Category Archives: Watching

What You Will See, and What You Will Hear! Isaiah 18. And Yes! WE Will ALL Be There!

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Even those who crucified Him, Rev 1:7.

Some think that if we do not know the date and hour of Jesus Coming (which we don’t!), that means there will be no signs of Jesus Second Coming.

This is a Fallacy.

There are many things of which we may not know the day or hour, yet there will be signs of these things being about to happen. You may not know the day or the hour that snow will next fall where you live, HOWEVER, there will signs of snow approaching. Freezing temperatures. Snowy looking clouds.

There are many things we do not or cannot know, but there will be signs of Jesus approaching coming (Lk 21:25-28), and we are to be “Watching,” Mk 13:37 KJV.

An audio lesson:

Listen to this lesson here, or click on the player to download as a podcast.

To try to unravel the book of Revelation without the Old Testament prophets, is something which I do not think can be done. The book Revealing the Christian Age, tries to tie together many of the main links. Available from your bookseller.

Prophecy, Knowing Changes Behavior, 6 of 15, The Home Owner

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In the context of of knowing about when Jesus the Christ will come again, Jesus tells all of us,

“But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.”
Mtt 24:43

In this case we are indeed the homeowner, knowing things will happen but not knowing when. There are great many things that are unknown to us. There are for sure things which we are not told.

“The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
Deut 29:29

What is revealed to us in prophecy is for the purpose of our being able to act as we should, respond to coming events in intelligent and responsible ways.

Our Master, Our God, Yahweh Lord of Hosts
is the absolute Master of all !

Additionally, we are told His grand plans, so that we can act in line with them … if we will. We are not just slaves in the house, but we friends, and were born to rule with Him

“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for EVERYTHING that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.”
Jn 15:15 nf

And the Greeks word used here is “slave” (doulos), not just one of the many words for a servant. We should remember that we are dealing with recurring patterns of actions and reactions during the Christian age. Mystery Babylon the Great is described in Revelation and in the prophets as a religio-commercial entity which dominates the governments. It is implied (but not clearly stated), that she is already in existence during the first century of our age. Still, it is clear that she only reaches the height of her power toward the end of our age, and that she is fully active until very near the end of the Christian age (see Revelation chapters 17 and 18).

Similarly, the “mystery of lawlessness already works,” in the very first century of our age, 2Thes 2:7. These mysteries are to some extent restrained during most of our age, so that they “may be revealed” at the right time, 2Thes 2:6.

So these allied but opposing mystery religions have been seeking for over two thousand years to set in place their ultimate “fixes,” but with failure after failure, despite their seeming dominance in history. We do not know which of the cycles and events will produce the results which are prophesied. We are merely told what to look for.

Prophecy is NOT an optional extra. Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter. Or to put another way,

“Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:”
Lk 24:25 KJV

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

nf is my own translation based on the WEB.

Prophecy, Knowing Changes Behavior, 4 of 15, The Weather

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It commonly true that whatever our expectations are of the future, will have a tendency to alter our behavior. An everyday example is the weather. If we think it might snow today, we will probably dress differently. Most of us will not be wearing Bermuda shorts or tank tops. It might mean we will take a coat along, and maybe a hat and some gloves.

On the other hand, if we are expecting 90 degree Fahrenheit temperatures today, coats and insulated pants will not probably come to mind, and few or none will make a point to drag them along wherever we are going. Expectations of what we think will happen commonly changes behavior.

Prophecy is INTENDED to change behavior.

It should never be considered as anything less than something intended to change expectations and thus behavior, so that we maybe better prepared for those things which are to come.

Micah chapter one has a dramatic description of
the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

“2 Hear, you peoples, all of you.
Listen, O earth, and all that is therein:
And let the Lord Yahweh be witness against you,
The Lord from his holy temple.
3 For, behold, Yahweh comes forth out of his place,
And will come down and tread on the high places of the earth.
4 The mountains melt under him,
And the valleys split apart,
Like wax before the fire,
Like waters that are poured down a steep place.”
Mic 1:2-4

Listen O earth it says. God is coming from His Holy temple to tread on the mountains of the earth, and the mountains and valley’s will melt like wax. God is coming to witness against us it says. But then comes the next verse, relating all of this to the sins of Jerusalem and Samaria in the 8th century BC.

“All this is for the disobedience of Jacob,
And for the sins of the house of Israel.
What is the disobedience of Jacob?
Isn’t it Samaria?
And what are the high places of Judah?
Aren’t they Jerusalem?”
Mic 1:5

Ho! Ho! Ho! says the scoffing scholar.

What does this have to do with Judah and Israel of the 8th century BC? They would say this is merely metaphorical language expressing the Yahweh’s displeasure at their sins, and it symbolic of the desolations which will come down on them for their wrongs in the 8th century BC, so many would say.

Still, IF God was indeed personally coming from heaven to face men with their sins, and cause the mountains to melt, and MAKE MEN TO FACE THEIR SINS …?

That SHOULD change behavior!

Would it not?

And the men of Judah and Samaria WILL BE THERE
on that day, as will you and me!

Judah and Samaria’s sins did produce evil results in their days, as our sins also do today, and tomorrow and the next day. We will ALL be there somewhere on great and terrible day of the Lord, when the days of this present amnesty is over.

Further that should, and it is meant to, alter our behavior, our ethics.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Watching Changes Behavior: Persecution

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Many are caught unawares by persecution
and behave badly

Jesus knew how Peter would act, and told him it was coming.

“Jesus said to him, “Most assuredly I tell you that tonight, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.””
Mtt 26:34 WEB

It is an advantage to know it is coming. You can think, practice in your mind how you will act, you can “prepare your minds for action,” 1Pe 1:13 WEB. But if it hits you all of sudden, you may be so surprised that you will not act in any sensible manner.

Peter clearly did not know himself very well, didn’t really believe what Jesus said would happen, and so was caught unaware, and reacted poorly.

Jesus was going to show Paul “how many things he
must suffer for my name.” Acts 9:16 WEB

Surely that was a great advantage to Paul in steeling in his mind for what was to be. Similarly, the church at Smyrna was given warning.

“… Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life. ”
Rev 2:10 WEB

It is good to have warning, and to then pay attention to the warning.

The Storm Clouds of trouble normally give
signs of coming

There were plenty of signs of trouble in a German politician by the name of Adolf Hitler. Despite being financed by German and British and American financiers, most should have known better, and many did. Some listened and read and watched what was going on, and took appropriate warning, and fled in time. Many though, both Christian and Jews, were not watching as they should have been, and were trapped into bad circumstances that they were unprepared to resist or avoid or cope with.

It is a great advantage that American churches
have been given warning

American’s have been living in a fairly land that does not really exist. They have been foolishly ignorant and misinformed as to the anti-Christian nature of their “establishment,” their media, and many of their corporations and leaders and organizations. The true nature of much of Western “Liberalism” is being revealed and much of it is neither pretty or liberal.

Only a few years ago perhaps most American’s did not believe that persecution could “really happen here.” Now those illusions are being stripped away.

These things are are to our advantage if … we will learn our lessons and watch.

“We must through much tribulation enter the
kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22 KJV

This is still true, and always has been. The world is still not our friend, and it never really has been, 1Jn 2:15-17.

“Behold, I have told you beforehand.” Mtt 24:25 WEB

Jesus did tell us in advance, of the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, of the end of this present universe, of persecution, and of this present world. If we will watch, that information can be used to our advantage.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Watching Changes Behavior: False Christs

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Jesus said there will be many false christs

“For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray.”
Mtt 24:5 WEB

Some religious people act, almost as if there is no such thing as a “false christ” or an “antichrist,” when Jesus says plainly that “many will come … saying, ‘I am the Christ.’” In fact, anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ is an antichrist, 1Jn 2:22. Would not any false christ be an “antichrist,” no matter how you define the term, and Jesus does say that there will be many.

Some of these are locals of hidden origin, who soon fade away. Others have longer runs, but none to date have reached the scope of the “beast” described in Revelation 13, who “overcomes” the church, and has authority all who live on this earth, Rev 13:7. Rome NEVER “overcame” the church! Instead the church conquered the mighty Roman empire as prophesied in Dan 2:44, and many other passages, and as happened in history.

False christs are not just “end of the age” things

Many have claimed the “true” son of David. See “Lab Work ” in Prophecy Principles.

My first volume, Prophecy Principles, points that most of European royalty has been for centuries discreetly claiming to be descendants of Jesus Christ through Mary Magdalene! Some of them have also made claims as if they were the “current” “living Christ,” and examples are given in Prophecy Principles. This sure casts a new light on the phrase, “the divine right of kings.” This is not just about a few occult weirdos, even as Jesus also makes clear.

Christ’s Kingdom is NOT of this world!

This is a key point if you are to keep your bearings among the many outrageous claims which are often made.

“Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my kingdom is not from here.””
Jn 18:36 WEB.

Rather, it is of the world to come, the new heavens and new earth: heaven. But the false christs are seeking a kingdom in this world. Further, never loose sight of the fact that,

Jesus will never actually be on earth again!

We will meet Him in the air.

“16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, … The dead in Christ will rise first, 17 then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord FOREVER.”
1Thes 4:16-17 WEB emphasis added

You may or may not like these verses, but they not vague. Don’t believe it if they say the Christ is here or there, Mtt 24:23.

“If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner chambers,’ don’t believe it.”
Mtt 24:26 WEB

“What I tell you, I tell all: Watch.” Mk 13:37 KJV

Watching changes behavior. You look at events differently. It changes how you act. To not be watching is the caught unawares …

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Watching Changes Behavior: False Prophets

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There WILL BE many false prophets

“But there also arose false prophets among the people, as among you also there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.”
2Pe 2:1 WEB

Jesus gave us warnings also.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.”
Mtt 7:15 WEB

Some of the false prophets to come will be
incredibly convincing.

Some of the past false prophets and christs of the Christian Age are discussed in detail in Prophecy Principles in the section on “Lab Work.”

Clearly one will come very close to the very end of our age, “whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,” 2Thes 2:9 WEB. Also one is called “the false prophet,” Rev 16:13. He is evidently the same one of whom it says “He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.” Rev 13:11 WEB. Of this special false prophet it says,

“He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people.”
Rev 13:13 WEB

Some of these will be so convincing they will almost be able to convince those who are chosen of God.

“For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.”
Mtt 24:24 WEB

Yes, some will be dramatically convincing, but it doesn’t seem to speak of such things as a “just at the end” thing, but rather as an age long thing. So this is about things any of us might run into at any point in the Christian Age.

There have been and ARE many false prophets

You see them all along in history, making claims as spokesmen for the Most High God Himself, but teaching things contrary to that which God has already said. At times they have absolutely ruined the church of our Lord in various locales and countries. Sometimes claiming inspiration they have raised arms and money but have been swiftly suppressed. At other times they have been able to command the financing to become world class conquerers, suppressing all opposition wherever they have gone, wiping out the church of our Lord in some places, and leaving the church to lead a hobbled existence for centuries in other places. These are not minor things in history, nor have they been small influences where they have touched the church of Lord.

How do you steel yourself for overwhelming
tests of faith?

How do you make sure you are not among the deceived? How do you cope with attempts to drag you into evil schemes? Running away from overwhelming odds is acceptable.

“But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next …”
Mtt 10:23 WEB

But even going to town requires gas and money. To flee to another country requires some forethought and preparation, or … you will trapped where you are.

“What I tell you, I tell all: Watch.” Mk 13:37 KJV

KJV is the King James Version, 1611

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Watching Changes Behavior: Testing

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It is definitely true that if we know we are being tested, we tend to do better. Sometimes we are lax or not even thinking about whether we are doing wrong or not. This is especially when we do not think of our encounters in life as tests, or even, heaven forbid, seductions to doing what is wrong.

The First Test, the Temptation in the Garden,

was a disaster for our race. This in the context of being in immediate fellowship with God. The first offender, the woman, knew what correct behavior was, and repeated that to the serpent, and still listened to the misleading explanations of the serpent. When they are first faced with their sin, the woman already knows and says straightforwardly, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Paul tells us,

“… Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”
1Tim 2:14 KJV

But the man, though seeing the deception, did not actually do any better, all of which had disastrous consequences for the entire world. Often it is that we, like them, do not truly realize the consequences of our actions.

Temptation, seduction, comes when the potential offense
is something we might enjoy.

Clearly God tests us. Also clearly from James, God does not tempt us, to try to seduce us into evil.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
Jas 1:13 WEB

So where is the key?

“But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.”
Jas 1:14 WEB

So it is, as the old joke says, “I can resist anything … anything at all … except temptation!” The truth is that we as humans, often do not do well under temptation/testing. How can we turn this bad record around?

Watching would be part of the key to doing better.

“Take heed,” “be careful,” “watch,” are all parts of the same ideas. Even if you think you are doing better than in the past, it may not help.

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.”
1Cor 10:12 WEB

Yes it is true, the temptations which we face are not unique, but are common to all men, and God does protect His own, 1Cor 10:13. Still,

Jesus said to make it a one-two defense.

“Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Mtt 26:41 WEB

This implies that we may need help beyond our individual capacities, if we are to overcome. We need both awareness of our situations, and to pray to the Father for assistance lest we be overcome! Jesus says to ask for protection. “Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Mtt 6:13 WEB

Watching changes our behavior, our reactions, and
can help protect us from what we cannot avoid.

KJV is the King James Version, 1611

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Watching Changes Behavior: Be Alert

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Watching is an important thing in the Christian life, and there are many things to watch out for.

It is sometimes called different things

Some translations may say to watch. Other may say to pay attention, or to take heed, or be careful. There are many things to be careful about. The Israelites of Moses day were warned,

“Be careful, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be for a snare in the midst of you: ”
Ex 34:12 WEB

The Canaanites of ancient times had been especially embroiled in many harmful and irresponsible religious practices, dangerous religious practices. Something to watch out for.

Images as something of which to beware

Now images of things can be very helpful in life generally. It can help to identify a certain person by looking at a drawing or photo of the person. Images can be very helpful in doing things. Thus we have the success of how-to videos on internet, and so on.

Images, reenactments of historical events in movies and plays, on the other hand, can often cause simplistic views of past events. Simplistic views that can mislead or even be out-and-out false. So often the views of movies cause us to see past events in false ways that mislead us, and cause us then to have false views of the present. Professional propagandists in our media and movies know this, and often work hard to distort our views of the past so as to help the aims of the paymasters in the establishment of our nations. Lies, deceptions, half-truths, fake news.

And images of God? … or of Jesus?

The Jews were warned of these thing,

“Take therefore good heed to yourselves; for you saw no manner of form on the day that Yahweh spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire.”
Deut 4:15 WEB

We do not know what God looks like. False images can give false ideas. So they were further warned.

“You shall NOT make for yourselves an idol, NOR ANY IMAGE OF ANYTHING that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them,”
Ex 20:4 WEB emphasis added

We are warned that such things can lead us astray. Don’t do these things!

And we don’t know what Jesus looked like

There are no physical descriptions of Jesus. Short, tall, long hair, short hair? We don’t know. We know much about his life, from various first century reporters, but His appearance? The closest clues are from the prophet Isaiah, some six centuries earlier.

“Like as many were astonished at you (his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men),”
Isa 52:14 WEB

And again,

“… he has no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
Isa 53:2 WEB

And it will change YOU if you watch out for these things.

WEB is the World English Bible, a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Watching Changes Behavior: Growing up

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Watching, being alert, looking out for various things, can and will change our behavior. It can change in good ways, helpful ways, IF we are watching for the right things.

Basketball

Now young men just starting to play a little basketball are not always as focused as they should be. They are still learning, so they have learned to look all around them, trying to see what is going on. That is a good thing within limits, but the down side is that they may be aimlessly looking around, not paying attention to anything in particular, sort of droopy acting, gazing here, gazing there. Perhaps the key word here is “aimlessly.” In other words, they may be looking around, but not in any focused in any way, not with any particular purpose.

That of course is bad for trying to play a good game of basketball. Yes in basketball they need to be looking around, but not aimlessly, and not at just at anything or everything. They need to be focused on what they are trying to do: play a game of basketball.

Even now I can hear the coaches yelling out, “Heads up, boys! Heads up!” Meaning that they should be watching the game and who is going where, and who has the ball. Just at that moment a young man is hit in the side of the head by a ball that he should have caught! He was distracted. He should have been paying attention to what he was doing!

“Heads up, boys! Heads up!”

Danger: Looking out for cars

Of course cars can be very dangerous, even to pedestrians, or we might even say, especially to pedestrians. There is no anchor, no seat belt for the pedestrian. There is no crash cage designed to take part of the impact if you are hit by something. The pedestrian does wear any instantly inflating air bags to cushion the blow of a collision with a bigger object. Even adults are all along killed by getting hit by cars or trucks. Sometimes it is the automobile drivers who are at fault. Sometimes they are driving too fast or without enough concern for those around.

On the other hand, often it is the fault of the pedestrian, and at times they may simply not be acting in a watchful manner for the dangers which may be coming near them. Or they forget, perhaps merely for a moment, where they are, and what might be coming near them, and they in an instant reverse direction, and walk right into the path of a coming car.

To train children to be watchful when they are crossing a street is an important function. Really in many ways it is a training issue. It is has to be an automatic response: looking both ways before crossing a street.

A car does NOT have to be coming for Watching
to be a GOOD habit.

It is a good habit period. You may think no car can be coming, but be thinking wrong. It is always good to be watchful, looking for possible dangers.