tells us to look for His coming,  to be ready, and to remain faithful.

An angel from Heaven binds Satan with chains and casts him into the bottomless pit where he is locked up for 1000 years.  Jesus, with the 144 thousand and his redeemed rule the world in justice and peace for 1000 years giving the land rest.  At the end of that time Satan will be released and he will gather a great army of all who still reject Jesus.  They surround Jerusalem but God destroys them all with fire and Satan is cast into the lake of fire.  All the dead are raised to be judged at the great white throne and cast into the lake of fire if their names are not found in the Book of Life.

Babylon and all the wicked people of the world are judged and they mourn at the destruction of the city.  There is rejoicing in heaven and all those invited to the wedding are told to come.  The rider on the white horse, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, with heaven's army defeats the beast, his prophets, and all the kings of the earth.  They are bound and cast alive into the lake of fire which burns forever.

In Heaven there is great rejoicing as the 144 thousand praise God and worship the lamb.  A great angel announced the Gospel to every tribe and nation telling all that this is their last chance to fear God before God's judgement.  Jesus uses his sickle to bring in all his people and another angel cuts down all the wicked people for God's judgement.  Heaven rejoices and praises God while angels take the bowls of God's wrath to pour on the earth.

Tells of the new Mother and the Dragon relating how Satan seeks to destroy God's plan.  We can trust God's plan for us and believe in Jesus who lives again, finishing God's work on earth.  Satan is cast out of heaven forever by Michael and his angels, but for 3 and ½ years the terrible beasts rule the earth and kill those who refuse to take his mark with the dragon's power.

Judgements are uttered by a mighty angel as crashing thunder but are not revealed.  But the voice said the last trumpet would announce the end. That God's waiting would be up, and he would judge the world just like he told the prophets. The two witnesses who prophecy for 3 ½ years, are killed by the beast from the bottomless pit, but they live again.  The seventh trumpet sounds and God reigns over all and judges the earth.  We are to trust God and always be ready for his return.

Auntie Winnie retells the events of the end times as revealed by God through visions to the Apostle John in Revelation.  All is still as four angels hold back the wind.  144 thousand Jews are marked with God' seal, 12,000 from each tribe. His victorious servants, who remained faithful to him through the great persecution praised Him for the salvation He provided.  The seventh seal is broken and the first six trumpets sound bringing terrible judgements on the earth.  In spite of the judgements and torment men still do not repent.

The vision is of the throne of God in heaven where all come to worship and praise Him.  The Lamb is found worthy to open the scroll of God's judgement on the earth.  God is in control of everything that happens.  The opening of the seals pronounce judgements on the earth. As the sixth seal is broken all mankind cries out in fear of God's coming great day of wrath.

Auntie Winnie retells the events of the end times as revealed by God through visions to the Apostle John in Revelation. Young Mark wants his grandpa, Hal Abojie John, to remind him again of the visions he had seen because he wants to obey what Jesus said. The stories are told by Grandpa John to young Mark including some conversation between the two of them.  They settle down on a rainy afternoon for him to relate the visions he has seen.  He starts with the messages to the churches.

The rooster relates what he sees from his hiding place after he sees that Jesus is alive.  He is no longer afraid and wants everybody to know.  He hears Peter and John talking.  Now they understand and leave with the other disciples for Galilee.  The rooster goes back to his city and crows some more!

The rooster follows the soldiers and Jewish leaders as they take Jesus to different places in the city.  Jesus is whipped and laughed at.  The leaders stir up the crowd and they demand Jesus be crucified like the worst of criminals.  When Jesus dies, darkness and an earthquake comes in the middle of the day.  The scared rooster hides among some rocks.  Since Jesus was dead he would never crow again.  

On the last night of Passover week all is not quiet in Jerusalem.  The rooster goes out to a place where he looks for olives to eat and finds the disciples sleeping and Jesus praying.  He wakes up when loud soldiers grab Jesus and all the disciples, even Peter, run away.  Peter is afraid and denies Jesus three times.  The rooster crows desperately, twice.

The rooster relates that the whole city of Jerusalem welcomes a man who rides in on a donkey.  He hears about what has happened and discovers the perfume that had been used before hand for Jesus burial.  The rooster is not afraid, even when Jesus makes a lot of noise throwing the moneychangers out of the temple and makes the religious leaders mad at Him.  Jesus says He will be crucified, but Peter says he will never let it happen.  The rooster thinks Peter is brave like he is.  Then they have the Passover lamb.

Jesus teaches the huge crowd that followed him to his place by the lake and crowded into his home.  Sammy heard Him teaching about more than only the law like the religious leaders taught.  He also saw men taking the tiles off the roof to let their paralyzed friend down in front of Jesus.  Jesus first forgave his sins and then healed him.

The children and Mary and are distressed because they can't find Jesus.  So many people are following Him that He could no longer preach freely, even in His hometown of Nazareth.  Jesus had walked away through a hostile mob that wanted to throw Him off a cliff before he came to Capernaum to call his disciples.  Mary followed them on a donkey so she could join the traveling party with Jesus.

The huge catch of fish was sold and the fishermen followed Jesus as he traveled to other villages.  The crowds grew as they went and Jesus healed their sick, even the leper with his terrible highly contagious disease, who had followed a long way off from the crowd.  Jesus wanted to heal him, touched him, and healed him too. The leper worshiped Jesus and went to tell the priests. 

Jesus didn't teach like the religious leaders and used parables.  He taught in parables that the Kingdom of God was not like the temple laws.  When Peter's nets filled with fish, he realizes that Jesus is God. He recognizes his sinful condition and unworthiness to be a follower of Jesus.  Jesus tells him that he will now  catch men.

Sammy runs to bring the news to his dad that his mother in law is very sick.  Jesus comes and heals her making everyone very happy when she gets up to take charge in the kitchen like usual.  Jesus says Simon Peter will now be called Peter, a Rock.  Jesus then heals even more sick people who have followed Him including casting out a demon.

Jesus takes Sammy home with him after healing people all day in the city of Capernaum.  Jesus explains to him that His power comes from God. The next day Jesus got up very early to pray while people kept coming from the neighboring towns wanting to be healed.  Jesus heals them all and says he needs to go to many more towns.  Sammy goes to help his dad with fishing.

Sammy and Simon, visiting their aunt Mary, Jesus mother, are glad to welcome him home at Capernaum but a crowd soon gathers around their house with the new porch and flat tile roof.  Jesus finds a little time to relax.  Mary knows that they will want Jesus to preach and heal.  The Pharisees and lawyers are also coming to spy on Jesus.  Sammy is reassured that Jesus preaches only what His Father tells him.

The Pharisees who are watching criticize Jesus when he has a meal, eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners.  They were always concerned about what people would think.  Jesus explains that he did not come to heal those who are well, but the sick.   He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  His disciples could celebrate with him because he was still with them.  They would fast when he went away.

It is the Sabbath when no one was allowed to work, but Sammy also picked some grain to eat when everybody walked past a farmer's field.  He was traveling back home with Jesus to help care for his crippled sister, Miriam.  One of the critical Pharisees accused Jesus of breaking God's law when His followers plucked and ate grain.  Jesus reminded them that David's men ate sacred bread and God did not punish them. God made the Sabbath for men and Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Simon tells his friends that there are so many people coming to Jesus to be healed that they go up into the mountains.  Jesus chooses the twelve disciples who will help him heal people and He teaches them about His Kingdom of Heaven.  Miriam, who is unable to walk, has heard of His healing and is looking forward to Jesus' promised visit.  She sings a song she made about Jesus healing the sick.

Simon is Sammy and Miriam's friend who writes a letter to share the stories he heard Jesus tell about his Kingdom.  The rich man whose riches were lost, the blind men both falling in a ditch, and the girl with a large chip of wood in her eye trying to remove a speck of sawdust from her friend's eye were all stories teaching about God.  Our treasure should be in Heaven and a blind man can't keep his blind friend from falling into a ditch!

When Jonah finds his prophecy unfulfilled he feels useless, a failure as a prophet.  He sorrows over the loss of his shade when the vine that grew up so quickly withers and dies.  He can't understand how God could be so merciful and love all those wicked people.  He thought it all turned out wrong because the wicked weren't immediately destroyed.  God showed him it turned out right because they repented!

In the huge city of Nineveh Jonah warns them that because of their great wickedness and violence God will destroy their city.  He rather enjoyed pronouncing God's judgment against them, but they humbled themselves before God and repented with prayer and fasting and the wearing of sackcloth.  When the forty days were up, Jonah was outside the city on a hill waiting to witness the prophesied destruction.  He is disappointed when God, because of their repentance, in his great mercy forgives the men of Nineveh.

After Jonah had been thrown into the sea and was sinking in the seaweed, he was sucked into a dark void where he found he could breathe fishy smelling air. He concluded that he was alive and praised God, praying for three days and nights.  The fish vomited him out on the shore of the sea and God told him again to go to Nineveh to preach God's message to that city.

Jonah tells his own story about when he ran away from God, taking a ship to Tarshish rather going to Nineveh as God had told him.  God sent a storm to halt the on the ship.  Jonah's disobedience is found to be the reason for the storm and Jonah asks to be thrown into the sea.

When Moses stretches his rod out over the Red Sea, God's wind provides a way through the sea between walls of water on either side!  The cloud of fire provides them light all night and the darkness between them and Pharaoh's army is lifted when they are all safely across.  Moses stretches his rod out again and the army attempting to follow is all drowned.  Miriam sings a song of praise to Give Glory to God!

Aaron' son, Lazer and his Egyptian friend, Nadab, are among the two million people who just left Egypt The boys meet friends who have lots of questions about God and why they are traveling this direction.  When they stop for the night on the shore of the sea, they are told that Pharaoh and his army are coming.  They are trapped against the Red Sea by Pharaoh's pursuing army.  Moses assured them that God would fight for His people.

Moses expected to be summoned to Pharaoh the night all the firstborn in Egypt were killed.  He found a broken totally humbled Pharaoh who ordered them to depart with all they owned, loading them with riches beyond measure, telling them to depart immediately.  Over two million people marched out of Egypt singing of God's greatness.  They carried Joseph's bones with them as they began their long journey back to the promised land they had left 430 years earlier.

The Passover and preparations to leave Egypt are related as they took place in Aaron's household.  Nadab's Egyptian friend, Ali, and his family are also there as they accept the protection of the blood from the Passover lamb that has been placed around the top of the doors.  The Angel of Death passes over everyone who had obeyed Moses's instructions and is under the blood but there is a great wailing heard in Egypt.

In total darkness Lazer and Nadab warn their Egyptian friend that God is about to kill all the firstborn in the land.  They want him to come to join the Israelites, assuring him that their God will help anyone who calls on Him. In dark despair, Pharaoh finally calls Moses and Aaron and says that he will allow them to go but not to take their animals.  Moses warns of the death of all the firstborn, then returns to make preparations for the first Passover and the imminent departure of the Israelites from Egypt.

Moses tells the Israelites to make preparations to go.  He said, “God has told me that after the plague of darkness, which will start tomorrow, there is one more disaster he is bringing on Pharaoh and all the land of Egypt. God is going to kill all the firstborn in the land. They will beg us to leave, and even help us with money and supplies. Tomorrow you are all to go to your Egyptian friends and ask for gold, silver, jewelry and anything they wish to give you. God will give you favor so they will be very generous to help us on our way.

Moses delivers God's message to Pharaoh, “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go to serve me. If you refuse to let them go, tomorrow I will send a plague of locusts like the world has never seen to cover the whole of Egypt. They will eat up every green thing that the hail has left you. They will fill your house and your people's houses and you will not see the ground they will be so thick.”  When God shows mercy on the Egyptian People He removes every locust, but Pharaoh becomes even more stubborn.

The story is told by two donkeys that are used to carry Moses and Aaron to warn Pharaoh of the terrible storm of thunder, fire and hail that will come to destroy everything that is left outside in Egypt.  Pharaoh refuses to listen even though his country is being destroyed.  He stubbornly refuses to let God's people go to worship him.  God is displaying His power and greatness. The whole world will know what the God of the Israelites did to mighty Pharaoh and his gods.

Nadab relates the story when Pharaoh takes his chariot out to Goshen to see what happened there when the animals in Egypt all died.  He meets Moses who says, “Are you going to let the Israelite people go? Did you notice that God spared his children's flocks so none of our animals died?” Pharaoh is furious.  He refuses.  His Hebrew slaves are burning the carcasses from the last plague and Moses throws ashes into the air causing boils erupt on Pharaoh and in all of Egypt.

Lazer and his brother Nadab both hear that all the animals in the fields of Egypt will be destroyed if Pharaoh does not change his mind.  Nadab thinks of his Egyptian friend Ali and his favorite horse.  Maybe he would believe God and bring his horse inside to save him.  Even the Egyptians want Pharaoh to let the Israelites go but he cares for none but himself.  Moses instructs the Israelites to begin making preparations to leave Egypt.

The next time Moses and Aaron talk with Pharaoh they tell him that the next plague will not affect the whole country.  God's people would not suffer.  Lazer found out about the plague of the flies when he visited his brother Nadab who took care of the horses at the palace.  Nadab was sent to ask Moses to remove the flies and they could sacrifice to God at home.  Moses said they would not compromise God's instructions.

The stinking heaps of dead frogs angered Pharaoh and he did not let the people go serve their God but became even more stubborn.  God had Aaron strike the ground and Gnats flew up to infest and torment man and beasts.  The magicians are unable to mimic what God had done and acknowledged His power, while Pharaoh wants to get help from his priests and the sun god.  He refuses to humble himself at all.

The goddess of fertility and resurrection the Egyptians called “Hekt” had a frog spirit and frogs were revered by the people.  When Aaron stretched out his rod over the Nile, frogs came up and covered the land entering even the king's palace and kitchen where the old father of the frogs adds details.  Though his magicians brought up frogs too, Pharaoh realized that only God could remove them and promised to let the people go.

Aaron's son, Eleazar, sees how angry Pharaoh becomes at his dad and Moses when the Nile is turned to blood.  His magicians do something similar and Moses calls Pharaoh a stubborn man.  He explains to his nephew, whom they call Lazer, that someone who is stubborn never admits that he is wrong, or does things any way but his own way.  He just does things his own way and doesn't listen.

Moses shows the signs God gave him to the Israelite slaves, yet when he goes to Pharaoh, his request to let the people go is rejected.  Pharaoh becomes angry and increases the work load on his slaves.  He scoffs at the sign of the rod becoming a snake when his magicians duplicate the sign.  But the magician's snakes are devoured by Moses' snake showing the Egyptian's snake god is powerless.

When God called Moses from the burning bush Moses wanted God to send someone else because he felt he couldn't do what God was telling him to do.  God gave him special signs so the people would believe that God sent him.  He also told Moses he would tell him what to say.  Moses still objected and God told him that his Brother Aaron could help him and Moses would tell him what to say.

When Moses discovers that the murder that he had tried to hide was already known in Egypt he runs away from Pharaoh into Midian across the red sea. God cares for Moses when he helps Jethro's daughters water their sheep.  Jethro is a godly man and his daughter Zipporah becomes his wife.  He works many years for his father-in-law and thinks of his family back in Egypt.  He sees a bush burning and comes near.

The Egyptian princes gives Jochebed, Moses' mother, the responsibility to raise him until she later takes him back to care for him as her own son.  Moses learns about God and his people before being trained at the palace what a future Pharaoh needs to know to rule Egypt. He becomes afraid after he murders a cruel overseer beating an Israelite slave.

The new pharaoh, who did not know Joseph, feared that the multiplying Israelites might rebel and so forced them to become slaves, but still they thrived.  He then wanted all the male babies killed by the midwives but they feared God.  The law to throw the boys in the Nile also failed to kill Moses when his daughter rescued him.

When Joseph sees all his brothers, including Benjamin, come again to Egypt for grain he tests them once more.  They are reconciled when the whole truth is confessed and Joseph reveals himself to them.  Joseph joyfully receives the news from home and brings the 70-person family and all they have to settle in the best part of the land.

Joseph had held his brother Simeon in jail and forbidden his brothers to return without bringing his younger brother, Benjamin, to prove they weren't spies.  Jacob recognizes the need to buy more grain, sends twice the money, with special gifts to the great man in Egypt.  Judah guarantees the safety of his youngest son.

The seven years of famine followed the seven good years as God had revealed in pharaoh's dreams, and the famine became widespread.  Joseph's childhood dreams also come true when his brothers bow to him after they were sent by Jacob to buy food in Egypt.  Joseph is interested to discover if they are sorry for what they did to him and if they truly love their father and his younger brother Benjamin.

Pharaoh dreamed about skinny cows and fat cows, good full ears of corn and stunted corn.  No one could tell him what his dreams meant.  Joseph was remembered by the butler.  God gave Joseph the meaning of the dreams, offering advice to Pharoah.  As a result, Joseph was appointed to be the Prime Minister, because the spirit of God was in him, and he ruled all of Egypt.