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temple

The Third Temple and the Israel Peace Accords

by Roger Barrier September 28, 2020

written by Roger Barrier

Dear Roger,

I’ve seen questions about the Third Temple and current peace treaties happening with Israel all over social media. President Trump helped orchestrate the treaties too. Does that mean he could be the Antichrist? I know the book of Revelation mentions events like these in the End Times. What does all this mean?

Sincerely,

Asha

Dear Asha,

I was shocked by the recent peace treaties signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. I never imagined that Israel would be aligning itself with Mideast Gulf nations, did you? Peace in the Middle East has always seemed impossible. But that’s politics! We do need to recognize that these treaties certainly have implications for the Second Coming as described in the book of Revelation.

PEACE TREATIES: What Do They Signify?

The present-day United Arab Emirates is located on the biblical land of Dedan.

In the Hebrew Bible, the name Dedan is assigned to a son of Raamah (Genesis 10:7). His descendants are mentioned in Isaiah 21:13; Ezekiel 25:13; and Ezekiel 27:15. This people group probably settled among the sons of Cush, on the northwest coast of the present Persian Gulf.

Interestingly, archeologists have identified some characteristics that show the ties between Dedan and ancient Egypt. This land has a part to play in both the Battle of Armageddon in Revelation 16 and with the armies of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

The current treaties call for normalizing the relationships between Israel, UAE, Bahrain, Turkey and the United States. In a very real sense, these five nations have “ganged up” against Iran, who is still under United Nations sanctions because of their nuclear program.

However, Anwar Gargash, UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, declared, “This treaty is in no way meant to create some sort of grouping against Iran.” I want to say, “Who’s kidding whom? It’s obvious that’s exactly what this treaty accomplishes.

Behind the scenes, I believe that Iran will be involved in Second Coming and the Battle of Armageddon.

First, it’s obvious that Iran has nuclear weapons, or soon will, the results of which are described with the other plagues in Revelation 6-19. Consider Revelation 8:7, which says, “there came fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”

Second, Iran is most likely part of the armies of 200 million led by the kings from the East (see Revelation 18), which line up against the Antichrist at the Battle of Armageddon.

One other significant part of the treaty also deals with annexing the West Bank and securing land for a Palestinian state. The resolution of the West Bank issue is critical to Israel’s future, not just religious and for holy reasons, but as a military stronghold in case of another Israeli war with Arab nations and other Gulf states.

Will other Gulf nations take sides? Most likely. After all, the United States is the only nation in the world which gives any sort of tacit support to Israel. What makes us think that other nations will jump in to help Israel?!

This new treaty may well be a foreshadowing of the prophetic events soon to be fulfilled in the End Times.

PRESIDENT TRUMP

Asha, you asked the question, “Could Trump be the Antichrist?” People ask me that question about the presidential candidates every four years!

The answer is absolutely “no.” Trump is not the Antichrist.

Revelation tells us that during the final years of tribulation on earth, a man named the Antichrist will unite numerous nations to fight against Israel and ultimately against Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon. We are told to recognize him by the number of his name; “This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666” (Revelation 13:18).

Today, we utilize Arabic numbers. The Romans used Roman numerals. The Greeks assigned a number to each letter of the Greek alphabet.

You can see that none of Trump’s numbers come anywhere close to 666:

Trump: 300+100+400+40+80 equals 920

Donald: 4+70+50+1+30+4 equals 159

Donald Trump: 920+159 equals 1079

Note Joe Biden’s name: 9+70+5+2 10+4+5+50 equals 155

The number “six” is often identified in Scripture as the number of man. Man’s number is consistently one short of perfection; thus, the Antichrist is 666. Jesus’ number is 887.

He is consistently one better than perfection.

THE THIRD TEMPLE

Finally, Asha, you asked about the Third Jewish Temple and its implications for End Times events.

The third Temple will be rebuilt sometime before the Second Coming. We know this because the “Abomination of Desolation” is set up in the temple when the Antichrist and his minions invade the temple altar and begin to make sacrifices to themselves and proclaim great blasphemy against Jesus (see the end-times prophecy in Daniel 9:27).

The First Temple was built by Solomon in 957 BCE and destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE. Then, the Second Temple was built under the guidance of Ezra in 516 BCE. It lasted until the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 A.D.

When Jesus told his disciples that the Temple would be destroyed and not one stone left upon another (Matthew 24:38), He was referring to the Second Temple. Since 70 A.D. there hasn’t been a Temple in Israel. But a Third Temple is coming.

Although it remains unbuilt, the notion of and desire for a Third Temple is sacred in Judaism—particularly Orthodox Judaism—because it is anticipated as a place of worship. The prophets in the Hebrew Bible called for its construction to be fulfilled prior to, or in tandem with, the Messianic Age. The rebuilding of the Third Temple also plays a major role in the biblical understanding of the Second Coming of Christ.

In 2 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul taught that the Abomination of Desolation would be placed in the holy Temple in Jerusalem. The temple must exist in order for the image of the Antichrist to be worshipped there:

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (2:3-4)

Daniel also teaches, “Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the Abomination of Desolation” (12:11).

It’s fair to ask whether or not there is enough space on the Temple Mount to build another Temple without infringing upon the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Both are Muslim holy places.

I’ve stood on the Temple Mount, and there’s plenty of land on the northern side of the plateau for another Temple. In fact, there already groups in Israel clamoring for the immediate construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem.

BIRTH PANGS

The day that the peace treaty was signed, I was inundated with questions about whether or not this was the beginning of the “birth pains” that Jesus mentioned, which would precede the Great Tribulation:

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 Messiah,’ 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. 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 of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm 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.”

With all the hurricanes, typhoons, wars, volcanoes, earthquakes, forest fires, floods, melting ice packs, destruction of the permafrost, global warming, (California recently recorded possibly the hottest temperature ever measured on earth), and now these peace treaties, I’m wondering if these really are what Jesus called “the beginning of birth pains” which lead up to the Great Tribulation.

Let me encourage you to watch carefully and pray fervently for Jesus to come soon!

Well, Asha,

I hope that this addresses your questions in a simple and understanding way. If you have more questions, please let me know.

Love, Roger

September 28, 2020 0 comments

Articles

Who Are the Seven Spirits in Revelation?

by Eli Lyzorkin-Eyzenberg March 16, 2019

written by Eli Lyzorkin-Eyzenberg

In Revelation 1:4-5a we read:

John to the seven assemblies located are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Are these seven spirits before the throne of God really one Holy Spirit?

First, traditional interpretation connects the seven spirits in Revelation with the seven “aspects” of the Spirit in Isaiah 11:2:

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord (NASB).

In reality there are six aspects, not seven, because the Spirit of the Lord is not one of the aspects. A better translation (Net Bible), however, is provided by the Net Bible translators, rightly showing that each pair is really one concept, reducing 6 to 3: The Lord’s spirit will rest on him – a spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, a spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, a spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord. (You can see that the count here does not get to seven at all).

Second, in non-canonical Jewish books, such as 1 Enoch that has many references to the Jewish Son of Man traditions, we repeatedly encounter otherwise unfamiliar phrase “the Lord of the Spirits.” For example, we read in 1 Enoch 46:1-2:

There I beheld the Ancient of Days, whose head was like white wool, and with him another, whose countenance resembled that of man… Then I inquired of one of the angels, who went with me, and who showed me every secret thing, concerning this Son of man; who he was; whence he was and why he accompanied the Ancient of days. He answered and said to me, This is the Son of man, to whom righteousness belongs; with whom righteousness has dwelt; and who will reveal all the treasures of that which is concealed:for the Lord of Spirits has chosen him; and his portion has surpassed all before the Lord of spirits in everlasting uprightness.

This common Enochean phrase – “the Lord of the Spirits” just may be connected with the “…the seven spirits who are before his throne” in Revelation (Rev. 1:4b).

As a side note, it is interesting that the technical term Holy Spirit seems to be a phrase that characterizes many (sectarian) writings found in the Dead Sea Scroll collection. Dead Sea Scrolls predate New Testament, where the term Holy Spirit is used both freely and generously, showing its presumed full acceptance among its audiences. Israel’s God and His Messiah are described in New Testament as those who direct the Holy Spirit (otherwise impossible to control powerful and personal cosmic force) to do variety of things.

Third, another interpretive possibility, however, presents itself when we once again compare the book of Revelation to 1 Enoch. The seven spirits may also be seen as seven angelic figures who serve before the throne of God, according to some such Jewish extra-canonical texts. It is significant that the seven do not only appear in Enoch, but also in other Jewish books both Biblical and para-biblical.

While we may be tempted to make too much of this connection, we must keep things in perspective. Whether or not the names of the seven key angels are Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Uriel, Raquel, Remiel and Saraquel as is stated in the book of Enoch, we do know, but it is at least conceivable that other contemporary Jews (including John, the Jew, who authored the book of Revelation) had a similar concept in mind when he spoke of the Seven Spirits that are before the throne of God (1 Enoch 20:1-8). In so doing, John, may have described the Heavenly Court assembled and ready to act:

Israel’s God, His Anointed Messiah and the seven powerful angelic beings sending a message of both hope and challenge to the first century followers of Jewish Christ who struggled under much pressure to find their social identity in the unapologetic and forceful polytheistic Roman society (Rev. 1:4-5).

www.eteacherbiblical.org. Used by permission.

March 16, 2019 0 comments

Articles

Does Heaven Have a Temple?

by John MacArthur August 16, 2018

written by John MacArthur

In the ancient world, the two most important buildings of any national capital were the palace and the temple. They represented civil and spiritual authority. In heaven the centrality of the throne of God emphasizes both His sovereignty and His worthiness to be worshiped. All heaven is His palace, and all heaven is His temple.

In Revelation 3:12 Christ says, “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.” In Johannine writings “he who overcomes” is every true believer. So every redeemed person is pictured here as a pillar of the temple ceremonially inscribed with three names. In Revelation 7:15 one of the twenty-four elders, speaking of saints who have come out of the great tribulation, tells the apostle, “They are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.”

In other words, those verses teach that Christians will serve God forever in a heavenly temple. Other passages also speak of a temple in heaven. For example, Revelation 11:19 speaks of “The temple of God which is in heaven” and “the ark of His covenant . . . in His temple.” Later John describes “the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven” (Revelation 15:5). Those passages make it clear that there is a temple in heaven.

In Revelation 21:22, however, describing New Jerusalem, John writes, “I saw no temple in it.” Attempting to reconcile Revelation 21:22 with the rest of Revelation, some interpreters argue that presently there is a temple in heaven, but when God constructs the new heavens and earth, there won’t be. That does not seem to capture the most obvious meaning of John’s description. The temple in heaven is not a building; it is the Lord God Almighty Himself. Revelation 7:15 implies this when it says “He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them.” And Revelation 21:22-23, continuing the thought of “no temple,” adds, “For the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

The glory of God both illuminates heaven and defines the boundaries of its temple. One might say all heaven is the temple, and the glory and presence of the Lord permeate it.

A misunderstanding of these verses, unfortunately, has contributed to the notion that heaven is a dull, monotonous place. After all, who wants to be a pillar in a temple we can never leave (cf. Revelation 3:12)? But don’t miss the import of what John is saying here. The point is not that we become immovable support posts in a building, but that we enter the very presence of the Lord and never again leave Him. Remember, He is the temple of which we are pillars. The imagery is tremendously rich, echoing Jesus’ promise, “I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3)—and the apostle Paul’s great hope, “so we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Our place will forever be in the very presence of God.

Beyond Words

Bear in mind that the biblical writers are struggling to describe the indescribable—and you and I are not capable of unscrewing the inscrutable. Even if God had revealed all the details about heaven, we wouldn’t be able to know or understand them. It is unlike anything we know. But in Ephesians 2, Paul gives some insight into heaven from a slightly different perspective. Here Paul is describing our utter dependence on God for salvation, saying that before we were redeemed we were dead in our trespasses and sins (v. 1), by nature children of wrath (v. 3). Then he describes God’s mercy and love toward us in saving us from our sins. The thought of God’s grace reaching out to save us when we deserved the opposite ought to overwhelm us with gratitude and humility.

Now notice what Paul says in Ephesians 2:7: God saved us “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” That verse won’t satisfy people curious to understand what heaven looks like, but note the vivid description of what heaven will be like: it is a place where the riches of God’s grace shine even more brightly than they do here on earth. That is what makes me long for heaven most.

Stop and think of it. Every good thing we know here on earth is a product of God’s grace (see James 1:17). And we who know Christ are going to heaven for this express purpose: so that God can showcase the infinite riches of His grace by showering His goodness on us endlessly. Does that not make your heart prefer the glory of heaven to the meager pleasures of earth?

(Adapted from The Glory of Heaven.)

August 16, 2018 0 comments

Articles

I Attend the Perfect Church

by David Murrow July 12, 2015

written by David Murrow

Let me tell you a little bit about my church. Sunday services are superb. They last anywhere from 8 to 10 hours, depending on how the Spirit is moving. At least 100 people are saved at every service. Dozens more are healed of debilitating diseases, and a handful of people are raised from the dead. We add at least 3,000 new members a month.

And speaking of members, everyone in our church has emptied their bank accounts and given every cent they have to the poor. Our city does not have any homeless or hungry people, thanks to our congregation’s on-site food pantry and homeless shelter. (A few of our members became homeless after giving their houses away, but they simply bunk at the shelter).

We have a prayer team that intercedes 24 hours a day for the church and for one another. They don’t eat. They don’t sleep. They just pray.

Our pastor is amazing. His personal life is exemplary. He’s never been a hypocrite, prays and reads scripture 8 hours daily and personally disciples every person in our church. He’s memorized the entire Bible, not only in English, but also in the original languages.

He and his wife have been married for 23 years. They have 19 children. Twelve are adopted with special needs.

Our youth ministries are outstanding. Youth meetings run anywhere from 4 to 5 hours, most of it praising our blessed savior in song. The youth are raising funds for a mission trip to North Korea to preach on the streets and distribute Bibles.

Sounds like a great church, right?

As you might have guessed, this church does not exist. It’s The Perfect Church church we all refer to when we talk about what the American church should be. Christians use this non-existent, flawless congregation to bash their own churches – and other Christians.

Self-loathing is very chic these days. It’s seen as a mark of open-mindedness. Meanwhile, self-confidence is seen as egotism.

It’s good to be aware of our flaws, but when we obsess on them we can descend into a spiral of depression. In its most pernicious form it becomes an excuse for inaction.

This critical attitude rears its head when I write about men and church. I’ll make some helpful suggestion how churches can become more guy-friendly, and I’m met with comments about how guys should be.

“If men just loved God more they’d enjoy singing in church.”

“If men loved the Word then they’d love going to church.”

“If men were truly saved, they’d volunteer in church.”

In other words, if men were exactly as we want them to be, then they’d love the church exactly as we’ve created it. By putting the onus on guys to be perfect, we excuse ourselves from having to do anything different to reach them.

So as you’re evaluating your Christian walk, add this to the list: stop comparing your church to the non-existent, perfect church. And stop comparing your men to non-existent, perfect men.

And while you’re at it, stop criticizing yourself and your fellow Christians for not being perfect. We’re all hypocrites. Environmentalists drive cars. Conservatives accept government help. And everyone who claims to follow Jesus falls short of the perfection he demands (Matthew 5:48, Romans 3:23).

Be grateful for God’s grace – an abundant grace that makes up for all our shortcomings.

– See more at: churchformen.com/discipling-men/i-attend-the-perfect-church/

July 12, 2015 0 comments

Articles

Salty and Shiny: Christians Who Change the World

by Jud Wilhite October 11, 2014

written by Jud Wilhite

Who has influenced you over the course of your life? If you think back to your childhood, there are all kinds of influences there. Maybe your parents, your friends, maybe bullies at school … any number of people may have influenced you at school. I know as a kid, for me, one of my big influences was the garbage collector.

I wanted to be a trash guy. I would stand by my window and wait for the garbage truck to come by. Every time the garbage truck came back I was so fired up that I played with garbage truck toys. It was a big deal.

Then I wanted to be Superman. How many of you ever wanted to be Superman in your life? I remember running on these 8-foot stacks of wood out beside our house. I really thought I would fly when I jumped off of it. I had just watched Superman and I knew I could do it. If he could do it I could do it. I ran and jumped and BAM! I hit the ground hard! I can still remember the ground right before my face hit it. My Superman phase ended.

Well, as I’ve thought about my life, I think I’ve spent too much of my life being influenced by others rather than influencing them. I think if I was honest with you today I’ve spent too much of my life being negatively influenced by other people rather

We all influence others. We can either do it for good or bad. Jesus challenges us to use our influence for good. Stop going with the flow. Stop trying to be like everyone else. Stop worrying what everyone thinks of us as much as to start worrying about what God thinks of us and obeying who he is calling us to be.

Studies show that the average introvert will influence 10,000 people in his or her lifetime. That’s the average introvert. Extraverts can influence over a million people. So who has God put in your life that you can influence? How are you influencing them?

Look at what Jesus says. In the Sermon on the Mount, Christ talks about the blessed life. That word “blessed” could be translated as “divine favor.” It could even be translated as “happiness”. He’s laid out 7 different characteristics for how we can experience happiness and joy in our lives. Jesus teaches in verse 13: “You are the salt of the earth.” Here is what Jesus says, “What good is salt if it has lost its flavor?” What good is it if it no longer flavors? He says, “Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled under foot as worthless.

You are the light of the world. Like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” Like a city on a hilltop – you can’t hide a city on hilltop. In fact, just FYI, do you know the first visible sign of life on earth from space is the Las Vegas Strip? Astronauts say it’s the very first sign of life on earth. That’s kind of scary when you really think about it, isn’t it? I’m not sure that’s the best endorsement for planet earth that we can have.

Jesus is saying that you can’t hide light like that. You can’t hide it. It’s visible. He says “no one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. In stead a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your good deed shine out for all to see so that everyone will praise you Heavenly Father.”

Jesus says that you are the salt of the earth. Salt in the ancient world was very important. It wasn’t just something that they put on their food that raised their blood pressure. It was more than that. The Romans called salt “theon” which is the word for “divine.” In fact, in Roman culture the second most important thing was salt. There was the sun and there was salt.

Why was salt so important? Because salt was the primary way you would preserve your meat and food. They couldn’t throw it in the freezer. What they would do was take salt and rub it into the meat. Once they rubbed it thoroughly into the meet it would preserve it and keep it longer so they could take it with them and eat it on the road. Roman soldiers would often be paid in salt. This is how they got the phrase – true story – he’s not worth his salt. He’s not worth his pay. He’s not worth what we gave him.

Salt had two primary functions. One, it would season. The second, it would preserve. So friends, we’re called to be seasoning in our world and to be a preservative to our world. We’re to season the world by bringing the goodness of God and the joy that he has put into our lives into the world. When you do that and season the world then you cause other people to be thirsty. Have you ever noticed if you eat something really salty you get thirsty?

Christ is also challenging us to preserve the world. To literally rub into our culture and be a preservative in our culture for God and for good. You see, as we come into the world and we interact with people we’ll either increase their joy and level of happiness or we can decrease it and take it away. The decision and the choice is up to us.

William Hart who wrote a book called The 100 Most Influential People in Human History. When you pick the book up you think immediately that Jesus will be first. I mean, who has been more influential in all of human history than Jesus Christ? From just a historical point of view you’d be pretty hard pressed to name someone else. But do you know what William Hart did? He put Jesus third. He said first was Mohammad. Second was Sir Isaac Newton. Third was Jesus. He said the reason he put Jesus as the third most influential people was not because of his own account. On his own account Jesus would be the most influential person.

Hart said it was Jesus’ followers that have done a relatively poor job of living out his message. If you look at the history there are seasons when many people have done amazing things for the good of the world and the glory of God and then you look at other seasons and you see where Christians have done some pretty horrible things rather than being salt.

I think sometimes we underestimate our influence. I don’t know that our friends are really concerned or care about what we say. I think they are a lot more concerned about what we do. I’m not sure how concerned they are about how we preach to them and what we say to them. I think they are a lot more concerned about how we live our lives and if we are truly authentic.

Who is it in your sphere that God is calling you to touch? Who is in your sphere that God is calling you to reach out to? To encourage, to cheerlead, to make a little time for … who is in your sphere? Even introverts influence 10,000 people in their lifetime. Don’t underestimate your impact.

October 11, 2014 0 comments

Articles

Jesus Now: How the Word Shapes You

by Frank Viola May 5, 2014

written by Frank Viola

When I was a young believer, I committed to memory Hebrews 4:12:

“For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Admittedly, I had no clue what “the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow” meant.

I since discovered that this text has everything to do with one of the present-day ministries of Jesus. Specifically, His ministry as Great High Priest.

The high priestly ministry of Christ is in fact the main theme of Hebrews. Just count the number of times “high priest” is used throughout the letter and that will become clear.

As I pointed out in Jesus Now, we often miss this theme because Hebrews contains five parenthetical warnings which interrupt the author’s main subject.

So what is the meaning of “piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow?”

It is this:

Jesus Christ, by His living word and through His indwelling life, enables us to differentiate between our soul (our mind, will, and emotion) and our spirit (the deepest part of us where God dwells).

To put it another way, part of the high priestly ministry of Christ is to reveal what comes from our own thoughts, feelings, and volition and what comes from Hisleading.

(I’ve demonstrated elsewhere that the human spirit and soul are not the same thing. 1 Thess. 5:23 makes that plain, as well as many other biblical texts.)

In Hebrews 3:1, the writer mentions Jesus as our Apostle (a sent messenger) and High Priest. He uses Moses as a shadow of both roles and then collapses into a long parenthetic warning, explaining how the word of God fell on disobedient ears in the wilderness (quoting Psalm 95:7-11).

In Hebrews 4:12, the writer picks up the themes of God’s word and Christ’s high priestly ministry, telling us that the Lord Jesus is carrying out His work as High Priest for our spirit and soul.

Specifically, the writer likens each of us to be a sacrifice on the altar.

Under the Old Testament covenant, when Israel offered up sacrifices, the sacrifice was tied to an altar. The priest killed it with a very sharp knife, dividing the sacrifice into two halves.

The word translated “sword” in Hebrews 4:12 is machaira, and one of the meanings is “a large knife, used for killing animals and cutting up flesh.” The priest’s knife was so sharp that it pierced the sacrifice to the joints and the marrow.

As a result, all the insides of the sacrifice that were once hidden could now be seen. They were laid bare without concealment. After the priest opened the sacrifice with his knife, he would burn it with fire as an offering to the Lord.

Now hold that image in your mind and read the next verse, Hebrews 4:13,

“And there is no creature that is not manifest before Him, but all things are naked and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we are to give our account.”

In verse 14, the writer continues into other aspects of the high priestly ministry of Christ saying, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven . . . ”

So in Hebrews 4:12-14, the Holy Spirit paints a powerful picture illustrating the work of the Lord Jesus as our Great High Priest.

As the sacrifice was opened with the knife of the Old Testament priest so that the joints and marrow were all laid bare, the Lord Jesus does this same penetrating, exposing, and dividing work on our spirits and souls with the knife of His word.

It’s no accident that Revelation 1:16 says of Christ, “Out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword.” In like manner, Revelation 2:12 says, “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him [Jesus] who has the sharp, double-edged sword.”

As our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus uses His word to pierce and divide every part of us: the spiritual from the soulish.

Only the sharp sword of God’s word handled by the Lord Jesus Christ can clearly discern the source of our living. Just as a human knife can divide bone from marrow, the knife of God’s word can divide the closely knit spirit from the soul.

Within an immature Christian or one who operates in his or her flesh, it’s virtually impossible to distinguish between what comes from a person’s own natural soul (mind, will, or emotion) and what comes from their spirit (the place where God dwells, speaks, and reveals).

In other words, such a person can’t tell when God is speaking to them and when it’s their own fallen thoughts, emotions, or desires that they assume is God’s speaking.

The word of God, when received with a teachable ear and an unhardened heart (see Hebrews 3), proves sharper than any two-edged sword.

Hebrews 4:12 says the word of God is “living.” It’s not dead or inanimate, but something that is vital and speaks yesterday, today, and forever.

It’s also “operative.” This means it’s capable of accomplishing its purpose, which is to divide spirit from soul and expose the intentions of the heart.

It’s “sharper than any two-edged sword.” It’s so sharp it can pierce into the human spirit, the innermost part of the human anatomy. Your spirit is the part of you that’s deeper than thought, feeling, and volition.

If you open your heart to God’s word, and let it penetrate your inward being, Jesus, your High Priest, will do His amazing work of dividing what’s natural from that which is spiritual in your life.

For much more on this subject, get Frank Viola’s new book Jesus Now. The book is on sale at a 50% discount from Parable.com from May 5th to May 8th. You will also receive the Study Guide Free if you order in that time frame.

May 5, 2014 0 comments

Sermons

Ezra: Sometimes the Good Guys Don’t Win!

by Kevin DeYoung April 1, 2013

written by Kevin DeYoung

The people of Judah wanted to re-build the Temple in Jerusalem, but faced great opposition and had to abandon the task. The Jews were accused of being rebellious, and wanted to undermine their rulers. Because of these reports and the insecurity of their oppressors, building stopped and the attempt to rebuild the Temple failed. So what do we do when God doesn’t answer, or when our hopes are deferred? That’s when our faith can become the strongest.

April 1, 2013 0 comments

Articles

Be a Worship-Warrior: Fight Your Battles and Win!

by Francis Frangipane December 2, 2012

written by Francis Frangipane

When the Scriptures refer to the “heavenly host,” we usually think of “choirs of angels.” The word “host” in the Bible meant “army” (Josh. 5:13–14). It is an important truth: the hosts of Heaven are worshiping armies. Indeed, no one can do warfare who is not first a worshiper of God.

The Central Issue In Tribulation: Worship

One does not have to penetrate deeply into the Revelation of John to discover that both God and the devil are seeking worshipers (see Rev. 7:11; 13:4; 14:7, 11). Time and time again the line is drawn between those who “worship the beast and his image” and those who worship God.

In the last great battle before Jesus returns, the outcome of every man’s life shall be weighed upon a scale of worship: in the midst of warfare and conflict to whom will we bow, God or Satan?

Yet, while this warfare shall culminate in the establishment of the Lord’s kingdom on earth (see Rev. 11:15), we must realize the essence of this battle is the central issue in our warfare today. Will we faithfully worship God during satanic assault and temptation? True worship must emerge in the context of our lives now. For no man will worship through the great battles of tomorrow who complains in the mere skirmishes of today.

You will remember that the Lord’s call to the Israelites was a call to worship and serve Him in the wilderness (see Exod. 7:16). Indeed, when Moses first spoke of God’s loving concern, we read that the Hebrews “bowed low and worshiped” (Exod. 4:31). But when trials and pressures came, they fell quickly into murmuring, complaining and blatant rebellion. Their worship was superficial, self-serving and conditional—an outer form without an inner heart of worship.

This same condition of shallow worship prevails in much of Christianity today. If a message is given that speaks of the Lord’s great care for His people, with eagerness do we bow low and worship. But as soon as the pressures of daily living arise or temptations come, how quickly we rebel against God and resist His dealings! The enemy has easy access to the soul that is not protected by true worship of the Almighty! Indeed, the Lord’s purpose with Israel in the wilderness was to perfect true worship, which is based upon the reality of God, not circumstances. The Lord knows that the heart that will worship Him in the wilderness of affliction will continue to worship in the promised land of plenty.

Without true worship of God, there can be no victory in warfare. For what we bleed when we are wounded by satanic assault or difficult circumstances is the true measure of our worship. You see, what comes out of our hearts during times of pressure is in us, but hidden during times of ease. If you are a true worshiper, your spirit will exude worship to God no matter what battle you are fighting. In warfare, worship creates a wall of fire around the soul.

Protecting Your Heart Through Worship

Most of us understand the basic dynamics of the human soul. We have been taught, and rightly so, that the soul is the combination of the mind, will and emotions. Generally speaking, when the enemy comes against the church, he targets any of these three areas. We must see that the protection of these areas is of vital importance in our war against Satan.

To further illuminate the nature of this battle, let us add that, in addition to the mind, the will and the emotions, the soul is made of events and how we responded to those events. Who we are today is the sum of what we have encountered in life and our subsequent reactions. Abuses and afflictions hammer us one way, encouragement and praise inflate us another. Our reaction to each event, whether that event was positive or negative, is poured into the creative marrow of our individuality, where it is blended into the nature of our character.

What we call memory is actually our spirit gazing at the substance of our soul. With few exceptions, those events that we remember the most have also shaped us the most. Indeed, the reason our natural minds cannot forget certain incidents is because those events have literally become part of our nature.

Our soul is shaped by how well or poorly we handled our past experiences. When Scripture commands us to not look back and to “forget . . . what lies behind” (Phil. 3:13; see Luke 9:62), it is saying we must undo the consequences that have come from our unchristlike reactions. With God, this is not impossible, for though the events of our lives are irreversible, our reactions to those events can still be changed. As our wrong reactions to the past change, we change. In other words, although we cannot alter the past, we can put our past upon the “altar” as an act of worship. A worshiping heart allows God to heal and restore the soul.

All of us receive a portion of both good and evil in this world. But for life to be good, God, who is the essence of life, must reach into our experiences and redeem us from our negative reactions. The channel through which the Lord extends Himself, even into our past, is our love and worship of Him.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28). The key for the fulfillment of this verse is that we become lovers of God in our spirits. Bad things become good for “those who love God.” When we are given to loving Him, all that we have passed through in life is washed and redeemed in that love. Bad becomes good by the power of God.

Therefore, it is essential to both the salvation of our souls and our protection in warfare that we be worshipers. The ship that safely carries us through the storms of adversity is worship.

Psalm 84 expresses in praise to God the wonderful effect worship has upon the soul. “How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion! Passing through the valley of Baca [weeping] they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with blessings” (vv. 5–6).

If you are “ever praising” God (Ps. 84:4), your worship of God will transform the negative assault of the enemy into “a spring” of sweet refreshing waters. No matter what befalls a worshiper, their “valley of weeping” always becomes a spring covered “with blessings.” You cannot successfully engage in warfare, nor pass safely through the wilderness of this life, without first becoming a worshiper of God.

Worship: The Purpose Of Creation

We were created for God’s pleasure. We were not created to live for ourselves but for Him. And while the Lord desires that we enjoy His gifts and His people, He would have us know we were created first for His pleasure. In these closing moments of this age, the Lord will have a people whose purpose for living is to please God with their lives. In them, God finds His own reward for creating man. They are His worshipers. They are on earth only to please God, and when He is pleased, they also are pleased.

The Lord takes them further and through more pain and conflicts than other men. Outwardly, they often seem “smitten of God, and afflicted” (Isa. 53:4). Yet to God, they are His beloved. When they are crushed, like the petals of a flower, they exude a worship, the fragrance of which is so beautiful and rare that angels weep in quiet awe at their surrender. They are the Lord’s purpose for creation.

One would think that God would protect them, guarding them in such a way that they would not be marred. Instead, they are marred more than others. Indeed, the Lord seems pleased to crush them, putting them to grief. For in the midst of their physical and emotional pain, their loyalty to Christ grows pure and perfect. And in the face of persecutions, their love and worship toward God become all-consuming.

Would that all Christ’s servants were so perfectly surrendered. Yet God finds His pleasure in us all. But as the days of the Kingdom draw near and the warfare at the end of this age increases, those who have been created solely for the worship of God will come forth in the power and glory of the Son. With the high praises of God in their mouth, they will execute upon His enemies the judgment written (see Ps. 149). They will lead as generals in the Lord’s army of worshipers.

Orginally titled “Army of Worshippers.” www.frangipane.org. Used by permission.

December 2, 2012 0 comments

Sermons

Building a Life (Solomon Series)

by Jack Schull October 29, 2012

written by Jack Schull

Solomon took on a great building project during his reign as king. As he built the Temple to honor God and oversaw that project, there are some insights for us into how to build a life. Solomon is seeing life as a manager, not the owner – that’s one of the keys as you live for the larger story of God and don’t become victimized by selfishness.

YouVersion notes HERE.

October 29, 2012 0 comments

Ask Roger

Can a Real Christian Be Angry?

by Roger Barrier January 7, 2009

written by Roger Barrier

Dear Roger,

I really struggle with anger. It seems like I just can’t keep it under control. I know it’s not Christian to be angry, so what advice would you give me?

Sincerely,

BLE

Dear BLE,

One of my favorite proverbs is Proverb 29:11: “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” NIV Anger is a powerful emotion. You might find this neurological information helpful. The amygdala, an unconscious part of lower brain is intricately involved in the generation of human emotion. It is instrumental in the Fear/Appeasement—Flight—Fight survival response. The amygdala is one of the most active parts of the brain. It is essentially alert and firing all the time.

Many often ask: “Is it a sin to be angry?” Of course not. Anger is a necessary, built-in emotion. (Proverbs 27:4; 14:17; Ephesians 4:26-27). The emotion of anger is not sin; but, anger has the potential to lead into sin. Anger does not become sin until we translate it into aggressive and hostile actions—or activities destructive to the self.

Why do people get angry? Some are hurting (Proverbs 20:2), some are dealing with a brain chemistry imbalance, and some have opened their lives to a demonic stronghold (Ephesians 4:26-27).

Many people don’t realize they are angry. According to Dwight L. Carlson, M.D. the following are misconceptions about anger:

1. If I don’t look, feel, or seem angry, I don’t have an anger problem.

2. If I ignore my hurts and anger, they will go away and won’t cause me any trouble later on.

3. If I just let all my feelings and anger out—just get them out of my system—I’ll solve my anger problems.

4. It won’t cost me too much emotionally to be a nice person who never gets angry at anybody.

5. If I express my hurts and anger to the person with whom I’m angry, our relationship will suffer.

Very often, we tend to express our anger in two ways: we blow up and vent our anger (Proverbs 29:11), or we internalize it by “clamming up.” In his dynamic work, The Angry Book, Dr. Theodore Isaac Rubin, M.D., states that the following are ways that we express our anger:

1. Venting: Auto Poison; Bullying; Explosive Behavior; Rage; Violence; Suicide; Murder

2. Repressing: Anxiety; Depression; Self-Sabotage; High Blood Pressure; Overeating; Under eating; Sleep Problems; Silent Treatment; Malicious Gossip; Overworking; Over sexing; Over exercising; Bad Dreams; Always Tired; Drugs; Alcohol; Juice-Stewing

Now, let’s come to the crux of the matter. What do I do when I feel myself becoming angry? (Proverbs 16:32)

1. Deescalate the emotions of the moment. Choose to calm yourself down. (Proverbs 30:33; 15:1)

2. Ask the question, “Where have I been hurt?” (Proverbs 19:11)

3. Then, process the hurt by mourning with a trusted friend and receiving comfort, understanding the truth of what happened and by forgiving the offender.

Finally, look at Jesus as our model.

1. He stood up for righteous principles.

2. He passed over inconsequential issues.

3. He was able to forgive those who hurt Him.

4. He prayed for those who misused him.

5. He loved with deep compassion, despite whatever was done against Him.

I hope this helps. We need to feel the emotion of anger to be healthy, as long as we express it in a godly way.

Love,

Roger

January 7, 2009 0 comments

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