Posts Tagged God

The Bible Millennium

The Bible MillenniumThere will be only four (4) groups when Jesus returns!

1. The righteous living

2. The righteous dead

3. The wicked living

4. The wicked dead

The coming of Jesus Christ will mark the beginning of the Bible millennium (1000 years).

There will be a resurrection at the beginning of the millennium and another resurrection after the millennium. You want to be in the first resurrection.

The Bible says it is at “His coming,” when “the trumpet sounds,” that “the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Notice that only the righteous who are called, “the dead in Christ,” rises at the coming of Jesus Christ. So Jesus’ return and the resurrection of the righteous marks the beginning of the 1000 years.

The dead in Christ (Righteous dead) are resurrected, and then together with the righteous living they are all “caught up” from earth to meet Jesus in the air.

What happens to those (wicked) who are not “caught up”? Many teachers say that they will have a second chance during a supposedly seven years of tribulation!

What does the Bible say!

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. For when they shall say Peace and Safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them … and they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

Paul says that those who are not “caught up” will experience “sudden destruction” and shall “not escape.”

Jesus says it will be as in the days of Noah and “Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (See Luke 17:26-30)

At the coming of Jesus, Scriptures describe a total destruction of all human beings all over the world!

Matthew 24:13, 14 – After the gospel is preached to all, “then shall the end come.”

1 Corinthians 15:23 – “At his coming, then cometh the end …”

1 Thessalonians 4:17; 5:3 – Those not “caught up,” will experience “sudden destruction.”

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 – When Jesus comes in flaming fire, the lost will be destroyed.

Revelation 16:17, 18 – During the seventh trumpet, cities crumble around the world.

Revelation 6:14; 16:20 – Every island sinks, and all the mountains disappear.

Jeremiah 4:23-26 – Planet Earth is totally devastated, with “no man” left alive.

Jeremiah 25:30-33 – Those slain by the Lord lie dead, unburied, all around the world.

Revelation 19:17, 18, 21 – The birds eat the flesh of every human being worldwide.

(Revelation 19 says that birds will be eating the flesh of all men!)

What will we see when we climb out of the grave?

It all depends if we are resurrected before OR after the 1000 years (millennium).

Speaking of the wicked Jeremiah says, “And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.” Jeremiah 25:33

“I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger” (Jeremiah 4:23-26).

The righteous will spend 1000 years in HEAVEN with God and the unsaved who are alive when Jesus comes will be killed.

Everyone who remains here on earth are DEAD! Satan and his evil angels are ‘chained by circumstances’ here on earth with no one to deceive. (Until the thousand years were up)

“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.” Revelation 20:5a

What happens after the 1000 years?

Revelation 20 says:

The “rest of the dead” are raised to life (vs. 5a).

Satan is loosed (verses 3, 7).

When the lost are resurrected, Satan has people once again to deceive – so he is “loosed” from his chains.

Satan “will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea” (vs. 8).

Who will Satan gather together?

All the lost, through history, from the days of Adam all the way down to the last person who experienced “sudden destruction” (1 Thess. 5:3) at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ!

During the 1000 years, all the lost remained in their graves, but at the end of the 1000 years they are all raised to life in what Jesus called “the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29).

How many lost will there be?

John said their “number is as the sand of the sea!”

What are the lost doing after they are resurrected?

“And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.” Revelation 20:9

The New Jerusalem comes down from heaven (see Revelation 21:10).

The Holy city comes down at the end of the 1000 years with the saved in it. When the “rest of the dead” are raised and Satan is loosed, the city has just landed. Satan then commands the resurrected nations to surround the “camp of the saints and the beloved city” to try and take over God’s new Jerusalem.

At this time, ALL the lost and ALL the saved are together for the first time, alive on earth!

The saved are inside the city and all the lost are outside the city!

The resurrected lost will have a chance to see the reward of the righteous, while the saved will see the fate of the wicked!

The following explains why the saved are inside the city, and why the lost are outside the new Jerusalem. It’s a solemn thought!

“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14

“For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Revelation 22:15

“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:28, 29.

, , ,

No Comments

Is Keeping the Law Just a Form of Gratitude to God?

Paid In FullEphesians 2:8, 9

[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

[9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.

These verses apply to a person accepting the grace of God through faith. He realizes that no amount of good works can make him justified in front of an awesome fearful God.
But these verses have been misunderstood and many have been taught that the power of grace to save sinners nullifies the work of obedience in order to be saved.

We also sometimes hear from our own pastors that we are not keeping the law to be saved, but that we are saved.

This statement may sound good, but not good enough to be true. This theology, if imbibed leads the sinner to make light of strict obedience to the law because in his mind, he is already saved by grace and now just keeping the law as a form of “gratitude” to God.

This is just one step less to the false doctrine of “once saved, always saved. “The truth is when a sinner comes to the knowledge of grace through faith and accepts it, he is justified without any works.

However, after he has been justified, he must “put on the new man” (Eph. 4:24) and walk in righteousness (Read Ephsians 4:21-32) or otherwise grieve the Holy Spirit (v. 30) which is the unpardonable sin.

Therefore, AFTER we’ve been justified freely by grace, we must also continue in it, BUT NOW WITH WORKS, but whose works? Ours? No, but the work of Christ reflected in our lives. Phillipians 2:12, 13

[12] Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION with fear and trembling.

[13] FOR IT IS GOD WHICH WORKETH IN YOU both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Romans 6:2, 15 [2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, LIVE ANY LONGER THEREIN?

[15] What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? GOD FORBID. Paul is very clear. Ephesians 2:8, 9 refers to “our works” that we might not view them as “worthy” enough to earn heaven because this would discard grace, but if we are saved by grace, we are to let CHRIST WORK in us to obey His law – STRICTLY.

Therefore, the life which we live now; obedient to the law is not of our own strength, but the WORK OF CHRIST so that no one can boast. This is the “work” REQUIRED for salvation.

And this is why many accuse us of being legalists when they see our doctrine of strict obedience to the law. It is simply because they have been taught erroneously on the true meaning of Ephesians 2:8, 9.

In summary, salvation is GRACE through FAITH without any of our works – if accepted, the person is justified.

The next step…GRACE through FAITH with Christ’s working in us – obeying the TEN COMMANDMENTS – if accepted, the person is being sanctified.

The next step…GRACE through FAITH with Christ’s working in us obeying the TEN COMMANDMENTS – if accepted until the end, the person waits to be glorified in his new immortal body.

P.S. – If you hear someone tell you that we are not keeping the law to be saved, but because we are saved, please correct them even if it’s your pastor.

Matt. 19:17 “but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. “.  Every individual will be judged at last by the mighty moral code of God’s law.  To break one is to be guilty of sin. The Bible indicates that the Ten Commandments are like a chain with ten links.  When one link is broken, the chain is broken.  So it is with the law.

How many of the Ten Commandments does one have to break in order to be guilty of sin? James says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:10–12).

–Blessings

, , , , , ,

No Comments

Angels Appear as Humans

Angels appear as humans
– then vanish –
after making startling announcement
that Jesus is coming “very, very soon”!!!
And other supernatural confirmations of Christ’s soon return!
by Jim Bramlett

Introduction

Numerous reputable people have told me, most unsolicited, of experiences with angels they either had personally or knew about. In most cases, the angels appeared to provide help in some distressful situation. However, several of the incidents, including the ones below, are particularly interesting for two reasons: (1) they contain a message (literally, the word “angel” means “messenger”) and, (2) the incidents were brought to my personal attention under unusual circumstances, making me think God sent them my way. In each case, the angel delivered basically the same startling announcement of the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why me? Why did these stories come to me? My only guess is because I have the inclination to pursue them, to write about them, and to tell you about them. In God’s great love, it may all be just for you.

Caution. It is important to stress that any mystical experience, even messages from angels, must be carefully judged against God’s Holy Word, the Bible. New Agers and other non-Christians claim angelic revelations while rejecting the cross of Christ which paid the price for our spiritual blessings and access to heavenly things. They are deceived and usually involved with demonic spirits. A pertinent fact about the experiences below is that they came to me after I had already concluded their general message from the Scriptures. Therefore, they were confirming messages. Nevertheless, judge them for yourselves. (Note: I was not able to confirm # 1.)

Encounter # 1 (Not confirmed)

This is one of the incidents reported to me that I was never able to actually confirm after hours of frustrating attempts and many long-distance telephone calls.. It reportedly happened in the Atlanta, Georgia area, on I-285 near “Spaghetti Junction.” I traced the incident from a friend in California California to a United Airlines pilot in Chicago, then to at least 15 others in Atlanta, including a medical doctor. Each person with whom I have talked has seemed highly credible, although I could never trace it to the source.

A lady passed a hitchhiker on the expressway, giving no thought to stopping. But she heard a voice say, “Pick him up.” She did not stop, but continued on. But she again heard the voice: “I told you to pick him up.” She now felt compelled to go back. She turned off the expressway, then got back on via an access road. She thought it would be unlikely that the person would still be there, but if he was, she would pick him up. To her surprise, the man was still there, so she stopped. He got into the car. They chatted for a few moments, then after a brief pause, the stranger said, “Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ is coming soon?” On hearing that, the woman glanced toward the stranger — but he was not there. He had suddenly and unexplainably vanished!

She was so shaken that she had to pull off the expressway. After sitting there a few minutes trying to regain her composure, a policeman pulled up behind her, got out of his car, went up to her window and said, “Ma’am, is there a problem?”

She replied, “Officer, if I told you what just happened to me, you wouldn’t believe it.”

The policeman urged her to tell him anyhow. She described what had just happened. He responded, “Ma’am, normally I would think that you were one of the craziest people I have ever seen, but you are the seventh person today to give me this same report.”

Encounter # 2 (Confirmed)

While in the process of investigating the above incident, I learned of this next amazing one from another person in California, although it took place in Tennessee. It happened just past midnight on March 26, 1993, to Vincent Tan, an analytical chemist who works in Chattanooga. I spent weeks personally tracing this incident and have confirmed it with two reputable Christian leaders, his pastor and, finally, even Vincent himself. The following is a precisely recorded account: Vincent was born Tan Ban Soon in Singapore of Chinese, Buddhist parents. A few years ago as a young boy in Singapore, he was in the library reading a book on nuclear physics and discovered an offer for a Bible course stuck between some pages. He ordered the course and later became a Christian. He came to the U.S. to attend a Christian college, then gave himself the western name of Vincent. After four years, he graduated with a major in science. He has been very active in his church and in sharing his faith.

On the night of Thursday, March 25, 1993, Vincent was working late in his laboratory to complete tests due on Friday. During the evening he moved his car close to the front door of the building, since there had recently been criminal activity in the area. From time to time he looked out the window into the almost empty parking lot to check on his car. At 1:30 a.m. he finished working in his lab. As he was preparing to lock the door, he saw a person standing by the passenger side of his car. Vincent assumed the man was trying to steal his car. He noted that the stranger was of medium build with clean-cut, straight hair and had on a T-shirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes.

Unsure what to do, he went back into the lab and prayed, “Lord, help me to do what I have to do. Do I have to use chi-sao?” Chi-sao (pronounced “chee’-sow-o”) is a form of martial art in which Vincent is proficient. To be extra safe, he looked around the lab and picked up an 18-inch metal rod, held it behind him and stuck his head out the door. He said, “Hi, can I help you?”

The stranger answered, “Hi, Vincent.”

Startled, Vincent asked, “Do I know you?”

The stranger replied, “Not really.”

“What is your name? Who are you?” Vincent probed.

The stranger said, “I have the name of your primary and secondary school.” He added, “I’m a friend. You don’t have to use chi-sao or the rod on me.” His voice had unusual authority, and it seemed he knew the question before it was asked.

Now Vincent was really startled. No one, not even his best friend in this country, was familiar with chi-sao, nor did anyone even know that he knew it. Also, there was no way the stranger could have seen the rod behind his back. Vincent later reflected that the stranger had used terminology (“primary and secondary school”) of Singapore and not the U.S., and that name of his school back in Singapore was St. Gabriel. The stranger was saying that his name was Gabriel!

“How do you know that?” Vincent asked.

“I know,” the stranger replied. “By the way, Mum is fine.” Vincent was startled again. Just the week before, his sister had called from Singapore saying that his mother had heart complications, and Vincent had been quite worried about her.

Gabriel continued, “You love the Lord very much, don’t you?”
“That’s right,” Vincent replied.

“He loves you very much, too,” Gabriel said. Then he added, “He is coming very, very soon.” He seemed to emphasize the “very soon.”

Vincent answered, “That’s great!”

Gabriel then asked, “Can I have a cup of water?”

Vincent said, “Sure,” and turned momentarily to get him the water. Then he decided to invite the stranger inside to drink from the water fountain. He turned back to invite him inside — but Gabriel was not there. He had suddenly and unexplainably vanished! Vincent had not turned his head for more than three seconds. There was no place for the stranger to have gone.

Puzzled, and not wanting to go back into the lab, Vincent laid the metal rod down by the front door and headed to his home outside of Chattanooga. When he came back to work later that morning, he wondered if he had dreamed the whole experience. As a scientist, he wanted to prove whether it had really happened. When he got to the building, he found the metal rod lying by the door just where he had left it. He knew he had not been dreaming. Upon entering the lab, the first thing he did was to lock himself in the rest room and kneel in prayer. “Show me what to do, Lord. I know what I remember. If I’m supposed to share it, I must believe it myself,” Vincent pleaded. He then sat down at his computer and recorded every word said and everything that had happened.

That night, March 26, 1993, in a dream Vincent relived the whole experience, seeing himself, and word for word hearing the whole conversation. He awoke at about 3:30 a.m. and wrote down every word in the dream and the description of the stranger. What he wrote from the dream confirmed every detail he had written earlier. Also, a week after the experience, he learned that his mother had received needed surgery and was recuperating nicely — and that the medical decision about her improved condition came a week earlier at about the very same hour as he was talking with Gabriel!

On July 29, 1993 I asked Vincent what effect this experience has had on him. He said he believes more strongly now that we should be ready every day for the Lord’s coming, and not worry about which day He will come. He said the experience has intensified his dedication, causing him to spend more devotional time than before, wanting to know more about God and be closer to Him. For some time, even before that experience, Vincent said he had been asking God, “Am I ready, right now?” Now, more meaningfully than ever, this writer is asking that same question.

Encounter # 3: Vincent’s second (confirmed)

I recently confirmed personally with Vincent that he has had another encounter, this time with an unnamed angel, on Thursday, December 23, 1993. Like the above, the following is an accurate record of exactly what happened and words exchanged.

Two Significant Prior Events. There are two events that have a bearing on this one. First, in July, 1993, Vincent had a dream. He saw himself standing at the door of a big room. He saw many candles, but not all of them were lit. He asked himself in the dream why the unlit candles. Then he heard a sad voice behind him saying, “If only all of them were lit.” He turned around but didn’t see anyone. A week later he had the exact same dream. Vincent shared the dreams in his Bible study and said he hoped someday the Lord would show him the meaning of the dreams.

Second, three months later in October, 1993 a stranded motorist waved Vincent down and asked him to jump start his car. Vincent stopped but did not have a cable. However, Vincent asked the man if he believed in God. The man asked what could God do. Vincent told him he believed that God could help in any situation such as this if we ask Him. So Vincent prayed out loud for God’s help. After he prayed Vincent noticed a coat hanger on the road.

Somehow, he figured out a way to break the coat hanger in two and use one part to connect the positive terminals and the other part to touch the two auto bodies together as ground. The man’s car started. He looked at Vincent and said, “You sure have a powerful God!” Vincent said, “I sure do. All we have to do is believe in Him.” The man said, “I’ll have to think about that,” and left. Two days later, Vincent got a jumper cable for his truck.

The December 23, 1993 Experience. Shortly after 11 p.m.,

December 23, 1993, Vincent was in his truck returning home from visiting a friend near Chattanooga. About four miles away from the friend’s home, he saw a truck alongside the road with its hood up and with an old man, estimated at about age 75, standing in front of it. Vincent was always wary of stopping for strangers, and believed one must really be led of the Lord in order to do so. He felt he should stop. He walked up to the man and asked if anything was wrong, to which the man replied that he a dead battery. Vincent asked if he could help in any way. The man asked that Vincent go get his jumper cable out of the truck. Vincent was surprised that he said this, as if knowing that Vincent had a jumper cable, especially since he had only recently obtained one. Vincent himself had forgotten that he had the cable, but when the old man told him about it he remembered. It was very dark and Vincent had to use his flashlight to see to connect his end of the cable. Then he turned around to discover that the man had already connected his end, even in the dark and with no flashlight. That seemed impossible, and startled Vincent.

Vincent said, “I need to do something first.” The man looked at him and said, “I did it already.” Vincent said, “Did what?” The man said, “I placed the bricks by your tires. That’s what you want, isn’t it?” The man had no way of knowing that Vincent had two bricks in his truck or that he wanted to block his tires with them because he didn’t trust his hand brake and because the gear would have to be in neutral to start the other truck. Vincent checked and discovered that the man had placed the bricks behind the exact same tires that Vincent wanted. At this point, Vincent was convinced that this was not a natural person. And after the experience in March, Vincent had decided that if the Lord ever gave him the privilege of another encounter with an angel, he had many questions he wanted to ask. But he had a sudden feeling come over him and some force caused his mouth to be kept shut. He was not able to say anything except to respond to whatever the old man wanted or said.

Vincent was now ready to start the truck, and the old man said, “Can we wait in your truck and have my truck charged up?”

Vincent agreed and they sat in his truck. The old man spoke first and said, “Can we pray? God can work miracles — even start a car with a coat hanger.” (The previous incident with the coat hanger job was a car and not a truck!) At this, Vincent said to himself that this stranger must be an angel!

The old man prayed: “Oh most holy and powerful God in heaven, we know you are coming very, very soon. Help us now in your own time and way. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.” Vincent said the man’s voice was so powerful and assuring that it sent chills through him. After the prayer the man asked Vincent, “Do you believe the Lord is coming soon?” Vincent said yes. Then the man said, “He is coming very, very soon, and we need to be ready now and always.” Then he said, “Can I use your Bible?” Vincent agreed, then without any word from Vincent the man reached into the glove compartment for the Bible, already knowing where it was located.

The man asked Vincent, “Do you read your Bible.?” Vincent replied that he tried to read it every day. The man said, “That’s very good. It’s unfortunate that many do not do that. Having Bible studies is like being in a big room with many candles that are lit.” Vincent knew he had God’s answer about his dreams six months earlier. The unlit candles meant many people were not spending time studying God’s Word! Now Vincent had absolutely no doubt that this was an angel.

It was very dark, but the man took Vincent’s King James Bible and, without searching, flipped immediately to the exact page, to Matthew, chapter 24. Then Vincent shined the flashlight on the page as the man read verse 36: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” He then jumped down to verse 42: “Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

Then again, as if knowing exactly where the page was, without searching he flipped to John, chapter 14, and read verses 1-3: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Then again, he amazingly flipped directly to Revelation 3, verse 11, and read: “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” With that, the man put the Bible back in the glove compartment. Vincent reflected that all three passages, and everything the man said, was about the Lord’s return.

After reading, the man put the Bible back and said, “The truck is ready.” He started the truck and Vincent said he would follow him for awhile to make sure everything was okay. The man said, “Thank you very much for your help. By the way, I left a small token for you. It will be enough to fill up your car tomorrow.” That was strange, because there was no way for the man to know that Vincent had a car in addition to his truck. Vincent followed him about a mile with the man’s tail lights clearly in view, then as they were going around a curve, he suddenly vanished from view. He and his truck just disappeared. Thinking his vision may have been obstructed by trees or something, Vincent even went back the next day during the daylight and retraced everything. There were no trees or anything obstructing his view. There was no human explanation. Also the next day, as he always does on Friday, Vincent took his car to the service station to fill up the tank with gasoline, so it would be full for the weekend. He had forgotten what the man had said about leaving a token “to fill up your car tomorrow.” Vincent put $2.32 worth of gas in his car, then tried to round it off to $2.35 or $2.40. But he could only get it up to $2.34 and it stopped. It just would not take more than exactly $2.34.

Vincent then left to visit a friend’s house, but remembered that he had left the friend’s Christmas gift in his truck, so he went back home. When home, Vincent decided to clean his truck a bit before leaving. While doing so, he found some money on the front seat, passenger’s side, underneath his glove. The money consisted of two one-dollar bills, a quarter, a nickel, and four pennies — exactly $2.34!”

Encounter # 4: Vincent’s third (confirmed)

Vincent had another amazing experience in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 13th 1998. He had been working late in his chemist job again to finish some urgent jobs. He left work at about 1 a.m. When he got outside, he suddenly realized that he had left his keys on his desk, but was not able to get back inside because of the automatic lock on the door. So now he could neither get back inside, nor drive his truck. He prayed that the Lord would unlock his truck, but nothing happened.

He walked across the street to a pay phone but discovered it had been vandalized. He remembered his cellular phone in his backpack and took it out. Vincent then realized he had left the battery at home to be recharged (an old model), and it could not work, of course, without a battery. Nevertheless, he prayed and asked the Lord to allow him to make one call. As soon as he prayed, he noticed the phone miraculously lighting up, and he called a friend to pick him up. The friend agreed to do so.

Vincent then sat down by a doorstep of the lab and waited. A little while later a police car drove up and stopped. The policeman asked, “What are you doing?”

“I’m waiting for a friend,” Vincent replied. He told the policeman his situation, about the prayer to open his truck, and the call to his friend.

The policeman replied, “Your friend isn’t coming.” He noticed Vincent’s Bible, and added, “That’s a good book to read.” Some conversation ensued in which Vincent disclosed his faith and his belief that the Lord is coming “very, very soon.”

The policeman replied, “I believe the Lord’s coming is very, very near too.”

At that very moment, a call came in over the policeman’s radio and he said he had to leave. Before he left, the policeman remarked to Vincent, “Why don’t you pray and ask the Lord to open the door to your lab?” Vincent said he watched him leave, while praying silently.

Vincent said, “I had barely finished praying when the lab door miraculously opened. I immediately stood up and turned around towards the door and noticed that someone had pushed the lock bar and opened it from the inside. I held on to the door and turned to look at the police car and noticed he was not to be seen, even though I had taken my eye off him for only a few seconds.”

Vincent got his keys and drove away in his truck. He drove by his friend’s home and noticed both their vehicles in their driveway. He assumed that they must have gone back to sleep, forgetting him.

Vincent said that he decided to go on home, “believing I may have actually spoken with an angel,” he said. The next day he checked with his friend whom he had called and who had promised to pick him up. The friend did not remember anything about the call!

Here we have: (1) a cell phone that miraculously works without a battery, (2) a mysteriously appearing and disappearing policeman who said “I believe the Lord’s coming is very, very near,” (3) the policeman knew in advance that the friend would not pick Vincent up, (4) after the policeman told him to pray, a door that miraculously opened from the inside even though no one was inside, (5) a friend promised to pick him up but neither he nor his wife remember the telephone call. The whole episode is no doubt supernatural.

Comments

Incident # 2 above about “Gabriel” motivated me to review references in the Bible to the angel Gabriel. By name, Gabriel appeared to three people. The first was to the prophet Daniel in about 550 B.C. He gave Daniel a vision of the future, including the timing of Christ’s first coming. And similar to the message to Vincent, he said to Daniel, “You are greatly beloved.” Later, as recorded in Luke, he appeared to Zechariah, saying these awesome words, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God,” as he announced the birth of John the Baptist; then shortly thereafter he appeared to the virgin Mary to announce the birth of Christ. Gabriel’s main function in both Old and New Testaments seems to be in connection with announcing the coming of the Son of God to the world.

Angels who appear as humans are not without biblical precedent. For example, two angels came to Sodom to warn Lot before they destroyed the city (Genesis 19). They visited Lot’s home, ate with him, and even spent the night! They appeared as such “real people” that Sodom’s homosexuals tried to accost them and have sex with them, but the angels struck them blind. The next day, because of its blatant wickedness, God destroyed the city by fire.

Encounter # 5: Vincent’s fourth (confirmed):

God makes a telephone call — literally!

This may or may not have involved an angel. What is described below could have been either the sovereign hand of God Himself or an angel. However, we do know that God does uses angels to carry out His work so my guess is that an angel was involved. Also, the below incident does not involve prophecy but I am including it because the supernatural nature of it affirms the other prophetic experieces had by Vincent Tan described above.

On Saturday, April 6, 1996, Vincent was awakened at 4:30 a.m. with a burden to pray. He slipped to his knees beside his bed for a few moments, after which he returned to bed and to sleep. He arose later, and at 7 a.m. began his morning prayer time. At 7:30, as he was still praying, the telephone rang. So as not to be disturbed, he decided to let the answering machine take the call.

For some strange reason, the answering machine refused to take the call. The telephone kept ringing, as though demanding to be picked up! Vincent discovered that the answering machine was, indeed, on, but that it was not taking the call. He decided to go ahead and answer it. He also noted that, oddly, his Caller I.D. failed to show the number of the caller.

“Hello,” Vincent said. Surprisingly, the other party also said,

“Hello.” Again, Vincent said, “Hello.” Again, the lady on the other end said, “Hello.” Vincent asked, “Do you want to speak to me?”

The lady said, “No.”

Vincent then asked, “Then why did you call me?” The lady said, “I didn’t call you.” Vincent explained that his phone rang and he had answered it. The lady said the same thing happened to her-that her phone rang and she had answered it. Vincent told her his name, and she said her name was Doris, and that she was in Iowa. They both concluded that somehow their lines must have become crossed, causing this freak mishap.

(God had caused two distant telephones-one in Tennessee, and one in Iowa-to ring each other simultaneously, and for the loving and Divine purpose explained below.)

But in another surprise, Doris asked, “Are you the same Vincent who had an experience with an angel?” Vincent said yes. She explained that she and her mother had read about Vincent’s story about a year ago in an article I had written. Doris went on to say that six months ago, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and only given six months to live. She said that every day for the past six months her mother had prayed that she would be able to meet or speak with Vincent before she died. In her prayers about this, she had claimed the promises of Jeremiah 32:27, which says, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” and Jeremiah 33:3: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” A few years ago, Vincent had also claimed these same promises.

Doris explained that her mother was near death, and how that very morning, at 3:30 a.m., Iowa time (the exact same as Vincent’s prayer at 4:30 a.m., Eastern Time) she was awake and felt led to seek the Lord and remind Him of her mother’s request. She asked if Vincent would speak with her mother, to which Vincent agreed.

(As an answer to this dying mother’s fervent, daily prayers, God had miraculously allowed her to speak with Vincent!)

Her mother was bed-ridden, so Doris decided to put Vincent on the speaker-phone, which took a few moments to set up. Finally, after waiting, Vincent heard the mother’s weak but audible voice. The mother thanked Vincent for talking with her, and then asked if he would please personally repeat for her his angel experiences. Vincent patiently took about the next 45 minutes describing to her the incidents in detail. At the end of his description, Vincent heard the mother say weakly, “Praise the Lord. Amen.”

This was followed by silence. All was strangely quiet. Vincent waited, thinking that Doris was taking him off the speaker. After a few moments, Doris broke the silence and came back on the regular telephone. “Praise the Lord,” she said. “My mother just died.”

Vincent now says, “I was so overwhelmed with mixed emotions. I did not know whether to be happy or sad.” He says he decided to say goodbye so that Doris could be with her mother. In the shock and emotion of the moment, Vincent didn’t think to get Doris’ telephone number for follow up. But he says, “I know that the Lord has His reasons for us not getting each other’s numbers. Why He would not let her number flash on my (Caller I.D.) screen is still a mystery. Yet I am amazed at His miraculous action in ringing both our phones at the same time. As I ponder over the event, I am grateful to the Lord for His loving kindness. It just encouraged my faith to trust Him even more, knowing that in the fullness of His time, He will answer our prayers.”

Vincent added the following, a message I believe not just for me, but for all who read this:

“I hope that this will be an encouragement to you as it has been to me. I know that we will see Doris’ mother in heaven when we all will be able to know the answers to our questions. The Lord is coming very, very soon. As we near the final hours, I know that His presence is even evermore with us now….May the Lord continue to bless you….Let us be ready now, for His coming is very, very near.”

Encounter # 6: Mother hears voice — same message (confirmed)

More recently, while perhaps not involving angel, on December 30, 1999, a mother in Maryland, Beth, told me an amazing and confirming testimony. She said, “I would like to share with you an occurrence that happened on December 10, 1999 in the a.m. My 8-year-old was at school and my husband was at work…. I had my 6-month-old son in his swing in front of the television watching Sesame Street. What caught my attention was that the television made the ‘shhhh’ sound. I turned to look and the screen was snowy as expected with that noise. It’s what happened next. The television completely cut off. My child was asleep. No sooner did I think, ‘Oh, the cable must have cut off,’ did I hear a voice. It said, ‘The lord is coming very, very soon.’ I was dumfounded, and then the TV came back to normal and Sesame Street continued.”

She went on to describe her reactions and adds that it was three days later on December 13th that she came across my article about Vincent’s angel encounters with the exact same message.

“Needless to say,” she concludes, “the messages that your witnesses received were exactly as my message was. I was very shaken…. I wonder why He chose me to relay this message.”

Encounter # 7: Angels discovered singing end-time song
in rural Chinese worship service! (confirmed)

This is a totally different kind of angel incident, but with a similar message and no less powerful. In May, 1995 I received this most electrifying report from a friend who has been a missionary to China for several years. To protect him and his contacts in China, I must not reveal his name. But for you to better understand his credibility, let me explain that I have known him for many years. He is a graduate of a prestigious theological seminary and is a former pastor. My friend is an intelligent and balanced servant of God. He is not given to sensationalism. The following is a summary of his recent report to me.

The whole province of Shandong, in eastern China (population: 57 million), is in the midst of a sweeping revival. For fear of arrest, believers meet secretly in house churches, often by candlelight. At a 1995 meeting in Shandong, everyone was singing “in the Spirit” together (1 Corinthians 14:15), not in their own language, but “as the Spirit gave them utterance,” all in harmony but all singing different words. Someone audiotaped the meeting. Later, when they played back the cassette, they were shocked! What they heard was not what had happened there at all — but the sound of angels singing in Mandarin — a song they had never heard before, and with a musical accompaniment that had not been there!!! When my friend first heard the tape, before anyone told him what it was, he exclaimed, “Those are angels!!” Actually, there was no other explanation. A Chinese Christian co-worker translated the tape. Below are the actual words sung by the angels! Note that the words express ideas with which these rural Chinese peasants were not familiar. (Original Chinese version follows).

“The End is Near: Rescue Souls”

The famine is becoming more and more critical.
There are more and more earthquakes.
The situation is becoming more and more sinister.
People are fighting against each other, nation against nation.
Disasters are more and more severe.

The whole environment is deteriorating.
Disasters are more and more severe.
People’s hearts are wicked, and they do not worship the true God.
Disasters are more and more severe.

Floods and droughts are more and more frequent.
There is more and more homosexuality and incurable diseases.
Disasters are more and more severe.

The climates are becoming more and more abnormal.
The earth is more and more restless.
The skies have been broken. The atmosphere is distorted.
Disasters are more and more severe.

Chorus:

The end is near. The revelation of love has been manifested.
Rise up, rise up, rescue souls.
The end is near.
Rise up, rise up, rescue souls.

The below was translated by two native Chinese Christians in Beijing who have personal knowledge of the church and the pastor where the incident happened:

chinese

Conclusion

While we may never know the day or hour of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, Scriptures do clearly indicate that seekers will at least know approximately. And there is overwhelming evidence that the return of the Lord will be soon. According to the four of the encounters and testimonies above, it will be “very, very soon.”

Readers are permitted and encouraged to copy and share this article freely with others. May the special presence and peace of the Holy Spirit rest upon each person who reads this article, and may God’s angels be with you and watch over you at all times according to Psalms 34:7 and 91:11.

, , ,

No Comments

Moral Law Nailed To the Cross?

Distinction Between Two Laws

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. – Colossians 2:14-17

Many use this text to try and prove that the moral law was nailed to the cross.

Some Christians sincerely believe that the whole law, including the Sabbath, came to an end with Jesus’ death.

Is there danger in this belief? “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:19

Which of these two are you?Note: Just because you are called “the least in the kingdom of heaven” doesn’t mean you will be in heaven!

When in doubt we should ask, “what did Jesus do?

Please pray for guidance from God to understand this study.

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16:12-15

Should we do away with the Old Testament? “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Jesus quoted from the Old Testament often: “And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” Deuteronomy 8:3

These people that believe the whole law (including God’s 10 Commandments) were nailed to the cross always point to the widely misunderstood verses in Colossians 2 as evidence: “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; … Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come” (verses 14, 16, 17).

Hebrews 9 speaks of the ‘shadows’ which were imposed only till the time of reformation – Till Christ came.

“Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.”Hebrews 9:10

Grouping the moral law and the ceremonial law together is not God’s intention. Getting rid of the moral law is a reckless and dangerous thing to do. The first four commandments define our responsibility to our Creator. The last six are the foundation of all human civil law. If the moral law were rescinded, there would be no safe place on earth for anyone.

Speaking of the moral law Paul says, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified” (Romans 2:13). He also adds, “The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (7:12).

So what do the verses in Colossians mean? There are two primary laws taught in Scripture: the moral law of the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial law contained in ordinances. One was written by God’s finger on stone and the other by the hand of Moses on parchment.

Notice how Deuteronomy 4 distinguishes between the two:

Moral Law: “And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone” (Deuteronomy 4:13).

Ceremonial Law: “And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it” (Deuteronomy 4:14).

Colossians 2:14 tells us that the law that was nailed to the cross was the “handwriting of ordinances,” not the finger writing. And which law was that? “They will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses” (2 Chronicles 33:8, emphasis added).There is a clear distinction that the laws are separate!

The law nailed to the cross in Colossians 2 was written on paper and “against us.” (Plus, it is very difficult to nail stone tablets to anything.)

“Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee” (Deuteronomy 31:26, emphasis added).

The Ten Commandment law, written by the finger of God on tablets of stone, was inside the ark; the ceremonial law, written by the hand of Moses, was placed in a pocket on the side of the ark.

So we can see that Colossians 2 is speaking of the ceremonial laws and annual sabbaths (feasts) that were nailed to the cross. That’s why when Jesus died, the veil in the temple was torn (Matthew 27:51).

Annual sabbaths (feast days) are not the weekly Sabbath of the (4th Commandment)

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” Hebrews 10:1

Sadly, most of the Jewish nation was so engrossed in types and shadows that they failed to see the fulfillment of those Messianic symbols in Jesus. Even the Christian church had a hard time separating the shadow and the reality.

Some Jewish Christians required all the Gentile converts to observe all the Jewish ceremonies that pointed to the Messiah. Somehow they didn’t yet see the big picture-that the coming of the Messiah had done away with the need for those types and shadows. This is why the Apostle Paul exhorts the Colossian Christians to not allow anyone to judge them in respect of the sabbath days (annual feasts), “which are a shadow of things to come” (Colossians 2:17).

” He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” 1 John 2:6

An inspired writer wrote:

Those who follow Christ will deny self, take up the cross, and walk in His footsteps. Following Christ means obedience to all His commandments. No soldier can be said to follow his commander unless he obeys orders. Christ is our model. To copy Jesus, full of love and tenderness and compassion, will require that we draw near to Him daily. O how God has been dishonored by His professed representatives (Letter 31a, 1894)!  {7BC 949.3}

, , , , , , , , ,

8 Comments