Podcasts about New Jerusalem

Call: Psalm 149 Offering: 1 Chronicles 29:9 Scripture: Revelation 3:7-13 NASB The Church of Philadelphia, though small and marginalized in its cultural context, is commended by Christ for its unwavering faithfulness, holding fast to His word and name despite persecution from both Roman authorities and Jewish opponents. Jesus, identified as the holy, true one with the key of David, affirms His sovereign authority over the kingdom, declaring that no one can shut the open door He has provided, emphasizing that true access to God comes through Him alone, not through human institutions or religious heritage. He promises to vindicate His faithful people by humbling their enemies, making even those who falsely claim to be God's people bow before them, and to keep them secure through the coming hour of testing, not by removing them from the world, but by guarding and sustaining them in faith. The ultimate reward for perseverance is eternal permanence in the temple of God, where believers will bear the name of God, the New Jerusalem, and Christ's own new name, signifying their eternal belonging in the heavenly city. This passage calls all believers to prioritize faithfulness over influence, to trust in Christ's power rather than their own strength, and to remain steadfast in the truth, knowing that their eternal security and significance are rooted not in worldly success, but in Christ's unchanging faithfulness.

Subscribe and Follow. Thanks! - NOTES AVAILABLE AT: https://www.gracereach.org/luke - In PART FOURTEEN, Brad examines the New Jerusalem of Isaiah 65:17-19, Galatians 4:21-26; Hebrews 12:22-24; Revelation 21-22. In this teaching, Brad takes an in-depth look at the relationship between the new Jerusalem, the new testament of grace, and the new heaven and new earth, as well as the 144,000 of Revelation and the elect of Romans 9. He shows the difference between the earthly Jerusalem of law and the new heavenly Jerusalem of grace. Note: This teaching and other teachings are available on the Gracereach website: https://www.gracereach.org/luke - For more of Brad's resources, see below.Brad's books are all available on Amazon in Paperback.Revelation Volume 1: Judgment On First-Century Israelhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7GBG42CRevelation Volume 2: War On The Saintshttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FN3XR59L490 Years Determined: The Seventy Years of Daniel Explainedhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPX7VZY5Nebuchadnezzar's Dream and the Kingdom of Grace -https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9YFCXC8/Toxic Discipleship: Restoring the Gospel - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNN8PB7LAddicted To Grace: A New Life Awaits - https://www.amazon.com/Addicted-Grace-New-Life-Awaits/dp/0578407760Forgiven and Cleansed: 1 John 1:9 In Context - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08N3NBPPRReturn to Grace: A Commentary on Galatians - https://www.amazon.com/Return-Grace-Commentary-Brad-Robertson/dp/B08HV8HRTCStrategic Church: Reaching The World With Grace - https://www.amazon.com/Strategic-Church-Strategy-Reach-World/dp/B08733MRWWThe Story of Grace: Your Life Will Never Be The Same - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692084940Website: https://www.gracereach.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bradr1966YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClip-czxRgZbxtWg-w2YL7APodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gracereach-podcast-with-brad-robertson/id1503583444 (You may listen to Brad's podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, and most all podcast platforms.)If you would like to donate to Brad's ministry, Gracereach, to help reach more and more people with the good news of God's grace. click here:https://www.gracereach.org/donatetogracereachThank you!

In Revelation 21, John sees the new heaven and earth, a glimpse of that future era when everything will one day be renewed. He also sees the holy city -- the New Jerusalem -- descending from heaven as an adorned bride coming to her bridegroom. Why is the marriage metaphor employed as part of the larger eschatological vision? How does this relate to the preceding narrative about Roman domination? And how does knowing the Old Testament's eschatological texts -- particularly from Isaiah -- help us to understand John's vision?+++Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Matthew's blog: matthewhalsted.substack.comDon't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!

A look at where we are in prophecy, what's to come, heaven, New Jerusalem and instructions on how to stay courageous in the face of trials and tribulations! 

Revelation 21- The City of Peace by Pastor Dan Esh | Revelation 21 https://s3.amazonaws.com/podcast.calvarycentral.org/rev-21-dan2025.mp3 Description: Revelation 21 challenges our preconceived notions of heaven, revealing a new heaven and new earth, and the New Jerusalem as the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise to dwell with His people. God is glorified as the culmination of His plan for redemption is revealed.   Download Outline:

Section 133 received Nov 3, 1831 in Hiram Ohio Historical background - By November, 1831, Joseph had compiled many of the Lord's revelations which would eventually become a Book of Commandments, later known as the Doctrine and Covenants. On November 1, 1831, the Lord revealed a “Proclamation” to the world which became the preface to the Book of Commandments, or section 1. Two days later, on November 3, 1831, the Lord revealed an appendix to the Book of Commandments, or section 133 which is a prophetic declaration of what must occur prior to the second coming of Christ.   Recap: Christ will appear suddenly in his temple. The saints must flee from Babylon and gather in Zion. Christ will stand on Mount Zion with his 144,000. The continents will become one land and the lost ten tribes will return. The gospel will be preached worldwide. Christ will appear in red apparel. The righteous shall be resurrected and the New Jerusalem will be established while the wicked will be destroyed by fire. Section 134 declared and adopted Aug 17, 1835 in Kirtland Ohio Historical Background – On August 17, 1835, the church held a conference in Kirtland, Ohio to accept the Book of Commandments as scriptural revelations from God. Also, due to the political turmoil and abuses of power, especially the disregarding of constitutional rights and privileges that should have been afforded the saints, it was felt necessary that a statement of beliefs in Governmental laws should be included in the Book of Commandments. Joseph Smith was in Canada at this time and was not present at the conference. Therefore, Oliver Cowdery wrote section 134 outlining the role and purposes of earthly government. This was presented to the saints and it was accepted to be included in the Book of Commandments but as a declaration and not a revelation. When Joseph returned and reviewed the document, he allowed it to stand as is because the saints had already voted their approval during the conference. Recap: Governments are instituted by God for the benefits of mankind and should preserve freedom, protect rights, life and property. Laws should be administered fairly and equally. The people are bound to obedience to the laws of the land. Punishments should be made according to the nature of the crime.

At the heart of Exodus lies a stunning truth: God’s greatest desire is not only to rescue us from something, but to dwell with us. This message unpacks the deep meaning behind the tabernacle, the elaborate and detailed structure God commanded Moses to build in the wilderness. While it’s easy to get caught up in the gold, acacia wood, and scarlet yarn, the purpose becomes clear in one transformative verse: “Let them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” This is not about religious architecture; it is about relationship. From the Garden of Eden to the New Jerusalem, the entire biblical story tells of God’s pursuit to be present with His people. The tabernacle pointed to the temple, the temple to Jesus, and through Jesus, the church was born, declaring that each of us is now a temple of the Holy Spirit. God did not just save us from darkness, addiction, or brokenness. He saved us to live in relationship with Him and for a greater purpose only He can reveal. When we understand that worship begins with sacrifice, offering our time, talents, and treasure, we join His mission and encounter His presence in ways that transform everything.

Is it Rapture or Tribulation (1) ? (audio) David Eells – 11/2/25 Is the Tribulation for You? Amos Scaggs - 08/03/2005   In a dream, I was at a computer and it was the mid-tribulation time period. I saw millions of people being destroyed and all sorts of catastrophes happening all over the world. I saw the Beast system in full swing, its leaders and commanders. I thought I had seen enough so I wanted to close the screen out. I kept clicking the “X” with the cursor 15-20 times in rapid succession but every time I would hit the “X” the screen would pop back up again. I was getting frustrated because I couldn't exit the page. Then a voice said, “You're Not Getting Out”. (So, no pre or mid-trib rapture) I had to sit there and watch the activities of the tribulation times. Needless to say, I was totally disappointed, and my heart sank because I thought I would escape the tribulation period. Regardless of what you have been taught or think, the Christian/Church will go through the seven-year tribulation period.   Revelation in Mid-Trib of Soon Coming Rapture K. H. - 06/16/2008 (David's notes in red) In a house, I was in a living room with my mother and my sister; each of us was sitting on a separate couch. I knew that it was about in the middle of the tribulation (The timing of the rest of this dream starts at this mid-trib) and we had begun to discuss when the rapture was going to happen. My mother and sister were very insistent that the rapture was going to happen very soon, whereas I was thinking there was a little more time (past the mid-trib). As I was telling them how much more time I thought we had, the Lord showed me a picture of the earth. I then saw two or three black holes forming on the earth; it was almost like the earth looked like Swiss cheese. The Lord drew my attention to a black hole forming in the Indian Ocean between Africa and Australia as I saw the earth sucking itself up into the black hole. Simultaneously, as I saw the black hole beginning to ingest all that surrounded it, I felt like I was being sucked or pulled in the opposite direction. In that moment, I knew that it was the rapture, and the peace that surpasses all understanding came over me, and the joy of being in the presence of the Lord. As I was being taken up into the clouds, I woke up suddenly and I felt the Holy Spirit come over me very strongly, and I quickly went back to sleep. During the second 3 1/2 years of the tribulation, or mid-trib, as the world is being swallowed up by the beast from hell, we shall be increasingly swallowed up by the Kingdom of Heaven and ultimately into Heaven itself at the end of the trib. Few understand that the rapture is for those who have already learned to dwell in the Kingdom of Heaven while on Earth. Mat.24:31 And he shall send forth his angels with a great sound of a trumpet (We are told the rapture will be at the last or seventh trump- the seventh year of the trib.), and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.)   Pre-Trib Rapture? Rick Sergent - 06/1997 THE LORD SPEAKS OF THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE THEORY I was working at International Truck Corporation in Springfield, Ohio. It was my lunch break. I was at my work desk and I had my bible when I heard the Lord say, “Go to Matthew 24.” I kind of pouted with Him and said I had read that chapter a zillion times. He said, “I WANT YOU TO READ IT AGAIN”. So just before I read it, the Lord said to me, “The pre-tribulation rapture theory is a false doctrine to lead my people astray, thinking they don't have to do or prepare for anything. My Church will go all the way through the tribulation. Some well-meaning teachers have taught this theory, but I have not taught them”. He also said, “This theory encourages laziness”. Then the words “Beginning of sorrows” went into my spirit. I knew what those words meant, and asked the Lord anyway, “What is the beginning of sorrows?” He did not respond to me with words, but automatically my eyes were fixed on some bold print at the bottom caption of some editorial notes of Matthew 24. In bold print were these words, “BEGINNING OF SORROWS”. I had read this many times, but never saw those words in that caption before. It was these words: “the transition of this age to the Age to come” ...severe birth pangs. I heard the Lord say, “I want you to read Matthew 24 just as it is, and do not read anything else into it”. When I did this, the Lord opened up my eyes, especially in verse 29: “after the tribulation of those days” and the coming of the Lord. I had asked the Lord to confirm this because it messed up my doctrine, and He told me my doctrine needed to be messed up! Since that time, the Lord has many times confirmed this to me in different ways and linked me to people with the same belief without me searching for such people. I also later did a term paper on the pre-, mid-, and post-trib in 2001 and found out that the pre-trib rapture doctrine first came into the Church in 1832! Watch the Hidden Manna For the End Times video series.   WORD OF REVIVAL IN TRIBULATION Rick Sergent - 5/19/07 The Spirit of the Lord was resting heavy upon me and through me as I was at my home: He said, Much of My Church cannot discern the sky. They cannot see the storm clouds coming. They are wrapped up in their visions of grandeur. Many pastors do not want to hear warnings about great troubles coming to this nation because it threatens their vision. Some do not realize that the days of calamity will bring forth a great harvest and ministry to the lost. For the Big Harvest, I will not separate from calamities and trouble times. It will go hand-in-hand together. They hope to have their vision fulfilled during a time of prosperity, but I will allow these things to happen to America, to awaken My Church, and to shake this nation to the core of its foundation. There is coming to America a “day of trouble”, but at the same time, I will pour out My Spirit upon this nation as they cry out to Me. To My remnant that is hearing Me, I am pouring into them My power and My love. I am developing My character in them. I want you to reach out to others with My love and My compassion. I am pouring these things into you, so you can pour out of yourselves, My love, My compassion, and power into others who are hurting and in need. Be prepared to disciple and mentor My newborn babies, for they cannot walk; they are fragile and need much help. They can only crawl. Help and teach them to walk on their own. Feed My sheep so they know how to feed themselves with My Word. For I have truly called you for such a time as this.   Rapture? Or Sanctification in Tribulation? Colleen Quinn - 12/22/2009 (RM and David's notes in red) In April of 1982, I was about eight months pregnant with my son, Shawn Mann, in Anchorage, Alaska. I had been praying and asking God to show me if the rapture was true or not. Shortly after that, I had this dream: I saw this huge city that was very busy with people. Out of the sky came the hand of God with a sword; He divided the city into two sections. The section on the left (goats) was much larger than the section on the right (sheep). (This is likened to God separating/sanctifying His people when they were in Egypt. The city is the world, a corporate city of nations, also called Babylon. Isa.25:3 Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee.) A dark cloud was formed over the people on the left. These people were doing horrid, unspeakable things to each other. When they saw the dark cloud above them, they started reaching up to it and eating it like cotton candy. (The Holy Spirit later showed me that a lot of the dark cloud was from the TV and computers. And MSM) The people on the left became bored with doing horrid things to each other so they started going over to the section of people on the right and doing horrible, torturous things to them. (The people on the right are all who call themselves Christians. They will all be persecuted by the world in the tribulation. History always repeats, as with Rome and the early Christians. Those who are sanctified, and have faith, will escape.) God then divided the section on the right into three more sections. The first group on the right had many more people in it than the other two groups. These people had a hard time letting go of their past lives. They wanted to get to Heaven but did not want to give up their sinful ways from their past. Because they kept looking back at their past, they all turned into pillars of salt. (They looked back to the worldly ways of Sodom, like Lot's wife, in loving the present world. Jesus likened them unto the seed that fell upon the rocky ground. The seed sprang up with life, but because it had no root, it withered.) Because they had not learned to have a relationship with Jesus, they had no power to fight off the wicked people on the left. The group on the left could not get their fill of doing horrid, torturous things to the pillar of salt people. (The “pillar of salt people” are the vast majority of all who claim Christianity but have no personal faith or understanding of the Word of God, which could protect, save, heal and deliver them. These will be the persecutors of the true saints. Mat.24:10 And then shall many stumble, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another. These are the “many” or majority who, as the Laodicean church, will be spewed out of the body of Christ.) The second group had more people than the third or last group. These people appeared to have no backbone or spine. They swayed with the wind. Any doctrine that came along, they were quick to accept because, without knowing the Word well enough, they accepted whatever was preached. They were lazy and did not want to put forth effort in reading the Word or praying. (This is the church world that the righteous will leave behind. This comfy church routine of conflicting mingled doctrines, where people smile and clap for whomever and whatever is spoken across the pulpit. 2Ti 3:6-7 For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts, 7 ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Jas.1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.) They wanted other people (especially their pastors) to do all the work for them and loved to listen to doctrines that tickled their ears (like the all-fly-away, pre-trib rapture and the once saved always saved.) and did not call them to die to their fleshly desires. Mat.16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?) These people had a little bit more power than the pillar of salt people, but they still did not have the power in their lives to combat the evil that was coming on them. (These are as the churches of Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira and Sardis, which had a little power but were exhorted to overcome their evils in the tribulations.) The third group of people was by far the fewest in number. (This is the remnant as the Philadelphia church who are to be spared “the hour of trial ... which is to come upon the whole world”.) These people had determined in their hearts to be obedient to God no matter what the cost. They denied themselves and walked in love with others. This group was the pillars of fire. They were untouchable by the group on the left. The group on the left would try to kill and destroy this group and God would translate the pillar of fire people or put His angels around them so that they could not be harmed, at least spiritually. (Rev.12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.) The pillar of fire people would go back and forth, trying to help the pillar of salt people and the people with no backbones who swayed in the wind. (These will be the anointed ones of the tribulation, like the Bride and her Man-child leadership. The early church went through its tribulation, as it is written: Act.14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.) The pillar of fire people had trained themselves to listen to the voice of God and they were used as the hand of God in the last days. (Joh.10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. They know His voice, which is His Word, because they abide in His Word. 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.) I saw in a dream of my son, Shawn, on 2/19/08, that he had this glow around him. Then it was like I went back in time and saw this river of fire. God was beckoning him to walk in the fire, and he was hesitant. God told him to trust Him and He would be with him in the fire. (Like the three Hebrews, Shawn was chosen to go through the tribulation fire heated seven times hotter than normal, but the Lord will be with him in the fire to burn off his bonds.) When he was in the fire, it was like he was being purified. He went through some things that were extremely hard and broke his heart. Every cell of his being ached and cried. Several times he begged God to stop, but he kept encouraging him to trust Him. He was using the fire to purify Shawn's heart. After he went through the fire walk, he had this glow around him, and when he talked to people, God would cause the scales to fall off their eyes and the plugs to come out of their ears. Their hearts were then tender to hear God, and they literally turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. (Shawn will help bring the revival of repentance and faith.) Less than a month later, Shawn's baby died in the womb. His wife became pregnant again, and as of now, 12/22/09, they have a healthy seven-month-old baby girl. (A sign of tribulation and bearing fruit through it to the end.)   Rapture Delusion Amy Methvin (David's notes in red) In a dream, I was walking alone, really sort of feeling sorry for myself in this wilderness journey that the Lord has me in. I really wanted to find some like-minded believers to fellowship with. All of a sudden, I walked up on a group of 20 or so people who were claiming that they had the “real” right doctrine on the rapture. They were telling me that the rapture was coming any minute and that I needed to join them and be ready. I thought about it for a minute and decided that it would not hurt to just listen to their point of view, seeing as I have gone down a few wrong rabbit trails before, maybe I should be open-minded and just listen. I told them that I used to be a pre-trib believer, but was now post-trib. They again excitedly told me that the rapture would come very soon. Very shortly, I felt this shaking, and we began to slowly lift off the ground. Immediately, it was dark and I could not see anything. They all started screaming, “Yippee, Wahoo! I told you, it's the rapture!!!!!!!” We were going up, but something did not seem right to me; it seemed too slow. I tried to open my eyes but I could not. (Spiritual blindness from false doctrine.) Finally, I was able to open them, but something was over my face. I reached to pull it off. It was wrapped around my whole head. It would not let go, even though I was able to pull it slightly off of one eye. It was a huge black bat!!! Terrified, I immediately knew that we were not going to heaven as the people thought, but were being taken to hell. I immediately screamed the name of JESUS. The bat disintegrated and I began to float back down to the ground. Somewhat relieved, I knew that I had to tell my husband of the deception, so I started to scream his name. As I did, I felt my heart go into cardiac arrest. I was having a massive heart attack that I don't think I was going to survive. As I lay there, I knew I had been saved from hell, but the deception was going to cost me my life. End of dream. This seems to be saying two things. Those in the strong delusion of the pre-trib rapture believe that they don't need trial and refining through tribulation to bear fruit and enter heaven. Being blinded by this demon doctrine, they will believe this all the way through the tribulation and will take the mark, not bear fruit, and end up in hell. Also, for those who find out that it was a lie too late, it will cost them their lives, for they did not prepare to endure the trial of their faith in the wilderness because they didn't think it necessary. Because of our site, many pre-tribbers have sent me their imminent pre-trib rapture revelations for years. I tell them that this is a deception, and it won't happen but even though the timing comes and goes, and I am proven correct, they send me the next imminent pre-trib rapture revelation, and it is also proven to be a lie. No matter how many times they are lied to, they continue to believe it because it permits them to live as they like and enter heaven regardless of what the Word says. This is proof that this is a strong delusion to keep them from bearing fruit. Let's examine what the Word has to say about the Rapture from our Book, Hidden Manna – For the End Times: I felt I first should share this part of my revelation in order that the rest would be sufficiently important. For now, I would like to deal specifically with the ingathering harvest of the Church and not the First-fruits. Many disagree with the term “rapture” because it is not in the Word. The Greek word harpazo, meaning “to snatch or catch away,” is translated “caught up.” Since this is what most mean when they use the term “rapture,” it is just a sectarian spirit that would have us argue over such things. So that the majority will understand, I will use their terminology. Most agree with the Scriptures that the rapture and the resurrection happen “together.” (1Th.4:16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout…and the dead in Christ shall rise first; (17) then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air…. (1Cor.15:51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We all shall not sleep (die), but we shall all be changed, (52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Notice that all the dead and all the living in Christ at this time will be changed in the same moment. Therefore, if the time of the resurrection can be proven, we will know when the rapture happens. (1Cor.15:22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. (23) But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming. Notice that after Christ's resurrection, there is only one more complete resurrection of the righteous dead, “they that are Christ's, at his coming.” This is only speaking of permanent resurrections in the heavenly body. Since there is only one more complete resurrection and rapture, they must be at the very “end” or everybody who gets saved cannot be resurrected. This complete resurrection is to a spiritual heavenly life, not to a physical earthly life which happens all the time. (24) Then [cometh] the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. (25) For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. (26) The last enemy that shall be abolished is death. Notice that the last enemy that shall be abolished is death. The resurrection and rapture, which abolish death, are at the end when God will have abolished all rebellious rule over and in His people. They do not happen seven years before the end when the influence of the beast, the harlot, sin, and the world system still have some hold on God's people. Solomon said that every man is a beast (Ecc.3:18-19), meaning all unregenerate men are ruled by a carnal nature. The mark of the beast just identifies members of that corporate body. Of course, mature sons of God are ruled by a mind renewed with the Word of God. “The Harlot” identifies those who receive a seed or word that is not from Christ, their husband. Many of God's people are pledging allegiance to the world system rather than submitting to the Word. At this time, sadly, most of God's people fall into these categories. Therefore, the resurrection and the rapture, which abolish death, must be last, after the beast, harlot, and the world system no longer rule God's true people. (Act.2:34)…The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, (35) Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. The Lord will not come until His enemies are under His feet and His elect are completely restored. (3:20) And that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, [even] Jesus: (21) whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all (of God's elect) things (“things” is not in the Greek)…. When all are restored through the Tribulation, the Lord comes. Here is that one complete resurrection again. (Rev.20:4)…[I saw] the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (5)… This is the first resurrection. Notice that the saints who were beheaded, because they would not take the mark of the beast, are in the first resurrection. It was called first by John, who looked into the future from 96 A.D., which was after Jesus' resurrection. This clearly tells us that there is no resurrection and rapture before the Tribulation mark of the beast. Again there are many who are resurrected to a physical life but those who are resurrected to the heavenly life are forever. The second resurrection, called the second death in verse six, is after a thousand years and is for the wicked. Since the first resurrection is also the only complete resurrection of the righteous, it must be at the end of the Tribulation. If it were at the beginning, the great multitude that is purified during the Great Tribulation could not be resurrected. (Rev.7:9) After these things I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of ev­ery nation and of [all] tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…. (14)…And he said to me, These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Notice that the resurrection and rapture are after the Great Tribulation, which most agree is the last 3½ years. Jesus said He would raise up all of His people at the last day, which must also be the time of the rapture. (Joh.6:39) And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. (40) For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. Now let's be honest, “the last day” cannot mean seven years before the last day. (Job 14:12) So man lieth down and riseth not: Till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, Nor be roused out of their sleep. The resurrection cannot happen until the time when the heavens pass away. (2Pet.3:10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Obviously, the heavens could not pass away or the earth burn up at the beginning or even in the middle of the seven years, or there would not be anybody here to have a tribulation! The resurrection and rapture could only be at the beginning of the last day, here called the day of the Lord, which we will see presently, is a year-long. Noah knew the Lord would come for him seven days before the flood. He was given a sign to read in his day. Some will argue that Jesus said, “Of that day and hour knoweth no one” (Mat.24:36). The tense of the verb “knoweth” is present, not future! This spoke of Jesus' day, not our day. Jesus gave us a clear type so we would know when He would come in our day when the covenant with many is made for seven years. (37) … As [were] the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. The days of Noah are only mentioned in Genesis seven. (Gen.7:4) For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth…. (10) And it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. God said that “after the seven days” the flood would come and they would be lifted off. We know that those in the ark of Christ will be raptured “after the seven days.” Those seven days represent the seven years of Tribulation, as we will see in many other places. The seventieth week of Daniel prophesies the Tribulation, which will be a week of years, or seven years, just as the first sixty-nine weeks proved to be weeks of years, totaling 483 years, which led to the time of Christ (Dan.9:25-26). (Dan.9:27) And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week (Hebrew: shabua, meaning “a seven” of days or years)…. Noah's seven days also represented the seven years of the Tribulation. His tribulation preceded the flood, which also lasted for a year. It was ten days over their lunar year from the time the flood started (Gen.7:11) until the waters dried up (8:13-14). At that time, their year was a lunar year of 354 days, which God corrected with the ten extra days, bringing us up to the 365th first full day of a solar year when they stepped out of the ark. If God made the year following the seven-year solar, it stands to reason the seven years are also solar. We will see more proof. Noah's seven days also represent the seven years of the Tribulation. His tribulation preceded the flood, which also lasted for a year. From the time the flood started (Gen.7:11) until the waters dried up (8:13-14) was ten days over their lunar year. A lunar year of 12 months can be 354 or 355 days in length. This is due to the varying time it takes the moon to circle the earth, and also because the start of their lunar months was determined by new moon sightings. The lunar year during the flood was most probably 355 days, which God corrected with the ten extra days. This gives us a full 365-day solar year. If God made the year of the flood solar (representing the year of the Lord), which followed after Noah's seven days (representing the seven years of Tribulation), then it stands to reason that the seven years of Tribulation are also solar. We will see more proof of this. This last year foreshadows the wrath of God on those who persecute His people during the Tribulation. This year was also called a day. (Isa.34:8) For the Lord hath a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. Here we see that the wrath of God, also called the Day of the Lord, is also a day/year following seven days/years. Many mistake the Tribulation for the wrath, saying, “God appointed us not unto wrath” (1Th.5:9). Speaking of the Church in tribulation, Revelation 12:6 says, “the woman fled into the wilderness.” The Tribulation is a wilderness trial for the saints like the Hebrews had. As we have seen, they leave after that tribulation “at the last day” (Joh.6:40), the “day of the Lord” or “day of vengeance.” The year of wrath is God's judgment upon the wicked who were used to tribulate and purify the saints during the previous seven years. The Lord says, (Isa.63:4) For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. (6) And I trod down the peoples in mine anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth. Notice that the day of vengeance was also a year, the year of the redeemed, just as in Noah's day, which was after the seven days. This is a year of wrath on the wicked who have persecuted God's people. The rapture and resurrection are after the Great Tribulation, which is the last 3½ years of tribulation! Matthew 24:21 says, “Then shall be great tribulation” and verses 29-31 say, “After the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light…and they shall see the Son of man coming….and they shall gather together his elect…from one end of heaven to the other.” The corresponding verse in Mark 13:27 says, “from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.” Taken together, we see that one end of heaven is on the earth, the living, and the other is in heaven, the resurrected. We see here that Jesus is rapturing and resurrecting His elect after the Great Tribulation. After the Tribulation, the sun and moon being darkened signal the coming Day of the Lord or flood. (Act.2:20) The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable [day]. Notice that the sun and moon are darkened after the Great Tribulation but before the Day of the Lord. Again we see that the flood follows the Tribulation. Revelation 14 is the story of the Tribulation and the Day of Wrath that follows. (Rev.14:6) And I saw another angel flying in mid heaven, having eternal good tidings to proclaim unto them that dwell on the earth, and unto every nation and tribe and tongue and people; (7) and he saith with a great voice, Fear God, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment is come…. This hour of judgment is the hour that the ten kings of the beast rule in Revelation 17:12, which is also the last 3½ years of the Tribulation in 13:5. (9)…If any man worshippeth the beast and his image, and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, (10) he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God…. Notice that those who receive the mark during the Tribulation are threatened with the coming wrath. (11) … They have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name. Without taking the mark, the true saints patiently endure persecution and sometimes death in the second 3½ years. (12) Here is the patience of the saints, they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. Some saints die from refusing the mark. (13) And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them. Some die during the Tribulation and some “are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord” (1Th.4:15). Then we see the harvest of the righteous after the Tribulation. (Rev.14:14) And I saw, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud [I saw] one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. (15) And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. (16) And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth; and the earth was reaped. Those who do not bear the fruit necessary to be in this harvest will be in the next. After the time of that rapture/resurrection harvest, we see the beginning of a year-long harvest of the wicked through the wrath of God. (Rev.14:17) And another angel came out from the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. (19) And the angel cast his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the earth, and cast it into the winepress, the great [winepress], of the wrath of God. (20) And the winepress was trodden without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even unto the bridles of the horses, as far as a thousand and six hundred furlongs. This flood of wrath involves the last real worldwide war. Revelation chapters 15 and 16 explain this wrath, or Day of the Lord, more completely. There we see that “seven angels having seven plagues, [which are] the last, for in them is finished the wrath of God” (15:1). They had “seven bowls of the wrath of God” (16:1). These bowls of the year of wrath on the wicked follow the Tribulation of the saints. Jesus rebuked Israel for not seeing the sign of the time of His first coming. After all, Daniel gave them 483 years to the day of Jesus' birth, but they did not read the Scriptures any more diligently than the Christians in our day. Here we see by example that history always repeats (Ecc.1:9). Like Noah, Daniel knew when the Lord would come for him seven days before the resurrection, so why didn't the Israelites go in a pre-Tribulation rapture if there was one? Daniel tells us to the day when the rapture and resurrection are by giving a sign to be read in our day. (Dan.9:27) And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week (a sign to be read in our day): and in the midst of the week (mid-Tribulation) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease…. As we saw, this “week” or shabua is “a seven” of years that the beast makes a covenant for. Notice in the “midst” of this Tribulation covenant, he causes the sacrifice of the burnt offering to cease. The “midst” comes after the first 3½ years of the Tribulation, which are 1260 days according to Revelation 12:6 (Notice the numbers). “The woman fled into the wilderness…a thousand two hundred and threescore days (1260).” That would make 1260 days until the burnt offering is taken away. Then we are given another count of 1290 days until the end of the Tribulation. (Dan.12:11) And from the time that the continual [burnt-offering] shall be taken away (mid-Tribulation)…there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Now we see that there are 1260 days before the sacrifice ceases and 1290 days afterward. That comprises the Jewish lunisolar seven years of the Tribulation, after which the saints enter the ark. Then we are given another count of 1335 days from the “midst of the week” until the resurrection. (12) Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. (13) But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest (die), and shalt stand in thy lot (resurrection), at the end of the days. This resurrection comes simultaneously with the rapture when the ark lifts off. There it is to the day! The 1260 days for the first 3½ years plus 1335 days past that gives us 2595 days from the time the covenant with many is made until Jesus comes for the resurrection/rapture. So, even though no man in Jesus' day knew, once the covenant begins, we will know the day. The resurrection/rapture only appears to be forty-five days after the end of the Tribulation. In Noah's account the ark left forty days after the tribulation. (Gen.7:10)…After the seven days…. (17)…the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. There appears to be a five-day difference between the days of Noah and the days of Daniel, but actually, there is none. God, who narrated Noah's account, used solar time, as we have seen, which is actual time, to typify the seven years of tribulation. However, when He gave Daniel's account, we can see that He was using their Jewish lunisolar calendar, which was necessary then to show types and shadows. This calendar was only corrected for solar time after every six years. From the writings of Moses and the prophets, we know that they, by then, had a 360-day year. Multiply this by 3½ and you get the 1260 days of the first 3½ years. They adjusted to solar time after every six years by adding a leap month of thirty days, which would make the second 3½ years 1290 days. We can see that Daniel's figure of 1290 days above for the second 3½ years takes into account a leap month. It appears that the Tribulation will start the year after a leap month, so that six years later, thirty days will be added. This would leave one more year remaining in the Tribulation, which the Jews would not have corrected for solar time by adding five days. Since the Jews only adjusted after every six years, they wouldn't add the five days after the final (or seventh) year. This is also proven by the equation: 1260 + 1290 = 2550 but 7 x 365 = 2555. The Jews were five days short of a 365-day year. However, most of the Gentiles have these five days included in every year of 365 days. With this five-day solar correction to Daniel's account, he and Noah are in total agreement. Jesus takes His saints forty days after the Tribulation, which is 2595 days after the covenant is made. There is one more calculation before we include all of this in one chart and that is the return of the Lord with His saints. (Gen.7:11) In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. (17) And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth. That was when the flood started and this is when it ended with their return. (8:13) And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year…. (14) And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry. (15) And God spake unto Noah, saying, (16) Go forth from the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Since we have seen that the Bible says the flood of wrath is a year, this text has to agree with that. Considering that they had a 354-day lunar year at that time, if we started at the beginning of the day stated in verse 14, when the waters dried up, we would have approximately a 365-day solar year. Or, if we started at the same time on each day and they left the ark the next morning, we would have a 365-day solar year. If we subtract from the forty days that they were in the ark, we see that 325 days after the ark left, they set foot on earth (365 - 40 = 325). This brings us to day 2920 from the making of the covenant (365 x 8 years = 2920 days). On this day, as it was with Noah, the Lord appears with His wife and children. (Another symbol seen here is that the ark is Jesus in Whom the family of Noah, meaning “rest,” abided.) This is when Noah sacrificed the beasts on an altar (20) and God said He would not “again smite any more everything living” (21). This is when the Lord and His saints return to sacrifice the armies of the beasts of the nations (Rev.19:11-18). The Lord called this “a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel” (Eze.39:17). Thus, we are given the signs to read in our day that from the time the covenant is made, unto the coming of the Lord for His saints, is 2595 days and His return with His saints is 2920 days. The above figures of two witnesses, Noah and Daniel, let us know that God included no fractions of .24 in the 365-day year. The Jewish solar correction from 1260 to 1290 for six years changed their 360-day year in Daniel's account to 365 days just as in Noah's account. Why no fraction? We just had proof that judgments can affect the rotation of the Earth, changing the number of days in a year. The earthquake on December 26, 2004, off the west coast of northern Sumatra in the Indian Ocean, was said by scientists to have tilted the Earth by an extra 2.5 centimeters and sped up the rotation by some three microseconds, and much greater, and more frequent earthquakes are coming. We are told in Scripture that the earth will be struck by meteors and that it “shall stagger like a drunken man” (Isa.24:20). These kinds of judgments could easily slow the rotation. This would lengthen the days but shorten the number of days in a year, possibly by .24. I am sure this will bring to some minds Jesus' words. (Mat.24:22) And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. The primary meaning of this is that God's elect leave in the ark before the end, shortening the number of days for the “elect's sake” but not for the wicked. Perhaps there is a secondary symbolic meaning here as well. Another objection that some might have is that 1260 days does not bring us to a perfect “midst of the week.” The Hebrew word used here for midst is chatsi, and it's not used in the Bible to mean “perfect center.” “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed…And the sun stayed in the midst of heaven” (Jos.10:13), “take me not away in the midst of my days” (Psa.102:24), “the Mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst” (Zech.14:4). See what I mean? However, 1260 days does bring us to the “midst” of the lunar days in this week. It also brings us between the lunar and solar corrected days. We see conclusively that the saints will be here for forty days of the wrath, although they are not in the wrath, for they are in the ark, which also represents fully abiding in Jesus. (1Th.5:9) For God appointed us not unto wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Passover was a type of this forty-day preservation in the spiritual ark. The Passover and the Ark are both the last judgment before the saints leave Egypt as a type of the world. The Lord said to me, “During that last forty days there will be a corporate, Psalm 91, Passover of the curse for the saints.” We hear from many that the Lord will come “as a thief in the night” (1Th.5:2) in a pre-Tribulation rapture of the Church. After the judgments on Egypt (a type of the world), Israel was freed to leave at midnight (Exo.12:29-31), which is also when the wise virgins left (Mat.25:6). Then, as in Noah's Day of the Lord, the Egyptians were killed by a flood at the Red Sea. Midnight for an overwhelmingly Gentile Church is the end of one day and the beginning of a new day, the Day of the Lord, when the world is destroyed. Let us see when the thief comes. (1Th.4:16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; (17) then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (5:1) But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that aught be written unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. Here we see that the Lord's coming in the Day of the Lord is as a “thief,” but when is that? (2Pet.3:10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Peter tells us plainly that the thief comes not at the beginning of the Tribulation but when the earth is burned up in the last Day of the Lord! (11) Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in [all] holy living and godliness, (12) looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? We are not told to look for a secret pre-Tribulation rapture, but to live holy lives to escape the wrath of God when heaven and earth will be destroyed. (13) But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Noah lived a holy life, went through the seven days/years and escaped at the beginning of the wrath, and came down on a new earth, for the first earth was destroyed by the flood. Everything will happen according to type. (1Cor.10:11) Now these things happened unto them (Israel) by way of example (Greek: “figure or type”); and they were written for our admonition (Christians), upon whom the ends of the ages are come. God will finish His born-again creation on this morning of the seventh millennial day as He did with the natural creation. (Gen.2:2) And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made…. This morning of the seventh millennium is the seventh day for “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2Pet.3:8). A morning of a thousand-year day could be years instead of hours. However, we are told that the city of God will be saved from the raging nations and the melting earth “at the dawn of morning,” which narrows the time down considerably. (Psa.46:5) God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God will help her, and that right early (Hebrew: “at the dawn of the morning”). (6) The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted. What we will now prove is that early at the dawning of the seventh millennium, after seven years of tribulation, at the seventh or last trump, with a great shout, the saints will enter the heavenly New Jerusalem. For proof of this, consider these promises and the type that follows. As we have seen, “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout” (1Th.4:16), and “we shall all be changed…at the last trump” (1Cor.15:51- 52). Notice that “all” will be changed at the “shout” of the “last trump.” In an attempt to make a pre-Tribulation rapture fit, some have adopted the oxymoron that there are two last trumps. However, in Revelation 10:7 the only last trump, which is the seventh, is the time in which “is finished the mystery of God.” (Rev.11:15) And the seventh angel sounded (last trump); and there followed great voices in heaven (saints), and they said, The kingdom of the world is become [the kingdom] of our Lord…. (16) And the four and twenty elders… worshipped God, (17) saying…thou hast taken thy great power, and didst reign. (18) And the nations were wroth (Tribulation), and thy wrath came (Day of the Lord or flood), and the time of the dead to be judged (resurrection), and [the time] to give their reward to thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, the small and the great; and to destroy them that destroy the earth. The last trump is the time when the Lord takes personal possession of the world, His saints are brought to heaven and given their reward, and the wrath of God is poured out on the nations who are left. Therefore, the last trump rapture is at the end of the Tribulation, in the beginning of the flood of God's vengeance, the Day of the Lord! (Isa.34:8) For the Lord hath a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion. The apostate (fallen away) Christians will not escape this wrath any more than the apostate Jews escaped the wrath in 70 A.D., when the true people of God fled to the mountains, a type of the rapture. The unripe figs will be cast down at this time (Rev.6:13) and the lukewarm spewed out of the body of Christ (Rev.3:16) to partake of God's wrath. Let's see more proof of when this last trump shout comes. Look at a type, which is fulfilled on the morning of the “seventh day,” representing the morning of the seventh thousand-year day, which is where we are now. Joshua, which is Hebrew for Jesus, brought the saints out of the wilderness, representing the end of the Tribulation. Here, the Israelites came to the city of Jericho. Like heaven, it was an impenetrable fortress for mere man to enter. This was the first city of the Promised Land, representing the New Jerusalem. Here, they compassed the city “seven times.” “Times” are used for years of tribulation in Revelation 12:14,6. “A time (one year), and times (two years), and half a time (half a year)” were “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” or 3½ years. While compassing the city “seven times” they blew “seven trumpets,” representing the seven trumps of the seven years of Tribulation and resurrection/rapture. Then the saints gave a “great shout” and the wall separating them from the New Jerusalem fell. The falling of the wall represents the falling of the flesh as the saints receive their new bodies to “go up” into their Promised Land. Here it is: (Jos.6:4) And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark (before the coming of the Lord): and the seventh day (seventh millennium) ye shall compass the city seven times (seven-year tribulation), and the priests shall blow the trumpets (seven trumpets of tribulation, resurrection/rapture). (5) And it shall be, that, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn (the last trump), and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall go up every man straight before him (saints raptured around the world). From clear Biblical chronology, we have come to the beginning of the seventh thousand-year day from Adam. According to this type we are now on the threshold of the seven years and seven trumpets of tribulation, before entering the heavenly New Jerusalem with a great shout. Later this is repeated in the text but the timing is narrowed to “early at the dawning of the day.” (15) And it came to pass on the seventh day (seventh millennium), that they rose early at the dawning of the day (that is where we are now!), and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times (the Tribulation). (16) And it came to pass at the seventh time (end of the Tribulation), when the priests blew the (seven) trumpets, Joshua (Hebrew: “Jesus”) said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city. From this, you can clearly see that the rapture will come early at the dawning of the seventh millennium, after seven years of tribulation, at the seventh or last trump, with a great shout, as the saints enter the New Jerusalem. The Feast of Trumpets has long been thought to be the time of Jesus' return for His saints, even by the pre-Tribulation rapture multitudes. (Lev.23:24) Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest (Sabbath) unto you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation (Hebrew: “rehearsal”). This feast is a rehearsal for the rapture/resurrection, which also happens after the “blowing of (seven) trumpets” during the previous seven years. It is fulfilled on a Sabbath, which represents the seventh thousand-year Sabbath day. It is also fulfilled on the first day of the seventh month, which at least says that spiritually it will be very early on the seventh thousand-year day. However, the rapture/resurrection could also physically happen on the first day of the seventh Hebrew month, Tishri, which is our September/October. This feast is celebrated with joy and solemnity. During the daily prayer service, a ram's horn or shofar is sounded, representing the last trump. Jewish - the seven days of the creation of the world, and it is a day when God takes stock of all of His creation. Likewise, on that anniversary, God could finish His born-again creation by taking the saints early on the morning of the seventh thousand-year day. Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year” in Hebrew. The Jews believe that God's judgment on this day determines the course of the coming year. This turns out to be true spiritually, for the rapture/resurrection is a judgment that determines who will go through that year called the Day of the Lord. In order to see this timing in the feasts of Israel, I want to share with you a wonderful revelation that the Lord gave me. There are four types seen in Israel's experience that give the timing for the coming days: their Time in Egypt; their Time in the Wilderness; and two types of their Time in the Promised Land. These tell the end time story of the last eight years. Earlier in the Hidden Manna book, I shared what I call the Panoramic View, in which these types tell one consecutive story when laid end to end. The people of God were saved from bondage to the Egyptians, the old man, and were baptized in the sea. Then they were tried in their wilderness tribulation to prove who would go to the heavenly Promised Land. In this view, it is clear that the people of God will not jump from Egypt to the Promised Land of heaven without going through the wilderness, as pre-tribbers believe. These four types in Israel's experience can also be seen in what I call the Parallel View, which is another fulfillment of the last eight years for the Church. Let me explain each individual type first and then we will see them in parallel. 1) [The Time in Egypt] – The judgments come upon the world in the Tribulation, as they did in Egypt, and then the saints escape to heaven as the wicked die in the flood of wrath at the Red Sea. 2) [The Time in the Wilderness] – The saints are tried in their wilderness tribulation and then escape to the heavenly Promised Land. 3) [The Time in the Promised Land] – In the Tribulation the spiritual man, as the Israelite was, will be highly motivated and empowered to take the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word” (Eph.6:17) and conquer the carnal man in the Promised Land of his own life or soul. (2Cor.4:16)…Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. As the old carnal man is conquered we become the heavenly land of rest, bearing the fruit of the spiritual man. (1Cor.3:9) For we are God's fellow-workers: ye are God's husbandry (Greek: “tilled land”), God's building. (Isa.5:7) For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel…. If we walk by faith in the promises, then we take the land, and if not, then the old man takes it back and the fruit is corrupted. (Mal.3:11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field (world), saith the Lord of hosts. (12) And all nations shall call you happy; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts. Carnal Christians can lose their fruit in this world and never fully enter the kingdom. As they submit to the carnal man he wins the battle for their Promised Land, and Christ in them, Who is the spiritual man, will be crucified again. (Heb.6:4) For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, (6) and [then] fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. (7) For the land which hath drunk the rain (of the Word) that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, re­ceiveth blessing from God: (8) but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected (Greek: “reprobated”) and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned. Those who do not take seriously the command to drive the carnal man's lusts of the flesh from their land will be reprobated. 4) [The Time in the Promised Land] – While physical Israel had a physical Promised Land, spiritual Israel, the Church, has a spiritual Promised Land. And while the land of this world will be destroyed, the spiritual land of the life of the righteous will be healed, for like their Lord, their “kingdom is not of this world” (Joh.18:36). (2Chr.7:14) If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. In the Tribulation, the saints first conquer their flesh so that their personal Promised Land is healed. Then they become in totality the spiritual man. These, as those who go in the ark, are God's heavenly land of rest, for “Noah” in Hebrew means “rest.” As Noah went through the seven days in type, the righteous will conquer themselves in their tribulation. After the Tribulation at the last trump, the world itself becomes their physical Promised Land. (Rev.11:15) And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become [the kingdom] of our Lord, and of his Christ…. (Mat.5:5) Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. When this world also becomes the saints' kingdom, then they can conquer the enemies in the earthly Promised Land. The wicked will be under their feet in judgment just as it was with Noah. (Mal.4:3) And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make, saith the Lord of hosts. In the Parallel View, these four types tell one complete story of the last eight years of the Tribulation and Day of the Lord. Imagine making three transparencies of these three types and laying them on top of one another so that all three can be seen at one time. In this way, we can see the full end time story. As the judgments fell upon Egypt so they will fall on the world in the Tribulation of the saints. During this time, the saints will be sanctified by driving the carnal man from the Promised Land of their lives so the kingdom of heaven is fully manifested in them. Then, in the rapture/resurrection, they fully enter the kingdom and conquer the wicked in the Promised Land of this world in the Day of the Lord's wrath. We see from all of the types that there is no pre-Tribulation-all-fly-away rapture. God's plan is to manifest His character of patience, faith, hope, love, and perfection in the saints through the Tribulation trials. (Rom.5:3)…We also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness; (4) and stedfastness, approvedness (character); and approvedness, hope: (5) and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts…. (Jas.1:2, Numeric) Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations (trials); (3) knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. (4) And let patience have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. Taking the people of God out of this world, when they are unsanctified and unregenerate, would defeat God's purpose.

(Listen to the hymn "Jerusalem the Golden" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7SLjwzKfCw)Watch this! I am about to create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered. They will not come to mind (Isaiah 65:17). Amen.Bernard of Cluny was a Benedictine monk in the 12th century. The verses of "Jerusalem the Golden" are a minute portion of a three-thousand-line poem written in meter form. Bernard of Cluny's poem was a bitter satire on the fearful corruptions he saw in the year 1145. He contrasted those corruptions with the magnificent glories of what heaven will be like for God's saints. This hymn gives the opposite of what we see and experience.What are we seeing and experiencing? The National Guard has been deployed to multiple violent cities like Washington, D.C., Portland, and Memphis. The United States government has been shut down for several weeks. Food pantries are being flooded with requests. Aggressive protests have been in various places.Over 7,000 Nigerian Christians have been killed by Muslims the past few weeks. Slaughters like this upon Christians have been going on for a long time. President Trump is the only president in my lifetime who has called attention to this slaughter. More than that, he's willing to put American military might behind his statement to put an end to this massacre.Here are some stories you may not have heard of. Last week, several infected monkeys escaped in Mississippi. A mom shot one to protect her kids. An American father and teen son were stung to death by Asian hornets while ziplining in Laos. A logger in Malaysia was trampled by a herd of elephants that attacked their camp. He survived with two broken legs. But while he was recovering in the hospital tent, the bull elephant returned and trampled the logger to death.All of this serves to remind us that we are no longer in the perfection of Eden anymore. Sin infects our hearts and affects our lives continually. We daily feel God's curse upon humanity and nature because of Adam and Eve's fall in the Garden.That's why we Christians are more comfortable and confident in the future than we are in the present. The present is filled with uncertainty in our elected officials. There is doubt about our safety with the violence in our streets. We cry out at the deaths of so many Christians. We know that the end of time must be near as evidenced this last Sunday when the Packers lost to the Panthers and the Vikings beat the Lions."Jerusalem the Golden" proclaims this confidence in the future. Please open to this hymn in your Supplement so you can follow along. You'll be spared. I'll be reading the verses … not singing them."Jerusalem the golden, with milk and honey blest." This is a beautiful picture of what the Israelites would find when they entered the Promised Land of Canaan. Our Promised Land is heaven."The sight of it refreshes the weary and oppressed." We have been living in the desolation and desert of this sinful, barren wilderness. We are worn out and weary. We are oppressed by a culture that hinders the vocal expression of our faith. But we are excited and refreshed to come home to heaven.Here in church we receive a foretaste of our heavenly home. This is where heaven meets earth. The pillars of Jerusalem the Golden are based within the Christian churches of earth. Here in worship is the place where we can feel at home. We are refreshed in the words of absolution as our sins are forgiven. We are washed clean once again in the baptismal waters of our youth. It is at the font where we have God's Triune name placed on our foreheads (Revelation 22:4). We hear the voice of Jesus and behold his face in the Scripture readings. We physically dine with our fellow earthly saints as we eat Christ's sacramental meal. We spiritually dine with our fellow heavenly saints around Christ's banquet table as we come to the Lord's sacramental feast. We receive the peace of God's threefold benediction."I know not, oh, I know not what joys await us there, what radiancy of glory, what bliss beyond compare." This is not a neutral place that Christ has won for us. It is full of bliss and glory. We cannot know what joys await us there. We cannot even begin to imagine what heaven is like – perfection, holiness, without sin. We have tastes of it in absolution and Communion. But we cannot fully understand or appreciate it until we arrive in the new heaven and new earth. There in the New Jerusalem, "the wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox" (Isaiah 65:25)"To sing the hymn unending with all the martyr throng, amidst the halls of Zion resounding full with song." The halls of Zion are Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the holy city. It was where God was. God was in the temple. God's temple on earth is the Christian Church. We gather together here in church as the halls of Zion. Christ in us and us in Christ – a mystical union. Our house is not our home. Our church is our real home on earth. This is where we feel most at peace and at rest. For we are with the saints at Lord of Lords. Even more than that, our voices are joining with the martyr throng of saints that have already gone home to heaven. Our combined voices shake the halls of Zion."Oh, sweet and blessed country, the home of God's elect! Oh, sweet and blessed country That eager hearts expect." As patriotic Americans, we love this country. But we are citizens of a sweeter and more blessed country. We are God's elect - chosen in eternity to be with God for eternity.Revelation 22 is the fitting conclusion for the events of Genesis 3. Because of the Fall, humanity was driven out of the Garden and the Tree of Life was barred by the angel with the flaming sword. But God promised to send the seed of the woman to destroy the serpent and to bring the blessing of life once more to dead and dying humanity, to remove the curse brought by sin. That promise was kept when the woman's Son came into the world to destroy the power of the Ancient Serpent.We see that promise fulfilled in Jerusalem the Golden. As St. John writes, "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him" (Revelation 22:1-3).In the Garden of Eden, a river went out to water the garden. In the New Jerusalem, John sees a river watering the inhabitants of the city. The river of life flowing out from the throne reminds us that the source of our salvation is not to be found in anything we have done or merited. The sole source of our salvation is God, not just any god, but that God who has prepared his salvation for us through the Lamb, who now sits with him on the throne.The Tree of Life is transplanted on either side of the river. The tree is no longer in a garden but in a city. Because of sin, Adam and Eve never got to eat from the Tree of Life. Now, because of what Jesus accomplished on the barren tree of the cross, we will be able to eat from the Tree of Life for all eternity. Its fruit bestows immortality. Its leaves serve to heal the nations. "No longer will there be any curse" (Revelation 22:4). Cancer, broken hips, torn up knees – Jesus provides healing. The appearance of the tree and river help show that the end will be like the beginning … only better."Where they who with their leader have conquered in the fight forever and forever are clad in robes of white." The pierced Lamb sitting on his throne is holding his captain's flag. This is an apocalyptic war. Here on earth, we are part of the Saints Militant – we are saints at war – at war with our sinful nature, at war with Satan and his demonic horde, at war with the enemies of the gospel. But in heaven we will become a part of the Saints Triumphant – our sinful nature will be gone, Satan will have been hurled down into the abyss once and for all, and the enemies of Christ will be locked up in their hellish prison. The curse of sin that we feel in this world will be gone once and for all (Revelation 12:3).The saints are clad in robes of white. We will wear our white baptismal gowns for eternity. We are pure. We are sacred. We are holy. The only reason why we will be able to stand before a holy God and see his face (Revelation 22:4) is because Christ has made us holy in baptismal waters."Jesus in mercy bring us to that dear land of rest where sings the host of heaven your glorious name to bless." Jesus should bring us to the hellish land in his justice. Instead, he brings us to his dear land of rest in his mercy. It is because of this mercy that we will join in singing to the Lamb for eternity. We often think that we are silenced upon our death. Not so. We will join with the martyr throng. As Christ's martyrs, sometimes our voices are louder and remembered longer after our death. But that means we need to be speaking loudly and boldly as pastors, parents, and grandparents to the next generations."The Christ is ever with them; the daylight is serene. the pastures of the blessed are ever rich and green." Jesus died outside of Jerusalem. He was the sacrifice. He died in the darkness so that there is no more darkness. He is the light of the world so there is no need for the sun in heaven. "There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light" (Revelation 22:5). The pastures are ever rich and green. The tree of life produces twelve crops of fruit, one crop each month. We will be well fed and refreshed."There is the throne of David; and there from care released, the shout of them that triumph, the song of them that feast." The King is coronated on the throne of David. Jesus is crowned with thorns. The cross is Christ's glory. In suffering we see God's true glory. Jesus was hanging naked on the tree so that he is now robed in glory for eternity. It is because of Christ's suffering, wounds, and death, that we can inherit this New Jerusalem. It is ours already right now. But it is only when we finally arrive in Jerusalem the Golden will we be released from all cares – free from sickness, sin, death, the devil.That's why we have shouts of triumph. We are with our Leader. There at the throne of David, our Leader is coronated as the King over all creation. The one who reigns and his feet are resting upon the earth."To God enthroned in glory the Church's voices blend, the Lamb forever blessed, the Light that knows no end." The Church's voices blend – all saints of all places and all times. Not a church confined to Casper. But the Christian Church that combines heaven and earth. We join with the saints in singing praises to the Lamb upon his throne. It is one long continuous liturgy – it is the work of the people in praising God; it is the work of God in being present among his people.This morning, instead of private confession, take the time for private praise. Bow your head and praise God for inviting you into Jerusalem the Golden.Private praise."Jerusalem the Golden" is an ancient hymn that has found new life in our churches. There are two versions of this hymn in the new hymnal. We'll sing another version next Sunday. We'll use this hymn for festival services and Christian funerals. It is a hymn that comforts and consoles, while at the same time proclaiming and professing our faith.It is a faith that announces that we Christians are more comfortable and confident in the future than we are in the present. Isaiah, Revelation, and "Jerusalem the Golden" all together proclaim our confidence in the future. Because our future is with the Lamb on his throne gathered with the saints triumphant in Jerusalem the Golden. Amen.Rejoice and celebrate forever, because of what I am creating. Watch this! I am about to create Jerusalem to be a source of gladness, and her people will be a source of joy (Isaiah 65:18). Amen.View this sermon (with video and/or audio recording) on our website: https://www.casperwels.com/sermons/jerusalem-the-golden/

Send us a textVIDEO PODCASTPowerpoint Notes http://www.restoredgospel.com/PODCASTLINKS/TFPJosephCovenant.pdfThe Promise To Abraham• Abraham gave life to Israel (12 tribes) and Gentiles (12 tribes).• These Nations have only known hostility.• Promise brings an end to wars.The Covenant with Abraham results in New Jerusalem on Earth (no mention of a covenant with Enoch). Ether 6• Israel Restored, Gentiles numbered among them.• All See Eye to Eye in Jesus.• But How?Over five years ago we did a series called "The Final Prophecy". Corey taught this over a number of weeks?   What is The Final Prophecy?  The Story of God returning to His creation.  Even Jesus Christ.  And His great working with mankind through the ages to prepare us for that return where we can be brought back to His presence, changed by the blood of Himself, even Jesus, to stand before His holiness clean and prepared for eternity with Him.   Nothing in the flesh will ever satisfy the great need we have as created beings to return and be in the presence of our Father, Creator, and Savior.   Join us on this journey updated with additional understandings and clarity from the teachings in the Book of Mormon .   Restored Gospel - Scripture Search and Study Resources Contact us:restoredgospelpodcast@gmail.comMusic by Michael Barrett

In this episode, Gabe and Rebekah sit down with their friends Ryan and Raechel Myers, the founders of the global ministry She Reads Truth and He Reads Truth. What does it look like to build a marriage, a family, and a demanding business all under one roof? The Myerses live this integrated life every day. This is a candid conversation about the dance of being spouses and business partners. In this episode, you'll learn:The surprising story of how She Reads Truth grew from a personal hashtag into a global community.How to be "ruthless about unity" and resolve conflict quickly when your spouse is also your business partner.The challenges and hard-won rhythms of practicing Sabbath and "turning off" work when your work is at home.Simple, daily practices to stay rooted in the Word and connected as a couple.How understanding the Bible's meta-narrative—especially the theme of "home" from Eden to the New Jerusalem—can transform your faith.Resources:Use code RHYTHMS15 for 15% off anything in the Advent Collection: https://www.shopshereadstruth.com/collections/advent-2025-tidings-of-comfort-and-joy/Learn more about She Reads Truth and He Reads Truth at SheReadsTruth.comThe Journal For Us: 10 Conversations Every Couple Needs to HaveReserve your spot now for Rhythms Retreat November 21-22 in Franklin, TN. Create a free THINQ Account to access more trusted content like this on topics from all channels of culture at thinqmedia.com.Unlock the THINQ Summit 2025 All-Access Pass before it's released to the public: https://thinqmedia.com/access25/More from the THINQ Podcast Network: UnderCurrent with Gabe Lyons: https://www.youtube.com/@gabe_lyonsThe InFormed Parent with Suzanne Phillips: https://www.youtube.com/@InFormedParentNextUp with Grant Skeldon: https://www.youtube.com/@GrantSkeldonNeuroFaith with Curt Thompson: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/neurofaith-with-curt-thompson-md/id1613240148

In this episode of Wake Up, Look Up, Pastor Zach examines London's economic decline under secular leadership and asks whether building cities independent of God leads to collapse. He highlights the dangers of moral relativism and godless policies, emphasizing that true flourishing comes when innovation, justice, and collaboration are rooted in God's wisdom. Pastor Zach encourages listeners to reflect on the spiritual foundations of society and long for the eternal stability of the New Jerusalem.Have an article you'd like Pastor Zach to discuss? Email us at wakeup@ccchapel.com!

Better Homes and Garden The last several newsletters have investigated the Torah's ancient call to hospitality, not just a a nice thing to do, but as a vital preparation to inherit the Kingdom. Our hospitality study trail through the Torah, Prophets, Writings, and New Covenant started with Song of Songs 5:1, a restoration of the Bride and Bridegroom to the Garden of Eden: "I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam.I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, friends; drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.” This hospitality verse is thought to be one source for the traditional belief that the four rivers of Eden flow with milk, honey, wine, and balsam. In past newsletters, we made the connection between hospitality to the needy and the righteous stranger and one's preparation for to inherit, or even just enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 25:34-46). Entering the Father's House, which was prepared for the righteous from the foundation of the world, is contingent upon preparing one's own house. Yeshua will definitely knock on the door! The very light of the earth was sown for the righteous at the beginning (Ps 97:11), the light of the Word of good works for them to walk in eternally (Eph 2:10). A better garden will be filled with the multiplication of human beings, the precious crown of creation created to fellowship with the Holy One Himself. Yeshua taught his disciples that the "rooms" of the Garden, their eternal home of inheritance, are being prepared for them, yet they also must prepare to inherit by preparing their own homes on earth. This would cause the Presence of the Creator to dwell comfortably in them. Better home, better Garden. "Depart from evil and do good, so you will abide forever. For the LORD loves justice and does not forsake His godly ones; they are preserved forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever." (Ps 37:27-29) ?????????? ??????????????? ????????????? ????? ???????? The commentators to the verse in Song of Songs 5:1 connect it to Psalm 37:27-29 above in the Midrash Rabbah and write, ”The word yishkenu should not be translated as ‘they will dwell,' but as a causative verb in the present tense, ‘They cause to dwell.'” “If only the righteous dwell upon the earth, what will the wicked do? Shall they fly in the air? Rather, the verse means that the wicked did not cause the Divine Presence to dwell on earth, but the righteous did cause the Divine Presence to dwell on earth.” (5§1) In yishkenu, you see the root of shachan, "to dwell," and the "Shechinah," or indwelling Presence. The Presence of the Creator Elohim has always longed to have an intimate relationship with human beings. He did not appoint them to rule of the earth in order to be a distant, cold judge of their actions, but so they would administer on His behalf according to His will because His Word was alive in them through fellowship. They would be able rulers because of their daily walking and talking in the special abode, the Garden of Eden. The Garden is thought to hover just above the Land of Israel, its centerpoint over Jerusalem. From there the Kingdom will be administered by Yeshua. The righteous are those whose lives are a home of hospitality to the Presence of Elohim. They CAUSE Him to descend for the fellowship He longs for with His creation. Inheriting the Land of Israel, the administrative center of the entire earth, is a matter of preparation. Even in Revelation 21:2, the Bride is described as the inhabitants of New Jerusalem “prepared for her husband.” Prepared. Prepared. Who is the Bride? Those who prepared the better Garden, working the will of the Word in their lives, which affects what Yeshua prepares for them in the Third Heaven, or the Garden of Eden. Is there something in our hospitality study to connect us to this Third Heaven?

Pastor Snook preaches from Revelation 21 and provides us a glimpse of what heaven will be like for those who are saved in Christ.Imagine a place where pain, sorrow, and tears cease to exist—where sin is eradicated and death becomes a distant memory. This powerful exploration of Revelation 21 and 22 invites us into the breathtaking reality of New Jerusalem, the holy city of God. Far from being merely symbolic, this is a literal, physical city—a massive cube measuring 1,500 miles in every direction, adorned with foundations of precious stones, gates made of single pearls, and streets of transparent gold. What makes this city truly extraordinary isn't just its unimaginable beauty, but what it represents: God's ultimate dwelling place with His people for all eternity. The pearl gates themselves carry profound symbolism—formed through the irritation and wounding of an oyster, they remind us that our access to heaven comes only through the wounds of Christ on the cross. The river of life flowing from God's throne symbolizes the pleasure and prosperity that come from Him alone, not from the world's empty promises. Yet this sermon carries an urgent warning: entrance to this glorious city is reserved only for those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We're challenged to examine whether we've truly received Christ as Savior, and to recognize that heaven isn't earned through good works but received through repentance and faith. As we contemplate this magnificent future home, we're called to be 'heavenly minded'—not as escapism, but as motivation to live with eternal perspective and share this hope with others who are still seeking their way home.

A Sermon for All Saints' Day St. Matthew 5:1-12 by William Klock What does it mean to be “blessed”?  In today's Gospel we hear St. Matthew's telling of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount—or the beginning of it, at any rate.  Blessed is this person and blessed is that person.  But what does it mean to be blessed?  And what's Jesus really getting at with this list: being poor in spirit, mournful, meek, merciful, and so on?  And who is the promise of blessing for?  This past Monday I found myself listening to a sermon by one of these woke, “exvangelical” guys whose ministry is about walking people through the deconstruction of their faith.  If you haven't come across it yet, “deconstruction” is a trendy euphemism for apostasy.  You throw away all the bits of Christianity that you can't harmonise with the secular world, leaving behind a gospelless gospel—like the security blanket I had as a toddler.  I wouldn't get rid of it, so my mom slowly cut it down, a little bit at a time until all I had was a little bit of fabric I could hold.  It wasn't a blanket anymore, but for some silly reason I still found security in it.  These folks do that with the gospel.  This preacher was preaching on the Sermon on the Mount and he started out by holding up Mohandas Gandhi as the one man who followed Jesus better than anyone else in the Twentieth Century.  Gandhi heard these words of Jesus and faithfully followed him.  Never mind that he was also a devout Hindu.  This preacher reduced the Sermon on the Mount to a bracing ethic.  It's Jesus teaching us how to be good and, through that, how to make the world a better place.  It doesn't really matter, he said, if you're Christian or Jewish or Muslim or Buddhist.  Jesus just wanted people to live this way and in doing so, we'll know the blessings of a better world.  He took the gospel and turned it into law.  And not even a good law.  The Old Testament law—the torah—has a lot more gospel to it than I think we often realise.  At its heart was that first and greatest commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  The God who reveals himself in the scriptures.  Not Zeus or Jupiter.  Not the gods of Gandhi's Hindu pantheon.  Not Mohammed's corruption of the biblical God.  Only the God who has made himself known through the law and the prophets, the evangelists and apostles, and most of all through his son, Jesus the Messiah.  Without love for him, no amount of loving your neighbour as yourself will truly heal the hurts of the world.  There is no blessing apart from him—and, more specifically, apart from loving him with all our being. Why?  Because it was our rejection of him that brought sin and death into the world in the first place.  Idolatry—whether it's the worship of false gods or the worship of ourselves—idolatry is the first sin from which all the others and all the world's misery cascade.  This is why God's gracious plan to set his creation to rights began as he reestablished our relationship with him. If we look to the scriptures we see that blessing comes through being in relationship with the God of Israel.  Specifically—because “relationship” is such a squishy modern idea—specifically blessing comes through being in covenant with him.  Think of Abraham.  The Lord established a covenant with him.  The Lord promised Abraham a family and a land and great name.  In a word: blessing.  In return Abraham was to trust him—to live by faith and to give the Lord his allegiance.  And, centuries later, when the Lord delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, consider what he did.  He revealed his glory by defeating Pharoah, his army, and his gods.  He revealed his glory in signs and wonders the likes of which no one had ever seen.  And then he met his people at Mt. Sinai.  He made them a promise: to make them great, to give them a land, and most important of all, to live in their midst.  Their end of the covenant—their promise to God—was embodied in the law.  Like Abraham, they were to live by faith and obedience and to give him their full allegiance—to love him with all their being and to love their neighbours as themselves.  And not just for their own benefit.  The Lord had a greater purpose.  He wanted the nations not only to see his glory, but for them to see the blessing that comes through living in fellowship with him. And so, before he died, as Israel was encamped in Moab and ready to cross the Jordan River to conquer Canaan, Moses assembled the people and reiterated the covenant.  “If you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, if you carefully do all his commandments, the Lord will set you high above the other nations…Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field.  Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb…and blessed shall be your basket and kneading bowl.  Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out.”  And Moses reminded them that this was no mere “duty”.  This was no mere exchange of works in return for a declaration of righteousness.  This was grace.  Through Moses, the Lord reminded the people of all he'd done for them.  He'd rescued them from Egypt.  He'd defeated Pharaoh.  He'd done signs and wonders.  Their clothes had not worn out.  He'd provided every last morsel of food that they'd eaten for forty years.  All so that they would know that “I am the Lord your God”.  In other words, to reveal his love, his grace, his glory, and above all else his faithfulness—to enter into relationship with them and to give them every reason to have faith in him and to give him their allegiance.  To keep the law was to live by faith in the character and promises of God—to love him in return for his love. And this theme rings through Israel's history and Israel's scriptures.  This is what blessing means in the biblical economy.  Think of David's words in Psalm 1: “Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, not stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law will he exercise himself day and night.  And he will be like a tree planted by the waterside, that will bring forth his fruit in due season.”  The prophets use this same language of blessing when they rebuke Israel for having strayed from the Lord.  Blessing isn't just some nebulous idea of things being good—as a lot of people use it today.  Blessing is about creation—and humanity—being set to rights.  If you want to picture “blessing” in your mind's eye, picture Adam and Eve, in the garden, all their needs provided, as they faithfully steward God's creation and live in his immediate presence.  Brothers and Sisters, that's blessing.  David wasn't posting #blessed on Instagram with a picture of his pumpkin spice latte next to the fireplace.  For David it was #blessed with a picture of the tabernacle radiating the visible presence of the Lord in the midst of a people serving and loving and taking care of each other. This is what we've got to have in mind as we listen to Jesus begin to preach his great sermon in Matthew 5.  And we have to remember that it wasn't the reality that Israel knew.  This is why the people were so desperate for the Messiah.  The world is not as it should be.  Israel was most definitely not as it was supposed to be.  They wanted to know God's blessing—not just in the sense of material prosperity—above all, they longed for his presence.  And so, Matthew writes, “Seeing the crowd, Jesus went up the hillside and sat down.  His disciples came to him.  And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Do you want to see God's kingdom, to know him as Father, to know creation set to rights, your sins forgiven, and your tears wiped away?  This is the way.  And it's not a set of ethical guidelines.  Too often we think of it that way.  It's character.  It's a mindset.  It's the character and the mindset of men and women who know desperately that the world is not as it should be.  But not just that.  Gandhi knew well enough that the world is not as it should be.  This is, first and foremost, the mindset of people who know the world as it should be is centred on the living God who created and sustains all things and us living joyfully, lovingly, and faithfully in his presence.  This is the mindset of people who have that image of Adam and Eve in the garden walking with the Lord in the cool of the day in their mind's eye and the longing of their hearts.  It's the mindset of people who have that image of tabernacle full of God's presence in the middle of a people who love him with all their being and their neighbours as themselves. And so it's the mindset of men and women who are not only outraged over sin and evil and longing for God's justice to fall on the people who have done them wrong.  It's the mindset of men and women who know that they've done wrong themselves—who know their own poverty of spirit.  Of men and women who mourn not only the sinful state of the world around them, but who also mourn their own sinfulness and the contributions they've made to the world's sick and sorry state.  It's the mindset of men and women who are meek, because they know that pride and selfishness do nothing more than deepen the world's darkness—who know that pride and selfishness are rooted in the very idolatry that drives God to the margins.  It is the mindset of men and women who, knowing the injustice and the unrighteousness of this broken world, hunger and thirst for God's justice and righteousness.  They long for his return as king to bring an end to evil and to rule with justice, because they know that we can never fix the world on our own and in our own power.  It is the mindset of those who are have known God's mercy and are therefore merciful themselves.  Of those who understand the ugliness of sin and idolatry and run from it, who are pure in heart.  It's the mindset of men and women who know the story and know of God's grace and how he loves sinners and desires above all else to be reconciled with them, and so they themselves become peacemakers and reconcilers. I don't think Jesus' list here is by any means exhaustive.  He preached this sermon more than once.  I expect he preached some version of it just about everywhere he went and it was a little different every time, which is what we see in the parallel passage in Luke's Gospel, where the list of beatitudes is shorter and a little different.  Jesus is describing a mindset using characteristics that resonated with his fellow Jews in that specific time and place.  These were the attitudes needed to counter the problems that infected First Century Israel.  Notably, these are all characteristics deeply rooted in Israel's prophetic tradition.  And I can't help but wonder if he learned this mindset, this character from his mother.  She sang her song, the one we call Magnificat and sing at Evening Prayer, when Elizabeth blessed her on hearing the news she was pregnant with the Messiah.  I wonder if Mary sang that song to Jesus when he was a boy, because we can hear echoes of it in his beatitudes: “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.  For he hath regarded the lowliness of his hand-maiden.  For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call be blessed.  For he that is mighty hath magnified me and holy is his name.  And his mercy is on them that fear him through all generations.  He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He hath put down the mighty from their set and hath exalted the humble and meek.  He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away.  He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, forever.”  Can you hear the echoes? But that's not the end of Jesus' beatitudes.  There are two more and I think they give us the key to how this works.  In verses 10-12 he continues: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of justice [or righteousness—the Greek word means both and there's no easily drawn line between justice and righteousness], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people slander you and persecute you and say all kinds of wicked things about you falsely because of me.  Celebrate and rejoice!  There's a great reward for you in heaven.  For that's how they persecuted the prophets who went before you.” And as we read that we should start to realise that while Jesus is talking about “them”, what he's also doing is outlining his own vocation and ministry.  Jesus would stand weeping over Jerusalem, mourning the unfaithfulness of his people and the judgement that was hurtling towards them like a freight train.  He would let himself be arrested and then stand, unresisting and refusing to retaliate or even to defend himself as he was mocked and spit on and beaten to within an inch of his life.  He would, beaten and bloodied, carry his own cross through the streets of Jerusalem and out to Golgotha.  His clothes would be stripped from him by the soldiers.  And as he breathed his last and died, one of those very soldiers would declare, “Surely this man was the son of God.” We think that when God comes to set the world to rights he'll send in the cavalry.  Most of the Jews in Jesus' day thought the same thing.  The Messiah would come like David, riding at the head of a great army to crush the heads of the Gentiles.  But instead the Messiah went humbly to Calvary.  He let sin and death rise up to their full height and strike him down so that when he rose from the grave three days later, he crushed the serpent's head and overturned the victory of sin and death. Brothers and Sisters, this is how God takes his throne and sets the world to rights.  This is how Jesus becomes Lord.  This is how blessing comes.  In poverty and meekness, bringing mercy and making peace.  And giving his life for the sake of his enemies.  Because any other way would simply perpetuate the very things you and I have done to get the world into the mess it's in. And now that Jesus has done it, our calling as his people is to keep doing it.  As St. Paul says, we're to have the mind of the Messiah.  This mindset has always been the mindset of the faithful people of God and it will be until the mission is one day done.  I suppose if he wanted to, God could simply save his people from their bondage, set the world to rights, and set them free to live in it, but that's not how he does things.  From the beginning he created Adam and Eve to bear his image—that means to be his stewards, to act as the priests of his temple.  And so when he delivered Israel from Egypt, he showed the people his glory and gave them reason to love and trust and obey him.  He established a covenant with them.  He took up his dwelling in their midst so that they would be his light in the midst of a dark world—so that the nations would see and come to give him glory.  He made them stewards of his glory and his grace.  And, Brothers and Sisters, in Jesus he has done the same for us. I started slowly reading through Ephesians this week—which might give you a hint of things to come—and the first thing I was struck by in the very first chapter was how, over and over, Paul proclaims the glory of God that has been revealed in Jesus and the Spirit—and that is also revealed in us.  I couldn't help but think how Jesus goes on after the Beatitudes: “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.  A city can't be hidden if it's on top of a hill…That's how you must shine your light in front of people!  Then they will see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  This is what we see at the end of Revelation: the nations seeing the glory of God revealed in Jesus and his church and streaming to the New Jerusalem to worship him.  Brothers and Sisters, God's glory revealed in us, because he's made us new, and God's glory revealed by us, as we go to live and to proclaim his new creation. It is no easy task, but it is the only way to know and to make known God's blessing.  We go out, knowing our own poverty of spirit, but also the riches of God's grace.  We go out meek and mourning, but also knowing the joy of being coheirs with the King.  We go out hungering and thirsting for justice, but we do so having experienced mercy ourselves.  We go out to battle, paradoxically, with the intent to reconcile.  And as we do this, we also transpose this Messiah-like character into the key necessary to meet our own culture.  In a world of ugliness where truth is now defined as whatever we want it to be and politicians try to win our loyalty with lies and appeals to our greed, we go out knowing that blessed are those who hunger and thirst for truth, beauty, and goodness.  In a culture obsessed with consumption and debt, we go out knowing that blessed are those who are satisfied with the riches of God.  However we do it, Brothers and Sisters, our calling is to go out into the world as light in the darkness, knowing and confident on the one hand that Jesus is Lord and has won the battle, but also going out with the same humility of spirit that took him to the cross.  Knowing that when God rides out to war to set the world to rights, it's not with the cavalry, but to the humility of Calvary.  So, too, must it be with us. Let us pray: O almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.

In this episode, Camden Bucey speaks with Danny Olinger, General Secretary of the OPC Committee on Christian Education, about his new book Christ and His Church-Bride: Meredith G. Kline's Biblical-Theological Reading of Revelation (Reformed Forum). Olinger traces how Kline's covenantal and redemptive-historical reading of Revelation portrays the church's transformation into the radiant Bride of Christ, moving from imperfection and suffering in the present age to consummate glory in the new creation. The discussion unfolds key themes of recapitulation, the conflict between Babylon and the Bride, and the covenantal drama of creation to consummation. Through rich historical and exegetical reflection, Olinger shows how Kline weaves together Genesis, Daniel, Zechariah, and Revelation to present a unified vision of redemptive history centered on Christ's victory and the Spirit's work in the church. The conversation is both theologically rigorous and pastorally hopeful—reminding listeners that Christ reigns now, the church's pilgrim identity is secure, and the gospel's progress continues unthwarted by the powers of this world. Watch on YouTube Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Book Announcement 06:27 Origins of the Book and Rediscovery of Kline's Revelation Paper 11:19 Kline's Covenant Drama: Creation to Consummation 20:55 Understanding Recapitulation in Revelation 26:24 The Deeper Conflict: The Woman, the Dragon, and the Church 31:18 The Church Imperfect and Perfected in Glory 34:25 The Armageddon Paradigm and Covenant Mount 37:51 Christ and His Church-Bride: Theological and Pastoral Heart 48:13 The New Jerusalem and the Covenant of Grace 53:09 Suffering, Sanctification, and the Bride's Purification 57:07 Babylon vs. the Bride: The Church's Pilgrim Calling 01:01:02 Christ Reigns Now: Hope for the Pilgrim Church 01:04:29 Closing, Resources, and Final Reflections

Have you ever anticipated a dream vacation? Christians today should greatly anticipate Heaven and Eternity! Revelation 21 is a Guided Tour of what we will see, hear and experience. Let's follow John as he walks through the new Jerusalem. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1388/29

Revelation 21 and 22 form the grand finale of the entire Bible. These two chapters describe the new creation — the new heaven and new earth, the New Jerusalem, and the eternal state of redeemed humanity with God.

Have you ever anticipated a dream vacation? Christians today should greatly anticipate Heaven and Eternity! Revelation 21 is a Guided Tour of what we will see, hear and experience. Let's follow John as he walks through the new Jerusalem. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1388/29

The Gospel of the Skull Crusher | KWR0053 Kingdom War Room Hosts: Dr. Michael K. Lake: Founder, Biblical Life College and Seminary, Scholar-in-Residence, Biblical Life Assembly, Co-Host of the Kingdom Intelligence Briefing, and Best-Selling Author. Dr. Mike Spaulding: Pastor, Lima Calvary Chapel, Host of Dr. Mike Live, aplogetist, and a prolific author. Dr. Corby Shuey: Pastor, Mount Zion Road Church, President-Elect of Biblical Life Seminary, and Christian author. Guest: Joel Richardson is a New York Times bestselling author, filmmaker, and Bible teacher known for his clear and passionate teaching on biblical prophecy, the return of Jesus, and God's redemptive plan for Israel and the nations. Through his books, films, and online content, Joel seeks to equip believers with a grounded, apocalyptic hope rooted in the Scriptures. The Gospel of the Skull Crusher: The Gloriously Good News of God's Plan to Fix Everything is a sweeping journey through the entire biblical story—from Eden to the New Jerusalem—revealing the Messiah as the promised "seed of the woman" who crushes the serpent's head (Genesis 3:15). This book traces the war between the two seeds through every major covenant, prophecy, and hope of Scripture. Combining biblical theology, prophetic insight, and devotional clarity, Joel Richardson unveils how the gospel is not merely about escaping this world, but about God's promise to restore all things through the victorious reign of His Son. To Purchase Book: store.joelstrumpet.com == Description Dr. Michael Lake is joined by Dr. Mike Spaulding, Dr. Corby Shuey, and special guest Joel Richardson (NYT bestselling author, filmmaker, Bible teacher) to unpack Joel's new book, The Gospel of the Skull Crusher: The Glorious Good News of God's Plan for Fixing Everything. From Genesis 3:15 and the "war of the seeds" to Jesus as the Divine Warrior, we explore why the Bible is not just a promise book—it's a war narrative with a guaranteed victory at the Cross, fully manifested at the Lord's return. We tackle the "now and not yet" paradigm, embodied hope and the resurrection, the prophetic centrality of Israel (Abrahamic & Davidic covenants), and why recovering a Hebraic, non-Platonic worldview matters for discipleship, evangelism, and everyday faith. Joel also shares why he crafted a tactile, heirloom-quality book (linen cover, foil, ribbon, full-color art) to help readers slow down, wonder, and worship—plus how to access his ongoing chapter-by-chapter Bible study series. Guest: Joel Richardson — joelstrumpet.com Book (direct): store.joelstrumpet.com Joel's App: "Joel Richardson Ministries" (iOS/Android) Partner with the Ministry: Kingdom Intelligence Briefing — https://www.kingdomintelligencebriefing.com Donate: store.biblicallifeassembly.org Mail: Biblical Life, P.O. Box 160, Seymour, MO 65746-0160 Scripture noted (ESV): "Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." — 1 John 3:2 (ESV) — Timeline of Topics (Adjust timestamps to your final edit length.) 00:00 – Opening & welcome; panel introductions; Joel's new book 02:10 – The Bible as a war narrative: Genesis 3:15 and the "war of the seeds" 06:40 – Jesus as Divine Warrior vs. the "soft" cultural caricature 09:55 – Rethinking "now and not yet": why the emphasis lands on "not yet" 15:20 – Embodied hope: resurrection, real bodies, real creation, real joy 19:45 – 1 John 2:28–3:3 and our identity as children of God (ESV) 24:30 – Speculative theology: timing of consciousness and the resurrection 28:40 – Heaven as the parent reality; millennial reign & restored order 34:55 – David & Goliath as prophetic pattern: skull-crushing the serpent 40:50 – Israel in God's plan: Abrahamic/Davidic covenants; restoration theme 49:30 – One New Man: Jews & Gentiles, veils lifted, Torah rightly understood 55:05 – Calling the Church out of Platonism and biblical illiteracy 1:00:20 – Making a tactile, heirloom book: design, art, and intent 1:05:10 – Tech vs. embodiment: reading slowly, discipling hearts 1:09:00 – Where to get the book; Joel's YouTube/app study series 1:12:10 – Final encouragements & how to partner with the ministry Hashtags #JoelRichardson, #GospelOfTheSkullCrusher, #Genesis315, #DivineWarrior, #Eschatology, #KingdomOfGod, #NowAndNotYet, #Israel, #AbrahamicCovenant, #DavidicCovenant, #BiblicalLifeTV, #Remnant, #EndTimes, #ResurrectionHope, #MessianicProphecy

Dr. Lane Tipton speaks at the Reformed Forum Annual Theology Conference, held at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois on September 27, 2025. Dr. Tipton presents Jesus Christ as the "mountain ascending mediator" and the promised seed of the woman from Genesis 3:15. Dr. Tipton argues that God's plan for redemption is framed by the concept of a holy mountain dwelling, beginning with heaven itself and its earthly counterpart, the Garden of Eden. After Adam's fall and subsequent exile from the holy mountain, God announced the first promise of the gospel—that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. This salvific ascent was foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament on key mountains (Ararat, Sinai, Moriah, and Zion), all pointing to the final ascent of Christ. Through his sacrifice, Christ successfully ascended to the heavenly mountain, providing covering for sin, overcoming the devil, and bringing his people to see God in perfected worship and everlasting beatitude. Watch on YouTube 00:00 – Introduction: The Seed of the Woman 00:24 – Christ, the Mountain-Ascending Mediator 01:00 – Heaven: The Original Mountain Temple 02:20 – Eden as Earthly Replica of Heaven 05:30 – The Covenant of Works on the Holy Mountain 07:00 – The Fall and the Promise of the Gospel 09:00 – The Proto-Evangelium: Blood and Fire 10:40 – Mountains of God: Ararat to Zion 11:00 – Heaven as Temple and Mountain of Assembly 14:00 – The Fall of Satan and the Holiness of Heaven 17:00 – Eden as Holy Mountain Sanctuary 21:00 – Adam the Priestly Guardian 23:30 – Covenant Goal: From Earthly to Heavenly Rest 27:00 – The Fall and Banishment from Eden 30:00 – The Promise of the Seed and the Symbols of Blood and Fire 33:00 – The Typological Pattern: Blood and Fire on God's Mountains 35:00 – Mount Ararat: Worship and Rest after Judgment 39:00 – Mount Sinai: Ascent through Blood and Fire 45:00 – Mount Moriah and Mount Zion: The Lord Will Provide 49:00 – The Glory Descends: Temple Worship and God's Presence 52:00 – Christ, the True Mountain-Ascending Mediator 55:00 – Hebrews: The Second Adam and True Moses 59:00 – Christ's Ascent and Heavenly Rest 1:02:00 – The Consuming Fire and the Final Ascent 1:05:00 – The New Jerusalem and the Mountain of Glory 1:07:00 – Worship the Mountain-Ascending Mediator 1:09:00 – Closing and Reformed Forum Outro

When all is said and done; when the Millennium is passed; when the Great White Throne Judgment is finished, and the last of all the loose ends are tied up; when the earth has been melted down with fervent heat; when there's a new heavens and a new earth, and the heavenly city New Jerusalem has descended upon it...who will you be?

In this address, we explore how the gates throughout the Bible—from Nehemiah's restoration to the gates of the New Jerusalem—speak of access, renewal, and the glory of God revealed through Christ, the true and living Gate. The post The Gates of Scripture appeared first on Preachers Corner.

When all is said and done; when the Millennium is passed; when the Great White Throne Judgment is finished, and the last of all the loose ends are tied up; when the earth has been melted down with fervent heat; when there's a new heavens and a new earth, and the heavenly city New Jerusalem has descended upon it...who will you be?

Wednesday, 22 October 2025   who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:46   “who, having found one highly valued pearl, having departed, he has sold all – as many as he had, and he purchased it” (CG).   In the previous verse, Jesus began the parable of the Pearl of Great Price. That continues with the words, “who, having found one highly valued pearl.”   A new word, polutimos, highly valued, is seen. It is derived from polus, much or many, and timé, a value. Thus, this signifies something of great value, a large sum of money, great honors, etc. Continuing, Jesus says, “having departed, he has sold all.”   Another new word is seen, pipraskó, to dispose of as merchandise or into slavery. One can see him taking his wares and selling them so that he has enough to make the purchase of this one pearl. He sold, “as many as he had, and he purchased it.”   The pearl merchant was willing to make this complete exchange to obtain this single pearl, knowing its value was more than what he already possessed. He saw the object, he understood its immense value, and he was willing to give up all else to obtain it.   As with the previous parable, this cannot be speaking merely of salvation during this dispensation, as pretty much every commentary states. If it is, the lesson would have to be stretched to the utmost extreme.   It is Jesus who purchased our salvation for us (1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23, Ephesians 1:14, etc.), not the other way around. The parable follows the same pattern as noted in the previous parable –   *Another parable He near-set them, saying, “It is likened, the kingdom of the heavens, to a man having sown good seed in his field.” *Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like treasure having been concealed in the field, which a man, having found, he concealed... * Again, the kingdom of the heavens, it is like a man, a merchant...   Jesus is the merchant. In this case, a pearl merchant. The pearl is the effect of the gospel, meaning those who live by faith, trusting the Lord alone for their salvation. This is why Paul could say that even Abraham was included in the gospel –   “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.' 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” Galatians 3:8, 9   It explains why the “gospel” could be preached to Israel even before Jesus completed His work (as in Matthew 4:23, etc.). Jesus was willing to give up all He had to make this purchase –   “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”  Philippians 2:5-8   It is through this that He made His purchase. This is just what it says, using the same Greek word, in 1 Corinthians 7:23, “You have been purchased [agorazó] at a price” (NAB).   A point about pearls should be considered. They are taken from shellfish, something deemed unclean under the Law of Moses. The point is that in a world full of unclean individuals, either for being condemned apart from the law or those who are condemned because of the law, God is looking for those of faith.   These comprise the pearl that is precious in God's eyes. It is not those who are self-boasting and proud of their deeds under the law that God is pleased with. God has set the parameters, and He has confirmed them in His use of metaphor. Be sure to be a person of faith. This is what God is most pleased with.   Life application: As with the previous parable, this analysis bucks against almost all others. The scholar John Gill (1697-1771) seems to have figured this out, but what he penned is otherwise pretty much ignored.   But it is unthinkable to equate what is offered freely to believers with what is stated here. It is Jesus who does the work. It is we who are prized above all in His eyes. For whatever unimaginable reason, the Bible reveals it is so. Even David struggled with this –   “What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” Psalm 8:4   We cannot do a change-up switcheroo in the subject of these parables without coming to a faulty conclusion about what is being said. Jesus clearly stated in Matthew 13:37 that the Sower is the Son of Man.   Taking these two parables and changing the subject confuses the lessons. Jesus is the reason for Scripture's presentation. We are the reason Jesus came. Were it not so, He would have no need to depart heaven, giving up all. There would be no point in it.   Instead of trying to earn God's favor through the incorrectly taught explanation of these parables, stop and consider your value to God when you believe the gospel. How can it be that He would find those of faith so precious? And yet, it is so.   When you feel that you are lacking value, all you need to do is remember what Jesus Christ was willing to do to purchase you back from Satan's power. Be assured and be reassured that you, because of your faith in Him, are a part of the pearl of great price.   This perfectly describes why the gates of the New Jerusalem are pearls, as noted in Revelation 21:21. They are a reminder of this fact.   Heavenly Father, we cannot imagine what our value is in relation to what Jesus was willing to give up in order to buy us back to You. Whatever it is, may we be people of ongoing faith, accepting that You have done it and so it must be. Thank You for the care and attention that You have lavished upon us. Amen.

On today's Podcast, we revisit a dream about our voice being added to the New Jerusalem.  Each one of us has a voice, and as it is described in Psalm 29 it thunders and breaks as we speak, as He tells us.  

In this teaching, Marilyn Hickey unpacks the glorious hope found in Revelation Chapter 21, where John is shown a vision of the new heaven and new earth. She explains how God Himself will dwell with His people, wiping away every tear and bringing an end to death, sorrow, and pain. Marilyn highlights the beauty of the New Jerusalem—described with radiant light, precious stones, and gates of pearl—emphasizing that it reflects God's holiness and eternal covenant with His children. The message assures believers that all things will be made new, encouraging us to live with anticipation, faith, and perseverance, knowing that our eternal home with Christ will be beyond anything we can imagine. Felix and I thank you for tuning in and SHARING!

There are two cities revealed in the Book of Revelation.  They are New Jerusalem and Mystery Babylon.

Crystal Rivers | Open Book | Oct 14, 2025 You possess something extraordinary: the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, who grants you unlimited access to every spiritual reality that Christ's blood has purchased. This is not a distant hope but your present reality. In the Old Testament, the tabernacle was divided into three distinct areas: the outer court, the holy place, and the most holy place (also called the holiest of all). Only the high priest could enter the most holy place where God's presence dwelt, and even then, just once a year, carrying the blood of sacrifices to obtain temporary atonement for Israel's sins. The outer court was where sacrifices occurred and where people dealt with their sins through repeated rituals. But something radical happened when Christ died and rose again. When you received Jesus as your Savior—not through religious activity or church membership, but through genuine repentance from your old nature and believing in His death and resurrection—you were immediately transported in the spirit realm into the holy place and the most holy place. This happens at the moment of salvation, not gradually over time. Here's what this means: The outer court represents the place of salvation itself, where the sacrifice occurs. Once you've received Christ, you don't remain there in endless cycles of repentance and sin-consciousness. You've been qualified by Christ's blood and conveyed into the kingdom of God. The New Testament writers don't even recognize the outer court as part of God's house for believers. It's been left for those who don't truly know God—those still trapped in worldly thinking and repetitive sin patterns. **Your Access to the Most Holy Place** Scripture commands you to come boldly—not timidly, not with inferiority, not weighed down by sin-consciousness—to the throne of grace. Christ has already entered the most holy place on your behalf. When He ascended to heaven after His resurrection, He presented His blood to the Father and sat down at God's right hand. Because He is there representing you, you are positionally there with Him. You have been raised up together with Christ and seated together with Him in heavenly places. This is where David's tabernacle becomes significant. When David brought the ark of the covenant back to Israel, he did something revolutionary: he opened it for all Israel to see, breaking the old pattern. This foreshadowed the present age where the dividing wall between the holy place and the most holy place has been removed for believers. You now have direct access to both simultaneously. **Why This Matters for Your Daily Life** You must consciously engage with this reality. In the holy place, you feed on the showbread—the spiritual truths and doctrines of Christ that nourish your understanding. In the most holy place, you commune directly with the Father, beholding His face, fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit, and drinking in His presence. This isn't optional for spiritual growth—it's essential. You cannot be transformed outside of this conscious participation. The purpose of functioning in these dimensions while you're still on earth is so you can be changed, perfected, and conformed into the exact image of Christ. As you behold Him with an unveiled face, you are metamorphosed from glory to glory into His likeness. **The Race and the Measurement** There's a specific goal you're running toward. Scripture speaks of reaching "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ"—a divine standard that determines your position in eternity. In the book of Revelation, an angel measures the New Jerusalem, which is actually the bride of Christ—believers who have been perfected. The measurement taken is described as "the measure of a man, that is, of an angel." This reveals something profound: through this process of transformation, you are being changed into something beyond ordinary humanity. Scripture says that in the day of testing and persecution, even the weak among God's people will become like David, and those who are already strong will be like God, like the angel of the Lord. You are being prepared to function not merely as a human being but as one who bears the complete image and nature of Christ—faultless, perfected, reflecting His glory. **Living From This Reality Now** Stop living as though you're still in the outer court, constantly battling with sin-consciousness and repeated repentance. You've been delivered from that realm. Yes, you deal with sin when it arises, but your identity is not found in your struggle—it's found in your position in Christ. You are already dead to sin and alive to God. Reckon this to yourself: account it, calculate it, establish it in your thinking. When challenges come—sickness, attacks, fears—don't respond from a place of spiritual inferiority. You have already tasted death in Christ. He died once for all, and so have you. Death no longer has dominion. Sin no longer has dominion. You possess eternal life—not as a future promise only, but as a present reality working in you now through the Spirit. **Your Eternal Inheritance** What you acquire during your time on earth—not material possessions, but spiritual maturity and Christ-likeness—determines your position in the world to come. That eternal city, the New Jerusalem, is not a place of endless worship services alone. It's the dwelling place of God among His people who have been perfected and who function in the enterprise of God throughout eternity. Only those who reach that divine measurement will inhabit the innermost places of that city. This is why you cannot afford to be passive or distracted. Pursue this maturity with intensity. Labor in fellowship with God. Let the Holy Spirit, who is your teacher and comforter, guide you into all truth. He works within you, cultivating resurrection power, revealing Christ, and transforming you from the inside out. You are not merely a forgiven sinner hoping to make it to heaven someday. You are a child of God, positioned in the most holy place, being perfected into the image of Christ, destined to reflect His glory as one who is like God Himself. This is your heritage, your calling, and your race. Run it with understanding, boldness, and unwavering faith. Zoom every weekday : http://www.caveadullam.org/zoom

In Revelation 21, the apostle John described a vision in which he saw "a new heaven and a new earth"," as well as "the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God" (verses 1-2). John's vision seems to contradict popular conceptions of Heaven as a place in the clouds. In this episode of Apostolic Life in the 21st Century, Dr. David K. Bernard examines what the Bible actually says about where believers will live in eternity.Visit PentecostalPublishing.com to shop Dr. Bernard's full catalog of published works. Enter promo code DKB10 at checkout to save 10 percent on your order.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.

Traditional Worship, October 12, 2025

Contemporary Worship, October 12, 2025

This sermon explores the concept of God's rest throughout Scripture, focusing on five key places where God rests with humanity: Eden, the Tabernacle of Moses, Solomon's Temple, the Church, and the New Jerusalem. The pastor emphasizes that God's rest is not inactivity but the completion of His purpose and the assumption of His reign. In the current era, God rests with His people through the Holy Spirit, making the Church His living temple.A crucial insight is that Jesus' death was not only about the forgiveness of sins but also about fulfilling the Mosaic Law and establishing God's rest among His people. Christians are called to both "come unto me" (receive rest from Jesus) and "go unto them" (take the gospel to others). The sermon concludes with four main points: believers are personal temples, the church is a corporate temple, Christians are called to live from rest rather than striving, and believers must both come to Jesus and go to others.Support the show

Jesus continues to discuss end times in the Olivet Discourse, and concludes with the final judgement. In this podcast, we discuss this judgment, the millennium reign, and the New Jerusalem.   Matthew 25:31-46Revelation 21www.messagetokings.com

September 28th, 2025:  St Wenceslaus, Patron of Bohemia - Stand for Truth; St Lawrence Ruiz, Protomartyr of the Philippines; St Wenceslaus - Love Like Christ; Becoming the New Jerusalem; St Wenceslaus, Good King

From exile to eternity, learn why the New Jerusalem shows us God's universal love and presence.Morning Offering, September 27, 2025Every morning, join Father Brad as he begins the day with prayer and reflection. In a few short minutes, Father Brad guides you in prayer, shares a brief reflection grounding your day in the Church's rhythm of feast days and liturgy, and provides you with the encouragement necessary to go forward with peace and strength. Disclaimer: The ads shown before, during, or after this video have no affiliation with Morning Offering and are controlled by YouTubeLet us do as the saints urge and begin our days in prayer together so as a community of believers we may join the Psalmist in saying, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3-4)________________

Phillips, in the Preface to The Book of Revelation:  "In this book the translator is carried into another dimension... He is carried, not into some never-never land of fancy, but into the ever-ever land of God's eternal Values and Judgements". "Although the majority of Christians quite cheerfully accept the inclusion of this mysterious book within the New Testament canon, my strong impression is that very few of them have read it in any detail." On Revelation, from the autobiography The Price of Success: "Certain themes emerge distinctly for the modern reader's profit: (a) The absolute sovereignty of God, and his ultimate purpose to destroy all forms of evil. (b) The inevitable judgments of God upon evil, upon the worship of false gods, which include riches, power and success. (c) The necessity for patient endurance, the ultimate security being the knowledge that God is in control of history (d) The existence of reality, represented here under such symbols as the New Jerusalem, set apart and secure from the battles and tribulations of earthly life, promises complete spiritual security to those who are faithful to God and his Christ.

Phillips, in the Preface to The Book of Revelation:  "In this book the translator is carried into another dimension... He is carried, not into some never-never land of fancy, but into the ever-ever land of God's eternal Values and Judgements". "Although the majority of Christians quite cheerfully accept the inclusion of this mysterious book within the New Testament canon, my strong impression is that very few of them have read it in any detail." On Revelation, from the autobiography The Price of Success: "Certain themes emerge distinctly for the modern reader's profit: (a) The absolute sovereignty of God, and his ultimate purpose to destroy all forms of evil. (b) The inevitable judgments of God upon evil, upon the worship of false gods, which include riches, power and success. (c) The necessity for patient endurance, the ultimate security being the knowledge that God is in control of history (d) The existence of reality, represented here under such symbols as the New Jerusalem, set apart and secure from the battles and tribulations of earthly life, promises complete spiritual security to those who are faithful to God and his Christ.

Phillips, in the Preface to The Book of Revelation:  "In this book the translator is carried into another dimension... He is carried, not into some never-never land of fancy, but into the ever-ever land of God's eternal Values and Judgements". "Although the majority of Christians quite cheerfully accept the inclusion of this mysterious book within the New Testament canon, my strong impression is that very few of them have read it in any detail." On Revelation, from the autobiography The Price of Success: "Certain themes emerge distinctly for the modern reader's profit: (a) The absolute sovereignty of God, and his ultimate purpose to destroy all forms of evil. (b) The inevitable judgments of God upon evil, upon the worship of false gods, which include riches, power and success. (c) The necessity for patient endurance, the ultimate security being the knowledge that God is in control of history (d) The existence of reality, represented here under such symbols as the New Jerusalem, set apart and secure from the battles and tribulations of earthly life, promises complete spiritual security to those who are faithful to God and his Christ.

Phillips, in the Preface to The Book of Revelation:  "In this book the translator is carried into another dimension... He is carried, not into some never-never land of fancy, but into the ever-ever land of God's eternal Values and Judgements". "Although the majority of Christians quite cheerfully accept the inclusion of this mysterious book within the New Testament canon, my strong impression is that very few of them have read it in any detail." On Revelation, from the autobiography The Price of Success: "Certain themes emerge distinctly for the modern reader's profit: (a) The absolute sovereignty of God, and his ultimate purpose to destroy all forms of evil. (b) The inevitable judgments of God upon evil, upon the worship of false gods, which include riches, power and success. (c) The necessity for patient endurance, the ultimate security being the knowledge that God is in control of history (d) The existence of reality, represented here under such symbols as the New Jerusalem, set apart and secure from the battles and tribulations of earthly life, promises complete spiritual security to those who are faithful to God and his Christ.

UNLOCK FULL EPISODE: https://Patreon.com/IlluminatiWatcherOn today's episode of the Occult Symbolism and Pop Culture with Isaac Weishaupt podcast we're doing our SECOND Supporters-Only bonus show of the month- we're going to unpack what happened to Charlie Kirk but ONLY from the occult perspective on how this directly maps onto the James Shelby Downard King Kill 33 theory of JFK's assassination. We'll talk about Order out of Chaos, the Shakespeare Macbeth witches cauldron, ritual events of the murder of Hiram Abiff, the New World Order of the Golden Age, Freemason symbolism everywhere, mystical toponomy of Utah, we analyze the Groyper online community messages found inscribed on the bullets, Pepe the Frog rears his ugly head again, Valhalla nazi esotericism and major Witchcraft connections all around this thing!NOW UP AD-FREE ON SUPPORTER FEEDS! Free feed gets a preview!Links:Charlie Sheen, Aliens, 3I/ATLAS & Dark Enlightenment Murders (with a Charlie Kirk Statement): https://breakingsocialnorms.com/2025/09/14/charlie-sheen-aliens-3i-atlas-dark-enlightenment-murders-with-a-charlie-kirk-statement/BONUS: JFK Conspiracy, James Shelby Downard, Sex Magick & Occult Rituals- King Kill 33 Book Club Pt 1https://illuminatiwatcher.com/bonus-jfk-conspiracy-james-shelby-downard-sex-magick-occult-rituals-king-kill-33-book-club-pt-1/What is Dark Enlightenment Pt 1: USA New World Order, Magick, Angry Nerds & Curtis Yarvin!https://illuminatiwatcher.com/what-is-dark-enlightenment-pt-1-usa-new-world-order-magick-angry-nerds-curtis-yarvin/ISAAC'S ONE STOP SHOP- Rumble/YouTube, social media, signed books, audiobooks, shirts & more: AllMyLinks.com/IsaacWSUPPORTER FEEDS: Go ad-free with HUNDREDS of bonus episodes, early access and books!Patreon.com/IlluminatiWatcher,VIP Section (*with comparsion of Apple vs Patreon vs VIP): https://wp.me/P2ijVF-aRLApple Podcasts Premium! You can now go ad-free with ALL the bonus episodes on the Apple app- just open up the podcast and subscribe!

If you've ever been confused about prophecy, this is the booklet for you. Dr. McGee clearly spells out God's scenario for the future as described in the Bible, event by event, from the Rapture to the New Jerusalem.