George Offerman
Unbeknownst to me, Larry Wilson penned this newsletter and I happened across it several days after my post on this exact subject. Since Larry Wilson has been studying Revelation longer than I have, I am asking the reader to take his time and read this whole newsletter entry. It will be worth your time.
Mr. Wilson:
Revelation 14:8 indicates that all of the nations will drink the maddening wine of Babylon’s adulteries. Who is Babylon? What is the wine of Babylon? What is Babylon’s adultery?
Sincerely, Sherri
________________________________________
Thank you for your questions. I hope my response will be helpful because the future has a sequence of events that few people anticipate. We have to understand the circumstances that will cause the formation of Babylon before we can discuss Babylon’s adultery and wine. According to Wikipedia, the estimated size and diversity of Earth’s seven billion people currently live in approximately 195 nations and speak about 6,500 languages.
1. China has a population of about 1.3 billion people – most of which are atheists.
2. India has a population of about 1.2 billion people – most of which are Hindu or Buddhist.
3. There are about 1.5 billion Muslims and 1.2 billion Catholics living in various countries.
4. This leaves about 1.8 billion people in smaller categories such as Protestants (650 million), Jews (14 million) and various other groups.
These statistics force us to consider the nationalistic, linguistic, religious, and political diversity that exists on Earth. For thousands of years, this diversity has been a source of antagonism and conflict. In the past forty years, leaps in technology have made our world seem very small in matters of travel, economics, food supplies, energy, communication, and nuclear proliferation. It seems inevitable that one day, a nuclear exchange will occur at some point in the future. This oncoming eventuality is important in this study because the Bible indicates that life as we presently know it will abruptly change in a single day. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6.)
God’s Wrath Will Produce Babylon
Please consider this short scenario that could lead to the formation of Babylon.*
Sometime in the near future, I anticipate a nuclear exchange will occur. When this happens, God will step into the conflict with a series of apocalyptic judgments that will be so overwhelming that the war will cease. Suddenly, world leaders will realize that their greatest opponent is not another nation having atomic bombs, but Almighty God Himself!
When God’s wrath breaks out, He will get the undivided attention of all nations. In terms of scope and consequences, God’s wrath will be global and totally devastating. The Bible indicates that God’s wrath will begin with a mighty display of lightning, intimidating peals of thunder, rumblings deep within Earth, and a global earthquake that will destroy dams, bridges, electrical grids, and buildings. This earthquake will make travel and communication almost impossible.
God will put the world in a state of lock-down because He has a message for this rebellious planet. A few days after the global earthquake, God will burn up a third of the world with a meteoric shower of burning hail. A few days later, God will hurl a great asteroid into an ocean. The impact will destroy a third of the ships as well as a third of the sea creatures. The resulting tsunamis will swell several hundred feet high. Giant concentric walls of water will rush toward coastal cities and destroy thousands of them in minutes.
A few days after this, God will hurl a flaming asteroid into a continent and the shockwaves from the impact will shatter its geological strata. This will cause the rivers, aquifers, and springs of water to become contaminated and millions of people will die from drinking poisoned water. After this, hundreds of volcanos will erupt and fill the sky with ash, soot, and debris. The jet stream will cause darkness to cover the middle third of Earth. There will be no light for weeks, crops will perish, and global famine will follow.
God will destroy 25% of the world’s population (1.75 billion people) within a period of a couple months. It goes without saying that the remaining 5.25 billion survivors will be badly traumatized and scared to death. The omnipotent power of Almighty God will silence the whole world in the same way that He silenced a powerful storm on the Sea of Galilee. The fear of the Almighty will humble everyone and the survivors will whisper, "What does He want?"
When the religious and political leaders of the world see the fierce destruction and apocalyptic proportions of God’s wrath, they too will be overwhelmed and traumatized just like everyone else. Since they do not know God’s plans (even though His plans are announced in the book of Revelation), the leaders of the world will erroneously conclude that God’s wrath will continue without cessation unless something is done quickly to appease Him. Furthermore, world leaders will not be able to dismiss these judgments as random acts of nature because I believe God’s wrath will target notoriously wicked places (like Sodom and Gomorrah). Thus, Atheists, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and Pagans will be forced to admit that a discernable pattern of destruction is obvious.
The smouldering ruins of thousands of wicked cities will prove to everyone that Almighty God reigns and He must be very angry!
Think about this: By the time the fourth trumpet-judgment in Revelation 8 has ended, all of the world’s infrastructures (communication, banking, manufacturing, travel, and every nation’s economy) will be destroyed. A third of the world will be a heap of ashes. Thousands of coastal cities will either be missing or uninhabitable. Twenty-five percent of the world’s population will be dead. Darkness will cover Earth 24/7 and the onset of global famine will be inescapable. These dire circumstances and the anticipation that more judgments are imminently coming will motivate world leaders to unite and do something quickly!
The religious and political leaders of the world will assemble, and according to the book of Revelation, their solution to appease God’s awful wrath will be to form a crisis government that will oversee every nation, making sure every effort is made to appease God. This crisis government (called Babylon in the book of Revelation) will have authority over not only civil matters, but also religious ones as well. All 195 nations of the world will humbly agree to follow the directives of this "monstrous beast." (Revelation 13:3)
Babylon’s Adulteries
Revelation describes Babylon as an adulterous organization because God considers manmade church-state governments an abomination. The church (the bride of Christ) belongs to Christ and she is not permitted to "get in bed" with civil or secular authorities. Even when God delivered Israel from Egypt, He kept the powers of church (the priesthood) and state (the king) separate. Babylon’s function and role will appear to be a reasonable idea to almost everyone traumatized by the first four trumpets. Its motto will be simple: "The whole world must appease God so that His wrath will cease or we shall all die!" After witnessing the smouldering evidences of God’s wrath, the destruction of thousands of coastal cities, the slaughter of 1.75 billion people, endless darkness, and looming famine, who can disagree with Babylon’s motto without insulting the Almighty?
After the adulterous church-state government forms, I can envision a scenario where the leaders of Babylon announce to the world: "Every nation has suffered great loss. God is angry with the whole world for one reason. We have become wicked, degenerate, and violent. God is offended with our evil ways. The Bible says that God destroyed the world in Noah’s day because of violence and wickedness. The Bible teaches that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of sexual immorality, and the Bible teaches that God destroyed Jerusalem for idolatry and violence. God never changes, and now that a third of the world has been reduced to ashes and 25% of the world has been slain, it is absolutely necessary to change our sinful ways if we want to survive. We must therefore make every effort to please the Almighty or He will destroy the rest of us.
Given this unforeseeable crisis, which is due to our decadent and degenerate behavior, the leaders of the world have established a new organization which will lead the way forward. This new organization will work with the authorities in each nation. World leaders have elected the pope to the head this new government because the Roman Catholic Church is unique in that it already has diplomatic relations with 175 nations. The pope will be assisted by an executive council of religious leaders from every religious body. This coalition of the world’s religious leaders will guide us and provide counsel as we proceed.
"All 195 nations have wholeheartedly agreed to carry out the recommendations that will proceed from the crisis government. Due to the implementation of martial law in every nation, many new laws, carefully designed to eliminate offensive behaviors in God’s sight, will be implemented without debate or delay. People refusing to obey these laws will be arrested and punished because the world cannot risk offending Almighty God any further. We have no choice but to appease God’s wrath if we want to survive. Therefore, a list of sinful behaviors will be published and anyone caught offending the Almighty will be quickly punished. Did not God say ‘Is it not better for one man to die than a whole nation perish?’ (See John 11:50.)"
Babylon’s Wine
The wine of Babylon will be a compelling lie. It will be the biggest lie told ever since Lucifer lied to Eve in the Garden of Eden. The lie Babylon will promote is that God’s wrath can be appeased. The wine of Babylon will seem reasonable and all 195 nations will drink it and do stupid things to try to stop God’s wrath. (This is why the wine is called maddening wine.) To counteract this lie, God will send 144,000 prophets throughout the world. They will speak plainly against Babylon’s wine. They will boldly say, ". . . . ‘Fallen! Fallen [False! False] is Babylon the Great [whose plans for appeasing God are nonsense and its presumed authority is an insult to the Almighty], which made all the nations drink the maddening wine [those nations and people who participate in Babylon’s lies will become delusional fools and mad men] of her adulteries [unholy alliance between church and state].’ " (Revelation 14:8, insertions and underlining mine)
Getting Prepared
The book of Revelation teaches three facts that every Christian should clearly understand at this hour. First, God’s wrath is surely coming. The book of Revelation indicates that God is about to send fourteen overwhelming judgments upon Earth. (These judgments are described as seven trumpets and seven bowls.) These judgments will be progressively destructive. In fact, Earth will be totally devastated during the seventh bowl.
Second, Jesus said that the end of the world will be similar to the story of Noah. (Matthew 24:37-39) For 120 years, God warned the people through Noah. Noah told the antediluvians what God was going to do and when He was going to do it. (Genesis 6:3) The antediluvians did not believe Noah. They did not repent of their evil ways and neither did God deviate from His plan. Similarly, the book of Revelation is speaking to the world. It contains God’s plan and He will not deviate from it. When His wrath begins, God will speak to the whole world (and the leaders of Babylon) through His 144,000 servants, and like the antediluvians, most of the world will not listen and will defy God’s commandments.
Third, every Christian should know today that there can be no appeasement of God’s wrath during the Great Tribulation because Earth has passed the point of return. When God’s wrath begins, no amount of appeasement can change, divert, or alter God’s actions. This explains why God sends 144,000 prophets to tell the world that Babylon’s wine is a huge lie. This truth is confirmed by the casting down of the censer at the Altar of Incense in Heaven’s temple. (Revelation 8:5) When the daily service at Heaven’s Altar of Incense is terminated, there can be no further appeasement of God’s wrath because 6,000 years of corporate atonement ends when the censer is cast down.** Salvation will be offered to individuals during the seven trumpets and all who are willing to obey the eternal gospel and put their faith in Christ will be saved. However, it is vital to understand that there will not be any appeasement of God’s wrath – in fact, His wrath will only get worse when the seven bowls begin.
Sherri, I know this scenario sounds like a fairy tale. (The antediluvians also thought a flood was a fairy tale, until the first raindrops fell.) If the documentation was not in the Bible, I would not believe it. Currently, there are many scoffers, but when God’s wrath begins, life will change. Babylon will implement martial law and the individual freedoms that we treasure so much today will be suspended. Constitutional rights and legislative debate will be set aside because of the overwhelming crisis. A day is coming when a few "civil servants" will rule over each nation with absolute power, and worse, a small group of religious leaders will rule over these civil servants with absolute power. The book of Revelation predicts a future and a one-world-church-state that is now impossible to imagine. The Word of God is infallible. It predicts that Babylon is coming. Do not be deceived with its wine.
Larry Wilson
PS: I hope our readers will make copies of this study and pass them around. Hurry. People need to be introduced to this topic. A monstrous beast will soon come to life and what will we then be able to say?
*Note: This topic is covered in considerable detail in my book, The Seven Trumpets, Two Witnesses and Four Beasts. This information can be freely downloaded from http://www.wake-up.org/Revelation/RevTrumpets.pdf
**Note: For further discussion on the Full Cup Principle, please see Chapter 2 in my book, Warning! Revelation is about to be fulfilled or this information can be freely downloaded at http://www.wake-up.org/warnbook/WarnBook.htm
Showing posts with label full cup principle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label full cup principle. Show all posts
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
HERMENEUTICS 101: SODOM AND GOMORRAH
George Offerman
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is that of a microcosm of God’s love, and demonstrates the balance between Divine Mercy and Divine Justice. It also demonstrates how God views sexual sins, especially homosexuality, and the ultimate demise of these two cities shows the outcome of rampant and blatant misuse of God’s gift of sexuality to mankind. It also reflects the principle of the full cup, and how God will eventually break into history and pronounce and carry through on His judgments. And the last point is that both cities were destroyed by fire. This fire was so consuming that not a trace of the cities were left and God cursed the ground so nothing would ever grow there, nor would a city ever be built in that location ever again.
The story starts in Genesis 18:16 and runs through chapter 19:29, and is effectively broken up into three stories within the main story. The first is the fairly well known discourse Abraham has with the Lord pertaining to how many righteous men it would take to ‘save’ the cities. The second story is of the two angels who enter the city, and the men of the city want to ‘ravish’ them. The third part is the total destruction of the city with fire and brimstone, and Lot’s wife turning to look, and becoming a pillar of salt. This particular story, and series of events also have an eschatological meaning for Revelation times, as it demonstrates the need to be ‘in touch’ with God, and to utilize free will in matters of faith.
The discourse starts with the Lord stating to the two angels whether the Lord should inform Abraham of his plans to destroy the cities. Abraham then jumps into the conversation, and challenges the Lord on the Lord’s own precepts of not destroying the righteous with the wicked, and treating them the same. The Lord acquiesces on this point, and Abraham is able to get the lord to promise that if only 10 righteous could be found in the cities, the Lord would hold off judgment. This discourse shows, hermeneutically, that man is an active participant in the outcome of matters, and that calling God on his word, if done accurately, results in constancy of application.
The idea of only 10 righteous people holding off this severe of a judgment demonstrates how important each individual is to God, and that even one person living a righteous life, can change the outcome of regions. It is also a perfect demonstration of last week’s topic of the full cup principle, as there were no righteous people to be found, other than Lot and his family, and they were ordered to leave immediately. Given that the continued existence of Sodom and Gomorrah would have caused only needless suffering, God in his Divine Justice acted to end this needless suffering.
Abraham accompanies the two angels and goes to the home of Lot. The Men of Sodom observed Abraham with the two angels, who were incarnated as men. The inhabitants were so engrossed and/or possessed by their sexual passions that they surrounded the house and demanded to have these two men sexually. Even with the offers of Lot’s two daughters, the men of Sodom were only interested in the men. The punishment dealt to these lustful men was literal blindness. However, this judgment mirrored the moral blindness these men already suffered from, and they were now in the midst of physical darkness, mirroring their spiritual darkness. These men did not see the light, so they had their ability to see any light extinguished. This is often how it is with God. Very often, the consequences and judgments sent by God are very similar to the nature of the sin committed, so there will be no mistaking what the source of this is.
After the men are struck with blindness, the Lord is clear in his pronouncement that the cities will be destroyed, and that Lot and his family must leave immediately. The story states Lot ‘tarried’ and the angels responded by taking Lot and his family by the hand and removing them from the cities. This demonstrates that once God decides to act, it is sudden, and on his time line. God is clear with Lot and his family that the destruction is going to be so harsh and complete, that they are not even allowed to look at it “lest they die’. Lot’s wife, like someone in a garden in days gone by, decided to challenge those words, but this time God carried through with his promise. Lot then hid in a cave with his two daughters, as the only survivors of this judgment.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah has eschatological ramifications. It was totally destroyed by fire and brimstone and nothing was left but ash. In the times of Revelation, fire and brimstone will be used on three separate occasions. The first trumpet is ‘fire mixed with hail’ that will destroy 1/3 of the trees and green plants, but will destroy all of the green grass. The city of Babylon will be destroyed by fire, and will burn in an inferno while the unsaved are forced to watch and contemplate their own fate, and finally the whole earth will be cleansed by fire that will consume virtually every archive and sign of sinful man to have ever existed on this planet. However, like Lot, the righteous will be told to leave the city before this fate occurs. Part of their righteousness will be to listen to this prompting and to obey. God will then finish off this ultimate monster, created by both evil men and the evil angel king. This destruction will be complete and permanent, so that nothing will be left from the age of sin to contaminate a new and perfect eternity.
For those who may be skeptical of many of the biblical accounts in the Old Testament, here is a site that may peak some of your interests. I was introduced to this information while Ron Wyatt was alive, and had access to some picture and information I no longer see on the site. It gives one pause to see such information and to contemplate how such judgments took place, while thinking about a God who is unchanging and will carry through with the same principles, no matter when in history sin takes place. For your discernment.
http://www.wyattmuseum.com/cities-of-the-plain.htm
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is that of a microcosm of God’s love, and demonstrates the balance between Divine Mercy and Divine Justice. It also demonstrates how God views sexual sins, especially homosexuality, and the ultimate demise of these two cities shows the outcome of rampant and blatant misuse of God’s gift of sexuality to mankind. It also reflects the principle of the full cup, and how God will eventually break into history and pronounce and carry through on His judgments. And the last point is that both cities were destroyed by fire. This fire was so consuming that not a trace of the cities were left and God cursed the ground so nothing would ever grow there, nor would a city ever be built in that location ever again.
The story starts in Genesis 18:16 and runs through chapter 19:29, and is effectively broken up into three stories within the main story. The first is the fairly well known discourse Abraham has with the Lord pertaining to how many righteous men it would take to ‘save’ the cities. The second story is of the two angels who enter the city, and the men of the city want to ‘ravish’ them. The third part is the total destruction of the city with fire and brimstone, and Lot’s wife turning to look, and becoming a pillar of salt. This particular story, and series of events also have an eschatological meaning for Revelation times, as it demonstrates the need to be ‘in touch’ with God, and to utilize free will in matters of faith.
The discourse starts with the Lord stating to the two angels whether the Lord should inform Abraham of his plans to destroy the cities. Abraham then jumps into the conversation, and challenges the Lord on the Lord’s own precepts of not destroying the righteous with the wicked, and treating them the same. The Lord acquiesces on this point, and Abraham is able to get the lord to promise that if only 10 righteous could be found in the cities, the Lord would hold off judgment. This discourse shows, hermeneutically, that man is an active participant in the outcome of matters, and that calling God on his word, if done accurately, results in constancy of application.
The idea of only 10 righteous people holding off this severe of a judgment demonstrates how important each individual is to God, and that even one person living a righteous life, can change the outcome of regions. It is also a perfect demonstration of last week’s topic of the full cup principle, as there were no righteous people to be found, other than Lot and his family, and they were ordered to leave immediately. Given that the continued existence of Sodom and Gomorrah would have caused only needless suffering, God in his Divine Justice acted to end this needless suffering.
Abraham accompanies the two angels and goes to the home of Lot. The Men of Sodom observed Abraham with the two angels, who were incarnated as men. The inhabitants were so engrossed and/or possessed by their sexual passions that they surrounded the house and demanded to have these two men sexually. Even with the offers of Lot’s two daughters, the men of Sodom were only interested in the men. The punishment dealt to these lustful men was literal blindness. However, this judgment mirrored the moral blindness these men already suffered from, and they were now in the midst of physical darkness, mirroring their spiritual darkness. These men did not see the light, so they had their ability to see any light extinguished. This is often how it is with God. Very often, the consequences and judgments sent by God are very similar to the nature of the sin committed, so there will be no mistaking what the source of this is.
After the men are struck with blindness, the Lord is clear in his pronouncement that the cities will be destroyed, and that Lot and his family must leave immediately. The story states Lot ‘tarried’ and the angels responded by taking Lot and his family by the hand and removing them from the cities. This demonstrates that once God decides to act, it is sudden, and on his time line. God is clear with Lot and his family that the destruction is going to be so harsh and complete, that they are not even allowed to look at it “lest they die’. Lot’s wife, like someone in a garden in days gone by, decided to challenge those words, but this time God carried through with his promise. Lot then hid in a cave with his two daughters, as the only survivors of this judgment.
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah has eschatological ramifications. It was totally destroyed by fire and brimstone and nothing was left but ash. In the times of Revelation, fire and brimstone will be used on three separate occasions. The first trumpet is ‘fire mixed with hail’ that will destroy 1/3 of the trees and green plants, but will destroy all of the green grass. The city of Babylon will be destroyed by fire, and will burn in an inferno while the unsaved are forced to watch and contemplate their own fate, and finally the whole earth will be cleansed by fire that will consume virtually every archive and sign of sinful man to have ever existed on this planet. However, like Lot, the righteous will be told to leave the city before this fate occurs. Part of their righteousness will be to listen to this prompting and to obey. God will then finish off this ultimate monster, created by both evil men and the evil angel king. This destruction will be complete and permanent, so that nothing will be left from the age of sin to contaminate a new and perfect eternity.
For those who may be skeptical of many of the biblical accounts in the Old Testament, here is a site that may peak some of your interests. I was introduced to this information while Ron Wyatt was alive, and had access to some picture and information I no longer see on the site. It gives one pause to see such information and to contemplate how such judgments took place, while thinking about a God who is unchanging and will carry through with the same principles, no matter when in history sin takes place. For your discernment.
http://www.wyattmuseum.com/cities-of-the-plain.htm
Monday, September 20, 2010
THE DISHONEST STEWARD
George Offerman
I’m taking a one day detour from the major topic at hand to go into one of the most intriguing parables Jesus has given us. It is very rich in dealing with both this life and the afterlife, and how worldly goods connect both realities. It also discusses how many in the world ‘outdo’ those who are in the light, and gives the reasons why this is so. Its lessons are very relevant for our current situation and it would bode well for Christians to take stock in the words of our Savior.
The parable is found in Luke 16:1-13, and incorporates three significant and somewhat distinct aspects. 1) The dishonest steward squanders his master’s goods, and is terminated after a measure of time. 2) the dishonest steward acts quickly within the world to assure himself of a position after termination, and 3) A general statement by Jesus stating the world is better at taking care of its own that those who are ‘saved’ and that no one can love two masters, and must choose between them.
The dishonest steward abuses his position within the household. This individual acted as if there would be no accounting of any type whatsoever, and thus, like today, believed things were to go on ‘as normal’. The steward was caught off guard when the master unexpectedly called him on his behavior, and he realized he would soon be unemployed. Life as the steward had known it, was over, and a new reality was about to set in on him, as he filled his measure, or cup, and had to make the necessary adjustments. What is a little different in this parable is the fact the steward assessed his situation honestly, and did not ‘grovel’ to his master for any more chances.
This man then interacts with the world, by offering to reduce the debt of those who owed a considerable amount to his master. The steward understood enough about the world that if he did favors for those who owed much, then he in his need would find ‘grateful benefactors’ when he needed their help. Jesus throws the Pharisees a curve ball by making the statement “the master commended the steward for his shrewdness” despite the fact the steward gave away his master’s goods and not his own. Jesus also seemed to make clear that despite the commendation; the steward was still terminated, thus having filled his cup of iniquity.
Jesus then goes on to teach those in the audience that the world knows how to play the game better than those who are saved. When someone believes there is no god, the individual is clear he needs to ‘make his own breaks’. This assures actions, and if the drive is strong enough, this person will do whatever he needs to do to accomplish his goals. Unfortunately, those who are ‘saved’ or Christians, want to depend on God to do all things for them, and often become very complacent in the ‘action’ mode. Too often, the Christian wants to ‘pray’ about the situation, but does not follow up with action, believing God will do it himself, or raise up ‘someone else’ to do the dirty work.
It is the INACTION of the Christian, not the evil activities of unbelievers that advance sin in this world. We already know what the truth is, and the truth always wins out against the lie. The problem is that few do much about the lie and few ACT ON WHAT THEY KNOW TO BE TRUE. Evil advances ONLY when those who know the truth do nothing. Comfort is a form of mammon, as is convenience. Jesus is very authorative in his discourses that following him is carrying a cross, and that one ‘dies to self’ on a regular basis. This is a message of discomfort and inconvenience, and it is a clear ‘call to arms’ for the Christian to be the light of the world as Jesus mandates for his followers.
The dishonest steward took a calculated risk by giving his master’s goods away, that he would sow some good will amongst his fellow man. God gives us 100% assurance we will be well rewarded for giving His word and message of salvation away, yet few want to ‘risk it’. The only way to build that eternal treasure that can never be taken away is to be an ACTIVE witness for the Faith. One cannot serve the master of comfort and convenience and simultaneously be a warrior for Christ. The line is clear and becoming clearer by the day. Which master will you choose to follow?
I’m taking a one day detour from the major topic at hand to go into one of the most intriguing parables Jesus has given us. It is very rich in dealing with both this life and the afterlife, and how worldly goods connect both realities. It also discusses how many in the world ‘outdo’ those who are in the light, and gives the reasons why this is so. Its lessons are very relevant for our current situation and it would bode well for Christians to take stock in the words of our Savior.
The parable is found in Luke 16:1-13, and incorporates three significant and somewhat distinct aspects. 1) The dishonest steward squanders his master’s goods, and is terminated after a measure of time. 2) the dishonest steward acts quickly within the world to assure himself of a position after termination, and 3) A general statement by Jesus stating the world is better at taking care of its own that those who are ‘saved’ and that no one can love two masters, and must choose between them.
The dishonest steward abuses his position within the household. This individual acted as if there would be no accounting of any type whatsoever, and thus, like today, believed things were to go on ‘as normal’. The steward was caught off guard when the master unexpectedly called him on his behavior, and he realized he would soon be unemployed. Life as the steward had known it, was over, and a new reality was about to set in on him, as he filled his measure, or cup, and had to make the necessary adjustments. What is a little different in this parable is the fact the steward assessed his situation honestly, and did not ‘grovel’ to his master for any more chances.
This man then interacts with the world, by offering to reduce the debt of those who owed a considerable amount to his master. The steward understood enough about the world that if he did favors for those who owed much, then he in his need would find ‘grateful benefactors’ when he needed their help. Jesus throws the Pharisees a curve ball by making the statement “the master commended the steward for his shrewdness” despite the fact the steward gave away his master’s goods and not his own. Jesus also seemed to make clear that despite the commendation; the steward was still terminated, thus having filled his cup of iniquity.
Jesus then goes on to teach those in the audience that the world knows how to play the game better than those who are saved. When someone believes there is no god, the individual is clear he needs to ‘make his own breaks’. This assures actions, and if the drive is strong enough, this person will do whatever he needs to do to accomplish his goals. Unfortunately, those who are ‘saved’ or Christians, want to depend on God to do all things for them, and often become very complacent in the ‘action’ mode. Too often, the Christian wants to ‘pray’ about the situation, but does not follow up with action, believing God will do it himself, or raise up ‘someone else’ to do the dirty work.
It is the INACTION of the Christian, not the evil activities of unbelievers that advance sin in this world. We already know what the truth is, and the truth always wins out against the lie. The problem is that few do much about the lie and few ACT ON WHAT THEY KNOW TO BE TRUE. Evil advances ONLY when those who know the truth do nothing. Comfort is a form of mammon, as is convenience. Jesus is very authorative in his discourses that following him is carrying a cross, and that one ‘dies to self’ on a regular basis. This is a message of discomfort and inconvenience, and it is a clear ‘call to arms’ for the Christian to be the light of the world as Jesus mandates for his followers.
The dishonest steward took a calculated risk by giving his master’s goods away, that he would sow some good will amongst his fellow man. God gives us 100% assurance we will be well rewarded for giving His word and message of salvation away, yet few want to ‘risk it’. The only way to build that eternal treasure that can never be taken away is to be an ACTIVE witness for the Faith. One cannot serve the master of comfort and convenience and simultaneously be a warrior for Christ. The line is clear and becoming clearer by the day. Which master will you choose to follow?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
HERMENEUTICS 101: THE FULL CUP PRINCIPLE
George Offerman
“I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will have no pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord”. Ezekiel 24:14
The Bible is unequivocal concerning the state of man, the nature of sin, and the unchanging nature of God. This posting will quote several scriptural verses to demonstrate the full cup principle from both the Old and New Testaments, which will fulfill the requirement that it not be taken out of context, and to demonstrate this principle continues to be in effect especially in the (near) future. God is unchanging and knows the beginning from the end. Our modern theology likes to paint God as somewhat distant and unconcerned with day to day activities and neglects to discuss the Judgment factors God will mete out in the future. The Church loves to talk about the Divine Mercy of God, but rarely, if ever, talks about the Divine Judgment of God.
“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal… I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by the sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth” Revelation 6:7-8
In our modern times, all manner of sin is taking place and is seemingly ignored by God due to what appears to be His silence. This has lead to much complacency in our Churches, as the word sin is rarely ever used, and the average Christians sees themselves as going to heaven regardless of what they do, because they are ‘saved”. For the churches, this only proves their dereliction of duty, and false teachings. Many people are ready to fall into a trap, and the Churches are encouraging them on this road. The idea that one has a ‘cup to fill’ goes against the ‘anything goes’ philosophy and theology of our modern times, and most scoff at the idea that God is anything but ‘love’ (read: tolerance of sin). What does the Bible have to say about this?
“Now, all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God WILL BRING EVERY DEED into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
“I have brought upon Jerusalem – every disaster I have brought upon it. You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I HAVE DONE NOTHING IN IT WITHOUT CAUSE, declares the Sovereign Lord.” Ezekiel 14:21-23.
“Then the Lord said to him (Abraham) Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will PUNISH THE NATION they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, FOR THE SINS OF THE AMORITES HAS NOT YET REACHED ITS FULL MEASURE”. Genesis 15:13-16
“No, it is on the account of the WICKEDNESS OF THESE NATIONS that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; BUT ON THE ACCOUNT OF THE WICKEDNESS OF THESE NATIONS...” Deuteronomy 9:4-5.
New Testament examples
“…you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed. God will give to each person according to what he has done. But for those who are self seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil there will be WRATH AND ANGER.” Romans 2:5,6,8
“For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” 2 Corinthians 5:10
Finally, the words of Jesus
“FILL UP, THEN, THE MEASURE OF THE SIN of your forefathers! You Snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” Matthew 23:32-33
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. LOOK, YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT TO YOU DESOLATE.” Matthew 23:37-38
Finally, for future references and continuity
“Then I saw in heaven another marvelous event of great significance. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which WOULD BRING GOD’S WRATH TO COMPLETION” Revelation 15:1
There are numerous verses that demonstrate this principle and I leave it up to the reader to do his own research on this matter. But the above verses should clearly demonstrate God does have a limit in his patience and tolerance of sin. This is called Divine Justice. Divine Justice counterbalances Divine Mercy, and both must be present in order for perfect love to exist. God cannot turn a blind eye to the evils perpetuated against the innocent, and be considered a loving God if all are treated in the same manner. Love requires protection of the innocent and vulnerable, and if these evil people and beings had access to heaven, heaven would soon become hell, and God will not stand for that. That is why Satan has been banned from heaven, as all who choose to follow evil will be at the end of time.
The epitome of the full cup principle is that God is longsuffering, and desires all to be saved. However, there does come a time in which continued existence of those choosing to practice evil will only be destructive for the righteous, and it is at that point God breaks into history and Judges. The full cup principle covers not only the world (as will be seen in Revelation times), but nations, regions, communities and even individuals. One’s cup is full when continued existence bears no positive fruits, promptings by the Holy Spirit are rebuffed, and the heart is totally cold. Judgment is forestalled (Nineveh) if one repents prior to filling his cup, but once the cup is filled and that ‘unpardonable sin’ is committed, judgment proceeds.
The full cup principle exists for the safety of the righteous. If good and evil are on the same plane, God truly would be a cosmic liar and bully, as Satan has painted him out to be. God’s way is the superior way, and the only way, for that matter. Only the righteous will gain heaven and they attain this by living out the Biblical principles given to us by Jesus and the prophets. This also includes those who have yet to be born, and the shedding of innocent blood is the NUMBER ONE SIN in the Bible. The shedding of blood will bring about the harshest of judgments, and judgment will occur without atonement. Atonement can be accomplished only through repentance and changing the lawless ways. Do we see this happening in this country at this time? As a country, we do have a cup, and we fill it more every day as we allow the shedding of innocent blood to occur. There is an end point; that we can count on.
Why our churches shy away from teaching this principle is beyond my understanding. The more Christianity is liberalized, the worse our society gets, and there seems to be more fear and insecurity than ever before. The time we need to have the clearest and strongest teachings, which is now, seems to be the time of the greatest fall of the Church in their duty to be the ‘light of the world’. What would Jesus say, if He were to make an appearance in Washington, D.C? Would it sound something like this? (for your discernment)
“O AMERICA, AMERICA, you who kill the prophets and abort those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. LOOK, YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT TO YOU DESOLATE.”
“I the Lord have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will have no pity, nor will I relent. You will be judged according to your conduct and your actions, declares the Sovereign Lord”. Ezekiel 24:14
The Bible is unequivocal concerning the state of man, the nature of sin, and the unchanging nature of God. This posting will quote several scriptural verses to demonstrate the full cup principle from both the Old and New Testaments, which will fulfill the requirement that it not be taken out of context, and to demonstrate this principle continues to be in effect especially in the (near) future. God is unchanging and knows the beginning from the end. Our modern theology likes to paint God as somewhat distant and unconcerned with day to day activities and neglects to discuss the Judgment factors God will mete out in the future. The Church loves to talk about the Divine Mercy of God, but rarely, if ever, talks about the Divine Judgment of God.
“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal… I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by the sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth” Revelation 6:7-8
In our modern times, all manner of sin is taking place and is seemingly ignored by God due to what appears to be His silence. This has lead to much complacency in our Churches, as the word sin is rarely ever used, and the average Christians sees themselves as going to heaven regardless of what they do, because they are ‘saved”. For the churches, this only proves their dereliction of duty, and false teachings. Many people are ready to fall into a trap, and the Churches are encouraging them on this road. The idea that one has a ‘cup to fill’ goes against the ‘anything goes’ philosophy and theology of our modern times, and most scoff at the idea that God is anything but ‘love’ (read: tolerance of sin). What does the Bible have to say about this?
“Now, all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God WILL BRING EVERY DEED into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
“I have brought upon Jerusalem – every disaster I have brought upon it. You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I HAVE DONE NOTHING IN IT WITHOUT CAUSE, declares the Sovereign Lord.” Ezekiel 14:21-23.
“Then the Lord said to him (Abraham) Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will PUNISH THE NATION they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, FOR THE SINS OF THE AMORITES HAS NOT YET REACHED ITS FULL MEASURE”. Genesis 15:13-16
“No, it is on the account of the WICKEDNESS OF THESE NATIONS that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; BUT ON THE ACCOUNT OF THE WICKEDNESS OF THESE NATIONS...” Deuteronomy 9:4-5.
New Testament examples
“…you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed. God will give to each person according to what he has done. But for those who are self seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil there will be WRATH AND ANGER.” Romans 2:5,6,8
“For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” 2 Corinthians 5:10
Finally, the words of Jesus
“FILL UP, THEN, THE MEASURE OF THE SIN of your forefathers! You Snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” Matthew 23:32-33
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. LOOK, YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT TO YOU DESOLATE.” Matthew 23:37-38
Finally, for future references and continuity
“Then I saw in heaven another marvelous event of great significance. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which WOULD BRING GOD’S WRATH TO COMPLETION” Revelation 15:1
There are numerous verses that demonstrate this principle and I leave it up to the reader to do his own research on this matter. But the above verses should clearly demonstrate God does have a limit in his patience and tolerance of sin. This is called Divine Justice. Divine Justice counterbalances Divine Mercy, and both must be present in order for perfect love to exist. God cannot turn a blind eye to the evils perpetuated against the innocent, and be considered a loving God if all are treated in the same manner. Love requires protection of the innocent and vulnerable, and if these evil people and beings had access to heaven, heaven would soon become hell, and God will not stand for that. That is why Satan has been banned from heaven, as all who choose to follow evil will be at the end of time.
The epitome of the full cup principle is that God is longsuffering, and desires all to be saved. However, there does come a time in which continued existence of those choosing to practice evil will only be destructive for the righteous, and it is at that point God breaks into history and Judges. The full cup principle covers not only the world (as will be seen in Revelation times), but nations, regions, communities and even individuals. One’s cup is full when continued existence bears no positive fruits, promptings by the Holy Spirit are rebuffed, and the heart is totally cold. Judgment is forestalled (Nineveh) if one repents prior to filling his cup, but once the cup is filled and that ‘unpardonable sin’ is committed, judgment proceeds.
The full cup principle exists for the safety of the righteous. If good and evil are on the same plane, God truly would be a cosmic liar and bully, as Satan has painted him out to be. God’s way is the superior way, and the only way, for that matter. Only the righteous will gain heaven and they attain this by living out the Biblical principles given to us by Jesus and the prophets. This also includes those who have yet to be born, and the shedding of innocent blood is the NUMBER ONE SIN in the Bible. The shedding of blood will bring about the harshest of judgments, and judgment will occur without atonement. Atonement can be accomplished only through repentance and changing the lawless ways. Do we see this happening in this country at this time? As a country, we do have a cup, and we fill it more every day as we allow the shedding of innocent blood to occur. There is an end point; that we can count on.
Why our churches shy away from teaching this principle is beyond my understanding. The more Christianity is liberalized, the worse our society gets, and there seems to be more fear and insecurity than ever before. The time we need to have the clearest and strongest teachings, which is now, seems to be the time of the greatest fall of the Church in their duty to be the ‘light of the world’. What would Jesus say, if He were to make an appearance in Washington, D.C? Would it sound something like this? (for your discernment)
“O AMERICA, AMERICA, you who kill the prophets and abort those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. LOOK, YOUR HOUSE IS LEFT TO YOU DESOLATE.”
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