When we were last together I asked, "How do you receive a wedding garment?" Since I have interacted with many denominations for over forty years I have never heard this subject discussed. Those who follow my blog know that I ask a lot of questions about the doctrines of men, which causes me to delve into the scriptures for my answers - not a bad idea for everyone.
One day during my study of Isaiah I came to a sentence that peaked my curiosity...for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness...Is. 61:10. Wow...two garments...hmmm. Verse 10 goes on to say...as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. I know Jesus is the Groom and His Church is the Bride - but - two garments?
My research began that day. It was with a new perspective that I began a fresh look at the prophetic parables of Jesus Christ - trying to erase what I had been told they say - reading what they really say.
Let me give you an example - but when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment...so he said to him...friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless...Matt. 22:11-12. This man was in the wedding hall - so he was in Heaven - but he didn't have on a wedding garment, so he was kicked out...verse 13.
Before we get to the rest of this prophetic parable, we must lay the scriptural groundwork that brings understanding as to why this man is kicked out of the Wedding Hall - but he is not kicked out of Heaven.
Last week we explained that the reward that Jesus brings with Him when He returns is - Pay for Service. This means that the works, labor, or fruits of labor done by a believer while he lived on the earth will receive Jesus' reward - Pay for Service.
The Apostle Paul said...for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad...II Cor. 5:10. Paul is explaining to these believers that all the works done by them, while they live on the earth, will be exposed at the Great White Throne Judgment. - deeds of righteousness that glorified the kingdom of Heaven - or - deeds of unrighteousness that glorified the kingdom of men on the earth.
How are deeds of righteousness evaluated? The Apostle Paul explains...may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints...I Thes. 3:12-13. All deeds of righteousness done by a believer while he lives on the earth have one common denominator - LOVE.
In this text, the word love in the original Greek language is agape - the God kind of love - unconditional - 70 x 7 kind of love...Matt. 18:21-22. In order to be blameless in holiness when we stand before Jesus Christ on Judgment Day, we must evaluate everything we think, say, or do on the earth according to the yardstick of LOVE. If we are deemed blameless on that Day - we will receive the reward that Jesus brings with Him.
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal...but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...Matt. 6:19-21.
Early in my Christian walk I asked pastors 'what are treasures that can be stored in Heaven?" I was told that my good works were treasures - serving the institutional church, teaching the Bible, helping the poor, volunteering where needed in the church, mission society or any position in the church the pastor deems necessary. I worked myself to the bone serving the church before I realized that my personal relationship - intimacy with God - went begging. My research threw brilliant light on the true meaning of "treasures in Heaven."
If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so through fire...I Cor. 3:15. After reading this scripture I was really perplexed, because it produced more questions like, "Can the works that I have been doing be burned up when I face Jesus on Judgment Day? Horrors! What loss will be suffered if my works are burned up? I must find out while I am still on the earth!
The Apostle Paul explains...if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is...if anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward...I Cor. 3:12-14.
What happens to the house built from gold, silver, and precious stones on Judgment Day? What happens to the house built from wood, hay, and straw on Judgment Day? How does this have anything to do with treasures in Heaven? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
When we were last together I asked you, "So what is next?" I had plans to begin an extensive study of historical documentation that will prove that Daniel's seventy-week vision has been completely fulfilled, or maybe define the symbolism of the 144,000 which will reveal the true message locked up in the numbers, but in the night I was shown that I must define the symbolism at the end of Revelation regarding the wedding garment. Why?
I helped with the petitions years ago that put on the ballot a constitutional amendment recognizing God's plan - marriage is between a man and a woman. I was outraged to hear this week how a single judge in my state overturned this referendum from the people which was voted into law by 67% of our voters. We are no longer a government of the people, by the people, and for the people - we are ruled by the whims of one godless judge.
Many pastors, priests, bishops, and Bible teachers of mainline denominations are in agreement with this judges' power grab from the desires of the people. Many of them also question the veracity of the Bible, the virgin birth, and the divinity of Christ, and they are teaching the body of Christ their doubts and unbelief.
In my forty-plus years attending mainline churches I never heard one sermon about the wedding garment - have you? So what does the wedding garment have to do with marriage between a man and a woman? It doesn't per se. If these religious leaders won't stand up and teach the truth that marriage is between a man and a woman, what other truth in God's word aren't they teaching?
I already know that you have not heard a thing about the very essential wedding garment, which is required attire for attending the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Why would I think this subject is so important at this time? There is so much false teaching in the church, especially regarding end-time doctrines, I am concerned that the body of Christ will not be ready when Jesus comes to get them.
While all blood-bought believers in Jesus Christ will enter Heaven, not all will be allowed to attend the wedding of the Bride and Groom. The prophetic parables of Jesus Christ explain this very clearly, but the religious leaders of all denominations are not preparing the Bride to enter the Wedding Hall.
Remember when Jesus said, behold, I am come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work...Rev. 22:12. What is His reward that He brings with him that is inextricably connected to the work(s) of men?
In the next few blogs we will find out what is the reward and its significance, so that we will be ready to receive it when we stand before Jesus Christ at the Great White throne Judgment.
The word reward in this text in the original Greek language is misthos meaning: pay for service. Why would Jesus pay human beings for anything? Pay for service means that Jesus will reward His Church for the works they did that glorified Him while they lived on the earth. The work(s), labor, or fruits of labor produced by a believer in Jesus Christ while he lived on the earth, will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?...If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which you are...I Cor. 3:16-17. The Apostle Paul explains clearly to the Corinthians that a believer in Christ becomes the temple - house - of God, where the Holy Spirit resides.
The word defiles in this text in the original Greek language is phthio meaning: to pine, languish, or waste. God sent the Holy Spirit to reside within the spirit of a born-again human being to help him walk in holiness, on his earthly journey. But He put a believer in charge of his own temple. The believer has been given the freedom to build his temple - house - with any material he chooses.
He can choose to allow his house to become defiled, filled with the cobwebs of worldly pleasures and every entanglement and snare of the devil. These carnal works of the flesh will cause him to pine away in guilt and regrets, continually striving for fame and fortune, while wasting the talents that God gave him at his conception - all treasures of the world.
The work(s) accomplished by this believer while he was on the earth, will be found not worthy to be accepted by Jesus Christ on Judgment Day. The house - works - this believer built on the foundation of salvation, will burn up at the Great White Throne Judgment - if anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. While the house this believer built burns down to the foundation of salvation, he will be allowed into Heaven because he is wearing the garment of salvation. But he will not be allowed in the wedding hall where the marriage takes place - he needs a wedding garment.
How do you receive a wedding garment? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
The great religions of the world and their apostasy is clearly defined in the Revelation through riddles, metaphorical language and esoteric imagery. Once we define the mysterious language the riddle is solved, and the message appears clearly and decisively. Jesus Christ desired that we understand who is our enemy, so that we could be prepared to stand without faltering, despite suffering persecution, and even martyrdom for His cause.
Jesus devoted an exceptional amount of space in the Revelation to describe the Locust Army, because He wants us to know who they are, where they will rule and how to awaken people to their devious plans and purposes to destroy all who will not 'bow the knee' to their moon god. Jesus knew the Locust Army would eventually become over a billon strong, and through intimidation, violence and murder would seek to eliminate all Christians and Jews.
Chapter 16 of Revelation correlates with chapter 9 because it gives more details regarding the invasion of the Locust Army after God allowed them to infiltrate the governments of the developed world. This chapter describes the bowl judgments - wrath of God - poured out onto an immoral and idolatrous world. Throughout the Bible, God used His enemies to chastise His kids.
Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared...Rev. 16:12. The sixth angel poured out his judgment on the river Euphrates, causing it to dry up, symbolizing that God has permitted the Locust Army - kings - to take their terror across the planet, no longer confined in the east.
God had confined this virulent false religious doctrine to the river Euphrates territory for centuries, but during the bowl judgments He is giving them permission to infect the whole world. This is His judgment on the gross and blatant sins of His Church in the twenty-first century.
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet...Rev. 16:13. Who is the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet? This is a riddle - but solvable.
Dragon - symbolizes Satan in scripture - power and authority behind all false religious doctrines of demons on planet earth. Beast - symbolizes a kingdom or empire - political governing system. False prophet - the leader of the Locust Army - political governing system of this virulent false religious doctrine that is spreading like wild fire in every nation of the earth. They call themselves - religion of peace, - while lobbing of the heads of thousands of resisters to their doctrine of demons.
Frog Symbolism - The unclean spirits coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet are depicted as frogs. To understand this symbolism more clearly we must look at the habit of frogs in nature. In the natural world when flood waters recede, marshes are created. It is in these marshes where frogs are spawned. As they mature, they eventually leave the marshes to invade dry ground.
The false religious political government that was 'spawned' in the geographical area of the river Euphrates, out of the depraved, revengeful imaginations of one man - the Prophet - is now being spread across the planet by the Locust Army...Rev. 9:3-10.
The metaphorical frog symbolism explains the proliferation of the Locust Army, during the events of the sixth bowl judgments. Metaphorically, the river Euphrates dries up, leaving dry ground for the kings of the east to travel across the globe and invade more nations with their violent false religious doctrine.
For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of the almighty...Rev. 16:14. The power source of the kings is the spirits of demons and their father is Satan, symbolized by the dragon.
The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet gather them to the battle of the great day of the almighty. What does this symbolize? The Globalist leaders of developed nations have allowed the Prophet and his Locust army to settle in their countries, without requiring assimilation. As they grow bigger and stronger - a nation within a nation - the Locust Army now demands their religious rights. Empowered and embolden with preference from government leaders, they now have the audacity to believe they can quash Christianity - battle against Jesus Christ.
The Globalists are working toward a one-world central government, by destroying the sovereignty of all nations, so they have permitted the Locust Army to chase down, subdue, and force toadies of the world to submit to their whims and fantasies - or die. The Globalists have engaged an army that is so enraged with religious zeal and the righteous purpose of their Prophet, that they have no conscience regarding the horror they are inflicting on human beings who are made in the image of God.
So what is next? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
Revelation chapter 9 is full of symbolism that describes the Locust Army who has been on the planet since the 7th century. The last few blogs have been devoted to defining the symbolism which has already unlocked their identity - but there is much more in this chapter that details their character and purpose, leaving no doubt who is the past and current enemy of, not just Christians and Jews, but all human beings who refuse to "bow the knee" to their god.
Let's begin with verse 19...for the power is in their mouth, and in their tails; for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. To understand this symbolism we must go back to the Garden of Eden where a serpent spoke to Eve with seductive equivocal words - obviously believable since she doubted the warnings of her Creator.
Eve was so enchanted by the logical words from the serpents' mouth, she believed his poisonous lies. The prophet that lies is the tail. We already know that the serpent in the Garden of Eden symbolized Satan - and we already know that the Locust Army originated from the bottomless pit - Satan's home. The serpents in this verse symbolize the Locust Army.
Verse 17 says...and thus I saw the horses in the vision and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone; and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
Describing the heads of the battle horses as heads of lions, defines the Locust Army as ferocious, with unrelenting determination to prove to the whole world that they are the King of the Religious Jungle, just as in the natural world the lion is hailed as king of the jungle.
Them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire reveals there are riders on the battle horses, an invincible foe, with the purpose of burning up (destroying) anyone or anything that attempts to prevent their worldwide take-over. The colors of the breastplate symbolize the weapons this religious army will use to kill resisters. These weapons are words because the text says...out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
1. Fire (jacinth) - reddish orange. This weapon reveals the Locust Army will consume their victims with hate-filled, intimidating, and threatening words using the media as their lap dogs. They will gradually infiltrate the governing bodies of every nation, obtaining influential positions, while buying shares of television and radio networks in developed countries in order to curry favor for their cause. Look around - this has already come to pass in 2014.
2. Smoke - blue. Smoke symbolizes false religious doctrines, originating from the bottomless pit the birthplace of the Locust Army. Out of their mouths they will spew the false religious doctrine of their Prophet, while condemning all other religions. They have already propagandized that Jesus Christ, someday, will bow His knee to their Prophet recognizing him as the one true god.
3. Brimstone (sulfur) - yellow. Brimstone coming our of the mouth of the Locust Army symbolizes judgment - God's judgment on the sins of His people who have surrendered their allegiance to other gods. - fame and fortune. God is allowing the Locust Army to torment and intimidate the citizens of the world, causing grievous pain and death, through their relentless propaganda of demanding spiritual, mental and physical submission to their violent and murderous Prophet. If God's Church suffers from the results of their many sins - will they repent and turn back to Him? Hopefully...
The Globalist leaders of the developed nations of the world have not only embraced multiculturalism, but forced it down the throats of their submissive citizens. By doing so, they gave the green light to the warriors of the Locust Army, who are now moving fast and furiously across the planet, forcing their doctrine of demons into public schools and all governments, where their offensive doctrine will do more damage and devour more humanity quickly. READER BEWARE - the Locust Army is gaining a foothold in 2014 because of Globalism.
Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared...and I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet...for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God almighty...Revelation 16:12-14.
This text describes when God released the Locust Army to infiltrate every nation on the planet. It seems like a riddle at first glance, but the esoteric imagery is easy to identify. Who does the dragon, beast and false prophet symbolize? Frogs are unclean spirits, but what else do they symbolize? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
As we proceed in our study of Revelation chapter 9, we will see that the grief imposed by the Locust Army will no longer be contained in the countries surrounding the Euphrates River. Then the sixth angel sounded: And heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." verses 13-14.
Horns symbolize seat of power. Multiple horns symbolize that greater authority and power will be released during the 6th trumpet blast. The number four symbolizes there will be a change in the heavens or the earth. Horns of the golden altar of God in Heaven symbolize that what is coming upon the earth through the hands of the Locust Army is approved and permitted by the Creator, who resides in Heaven.
Because the iniquities (paganism) of believers have separated them from God, who will do anything to bring them back to intimacy with Him, He has no choice but to allow the consequences of their sins to befall them. The sins of God's Church (believers) have allowed the siege of the Locust Army to tramp across the planet into developed "Christian" nations.
During this time of severe violence and cruelty, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ must run to Him for refuge and surrender their total allegiance to Him. Repentance allows God to protect His kids, while granting them wisdom in facing this violent enemy of Jesus Christ.
So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind...verse 15. A third symbolizes divine judgment. The angels are permitted to release the Locust Army across the whole planet to infect the whole world with their false religious doctrine - sting of the scorpion.
By the time in history when this prophecy was ready to begin its fulfillment, the Locust Army had already developed into a ferocious formidable foe - great enough in numbers, wealth, and commerce - to be a persuasive and influential force of competition with other empires of the world -- oil.
The Euphrates River is 1,780 miles long connecting many of the mid-eastern countries. It flowed through the ancient city of Babylon -- idolatry center of the world. The origin of the doctrine of the licentious Locust Army has its roots planted deeply in this ancient occult region of the world, where the Babylonians worshiped false gods - rejecting the true God - I AM.
And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand...verse 16. The Greek word for thousand in this text is murias meaning: myriad; thousands upon thousands; or indefinite number. Even the translator is unsure of the true meaning of the original language. Since we don't have a literal calculation of this migratory army of religious zealots, we can understand why they are symbolized by the locust insect - an innumerable destroying force.
And thus I saw the horses in the vision and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone; and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone - by these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths - for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt...verses 17-19.
When Jesus Christ appeared to John describing the Locust Army, He provided so much detail as to their identity - but only if the symbolism is defined can we see clearly and understand the message. In these three verses we must take our time to delineate the information packed into the symbolism.
The characteristics of the Locust Army revealed in the symbolism, distinguishes them from all other armies on the earth, while describing their ferocity after they were released to infiltrate every nation of the world with their sinister false religious doctrine, implemented by lies, intimidation and force.
What does fire, brimstone and smoke symbolize? Stay tuned...
God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question...
