Tuesday 5-26-2020 Revelation Study Chapters 16-18

https://biblehub.com/revelation/16-2.htmThe First Six Bowls of Wrath1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out on the earth the seven bowls of God’s wrath.” 2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. 3 And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and e… See More

Revelation 16:2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

BIBLEHUB.COMRevelation 16:2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.And the first went, and poured out his vial on the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore on the men which had the mark of the beast, and on them which worshipped his image.

Comments

John Hargrovehttps://biblehub.com/revelation/17-3.htm 3And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten hornsBIBLEHUB.COMRevelation 17:3 And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.Revelation 17:3 And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
John HargroveCross ReferencesMatthew 27:28They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.Revelation 1:10On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,Revelation 12:3Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads.
John Hargrovehttps://biblehub.com/revelation/16-3.htmBIBLEHUB.COMRevelation 16:3 And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died.Revelation 16:3 And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it turned to blood like that of the dead, and every living thing in the sea died.
John HargroveCross ReferencesExodus 7:17This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood.Acts 2:41Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.Revelation 8:8Then the second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood,
John Hargrovehttps://biblehub.com/revelation/16-4.htmBIBLEHUB.COMRevelation 16:4 And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood.Revelation 16:4 And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood.
John HargrovePsalm 78:44He turned their rivers to blood, and from their streams they could not drink.Revelation 8:10Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star burning like a torch fell from heaven and landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.
John Hargrovehttps://biblehub.com/revelation/16-8.htm The First Six Bowls of Wrath…7And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments.” 8Next, the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire. 9And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues; yet they did not repent and give Him glory.…BIBLEHUB.COMRevelation 16:8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire.Revelation 16:8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire.
John HargroveCross ReferencesRevelation 6:12And when I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red,Revelation 14:18Still another angel, with authority over the fire, came from the altar and called out in a loud voice to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the vine of the earth, because its grapes are ripe.”
John Hargrovehttps://biblehub.com/revelation/16-10.htm 10 And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish 11 and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores; yet they did not repent of their deeds.BIBLEHUB.COMRevelation 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguishRevelation 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish
John HargroveCross ReferencesExodus 10:21Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness will spread over the land of Egypt–a palpable darkness.”Exodus 10:22So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days.Isaiah 8:22Then they will look to the earth and see only distress and darkness and the gloom of anguish. And they will be driven into utter darkness.Revelation 8:12Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun and moon and stars were struck. A third of the stars were darkened, a third of the day was without light, and a third of the night as well.
John Hargrovehttps://biblehub.com/revelation/16-17.htm 17Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!” 18And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth—so mighty was the great quake.…BIBLEHUB.COMRevelation 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!”Revelation 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!”
John HargroveCross ReferencesEphesians 2:2in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience.Revelation 10:6And he swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: “There will be no more delay!
John HargroveCross ReferencesIsaiah 29:6you will be visited by the LORD of Hosts with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, with windstorm and tempest and flame of consuming fire.Daniel 12:1At that time Michael, the great prince who stands watch over your people, will rise up. There will be a time of distress such as never has occurred from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered.Matthew 24:21For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again.
John Hargrovehttps://biblehub.com/revelation/17-1.htm The Woman on the Beast1Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and told me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. 2The kings of the earth were sexually immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.”…BIBLEHUB.COMRevelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and told me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and told me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
John HargroveCross ReferencesIsaiah 1:21See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!Jeremiah 2:20″For long ago you broke your yoke and tore off your chains, saying, “I will not serve!” Indeed, on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down as a prostitute.Jeremiah 51:13You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come, the thread of your life is cut.Ezekiel 31:4The waters made it grow; the deep springs made it tall, directing their streams all around its base and sending their channels to all the trees of the field.Nahum 3:4because of the many harlotries of the harlot, the seductive mistress of sorcery, who betrays nations by her prostitution and clans by her witchcraft.

Set your heart on things above Col 3:2

So simple and yet I do not do this very often. Today join me in seeking to do this each day, start each day setting my heart and mind on things above (do not skip starting with prayer, Bible reading, making my posts in social media focus on things above)I can do this and you can to by focusing your mind, where you steer the mind, thoughts and actions follow…just like driving a car.

The topic is a thread throughout the Bible on how to do this and it’s importance.

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

1 Chronicles 22:19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.

1 Chronicles 29:3 Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,

Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Psalm 49:11-17Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names…

Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

Revelation. Focus on chapter 13-16 May 19 2020

Review

AUTHOR: Revelation 1:1,4,9; 22:8

specifically identifies the author of the book of Revelation as John, who is generally identified as the apostle John, the author of the Gospel of John. DATE: The book was likely written between AD 90 and 95.

Revelation presents a glorious, reigning Christ.

The Gospels present Him as a Savior, One who came to take the curse of sin; but in this last book we see no humiliation. In one way Revelation is the most remarkable book in the whole sacred canon. Revelation tells us about the reign of Christ on this earth, which Satan wants to control. It tells of Christ’s complete and eternal victory over Satan. It describes Satan’s defeat and punishment, first for a thousand years and then for eternity.

Revelation was written using symbols.

The hard of hearing have a sign language, each gesture of which is filled with meaning. So it is with every symbol in Revelation: Each of the 300 symbols in this book has a definite meaning and signifies a great truth. This book was sent and signified by the angel to John, but it is the revelation of Jesus Christ, not the revelation of John.

More than 25 times in it we find Christ’s sacrificial title “Lamb.”

In addition, we see a vision of the future of the Church and the world in relation to Christ—events yet to be fulfilled. It has been said that the saving blood of Christ runs through the entire Bible like a red cord. It has also been said that the second coming of Christ runs through the Bible like a golden cord. We are saved and washed clean in His blood so that we may be ready and eager for His return.

In Genesis the heaven and earth were created—in Revelation we see a new heaven and a new earth.

• In Genesis we see the sun and moon appear—in Revelation we read that there is no need of the sun or moon, for Christ is the light of the new heaven.

• In Genesis there is a garden—in Revelation there is a holy city.

• In Genesis there is the marriage of the first Adam—in Revelation there is the marriage supper of the second Adam, Jesus Christ.

• In Genesis we see the beginning of sin—in Revelation sin is done away with.

• In Genesis we see the appearance of the great adversary, Satan, and sorrow and pain and tears—in Revelation we see Satan, sorrow, pain and tears destroyed.

God had determined from the beginning that His Son would be the ruler of this universe (see Isaiah 9:6-7)

. Revelation is the greatest drama of all time. The plot is tense throughout; the final scene is glorious, for Christ comes into His own. The hero is our Lord Himself; the villain is the devil. The actors are the seven churches. The characters unloosed by the seals of chapters 6 and 7 are introduced by four different horsemen. Then those summoned by the trumpets in turn leave the scene of action; and we see the Antichrist, the world ruler, stalking across the stage (see Revelation 13). This incarnation of the devil himself is determined to set up his own kingdom and be worshiped by people. But Christ brings all of Satan’s plans to nothing.

After all the struggle has ended and the beasts have been destroyed and the devil bound and “the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’” (Revelation 21:4-5). This book brings to a climax the great story commenced in Genesis, and as all good stories should, it ends “And they lived happily ever after.” Notice the sevens in this book: • Seven churches • Seven signs • Seven seals • Seven plagues • Seven trumpets • Seven dooms • Seven new things

The Seven Golden Bowls When the seven trumpets sound, Satan releases his power to accomplish his objectives. The seven bowls are God’s power released against Satan. Even though God has revealed Satan’s utter evil, people still blaspheme God and do not repent (see Revelation 16:9,11).

bowls are God’s answer to the devil, blasting his dominion with plagues such as those of Egypt—blood, hail, fire, locusts, darkness, famine, sores, earthquakes, war and death. Satan has dared to challenge God’s power. God is now answering the challenge, unleashing the seven dooms of His wrath on a Christ-rejecting world: 1. Ecclesiastical—Revelation 17 2. Commercial—Revelation 18 3. Political—Revelation 19:11-19 4. The beast and the false prophet—Revelation 19:20-21 5. The nations—Revelation 20:7-9 6. The devil—Revelation 20:10 7. The lost—Revelation 20:11-15 Satan is forced into action. His kingdom is shaken to its foundations and he is undone. This ends in the battle of Armageddon (see Revelation 16:13-16), with Christ taking the leadership of His armies. This battle is fully described in chapters 17–19.

May 3 2020 – Repentance

Repentance requires taking in a whole new point of view; looking at it God’s way. God simply asks us to turn. This is the way we accept His gift. When we do, certain outcomes are promised. If we don’t, or we “turn back”, alternate outcomes are promised.

Look And Live

Numbers 21:8-9 (NIV) The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” …Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

John 6:40a (NIV) “For my father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life.”

John 6:29 (NIV) Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

Turn Or Burn – always a choice until you die

We all have been bitten, and sin is coursing through our veins. It will most certainly lead to death. There is only one solution, but it is an offense to our ability to save ourselves

Luke 13:3b (NIV) “But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Matthew 4:17 (NIV) From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Matthew 3:2 (Phi) “You must change your hearts and minds, for the Kingdom of Heaven has arrived!”

Mark 6:12 (TEB) So they went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins.

Acts 2:38 (NIV) Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The Two Ways

The Wrong Way——–

The “way” we are looking: 1) will make sense if we look long enough; 2) will create desire to move in that direction; and 3) will lead to something. First, we will look at how this applies to man’s way.Proverbs 14:12 (NIV) There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

If our line of sight is along our own way, or the way of the world, then this will begin to make sense to us as we continue to meditate on it, even if the way we are looking is really stupid. With this mind set, desire will spring up, which is the fuel that will lead us to destruction.

James 1:14-15 (NIV) But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Ezekiel 33:11 (NIV) … “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!…”

The Right Way<——————————–

Ephesians 4:17-24 (NIV) So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off the old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 2:1-3 (Phi) You were spiritually dead through your sins and failures, all the time you followed this world’s ideas of living, and obeyed the evil ruler of the spiritual realm, who is indeed fully operative today in those who disobey God. We all lived like that in the past, and followed the desires and imaginings of our lower natures, being, in fact, under the wrath of God by nature, like everyone else.

Galatians 5:16 (NIV) So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Ephesians 5:8-10 (NIV) For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

The Gift Of God That Goes With Repentance: New Appetites

1 Peter 2:2 (NIV) Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Ps 119:104-105 (NIV) I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore, I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Ps 16:11 (NIV) You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Col 3:2 (NIV) Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Ps 101:3a (NIV) I will set before my eyes no vile thing.

Rom 13:14 (NIV) … clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of your sinful nature.

Ps 105:4 (NIV) Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

Truth in a crisis

Sunday April 5 2020 Notes

Question from Elisabeth L on April 4 2020

Is fundamental truth I believe is what God’s word says

Practical truth- material – worldly stuff

And abstract truth what we imagine it to be?

Spurgeon threw me for a loop today on his take on Jeremiah 5 and I started asking what abstract, practical, and doctrinal truth is. I understand Jeremiah 5 and what was going on in that scripture. More like just looking at a simpler way to define abstract, practical and doctrinal truths.

Truth, what is it

Definition of truth (Entry 1 of 2) https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truth

1a(1): the body of real things, events, and facts : ACTUALITY

(2): the state of being the case : FACT

(3)often capitalized : a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality

b: a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true

truths of thermodynamics

c: the body of true statements and propositions

2a: the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality

c chiefly British : TRUE sense 2

c: fidelity to an original or to a standard

3a: sincerity in action, character, and utterance

barchaic : FIDELITY, CONSTANCY

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-truth/

https://biblehub.com/jeremiah/5-3.htm

O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth?

You struck them, but they felt no pain.

You finished them off,

but they refused to accept discipline.

They have made their faces harder than stone

and refused to repent.

1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1 Kings 17: 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth.”

Eph 6:14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

John 1:14 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John Hargrove take on truth

Cannot separate world truth from God truth, they have to cohere, make sense, God created and designed the world we live in, broken as it is, we can discern reality and truth through the lens of the Word of God and that guides us on a true journey based on the path that God wants us on.

Bible Timelines

B.C.

2090 Abraham called by God

2067 Isaac born

2007 Jacob born

1992 Abraham dies

1944 Isaac dies

1877 Jacob arrives in Egypt

1860 Jacob dies in Egypt

1806 Joseph dies in Egypt

1730 Hyksos invasion of Egypt; Hebrews bondage begins.

1728 Hammurabi of Sumer born

1570 Hyksos expelled from Egypt; Amose I founds 18th dynasty

1548 Amenhotep I becomes pharaoh of Egypt

Hebrew midwives ordered to destroy all Hebrew male children

1528 Thutmose I becomes pharaoh

All newborn Hebrew males are to be cast into the Nile

1525 Moses born

1510 Thutmose II becomes pharaoh

1504 Hatshepsut becomes pharaoh

1487 Moses flees Egypt

1483 Thutmose III becomes pharaoh

The great oppression of the Hebrews begins

1450 Amenhotep II becomes pharaoh

1447 The Exodus begins

1446 The Tabernacle constructed

1423 Thutmose IV becomes pharaoh

1410 Amenhotep III becomes pharaoh

1407 Moses dies; Joshua conquers Canaan

1400 Conquest of Canaan completed

1377 Akhnaton becomes pharaoh; inaugurates monotheistic reforms

1375 Othniel becomes judge

1319 Ehud becomes judge

1318 Rameses I founds the 19th dynasty in Egypt

1240 Deborah and Barak judge Israel

1194 Gideon becomes judge

1167 Eli born

1155 Abimelech usurps power in Israel

1152 Tola becomes judge

1131 Jair becomes judge

1109 Eli becomes priest

1105 Samuel born

1089 Jephthah becomes judge

1083 Ibzan becomes judge

1071 Elon becomes judge

Samson becomes judge

1069 Samuel begins to minister

1066 Abdon becomes judge

1043 Saul becomes king

1011 Saul and Jonathan slain

David becomes king of Judah

1004 David becomes king over all Israel

971 Solomon ascends the throne

966 Solomon begins to build the Temple in Jerusalem

945 Sheshhonk ( Shishak) becomes pharaoh of Egypt

931 Rehoboam becomes king of Israel and Judah

Jeroboam rebels; sets Up a rival kingdom in the north

913 Abijam becomes king of Judah

911 Asa becomes king of Judah

910 Nadab becomes king of Israel

909 Bausha becomes king of Israel

890 Benhadad becomes king of Syria

886 Elah becomes king of Israel

Zimri becomes king of Israel

885 Tibni becomes king of Israel

883 Ashurbanipal II becomes king of Assyria

880 Omri becomes king of Israel

874 Ahab becomes king of Israel

873 Jehoshaphat becomes king of Judah

859 Shalmaneser III becomes king of Assyria

858 Elijah begins to prophesy

853 Ahaziah becomes king of Israel

Jehoram becomes king of Judah

852 Joram becomes king of Israel

Elisha begins to prophesy

841 Jehu becomes king of Israel

Ahaziah becomes king of Judah

Athaliah seizes the throne of Judah

Hazael becomes king of Syria

835 Joash becomes king of Judah

830 Joel prophecies

814 Jehoahaz becomes king of Israel

801 Benhadad II becomes king of Syria

798 Jehoash becomes king of Israel

796 Amaziah becomes king of Judah

790 Uzziah becomes co-regent of Judah

783 Shalmaneser IV becomes king of Assyria

783 Jonah begins his ministry

782 Jeroboam II becomes king of Israel

776 Olympic games begin in Greece

767 Uzziah becomes full king of Judah

764 Amos begins to prophesy

755 Hosea begins to prophesy

753 Rome founded

Zechariah becomes king of Israel

752 Shallum becomes king of Israel

Menahem becomes king of Israel

745 Tiglath-pileser III becomes king of Assyria

742 Pekahiah becomes king of Israel

740 Pekah becomes king of Israel

739 Uzziah dies; Isaiah begins to prophesy

Jotham becomes king of Judah

736 Micah begins to prophesy

735 Ahaz becomes king of Judah

732 Hoshea becomes king of Israel

727 Shalmaneser IV becomes king of Assyria

722 Sargon II becomes king of Assyria Samaria falls; the ten tribes go into captivity

715 Hezekiah becomes king of Judah

705 Sennacherib becomes king of Assyria

701 Judah invaded by the Assyrians

686 Manasseh becomes king of Judah

681 Esarhaddon becomes king of Assyria

669 Ashurbanipal becomes king of Assyria

660 Zoroaster born

648 Nahum predicts the fall of Nineveh

642 Amon becomes king of Judah

640 Josiah becomes king of Judah

634 Zephaniah begins to prophesy

627 Jeremiah begins to prophesy

626 Nabopolasser becomes king of Babylon

622 Revival in Judah

619 Habakkuk begins to prophesy

612 Nineveh falls

609 Neco II becomes pharaoh of Egypt

Jehoahaz becomes king of Judah

Jehoiakim becomes king of Judah

605 Nebuchadnezzar becomes king of Babylon

The Babylonians invade Judah Daniel begins to prophesy

597 Jehoachin becomes king of Judah

Zedekiah becomes king of Judah

593 Ezekiel begins to prophesy

586 The Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the Temple

The Jews deported to Babylon Gedaliah becomes governor of Jerusalem

The rabbis preempt the priests as the chief custodians of divine truth

563 Buddhism founded by Siddhartha

553 Belshazzar becomes regent in Babylon

550 Cyrus becomes king of Persia

The temple of Artemis erected at Ephesus

550 Confucius begins to teach

539 Babylon falls to the Medes and Persians

Darius the Mede rules in Babylon

538 Zerubbabel and Joshua lead a small party of Jewish repatriates back to Palestine

536 The Temple started in Jerusalem

530 Cambyses becomes king of Persia

521 Smerdis becomes king of Persia

Darius I Hystapses becomes king of Persia

520 Zechariah begins to prophesy

Haggai begins to prophesy

Construction of the Jerusalem Temple resumed

516 The Temple completed

509 The Roman Republic founded

486 Xerxes becomes king of Persia

484 Herodotus the historian born

480 The Greeks defeat Xerxes at Salamis

479 The Greeks defeat Xerxes at Thermopalye

478 Esther becomes queen of Persia and later saves the Jews of the empire from extermination

473 The Feast of Purim started

469 Socrates born

464 Artaxerxes Longimanus becomes king of Persia

458 Ezra takes a small contingent of Jews back to Palestine

447 The building of the Parthenon commenced

445 Nehemiah takes a small contingent of Jews back to Palestine

443 Nehemiah and Ezra read the Scriptures to the Jews and help them understand

the first roots of the Midrash begin to sprout; the Sopherim (Scribes) flourish

436 Malachi begins to prophesy

423 Darius II becomes king of Persia

404 Artaxerxes II becomes king of Persia

400 The Midrash begins to develop

399 Socrates condemned to death

359 Artaxerxes III becomes king of Persia

Philip becomes king of Macedonia

342 Epicurius teaches his philosophy

336 Darius III Codomannus becomes king of Persia

Alexander the Great becomes king of Greece

335 Aristotle teaches at Athens

333 The Battle of Issus fought; Alexander defeats the Persians

Alexander takes Egypt

332 Alexander destroys Tyre

331 Alexander seizes Babylon

330 Darius III of Persia slain

329 Alexander marries Roxana in a symbolic gesture of uniting East and West

327 Alexander invades India

323 Alexander claims to be the son of Zeus

Alexander dies

Alexander’s empire divided between his four chief generals

Ptolemy I Soter takes Egypt

320 Ptolemy I seizes Palestine

311 Seleucus I Nicator takes Babylon

300 Rome becomes a major world power in the western Mediterranean

Seleucus I adds Syria to his realm

285 Ptolemy II Philadelphius becomes king of Egypt

Between 285 and 130 the Septuagint translated

280 Antiochus I Soter becomes king of Syria

276 The first Syro-Egyptian war begins

275 Ptolemy of Egypt invades Syria

274 Hinduism codified in India

264 Rome’s first Punic war against Carthage begins

261 Antiochus II Theos (the God) becomes king of Syria

260 The second Syro-Egyptian war begins

252 Antiochus II marries Bernice, daughter of Ptolemy II

250 The Parthian kingdom founded

246 Seleucus II Callinicus becomes king of Syria

Ptolemy III Euergetes becomes king of Egypt

The third Syro-Egyptian war begins

245 Ptolemy invades Syria

240 Seleucus invades Egypt

223 Antiochus III (the Great) becomes king of Syria

221 Ptolemy IV Philopater becomes king of Egypt

The fourth Syro-Egyptian war begins

219 Antiochus the Great invades Egypt

218 Rome’s second Punic war against Carthage begins

217 Hannibal invades Italy Ptolemy IV invades Syria; Battle of Raphia

215 Rome’s first Macedonian war begins

206 Rome drives Carthage out of Spain

203 Ptolemy V ( Epiphanes ) becomes king of Egypt

201 The fifth Syro-Egyptian war begins Carthage surrenders to Rome

200 Rome’s second Macedonian war begins

200 The Mishna begins to appear among the Jews

193 Ptolemy V marries Cleopatra, daughter of Antiochus III

190 Antiochus III defeated by Romans at Magnesia

187 Seleucus IV Philopator becomes king of Syria

181 Ptolemy VI Philomater becomes king of Egypt

175 Antiochus IV Epiphanes becomes king of Syria

171 Ptolemy VII becomes co-regent of Egypt with Ptolemy VI

Rome’s third Macedonian war begins

Mithridates I begins the conquest of Babylonia and Media, adding those countries to Elam, Persia, and Bactra to form the Parthian Empire

169 Antiochus Epiphanes captures Jerusalem

168 The Romans interfere in Antiochus’s war with Egypt and prevent his capturing

Alexandria

Antiochus pollutes the Temple in Jerusalem and suspends the sacrifices of the Jews

166 Matthias leads the Jews in revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes

165 The Jerusalem Temple repaired and cleansed

164 Antiochus Epiphanes dies

154 The Jews in Egypt build a temple at Leontopolis

149 Rome’s third Punic war against Carthage begins Rome’s fourth Macedonian war begins

146 The Romans destroy Carthage

135 John Hyrcanus becomes high priest in Jerusalem

133 Rome begins to expand her empire eastward

130 The Pharisees begin to emerge as a sect

124 Mithridates II (the Great) conquers Scythia, adds it to the Parthian Empire, and makes a treaty with Rome

120 Hyrcanus repudiates the Pharisees and declares himself a Sadducee

106 Cicero born

88 Rome’s first Mithridatic war begins

83 Rome’s second Mithridatic war begins

74 Rome’s third Mithridatic war begins

64 Pompey captures Jerusalem; leaves the Maccabean high priest Hyrcanus in power with Antipater as civil adviser

60 The first Triumvirate at Rome (Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey )

59 Julius Caesar becomes proconsul; Pompey marries Julia, daughter of Caesar

58 Caesar conquers Gaul

54 Caesar invades Britain

49 Caesar crosses the Rubicon

48 Pompey slain in Egypt

Caesar makes Cleopatra queen of Egypt

44 Caesar becomes dictator of Rome for life

Caesar assassinated

43 The second Triumvirate at Rome (Anthony, Lepidus, and Octavian )

40 Herod appointed king

37 Herod captures Jerusalem

31 Battle of Actium, Anthony slain, Octavian becomes master of the Roman world, the final triumph of Empire

30 Egypt becomes a Roman province

30 Shammai

Hillel

Philo of Alexandria

21 Octavian assumed the title of Augustus

20 Herod begins to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple

4 Herod dies

4 THE BIRTH OF JESUS

A.D.

14 Augustus dies

Tiberius becomes Roman emperor

26 Jesus begins to teach; He characterizes rabbinic teaching (the Mishna) as “vain tradition’

30 Jesus crucified and raised from the dead

Pentecost; the Christian church is born

37 Caligula becomes Roman emperor

40 Gentiles are added to the church with the conversion of Cornelius

41 Claudius becomes Roman emperor

Antioch becomes the new center of church activity

43 Theudas claims to be Messiah and is executed

54 Nero becomes Roman emperor

59 The apostle Paul is imprisoned at Caesarea

60 Paul appears before Agrippa

61 Paul a prisoner at Rome

66 The Jews of Judea revolt against Rome

68 Paul martyred at Rome

69 Jerusalem beseiged by the Romans

Jochanan ben Zakkai seeks an audience with Vespasian

Vespasian becomes Roman emperor

70 Jerusalem falls; the Temple burned; the Jews deported

73 The last stand of the Jewish rebels at Masada

79 Titus becomes Roman emperor

81 Domitian becomes Roman emperor

96 Nerva becomes Roman emperor

98 Trajan becomes Roman emperor

113 Rome goes to war with Parthia

116 A further Jewish revolt against Rome is suppressed with great severity

117 Hadrian becomes Roman emperor

132 Bar Kochba claims to be Messiah and leads a revolt against Rome

Judea depopulated and the Jews denationalized by the Romans

138 Antoninus Pius becomes Roman emperor

150 Tertullian born

Sunday March 22 2020 Devotional

Sources

Daily Light – https://biblehub.com/devotions/Evening_March_22.htm#dl

Joshua 14:12 “Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken.”

Hebrews 13:5,6 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” • so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”

Psalm 71:16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.

Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

Ephesians 6:14,12,13 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, • For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. • Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Judges 6:12,14 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” • The LORD looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”

Jesus is a powerful name and we need to focus on the power He gave us and continues to pour into us each day. The entirety of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is the Word of God, and Jesus is the Word (John 1:1) – He is good and faithful and so is Father God (Jehovah Jirah).

How to study the Bible

Teaching & Talk – ChristianRadio…listen to sermons , or the Bible being read
Online podcasts, YouTube bible audio

Get a Bible , choose a translation you like

Use an app

e-Sword: Free Bible Study for the PC or smart phone…

Meaning, origin and history of the name Philip – Behind the Name

Online bible sites

Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages

BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages.

Find a friend who can study with you

How to Study The Bible | The Navigators. Inductive is one method
Shown below

1) Background
First, do a basic background study on the book: Who is the author? Why was it written? Learn the historical background, dates, key people and so on. Some Bibles have summaries at the beginning of each book that will provide some of this information. A Bible dictionary or online commentaries can also be helpful.
2) Personal Paraphrase
Starting with the first chapter, write out each verse or section of verses in your own words. This will help you understand each verse in wording that makes more sense to you.
Here is an example using 1 Timothy 1:1
Original Verse:
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope . . . ” (1 Timothy 1:1 NIV).
Personal Paraphrase:
Paul, a proclaimer of Jesus Christ, obeying the instructions of God who is the One who saves us, and of Jesus Christ who is our hope…

3) Questions and Answers
Write down some questions you have about the passage, or unfamiliar or confusing terms that you come across.
Example:
Q. What does the word “apostle” mean? What does it mean to be one?
A. The Greek word apostolos comes from the verb apostello, which means “to send forth.” So to be an apostle means to be someone who is sent forth—in this case by Christ to spread His message.

4) Cross References
Make a note of any similar or related passages that come to mind while you’re reading, paraphrasing, and asking questions about the passage. Consult a concordance, other study guides, or footnotes to collect related passages you may not have thought of.
Example:
Apostle: 2 Corinthians 1:1
God my Savior: Luke 1:47; Titus 1:3
Christ our hope: Colossians 1:27

5) Insights
If an observation occurs to you that relates to any part of the passage or its background, be sure to write it down.
Example:
Paul was commanded by God to be an apostle. It wasn’t something he decided to do on his own.
After completing your own analysis, consult a Bible commentary for additional insight. Seeking out other believers’ insights about the passage can provide a broader, more solid understanding of the passage than you might be able to come to on your own. Remember, don’t go to commentaries first; start by making your own observations.

6) Personal Application
Here is a possible application of 1 Timothy 1:1:
Just like Paul, I need to recognize that I am tasked with being Christ’s ambassador, authorized and sent out with a divine message. I can only be effective in my mission if I am aware of my status as a divinely appointed witness.

7) Title and Summarize
After completing this verse-by-verse analysis of the chapter, assign it a title and identify a key verse or verses. This will help solidify the message of the chapter in your mind. Write a summary paragraph outlining the thesis of the chapter. Repeat the process for subsequent chapters. When the book is completed, give it a collective title.
Sadly, mediocrity is a hallmark of our age. Consider breaking that pattern and setting some high goals for your spiritual growth.
For example, you might say that within the next 10 years you will have studied a certain number of the books of the Bible in this manner—spending perhaps three hours a week to study (which is not to be a substitute for your “quiet time”—that is separate).
Motivational writer and speaker Zig Ziglar said, “Aim at nothing and you are sure to hit it.” Let’s aim high in our goal to know God and be transformed by His Word. There is nothing greater.
“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8 NIV).

The End of the Age

Be Ready

1 Tim 4:13 (NIV) Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of scripture, to preaching and to teaching.

Rev 1:3 (RSV) Blessed is he who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written therein; for the time is near.The purpose of this study is not to teach a specific eschatology, but to meditate on the Scriptures concerning the rapture and day of the Lord for the purpose of preparing ourselves–preparing our hearts and minds–to meet the Lord Jesus when he returns.

Ready Or Not…

Are we looking to the skies, longing for the return of Jesus with power? Is the cry of our hearts: “Come, Lord Jesus!” or is it “Let’s wrestle some more,” or “Just let me indulge my flesh a little longer, then I’ll repent.” Will the events of the end of the age strike us with hope and joy, or dread?

This study is meant to be an act of worship. Don’t skim or read it piecemeal. Wait until you can devote 20-40 minutes to meditate on the Lord. If possible, read the Scriptures aloud with someone. We may need these scriptures, lodged in our souls, very soon.

We start with the words of Christ in the Olivette discourse. Notice how Jesus focuses on how we should respond. The things He “tells us in advance” are meant to produce the proper response in us, the purpose for which the Word was spoken. Things like repentance, holiness, and faith; NOT speculation, obsession, division over the specific details of the prophecy. In the same Spirit, Joel, Paul, John, and Peter encourage us to prepare ourselves for the end of the age.

The Olivette Discourse: Interwoven From Matthew, Mark, and Luke

Mat 24:3-9 (NIV) As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”

Mat 24:10-14 (NIV) “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Mark 13:11 (Phi) “…do not worry beforehand about what you are going to say–simply say the words you are given when the time comes. For it is not really you who will speak, but the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 21:12-16 (Phi) “…handing you over to synagogue or prison, or bringing you before kings and governors, for my name’s sake. This will be your chance to witness for me. So make up your minds not to think out your defense beforehand. I will give you such eloquence and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict it. But you will be betrayed, even by parents and brothers and kinsfolk and friends…”

Luke 21:20 (NIV) “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you will know that it’s desolation is near.”

Mat 24:21-25 (NIV) “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now–and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive the elect–if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time.”

Mark 13:23 (NIV) “So be on your guard, I have told you everything ahead of time.”

Mat 24:26-27 (NIV) “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

Isa 34:4 (NIV) All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.

Mat 24:29-31 (NIV) “Immediately after the distress of those days, ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

Luke 21:25-28 (NIV) “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Mat 24:32-35 (NIV) “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

Mat 24:36-42 (NIV) “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

Mat 24:43-44 (NIV) “But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Mat 24:45-51 (NIV) “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away for a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”

Luke 21:34-36 (Phi) “Be on your guard–see to it that your minds are never clouded by dissipation or drunkenness or the worries of this life, or else that day may catch you like the springing of a trap–for it will come upon every inhabitant of the whole earth. You must be vigilant at all times, praying that you may be strong enough to come safely through all that is going to happen, and stand in the presence of the Son of Man.”

Joel, Paul on The Nature of The End

Joel 2:28-32 (NIV) “…I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved… “

1 Thes 4:16-18 (Phi) One word of command, one shout from the archangel, one blast from the trumpet of God and the Lord himself will come down from Heaven! Those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then we who are still living will be swept up with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And after that we shall be with him for ever and ever. So by all means use this message to encourage one another.

1 Thes 5:1-6 (Phi) But as far as times and seasons go, my brothers, you don’t need written instructions. You are well aware that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When men are saying “Peace and Security”, catastrophe will sweep down upon them as suddenly and inescapably as birth-pangs to a pregnant woman. But because you, my brothers, are not living in darkness the day cannot take you by surprise, like a burglar! You are all sons of light, sons of the day, and none of us belongs to darkness of the night. Let us then never fall asleep, like the rest of the world: let us keep awake, with our wits about us.

An Epistle of Correction to Set Right a Counterfeit Letter

2 Thes 2:1-4 (NIV) Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above everything that is called God or is worshipped, and even sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

2 Thes 2:5,9-12,15 (NIV) Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness… So then brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

1 Cor 1:7-9 (Phi) And you have been eager to receive his gifts during this time of waiting for his final appearance. He will keep you steadfast in the faith to the end, so that when his day comes you need fear no condemnation. God is utterly dependable, and it is he who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Heb 10:25 (Phi) And let us not hold aloof from our church meetings, as some do. Let us do all we can to help one another’s faith, and this the more earnestly as we see the final day drawing nearer.

Body Building

1 Pet 4:7-11 (NIV) The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever spiritual gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Christ Jesus. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Jn 2:28-3:3 (Phi) Yes, now, little children remember to live continually in him. So that if he were to reveal himself we should have confidence, and not have to shrink away from his presence in shame. You all know that God is really good. You may be just as sure that the man who leads a really good life is a true child of God. Consider the incredible love that the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called “children of God”–and that is not just what we are called, but what we ARE. This explains why the world will no more recognize us than it will recognize Christ. Here and now, my dear friends, we are God’s children. We don’t know what we shall become in the future. We only know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is! Everyone who has at heart a hope like that keeps himself pure, as Christ is pure.

1 Cor 15:50-52 (Phi) Listen, and I will tell you a secret. We shall not all die, but suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, every one of us will be changed as the last trumpet sounds! For the trumpet will sound and the dead shall be raised beyond the reach of corruption, and we shall be changed.

Rev 11:15,18 (Phi) The seventh angel blew his trumpet… Now is the time for destroying the destroyers of the earth!”

Phil 1:6,8-10 (Phi) I am confident of this: that the One who has begun his good work in you will go on developing it until the day of Jesus Christ… God knows how much I long, with the deep love and affection of Christ Jesus, for your companionship. My prayer for you is that you may have still more love–a love that is full of knowledge and every wise insight. I want you to be able always to recognize the highest and best, and to live sincere and blameless lives until the day of Christ.

2 Pet 3:1-7 (Phi) I have tried to stimulate you, as men with minds uncontaminated by error, by reminding you of what you really know already. This means recalling the words spoken of old by the holy prophets as well as the commands of our Lord and savior given to you through his messengers. First of all you must realize that in the last days cynical mockers will undoubtedly come–men whose only guide in life is what they want for themselves–and they will say, “Where is his promised coming? Since our fathers fell asleep, everything remains exactly as it was since the beginning of creation!” They are deliberately shutting their eyes to the fact that there were heavens in the old days and an earth formed by God’s command out of water and by water. It was by water that the world of those days was deluged and destroyed, but the present heavens and earth are, also by God’s command, being carefully kept and maintained for the fire of the day of judgment and the destruction of wicked men.

2 Pet 3:7-9 (Phi) But you should never lose sight of the fact, dear friends, that with the Lord a day may be a thousand years, and a thousand years only a day. It is not that he is slow about keeping his own promise as some men seem to think; the fact is that he is very patient with you. He has no wish that any man be destroyed; He wishes that all men should find the way to repentance. Yet the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. In that day the heavens will vanish in a tearing blast, the very elements will disintegrate in heat and the earth and all its works will disappear.

2 Pet 3:10-14 (Phi) In view of the fact that all these things are to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be? Surely men of good and holy character, who live expecting and working for the coming of the day of God. This day will mean that the heavens will disintegrate in fire and the burning elements will melt, but our hopes are set on new heavens and a new earth which he has promised us, in which justice will make its home. Because, my dear friends, you have a hope like this before you, I urge you to make certain that the day will find you at peace with God, flawless and blameless in his sight.

Rev 22:12-16,20 (NIV) “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright Morning Star.” …”He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.

Why Doesn’t God Just Show Up Now?

C.S. Lewis: “God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the play is over.

“God is going to invade, all right, but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else–something it never entered your head to conceive–comes crashing in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choices left? For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side… That will not be the time for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not.

“Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.”

Temptation

be on the watch

Rev 12:9 (NIV) The great dragon was hurled down–that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray…

Mat 6:13 (Phi) “Keep us clear of temptation, and save us from evil.”

Mat 26:41 (NIV) “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

When Bad Things Happen

The Scriptures speak of three kinds of “trouble” for the believer: 1) Discipline, judgment, or rebuke from the Lord; 2) tests, trials, persecutions, suffering; and 3) temptations or attacks from Satan. So when trouble comes, what type is it? Is this God directly moving to correct me, or is this the promised persecution for following Christ, or have we allowed Satan access into our lives? Which kinds of trouble can be avoided? Which can’t?

STUDY 3: Temptations or Attacks of Satan

The Adversary

Job 2:4-7,9-10 (NIV) … Satan replied, “…But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head… His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept the good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Do Not Defend Yourself

Mat 5:25-26 (NIV) “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”

1 Tim 1:15-16 (NIV) Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.

The Flesh Is Weak

1 Thes 3:5 (NIV) For this reason… I [Paul] sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.

2 Cor 2:11 (NIV) …in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.Oswald Chambers: “A man’s disposition on the inside, i.e., what he possesses in his personality, determines what he is tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the nature of the one tempted, and reveals the possibilities of that nature. Every man has the setting of this own temptation, and the temptation will come along the line of the ruling disposition. Temptation yielded to… is a proof that it was timidity that prevented the sin before.”

Temptation 101

1 Jn 5:18 (NIV) We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one does not touch him.

James 1:13-14 (NIV) When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desires, he is dragged away and enticed.Oswald Chambers: “Until we are born again, [this is] the only temptation we understand. But by regeneration we are lifted into another realm where we face the kind of temptations Our Lord faced… Satan does not tempt us to do wrong things, he tempts us in order to make us lose… the possibility of being of value to God… Temptation is a suggested short-cut to the realization of the highest at which I aim–not at what I understand as evil, but towards what I understand as good… [At this point Satan] does not come along the line of tempting us to sin, but on the line of shifting the point of view, and only the Spirit of God can reveal this as a temptation of the devil.”

The Tempter, And The One Who Beat Him

Mat 4:1 (NIV) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

Heb 2:18 (Phi) By virtue of his own suffering under temptation he is able to help those who are exposed to temptation.C.S. Lewis: “No man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good. A silly idea is current that good people do not know what temptation means. This is an obvious lie. Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little about badness. They have lived a sheltered life by always giving in. We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it: and Christ, because he was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means–the only complete realist.”

Our High Priest, Our Defense Attorney Against The Accuser

Heb 4:15-16 (Phi) For ours is no High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses–he himself has shared fully in all our experience of temptation, except that he never sinned. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence, that we may receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need.

Fight The Good Fight

Heb 12:4 (NIV) In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood…. In fact, most of us have not even made an honest attempt at resisting temptation. We cave in immediately without much of a fight. “Well, I’ll quit doing that next week.” “Why struggle now when I know I am going to do it again anyway?” “It is just a matter of time, and now is as good a time as any.” But temptation feeds on weakness and bent desires. We need to start struggling to see what holiness is all about, to see if we will like it in eternity with God. We will also see just how strong we are and what we are made of.

Spiritual Wimps

One of the things that makes us cave in to temptation so early is that we often have the sense that we are going to fail anyway, so why even put up a struggle? But are we so sure of this? Didn’t the problem of last year or last month strike us with the same despair? And yet with God it was possible.Spiritual growth seems so impossible in the moment, and so easy in retrospect.We need to remember how unlikely it seemed we would ever: profess Christ, pray in public, witness, and all of the other steps along the way, as we face the temptation to give up now. After all, this too will pass. We can, and will make it by the grace of God. And God has given us His word…

1 Cor 10:13 (TEB) Every temptation that has come your way is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your power to resist; at the time you are tempted he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.

On Guard

Gal 6:1 (Phi) Even if a man is detected in some sin, my brothers, the spiritual ones among you should quietly set him back on the right path, not with any feeling of superiority but being yourselves on guard against temptation.

Prov 16:18 (NIV) Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Don’t Place Yourselves In Dangerous Territory Unless God Is With You!

1 Cor 7:5 (Phi) [To married] Do not cheat each other of normal sexual intercourse… or you will expose yourselves to the obvious temptation of Satan.

Eph 4:26b-27 (NIV) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

1 Tim 6:9 (NIV) People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.

You Are Not Alone

1 Pet 5:8-10 (Phi) Be self-controlled and vigilant always, for your enemy the devil is always about, prowling like a lion roaring for its prey. Resist him, standing firm in your faith, remembering that the strain is the same for all your fellow-Christians in other parts of the world. And after you have born these sufferings a very little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to share his eternal splendor through Christ, will himself make you whole and secure and strong.

Attacks Of Satan

Dan 6:16-17 (NIV) So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.Oswald Chambers: “We have the idea that we ought to shield ourselves from some of the things God brings round about us. Never! God engineers circumstances and whatever they may be like we have to see that we face them while abiding continually with Him… They are… temptations to the life of the Son of God in us. The honor of Jesus Christ is at stake in your bodily life.”

Dan 6:19-22 (NIV) At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “…My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight…”

Dan 6:23-24 (NIV) The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Ps 23:5 (NIV) You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…

The Secret Weapon

How would a cadaver respond to this temptation? “Reckon yourself dead…” to every instinct, impulse, and desire of the flesh. This is the violence of the war of the kingdom of God (Mat 11:12). This is the cross we bear that leads to victory. This is “the way of the Lord”.

Rom 6:11-13 (Wey) … You must regard yourselves as dead in relation to sin, but as alive in relation to God, because you are in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign as king in your mortal bodies, causing you to be in subjection to their cravings; and no longer lend your faculties as unrighteous weapons for sin to use. On the contrary surrender your very selves to God as living men who have risen from the dead, and surrender your various faculties to God, to be used as weapons to maintain the right.

Luke 9:23 (NIV) Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

2 Cor 4:10 (NIV) We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Rom 8:13 (NAS) … If by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, then you will live.

Can’t Touch This…

1 Jn 5:18 (Phi) We know that the true child of God does not sin, he is in the charge of God’s own Son and the evil one cannot touch him.

Gal 5:16-17 (Jer) Let me put it like this: if you are guided by the Spirit you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit, the Spirit is totally against such a thing…

James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

The Day Is Coming

Eph 6:10,13 (Phi) In conclusion be strong–not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless strength. Put on God’s complete armor so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s craftiness… that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground.

2 Tim 4:18 (NIV) The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack…

Mat 6:13 (NIV) “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”