Bible Discussion Replies PAGE 341

Please advise:

Verse in New Testament that states "do not eat the fruit for ? years"

In reading Ecclesiastes Chapter 10 Verse 2, I was wondering if someone might be able to explain what that verse means. Thank you!

PSALMS 97:2

2 ...Righteousness and Judgment are the foundation of GOD's throne.

Yea, Righteousness and Judgment are the foundation of GOD's throne, both Righteousness and Judgment are implicit in the Word. The Word is GOD, GOD Himself, self-executing.

Who are the 24 elders sat on 24 thrones- Revelation 4:4 combined with Revelation 11:16-17?

They already are enthroned around GOD's Throne clothed in white raiment and they have on their heads CROWNS of gold. They're already crowned. In fact, GOD did choose 24 men unto which He would reveal His Word-even He Himself-to write the books of the Old Testament.

Here goes the 24 elders showed in Revelation 4:4.

They are the 24 messengers of the Word,the Word is GOD,beginning by Moses:

1 - Moses

2 - Joshua

3 - Samuel

4 - Ezra

5 - Nehemiah

6 - Job

7 - David

8 - Solomon

9 - Isaiah

10 - Jeremiah

11 - Ezekiel

12 - Daniel

13 - Hosea

14 - Joel

15 - Amos

16 - Obadiah

17 - Jonah

18 - Micah

19 - Nahum

20 - Habakkuk

21 - Zephaniah

22 - Haggai

23 - Zechariah

24 - Malachi

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of GOD sent forth into all the earth-Rev.4:6.

What are the seven Spirits of GOD sent forth into all the earth?

Dear Brother , it is my understanding that Saul and David represent the two covenants , one exclusively for those physically circumsized and those spirituality circumsized , those under the law of Moses and those under the grace in Christ . Saul perished because he broke God's laws , David broke God's laws many times but was forgiven even though he was living his life in the times and covenant of Moses ,which covenant did not provide much in the way of forgiveness . The life of David us literally bursting with important lessons for us all and I feel is very worthy of in depth study . 1st Samuel chapter 15 , in particular verses 24 + 26 + 31 + 35 . Also 2nd Samuel chapter 7 especially verses 12-17 . There is a wealth of knowledge and beauty in the books of Samuel and Kings and Chronicles , all there because God wants us to read it and understand it and draw closer to Him through it . It is as valid and helpful as anything in the New Testament .

That's good, brother Bennymkje, may our Lord GOD bless us today and always, and give us His protection.

You know, our conversation is in heaven( Ephesians 1:3-8); from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself. By the way, The last ENEMY that shall be destroyed is death-1Co.15:26 combined with Luke 20:35-36. It is the Power, great mystery. Philippians 3:20-21 combined with Romans 8:18-19.

As is written, look up, and lift up your heads; your redemption draweth nigh. Aleluia!

Furthermore, the current time, the Lord's Day, the seventh and last Day or seventh and last millennium, it is of resurrection - Daniel 12:1-3 combined with 1Thessalonians 4:16 and Revelation 11:15-18 - and we which are alive and remain - We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be CHANGED(by the Word of GOD-the Word is GOD, self-executing), i.e. we shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air( Isaiah 60:8), i.e. to meet the Lord in the 3rd heaven, 3rd heavenly place in Christ( 2Corinthians 12:1-4), and so shall we ever be with the Lord. --> Would it be or will it be in the day 1335, the misterious biblical day, day 1335? 45 days after 1290 days? Daniel 12:12.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words- 1 Thessalonians 4:18 combined with Daniel 12:2-11.

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing.

May our Lord GOD bless us and keep us, and give us His protection, today and ever

Amen

A Correction

Please read this line

"Jesus sent his disciples two by two ("After these things theLordappointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come"-.Luke.10:1) signifyingthat they were preaching the gospel by themselves. The angels representing them were witnesses to their souls"

corrected as follows:

Jesus sent his disciples two by two ("After these things theLordappointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come"-.Luke.10:1) signifying that they were "not" preaching the gospel by themselves. The angels representing them were witnesses to their souls

Ez.37:15-29 "In thine hand" (2 of 2)

The two sticks were to be come as one. In the inaugural vision of Jesus Christ, the seven stars are the angels. Seven churches signify the body of Christ. Taken together both worlds of the Spirit and of the body are represented in these twosticks. in v.17 we have the house of Israel and also her companions. Companions denote angels. The mercy seat in the tabernacle of the wilderness also allowed their presence. Jesus sent his disciples two by two ("After these things theLordappointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come"-.Luke.10:1) signifyingthat they were preaching the gospel by themselves. The angels representing them were witnesses to their souls."And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet./Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city." (Matt.10:14-15)

Ez.37L15-29 "In thine hand" (1 of 2)

"The word of theLordcame again unto me, saying,/Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions:/And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand."

Ezekiel stands as the double for the Son. In Ez. ch.3 God gives him a roll to eat."Eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel./So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll./And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness./And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them."

Speak my words unto the house of Israel. This is said with direct frame of reference to Jesus Christ who is set down in the Bible document as a sign. The word become flesh holds a secondary meaning and itis to explain the term virgin. Prophet Ezekiel himself is not exempt. When his wife dies God forbids him to grieve over her. "Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down./Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead."(Ez.24:16-17). Similarly we hve the firstfruits termed as virgins. "These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb./And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." (Re.14:4-5) They are separated for God's use.

Oseas,

I have my own understanding over these and also have expressed it in this forum. So excuse me from discussing it which does not go anywhere.. Since we do not knowwhen our Lord comes I am labouring and you arealso focused on it. So be it. With joy and peace in Him

Hello Davita,

I am happy to pray for Joe's safety and release.

Bennymkje

The point of the last paragraph of my post is about the things which will happen now in this seventh and last Day, or seventh and last millennium, the Lord's Day, even in this current time, even now, and from now on, as is written in John 5:43-47, combined with Revelation (Apocalypse)13:11 (manifestation of a false lamb, a false messiah in Israel (probably this year or next? 2Thessalonians 2:9-12 - strong delusion), and both Beasts (Catholicism-the Papacy - the RCC plus the esoteric and kabbalistic Judaism) both will make a deal to establish a satanic and religious kingdom(the feet and 10 toes of the Nebuchadnezzar's statue- Daniel 2:44-45 combined with Revelation 13:2, according to the LITERAL fulfillment of the Word of GOD, the Word is GOD, self-executing,

Revelation 13:2 KJV

2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his Power, and his Seat, and great Authority, and there will be a WAR. WAR between GOD x SATAN- Revelation 13:3 and 13:14 combined with Revelation 12.

Get ready

Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. Isaiah 21:6

GOD bless

The lesson we believers must learn from the sad episode with Samson is to perceive that after falling into the hands of the enemy, the first thing the Devil does is to take away the believer's vision,and prevent may the believer continue with good vision on the path of Truth,from then to make him err the path.The enemy worked surreptitiously and insistently to enter in the spiritual environment in which Samson was,to discover the secret of the Power that GOD gave him.In fact,he walks around looking for whom he can devour. Job 1:6-There was a Day when the sons of GOD came to present themselves before the Lord,and Satan came also among them.

Satan,in his wisdom,has countless strategies and traps to climb into the heavenly regions where we believers are- Ephesians 1:3-8 and Philippians 3:20-21-and the most satanic of his strategies when he is among us is to transfigure in an angel of light-2Cor.11:14.It is extremely difficult to identify him in this"outfit".It is even possible to deceive the chosen ones.Another terrible situation for us believers,in our Christian and heavenly environment(Eph.1:3-8 combined with Revelation 12:3-4),is identifying Satan's ministers among us- 2 Corinthians 11:13&15.

With this strategy he enters the Temple where we attend the services,and he does not sit on benches like us in the Church,he sits in the pulpits of the Churches as an angel of light,the Light is the Word of GOD,and his messengers as ministers or apostles of GOD- 2Corinthians 11:13&15.GOD forbid us.Anyone who believes in their preachings runs the risk of having their eyes gouged out,as happened to Samson,and once blind the people is dragged into the darkness,into Devil's environment.

In current time,we wrestle not against flesh and blood,but against principalities,against powers,against the rulers of the darkness of this world,against spiritual wickedness in HIGH PLACES.Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of GOD,that ye may BE ABLE to withstand in this evil time and to stand.

Final thoughts on 1 Samuel 13-15.

As far as I can see (although I am not well acclimated with all texts between 1 and 2 Chronicles; Kings and Samuel as to every narrative and the chronological placement with redundant accounts) it seems Saul never prayed again after this. It seems after the inquiry at the end of his earthly existence from the witch of Endor that even if it was a true visitation from Samuel beyond the grave; his soul was probably lost (we note that ALL who died before Christ came were in one part of Sheol or another; so the comment that he would join him after death could mean he was in either place).

These scriptures continue to be a difficult study. God was patient enough with Saul that perhaps He put Saul on a probation; of sorts after the 1 Samuel 13 incident; but He revealed in chapter 15 that He was grieved that Saul was king. We remember also that the people wanted a king of formidable status; in this case a man of tall stature and a warrior to "rule over them" as we see in chapter 8 of 1 Samuel. The choice was destined to head towards David; who incidentally as far as I can see outshone everyone else in prayer; with the exception of our Lord and Savior but David has more specific prayers recorded. I will soon transition into that as Saul was involved in a tortuous and insane love/hate relationship with David where many times he tried to kill him (I read in one Bible commentary 21 times). This would begin David's anguished prayers; later to be followed by prayers of contrition after his own transgressions and many inspired texts related to these issues in Psalms in particular.

Here there was more pain; including for Jonathan as well as the results of collateral damage due to the Bathsheeba and the census incidents which I will cover eventually. These scriptures are often prophetic about him as well as Christ and also show how prayer during trials was also our Lord's experience and part of God's design to play out in life.

1 Samuel 13

Saul's LACK of prayer to God for guidance leads to a foolish decision which would cost him leadership over the Kingdom.

Verses 13-14 show a stern rebuke from Samuel toward Saul after he decided to purposely circumvent instructions and do a sacrifice himself; something only the Priests were authorized to do. Samuel was gone for a spell; no doubt much like the story of Moses when he was gone for a while and Aaron did a pagan sacrifice to satisfy the people. In this case it was an attempt at proper procedure but again obedience is better than sacrifice ( 1 Samuel 15:22).

1 Samuel 14

Verse 37 states Saul's prayer to God.

"And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day."

This perhaps is the second sign of things getting screwed up in Saul's decisions before he became totally unhinged. In short; he received no answer from God yet when seeking out who was responsible for transgressing the vow he made with God his own son Jonathan came up. God did reveal that; but the vow itself was foolish; that being no one could eat the whole day until the battlefield campaign was completed. His son WOULD have been under the rule of this vow except for the fact that he didn't KNOW about it as everyone else DID. Also the fact that Saul wanted him dead for that shows how ridiculous it was; there was no such ontingency in the vow in the first place as a punishment. God sustained everyone but nonetheless the Lord was no doubt holding him somewhat culpable here; first of all if they hadn't had provisions right at that point something disastrous may have happened while pillaging the camp. Also if he had been right with God and he was against the army the Lord would have told him that was the case.

1 Samuel 15. The verse quoted above in verse 22 shows how Saul's Kingdom was done with after disobeying commands to destroy Anak and not killing all animals.

Prayer: The story of Samson

This series is very sobering and has caused me to feel the burden of the individuals involved. We had the prayers of Japheth where there was the bittersweet reality of victory on the battlefield along with his painful vow to God that had to be fulfilled; then all that Hannah went through with the ridicule from her husband's second wife Phineas (if I have spelled that right); AND Eli the Priest. Now we have perhaps the most tragic situation yet; Samson's last prayer which basically; you could say was having God cause his death which was like a suicide but of course was for a greater cause; namely the greatest vindication of all the episodes when he had avenged himself on the Philistines.

In the first two cases we don't read of anything wrong except for the manner in which Japheth's vow was done without much forethought. Samson; on the other hand was attracted to foreign or "strange women" who were used to satiate his carnal desires of which no doubt he attributed some of the supernatural strength which the Lord gave him to accomplish his purposes.

At first he married Timnah as we see in Judges chapter 14. This probably didn't last very long as he was caught up in anger; and his wife nagged him to where he broke down and answered a riddle that he had. Later he wanted to sleep with his wife again and apparently the father thought he hated her and he gave her to his best man from the wedding. There was another revenge attack setting fire to animal tails; then the Philistines thiemselves killed his wife and her father. Eventually his own people cooperated with the Philistines probably sensing that being under their control that Samson had gone too far; Samson was once again victorious in battle with the famous jawbone of a donkey scene. Finally; of course Delilah caused a similar thing; that is nagging until Samson revealed the source of his strength; was overcome and in his misery gave his life for one final act of revenge.

Greetings, Sister Ellen

I enjoyed a lot your reply

Knowing that we are living in perilous times, materially and spiritually, and knowing the grows of the sophisticate artificial man-made technology, my concern is about the flood the serpent may spread out through his satanic systems, trying to cause the Church to be carried away from the Truth by his flood of apostasies and traps, through corrupt and devilish messages / posts, and so on.

Revelation 13:5-10

5 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against GOD, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven ( Ephesians 1:3-8 combined with Philippians 3:20-21).

7 And it was given unto him to make WAR with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, WHOSE NAMES are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear. - This is a severe warning for us -

Ephesians 6:11-17

11 Put on the whole armour of GOD, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of GOD, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with Truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of GOD:

GOD BLESS

And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

12In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

13For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

14And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

( 1 Samuel 3:11-14).

This prophecy was the fulfillment of an earlier one by an unnamed prophet in chapter 2; thus Eli perhaps gave the rather emotionless response in verse 18 "And he said, It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good." Samuel was to have

a long and successful reign as ruler in Israel; and Hannah herself had a bunch more kids after this event.

I would say that for Hannah the fact that she could rejoice even with the sadness of knowing she basically wouldn't see her son again (except for the time of sacrifices) as well as raise him through most of his childhood and early manhood shows she truly was "sold out to the Lord". We are reminded of Psalm 51 in having a humble and contrite spirit in our prayers. We can't do anything from our own resources; but we CAN promise to utilize the good gifts He has given us to further the Kingdom and be certain that it is a GOOD investment. This shows what the Lord wants us to do in giving good gifts from above. May we strive to serve in this way as well as dedicating our family to proper training in the Lord. We of course don't always know the outcome; but I would venture to say that most people who are saved have Godly parents praying for them or in some cases unknown strangers. We can see careful planning in this section of scripture to honor the resources and provisions God gives so that He is glorified!

Hannah's prayer ( 1 Samuel 1 and 2).

I should say Hannah's PRAYERS (plural). It is hard not to be emotional seeing the true grief and sadness endured by this woman of God in her situation. It is uncertain how many times or how many years she prayed for a son; but apparently her husband's other wife taunted her about this. Chapter 2 is perhaps a prayer; or better defined as a prophetic statement as to God's victory.

To add to her misery; Eli the priest saw her mouth moving and silent prayer and accused her of being drunken of which she gave a strong retort to the contrary. He got to see her prayer answered at the end of the chapter. That was another child being dedicated as we saw from the last post where a different sort of thing occured (can't remember the correct spelling of the name Jephpath?) Anyway; God was to use Samuel who would be dedicated to basically minister before the Lord as a small child to accomplish His purposes. Eli was slack in his duties; and his sons were committing sex acts with women who were offering sacrifices at the Temple as well as being so greedy they ate meat uncooked to satiate their guts rather than cooking it properly. God chose to use Samuel (after Eli guided him after waking him up twice at night when he thought he rather than God was calling Him to respond to the Lor instead) to really "stick it to them" so to speak.

I can only imagine the scene; Samuel's first message-as a child to this really old chief priest stating the God was going to judge him and his sons for their wickedness. Here it is in verses 11-14 of chapter 3 (see next post)

The prayer of Jephthah

After asking for victory in battle this prayer was given. "Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

( Judges 11:31).

The background of this man was that he was born of a prostitute as a bastard son. This didn't change him from being a character who was a man of valor on the battlefield; however and the people in desperation after servitude and God's response to them that basically he had forsaken them earlier in this narrative allowed this man to rise in prominence. After this event which he won; he would rule for a relatively short time without much more being said about him. The issue; of course was that his daughter was the first one to exit his home after he won. It would certainly appear that the sacrifice with a human being would NOT be a burnt offering; but consecration to the Lord for the rest of her life which would mean perpetual virginity based on the 2 months of mourning she had afterwards.

A big point here is how people should keep their vows to God no matter what. Psalm 15:4 is a good cross reference in regard to keeping vows even when it hurts; with many other passages in Psalms and Ecclesiastes as well as other places reinforcing that concept. We see this with the Gibeonites as well; despite the foolishness of not seeking God these people were obligated to be protected after a covenant was made. I would also add that I see marriages in the same light as well; keeping vows "till death do us part" is scriptural and therefore the Lord expects us to keep them.

We should note that nothing is really wrong with this man's intentions here except perhaps for the fact that scripture doesn't mandate in this situation that such a vow occurs in this situation. God answered his prayer with victory. We can learn to be careful what we promise God in this

You're welcome,Andre4risca,I enjoyed a lot your post.I thank you very much for your kind and wise reply.I confess that I was very surprised and amazed by your response.

Yes,among theologians,and believers,followers of them,there is a conception the Planet Earth is around 6,000 years old,what is a false conception.

In the other hand,the scientific conception about the age of the Earth also is empiric,I would say the empiric conception of science on Earth's age is also false and a nonsense.

That said,what matters and prevails is the Truth.Once the two conceptions above described are wrong,both are good for nothing,I will not be brought under the power of any,I will not allow myself to be carried away by either,but where I will find the Truth?This reminds me of Pilate.What is Truth?For me what matters is the Truth, exclusively.

What I know is that JESUS' own testimony about Himself is wonderful,and reveals to us in depth the mystery of His existence in the greatness of the Universe created by GOD,the Word,GOD Father,full of heavenly bodies,and here on Earth,specifically,He populated the planet with living beings,and sat in the CIRCLE of the Earth,as is written in Isaiah 40:21-22:

21Have ye not known?have ye not heard?hath it not been told you from the beginning?have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22It is GOD that sits upon the CIRCLE of the Earth,and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers;

I remember what JESUS said from His own existence: John 17:4-5,as follow:

4I have glorified thee-Father-on the earth:I have finished the work which thou gave me to do.( John 1:3 & 5:17,and Hebrews 1:1-2 testify about this that JESUS said.Take a look)

5And now,O Father,glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the WORLD was. John the Baptist,the angel of the LORD,testified about this,saying: John 1:18- No man hath seen GOD at any time,the only begotten Son,which is in the bosom of the Father,He has declared Him.

Good Oseas, you warn 'get ready". Christian living is to live, Be watchful one may overkill it. "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come."(Matt.24:42)

I do not see the point in your last para. You are stretching your rational faculties there. Let God does his work and as our Savior exhorts us, live with circumspection, and with thanks that each day it coming nearer.

Ez.37:11-14 "Out of your graves" (2 of 2)

Of their covenant with death elicited from Jesus this orediction, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." (Matt.23:38). And their agreement with hell we shall see in the great harlot, filled with all the abominations of the earth is given an epithet, 'the mystery of Babylon'. In furthering the doctrine of devils did a holocaust in the 20th century sobered her? Oh No she has learned from Lucifer how to commit every abomination of the earth as she is currently doing in Gaza. Can a leopard change her spots? This is what Isarael has become, "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus"(Re.17:4-8)

"And ye shall know that I am theLord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,/And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live"

God did not bring the nation of Israel to their own land in 1948. Before that to happen they have to have genuine contrition they are dry bones indeed and know the Redeemer Lord, "And shall put my spirit in you and you shall live. Now they are not living but are riding the devil's doctrine and the beast has to make his appearance. "The beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns./The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world." These are yet to happen.

Ez.37:11-34"Out of your graves" (1 of 2)

"House of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts./Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the LordGod; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel."

God blessed man, nations in his Son. The everlasting covenant between God and Man made provisions for blessing man created "in our image" which falls under day six Ge.1:28. Subsequently the deep sleep of Adam foreshadows the rise, history of a holy family beginning with Seth in place of Abel, establishing the quality of the first born, Jesus Christ as the firstborn from the dead. It is not flesh and blood which shall inherit the kingdom of heaven,- and it is a principle that the Holy Spirit shows governing the nations. So nations may try as they wilt but their ambition and pride has cast their parentage to Satan the father of lies. The holy family or the church begins from the rib taken from Adam. To all intent and purpose the nation of Israel is in their graves. How far they have fallen back is attested by their rejection of the Son of man.

Before the mountains came forth God had set Zion as his place of habitation. "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place./And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand;"(Is.28:16-17)

Of their covenant with death elicited from Jesus this orediction, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." (Matt.23:38). And their agreement with hell we shall see in the great harlot, filled with all the abominations of the earth is given an epithet, 'the mystery of Babylon'. In furthering the doctrine of devils did a holocaust in the 20th century sobered her?

Ez.37:22 "Mountains of God" (2 of 2)

"Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent." Now considering what goes on in Gaza formerly a part of the land of Palestina the fruit of false doctrine is at work. "Ffor there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times./What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That theLordhath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it."(Is.14:29-31).

Zion is the focus and from which the law shall go forth "in that day". The north is set as a coordinate taken from the throne of God. It refers to the judgment."Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet:"(Is.28:16-17)

Ez.37:22 " Mountains of God" (1 of 2)

"And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations,"

We are considering now with direct reference to Judah and Jerusalem. It is not the specific we are to focus upon but toards the day of the Lord and in the last days. Compare the above verse with the quote from the Book of Isaiah. "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of theLord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

The mountain of the Lord's house is New Jerusalem and it is exalted above the hills meaning that it being built in the world of the Spirit and from the vision of St John it is clear that it is Zion and New Jerusalem is in focus. "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."(Re.21:2)

The heaven and the earth are now seen through the redeemed of the earth. Who are they? They are all a new creation. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Co.5:17). By literal reading one is prejudiced to fall into the trap of what Lucifer has devised. Prophet Isaiah refers to his fall, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."(2 Co.5:17). Isaiah is referring specifically of the Philistines, Assyrians and the disaster looming over Judah and Jerusalem. Our concern is to see the doctrine of men actually coming from the devil himself. "Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent." Now considering what goes on in Gaza formerly a part of the land of Palestina,,,

Good to hear from you, Jesse,

You have been missed here, along with Chris and Giannis. I have had all of you on my mind these past weeks.

Cody,

I will pray for you with my prayers at bedtime.

Dear Oseas,

Thank you for your thoughtful comment. It's clear that this is a topic you've given a lot of consideration to.

You're absolutely right that scientific evidence and religious texts often provide different perspectives on questions about our world and its origins. These two sources of knowledge have different methodologies and purposes, which can lead to different conclusions.

Scientific evidence is based on empirical observations and experiments. Scientists observe the natural world, form hypotheses, conduct experiments, and then interpret the results. This process is iterative and self-correcting, with each new piece of evidence potentially refining or even overturning previous understandings. The age of the Earth, for example, is estimated at 4.54 billion years based on a variety of scientific methods, including radiometric dating of rocks and minerals.

Religious texts, on the other hand, are often based on revelations, spiritual experiences, and the wisdom of religious leaders and communities. They provide guidance on moral and ethical issues, give meaning to life, and help individuals and communities navigate their spiritual journeys. Some interpretations of the Bible, for instance, suggest a much younger Earth, around 6,000 years old.

It's important to note that these two sources of knowledge are not necessarily in conflict. Many people find ways to reconcile their religious beliefs with scientific understanding. Others see them as addressing different kinds of questions - science answering "how" questions about the workings of the natural world, and religion addressing "why" questions about purpose and meaning.

Thank you again for sharing your perspective. It's through open and respectful dialogue that we can all learn and grow

Prayers in the Bible: Gideon (concluding thoughts).

Finishing the thought from the last post; until the time of Solomon there would be a gradual gain of Promised Land but never a full obtaining of all the territory; that won't come until the Millennium. There would be an increase when Godly kings ruled; and temporary losses when wicked ones were ruling. After Solomon; and the following exiles there would never again be such a nation with the lengthy diaspora until just before the New Testament times; and the further one after AD 70 until 1948. We; of course see the enemies of Israel and in fact all nations of the world going against Israel as we expect with the war of Armageddon soon to come. Nothing has changed much; we see New Age mysticism among many Jews who are in reality only Jews in name rather than believing the Old Testament exclusively; and many are into Kabballah and Talmudic practices and traditions. Tel Aviv is known for gay pride events; and sodomite activities. Christians are; as far as I am aware unable to be citizens there and street preaching can bring a death sentence; with any Messianic Jews likely at least to be shunned and cut off from their families; similar to what we see with Muslim converts to Christianity. Their ultimate sin clearly is rejection of the Messiah who they would have had peace under if they hadn't rejected Him the first time ( Matt. 23:37-39). But; alas this was not meant to be.

A couple other points:

TESTING GOD

We see Gideon putting God to the test with the fleece incidents. This reminds us somewhat of the bargaining Moses did with the Angel of the Lord. Clearly this was a manifestation of God likely the preincarnate Christ as we see in this incident as well.

Part of the receptiveness is because this is God's chosen vessel; but also of course there was a willing heart to obey God's commands even when no doubt actions taken would be ridiculed and worse by the surrounding peoples or their own families.

Prayers in the Bible: The story of Gideon

Judges 6 gets into the story of Gideon and shows how he was; like Moses living in the midst of enemies. In his case; he was hiding out in a threshingfloor with wheat when the Angel of the Lord met him. Like Moses he asks for a sign; and there was one of fire (in the case of Gideon consuming an offering which he brought). This story reminds us of what happened with Manoah and his wife before the birth of Samson later on in Judges where the husband was afraid he would die after the visitation-his unnamed wife straightened him out to the contrary as to what the Lord's intentions were (in that case she seemed to show more maturity).

In any case; later on in chapter 6; verses 36-40 Gideon puts God to the test twice more. First he asks about the fleece only having dew on it and the rest of the ground being dry; then he asks the opposite. After this and overhearing talk of a dream of the enemy of the victory of israel in Judges 7:13 he then had enough confidence to fight. This chapter also goes into the severe whittling down of fighting men to God's select choice of 300; then has a bizarre method to convince the enemy there are more fighters; much like the story of how Jericho was taken in the Book of Joshua. Let us summarize several points we see here and in other scriptures as well.

GOD'S LONG TERM GOALS. The Lord; it seems focused on some other nations when His people entered the Promised Land. The Midianites were later judged; as we can see from further study into these chapters of Judges because of Baal worship. We see further that Israel was under their servitude (interestingly 7 years the length of the Tribulation or Jacob's trouble to come) because of their direct disobedience in regard to worshipping God only. God therefore picked a chosen vessel who was poor and unknown (much like He picked David later on to be a mighty man of God). He would add to the conquest of land promised to Moses in time.