#Advent #endtimes

There is all throughout the Scriptures a promise of a deliverer, but how and from where would this deliverer come.?
Eve was promised that her offspring would be able to crush the serpents head, but her one son Cain killed the other Abel, later an heir was born and there was still hope in the promise.
Abraham was promised that through his seed all the nations would be blessed, and yet He was old and His wife Sara way beyond normal child bearing years, then finally a son to carry hope forward.
Naomi lost her husband and her two sons, then through her Moabite daughter in-law and a kinsman redeemer a son was given to carry on the hope of victory over the serpent.
Now we see Zecharia the priest and Elizabeth, but they were old and couldn't believe that they would have an heir, a son. In the midst of unbelief Zecharia was made mute. Was this promised child to be the one to carry on the hope of the promise given long ago?

Luk 1:5-25 "In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time." And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, "Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

No this child was to be the one to prepare the way for the promise to come, for Hope to be born. The Hope would yet be given more mystery for the mother would be a young woman, who had never had sexual relations with a man. This was a child born of the Holy Spirit.

Luk 1:39-45  "In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."

This child was to be a gift of the promise, a deliverer of good news and one to prepare the way for the blessed Hope of Messiah.

Luk 1:57-80 "Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John." And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name." And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. "

#Advent #endtimes

The Hope of Israel, of all the world would come as a shepherd and as the mighty God of the Universe. There would be a stark difference between what was understood of His coming. Some expected a mighty King that would finally lead Israel over the surrounding enemy nations; some expected a supernatural rearrangement to the laws of the universe.
It is clear that there would be some preparation for the coming of this Messiah, this saviour who would act on behalf of God or was it to be God Himself acting among men as a man?
How could anyone be prepared for that?

Isa 40 "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass.The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman to set up an idol that will not move. Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

This voice crying in the wilderness, spoken of long ago by the Prophet Isaiah was John, the cousin of Jesus of Nazareth. He was called John the Baptist. He is preparing the way for Hope to come in the Messiah. What preparation needed to be made? Wasn't the Messiah going to come and make all things right again? Well, no; not to make everything right, to make us right. Repentance and change in us is the preparation, for if you are going to be fit for The Kingdom, you must be made into a son and daughter of The King. He is Absolute Love. He wouldn't think of leaving you as you are.  

Luk 3:1-18 "In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?" And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do."Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages." As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people."

Yes the call to repentance, to preparation is very good news, though many do not want that kind of good news. We will learn more of John and the preparation for The Absolute Love to come tomorrow.

#Advent #endtimes

The root, shoot of Jesse, He is the promised one, all Hope is found in Him. All the plans for we who believe in the Absolute Love of Christ Jesus, Yeshua Messiah, Isa Al Masih; are plans of welfare, hope and future fulfillment.

Jer 29:10-13  "For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."

This hope is fulfilled in the coming of a little baby to earth 2,000 years ago. Kings from far off came seeking Him as they saw and believed in His coming. King Herod also knew and believed, but his belief led to fear instead of worship.

Mat 2:1-4  "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born."

All rulers and kings, leaders and political systems that rule unjustly; with thought for their own power and wealth, over against the benefit and service of the people will be severely judged for the Absolute Love uses power to give and to serve.
Rom 15:8-13 "For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name." And again it is said, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him." And again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope."May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

The root (shoot) of Jesse is coming again, let us have strong hope in believing He is Absolute Love.

#Advent #endtimes

The first week of Advent is the week of Hope. For long centuries it has been the Hope of people who Love God and have faith that a deliverer, a redeemer will come.
That hope is etched throughout scripture as we shall see, but the hope is to be fulfilled in two comings one of sacrifice and salvation, the second still to come of justice, vindication of righteousness and judgment.

Isa 11:1-10 "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples--of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.


The story of Ruth in the Tanakh is a beautiful story of faith, faithfulness and redemption. The story is a parable and a foreshadow of a future fulfillment, a final redeemer. The stump (shoot) of Jesses. The lineage and promise continues.

Rth 4:5-22 "Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance." Then the redeemer said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it." Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.So when the redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself," he drew off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day." Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman." So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David."

The lineage continues and is fulfilled in the Christ Child, Jesus born in Bethlehem, son of Mary and adopted on earth as son by Joseph, conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Mat 1:5-6 "and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,"

Luk 3:32"the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon,"

The redeemer  has come!

Act 13:16-39 "So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said: "Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it. And for about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness. And after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, 'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.' Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'What do you suppose that I am? am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.' "Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation. For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. And though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, "'You are my Son, today I have begotten you.'And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, "'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.' Therefore he says also in another psalm, "'You will not let your Holy One see corruption.' For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses."

He is Absolute Love. The first purple candle is lit in expectation of the Hope to come on Christmas day.

This next week is the beginning of Advent, a looking forward to the coming of the King of all the earth. The coming of the incarnate Lord. He is the King of Glory, the Absolute Love. He is the promised one, the messiah, the annointed Christ.
It is amazing that the Lord would come first as a infant. The one who eternally existed experienced all that we do in vulnerability and temporality, yet He is eternal. The same yesterday, today and yes tomorrow. The symbols of Advent are Alpha and Omega, the first and the last for the Advent is a two stage event. He has come and redemption is completely given to those who love Him and are filled with His love, He is coming and fulfillment of joy will be realized for those who love His appearing; judgment and eternal punishment for those who remain in rebellion.
Some will say this can not be; from one side "How can my sins and failings be accepted"?, on the another "How can God become a man?", still another "How can this man's death be a replacement-substitution for me to gain acceptance."
There is plenty to contemplate over the next four plus weeks. Won't you contemplate all these things with me?

Psa 24 "A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah"

Who else would anounce the coming of the Lord, but angelic beings? Who else would be the most reliable witness to the mystery of this coming, but the mother who bore the Christ child? 

Luk 2:15-19 "When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart."

Catch these debates.

http://whomadegod.org/2011/11/debating-atheists/

Who is this God of Absolute Love?  Exo 34:6-7 "The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty,"

Psa 107:1-3 "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

He renews and redeems all things, all those who turn to Him will not be disappointed. He is Absolute Love.

Psa 107:33-43 "He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish. When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD."

 You don't really have to go looking for trouble, in this world it seems trouble is everywhere. Someone close to you or close to someone who is close to you, is in distress and needs comfort and help. Or someone you don't know bumps into your life in one way or another, you are robbed, or slandered or attacked by someone who you don't have any connections. There is no way to get through this life with love and peace in your heart without being focused on the Absolute Love. He alone can sustain the right way in you.

Psa 107:1-3 "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south."

Do you feel like your in a stormy place, all is swirling around you and your courage to do what is right is fading. Do you find yourself planning or thinking about some direction of life that you know in your heart is not right. He will answer if you call, in humility of heart say: "I am lost, afraid and think I am losing my bearings." He will say: "Peace, Be Still". He will be the deliverer and haven you need, He is Absolute Love. Let Him bring you to a place of thanksgiving and peace.

Psa 107:23-32 "Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders

Have you ever thought about forever? It seems that everything is so disposable these days. I think there will be so much waste and good things thrown away this week as people focus on feasting and getting together to celebrate. The steadfast love, "chesed" faithful love of the Absolute Love endures forever. I want to be loved by that kind of love, I want to have that kind of love. There is only ONE to go to to find it, if you do abide in it, meditate on the Absolute Love of God and give thanks to Him.

Psa 107:1-3 "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south."

You might just feel sick, too sorry about the past or too worried about the future to enjoy anything. In fact in this life you would just as soon die as live. There is healing in Absolute Love. He can lift you up out of your malaise and cause you to know life abundant, filled with joy and purpose. He can put a song of thanksgiving in your heart. He is Absolute Love.

Psa 107:17-22 "Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!"

It has always been a truth that it is not only the things you do that stand against you in the court of heaven, the rebellion and falling short of what God commands. It is as much the the things ommitted, what is appropriate and right to do, that you just don't do for one reason or another. These things are as much an affront to the pure, just Absolute Love as the sins you've committed. Have you taken time to really contemplate, meditate on the goodness of God, therefore the very demand of what is right to give Him thanks. Yet, feigned or coerced thanksgiving would be thrown back, rejected, an additional affront. No, we must spend the time, and not race through the magnificent worth of God. To work up in our minds and hearts the very gratefulness that the Absolute Love deserves. This is for our good and His Glory.

Psa 107:1-3 "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south."

Maybe you have been in a place where you felt trapped, imprisoned. It was dark and you could not see a way through and you felt like giving up and dying. If you cry out to the absolute Love- He is Light and in Him is no darkness at all- He sets the captives free. If you have been there don't forget to take much time to meditate on His mercy and grace, and to give thanks for His powerful deliverance.

Psa 107:10 - 16 "Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron."

Nothing can stop or stay the the mercy of Absolute Love, He will shatter those bonds.

I read this past weekend that Native American peoples used cranberries to treat arrow wounds and dye clothes. European pilgrims decided to eat them. Now we get these cranberries in all kinds of baked things to eat. All those cranberry relishes and dishes with cranberries added. I think we should learn from the original users and uses, do away with trying to make them taste better by mixing them with good food! No, don't ruin the apple pie by putting in some cranberries. I will be very thankful.

This next week, in the USA, we are celebrating, remembering a day of Thanksgiving. Most of it is hustle bustle and press on to things that take up our everyday lives. This time, this day of thanksgiving, is an interruption. For many the interruption is not a day but an hour, or a minutes time. We say our thanks and get on with our lives.
During this week take more than that hour or moment to reflect, no I say meditate on the goodness, the Absolute Love of the LORD.

Psa 107:1-3"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. "

If you are in a wilderness like experience, feeling lost, abandoned, uncared for or in some type of distress, God cares. Call out to Him, He is there. Look to Him for guidance He will make a way. He is Absolute Love.

Psa 107:4-9 "Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

There is satisfaction, fullness in the Absolute Love. Today look to Him and give thanks.

The Absolute Love of the Lord (Yahweh) is a beacon, and stream, a well and a delight. All is satisfied when you call on and abide in Him. You may be looking forward to a big feast, a big football game or a time reuniting with family this coming week, but make this Thanksgiving a time to really reflect on the grace, mercy, forgiveness and Absolute Love of God.

Psa 107 "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron. Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy! Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants. He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water. And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in; they sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield. By his blessing they multiply greatly, and he does not let their livestock diminish.When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow, he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes; but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth. Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD."

Even the troubles and trials He brings are a part of His Absolute Love, Let us thank the Lord!

http://www.science-essentials.org/2011/11/18/one-human-race-discussion-starters/

#revelation # endtimes

For those living in the early days of the AD 60, the eyewitness of Jesus death, burial, resurrection and ascension; John, one of Jesus closest and loved followers; reminds those followers of Christ that judgment and extreme persecution is coming soon. Nero and the Roman armies led by Vaspasian will invade, conquer and decimate Israel, culminating in the total destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. Nero will make an edict to seek out and kill those who follow Jesus. (For more on this look back to my former blogs on Revelation)
For us now in the early 2000's after the first coming of Messiah, we wait for the return of our King and LORD. Jesuas Christ, Isa Al Masih, Yeshua Messiah.

Rev 22:6-21 "And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place." "And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God." And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Even so come Lord Jesus! Mara Natha! He is the Absolute Love!

· No Light No Light lyrics · Pumped Up Kicks lyrics · Stereo Hearts lyrics · Don't Wanna Go Home lyrics · Santa Claus Is Coming To Town lyrics · Mistletoe lyrics · Shake It Out lyrics · It Girl lyrics · Disaster lyrics · Hit The Lights lyrics · Marry The Night lyrics · A Thousand Years lyrics · Mirror lyrics · 5 O'Clock lyrics · The Real Her lyrics

#revelations #endtimes

I have heard people say they are not that excited about going to heaven. They don't find bejeweled walls and streets of gold all that exciting or interesting. Some religions and religious people focus on these material things as an incentive to go to heaven. Some religions even talk of material and fleshly pleasures such as a mind state of nirvana or the fleshly excitement of being given virgin brides. No none of that will be what we will be excited about in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Life as a river will be flowing out to all there from the prescence of God. Absolute Love will engulf us with His life giving presence. The tree of life from Eden will be there we will not eat from it, but it's leaves will bring peace and healing, there will be a curse no more, nor will anything accursed ever enter there. All will walk in the eternal light of His Absolute Love. All will be Kings and Queens and there will be no need for conquering or fighting forever and ever.  

Rev 22:1-5 "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

I feel the need for Thanksgiving and Singing. Let's enter into the Holiday Season!! Preparing for the second advent.

Joy to the World , the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the World, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love

Joy to the World Lyrics
The words and lyrics of the old Christmas carol 'Joy to the World' were written in 1719 by Isaac Watts (1674-1748). The father of John Watts was a Non-conformist and so extreme were his views that he was imprisoned twice. His father's influence over Isaac was demonstrated when he choose to attend Non­conformist Academy at Stoke Newington in preference to a University. Watts was ordained as a Pastor of an Independent congregation. He wrote many hymns and Carols and was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree by the the University of Edinburgh in 1728. The music to the carol is by George Frederick Handel (1685-1759).

#revelation #endtimes

In this seventh and final vision we see a glorious sight of delight for those who have endured through the inter-advent period. The radiance of the Glory of God and the Lamb will be there. The faithful will be forever in covenant with The Absolute Love. The cities walls will be built of precious gems and stones a they will be worthless as currency or means of trading. All will be freely given and received. There will be no temple and no need we will have direct access to the One True God there. Nothing unclean, or dangerous, or perverted or sick will be there. There will be no falsehood, or deception even though the gate will never be locked and will continually be open.

Rev 21:9-27 "Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, "Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed-- on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement.The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there.They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life."

We will declare with Paul about all that was endured here on earth.

2Co 4:7-18 "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

We do not lose heart, but by faith in the Absolute Love our sufferings now "light and momentary" are preparing for us "an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison".  

http://www.science-essentials.org/2011/11/16/one-human-race-secondary-activities-6-12/

#endtimes #revelation

Reminiscent of what we saw yesterday the first earth has passed away and in this new redeemed heaven and earth God dwells with man, no tears, no death, no mourning, crying or pain. The Absolute Love has made everything new. Best of all The way, The truth and The life is there. Like in Eden in the beginning we will walk, with, abide in and have fellowship with The Absolute Love. As He promised you will never thirst again, all will be satisfied in Him.

Rev 21:1-8 "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

Another thing about this new earth and heaven is there won't be any people doing any evil things against other people. We will all be changed, you and I will be totally faithful to one another, we won't have any perverted or deceitful thoughts or desires, and the best of all there will be no rebellion in seeking after other gods or idols. Jesus Christ, Isa Al Masih, Yeshua Messiah will be totally satisfying for all that we need or desire.
If you have not found Him to be all that for you, you can come He is satisfying above all things.

Joh 4:7-14 "A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock." Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

#revelation #endtimes

The time, meaning and scope of "The Millennium" is disputed over and sometimes even a cause for division among honest followers of Christ and Biblical Scholars. Why do I think this chapter that talks about the reign of Christ refers to these last days that we are in, in the inter-advent period between the Resurrection of Jesus and His coming again?

1. Jesus is reigning now from heaven and the risen saints raised with Him are reigning with Him.

1Co 15:23-26 "But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

2. Revelation 20:7-15 is a clear capitulation of the end of Revelation 19:17-21.

Revelation 20:7-11 "And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

Rev 19:19-20 "And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur."

Revelation 20:12-15 "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Rev 19:21 "And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh."

It is by the "Sword of His Mouth" that this judgment of death comes, the second death the final death of being judged and thrown into the lake of fire. A reminder from John's Goapel that Jesus is the "Word of God".

Rev 2:11 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death."

3. Large numbers in prohetic literature throughout Scripture indicate a long period of time that has a conclusion, not myriads and myriads as in uncountable, but a large number of unknown scope or length. (i.e. 144,000 in Revelation 14, 12,000 from each of the sons of Israel and 1,000 in Revelation 20.)

G.K. Beale the author of the "New International Greek Testament Commentary on Revelation writes: "The events in vv 1-3 and vv 4-6 occur during the same period, which is referred to as '1,000 years," That this is not a literal chronological number is apparent from: (1) the consistently figurative use of numbers elsewhere in the book. (2) the figurative nature of much of the immediate context ("chain", "abyss", "dragon", "serpent", "locked", "sealed", "beast"), (3) the predominantly figurative tone of the entire book (so 1:1), (4) the figurative use of "1,000" in the O.T. (my add Old Testament prophetic literature), (5) the use of Jewish and early Christian writings of "1,000" years as a figure for eternal blessing of the redeemed....
The overall analysis of vv 1-6 supports a figurative meaning. 1,000 is the third power of ten, and, if figurative here, might represent a long era and, at least, would signify and ideal epoch."
"The New International Greek Testament Commentary on Revelation" William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999, page 995.

Do you want to be free from the judgment and this second death? All who follow Jesus Christ, the Absolute Love, those found having faith in Him will be made alive at the second resurrection, at His return.

1Co 15:19-22 "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

http://www.science-essentials.org/2011/11/14/one-human-race/

#endtimes #revelation

Often we make interpretation of prophecy too difficult, full of speculation, with no connection to what came before or after and with no understanding or connection to the writers time, situation and place historically. Prophecy is often misunderstood because we see it mainly as telling about future happenings, however this is seldom the case. From Isaiah to Zecharia and now Revelation the word of the LORD given to the spokesperson is a mix of past and present, the now, the near and the future declarations of God. Prophecy in the Scriptures is more forth telling of a message of judgment as it is foretelling of the future.
It is clear that John is seeing this seventh vision,the seventh and final parallel section of Revelation more and more from a heavenly perspective. In the middle of writing what he was seeing it is almost a pause, as if John said to himself or the Lord reminded him, these reigning on thrones people are, part of the "first" (in Greek probably prior) resurrection. The second resurrection is yet coming when Jesus Christ returns to earth for the final judgment.

Rev 20:4-6 "Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years."

There will only be two resurrections, one has occurred and it is the central point of earth's history. Those who looked forward in faith from the two witnesses-the olive oil and the wine; the olive tree and the lampstands all the faithful raised at the resurrection of Jesus and now reigning with Him this is the first(prior) resurrection and John did not want anyone to misunderstand and think this was some yet future earthly reign on earth. It would draw me to think of the beheading of John the Baptist at this point. Those saints of the faithful of Israel and followers of the Messiah who looked forward to the coming of Christ in faith raised and reigning now with the LORD.

Mat 27:50-53 "And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many."

John who is writing was eye witness to the resurrection and spent time with Jesus both before and after He was raised from the dead. This is the first resurrection, there has only been one, yet after this inter-advent period at the final judgment when Satan is finally cast into the Lake of Fire. (This is not another time this is the same final judgment mentioned over and over again in the visions of Revelation. See my previous post on Revelation 19:20,21)
This is at the second coming of Christ. Then there will be a final resurrection of the Christ followers.

1Th 4:15-18 "For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words."

Then this world at His coming will melt in the midst of His Absolute Love, Purity, Faithfulness and Judgment.

2Pe 3:7-13 "But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the  earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn!But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

 In tomorrow's blog why we should not see the the mention of 1,000 years as chronological and why it refers to these last days in which we are living.

#revelation #endtimes
The seventh parallel vision highlights even more the perspective of heaven on the triumph and control over evil and the ultimate picture of what Absolute Love has prepared for those who have taken hold of love. Just as the evil of fallen angels has been controlled from the beginning, they have been kept in eternal chains until the great day of judgment, even Satan only being able to do what God allows. For the inter-advent period Satan has the added chain of being restrained from deceiving the nations.

Jud 1:6 "And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day-- "

Job 1:12 "And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. "

Now from the coming of Jesus Christ to earth and His defeat of death and sin on the cross Satan is chained to "not deceive the nations any longer" This is the inter-advent period, where those redeemed from every tribe, tongue, people and nation are called to repent, believe and follow after Christ. Yet, at the end that binding will be released and His fury will be unleashed.

Rev 20:1-3 "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while."

This short time of release is reminiscent of the end of Revelation 17 where the kings of the earth join in the rebellion and fury of the beast and war against the Lamb for "only a little while". This is certainly the short time before the second coming of Jesus Christ and final judgment.

Rev 17:8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come."

Rev 17:11-14 "As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful."

Though Satan will be released just before the return of Christ to take part in the final judgment of Absolute Love over rebellion and anti-christ, anti-love, this time will be cut short by the grace and mercy of Absolute Love.  

Mat 24:22 "And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short."

#revelation #endtimes

The sixth vision ends as the others have, with the celebration and vindication of those who have followed God, even though they were persecuted and killed they never gave in to the pursuit of finding satisfaction in anything other than God. Absolute Love produces people who love God and love one another. Absolute Love is a love of righteousness and justice.

Rev 19 "After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants." Once more they cried out, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up forever and ever." And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" And from the throne came a voice saying, "Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great." Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"-- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are the true words of God." Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great." And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh."

Satan and those following thrown into a fiery lake. His demise was foreshadowed of long ago.

Gen 3:15 "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

Eze 28:2-19 "Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD: "Because your heart is proud, and you have said, 'I am a god, I sit in the seat of the gods, in the heart of the seas,' yet you are but a man, and no god, though you make your heart like the heart of a god-- you are indeed wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you; by your wisdom and your understanding you have made wealth for yourself, and have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries; by your great wisdom in your trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart has become proud in your wealth-- therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you make your heart like the heart of a god, therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you, the most ruthless of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and defile your splendor. They shall thrust you down into the pit, and you shall die the death of the slain in the heart of the seas.Will you still say, 'I am a god,' in the presence of those who kill you, though you are but a man, and no god, in the hands of those who slay you? You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners; for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD."   Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me:"Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you.  All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever."

#revelation  #endtimes

2Pe 3:10-12 "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! "

In this sixth parallel and progressive vision in Revelation we see the full and final judgment of Satan and His followers. In the final judgment Absolute Love comes to earth. In the midst of the darkness that surrounds the people the glory of Absolute Love is blinding and overwhelming, it is set over against the darkness of His judgment as this world dissolves in the presence of the risen Jesus Christ, Yeshua Messiah, Isa Al Masih. All who worshipped things, wealth and power will be utterly undone.

Rev 18 "After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living." Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;
for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, 'I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.'
For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her."
And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.
They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, "Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come."
And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. "The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again!"
The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud. "Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off
and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?" And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste. Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her!"
Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth."

Isa 13:9-11 "Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant, and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless."

On that day the patience and plan of Absolute Love will be completed. Justice will be brought to those hanging on to their guilt. It does not have to happen for you, Absolute Love is gracious, merciful and forgiving. YHWH, Jesus, Yeshua, Isa he is holding out mercy, grace and forgiving love to you, you only need to lay your guilt and shame on Him. He is powerful and worthy enough to take it upon Himself.

Rev 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

Rev 5:8-13 "And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth."Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"

His very nature is Absolute Love. Love is necessarily Just.

Exo 34:6 "The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty"