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Jesus in Revelation (48)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 04-17-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The beasts out of the sea. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound. However, the seventh head’s fatal wound appeared healed. John did not receive an explanation of how the seventh head’s fatal wound got healed. The entire world followed the beast with great wonder about it. (Revelation 13:3). As stated in the preceding blog, the beast here represents the entire system of humankind’s agencies that assisted Satan in his plans. The angel told John that seven heads are the seven kingdoms. Revelation 17:9 – 11. In John’s time, the angel stated that five kings have fallen; one is, the seventh did not come yet. John, however, observed in the vision the fully-functioning seventh kingdom. He did not see how and when the seventh head got wounded and how did it heal. John observed the wounded head as fully functional. However, to determine the probable seventh kingdom, we must discover the initiating idea, a concept, in its birth stage. The five fallen kings in John’s time are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon. Mede-Persia, Grace. The king that “is,” in John’s time, is Rome. The seventh kingdom, in John’s time, is still in the future. However, John observed it as functioning. The angel told him that the healed head, kingdom, is in the future. John did not see the concept that served as the starting point of the seventh kingdom. The seventh kingdom is alluded to in Daniel 2:41 – 44. Daniel’s description of the seventh kingdom is limited in scope because its nature appeared as a strange concept compared to the then-standard concept of a powerful kingdom. Even John, in the first century CE, did not understand the meaning of the symbol representing the seventh kingdom. Revelation 17:6 – 8. Angel reminds John that the beast with seven heads is Satan, revealing his plans and actions through human agencies. The “woman,” in chapter 17, is the initial part of the seventh kingdom, the “One World”: system. The woman represents the envisioned “one-world government,” which will fail, and the ten horns will take over as the rulers of the world. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. (Revelation 13:2). Satan was the prince of this world during the first five kingdoms. During the rule by the sixth kingdom, Rome, Jesus defeated or overthrew Satan as the prince. John 12:31. Now Jesus is the legitimate ruler of this world; Satan does not have power over it. Therefore, he gave his throne and power to the seventh kingdom in specific because he has no authority. He authorized the human agency, the global system, to function fully on his behalf and implement his goals. Satan’s primary goal today is to turn the people’s eyes to self and away from Jesus. The ongoing efforts in forming the seventh kingdom aim to make the people self-reliant and be lovers of self. 2 Timothy 3:1 – 2. The lovers of self cannot have Jesus in them through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they cannot inherit the kingdom. The lovers of themselves love the world they live in. 1 John 2:15. Most critical to understanding the seventh kingdom is that the seventh kingdom will not be religious or religious power. The previous six heads of the beast were not religious power. Satan does not operate through a religious organization because they do not possess the necessary tools and are not reliable. All previous kingdoms have tolerated various forms of religion within their dominion. In like manner, the seventh kingdom will tolerate all religions globally; however, no religion will be allowed to exercise power concerning the policy and operation of the global system. To understand the seventh kingdom and its pitfalls, we must understand the global socio-political-economic system and its goals. The formation of the new global system is in progress. To be continued.
Jesus in Revelation (47)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 04-10-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The beasts in Revelation 13 – The dragon became enraged. The beasts of Revelation Chapter 13 continued. “And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each had a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear, and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his throne and great authority.” Revelation 13:1 – 2. The beast here refers to a human agency that Satan employed to disrupt God’s plan for the world. The beast out of the sea, from the peoples, nations, resembles more the four successive kingdoms from Daniel’s book. The four kingdoms were Satan’s concerted effort to prevent the birth of the Messiah. In Revelation, the Greek noun “therion,” refers to both the human agencies, kingdoms, and Satan himself, as in Revelation 17:8. When it applies to Satan himself, John defines the “therion” as the beast which was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss. Revelation 17:8. Satan was the prince of this world; now he is not; and he will come out of the Abyss, imprisonment, and will become the prince of this world again. He will come out of Abyss after the millennium. Revelation 20:7 – 8. For modern-day students of the Bible, a significant part of the beast is the “head that was wounded and healed.” Revelation 13:3 – 4. The seven heads of the “therion,” the beast, are the seven kingdoms that assisted in the past and assist Satan today in his plan against God. Revelation 17:9 – 10. The head that was wounded represents the seventh kingdom on earth. The seventh “kingdom” will play a significant role before the return of Jesus. As stated earlier, Jesus will return to the earth during the early phase of rule by the seventh kingdom. The seventh kingdom is not an empire. No matter how powerful it may be, one country and one nation will not rule the world. It is the “One World” fully inclusive of all countries, nations, languages, and peoples. It is the unique kingdom from among the seven kingdoms in the book of Revelation. It is purely a human invention and will be run by humans. However, humans will run in the same spirit as previous kingdoms and on behalf of Satan himself. It will be the first fully global human institution working on behalf of the dragon, Satan. The ten horns are ten kings, or powers, a part of the seventh kingdom but will rule the world by a consensus or one accord. The global base for ten kings is the G – 7 countries today. Whether each of them continues or not, remains to be seen. All the present members of the exclusive club, the G – 7, do not have to continue; it is not critical for the seventh kingdom’s function, the “One World.” The ten kings, the ten influential nations, will of one accord give the planet earth to Satan as his principality. The beast from the sea, and the beast out of the ground, have Satan’s throne and his power, which they will return to him after the millennium. Revelation 17:12 – 13. The ten kings will assume power when the global coordinating authority fails. The “global coordinating authority” is how the author of these blogs sees it. Many prefer to call it a “one world government.” However, this will not be a classical form of government, but something that humankind has never attempted in its history. Because of its nature, this author refers to it as the coordinating authority. This author will address the above concept as it becomes necessary in the ensuing blogs. To be continued
Jesus in Revelation (46)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 04-03-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The beasts in Revelation 13 – The dragon became enraged. “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against rest of her offspring – those who keep God’s commandments and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. The dragon stood on the shore of the sea.” Revelation 12:17; 13:1. Some translations have it, “And I stood on the shore”; however, it seems more appropriate to translate as above because the dragon is the subject of the last verse of chapter 12. The first verse of chapter 13 belongs to chapter 12. The New English Translation has the first line of chapter 13 as part of chapter 12. The translator’s notes in the NET Bible state that better manuscripts have it as “the dragon stood…” The punctuation in the Greek New Testament can pose difficulty in determining whether the “stood” is in the first or third person. The third person, “he stood,” is more probable and logical. Nevertheless, in the spirit of the freedom of choice, the reader can choose one or the other. However, this author prefers that the entire first verse of chapter 13 belongs to the end of chapter 12. The subject of the last part of chapter 12 would remain intact. There is a legitimate reason why the dragon stood on the “sand of the seashore’. The readers of the book of revelation should keep in mind that John observed the vision; he did not participate in it. John did not have to stand on a seashore. He observed an event in progress on the seashore. The readers must also notice that the dragon is not going into the sea but is standing on the shore waiting for something to appear from the sea. He is not immersed in but influencing from the periphery. An implied question here is, why is the dragon standing on the seashore but not going into the sea? What does the sea represent? “Then the angel said to me, ‘The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” Revelation 17:15. Therefore, that the dragon stood on the periphery of the peoples and nations but is not going among them indicates that his power now is limited. He is no longer the prince of this world. That is why he is limited. Jesus overthrew Satan, so he is no longer the ruler of this world. Jesus said concerning His crucifixion, “Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.” John 12:31. In John 16:33, Jesus assures the believers that He ‘has overcome the world.’ In the garden in Eden, Satan did not have the right nor power to take possession of this world by force. The inhabitants of the planet earth had to give it to him. Satan lost his home in heaven, and he needed to gain another home. He did not approach the first man – Adam directly; why not, we do not know? However, Adam had to make a willful and deliberate decision to give the planet earth to Satan as his principality. Adam, and the whole future humankind, was not the owner of this planet; only its administrator. However, the planet earth is the only home humankind has. Satan proceeded to entice the administrator of the property indirectly; through Adam’s helper for procreation. He approached the woman. Genesis 3:1 – 2. Here also, in a way, we can see that Satan is not going to humankind but influencing it from the periphery. He did not even attempt to convince Adam himself. Satan now does not have a home because Jesus took it away from him. Therefore, he is on a periphery waiting for humanity to make a willful and deliberate decision in his favor. Will he succeed? Read the ensuing blogs.
Jesus in Revelation (45)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 03-27-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The beasts in Revelation chapter 13; an overview. In his message to the churches, Jesus reminded the believers of his mission while in the body here on the earth. He came to liberate humankind from slavery to Satan. He came to save humanity from guilt and punishment for sin. Jesus explains the need for a Savior of the world. He came to save the lost. Luke 19:10. Satan rebelled against God without cause and became the Enemy of God. He also enticed the first human pair to join him in rebellion against God. The sin committed by humankind in the first man, Adam, separated humankind from God. Therefore, a Savior of the world had to share the human body to rescue humanity and restore it to God as his children. Because of sin, humankind lost the image of God. Satan took the opportunity to impress his image on humanity. Humankind became utterly helpless; therefore, they needed a Savior. “One who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s works.” 1 John 3:8. God’s plan did not fail, and it cannot fail ever! Jesus, in previous chapters, summarized the evil deeds the Enemy employed in an attempt to frustrate God’s plan for humankind. He clarified to the believers that he is the mystery of God, accomplished during the seventh trumpet’s sounding. Jesus reassured the believers that he has accomplished everything needed for salvation and restoration of the believers to their Father God. There is no doubt that God has accomplished his mystery as announced in the ‘little scroll.’ Jesus reassured the believers that he is who he said he is. He is now in heaven and will come to take his faithful ones to his father’s house for a wedding banquet. While in the body here on the earth, Jesus has accomplished everything the yielded believers need to enter heaven for the wedding banquet. Beginning with Revelation chapter 13, Jesus clarifies to the believers what must transpire before He returns as the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus reassures the believers that He is coming soon; however, it will not be during the rule by the sixth kingdom, Rome, but during the seventh kingdom on the earth. Accordingly, Jesus provides clear information concerning the formation of the seventh human kingdom on the earth. He also described the events that will precede His return to the earth as King of kings. Jesus informs the yielded believers concerning the final destruction of evil and all associated with it. The two beasts depicted in chapter 13 of Revelation function as one system, as one beast, the seventh kingdom that serves as Satan’s final effort to recover from his losses. As one system, what the beasts, described in Revelation 13, will accomplish on the earth is Satan’s only hope for regaining a home for him and his followers. However, the righteous in Jesus do not have to worry because God is the Only Sovereign owner and the ruler of all creation. Satan is doing his best to lead the believers away from Jesus Christ. However, the yielded believers know they are secure and protected if they obey Jesus’ command to remain in him. John 15:4.
Jesus in Revelation (44)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 03-20-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The mystery of God in the seventh trumpet continued – The benefits we reap. The benefits we reap because of the power of the Cross of Christ are more than we could imagine. Here are a few: – God has restored His image in us. Our sin in the garden of Eden separated us from God, so we lost His image, in which He created us. God is righteous and Holy. We have become sinners by nature, and the two could not dwell together. “But your iniquities have separated you from your God: and your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59 2. Through what Jesus accomplished in his body, on the cross at Golgotha, God forever removed our sin from us, which had separated us from Him. He has forever destroyed our sinful spirit, life, and our sin. “I even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25. Now, by the power of the Cross of Christ, we stand in the eyes of God as if though we have not sinned. Isaiah 44:22. By the power of the Cross of Christ, we stand justified and free to approach the throne of God in prayer without fear of death. Romans 5:9; Hebrews 4:16. – God has freed us from sin. The power of the Cross of Christ, the true mystery of God, has freed us from slavery in the kingdom of sin and darkness. God accomplished it by having us die to sin in the body of Jesus Christ on the cross at Golgotha. “Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” Romans 6:6. The whole of humankind has died in the body of Jesus Christ, on the cross at Golgotha. “For the love of Christ compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.” 2 Corinthians 5:14. What is then the everlasting result? – We now have a new and eternal life. God made our sinful life die in the body of Jesus Christ and, in exchange, gave us the perfect and eternal life of His Son. Therefore, here and now, we have eternal life in Jesus Christ. “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him… Likewise you also, recon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:8 – 9, 11. What God has accomplished for us, in Jesus Christ, will be an active subject for eternity to come. The main subject of preaching and teaching in the first-century Christian Churches was what we are now in Jesus Christ. This subject should also be the central subject of preaching and teaching in Christianity today. Our transformation by the Cross of Christ’s power has infuriated Satan because he could not frustrate God’s plan for humankind. Chapters 13 through 22 of the Revelation describe Satan’s plans after the Cross of Christ and God’s response to them. The beasts of Revelation 13 – read the next blog.
Jesus in Revelation (43)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 03-13-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The Cross of Christ. The Cross of Christ is what He suffered on the cross at Golgotha. He separated from his body his perfect life, spirit, which is the sacrifice for the world’s sin. God then put into the body of Jesus the sinful life of humankind. By abandoning, or forsaking, Jesus on the cross at Golgotha, God destroyed humankind’s sinful life forever. Therefore, the sinful life in the body of Jesus died the second death, with no resurrection. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21. Now, we are righteous in God’s eyes. We are not righteous like Jesus; we are righteous IN Jesus, and in Him only. The spirit, life, of humankind sinned in the garden in Eden, and it had to die forever, as the wages for sin. Such is the righteous requirement by the Moral Law, the foundation of our universe. Sinners could not be helped in becoming righteous. Sinners had to be re-created righteous. God the Creator only could accomplish such a task. Humankind became a sinner by nature, unable to do right. Jeremiah 13:23. If the sinners would speak good words and do good deeds only, their entire life, they would still be a sinner by nature. God and only He can replace the nature of humankind because He is its Creator. Jesus lived a perfect life three- and one-half years while on earth. His perfect new human life is eternal; therefore, it could not die on the cross at Golgotha. The human life that sinned in the garden had to die the second death. A righteous person could not die for the sinners; the sinners had to die. The law does not allow a substitution. “The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.” Ezekiel 18:20. Therefore, the sinful life of humanity died on the cross at Golgotha, as the Law requires. The life that died on the cross at Golgotha did not rise on Sunday morning. Jesus’ perfect new human life, that He set aside, or separated from His body, reentered the body of Jesus on Sunday morning. Now, if we accept Christ as our Savior and trust Him, we have His perfect and eternal life here and now., That is why Jesus can call us His brothers. John 20:17. Because He so selflessly loved the world, The Creator of all willingly became sin on our behalf so He could remove our sin from us and, in exchange, give us the righteous life of Jesus Christ, the representative of new humankind. God so loved the rebellious human race that He came into the world in the likeness of sinful humanity to save it from the guilt and punishment for sin. “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His Son in the likeness of flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.” Romans 8:3. Therefore, the ‘Mystery of God’, announced by the sixth trumpet, was successfully and fully accomplished in the days of the seventh trumpet’s sounding, as depicted in the book of Revelation. The Mystery of Mysteries is now our reality. Our salvation has been accomplished; it is perfect and is forever. The death of the body still exists; however, that also will be resolved by the blessed hope, the return of Jesus Christ. The benefit we have from the power of the Cross of Christ – read the next blog.
Jesus in Revelation (42)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 03-06-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The temptation of Jesus. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Mathew 4:1. After Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit led him into the wilderness to be tempted. The encounter with Satan, the devil, was not by chance; Lucifer planned it. However, God planned that Jesus, the Second Adam, be tempted in the same manner as the first Adam. Just as the old humankind’s representative had to make a deliberate, intelligent decision, the new humankind’s representative, Jesus, had to make a deliberate, intelligent decision and choice. Both decisions applied to the whole of humankind. The first decision made the whole of humankind a sinner by nature; the second decision by Jesus justified the whole of a new humankind. Jesus, by his decision in the wilderness, secured the eternity for the New Humankind. He secured the perfect life for all who accept Him. “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” Hebrews 5:8-9. The temptation of Jesus was Satan’s first interaction with Jesus face-to-face. Jesus was tempted in all of the three general categories of sin. 1 John 2:16. The first category of temptation – the lust of the flesh. “The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’” Matthew 4:3. Satan knew that Jesus is the Son of God. However, he also knew that Jesus did not eat for forty days and that He was hungry. In an attempt to sow doubt in Jesus’ mind, Satan said, if you are the Son of God. Satan thought that Jesus would be inclined to satisfy His personal needs. He had the same approach with the Woman in the garden. Satan led the Woman to satisfy her desires; get good food pleasing to her eye, and desire to gain knowledge. Genesis 3:6. The second category of temptation – the pride of life. Satan led Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point. The highest point is a part of the wall the Romans built around the temple area. That part of the wall is still there. Satan said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, he said, throw yourself down.” Satan quoted the verse in the Bible that says, “God will command his angels concerning you…” Satan again attempted to sow a doubt into the mind of Jesus. He also wanted Jesus to engage in a discussion concerning the verse in Psalms 91:11, 12. Satan’s approach worked with the Woman in the garden. Satan quoted God’s command in different order of words but said the same thing. However, the Woman wanted to correct Satan and show him that she knows better what God commanded. She then added a phrase to God’s command. Genesis 3:2, 3. Jesus, however, responded, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Deuteronomy 6:16. The third temptation – the lust of eyes. Satan knew that Jesus came to rescue the world from Satan’s hold, so he led Him to a very high mountain and showed him all the great kingdoms of the world. Here they are. You want these kingdoms to belong to you, “All this I will give you, he said, if you will bow down and worship me.” Mathew 4:9. Satan knew that Jesus came to the world to suffer the cross so that the fallen humankind and this universe are restored to God forever. Satan became the prince of this world, and he tried his best to keep it. To that end, he offered Jesus an option to have the world without suffering the cross. However, Jesus came to this world to save it, not to save himself. Jesus could not have saved himself and save the helpless humanity also. However, because he loved humankind, he chose to experience second death so that humanity lives forever in Him. The Cross of Christ. Read the next blog.
Jesus in Revelation (41)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 02-27-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The recreation of humankind. The last blog asserted that humankind became utterly helpless because of the decision in the garden in Eden. The sinful humankind could not change its miserable predicament no matter how much it wanted. God and only He could replace the fallen human spirit – nature. He has accomplished the re-creation of humankind as promised in time of the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Because of His selfless love, God determined to send a Savior to the world and rescue the helpless humankind from slavery in the kingdom of sin and darkness. While the helpless humanity’s progenitor was still in the garden in Eden, God promised to send a Savior. Genesis 3:15. Here, God addressed the lucifer; however, the message was for Adam and Eve. God ensured the fallen and helpless humanity that He would do what humankind could not do. He promised to perform a radical transplant to restore humankind to Him. God promised, unconditionally, that He will remove from humankind the sinful spirit, life, and replace it with the perfect life of the promised Savior. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 36:26. How did God accomplish the radical transplant? “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of the woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” Galatians 4:4 – 5. God, at the incarnation, gave humankind the promised new human spirit, in Jesus Christ. The spirit God put in Jesus is the same order of spirit He gave to the representative of the old humankind, Adam. Therefore, Jesus is the legitimate representative of the new humankind. The spirit God put in Jesus is the same kind of spirit put in Adam at creation. However, Jesus shared the body the humankind had at the time of incarnation. The sinful humankind could not be rehabilitated or made good. It had to die an eternal death. However, because Jesus conquered temptation and his spirit, life, became perfect, the Holy Spirit sanctified his body. God, at the incarnation, began the accomplishment of his mystery announced in the sixth trumpet. Revelation 10:7. Therefore, Jesus Christ is the Second, or Last Adam, the representative of the new humankind. We can make a logical conclusion that God informed the first Adam of the Enemy’s presence and that he will try to enlist him in rebellion against God. In like manner, God prepared Jesus for the temptation by Satan in the desert. “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.” Luke 2:40. Jesus had to know enough to be able to choose the right and reject the wrong. Isaiah 7:14 – 16. Jesus came into the world to prepare the new and perfect life for humankind. How did He accomplish it? Read the next blog.
Jesus in Revelation (40)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 02-27-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The immediate consequences of Adam’s decision. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sawed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” Genesis 3:7. The first thing that happened is that humankind, in Adam, lost God’s image, and the glory of God no longer covered them. Because humankind’s spirit has become a sinner, the Holy Spirit departed from Adam and the woman, therefore, from the entire humankind. The Holy Spirit in man was replaced by “I,” the human ego. “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, … having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” 2 Timothy 3:2 – 5. The entire humankind became sinner, in the first man Adam. “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.” Romans 5:12. And, because of sin, the entire humankind became worthless. “All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Romans 3:12. The very moment Adam made a deliberate, intelligent decision, the spirit of humankind God put in Adam became a hopeless sinner. From that point on forward, all of humanity became a powerless transgressor. No effort by Adam himself or by any future member of humankind could have reversed Adam’s decision. Even humankind functioning as one, before the tower of Babel, could not have changed the sinful and condemned human nature. Because of the deliberate decision by the human spirit, God put in Adam; the entire humankind was condemned to eternal death, no way out. Thus, the entire humankind became enslaved in Satan’s kingdom of sin and darkness. The advanced reality experiments in quantum cosmology, as we understand it, imply that intelligent decisions are irrevocable. Such is the requirement of the law God established before the creation of our universe. “Can an Ethiopian change his skin and leopard his spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.” Jeremiah 13:23. By its disobedience in Eden’s garden, humankind separated itself from God, the only source of life. Humankind would have to die instantly had God not put it under the Grace. God did this because He loves humankind and has determined to restore it to Himself as His children. How did God restore humanity to himself? Read the next blog
Jesus in Revelation (39)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 02-13-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The fall of humankind. “I looked and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.” Revelation 6:2. The rider on a white horse is going out of heaven because he lost his home when he lost the battle. Therefore, Satan now did not have a home anywhere. Revelation 12:8 – 9. So, he was bent on conquering a home for him and his angels. An implication of quantum cosmology and the anthropic cosmological principles is that each created intelligence must have a home suitable for it to live forever. If so, Satan needed to find another home. However, Satan did not have the power to possess a home with force because he is not a Sovereign. He had the only chance if the inhabitants of a home willingly give it to him as his dominion. How extensive and long his search has been, we do not know. Did Satan gain a home? He did. In his effort to find a home, Satan approached the “Woman” in Eden’s garden, here on the earth. He cleverly rearranged the words in God’s command and asked the “Woman” if it was true concerning God’s command. His goal was to engage her in a conversation. No created order of intelligence could win a debate with Satan. He, the Lucifer, is the highest created order of intelligence. Unfortunately, the Woman engaged in conversation with Satan, intending to correct him. She proceeded in her correction without even noticing that she conversed with an animal, a lower creature. The Woman’s response was all that Satan needed to win a home. Satan knew that if he approaches the Woman, he has the best chance of leading Adam to make a favorable decision. The noun “Woman” means “from man”; therefore, she could decide for her only, not for the whole of humankind. Adam joined the Woman in rebellion against God. Why? We do not know. Satan did not have to talk to Adam. “And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.” 1 Timothy 2:14. The first man, Adam, was the representative of humankind; therefore, only he could decide for the whole of humanity. For to us unknowable reasons, Adam made a deliberate and willful intelligent decision. Adam’s decision was a decision by the spirit God gave him at creation. Therefore, his decision became irreversible. Neither he nor any of his descendants had the power to change the decision he made in the garden in Eden. “When the Woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Genesis 3:6. By his decision, Adam made the whole of future humankind God’s enemy. The whole of humanity lost the power to do anything about its sinful and helpless state. Only God could resolve the new state of humankind. What were the immediate consequences of the fall? Read the next blog.
Jesus in Revelation (38)
jesussimplified.com/blog post published 02-06-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] Why humankind needed a Savior, continued? The last blog presented humankind as a single order of intelligence, or spirit, and made in God’s image. What does it mean, ‘in God’s image’? In addition to the human spirit being given by God, not created, humankind displayed selfless love in the same manner as God. The human spirit, as given to Adam, was good, which means it did not sin. Genesis 1:31. The Holy Spirit was in Adam because he, as a representative of humankind, was sinless. The love of Adam radiated outward only, never toward self. The holy nature of God has been visibly demonstrated in the first human pair. However, the spirit God gave Adam sinned by disobeying a command that God gave him. The sinful spirit subjected the human body and the soul to the consequences of sin. When the human spirit processes information using the brain, he then commands the body according to the spirit’s decision. The result is an action that involves the feelings, most of the time. Human feelings are human chemistry in the display. Therefore, the human soul is a result of the spirit acting on the body. Regardless of the display, it is a human spirit that generates thoughts and commands the body’s actions. The human spirit generates thoughts even when there is no display in the body. The intelligent processing of information by the human spirit conforms to the God-ordained rule of logic or intelligence law. God is Spirit. The human spirit He gave Adam is a part of Him. John 4:24. God is the absolute Spirit; therefore, He can assume the likeness of any created intelligence, including the physical appearance. The Absolute Being can assume the form of all of the created intelligence at the same time. He loses nothing. However, we are not correct when we conclude that God has the body. God is Spirit! The deliberate, intelligent decision by the human spirit given to the first-man Adam could only result in two states. A correct decision would make the human spirit perfect. (This fact has been demonstrated by Jesus in the desert. Hebrews 2:10, 18.) A wrong intelligent decision by the first-man Adam makes the entire humankind a sinner by nature. Because the human spirit at creation was good, the Holy Spirit resided in the first human pair, signifying they belong to God. In Adam, God put the Holy Spirit in humankind to guide it as it learns about God the Creator and assists it in being correct administrators of God’s property, our universe, and the planet earth in it. God is love. Therefore, the humanity He created did reflect God’s love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8. The “God is love” means God is selfless love. Because the first human pair before the fall did not look at self; their love radiated outward only, the glory of God surrounded them. Therefore, they did not see they were naked. Genesis 3:7, 10 – 11. The attitude and the way of thinking by the first human pair were the same as that of God. God expects the same today of every converted person. Unfortunately, we all fail short in it often. What went wrong? Read the next blog.
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jesussimplified.com/blog post published 01-30-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] Why the Messiah had to come? To answer this question, we need to start with humankind’s creation; and what happened to it subsequently? When we understand the creation and the fall of humankind, we will understand why Christ, the Savior, had to come to the earth. Also, we will understand whether Jesus accomplished everything humankind could not do for itself. On the evening of Jesus’ birth, an angel told the shepherds in the field nearby, “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2:11. Why did humankind need a Savior? Was there another option? “When God created Mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And He named them Mankind when they were created.” Genesis 5:1 – 2. Therefore, the newly created humankind was good, no deficiency, because they were in God’s image. What is the nature of God’s image in humankind? God made the human body; He did not call it into existence. God put spirit, life into the body, and it became a living soul. The order of spirit called Mankind is our life. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you – they are full of the Spirit and life.” John 6:63. Our spirit or (intelligence as it is known in physics) is our identity. Our soul is not our identity. Humankind is an order of spirit, not an order of the soul. Humans, in quantum cosmology, are an order of intelligence. Our spirit, or our intelligence, is not made of matter; therefore, intelligence and the spirit are the same. Because our intelligence, spirit, is not made of matter, it is not subject to the laws that govern the matter. It must obey the law of intelligence. The reality experiments imply that whole of humankind has the same spirit or intelligence. The individual members of humankind differ in knowledge and experience. Therefore, all human beings are subject to the law of intelligence in the same matter. God gave to the whole of humankind the order of spirit called Man in the Bible. The advanced experiments in quantum cosmology indicate that intelligent decisions are irrevocable. Therefore, as a representative of humankind, Adam decided and chose, on behalf of the whole of humanity, in the garden in Eden. Adam, by an intelligent decision, made the whole of humankind sinner by nature. Because Adam made an intelligent decision, by spirit, the decision became irrevocable. Adam, as a representative of humankind, had to be tested. Why? God did not tell us. Perhaps, because evil existed before Adam was created, he had to decide and chose, either for God or the Enemy. Since the intelligent decision is irrevocable and irreversible, whatever the first man – Adam decided at the beginning of human history applied to the whole of humanity throughout its history. The decision by the representative of humankind – Adam had to remain such without the possibility of reversal. Because the first – man Adam’s decision had irreversible consequences, humankind became powerless concerning their nature. Therefore, God promised, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heal.” Genesis 3:15. The serpent stands for Satan, and the seed of the woman is the Messiah. Continued in the next blog.
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jesussimplified.com/blog post published 01-23-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] Why did Satan so fiercely oppose the coming of the Messiah? John did not answer the unstated but implied question directly but included the war in heaven as an answer. “Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost the place in heaven. Revelation 12:7 – 8. We understand from the fifth seal’s opening that Satan rode out of heaven, determined to conquer. Because he lost his home in heaven, he needed to get another one. However, he did not have the right to take property by force. The inhabitants of the property must give it to Satan. In his quest for a new home, Satan deceived the woman, which led Adam to give this planet to Satan as his principality. We do not know why did Adam make such a dangerous decision. Satan gained a home for him and his angels. He proceeded to enslave humankind in his kingdom of sin and darkness. Fortunately for the sinful humankind, God still loved them, and He determined to save the helpless humanity. Satan knew that the child Jesus, whom he wants to kill, will overthrow him as the prince of this world. Satan knew that God plans to save humankind from guilt and punishment for sin and return the earth into His Dominion. Therefore, Satan was determined to employ his most venomous evil to ensure he will retain the world as his principality. Consequently, Satan wanted to ensure that the child Messiah does not grow, defeat Satan, and redeem the people from slavery to sin and darkness. Because he was not a sovereign ruler, Satan knew that he could not attack Jesus by himself. So, he enlisted the earth’s inhabitants, who were not in God’s camp, to carry out his plan to kill child Jesus. After King Herod had died, and Jesus’ sojourn in Egypt has come to an end, God instructed Joseph to return Jesus to Palestine. Matthew 2:20. Because Herod’s son ruled Judea, Joseph returned to Galilee. Matthew 2:22 – 23. God educated the representative of the old humankind concerning the Enemy. God loved the newly-created humanity. He would not keep them in darkness and have them face the Enemy without proper knowledge. In the same manner, God prepared Jesus to meet the same temptation the first Adam did. Jesus grew strong in spirit, and God was with him. Luke 2:40. Jesus, in the desert, while being tempted by Satan, made a correct decision. He conquered temptation, and his life became perfect. Hebrews 2:10. Thus, Jesus made it impossible for the Enemy to establish his brand of long-enduring life on the earth. “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against rest of her offspring – those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.” Revelation 12:17. Satan, because he could not prevent the birth of the Messiah, and could not kill the child Jesus, is determined to lead as many as possible away from Jesus Christ. His method is to entice the people to turn their eyes to self instead of on Jesus Christ. To avoid Satan’s evil snare, all should heed God’s advice. “Turn to me and be saved all you ends of the Earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22. Why the Messiah had to come? Read the next blog.
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jesussimplified.com/blog post published 01-16-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] Satan’s attempt to kill the Messiah “The woman fled into wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.” Revelation 12:6. The “woman” here refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Messiah. Why did the woman flee to the desert? God instructed the Magi to return home another way, not to go to Herod. When Herod realized the Magi did not return to him, he became furious. So, he ordered that all male children two years or less be killed. However, King Herod did not count on God being in charge always. To show that Herod was doing Satan’s work, John inserts the account of the war in heaven. Lucifer rebelled against God, so he was cast out of heaven. He subsequently gained this world as his principality; therefore, he wanted to kill the Messiah to preserve his principality. However, despite Herod’s effort, God saved the child, Jesus. “The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.” Revelation 12:14. Here, John refers to Satan as a serpent. Why? Satan, in the garden in Eden, approached the representative of the old humankind through a serpent. Therefore, to eliminate the representative of the new humanity, he presents himself as a serpent. The representative of the first humankind sided with the dragon who spoke through a serpent. The dragon, Satan, enslave the old humanity in his kingdom of sin and darkness. So, he did not want the second Adam, Jesus, to free humankind. The child Messiah was born of old humanity in the flesh. However, His life, spirit, was from God. Therefore, the old humanity was destroyed in the body of Jesus on the cross and replaced with the new. 2 Corinthians 5:17. “Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.” Revelation 12:15. In the Bible, the water represents people and nations doing Satan’s work against God’s people. However, God’s plan for humankind could not fail because He is the Only Sovereign owner and ruler. “But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.” Revelation 12:16. The Sovereign God ensured that the woman and child could escape swiftly and effectively (on the wings of a great eagle) to Egypt’s desert territory. King Herod could not reach them in Egypt’s desert. Magi’s gifts to child Jesus preserved Joseph’s family and Jesus for three and a half years in Egypt. The escape of Jesus to Egypt fulfilled Hosea’s prophecy, “Out of Egypt I called my Son.” Matthew 2:15; Hosea 11:1 Why was Satan opposed to the coming of the Messiah? Next blog.
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jesussimplified.com/blog post published 01-09-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] Satan’s evil plans concerning the baby Messiah “Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give berth so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.” Revelation 12:3 – 4. The “dragon” in the book of Revelation refers to Lucifer, the Satan. The seven heads are the seven kingdoms on the earth. Six kingdoms played a role before the birth of the Messiah. The seventh kingdom will play a role in world affairs before Jesus as the King of kings returns. The “ten horns” play a role in giving this earth back to the dragon as his principality. (The seventh kingdom and the ten horns will be explored later in this series of blogs.) The dragon, Satan, stood before the woman who was about to give birth to the Messiah. He tried his best to prevent the birth of the Messiah, but he failed. He should have known, and he did know that God’s plans cannot be disrupted. Satan, the dragon, was angry because he could not destroy God’s chosen people and prevent the coming of the Savior of the world. He was angry that God did preserve a remnant in Judah through whom the Messiah would come. Satan was furious that the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem, as promised. Accordingly, the dragon, Satan, sprang into action determined to destroy the child, Jesus. To accomplish his plan, he enlisted assistance from the Roman King Herod. When King Herod learned from the Magi that the “King of the Jews” was born, he was alarmed. “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” Matthew 2:3. He then acquired of chief priests and teachers of the law where the Messiah is to be born? They replied, in the town of Bethlehem, in Judah as prophesied. Micah 5:2. The Magi asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” Matthew 2:1. They did not ask, ‘Where is he who is born Christ, or Messiah. King Herod used the noun, Christ, or Messiah, indicating that he was familiar with the time when the Messiah will be born. The priests and the teachers knew that it is time for the Messiah’s birth. They were expecting that the birth of the Messiah would be announced to them first. They may have been offended that Herod, a Roman, knew before they did. The chief priests and the law teachers answered to Herod, without hesitation, that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. They knew the prophecy by Micah, to their discredit. The prophet Micah prophesied more than seven hundred years before the Messiah’s birth that He will be born in Bethlehem. King Herod, upon hearing that it is Bethlehem where Christ is born, begun his evil plan. Herod first inquired of Magi when did they first observe the star? King Herod then instructed them to find Christ and come and tell him that he can go and worship the Messiah. However, he did not realize that God is in charge; therefore, his plan was spoiled. To be continued in the next blog.
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jesussimplified.com/blog post published 01-02-2021. Send Questions » [email protected] The Messiah announced “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the mood under her feet and crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.” Revelation 12:1 – 2. God’s purpose for calling Abraham was to preserve a human line loyal to Him through whom the Savior of the world would come. The woman in pain refers to the descendants of Abraham, the nation of Israel. Through the surrounding countries, Satan engaged in a relentless pursuit of Israel’s people, intending to disrupt God’s plan for humankind. The Jewish nation suffered from disproportional external and internal pressure. However, God preserved the Remnant within Judah, and the world’s Savior did come into the world. They suffered because God chose to, through them, bring the Messiah into the world. The relentless evil efforts by God’s Enemy is portrayed as the birth-pains. The birth-pains apply to the People of Israel as a nation. Mary, the Messiah’s earthly mother, did not experience the birth pains when she gave birth to Jesus. The prophet Isaiah prophesied, long before the Messiah, that the son would be born before the mother went into labor. “Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Isaiah 66:7. Satan did not have the power to harm Mary because God chose her to through her; the Messiah would have His human ancestry. Satan knew that the fullness of time is very near when the Messiah would be born. Accordingly, Satan did his best to eliminate Judah’s people, and if possible, prevent the birth of the Messiah. Satan employed the four successive kingdoms to destroy God’s chosen people and prevent the Messiah’s birth. When it became clear that he will not be able to destroy Judah’s people, Satan attempted to assimilate them into surrounding nations. God, however, purposed to save fallen humankind in fullness of time. Accordingly, God preserved a remnant in Judah, who maintained the knowledge of one true God and the right knowledge of God. Through the remnant in Judah, God assured humankind that the world’s Creator would triumph over evil. God, who loves us, did not leave us in the kingdom of sin and darkness. Despite Satan’s best efforts to prevent it, the Savior of the world did come to save it. Because the Messiah was born, Satan became very angry. He employed even more evil measures to eliminate the Messiah. He attempted to kill Him through King Herod. However, God has always been a step ahead of Satan’s evil aims. The Messiah has been preserved. Satan’s evil plan; read the next blog.