Should Christians Celebrate Christmas ?

I know … sounds like a silly question! Who in their right mind, while claiming to be a Christian, would have a problem with celebrating the birth of Christ?

But, have you ever wondered where this holiday come from? It’s obvious, you say – from the birth of Christ! : )

However, most theologians and historians agree, Jesus Christ was most likely born in the fall (September ?).

So … how did we end up celebrating Christ’s birth in December?

The Encyclopedia Britannica reports that "The traditional customs connected with Christmas have developed from several sources as a result of the coincidence of the celebration of the birth of Christ with the pagan agricultural and solar observations at midwinter. In the Roman world the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchange of gifts. December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Persian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness." Mithraism was a primary pagan devotion within the Roman Empire, especially amongst the Roman Legions.

Colliers Encyclopedia agrees. Quote: "After the triumph of Constantine, the church at Rome assigned December 25 as the date for the celebration of the feast, possibly about A.D. 320 or 353. By the end of the fourth century the whole Christian world was celebrating Christmas on that day, with the exception of the Eastern churches, where it was celebrated on January 6. The choice of December 25 was probably influenced by the fact that on this day the Romans celebrated the Mithraic feast of the Sun-god (natalis solis invicti), and that the Saturnalia also came at this time."

Both encyclopedias plainly reveal that the source of the celebration of December 25 is the birthday of Mithra, the pagan sun god.

Sun worshippers since the time of Babel recognized this time of year in honor of their gods.

December 25th is well known as the birthday of various pagan gods.

A Roman calendar drawn up by a "Christian" in 354 A.D. (The Codex Calendar of 354) shows December 25 to be the birthday of Sol Invictus. Not only is it listed as a pagan birthday; but, it is listed as the most important pagan birthday of the whole year. It was celebrated in the Roman Circus with extra chariot races. This is the sun god that Constantine the Great worshipped while claiming to be a "Christian." His coins state that he was "committed to Sol Invictus." Constantines’ form of "Christianity" continues to influence Christianity today. December 25th is just one example. Satan wants to be "God." The first four commandments tell us who "God" really is. Satan hates that and has done everything possible to abrogate those commandments. Calling December 25th the birthday of Jesus is nothing less than sticking a pagan god in the face of the "God" of the Bible - a direct violation of the first commandment.

There was no consensus among third and fourth century scholars as to the birthday of Jesus. Different scholars gave many different dates. It seems that January 6th was one of the more popular choices during that time period.

Before the fourth century, the only possible reference to December 25 as the birthday of Jesus is assumed from the writings of Hippolytus. In his writings he indicates that Jesus was born on Passover, which would be either March 25th or April 2nd. Those who desire a December 25th birthday have theorized that Hippolytus really meant "conception" instead of "birth," therefore nine months after "conception" the baby would be born on December 25th. A study of his other writings however, indicates that the Greek word he chose does indeed mean "birth." An ancient monument of Hippolytus, now in the Lateran Museum in Rome, shows April 2nd as the birthday of Christ.

There is no record of a December 25th celebration of the birth of Christ in Rome earlier than 336. In Constantinople, no record of a celebration before 378. In Alexandria, not before 400; and in Jerusalem, not before 425.

The bottom line is that there are no reliable historical documents that would place the birth of Jesus on December 25th. On the other hand, there is overwhelming documentation that the birthday of many of the sun gods of antiquity was recognized as December 25th.

In 273 A.D. Aurelian brought the worship of Baal, from Syria, back to Rome, and instituted the cult of Sol Invictus, which combined the worship of all the pagan sun gods into one - "Sol Invictus." A few years earlier, the Roman emperor Elogabalus had unsuccessfully attempted to make the worship of the sun god Baal the predominant religion in Rome. The way Aurelian was able to get everyone, with their own specific sun gods, to be happy, was by proclaiming December 25th to be the birthday of Sol Invictus. They recognized December 25th as the birthday of their own god, therefore they were happy with the new name "Sol Invictus" - The Invincible Sun. Because of the association with December 25th. they recoginzed Sol Invictus as their own God.

The abominable worship of Tammuz, as spoken of in the book of Ezekiel, is related to December 25th. Today visitors to Bethlehem are taken to a subterranean cave, under the "Church of the Nativity" and are told that Jesus was born there on December 25th. It was Helena, the mother of Constantine, who declared that site to be the birth place of Christ. Jesus was not born there. It is a pagan sun worship cave in honor of Tammuz. The "church" historian Jerome, who wrote the Latin "Vulgate" tells us that Tammuz was worshipped there. He ought to know. His school was right next door. In fact, the back door of his school leads into the temple of Tammuz. In spite of all these facts, thousands of unknowing Christians bow down and kiss the spot in the niche where the idol of Tammuz was placed. Although theologians know, they will not tell people the truth. They will be held accountable.

Our Christian ancestors knew better. The celebration of December 25th was illegal (at one time) in England. It was outlawed in New England from 1649 to 1658. The December 25th celebration was condemned for its pagan roots by the Puritans, the Methodists, the Quakers, the Amish, the Presbyterians, and the Baptists. Why would they do that if there was not a legitimate problem? Christmas was made a legal holiday in Massachusetts in 1856.

Considering these facts, it is not unreasonable for a person to want to disassociate himself from a pagan birthday that never had anything to do with Christ Jesus. The Bible says that "to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." We are only responsible for what we know. Even so, we must not be "willingly ignorant." Everyone will have to make their own decision.

These are just a few facts that no scholar will deny.

At this point you may be asking; should we even care about this? Does it matter?

I would argue that it does.

Dan 12:4 "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."

The “book” has been unsealed in the form of the book, Revelation. The "unsealing" has been accomplished. Knowledge IS increasing, people ARE running to and fro and the remnant church IS forming as we live and breath.

The Bible is very clear on this – Christians will literally separate themselves during the end times. Who are they separating from?

Other Christians!

One group of Christians will cling to their traditions and man-made laws. The other group will excise themselves from those pagan and false traditions and return to the Apostolic way of worship (as close as possible) .

This second, more Apostolic group will be persecuted by the first group. This is what the Bible means when it speaks of the final false church and the final true church.

Most of the people of the world, in general, are already lost. The ending battle will be between the false church and the true church.

Which one do you trust and how can you tell which one is correct?

That’s easy – read your Bible and see which "church" it agrees with.

With an honest, biblically-based study I think you’ll see that the Word of God is agreeing with those who are separating from man’s traditions.

BTW, I'm sharing these facts to lovingly warn my friends and family, not to ruin their Christmas celebration. It is right and proper to celebrate the birth of Jesus. But is it right to do so with so many pagan trappings?

Reference: Christmas (much thanks to Richard Rives of http://www.toolong.com/)

The Observer

Does God’s Grace Make The Law ‘Unnecessary’ ?

Most Christians grow up in a church-world where they are taught that the 10 Commandments are one of the following:

- Moses’ Law

- Fulfilled (to them, meaning “finished”, “completed”)

- Impossible to live up to

- or, are covered by Grace

The biblical reality is that none of these are true. I was also taught these things and didn’t know any better until I began to study the subject myself. We must continuously ask ourselves; do we believe in man, or God?

As always, I ask you, I plead with you to check everything I say with the Bible. I’m just a sinner like you. But, I implore you to also believe the Bible!

I will try to biblically answer many questions. Questions like:

In what sense are Christians free from the Law?

What does it mean to be under the Law?

Does God’s grace nullify the 10 Commandments?

Is a Christian justified in breaking ANY of the 10 Commandments because he is under grace?

What attracts me to Bible study is the fact that you can use the intellectual disciplines of logic and reason. Child-like belief does enter into the picture, of course – you either believe in God or you don’t, but Christianity can be argued with reason.

So I’ll start with a basic truth. When a person commits a premeditated murder, stands before a judge and jury, is found guilty, and given a sentence; then he must fulfill the requirements of that judgment. It may be death!

The Bible clearly establishes that ALL OF US are guilty of sin (Romans 3:23) and that the wages of sin (our sentence) is death (Romans 6:23). Did ya ever wonder why we die?

As the old saying goes; it’s because we’re all guilty, guilty as sin!

Does God define what sin is? Yes! Sin is defined as transgression of the Law (1 John 3:4). What Law? Why, the Big 10, of course (Romans 7:7).

All of us have been caught red-handed. We must acknowledge our crime and take the punishment – death!

The human sinner tries to justify himself so the sentence won’t be carried out. He uses “works”, but it’s no good. Can man even justify himself by always obeying the Big 10? No, afraid not! (Romans 3:20)

Here’s a great illustration. A thief is sentenced to 10 years. By his works (the 10 years in prison) he has justified his freedom. But what if a person is sentenced to death as we are? No amount of time spent in prison will fulfill the requirement of our sentence. No matter how hard we try to follow the Big 10 until the sentence is carried out we will never be justified! Without the shedding of blood no remission for our sin will be allowed. (Hebrews 9:22-28)

Now hold on, Tiger! You’re proving the point that the Big 10 doesn’t matter, right!

Nope, you’ve got to keep reading the Bible. Our very logical and reasonable friend Paul tells us different.

Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

… Paul continues in Chapter 6 …

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Rom 6:15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Whoa! I’m confused now, Tiger. Paul just said we’re under grace NOT THE LAW!

Sure. But Paul also said, “God forbid”, and that because we Christians are under grace we should not SIN. And what is SIN?

TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You’ve got to appreciate Paul’s logic here! If I were a Zen Buddhist I would say; Paul has just taken Yin and Yang, wrapped them both up in a complete circle, and one-hand clapped them into an immutable truth – we Christians must obey the Big 10 because of the love Christ has for us (declared through His grace) and because of the love we have for Him!

(my apologies to the Zen Buddhists out there) : )

Christians shouldn’t obey the Big 10 because of works, but because of LOVE ! And to think some people say Christianity has no intellectual appeal. Can you imagine!

… I’ll explain further …

Yes! We are saved by GRACE, not works. (Romans 3:20) So, why do we need the Law? Because the Law is a mirror.

What! Now your making up things!

Nope. Read this:

James 1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
James 1:24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
James 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Yes, it’s referring to the Big 10!

You see; although we are “under grace and not the Law” we should still practice the Law. This logic may seem odd, but Paul explains it this way:

Rom 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

In other words, those who are under the Law and are guilty of breaking it are under condemnation of the Law. This is the case with Jews, before the advent of Christ. Christians are not under the Law, but under grace. Paul later states:

Rom 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
Rom 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
Rom 3:29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,
Rom 3:30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

So, Paul, in his “law professor-like” logic establishes the Big 10 through faith!

A more down to earth illustration will help. (because Paul can be hard to fathom)

A murderer has been sentenced to death in the chair. This man is truly under the Law, under the guilt, condemned by the Law (like the Jew). Just before he’s executed the man receives a pardon from the Governor! (Jesus) The man is no longer under the Law but under Grace! The Law no longer condemns him. (he’s now like the Christian)

Because he is free to go and under grace is he also free to break the Law?

No! Of course not! In fact, now that he knows he’s been pardoned by the Governor he is so grateful and loves the Governor so much he will do anything to keep from breaking the Law!

Do you begin to understand why it’s so important to get on your knees and literally BEG for forgiveness when we sin? You see, by transgressing the Law, we have just made a mockery of the love and grace of our dear Savior Jesus Christ! We have also demonstrated that we think nothing of His sacrifice!

And if we continue to do this, there will ultimately be no more forgiveness of our sin!

All of us see sin around us. The United States, especially in these times, is running rampant with crime and it can only get worse. This crime is present because of transgression of God’s perfect Law.

Honestly now, is there anyone out there who wishes to place man’s law above God’s supreme Law?

… rest in peace, Joe – I can’t wait to see you …

The Observer

Epilogue:

Because Christians are under God's grace always does it mean he's always "saved"? Can a saved man be lost? The answer is yes because man chooses to turn away from God, not God away from man.

Is It Legalism To . . . ?

Just recently the subject of legalism has come up. I think it’s important to clarify what legalism is and what it’s not.

Dictionary.com gives the definition as follows:

Legalism – noun

1. strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, esp. to the letter rather than the spirit.

2. Theology . a. the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works. b. the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.

3. (in Chinese philosophy) the principles and practices of a school of political theorists advocating strict legal control over all activities, a system of rewards and punishments uniform for all classes, and an absolute monarchy.

Chinese philosophy is not part of this discussion so I’ll deal with the first two definitions.

There are two very poignant ways to illustrate this. In fact, these two illustrations can be considered as basic precepts to the Christian faith and are very helpful in differentiating Christianity from other religions.

It just so happens that an article has appeared today concerning the first definition reference. One of New York’s finest recently gave a Rabbi a ticket for jaywalking. This occurred on a Sabbath day (Saturday).

In strict adherence to Mosaic law, the Rabbi was not carrying identification. The officer asked the Rabbi to write his name down (ostensibly to get the correct spelling and/or sign paperwork). The Rabbi didn’t want to because, again, it was against Mosaic law to write your name on the Sabbath.

You may have heard of other criteria for “Mosaic” Sabbath keeping. You can only walk a “Sabbath mile”, for example. The idea being that taking a long trip, by any means, is breaking the Sabbath, therefore the distance one can travel is limited.

Or, one cannot leave an egg outside in the sun on the Sabbath. It may cook and therefore you’ll break the Sabbath by cooking!

A very famous example that Jesus used in demonstrating to the Pharisees what hypocrites they were is in Matthew, Chapter 22. On a Sabbath day the Pharisees were trying to once again trap Jesus and asked if it was “kosher” to pay taxes to Caesar.

Jesus asked for a coin and gave his famous response. What most people miss is that he was also showing the Pharisees that they didn’t follow the Mosaic law anyway, so why try to obtain grace and favor by strict adherence to it.

You see, it’s against Mosaic law to carry money on the Sabbath. Jesus was once again showing the Pharisees it was hypocritical to try to adhere to all these Man-made laws.

This principle of strict adherence is anathema to the Christian. (See Col. Ch. 2) These handwritten requirements of Moses are contrary to the Christian, including sabbaths and festival days. (please notice: lower case "s" is used for "sabbath" here and in the Bible. It refers to festival days that were also called sabbath days. It does not refer to the weekly Sabbath.)

The Second part of the definition has everything to do with works.

Works can correctly be divided into two categories; works that one does physically such as giving to the poor, establishing and running a soup kitchen or a religious blog, counting beads, praying five times a day, etc; and works that are spiritual in nature. For example, if a person actively grows in his relationship with the Holy Spirit and the Lord and shares this with his fellow man, he is actually doing good works. (In fact, we are to be judged by this "class of works" - Rev. 20:12)

Obviously, in the Christian world, the first kind of works may be “good” but it doesn’t earn anything for you in the sight of God.

Isa 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

In other words, any “work” we do to make ourselves more pleasing to God is worthless. (that’s not to say we shouldn't try to please God – but we should do it for the right reasons)

BTW, attending church on Saturday just because you’re trying to do good works is also WORTHLESS!

So, why is it that some Christians say we should go to church on Sunday and some say Saturday? Or, does it matter?

The short and concise answer is that it is Man’s law verses God’s Law.

People who attend church on the Sabbath (Saturday) are not trying to follow the law of Moses, they are trying to follow the Law of God. What is it about the 4th Commandment that makes it different than the other 9? Surely, a Christian would not say it’s OK to covet because if I try to “adhere strictly” to the 10th Commandment it will be legalism! So, ignoring or changing the 4th Commandment simply makes no sense.

The real difference is that man is following man’s tradition, instead of God’s Law, when he/she attends church on Sunday. Sunday worship came from man. And it certainly did not come from the biblical text. In fact, Sabbath worship was instituted and sanctified at creation! (Gen. Ch. 2)

When it comes right down to it, it is all about obedience to God. It is also about recognizing God's supremacy over man. Is following God’s Law good obedience, or is it legalism?

Firstly, does God really see and take note of me personally? Some religions, such as Islam, say God doesn’t care about the affairs of men. But the answer to the question is yes! In fact, no detail is hidden, or can be hidden from Him.

"Thou God seest me." Genesis 16:13. "O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou ... art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether." Psalms 139:1-4. "But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Luke 12:7.

Next, can I be saved in His kingdom without obeying His Word, as found in the Holy Bible? The answer is no! It takes more than just a profession of faith.

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 7:21. "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. " Matthew 19:17. "He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." Hebrews 5:9. … see also, Acts 4:12 (this obedience can only be done through Christ).

Next, why does God require obedience? Why is it necessary? Because there is only one narrow path that leads to "godlikeness", and thus to His kingdom. All roads do not lead to the same place. The Bible is the map and guidebook with full instructions, warnings, and information on how to safely reach that kingdom. To disregard any part of it leads away from God and His kingdom. The universe of God is a universe of law and order. Natural, moral, and spiritual laws are involved. Breaking any of these laws always has certain fixed results. If the Bible had not been given, people would sooner or later have discovered (by trial and error) that the great principles of the Bible exist and are true. These Bible principles are written in our nervous systems, glands, and minds. When ignored, they result in shattered nerves, disease, and unhappiness of every kind. So the words of the Bible are not merely advice which we can accept or ignore without consequences. The Bible tells what these consequences are and explains how to avoid them. A person cannot live any way he wishes and still become godlike any more than a builder can ignore the blueprints for a house without running into trouble. This is why God asks all to follow the blueprint of the Holy Scripture. There is no other way to become like Him and thus be fitted for a place in His kingdom. And there is no other way to true happiness.

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew 7:14. " But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death." Proverbs 8:36. "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive." Deuteronomy 6:24. (the reference in Deut. is referring to the Big 10!)

Next, why does God permit disobedience to continue? Why not destroy sin and sinners now? God permits disobedience and sin to continue until all people everywhere are at last fully convinced of God's justice, love, and mercy. All will finally realize that God, by requiring obedience, is not trying to force His will upon us, but rather is trying to keep us from hurting and destroying ourselves. The sin problem is not settled until even the most cynical and hardened sinners are convinced of God's love and confess that He is just. It will take perhaps a major catastrophe or worse to convince some, but the horrible results of sinful living will finally convince all that God is just and right. Then, and only then, can sin and disobedience be safely brought to an end by the Lord.

"Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." Jude 14, 15. "As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." Romans 14:11.

Will God actually destroy the disobedient? No question about it. The disobedient, including the devil and his angels who sinned, will be destroyed. This being true, surely it is high time to abandon all fuzziness regarding what is right or wrong. People had better stop letting their own foolish whims and egotistical notions guide them and pay attention to God's great book. And they had better do it now--there is not much time left!

"God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment." 2 Peter 2:4. "All the wicked will he destroy." Psalms 145:20. "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thessalonians 1:8.

Next, what if I want to obey all of God's rules. How can I be certain I will not overlook one? God leaves no room for doubt. He promises to keep me from error and lead me safely to all truth if I: (1) pray earnestly for guidance, (2) sincerely study God's Word, and (3) follow truth as soon as I am shown.

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find." Matthew 7:7. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, ... rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15. "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." John 7:17. "Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you." John 12:35. "As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me." Psalms 18:44.

Does God count me guilty for disobeying Bible truth that has never been made clear to me? No …

"If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth." John 9:41. "To him that knoweth to do good,and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4:17. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee." Hosea 4:6. "Seek, and ye shall find." Matthew 7:7.

But isn't full obedience an impossibility for a human being?

"With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13. "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ." 2 Corinthians 2:14. "He that abideth in me, and I in him, ... bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:5. "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land." Isaiah 1:19.

None of us can obey in our own power, but through Christ we can and must. Satan, in order to make God's requests appear unreasonable, invented the falsehood that obedience is impossible.

But, are the Big 10 (all ten) part of our obedience to God?

"Jesus answered ... If a man love me, he will keep my words. ... He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings." John 14:23, 24. "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3.

I’m starting to get long now, so I’ll close with the following:

Any minister, preacher, pastor, or priest (or layman) who claims the 4th Commandment is no longer valid or is legalism, should be ignored, for there is no light in them! They speak not of the Word of God! (Isa 8:20)

I'll say it again because some folks - EVEN CHRISTIANS - don't seem to believe it - MAN CANNOT CHANGE GOD'S IMMUTABLE LAW. It is blasphemes to do so.

Study Guide Reference

The Observer

Suffering for Their Faith

The Observer

Just What Is the Sanctuary and the Temple to the Christian? … or Should I Say Who?

We left it lastly with the Great Disappointment, a disillusion that shook America. The 2300 years are over and Christians are waiting on the Second Coming (the Second Advent).

So … why is this Sanctuary important? Why is the Temple important?

An Orthodox Jew may build all the Temples he wishes in modern-day Jerusalem and he has that right and privilege, but the Christian will not support it because it denies the validity of Christ’s sacrifice. Jerusalem will prosper and I’m very glad for it. All one needs to do is read Jeremiah and other prophecies concerning the returning of the Jews and expansion and growth of the “Holy Land” in modern times.

Now, back to the point. To address my friend’s concerns I need to retrace a little.

[Ref: Revelation, Ch. 11]

During the 1,260 years (42 months) the two witnesses, the old and new testaments; also called the two lampstands; also called the two olive trees, laid dead (dormant) as the Beast raged against them.

After 3 1/2 days (symbolic of the 1,260 years), the breath of life reentered them and they stood on their feet – alive once again! They were taken up to heaven (symbolic). Where is the most reliable place to find preaching of the gospel now? The airwaves, satellites, television, the Internet, etc. The gospel is reaching the ends of the earth, into every home, every place – slowly preparing for the end.

[Note: the etymology of the word “heaven” used in Ch. 11 is;

ουqρανός
ouranos
oo-ran-os' … meaning sky. There are 3 different “heavens” spoken of in the Bible. “Heaven” the sky where the birds fly, “Heaven” where the stars and planets are, and “Heaven” where God lives. Just so ya know, the idea of a multi-level heaven and hell are pagan concepts – the Bible does not endorse such thinking.]

Many died in earthquakes during this period. For additional reading, see here.

Sprinkled throughout the New Testament (1 Peter 1:4; Luke 23:43; John 14:1-3; Hebrews 12:22; Rev. 21:2, 20:9, 22:17) references are made to the New Jerusalem, on being there with Jesus, in heaven for a thousand years, returning to earth and that ultimately their will be no Temple – because Jesus is our Temple!

[Read all of Revelation, Chapter 21]

Now, let’s get back to where I left off:

Rev 10:9 So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth."

Rev 10:10 Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.

Rev 10:11 And he said to me, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings."

[Revelation, Chapter 11, Jesus restates the history to John]

Rev 11:1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.

[Measuring: a passing of judgment to see who is worthy and who is not. The “Standard”, BTW, are the Commandments of God. His love is expressed within these 10 Commandments and our behavior is measured according to them. This use of symbolism with the Temple is a “measuring” of God’s people who make up the spiritual Temple – Christ being the cornerstone – the Temple; also called the Body of Christ. Question: was the Temple historically located in Jerusalem at this point in history"? No, of course not!]

Rev 11:2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.

[The Gentiles, symbolic of the false church, did indeed trample “the city” (with God’s spiritual Temple) for 1,260 years]

Rev 11:3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."

Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.

Now, what happened in the Old Testament after the “measuring” of the Jewish people occurred and Atonement was made?

The Sanctuary had to be cleansed!

Now, the heavenly Sanctuary has to be cleaned.

Rev 11:19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

Christ could not come yet, however, because the whole world, “peoples, and nations and tongues, and kings” must be given an opportunity to realize that now, in the courts of heaven, we have a faithful high priest (Hebrews 8:1); that He is, “a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man” (Hebrews 8:2); that He died for our sins on Calvary’s cruel cross to purchase forgiveness for all; that He stands now as our “Advocate” in the courts of heaven with the power of His blood to cleanse the sins of the “whole world” (1 John 2:1,2).

[BTW, all due respect, admiration, and appreciation given to Pastor Doug Bachelor for the above quote!]

Wow! Did ya get all that? Folks! I don’t know how much clearer it can be! The desire for a new man-made Temple in Jerusalem to reinstate the Old Testament sacrifices SHOULD BE ANATHEMA to a Christian!

If you still don’t believe Christ has replaced the old Sanctuary/Temple, look at this:

First, a diagram of the old sanctuary:

Please notice how the “Most Holy Place” is located on the West side of the Tabernacle. Ancient Israelites would kneel, facing the West (the Ark). What do some Christians do on Easter morning? Why, they kneel and face the East – the rising sun. It’s called sun worship! You know, like celebrating the Sabbath on Sunday.

Eze 8:12 Then He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, 'The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.' "

Eze 8:13 And He said to me, "Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing."

Eze 8:14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD's house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. [Tammuz is a sun god]

Eze 8:15 Then He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these."

Eze 8:16 So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.

Eze 8:17 And He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose.

Eze 8:18 Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them."

Now, keep the diagram of the Sanctuary available somehow and read the following concerning Jesus’ relation to it:

Secrets of the Sanctuary

I would have placed it all here on the blog but I’m getting too long already.

Folks, I apologize for leaving so much out, but as you probably already know, this subject is humongous!

As you can see from Scripture, one does not need a physical Temple, we have one already in Jesus Christ. When the end time Anti-Christ "stands in the Most Holy place" (spiritually) he will be claiming to be Jesus returned, claiming to be our Most High priest, he will declare LAW to establish WORSHIP according to his desires - Sunday Worship! The Anti-Christ will be the ABOMINATION! Christians are already "primed" for this deceit.

[Which day of the week do most Christians already call, "the Lord's Day"? Why Sunday, of course! What day does the New Testament say is the "Lord's Day"? Why, Saturday, of course! - Matt. 12:8, Mark 2:28, Luke 6:5]

People will be fooled! The false Christ will perform "miracles". Every person still alive on earth must decide if he will follow the true Word of God, or follow this Satan possessed man who very convincingly appears to be CHRIST on earth.

[Did Ya Know Hint: At the Second Advent and according to the Bible, Christ's feet don't even touch the ground, every eye shall see him (all at once, coming to earth in His glory), and the whole planet is destroyed!]

I recommend two sources for further study:

Unlocking Revelation Study Guides

Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary

Oh my! I almost forgot! I was going to tell you when the "wound was healed" and the "whole world marvelled at the Beast". In 1929 Benito Mussolini, the Fascist, enacted his "executive order", the Concordat of 1929, which gave the RCC back all the properties it had lost with Napolean. A new Pope was actually declared "King" and given sovereign authority over what is now known as Vatican City. Most all the countries on earth have an Ambassador to the "City" and only last year, the European Union almost passed legislation to set aside Sunday as a legal day of rest in the E.U. The RCC will eventually succeed and America will follow suit. America has an Ambassador to Vatican City and our State Department regularly refers to the Pope as; "The Holy Father" and "The Holy See"!

... you didn't realize we had an official Federal religion did you? It's Roman Catholicism.

The Observer

"If I Die Before You Wake" Tribute to Armed Forces

The Observer

Beyond 1798–The Remainder of the 2300 Years

We ended the last bit on the year 1798. We have 46 years left before the “cleansing of the Sanctuary”.

Pope Pius VI has just died under Berthier’s care.

Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

The “healing” will come later as you will see.

Before proceeding it’s important to say something here. I’ve made it clear that I’m an Historicist; that is, I believe the biblical events concerning the “end times” happen over the centuries of history, as described in biblical text. IOW, history and the Bible flow hand-in-hand.

IMO, this historical teaching is as close to the original teaching of the Apostles as we can get. It was also taught by the founding fathers of the Reformation; until they became corrupted by the Beast.

The other two competing “philosophies”, Futurism (it most all happens in the future) and Preterism (it has already happened), are man-made creations, invented by Jesuits, to combat the Protestant Reformation. They have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit and are considered by me to be apostate.

It is no surprise to most of us that most all Christian denominations of today completely embrace Futurism – a falsehood. Are we beginning to comprehend why so many people mistrust Preachers, Priests, Ministers, and churches? It’s because they are full of lies.

As I continue forward in history I’ll begin using more and more from the book of Revelation. Please remember, Revelation is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” – not, the revelation of John!

You can write volumes on Revelation, and people have. I will go into it as much as possible here, but I will most certainly have to ignore some things.

Also, remember that Revelation is history as well as future. Did you know that out of the estimated 404 verses in the book, 278 are “repeats” of the same concepts in the Old Testament – if not direct quotes!

Another important item to bring up now is the “Mark of the Beast”. In the last entry I made it clear that Sunday vs. Saturday worship has everything to do with this. Does this mean I believe that people have the “Mark” now? No, and I’ll explain why.

Daniel 7:25 speaks of “thinking to change times and laws”, but if you keep reading, Daniel 12:4 says; “knowledge shall be increased”. This last bit is in reference to the future; the end of the “last days”. All people will learn the truth before the hammer comes down.

Rev. 13:16 and Rev. 14:9-12 teaches that two things must happen before the “Mark” comes into affect:

1. the mark is universally enforced by law

2. people discover, understand, and reject the truth concerning the mark (see also; James 4:17)

Only after these two things occur will people receive the mark.

You may be incredulous at this point and proclaim that forced Sunday worship will never happen! Too late! It already has! And will be made law for everyone, eventually!

Now … back to 1798!

As mentioned before, 1798 is the end of that prophesied 1,260 years that the Beast had to persecute the Saints. The Papacy was “taken out” by Napoleon.

To continue, we now have to backtrack a little because something very important has happened during this time of persecution; God has protected and nurtured His Bride! This fact is ignored by most because the natural inclination is to think that God has simply allowed His church to be decimated by the bad guys during the dark ages. One cannot read the Bible without realizing God always works with a Remnant of His people.

Jeremiah 6:2 “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman." .

Isaiah 51:16 "And say unto Zion, Thou art my people." .

Jesus symbolizes His true, pure church (Zion) as a pure woman and an apostate church as a harlot. A few other texts which also utilize this symbolism are 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22, 23; and Revelation 19:7, 8.

In Revelation 12:1, Jesus symbolizes His church as a woman "clothed with the sun," with "the moon under her feet," and wearing "a crown of twelve stars." What do these symbols mean?

The sun represents Jesus, His gospel, and His righteousness. "The Lord God is a sun." Psalms 84:11. (See also Malachi 4:2.) Without Jesus there is no salvation (Acts 4:12). More than anything else, Jesus wants His church to overflow with His presence and glory. (symbols are in use here, folks - God/Jesus are not litearlly a "sun") (do ya begin to understand why Satan uses Sun Worship to introduce falsehood into the church?)

"The moon under her feet" represents the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. As the moon reflects the light of the sun, so the sacrificial system was helpful spiritually only as it reflected light from the Messiah to come (Hebrews 10:1). The "crown of twelve stars" represents the work of the 12 disciples, which crowned the early years of the New Testament church. Next, the prophecy states that the woman is in labor, about to deliver a baby who would one day rule all nations with a rod of iron. She then delivered the "man child," and later He was taken up to God's throne in heaven (Revelation 12:1, 2, 5). Who was this baby?

The baby was Jesus. He will one day rule all nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:13-16; Psalms 2:7-9). Jesus, who was crucified for our sins, was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11). His resurrection power in our lives is one of Jesus' essential gifts to His people (Philippians 3:10).

Revelation 12:3, 4 introduces "a great red dragon" who hated the "man child" and tried to kill him at birth. Who was the dragon?

The dragon represents Satan, who was cast out of heaven (Revelation 12:7-9) and who was working at the time of Jesus' birth through the pagan Roman empire. The ruler who tried to kill Jesus at birth was Herod, a king under pagan Rome. He killed all the male babies of Bethlehem, hoping that one of them would be Jesus (Matthew 2:16).

Are you beginning to see how Revelation repeats biblical history? Why does it do this? I’ll give you a hint. Most everything in the Old Testament; the Laws, the Sanctuary, the Atonement, the Sacrifices, the Temple, etc. point to Jesus in the New Testament. In Revelation we are being reminded of this so we may understand and comprehend the penultimate, the culmination of all that has passed – so we can make a decision – then the end will come. Still believe a new Temple must be built when the sacrifices were but a shadow of Jesus ? The rebuilding of a new Temple in Jerusalem should be abhorrent and blasphemes to the true Christian.

Revelation reiterates the meaning of the "seven heads" and "ten horns" of the dragon, and of "the third part of the stars of heaven" being cast to the earth.

The "seven heads" represent the seven hills or mountains upon which Rome was built (Revelation 17:9, 10). (Revelation 12:3; 13:1; 17:3).

The "ten horns" represent the governments, or nations, that support the major powers in their oppression of God's people and church. During pagan Rome's tenure (Revelation 12:3, 4), they represented the 10 barbarian tribes that supported the Papacy in eventually bringing down the Roman empire (Daniel 7:23, 24). These tribes later became modern Europe. In the last days, they represent all the nations of the world united in the end-time coalition (Revelation 16:14; 17:12, 13, 16) which will support "Babylon the great" in her warfare against God's people. (that’s right folks, the persecution is not over)

The third part of the stars of heaven are the angels who supported Lucifer in his insurrection in heaven and who were cast out with him (Revelation 12:9; Luke 10:18; Isaiah 14:12).

What did the woman (church) do to protect herself, and what is the "wilderness" spoken of in Revelation 12:6, 14?

Verses 6 and 14 say, "The woman fled into the wilderness," where she was protected for "a time, and times, and half a time" (or 1,260 literal years) from the wrath of Satan--who was then working through papal Rome. The "two wings" represent the protection and support God gave the church during her time in the "wilderness" (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11). The time spent in the wilderness is the same 1,260-year period of papal prominence and persecution (A.D. 538 to 1798) that Jesus repeatedly mentioned in prophecy. One prophetic day equals one literal year (Ezekiel 4:6).

The term "wilderness" refers to the solitary places of earth (mountains, caves, forests, etc.) where God's people could hide in seclusion and thus escape total annihilation (Hebrews 11:37, 38). And hide they did--the Waldenses, Albigenses, Huguenots, and many others. God's people (His church) would have been obliterated if they had not fled and hid in the wilderness during this devastating persecution by the Papacy. (In one 40-year period, "from the beginning of the order of the Jesuits, in the year 1540, to 1580, nine hundred thousand people were destroyed. One hundred fifty thousand perished in the Inquisition in 30 years." ¹) At least 50 million people died for their faith during this 1,260-year time period.

Do you still think the Roman Catholic Church is the true church?

God's church did not exist as an official organization during this 1,260-year time period. From A.D. 538 to 1798 it was alive but not identifiable as an organization. (please notice, I said God’s church, not the RCC) When it came out of hiding after the 1,260 years, it still had the same doctrine and characteristics as the Apostolic church, which entered the "wilderness" in A.D. 538.

Many fled to America to escape the terrible persecutions of God's people.

Whew! Why is all this important? Because we are headed towards the cleansing of the Sanctuary.

We have now discovered our first two identification points for Jesus' end-time church:

1. It would not exist officially as an organization between A.D. 538 and 1798.

2. It would arise and do its end-time work after 1798.

In Revelation 12:17, God calls His end-time church the Remnant. What does the word "remnant" mean?

It means the last remaining portion. In reference to Jesus' church, it means His church of the very last days, which is identical in doctrine to the Apostolic church.

In Revelation 12:17, what description did Jesus give of His end-time remnant church?

It would keep all the Ten Commandments, including the seventh-day Sabbath of the fourth commandment (John 14:15; Revelation 22:14). It also would have the "testimony of Jesus", which the Bible tells us is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

Remember that while hosts of sincere Christian people are found in churches that do not keep the Sabbath or have the gift of prophecy, none of these churches (organizations) can be God's remnant end-time church into which Jesus is calling all last-day Christians, because God's end-time church will both keep God's commandments and have the gift of prophecy. I’m not saying all of these churches are apostate – I’m saying that they are still learning those truths that must be learned before the “Mark of the Beast” can be proclaimed. They will have made their choice.

So … all this has everything to do with 1798 because it means we are nearing the “End”. Have you ever wondered why Christians are always saying; “Repent, the End is Near!” ?

It’s because the Bible says it is!

Now, I said earlier we have 46 years left. 1798 + 46 = 1844. So, 1844 must be the year the Sanctuary must be cleansed!

What happened !?! First, I will ask that you briefly review 3 topics leading up to 1844:

The First Great Awakening

The Second Great Awakening

The Great Disappointment

That’s right folks. Instead of a momentous event unfolding, great disillusionment prevailed! After 2 great awakenings to the Spirit of God in America (the new promised land ?), a tremendous disappointment occurred.

Mankind mistakenly assumed the true “end” was upon us and it wouldn't be the first or last time this mistake was made!

Rev 10:9 So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth."

Did this time in our history point to this verse in Rev. 10:9? Some have said so, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide.

As always, I have to save something for the next blog.

The “cleansing of the Sanctuary” turns out to be the cleansing of the Heavenly Sanctuary! More proof of the symbolism of the book of Revelation. (not a physical temple rebuilt by man).

In honor of my good friend, Whit, the next entry will be all about the Sanctuary and the Temple, to address some comments of his.

Does all this history mean that the “end” is not near? Does it mean that the Second Coming is symbolism as well?

No! Not at all!

… til next time.

The Observer

[Note: all of the material I cover on this blog may be found within the web site links I provide on the right. It is free and open for all to learn - God is not hiding anything from us! Truth and knowledge of God is increasing. People will ultimately have to make their choice.]

Tiger’s Out of Town for a Week or So – Till Then, Ponder These Words

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
(author unknown)

HT: to Tigress the Younger

Justice, Mercy, Grace

Justice is when you get what you deserve.

Mercy is when you don't get what you deserve.

Grace is when you get what you don't deserve.

"By grace you have been saved..." Ephesians 2:8

Thank God for grace!

HT: to Pastor Steve Wohlberg

The Observer

After 70 AD – What Happens Next?

In the last installment I started with the Lord’s marvelous prophecy to Daniel concerning the 2300 years. Just the first 490 years have been covered so far. We have 1800 more years before the “cleansing of the sanctuary”; it’s 70 AD and Jerusalem and the Temple have been obliterated. The Christian church must be given time to grow.

The Diaspora, that great scattering of the Jewish people around the world had long been in progress.

The Gospel would eventually be taken to Rome, to the fourth great kingdom of earth, as prophesied about in Daniel. That fourth great Beast with “iron teeth”! [Daniel Ch. 7]

Remember something here. Daniel actually lived back in Nebuchadnezzar's time, in Babylon – in the belly of the first great Beast. Daniel was given these prophetic visions long before they occurred. The same is true, BTW, for the book of Revelation. Jesus gives John visions of future events and a restatement of what has occurred already, to show that they’re linked together, Old Testament and New! People tend to forget this and think all of Revelation happens in our future. This is not the case! More on this later …

The Lord states there will be 4 great kingdoms (Beasts) on earth and no more! Remember this – it’s crucial! The U.S., Russia, and China are not kingdoms as described in Daniel. The 4 great kingdoms are; Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Rome is the last one and there will be no more.

[Note: Here again it’s important to mention the modern Sanhedrin. Volumes of books have been written about the rise of an Islamic kingdom, or the rebirth of the Roman kingdom, or the inception of a United Nations “kingdom”, etc. The truth is that you can stop wondering about it! There have only been 4 major world “kingdoms” in our history - period; and there will be no more!]

If the 2300 year prophecy wasn’t enough for you, imagine being told specifically which earthly “world” kingdoms would be appearing in history and then seeing it come to fruition! That’s what we have in these modern times, folks! We have the benefit of hindsight to see and realize that God is what He says He is! All of us should be on our knees asking for forgiveness after this realization. We have NO EXCUSE in our time. The proof is there, if only you’ll see it.

Now, back to the 2300 years. John wrote Revelation around 95 AD while imprisoned at Patmos. The Roman Emperors Nero and Domitian had devastated the Christians already in Rome but the Christian church was growing by leaps and bounds anyway.

Please forgive me here for skipping over so much history, but in the interest of time and space, I have to.

The church flourished eventually, even in that great city which traded with all of the world - Rome! Up until the year 321 AD Christians had begun to worship openly, on the Sabbath (Saturday), and had never heard of anything called Easter. Instead they celebrated Passover, differently than the Jews of course, because for Christians Jesus is our Passover lamb. So much for Sunday being the day Christians worship! It simply wasn’t the case. Ask a Christian today why they worship on Sunday and they don’t know. Some will tell you it’s because Christ rose on the 1st day but when asked to show the change (to Sunday) in the Bible, they can’t.

Continuing with our history, however, something was about to change.

The Emperor Constantine, in 321 AD, changed the day of worship by Christians to Sunday, the day of pagan worship to Sol Invictus Deo (the ultimate sun god). He did this by force of arms and by punishment of death and he did it with the help of the Bishop of Rome! The last great Beast mentioned in Daniel was slowly becoming the political/religious entity mentioned as the Beast in Revelation and elsewhere.

Now is the time to speak of Daniel (and Revelation) again and talk about that Beast that will cause all great and small to receive a mark.

Again, we don’t have to wonder who or what this is. The Bible tells us plainly. The Bible uses symbols to teach us these things and they are key to understanding prophecy. Revelation is made up almost entirely of symbols, though real events happen as well. The mark of the Beast is not a tattoo or implanted chip. It is something that affects your work life (your hand) and your beliefs (your forehead). You’ll see more clearly as I proceed.

Dan 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.

Dan 7:2 Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.

Dan 7:3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. [the symbol of the sea means multitudes of people]

Dan 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. [did you know that Babylon’s “coat of arms” symbol and the figure painted on it’s gates was a winged lion?]

Dan 7:5 "And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: 'Arise, devour much flesh!' [the combined powers of the Medes and the Persians, Persia being the stronger, therefore raised up on one side. The 3 ribs were; Lydia, Babylon, and Egypt.]

Dan 7:6 "After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. [did you know that Alexander the Great’s symbol was a Leopard, a Leopard with 4 Wings because he conquered with such speed? It had 4 heads because after Alexander’s death the kingdom was split into four pieces represented by 4 of Alexander’s generals]

Dan 7:7 "After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

Now we come to an important realization. So far, hindsight history has shown us the truth; Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece are the kingdoms sequenced in world history. The next kingdom (beast) can only be Rome! Rome was also famous for it’s use of iron weaponry. I can prove this further.

10 horns make up the Beast. These 10 can be traced to history as well. These 10 nations were; the Vandals, Heruli, Ostragoths, Visigoths, Bergundians, Suevi, Lombards, Anglo-Saxons, Franks, and Alamanni. Some of these eventually became the modern nations of Europe. Now, it’s time to continue with the Bible …

Dan 7:8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.

Let’s focus on the “little horn”. There are distinct characteristics of this little horn:

1. It rose out of the fourth beast (Rome).

2. It rose among the 10 horns.

3. It “uprooted” 3 of the 10 horns (this actually happens later, as I’ll show).

4. It has “eyes like a man”.

5. It has a “mouth speaking pompous words”.

6. It will make “war against the saints”.

Dan 7:21 "I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them,

Dan 7:22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

7. It will think to “change times and laws”.

Dan 7:25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.

My friends, history shows that only one thing fits all of these characteristics, only one! Remember, this one thing will persecute the saints (given unto it’s hands) for a time and will continue to trouble them until the return of Christ (verse 22). A new Beast or kingdom will not arise. This one ultimate incarnation of the 4th Beast will be the biblical Anti-Christ as spoken of in 2 Thessalonians by Paul, who was trying to reassure his fellow Christians over what was to be:

2Th 2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,

2Th 2:2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

2Th 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

2Th 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

2Th 2:5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?

2Th 2:6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

2Th 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

2Th 2:9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,

2Th 2:10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2Th 2:11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,

2Th 2:12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Ladies and gentlemen, that historical Anti-Christ who calls himself Holy Father and attempts to take the place of God, and who changes Times and Laws (the 10 Commandments and the day of worship) is none other than the Papacy and the Roman Catholic Church. Nothing else fits! There is no future Temple to be rebuilt! The “End” will be an enforcement of the “mark” by the power of the “little lamb” beast (to be described later) that helps this 4th Beast. The Bible describes, later in Revelation, Satan entering into a representative of this 4th Beast and performing miracles, such as to fool the Elect themselves if it were possible, and claiming leadership of earth and claiming to be Christ!

Remember what I said earlier? That Revelation repeats what’s in the Old Testament at times? Continue reading Daniel from verse 8 and see if you’ve read this in Revelation!

Dan 7:9 "I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;

Dan 7:10 A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.

Dan 7:11 "I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.

Dan 7:12 As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

Dan 7:13 "I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.

Dan 7:14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.

Volumes could be written on this but I have limited space. look at this comparison between Daniel and Revelation:

Daniel 7 ------------------------------- Revelation 13

The sea (v.3) --------------------------- The sea (v.1)

A lion (v.4) ----------------------------- A lion (v.2)

A bear (v.5) ---------------------------- A bear (v.2)

A leopard (v.6) ------------------------ A leopard (v.2)

A dragon-like beast (v.7) ------------ A dragon (v.2)

Ten horns (v.7) ------------------------ Ten horns (v.1)

A boasting mouth (v.8) -------------- A boasting mouth (v.5)

War on the saints (v.21) -------------- War on the saints (v.7)

Changes times & laws (v.25) ---- Mark of the beast (v.16)

Did you catch that last one? Does man have the right to be called Holy Father? Can man change the 10 Commandments to his liking? Can man change the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday? Can man do all these things and still be God’s representative on earth?

The answer is emphatically NO! Man will pay for this eventually. Do you not realize that only one Commandment has something to do with a “time”? It’s the 4th Commandment – you know – the one that says; “Remember the Sabbath” !!!

Read these quotes from the Roman Church:

"Of course the Catholic Church claims the change was her act...and the act is a MARK of her ecclesiastical power and authority in religious matters."

Thomas, H.F., Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons in answer to a letter regarding the change of the Sabbath.

Again, Rome says "It's (Sunday's change for Saturday) the MARK of our authority to OVER-RULE God's law."

Father Enright, C.S.S.R., President of Redemptorist College, Kansas City, Mo., History of the Sabbath, p. 802.

"Sunday is our MARK of authority...The CHURCH IS ABOVE THE BIBLE, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact." The Catholic Record, Sept 1, 1923.

"The Bible says, 'Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.' The Catholic Church says, "No, by my divine power, I ABOLISH THE SABBATH DAY, and command you to keep holy the first day of the week." And,lo! the entire civilized world, BOWS DOWN in reverent obedience to the command of the Holy Catholic Church."

Father Enright.

You see? The RCC admits it! An old saying goes:

“What prophecy predicts, Rome admits”.

Now, how many modern day churches can you think of that still follows Rome’s dictate? Most of them, right! Luckily, God is a most loving and patient God. He gives us time to figure things out and at the “end” will provide us with a clear choice on the matter.

BTW, in case you’re still not sure the Papacy is the “one”; the Roman Church greatly increased it’s power in the year 476 AD. The imperial Roman government ruled by the Caesars collapsed and shortly thereafter, one by one, 3 of the horns were “plucked out by their roots” and destroyed by the political influence of the Papacy. These 3 horns resisted the influence of the Papacy. The Heruli were wiped out in 493 AD, the Vandals in 534 AD, and the Ostragoths in 538 AD. No modern European country can trace it’s lineage back to these nations.

What does all this have to do with the 2300 years? Well, as a friend pointed out recently the Bible states that before the cleansing of the sanctuary the Beast will have some time to actively persecute the saints. This time is described in Daniel and/or Revelation as;

- a time, times, and a half of time

- 42 months

- 3 1/2 years

Remember our day for a year rule in the last blog entry? A time is 1, a times is 2 ones. A half of a time is 1/2 of 1. 1 + 2 + 1/2 = 3 1/2.

The first description totals 3 1/2.

42 months in years is 3 1/2 years

3 1/2 years is , of course 3 1/2 years!

The number of days for 3 1/2 years totals 1,260 days. using our day for a year principle this becomes 1,260 years for the persecution of the saints! Do you remember the length of time of the dark ages? Do you remember the length of time the Papacy had the power to burn, torture, mutilate, rape, murder, and otherwise persecute the saints?

Why, this period of time is slated by historians to be between 538 AD and 1798 AD. How much time is that? 1,260 years!

If these historical events combined with biblical truth don’t make you think about all this in a serious way – then I feel sorry for you!

That brings us up to the year 1798. What happens in 1798?

Napolean’s general, Louis Alexandre Berthier, entered Italy, invaded the Vatican, organized the Roman republic, and took the Pope Pius VI as prisoner back to Valence (France) where, after a torturous journey under Berthier's supervision, the pope died, dealing a major blow to the Vatican's political power. The head received a deadly wound! [read Rev. Ch. 13]

This one is getting to be very long – I think I’ll break it up here. We still have 46 years or so to go. A lot can happen in that short time. Stay tuned!

The Observer

The Modern Sanhedrin – Are You Going To Believe Them?

At the request of the Tigress:

In the biblical land of Israel, every city had a Sanhedrin, a Supreme Court, if you will. It’s mandate covered secular and religious law. In fact, just as we look at Islam’s Shari ’a Law today, ancient Jews lived in a similar system which blended secular and religious law into the same government – a theocracy.

Each city’s Sanhedrin was comprised of 23 Judges. The Great Sanhedrin, in Jerusalem, totaled 71 members. It met in the great Hall of Hewn Stones in the Temple in Jerusalem.

There is no doubt that the Sanhedrin of Jesus’ day knew that the Messiah was to return around 27 AD (the dates are by our reckoning). They knew this because of the prophecies of Daniel. This most wondrous prophecy begins with Dan. Ch. 8. It is one of those prophecies in the Bible that makes one shudder in amazement, because if you’re not a believer before understanding the prophecy, you will be afterwards. Or else, your mind is simply closed to the truth. Forget Nostradamus and Jeanne Dixon; they are rank amateurs compared to the Lord.

Remember that before the Judean existence in Jerusalem the Israelites had been lead from Egypt by Moses, roamed the desert for 40 years (while arguing with God), eventually crossed into the promised land and because of their continuing sin, were taken captive and removed from the promised land by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon. The Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed the first time and Daniel, along with the Remnant of his people, were living in exile.

I’ll start at Daniel 8:13;

Dan 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?"

Dan 8:14 And he said to me, "For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed."

Most all scholars and holy men throughout history understand this 2,300 days to actually be 2,300 years. This day for a year principle is based on Ezekiel 4:4-6 and Numbers 14:34. BTW, the Jewish year was comprised of 360 days with 30 day months (unlike today). Each week was 7 days, as always, having been established that way by God’s creation. The Sabbath existed long before Moses.

In modern times we have the fortunate advantage of looking back with hindsight. The ancient Sanhedrin had to look forward in time. As this prophecy unfolds you’ll understand why this prophetic illustration has ultimate importance concerning the “modern Sanhedrin”.

As you read through Daniel it reaches a seminal point in Ch. 9.

Dan 9:24 "Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy. [most Holy Place]

Dan 9:25 "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

Dan 9:26 "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

Dan 9:27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate."

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Looking in hindsight as we are, Daniel has been told by God that his people have a total of 2300 years before the Sanctuary is cleansed. And that starting at the beginning of that 2,300 years (at the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem) they will have a total of 70 weeks determined for the people to accomplish certain things. Then scripture breaks it down in this way; 7 + 62 weeks before the Messiah is “cut off”. 7 + 62 = 69. BTW, the term “cut off” simply means; at the end of the 69 weeks the Messiah will appear and the Jewish people will have to decide if they will follow the Messiah. Their allotted time is finished.

[ Note: Some religious leaders say “cut off” means the Messiah is killed (the crucifixion). This “killed” idea is a modern interpretation. But linguists from ancient times up until modern times have also said it simply means the allotted time is finished; cut off. Obviously, the Messiah is "cut off " (killed), but not for Himself (but for others). Either way you interpret this particular point, the message is still clear]

The Scripture continues … 1 extra week is included for the Messiah to confirm a covenant with many and bring an end to sacrifice and offering (in the midst of the final week). The total now comes up to 70 weeks. (69 weeks + 1 week)

[ Note: Here again a modern interpretation enters the picture. Although it’s very clear to most that this prophecy is referenced to the Messiah, modern interpreters have stated this verse actually relates to a future Anti-Christ! And that this future bad guy will stop the Jewish sacrifices, et al. That’s why we have a very vocal group of modern Sanhedrin claiming that a new Jewish Temple must be rebuilt in Jerusalem – so the sacrifices can be started – so they can stopped! How convoluted is that? They don’t realize or accept that Jesus stopped the sacrifices with his own sacrifice. Also, nowhere in Scripture is there an example of taking the last “bit” (the 70th week) of a prophecy and willy-nilly moving it to the end times. “70” will naturally flow right after “69”. It makes one wonder who they actually worship sometimes!

Now, back to reality … Imagine being told, as a people, that you have 70 weeks to fix everything or that’s it – no more dealing with you!

Using the day for a year principle, this 70 weeks becomes;

7 days per week times 70 weeks = 490 days; we apply the day for a year principle so, 490 years!

So! The people have 490 actual years to get it right!

Now, all we need to know is when the decree was given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to add the years forward, or we can establish when Christ was crucified and subtract the years back to determine if the Prophecy makes sense or not!

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Here’s where some confusion comes into play. Some scholars say Christ was crucified in the year 33 AD, others say it was 31 AD, or 32 AD. Also, the Old Testament gives 3 differing “decrees” to rebuild portions of Jerusalem. Of course, Scripture makes it clear. The Bible says that Jesus began his ministry around the age of 30, so it seems reasonable He had to be 33 or so at the time of the crucifixion.

The book of Ezra tells of the decree of Artaxerxes to not only rebuild Jerusalem but to also restore the judgment of the Sanhedrin. This is why most scholars agree this is the one that “begins” the 2,300 years. In fact, Ezra gives us some of the written text of the decree

Ezra 7:11-13 "Now this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord and of his statutes to Israel. Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, . . . and at such a time, I make a decree that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee." BTW, this date can be traced in history to 457 BC.

The 69 weeks (which would be 69 x 7 – applying the year for a day) comes to 483 years from Artaxerxes’ decree.

457 BC + 483 years = Fall of 27 AD (remember, there is no “Zero” year from BC to AD) For biblical reference see Luke 3:1-3, 21-23 and Gal. 4:4. Also remember that Christ’s birth date is "unknown", other than being able to trace backwards from his known age of 30 at the beginning of his ministry and age 33 at the crucifixion. Most say he was born in 4 BC. People get confused about the BC - AD dating (I did!). Contrary to popular belief Christ's birth is not "centered" around a mysterious 1 BC - 1 AD date. By looking at Herod and other historical resources and astronomy, plus biblical text, we can nail down the birth of Christ to 4 BC.

27 AD is the time Christ was baptized and anointed as Messiah! We know this from secular history and the biblical record.. When was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar?

Luk 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, [27 AD] . . .

Luk 3:21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.

Luk 3:22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." [the Annointing of the Messiah]

Luk 3:23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, . . .

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This all brings us to Dan. 9:27, the Messiah’s week; or, 7 years with the day for a year principle. Jesus’ ministry was a short 3 1/2 years. But during that time he established a “covenant with many”. In the “midst” of the week, after 3 1/2 years the Messiah stopped the sacrifices of the Jewish Temple by becoming the only valid sacrifice! This occurred in 31 AD. The veil in the Temple was ripped apart! This veil was a massive thing, heavy with rug-like fabric, intricately hung in a maze as an entry way into the Holy of Holy's. It wasn’t the sheer thin thing shown in the old movies. And, although the animal sacrifices were to continue for another 40 years, they had no validity. There is no doubt that they “spiritually” ended at the crucifixion.

Our Messiah then rose from the dead and hasn’t stopped working since!

After another 3 1/2 years (finishing the 70th week) Stephen gave his now famous speech to the Sanhedrin (Acts Ch. 8) and was stoned to death – in 34 AD. The probation given to the Jewish people to finally “get it right” was over. The gospel would now go to the Gentiles and rest of the world. The Israelites, the Jews had played their part. Christians became the inheritors of Abraham! We became Israel!

When did the last part happen? The desolation? Why, in 70 AD the Roman general Titus surrounded Jerusalem. He delayed the attack inexplicitly for a few days (this is when the new-found Christians escaped by fleeing into the mountains), but then destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Not one stone was left undisturbed as Jesus said.

This was the second great “abomination that caused desolation” in biblical history; Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple being the first.

The Bible says we have one more “abomination that causes desolation” to go. The famous end times! This time it will affect the entire world. Remember, the Israel of the end time is not the modern nation of Israel (as much as I love it), but spiritual Israel – all believers in Christ.

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What about the rest of the 2,300 years? We’ve only covered 490 years! Well, that subject is for another blog entry. But, isn’t it astounding that several hundred years before the event happened the prophecy perfectly predicted it! Yet, we still have religious leaders today steering us away from biblical truth.

For those who believe that a new Jewish Temple must be rebuilt before the end times to reestablish the sacrifice; that the sacrifice of Jesus was not enough, I lovingly offer the following verses:

Jesus himself speaking of Jerusalem and it’s earthly Temple,

Mat 23:38 See! Your house is left to you desolate;

Heb 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

Heb 10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

Heb 10:28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

Heb 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?

Then, after all is said and done in reference to the New Jerusalem, Revelation 22 states:

For I saw no Temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are it's Temple.

In other words, a rebuilt earthly Temple in Jerusalem is actually a denial of Christ’s most merciful sacrifice! A rebuild earthly Temple is declaring that Christ’s sacrifice was not good enough. Do you really believe God would like that? In all fairness to these folks, I realize that most of them also understand that a modern rebuilt Temple would be a False Temple.

So, be forewarned! Just as in the days of the ancient Sanhedrin, a modern Sanhedrin is trying to point your attention towards a non-biblical direction. Don’t follow them. Follow the Bible instead!

If you don't believe me in all this, will you believe Jesus? On several occasions Jesus implicated and acknowledged this prophecy of Daniel. The most poignant, IMO, is from Matthew 18:21-22. Peter asks Jesus about how many times you should forgive your brother for a transgression.

Jesus answers, "seventy times seven".

Ref Article: Daniel Prophecy

The Observer