Category Archives: Sin, Entropy, Pollution

The Revelation of Isaiah, Isaiah 24, Part 4 of 5

Posted on by
Reply

God has many ways to make our sins come down on our own ears. One those, which is prominently addressed in Isaiah 24 is the land, the earth, being cursed because of our sins, which of course has been the case from the first.

Of course another way that God sometimes uses to bring the fruits of our sins down on us is of war. Both the gospels of Matthew and Luke make it clear that Jerusalem will be destroyed because of the sins of the Jewish nation in rejecting their own Messiah, Jesus the Christ.

But the gospel discussions of the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD also kind of slides into a discussion of the end of the world. Many seem to miss the point, but it seems that the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD is also symbolic of the way it will be at the end of this present world.

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

Of course these are terrible things that have happened to the Jews, even though significant numbers have been converted to Christ down through the Christian age.

In the end there will be a complete turnaround of the Jews. Jeremiah pictures a day when,

“At the same time, saith the LORD, will I be the God of ALL the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.” Jer 31:1

Of course, that day has not happened YET! It will only happen after a time of severe stress for both Christians and Jews, and of that day it says.

“Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.” Jer 31:2.

This is not about a so-called millennial kingdom, but rather of the time when a very stubborn people at last turn to their own Messiah, and bring about a complete world turnaround for the church of Jesus of Nazareth the Christ of God. Then will be fulfilled what it says in Dan 2:35, that the church/kingdom will “fill the whole earth.”

The full story, of both how the Jews got side tracked, and how at last they will be turned around, is told in my third book, Jewish Chronicles. Available from your book seller.

The Revelation of Isaiah, Isaiah 24, Part 2 of 5

Posted on by
Reply

Many view carbon or carbon dioxide, or “fossil fuels” as the greatest threats to our environment, things demanding immediate action, and a complete turnaround in how mankind thinks and works.

In truth, the greatest threats to our environment are spiritual, not chemical.

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

In truth the outlines of our age are much different than what is presented in our propaganda mills.

My second book, Revealing the Christian Age, gives an overview of the book of Revelation, and the tools you need for further study. It is available from your book seller.

The Revelation of Isaiah, Isaiah 24, 1 of 5

Posted on by
Reply

Isaiah 24 is called by many “The Apocalypse of Isaiah.” Apocalypse refers to “Apocalupsis” the Greek title of the New Testament Book of Revelation.

In truth, Isaiah 24 does overlap the book of Revelation and other prophecies of the end of this universe.

Isaiah 24 starts off by talking the earth, the entire world, being ruined by its inhabitats.

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

It is true that mankind’s sins have always affected our environment.

Many do not know how to approach and intelligently read and understand Bible prophecy. It is a specialized type of literature. My first book, Prophecy Principles, gives the background we need to understand Bible prophecy, and gives an overview of some of the main themes of Bible prophecy. See the details on the books tab, and order from your bookseller.

Prophecy, Knowing Changes Behavior, 14 of 15, Troubles in the World

Posted on by
Reply

We live in a world of death and decay.

It has come to dominate our world because of sin. In physics it is described as the second law of Thermodynamics, which is that, as a we all know, things run down.

It can be troubles of all sorts

It can be national troubles when things fall apart. It can be an environment which falls apart, or weather disasters in a fragile climate. God does says He uses such things to work His will.

“10 By the breath of God, ice is given,
And the breadth of the waters is frozen.
11 Yes, he loads the thick cloud with moisture.
He spreads abroad the cloud of his lightning.
12 It is turned round about by his guidance,
That they may do whatever he commands them
On the surface of the habitable world,
13 Whether it is for correction, or for his land,
Or for loving kindness, that he causes it to come.”
Job 37:10-13

These are parts of how God works His will.

“For by these he judges the people.
He gives food in abundance. ”
Job 36:31

Or at other times it may be a fragile social and economic situation. It can be trouble brought on us because of the sins of others, as Aachan’s sins brought trouble on ancient Israel.

“Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? Yahweh shall trouble you this day. All Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.”
Josh. 7:25

This was the sins of a single family, but sometimes it can be the sins of a national leader that brings trouble on all.

Paul says all of this is temporary, and that one day
all of this will change.

Paul says that none of these problems are worth comparing with the new universe which is coming, in which righteousness lives.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.”
Rom 8:18

He goes on to say that creation itself waits for us to be revealed in our new roles, Rom 8:19. He describes this running down, falling apart characteristic of our sinful present universe, as the creation being “subjected to vanity,” that is, being subjected to futility, uselessness, worthlessness, Rom 8:20. It will not always be this way.

“that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.”
Rom 8:21

We are in the birthing of a new and glorious age, separated from sin and death. There is coming a day when God says, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Rev 21:5b

All of this is of course prophetic.

None of this has happened yet. If we believe this we will “hang in there,” looking forward to the, “new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.” 2Pe 3:13.

Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter.

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

Prophecy, Knowing Changes Behavior, 10 of 15, Repent or Perish

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes bad things happen to people

Sometimes disasters are very directly related to our sins. Lying can very often directly lead to troubles for us. Immoral sex quite often leads to direct problems for us. Paul says of such things,

“Flee sexual immorality! “Every sin that a man does is outside the body,” but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”
1Cor 6:18

Sometimes it is so direct that we have sexually transmitted diseases from our sins, and we are in direct agony from our sins. At other times it is more indirect, but it is still there, in the form of troubles with our sexual partners, or destroyed homes, of the fathering of children who bear part of the curse of our sins, even as it is with all sin. Or even further, possible damage to our own genome, so that years later we have premature aging and health problems that no one can heal.

Sometimes it brings disasters that even kill us,
or cause our death.

King Ahab clearly comes to an early death in battle, because of his many sins. This death was by the direction of the Lord, as told in 1Kings 22. On a more personal level we see the story of one of Judah’s sons, a man by the name of Er. Simple statements are made, without explanation of where or how.

“Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him.”
Gen 38:7

Such things happen all the time. We often hear it on the evening news.

Even so, not all calamities are because of our sins.

Jesus is an example, and Job is another example, and there are many others we can see both in life and in Scripture.

Also Jesus tells us another part of the story.

Some men came to Jesus telling stories of men dying in horrible and disastrous ways.

“Now there were some present at the same time who told him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.”
Lk 13:1

Many might assume they were worse sinners than others, and that is why they died. It is true that God sometimes takes men early because of their sins, as is documented time after time in Scripture. However, Jesus says that not all calamities are because of our sins.

“Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things?”
Lk 13:2

Jesus gave another example, then Jesus tells us,

“I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way.”
Lk 13:3

Unless we repent? Perish in the same way? What does that mean? I guess it means we will all die a violent death unless we repent?

Notice that this is a prophecy

Jesus is forecasting what “will” happen. If we believe this prophecy, it will indeed provide powerful motivation to repent, and be reconciled to God. Prophecy is never a neutral informational matter. Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter, and indeed an eternal matter.

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

The Kingdom of Glory: One Nation, Under God, in Heaven, Forever. 15 of 15

Posted on by
Reply

A real people, in a very real and perfect and enduring place.

It was said of Abraham and the ancient fathers,

“But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. …”
Heb 11:16

A real country, from a new creation; untainted by sin and death and decay. A heavenly country. It is described in this way.

“1 I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. 2 I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband.”
Rev 21

Further, as we know more about the material world and its components, the more obvious it is how vulnerable it is.

We are just a vapor.

Many misquote the second apostle James to say that we are like a vapor. Rather he says we are a vapor,

“Whereas you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you ARE a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.”
Jas 4:14

The physicists have known for sometime that such is literally true. Knowledge of such things came about with the early experiments with nuclear radiation. The ratio of particles able to pass through our bodies without hitting anything was very high, meaning that we were mostly empty space! Sometimes they have given analogies such as, if an atom was the size of a football stadium, the nucleus would be the size of a basketball at the 50 yard line, and an electron would be size of a golf ball, way out in the bleachers. But those electron shells move fast enough that light bounces off our bodies and we “look” solid.

And those electron shells, they too are subject to the Second Law of Thermodynamics, that “things run down.” At our present time Jesus sustains them, and you and I and everyone.

“His Son is … upholding all things by the word of his power, …”
Heb 1:3

But such is not forever, and “things” and our bodies do still “run down.”

The world to come is more solid, more permanent.

In 2Corinthians 5 the comparison is made between a tent versus a building.

“For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.”
2Cor 5:1

Paul is talking about our present bodies and comparing them to a mere tent, which is at best a flimsy and vulnerable shelter. It is not that we would like to be without a body, and we won’t be.

“For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened; not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.”
2Cor 5:4

It is this world that is fleeting and temporary and
little more than a vapor.

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

The Kingdom of Glory is a Heavenly Country. 14 of 15

Posted on by
Reply

One of the contrasts throughout all of Scripture is between this material earth and universe, and what is often called heaven.

First we need to recognize the “fall” of this creation.

Man’s part in initiating this separation, this fall, is in Genesis chapter 3. Man had been literally given a very good setup. Man is put in charge of “the garden” (which in Greek translation is paradeisos, or “paradise”, Genesis 2). This seems to almost to be a training field for man’s destiny to,

“… have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Gen 1:26

He does not have this yet! Evidently some restrictions were put on man, and one mentioned is that is he was NOT to eat of “the of the knowledge of good and evil,” Gen 2:16-17. Then man, by refusing God’s commands, joined the heavenly rebellion led by Satan, who also called the devil, and the serpent of old, Rev 12:9.

This of course has catastrophic results. Man is now to die, and death starts working in mankind. From now on there will be enmity between the seed of woman and the seed of the serpent, Gen 3:15. Specific curses are put on the woman, Gen 3:16; and then comes the curse on creation. “… cursed is the ground for your sake.” Gen 3:17. Without obedience to the Lord God, there is no more easy living for mankind.

“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Gen 3:19

Man still has a taste for that mastery of all of creation, Heb 2:6-8a; but it is not quite within his grasp, Heb 2:8b.

It is an epic tragedy, this bondage to decay which
dominates our present universe.

It is however not a permanent condition.

“that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.”
Rom 8:21-22

It goes on to say that we ourselves groan within us, thirsting for release from this bondage to decay, “waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.” Rom 8:23

This universe is now beyond redemption.

It will pass away with fire, with a roar, as the element melt with tremendous heat, on “the day of the Lord,” 2Pe 3:10-12.

But those who are willing will be redeemed.

By turning in faith to Jesus our Lord, repenting of our sins, being baptized in water for the forgiveness of our sins, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, etc.; and then living for Christ and not for ourselves.

Jesus kingdom is not from “here.”

As Jesus told Pilate,

“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

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

The Kingdom of Glory: ALL Opposition Will Be Eliminated, 12 of 15

Posted on by
Reply

One of the great evils of this world is the toleration of evil. That alone can bring a nation down.

These principles are solidly illustrated
in Numbers 35.

First Israel is warned that murderers should be put to death. Additionally,

“Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.”
Num 35:31

Well, why not? If they will repent, and pay a good fee, why not? Then we given the answer.

“33 … for blood, it pollutes the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him who shed it. 34 You shall not defile the land which you inhabit,”
Num 35:33-34

If a nation does not punish wickedness, it pollutes and ruins a country. Then the guilt and the retribution falls on that country overall, instead of just on the criminals!

The same is true of other sins.

Leviticus, especially chapters 18 20 gives some lists of detestable things which bring judgements on nations, and warns,

“Don’t defile yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations which I am casting out before you were defiled.”
Lev 18:24

We can ruin ourselves with these things!

The ancient church at Thyatira had
a problem with toleration.

“But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.”
Rev 2:20

So some woman at this church, who is symbolically called Jezebel, is teaching sexual immorality as actually alright, and the church is tolerating this, and the church is being condemned for the tolerating.

It is good to not tolerate evil things.

Of the church at Ephesus Jesus says,

““I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can’t tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false.”
Rev 2:2

David as King said,

“I will silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor.
I won’t tolerate one who is haughty and conceited.”
Psa 101.5

America has been way too tolerant.

Abortion has been tolerated and encouraged by law, and now the blood of over 60 million babies are on America’s hands.

We tolerated homosexuals and transvestites and even a great deal of Sodomy, so as our reward for our tolerant attitudes, the Left wants us now to worship at the altar of homosexuality and unhealthy habits, and demands that all children be trained from grade school in those things which destroy men and nations.

And the Left for sure has no room to lecture us on toleration, as intolerant as they are of righteousness and every good thing!

In heaven, all of those who really do not want
to do what is right, will have been
eliminated from being there!

They really would not be happy there!

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

Keys to Prophecy: Cycles of History

Posted on by
Reply

I think one of the most majestic of the psalms is Psalm 107. It describes the cycles which nations go through, cycles which still exist. This psalm can only be summarized here, but it is well worth reading in detail in multiple translations and being mulled over.

God will lead the humble

Heavy things fall on sinful people. Some of the troubles are built right into our sins. Often we end up in desolate times.

“4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way.
They found no city to live in.
5 Hungry and thirsty,
Their soul fainted in them. ”
Psa 107:4-5WEB

Then they cried out to the Lord.

“6 Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble,
And he delivered them out of their distresses,
7 He led them also by a straight way,
That they might go to a city to live in.
8 Let them praise Yahweh for his loving kindness,
For his wonderful works to the children of men!”
Psa 107:6-8 WEB

Parts of the psalm explicitly mention their sins.

“10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Being bound in affliction and iron,
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And condemned the counsel of the Most High.
12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labor.
They fell down, and there was none to help. ”
Psa 107:10-12 WEB

But they cried out to the Lord, and He heard them, and broke their bonds, and led them in good ways.

Negative Environmental Changes Sometimes
Happen Because of Sin!

“33 He turns rivers into a desert,
Water springs into a thirsty ground,
34 And a fruitful land into a salt waste,
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.”
Psa 107:33:34 WEB

You can see this story almost daily on the evening news.

But then are turned around for a humble people

“35 He turns a desert into a pool of water,
And a dry land into water springs.
36 There he makes the hungry live,
That they may prepare a city to live in,”
Psa 107:35-36 WEB

Then it goes on for several verses about the blessings He brings on them.

But then it is implied they turn aside again

“39 Again, they are diminished and bowed down
Through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.
40 He pours contempt on princes,
And causes them to wander in a trackless waste.”
Psa 107:39-40 WEB

It has been so in the past. It is still so in the Christian Age
and in the book of Revelation.

“41 Yet he lifts the needy out of their affliction,
And increases their families like a flock.
42 The upright will see it, and be glad.
All the wicked will shut their mouths.
43 Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things.
They will consider the loving kindnesses of Yahweh.”
Psa 107:41-43 WEB

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