Fulfilling Of The Prophecies

Revelation means "the veil roll aside."

The visions recorded in the book of Revelation seen by John the beloved disciple while marooned on the Isle of Patmos written about the year of our Lord 96.  We can do the math and learn how long after the crucifixion of Christ that it was before John wrote the book.  That time span is important when we began to study the history of the Church.

The book of Revelation has three divisions. This threefold division is found in chapter one.  "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter." (Revelation 1:19) This verse is the key that unlocks the interpretation and the understanding of Revelation.  Verse 19 speaks of the past, the present and the future.   Overlooking this date stamp allows us to shape the prophecies and turning them into a polluted and unbelievable mess. If we view the prophecies from the writers perspective dating the prophecies of Revelation should be an easy task, we are not living in John's past nor are we living in his present.  Therefore, the prophecies future should concern us. 

Every book in the bible has a key verse that establishes perspective and context.  Sometimes the key is hanging at the very entrance of the book and this is true with the book of Revelation.   There are times when the key is in other books of the bible.  Keys are important to Understanding the Word of Good, without them, we can become guilty of promoting the Word of God as a confusing and polluted mess.

In verse 19, John is instructed to "write the things which thou hast seen."  What John had just seen was recorded in verse 10 through 18.  Christ was seen in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.  These are the central objects of these verses, and the time is past tense. Was Christ actively involved in the Church during John's past?  Yes, He was seen in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, signifying his presence in and attendance to the church.

The second part of verse 19 John is instructed to write the things, "which are." These things that are recorded in chapter two and three.  In these chapters, the professing church is traced through it stay upon earth.  Seven representative churches that document the condition of the church in John's day and had been in progress since the day of Pentecost and it will continue.  This part of the prophecy attests to the condition of the church in John's day.  The church now suffers the condemnation of Christ.  This poses a thorny dilemma that we shall explore later. 

The third part of the Key was that John was instructed to write the things, "which shall be hereafter." The literal translation reads, "After these things," or the things that shall happen after the church age.  The third division of Revelation begins with chapter 4 and continues through chapter twenty-two, verse 5.  It is essentially the prophetic part of the book of Revelation.  The third division is John's future, our present.

Two questions need studying.   We know the event that signals the end of the church age, and that much of Revelation deals with the tribulation.  The questions are when do the church age end and the tribulation began?  The answers to these questions has far-reaching implications, such as will the church go through the tribulation or are we are going through the tribulation now? 

The book of Revelation encapsulates the entire focus of the Bible, as to the purpose of the creation, the love of God, the outpouring of his wrath and the final dispensation of things. Revelation reveals the place and purpose of the church, The Jews and the nations in the kingdom of God. The book of Revelation does not support the thesis that Heaven is a place where we all will assemble and have nothing to do but fly around all day long shouting Holy, Holy, Holy.  Revelation is also a book that is filled with woes, warning and prophecies, so that those who are seeking to reign with him will not be caught off guard during the oncoming tribulation.   "Reign with him" is another word or phrase that has been casted aside in favor of "Going to Heaven"

The validation of the book is set forth in Revelation 1:1.  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants' things, which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.   The importance of the book is confirmed in Revelation 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are sounding now or yet to sound!  The Book of Revelation encapsulates the whole plan of God.  

The book of Revelation narrates or depicts a series of visions, which have been almost universally accepted to prefigure a series of events, which were to take place in the present and future history of the church, the world and humanity. Thus, it begins with seven letters to seven representative churches.  He not only counsels the churches, he threatens his church and demand that they repent. It is for this reason that many religious and world leaders seek to impugn or discredit the status of the book.  Revelation does not fit the narrative of a modern-day pessimistic society nor the church as an apostate an organized body.  The statement of John in verse 3, "...for the time is at hand" has allowed many to conclude that the book of Revelation is a dated book and most of the events if not all, have already been fulfilled.

Over the course of man's history, he has orchestrated many prophecies changing events.  There are events that had been initiated within the world and the church that if they had been allowed to proceed would have been destructive to the prophecies of God. Hitler's attempt to destroy the Jews,  or even the church laying claim to the blessings of Abraham, both are an attempt to destroy or change the prophecies of God. It is the consensus of the righteous that the prophecies of God are unchanging, unfolding and the evidence of their fulfillment can be seen. 

There is, perhaps, no book in the New Testament which is more clear and intelligible, and on which commentators are better agreed, in respect to its direct and immediate meaning.  But the attempts which have been made to determine the historical events, which are to be considered as represented by its various symbols, have resulted in a vast variety of conflicting opinions.   Many of the conflicting opinions are based upon a failure to understand the symbolic language of the book.  Another reason for a variety of conflicting opinions is the attempt to interpret the book in a manner that fits our personal, denominational or worldviews. The bible should be allowed to speak and interpret itself.  

The world is moved closer to World War 3.  The nations are gathering in the Middle East.  Nations that once stood with Israel once again are now turning their back on her.  The lessons of Rome, Germany, and Great Britain are lost on a modern day America as we dance on the newly created precipice of hate.  The judgment of nations has always been and always be based upon how these nation treated "the brethren", not the church as some suppose but the Jews.

(Many World leaders and groups have attempted to destroy the Jews as a nation and a people, claiming their birthright for themselves.  If this was allowed to happen, the written Bible prophecies would fail and it is the thinking of the Devil (Antichrist) that Jesus Christ would not have a reason to return to this earth.  Even religious organizations have unwittingly participated in this Unholy scheme.  Many still wonder, what was Hitler’s real reason for trying to destroy the Jews.  Understanding the Bible prophecies will help us understand what has been and still is going on in the Middle East.)

 The Greek word "ethnos" here translated "Nations" occurs 158 times in the New Testament. It is translated "Gentiles" 92 times, "Nation" or "Nations" 61 times, and "The Heathen" 5 times, but it is never in any instance (unless it is this) applied either to the "dead" or the "resurrected."

As this is a judgment of nations only, the Jews cannot be in it, for they are not reckoned among the nations. Numbers 23:9. And as the Church will be associated with Christ in this judgment, for the "Saints" (the Church) shall judge the "World" (the Nations) (1^st Corinthians 6:2), the Church cannot be in this judgment either. As we have seen the Church and the Jews have been already judged, so the "Judgment of the Nations" cannot be a general judgment. Who then, is asked, are meant by the Sheep? Do they not represent the Righteous, and all the Righteous from the beginning of the world to the end of Time? And do not the Goats in like manner represent all the Wicked?

 If the Sheep are the Righteous, and the Goats the Wicked, then who are the Brethren? If they are the "followers of Christ," as some claim, they should be classed with the Sheep. The Scriptures teach that the Righteous are saved by "faith," and the Wicked are lost because they "reject Christ," but in this judgment scene the Sheep inherit a "Kingdom" and the Goats are commanded to "depart," because of their treatment of the Brethren.

 All the confusion is caused by trying to make a judgment of "nations" mean a judgment of "individuals." The Sheep represent one class of Nations, and the Goats another class, while the Brethren represent the Jews (Christ's brethren). We must bear in mind the time and place of this judgment. The time is the "Revelation of Christ" when He comes to set up His "Millennial Kingdom" on the earth. The place is the "Valley of Jehoshaphat" in the vicinity of Jerusalem.

"For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather ALL NATIONS, and will bring them down into the `Valley of Jehoshaphat,' and will plead with them there for MY PEOPLE and for my heritage Israel,  whom they have scattered among the Nations, and parted my land." Joel 3:1-2.

 This prophecy clearly states that there is to be a "Judgment of Nations" on the earth in the "Valley of Jehoshaphat" at the time of the restoration of the Jews to their own land and that the basis of judgment is the treatment by the nations of Christ's brethren-- The Jews.

During the "Tribulation Period" the Nations that treat the Jewish People kindly, feeding and clothing them, and visiting them in prison, will be the "Sheep Nations," while those who neglect to do so will be the "Goat Nations." At the "Judgment of Nations" the King (Christ) will say to the "Sheep Nations," inasmuch as ye have been kind to My brethren (the Jews), "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." This Kingdom is the "Millennial Kingdom" that the "Sheep Nations" as Nations will "inherit" and possess during the Millennium. And as they are to be among the "saved nations" of the New Earth (Revelation 21:24) it can be said of them that they, or at least the righteous individuals of them, shall enter into life eternal. Matthew 25:46.

Christ's sentence upon the "Goat Nations" will be-- "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels," and "these shall go away into everlasting punishment." The "Goat Nations" will at once be destroyed as Nations, not one of them shall get into the Millennium, and the wicked individuals that compose them will perish and be eternally lost.

 Before we began another in-depth study of the book of Revelation, I extend to you an invitation to take the blinders off and see reality, which is increasingly hidden from us by the government and mainstream media, for what it is and what God Word has to say about it.  The trends point us towards the fulfillment of six primary "End of the Age" Bible prophecies:

Jerusalem, The Temple and The Jews

In a church Bible study a few years ago, I was hastily chastened for making reference to the rebuilding of the Jewish temple before the time of the end.  A scripture out of context was read stating we are no longer Jews or Gentiles and since the coming of Christ, there has been no need for a temple to be built.  

In a recent Bible study, the recognition of Jerusalem and the building of the Temple was revisited.  It is common knowledge that since returning to the Holy Lands, the Jews have drawn up plans for the rebuilding of the third Temple.  The only thing standing in their way was the United Nation recognizing Jerusalem, the city ordained by God as the capital of Israel.  The one thing that prevents our religious leaders from rejoicing in the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies is, it denies the church the right to claim the blessings of Abraham.  Religious and world leaders protested and condemned the President of the United States for advancing the prophecies of God. 

We prefer to read and interpret the Bible in a hopscotch fashion, the same as the media deals with news today.  Following that scenario, we can make the Bible say exactly what we want it to say.   This type of interpretation has allowed the pacification of Christian values as we use the word of God to justify our sins.  It is no wonder that the believability of the real God has suffered because we have turned his word into a polluted mess.

Jesus also foretold the building of the Third Temple, after the destruction by the Romans in A.D. 70.  In Matthew 24:2, Jesus told the disciples after they commented about the beauty of the Temple, that not one stone would be left upon another. This was fulfilled in A.D. 70, by the Romans under Titus. Later Jesus refers to the time of the end, when the Third Temple would be defiled, causing the abomination of desolation.   

14“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),

Matthew 24:14-15 The abomination of desolation is referred to three times in the book of Daniel, (Daniel 9:27,11;31, 12:11). Each mention refers to the Temple being defiled.

Paul also notes the need for a Third Temple and the role the Temple will play.  The anti-Christ will enter the Temple and proclaim himself to be God. This is consistent with the words of Jesus and Daniel about the role this Temple will play.  

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2^nd Thessalonians 2:3-4) 

The long absence of a Temple and Israel’s gathering are also foretold by Hosea. The many days refers to our own day.  The only other time, since Hosea day there was no Temple was for the 70-year period, between 586 B.C. and 516 B.C. Seventy years does not qualify as a long absence when the only other time is over 1900 years.

"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth" (Deuteronomy 14:2)    

God’s relationship to Israel, is based on his word, to the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The special relationship between Israel and God is holy, Israel has a specific purpose on the Earth. They are unique amongst the nations.  From these verses in Deuteronomy, we can conclude the following points about God’s relationship with Israel.

•         God chose Israel

•         Israel as a nation is distinct from all the other nations.

•         The Lord loves Israel

•         God will keep his word he made to the fathers

A point to remember the church and the Jews are two different groups and the promises made to the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were promises made to the Jews, not the church.  

"Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:" (1st Corinthians 10:32)  

While the Church is being judged at the Judgment Seat of Christ in the air, the Jews will be judged under Antichrist on the earth. The Jews are an "earthly" people, and as all the promises to them are "earthly," it follows that their judgment must be of an "earthly" character. The basis of their judgment is their "rejection of the Godhead."

In the days of Samuel, they rejected God the Father. "And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." (1^st Samuel 8:7)

 In the days of Christ, they rejected God the Son.  "And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas." (Luke 23:18)

In the days of Stephen, they rejected God the Holy Spirit. "For their sin, they have been scattered among the nations until the "Times of the Gentiles" are fulfilled." (Acts 7:51,54-60)

When the "Times of the Gentiles" are about to end the Jews will be gathered back to the Holy Land "unconverted," and caused to "pass under the rod." Ezekiel 20:34-38. They will be cast into God's "Melting Pot" (Ezekiel 22:19-22), and pass through an experience spoken of by Jeremiah and Daniel as the "TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE." Jeremiah 30:4-7; Daniel 12:1. Christ calls it "The Great Tribulation," and He and Zechariah the Prophet associate it with the "Return of the Lord." Matthew 24:21-31; Zechariah 14:1-11. The human agent the Lord will use will be the Antichrist, the awfulness of whose rule will be supplemented by the pouring out of the "Vials of God's wrath" upon the earth. Revelation 15:1,5-8; 16:1-21.

The result of these terrible judgments will be that the Jews will call in their misery upon the Lord. Zechariah 12:10. Then Christ will come back to the Mt. of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) and the Jews will look upon Him whom they "pierced" (Zechariah 12:10), and a nation, the Jewish Nation, shall be "born (converted) in a day." Isaiah 66:8. This will complete the judgment of the Jews.

The Error Of Man

In our utopia society labels are created and applied to the things that offend us.  The definition of these labels are often fluid and for that reason alone they pose far-reaching implications that are often destructive to society itself.  It is akin to clearing the forest of unwanted trees, a noble undertaking but destructive to the home of the creature that lives there.  This action usually causes the animals to invade our personal space.  These created labels are often fueled by an emotion of the heart called hatred and their purpose is to destroy rather than correct. Labels act as a virus once they are injected into an environment, destruction of that environment occurs.  To validate this assessment look no farther than our school systems.   Parents are being forced to rely on Law enforcement and the judicial society to protect their children from other children, this is an impossible scenario. 

 The desire to eliminate hate is a noble concept and has always been at the top of God's agenda but, God in his infinite wisdom realized that to do so he would have to destroy what he had created.  Throughout the Old Testament, God's destructive plan was often thwarted by one person who found Grace in the Eyes of God.  After numerous attempt to allow mankind to self-correct, he initiated a plan and he set a time to act on that plan. 

Mankind dereliction of duty began soon after the creation, and it has continued.  "There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown." (Genesis 6:4)

This verse seems to imply that there was a massive population swell in the land consisting of two types of people, the sons of God and the daughters of men.   Who were the sons of God, and who were the daughters of men?  We shall establish a foundation and explore the probabilities.  This question has caused much speculation as men of skill and knowledge learned to preface their often-flawed interpretation with, "the Bible says." We will attempt to shed light on what some refer to as an anomaly in the scripture, but first, let's establish our foundation and examine the true reason why the detractors continue to point out certain things and label them anomalies. 

There are numerous verses in the scripture that offers a key to the knowledge of the Word of God; this is one of those verses.   This key is often overlooked because of an error in our original interpretation that is based on an indoctrinate view of the scripture.  There are two types of knowledge mention in the Holy Scripture, one is the Knowledge of God and the other is the knowledge of good and evil.   Too often, we assume and teach, the knowledge of good and evil is the knowledge to know the difference between good and evil, and this is not true.   The Knowledge of Good and Evil is a Hebrew phrase that references all of the knowledge of the world.   The use of such phrases is called merisms. 

The use of Merisms found in the Old and New Testaments was a part of the Hebrew language, a figure of speech. Merisms are a convention of poetry and prose. Merism is an example of synecdoche in which the expression of a totality is by referencing it contrasting parts, (e.g. high and low, young and old). In this figure of speech a pair of opposites refers to something greater than the constituents, as in the phrase, "they searched high and low," meaning that they searched everywhere."

It is the knowledge of good and evil that has increased expeditiously, while the true Knowledge of God has become stagnant.   The Knowledge of Good and Evil or all of the knowledge of the world has created a new model for a sympathetic God whose concern is blessing his wayward children.   This model for a new and sellable God does not always agree with the ancient scripture, such as the return of Christ to rule over the world.  This does not fit the narrative of the nations, and to the churches, it is merely an afterthought.

From the days of the Garden of Eden, the Knowledge of Good and Evil have engaged in a continuous battle to suppress the knowledge of God.  This was the reason God placed restrictions on its access.  The Devil used this great knowledge to impress upon humanity that they possessed the innate ability to become as God.  This was the same trick the Devil had tried before being cast out upon the earth.  Throughout the Old Testament, God and his prophets proclaimed that lack of the Knowledge of God was causing his people to error.

Consider this, it wasn't long ago we were led to believe that if man traveled into outer space he would crash into the gates of Heaven.   This was hard for many to accept in the sixties as not being true.  Why was this?  It was because of our ancient interpretation of Genesis 1:4, which was a validation of the lack of the Knowledge of God to keep pace with the knowledge of man.  Centuries ago, indoctrinated into a denominational belief by certain church leaders, our view of God was what they told us and not from a New Testament experience.

Now, if we read Genesis 6:4 and if we interpret this verse based upon our belief that all human life derived from Adam and Eve we create numerous impossible scenarios.  I have long held the belief that our views of Adam and Eve were not scriptural.  A careful reading of Genesis 1:26-28 can easily be accepted as "male and female created he them." If we allow ourselves to stray from our indoctrinated belief it would seem as if God created a host of males and females.  Genesis 2 is not a narrative of the creative works of God, but rather that what God did after he had restored the Earth. Thus God formed, not created a special man to tend his garden. Adam and his offspring were styled as "The Sons of God"   If we accept this narrative we will not have to rely on conjectures and superposition's  to answer the questions that the emerging generation is asking such as, Where did Cain get his wife or when did God create the races".  

Some hold that the "Sons of God" were the "angels which kept not their first estate" Jude 1:6. It is asserted that the title is in the Old Testament exclusively used of angels. However, this is an error Isaiah 43:6. Angels are spoken of in a sexless way. There is no mention of female angels in Scripture, and marriage is unknown among angels. Matthew 22:30.  Thus if we are transformed into Holy Angels there will be no marriages.  Old things including our memory of our previous existence will be done away with.

The uniform Hebrew and Christian interpretation have been that verse Genesis 6:2 marks the breaking down of the separation between the godly line of Seth and the godless line of Cain, and so the failure of the testimony to God committed to the line of Seth Genesis 4:26. For apostasy, there is no remedy but judgment Isaiah 1:2-7, 24-25; Hebrew 6:4-8; 10:26-31. Noah, "a preacher of righteousness," is given 120 years, but he won no convert, and the judgment predicted by his great-grandfather felled, Jude 1:14-15; Genesis 7:11.

"And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (Genesis 6:5-8) 

Genesis 6:5-8 serves as a prelude to worldwide destruction ordain by God.  Once the man had given the Devil access to God's creative works, man's heart became corrupt.   The scripture says that the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil continually.   Herein we find God declaring his disgust with his once prized creation and in doing so he is exposing certain attributes that we have been condition not to accept.  In God repentance state, did he just declare the creation of man to be a mistake?   Humanity with its infinite wisdom can easily explain this away. 

One person thwarted God's plan of total destruction, Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord.  Because of the few that found grace in the eyes of the Lord, he began to work on individual bases.  He saved Lot and destroyed the city because of Abraham's insistence.   He later made a covenant with Abraham to raise up unto him a Holy nation.  This nation would be separate from all of the other nations and he would rule over them.  It wasn't long after they set out on their journey to the promise land the evilness of man began to manifest itself. 

Random Thoughts and Questions Along The Way.

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1st John 1:8-10)

To me it seems to be one of the most preposterous claims made is, "when we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing there will be." Properly pitched and presented the above statement is enough to drive the average Christian into an emotional frenzy. But, can you imagine for a moment what Heaven would be if we all made it to the place, we call heaven? For some reason, I tend to visualize a nightclub scene, dancing, and rejoicing but no order or purpose. Some even speak of shaking hands with their loved ones. This could be the setting for many heartbreaking moments. Imagine getting to heaven and not being able to find our loved ones. Forced to spend eternity missing our loved ones would not be the settings for a wonderful life in the hereafter. Truly, there must be something missing in the scenario that we are overlooking and not being not being told. 

Maybe the Book of Job holds the answer. Did Job spend the rest of his life missing his lost children or did God reset Job's memory? If God did a reset, which is well within his power, then this would explain the lost civilizations. Try explaining the building of the pyramids and your dissertation digress into hopeless speculations. 

What is most troubling about the scenario of "all of us going to Heaven" is will we be able to transplant this climate of hate to the Pearly gates? Are we looking forward to a Heaven where we will not have to deal with other ethnic groups? As a religious author, I have no qualms about those who do not profess to be a follower of Christ but I call into question the ministers of the Gospel who spouts hateful rhetoric while glorifying those who did all that was in their power to render the word of God impotent. There are too many Christians teaching the message of Christ but not following in his precepts. 

On any given Sunday, Christian ministers stand in the presence of God and condemn public officials for their perceived indiscretion as if they themselves are innocent. There is no litmus test to prove that the accused is innocent or guilty. During the Salem Witch Hunt, dunking was one of the tools used to prove a person was a witch. Confessed they were a witch or drown were the only options, if they drown, they were innocent. How would Jesus handle the situation? Remember the woman caught in the very act of adultery, his response to the accusers was simple, "He that is without sin cast the first stone". 

Why do we continue to plant the seeds of hate, while praying for God to heal the nation? After listening to a fiery message of her pastor on his hatred for a particular president, a young girl attacked her once close friend because her friend chooses not agree with the preacher's hateful rhetoric.   

As we become of age, we have created a potpourri of labels that serves no purpose than to create dissension and hate. Once these labels are created they are added to the cauldron of hate where they act as a catalyst. The power to dominate is given by the rulers of our society and the power claimed by each group is to determine what is right or wrong for the masses. The consensus has been destroyed and all of the sacredness of God and the once Holy Church can now be attacked. As the power to dominate, the power to rule grew within the ranks of Christendom, community, and political platforms were reestablished within the church as they were in the days of Martin Luther. 

Today, there are certain ethnic groups demanding their own God. The God of Abraham has been rendered irrelevant in a highly educated society. The detractors are searching the scripture for what they deem to be inconsistencies without even Understanding the Word of God. They ask such questions as, how old is the Earth or where did Cain get his wife? These questions could be put to rest if Christianity stepped out from behind its walls of religious quagmire and did a careful study of the first and second chapter of Genesis. The problem here is those who have attempted to interpret the scripture have attempted to adapt the scripture in accordance with certain denominational guidelines. 

There are many shocking and sobering truths have become known since we began a study of Heaven and the part the church play in the overall scheme of God's plan. Christendom and the concept of Heaven have undergone radical changes since the time of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, yet it is loudly proclaimed that the Word of God never changes. History supports the theses, Pagan ceremonies and traditions were introduced into the professing church soon after the death of the original Apostles, and the belief structure of the church was changed. Even today the belief structure of the church is constantly changing.  The justification of sin has allowed us to stray farther away from God than mankind ever has. 

In Revelation 2-3, Jesus addressed a church that was suffering from spiritual corruption, a church that strove for political power and worldliness. The message of Jesus letters to the seven churches should not be lost on the churches of today. Herein is a simple question, what has the church become after Martin Luther rebelled against the Catholic church and paved the way for the Protestant Reformation? An answer to this question would put everything into proper context. Have we become closer to God or have we become more divided?

Theologian Martin Luther forever changed Christianity when he began the Protestant Reformation in 16th-century Europe. The trials and failure of Martin Luther's religious ideologies should not be lost on society, the divided churches and those who wield political power. Divisions and scandals plagued the Protestant camp during the days of Martin Luther. With the aid of armies of princes and political power, they sought to guarantee that the reformed religion that he decreed would be outwardly maintained. 

Martin Luther's instructions to the German prince to "smite, strangle and stab" them in the name of God is often cast aside in favor of the good he strove to do. Yet, they had no power to cleanse the faith and morals of the subjects. They were unable to make one spirit of the warring factions that arose within the Protestant movement; they merely created a greater division. A closer study of Martin's action would find hate and envy lurking in the background, and these two entities would provide the fuel for his actions. What Martin Luther had sought to stamp out began to grow and denominations or kingdoms were established totaling more than 30,000 today. What the government tried to eliminate has grown.

A past president signed into a law a bill that was supposed to eradicate hate. A fine undertaking but it was an impossible task. Hate cannot be eliminated, to expose hate to the light of day causes it to grow. No one with a clear conscious can deny that from the date of that signing, hate has grown expediently. Like the church in the early days of the Protestant movement, our society has become divided and different groups are seeking to dominate. A simple question, what was achieved by the signing of a hate bill? Did it make one person say, "I love you?" A simpler question is, Are we so naive that we think we can create a society where everybody walks around saying, "I love you? An even simpler question is what difference would it make for a total stranger to "I just love you". 

Could Martin Luther not have known that to attack the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the name of religious purity would open a floodgate that would be destructive to the ideology that he sought to perpetuate? When a people seek to attack the bastion of hate by stirring the cauldron, what is the result? The heresy that Martin sought to stamp out, cultivated by his own hand, took root and flourished. The preaching of hatred that many have turned into an art form has grown and the rhetoric of an entire generation akin to the church is based on false narrative.

The Dirt Under The Rug

John 8:1-11 tells the story of a woman brought to Jesus by the religious right who sought to test Jesus on his application of the Law.   The accusation was not based on what they heard, but they were able to proclaim, "She was caught in the very act of committing adultery."  Under the Law of Moses, this was a serious offense that required a public stoning.  Whether the stoning was unto death or not, it was an overt act of shaming.

Shaming has become an important tool in the arsenal of destructive processes.  Few possess the fortitude to defend against this public act.   Shaming, an attribute of hate when unleashed cannot be controlled or directed. 

This was the perfect time for Jesus to stand on the soapbox of righteous indignation and condemn this sinful woman.  What we all who proclaim to follow Christ should note is, Christ did not acknowledge her sins, nor did he accuse her.  The act of stooping down and writing on the ground was an act of ignoring the woman's accusers.   An example that all Christians should follow.  When they persisted he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

How many of us are guilty of committing the same things that we are accusing others of committing?   

The story continues with the crowd dispersing and Jesus and the woman were left alone.  John 8:10-11  When Jesus had lifted up himself and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

The interesting aspect of this confrontation is Jesus did not condemn the woman, he did not lecture her, and he did not send her into the mountain to do penance.  His instructions to her were simple, "Go and sin no more."   

Several years had passed since I had been to see my mother.  While out shopping, a customer in the store came up to me and asked if I went to see my mother on mother's day.    Shocked that a total stranger would ask me what I considered a personal question, I reluctantly responded with a "no I did not".   Whether she was aware or not, I was in a self-imposed seclusion.  Personnel problems and sibling rivalry made family visits painful.  This total stranger got up in my face and said, "Boy, don't you ever forget to visit your mother on mother's day.  Somewhat insulted by her tenacity I resolved to call my mother.

My mother and I were looking forward to the visit.  For an elderly woman living alone and not fond of the rituals of housekeeping, she did he best to make the house presentable.  Our relationship over the years suffered, strained not because of what she or I had done or did not do, but because of the perception of others.  Too often we allow ourselves to become slaves to what "they say", thus causing ourselves unnecessary pain and our progress to be impeded. 

In the autumn years of her life, she spent time sitting with an elder woman of means.  This woman would give her expensive items dishes, silverware and throw rugs.  One particular item was an expensive throw rug that she had proudly place on the floor in the family sitting room.  When I walked into the sitting room the first thing I noticed was the lumps in the throw rug.

Not content with enjoying my visit to my mother house, I was determined to find out why there were lumps in the rug.  Lifting the corner of the rug, I exposed the piles of dirt she had swept under the run.  In my obstinacy, I had exposed something; the only question was what value this newfound knowledge would serve.  Would it make my mother a better housekeeper?  I doubt it.  Did it make me a better person knowing that my elderly mother swept trash under a very expensive rug?  I doubt it.  Uncovering this secret would not inject a ray of sunshine into an old women life.    

With the knowledge and wisdom of the ancients, my mother spoke words that defied me will continue to shape my outlook on life.  "If you look for the dirt under the rug, you will miss the beautiful tapestry".  She further stated that "wherever you look for dirt you would find dirt, whether it is under the rug or in people's lives".   My mother is no longer here, but those words continue to live within my heart as we embark upon a new destiny where exposing the dirt in people lives is a part of our culture.

The desire to expose the dirt not only affects our elected officials, its effect is felt in our home, church, and school.  The social media has opened a Pandora's Box and our young people are being shamed into committing suicide and murder.  Much of what we read and hear is fake news, yet if it fits our agenda, we run with it.  Even Christians are buying into a photo-shopped fake reality, which there is no defense.  How can our children protect themselves from this new reality, when the people they are supposed to trust buy into the hype?  Why would a ten-year-old child go into her closet and commit suicide?  Why would a twelve-year-old girl hang herself?  It is all connected. 

The Bible reveals several scenarios that should serve as a guideline for all who proclaim to be Christians.  When you see your brother in fault, you should go to him in the spirit of meekness, not making a public spectacle advising him or her or their errors.   If they listen to you and truly repent, then you have saved a soul as well as yours.  It then becomes a secret between you, him or her and God. 

The dredging up and displaying of all of the sins of a person's past will not make this world a better place, nor will it make you a better person.  A public indictment of my sordid past is vindictive and will not save me from the error of my ways.  Revenge will not heal a wound that has been festering or lying dormant for years.  Many who profess Christianity glory in the destruction of our fellow man or woman.