The Terrible Day of the Lord-The Mark of the Beast-2
What is this mark of the beast? Is it visible? Is it permanent? Is it clearly understood? In Revelation 13 we read that no one could buy or sell without this mark. How would the remnant survive? Well, many will not, as they are killed for their beliefs.
But, the world we currently live in has numerous examples of refugee camps, concentration camps, death camps, FEMA camps, internment camps, and cordoned off ghettos.
Living on the minimum of government handouts or welfare would sustain some level of life during these times. But, how many would take the mark to keep their standard of living intact?
Revelation 14:6 And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; 14:7 and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."
Even as Satan attempts the world to receive his mark, God sends out an angel to give the final gospel call to a darkened, sinful world. What mercy, long-suffering, love, and compassion.
14:8 And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality."
Don’t miss the clear declaration that all the nations are together. This is not just communist China or Russia, not just the Nazi Germany of WWII, or Venezuela, North Korea, and any other socialist country.
14:9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 14:10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 14:11 "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
Here we once again read an interesting fact, the mark of his name. In Revelation 13 we read that the mark is either his name or number. This makes it clear that everyone should know what this mark represents. No one can claim ignorance or innocence.
14:12 Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them."
For all the devout pre-trib. rapturists, who are predominantly in the U.S., this should be challenging. Their are saints being killed for denying this mark, for refusing to bow to Satan, and for persevering in the faith. God’s promises always include a warning and conditions.
Matthew 10:32 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 10:33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
Mark 8:34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
The cross is the symbol of a horrific death and an amazing sacrifice. Are we ready?
The Terrible Day of the Lord-The Mark of the Beast-1
There is a lot of confusion and controversy on the mark of the beast. What is the mark? What or who is the beast? What does it mean? What should true Christians do when they confront this beast and his mark? Let us begin in Revelation 13.
Revelation 13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.
3:12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
13:13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.
13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life.
What is this beast? The beast is a belief system or kingdom. It is earthly and powerful. It is a deceptive system, as it has the horns like a lamb, or seemingly peaceful and harmless. But is speaks as a dragon, a fearful, powerful voice and personage. Who is the dragon of the Bible? Satan! He speaks with the fierceness and boldness of Satan, as he deceives mankind.
13:15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
What miracles or signs would this beast perform? How can he command worship of image? Jesus confirmed his powers to perform signs and deceive the world.
Matthew 24:23 "Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or 'There He is,' do not believe him.
24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 24:25 "Behold, I have told you in advance.
But, his power over the world allows him to kill anyone who doesn’t bow down to his image. Are there any examples of this kind of absolute power and evil?
Daniel 3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.
3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3:3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates and all the rulers of the provinces were assembled for the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3:4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed: "To you the command is given, O peoples, nations and men of every language, 3:5 that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, bagpipe and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king has set up.
3:6 "But whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire."
Most bible students are very familiar with this story. Satan has tried this before, but did not achieve the results or worship he so desperately desires.
13:16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 13:17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.
So this mark is the key to survival in these perilous times. Most, the vast majority, will without a second thought, take on this mark. It is the mark of commerce in the last days. Without it, you are unable to buy or sell.
But, this mark is presented by the system in place at this time. A system or world government that is worldwide and in total, absolute control. Where worship is commanded on penalty of death. It is not a vaccination or implanted chip that is heralded today. It is a conscious declaration of allegiance to this world government.
13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
True Christians will know what this mandate requires and will have to forego receiving it. This is just one of the many types of persecution we will receive during this terrible day of the Lord.
The Terrible Day of the Lord-End Times 2
When God continually and repeatedly gives warnings, we must take them very seriously. How does He describe this fast approaching day? How often has He warned us? What can or should we learn from Him?
Zephaniah 1:7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near, For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, He has consecrated His guests.
1:8 "Then it will come about on the day of the LORD'S sacrifice That I will punish the princes, the king's sons And all who clothe themselves with foreign garments.
1:9 "And I will punish on that day all who leap on the temple threshold, Who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit.
Have you ever read the book of Zephaniah? Have you ever heard any sermon on Zephaniah? Probably not. Why? One reason is that most sermons today focus only or primarily on the books of the New Testament. After all, aren’t we all in the New Covenant and under grace? Didn’t the New Testament replace the Old Testament? Many “pastors” like you to think that is true.
1:10 "On that day," declares the LORD, "There will be the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, A wail from the Second Quarter, And a loud crash from the hills.
1:11 "Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar, For all the people of Canaan will be silenced; All who weigh out silver will be cut off.
1:12 "It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good or evil!'
These verses may lead some to say that this is only meant for the people of Israel at that time. While we must strive to understand the message as they would have understood it, as it was written to them, but it was also written for us! Historical context is very helpful and we must never dismiss these types of passages as not pertaining to us today.
Certainly Jerusalem figures as the central location for the end times. But remember, neither mankind or Satan have really changed over the millennium. Many false teachers and false believers still say God will not do anything as He has not done anything for a very long time.
2 Peter 3:8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
1:13 "Moreover, their wealth will become plunder And their houses desolate; Yes, they will build houses but not inhabit them, And plant vineyards but not drink their wine."
1:14 Near is the great day of the LORD, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly.
1:15 A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness, 1:16 A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers.
1:17 I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against the LORD; And their blood will be poured out like dust And their flesh like dung.
These terms should strike fear into our hearts. Trouble, distress, destruction, desolation, darkness, gloom, and battle cries cannot be dismissed as allegorical hyperbole. No one can argue that they are innocent or ignorant. This is not the god of love that many preach today, or the god that just wants to shower you with material blessings. He is an all consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:29 …for our God is a consuming fire.
1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the LORD'S wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Our world as we know it is coming to an end. Yes, those environmental alarmists are right in some way, this world is coming to an end, but not by the means that they continually proclaim. God, not mankind, will bring an end to this world. Not just an end, but a terrifying end. Not just in Jerusalem, but to all the world and all of its inhabitants. Not by a flood, but by fire.
Romans 13:11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. 13:12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
The Terrible Day of the Lord-End Times
Our times are truly disturbing or should be to all true Christians. We have never seen or experienced such lawlessness, violence, hatred, and fear. Most of which is predicated on lies and demonic influences. Why is this happening? Where is it leading? What are we to do?
Malachi 4:5 "Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.
The end of time as we know it is fast approaching. The Millennial Kingdom is within reach as we speak. We are coming toward the Terrible Day of the Lord. God has warned us many times throughout His Word, that this day will come. God also told us that we should be able to discern the signs.
Matthew 16:2-3 But He replied to them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' "And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?
While we cannot know the day or hour, we should be able to discern the signs which God has provided. There are many elements in the Doctrine of the End Times. We will go through each one of them to help us understand them, prepare for them, and warn others of them. God has been warning the world since the very beginning.
Isaiah 13:6-8 Wail, for the day of the LORD is near! It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, And every man's heart will melt. They will be terrified, Pains and anguish will take hold of them; They will writhe like a woman in labor, They will look at one another in astonishment, Their faces aflame.
God describes these days as terrifying, terrible, and painful. How much more does He have to declare before we take these warnings seriously? They did not listen to Isaiah!
13:9-11 Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And He will exterminate its sinners from it.
For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light.
Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.
Too many people believe their false teachers who preach peace, love, and blessings. It is a belief in the false premises that God is just waiting to bless you while not requiring anything from you.
13:12-13 I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold And mankind than the gold of Ophir.
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its place At the fury of the LORD of hosts In the day of His burning anger.
Who wants to face the fury of God with His burning anger. Is this the God you know? Is this the God you serve? Is this the God you worship? To many He is not. This is the God they do not know.
Most have their own demonically inspired god of their own desires. They often refer to him as my god. They also say, “My god would not be like that or do that. My god is a god of love.”
They will be terrified to bow in judgment before the God they denied all of their lives.
Romans 14:11 For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."
14:12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
The State of the Church-Solomon's Legacy
God knows the beginning from the end. He will not be mocked or denied His glory. He foretold the intersection of Josiah, Jeroboam, the prophet from Judah, and the old lying prophet. Some of this story in regards to Josiah has been discussed previously, but now will be concluded with this amazing prophesy.
1 Kings 13:1-3 Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.
He cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the LORD, 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'"
Then he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD has spoken, 'Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes which are on it shall be poured out.'"
As we have discussed previously, Jeroboam was an evil idolatrous king. God had sent this prophet to both warn Jeroboam and give him a sign. God also foretold the destruction of these altars by Josiah. But, Jeroboam did not take any of these warnings seriously. Most of today’s leaders and false teachers don’t take God seriously either.
2 Kings 23:12-14 The altars which were on the roof, the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, the king broke down; and he smashed them there and threw their dust into the brook Kidron.
The high places which were before Jerusalem, which were on the right of the mount of destruction which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the sons of Ammon, the king defiled.
He broke in pieces the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherim and filled their places with human bones.
As we had studied previously, Josiah was the only king that truly sought to destroy all the high places, Ashtoreth poles, altars of idolatry, and the priests that attended to them. But, one grave stopped him from his appointed duties.
23:15 Furthermore, the altar that was at Bethel and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, had made, even that altar and the high place he broke down. Then he demolished its stones, ground them to dust, and burned the Asherah.
This is a few hundred years later, but everyone knew who was responsible for this evil altar.
23:16-17 Now when Josiah turned, he saw the graves that were there on the mountain, and he sent and took the bones from the graves and burned them on the altar and defiled it according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.
Then he said, "What is this monument that I see?" And the men of the city told him, "It is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel."
The story lived on even as the worship of God had been lost. They knew who this man was, what he had done, and where he was buried. Did they remember what God has done, what God had proclaimed, and what God had required?
23:18 He said, "Let him alone; let no one disturb his bones." So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.
Graves were sacred places. As were the bones or remains of those within them. Burning the bones on an altar desecrates the altar. It makes the altar totally unsuited for any more religious use. Josiah knew this and thus left this grave undisturbed. But, did he know that this prophet had mentioned him by name?
23:19-20 Josiah also removed all the houses of the high places which were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made provoking the LORD; and he did to them just as he had done in Bethel.
All the priests of the high places who were there he slaughtered on the altars and burned human bones on them; then he returned to Jerusalem.
The idolatrous priests were killed on the very altars they had previously performed sacrifices upon. Then their bones were burned upon them totally making them unclean even for the worship of demonic gods. This seems like such harsh punishment.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
How are you doing on God’s tests? Jeroboam lead the people to go after other gods, gods he created. What about the leader you are following?
13:4-5 "You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.
Today we listen to God’s voice by meditating on His Holy Word. We don’t sit around waiting for God to actually speak to us. We also should not follow anyone who claims God speaks to him. Especially, when their message doesn’t conform to God’s Word.
"But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.
In a theocracy, God commanded His people to put to death anyone who counseled rebellion against God. Today, we must be discerning and insure that we are not putting ourselves under a false teacher.
Remember, they don’t start out making bold, false claims. Much like their father the devil, they creep in and slowly begin to introduce heresy and blasphemy.
Are you able to discern the errors?
The State of the Church
I will be traveling for the next two weeks, so I will not be able to add to the blog until I return.
The State of the Church-Solomon's Legacy
Jeroboam was like so many false teachers and leaders today. He just added some minimal belief about God to his worship of the gods of his desire. Yet, when faced with a difficulty they know none of their gods can resolve, they try and once again con or bribe God into helping them.
1 Kings 14:1-3 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise now, and disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh; behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who spoke concerning me that I would be king over this people. "Take ten loaves with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy."
Jeroboam knew full well how he became king and yet, he created his own religion. He wanted to know what would happen to his son. He only had one place to go, but he went in deceit. Was God deceived? Was Ahijah deceived?
14:4-5 Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age.
Now the LORD had said to Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. You shall say thus and thus to her, for it will be when she arrives that she will pretend to be another woman."
Clearly, as we should all know, God knows the thoughts, deeds, and words of every man and woman. Jeroboam and his wife did not know this or did not believe this. However, since Jeroboam knew about God he is not innocent nor ignorant.
14:6-10 When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the doorway, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam, why do you pretend to be another woman? For I am sent to you with a harsh message.
"Go, say to Jeroboam, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel, "Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel,
and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you—yet you have not been like My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in My sight;
you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back—
therefore behold, I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male person, both bond and free in Israel, and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam, as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone.
God promised Jeroboam the same promises He gave to David and Solomon, as well as the same warnings. God’s mercy and patience have an expiration date! Then comes the promised judgment and condemnation.
14:11 "Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs will eat. And he who dies in the field the birds of the heavens will eat; for the LORD has spoken it."'
14:12-13 "Now you, arise, go to your house. When your feet enter the city the child will die. "All Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he alone of Jeroboam's family will come to the grave, because in him something good was found toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. This should be frightening and terrifying to Jeroboam and his wife. Only this son will actually been given this burial and mourning.
14:14-16 "Moreover, the LORD will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam this day and from now on. "For the LORD will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the LORD to anger.
"He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam, which he committed and with which he made Israel to sin."
Just as God tore the 10 Northern tribes from Rehoboam, He now tears them from Jeroboam. Too often, most of the people will follow the wrong leader and end up experiencing the same eternal fate.
14:17-18 Then Jeroboam's wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah. As she was entering the threshold of the house, the child died. All Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.
A blind prophet of God sees better than a lying prophet from Israel. Jeroboam knew exactly where to go to find out the fate of his son. Yet, he totally ignored meditating on his own fate. He had done more evil than those who went before him.
His judgment is final and he is now experiencing it. His judgment will be forever and ever.
Why did he persist in his own false belief? Why does most of the world persist in their own false beliefs?
The State of the Church-Solomon's Legacy
Cyrus is usually remembered as the king of the Medes and Persians who had been prophesied about in Isaiah. God used Cyrus to restore the city of Jerusalem and the Temple.
Isaiah 44:26 Confirming the word of His servant And performing the purpose of His messengers. It is I who says of Jerusalem, 'She shall be inhabited!' And of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be built.' And I will raise up her ruins again.
44:27 "It is I who says to the depth of the sea, 'Be dried up!' And I will make your rivers dry.
44:28 "It is I who says of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.' And he declares of Jerusalem, 'She will be built,' And of the temple, 'Your foundation will be laid.'"
But God also prophesied about Josiah getting rid of all the idolatrous altars.
1 Kings 13:1 Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.
13:2 He cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the LORD, 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'"
So what is this all about? After over 300 years, God raised up Josiah to undo all the evil done throughout Judah. Of course destroying all the places of idol worship does not by itself restore godly worship.
2 Kihgs 23:16 Now when Josiah turned, he saw the graves that were there on the mountain, and he sent and took the bones from the graves and burned them on the altar and defiled it according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things.
23:17 Then he said, "What is this monument that I see?" And the men of the city told him, "It is the grave of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which you have done against the altar of Bethel."
23:18 He said, "Let him alone; let no one disturb his bones." So they left his bones undisturbed with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.
Who was this other prophet from Samaria? The lying old prophet who deceived the man from Judah!
1 Kings 13:28 He went and found his body thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion had not eaten the body nor torn the donkey.
13:29 So the prophet took up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back, and he came to the city of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him.
13:30 He laid his body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, "Alas, my brother!"
13:31 After he had buried him, he spoke to his sons, saying, "When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.
13:32 "For the thing shall surely come to pass which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria."
God’s Word will come to pass, no one and nothing can interfere, negate, or curtail God’s plans in any way. God’s patience, mercy are often ignored and seldom proclaimed. However, God’s judgment is coming and will bring the world to it’s knees.
The State of the Church-Solomon's Legacy
We left the last message with the prophet leaving Jeroboam after the altar was destroyed, just as God had warned and commanded. We will see how this truly affected Jeroboam later, but what about this prophet?
1 Kings 13:11-14 Now an old prophet was living in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they related to their father.
13:12 Their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone.
13:13-14 Then he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it. So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" And he said, "I am."
What was his interest in finding this prophet? Did he want to thank him for his service and obedience in the face of an evil king? Did he want to pray with him? Did he want to just sit with him and hear the story himself?
13:15 Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread."
13:16-17 He said, "I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. "For a command came to me by the word of the LORD, 'You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.'"
13:18-19 He said to him, "I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.'" But he lied to him. So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.
While the man from Judah did not hesitate to turn down Jeroboam’s offer of a meal, he seemed to have no concerns about eating with this lying, old self-proclaimed prophet. The church falls for this today! True teachers are influenced too often by false teachers. These false teachers also have a “word” from God and try to identify with the true teachers.
Does this sound very familiar to what the serpent said to Eve? While Eve knew what God had said, she still seemed to believe the serpent rather than God.
13:20-22 Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have disobeyed the command of the LORD, and have not observed the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water"; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.'"
This is very interesting. Now the LORD is truly speaking to this lying prophet! Because of his lies and deceit, the true prophet will be punished for obeying man rather than God.
13:23-24 It came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
Now when he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body.
This seems like harsh treatment for just stopping to eat. But nothing is trivial to God. The LORD had given him very specific commandments for a very sacred assignment. Disobedience carries a very severe,swift punishment.
God is merciful, in that, He isn’t as quickly severe with us, even though we are just as guilty. A punishment delayed doesn’t imply innocence. This is true in everyday life in the U.S. and certainly true in the heavenly realms.
The State of the Church-Solomon's Legacy
Solomon’s legacy extended all the way through Malachi. The idolatry he established through his pagan wives, continued to plague Israel throughout its history. In fact, there steadfast refusal to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah, keeps them imprisoned in false, idolatrous beliefs even to this day. So what happened to Jeroboam?
1 Kings 12:32-33 Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense.
Jeroboam devised his own religion. He actually began to believe in it himself! How could this be? He created golden calves, ordained his own priests, set up altars, and initiated and led worship to the very idols he created.
1 Kings 13:1-3 Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense.
He cried against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the LORD, 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'"
Then he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD has spoken, 'Behold, the altar shall be split apart and the ashes which are on it shall be poured out.'"
God sent a prophet to Jeroboam at the exact moment of his going up to the altar to burn incense. What did God think of all this false worship?
13:4 Now when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Seize him." But his hand which he stretched out against him dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself.
Evil men never like being corrected by godly men. Their response is mostly silencing them, as they cannot defend their evil deeds. Does this sound like today?
13:5 The altar also was split apart and the ashes were poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
13:6 The king said to the man of God, "Please entreat the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God entreated the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him, and it became as it was before.
Right in front of his eyes, this prophecy and curse became reality. Yet, now Jeroboam asked the prophet to entreat the prophet’s God, not his god. Why did Jeroboam not ask his god to save his hand? He trusted in the God of the prophet to heal him, but not enough to worship Him.
13:7-10 Then the king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward."
But the man of God said to the king, "If you were to give me half your house I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. "For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.'"
So he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel.
The prophet had very explicit and exact instructions and commandments from God. Even he was not immune from the curses of disobedience.
More later.
The State of the Church-Solomon's Legacy
God gave Jeroboam the 10 Northern tribes of Israel. Now the other 2 would forever be known as Judah, hence the name Jew. Did God give Jeroboam any requirements, dictates, or commandments for him to follow? Did God warn him in any way?
1 Kings 11:31-33 He (Abijah) said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes
(but he will have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel), because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon;
and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did.
First, God clearly demonstrated that He would take the kingdom away from Solomon because of his evil idolatry. That should by itself be a warning to Jeroboam. Unless he thought that it did not pertain to him and that he would rule under lesser restrictions and penalties.
11:34-35 'Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes; but I will take the kingdom from his son's hand and give it to you, even ten tribes.
David is one of the most mentioned names in the Bible. He is credited with being a man after God’s own heart, yet he too, was a sinner. Also, God had promised an eternal throne for his descendants. Jesus was physically born in the line of David.
1:36 'But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name.
11:37-38 'I will take you, and you shall reign over whatever you desire, and you shall be king over Israel.
'Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did,
then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.
So God gave Jeroboam the same rules to live by as He did to David and Solomon. God promised him the same blessings He promised David for obedience to Him. Yet, he just like Solomon before him, sinned against God and led the 10 tribes into greater idolatry.
11:39 'Thus I will afflict the descendants of David for this, but not always.'"
God is still afflicting the descendants of David, as they continue to disobey Him and deny His Son.
God’s forgiveness only comes after sincere repentance and a turning back to Him.
Words alone are not enough as they must be followed by deeds.
Just how far did Jeroboam fall from the one, true God?
Next time we will see how far he fell.
The State of the Church-Solomon's Legacy
God hates idolatry. He often refers it to adultery, which reveals to us just how personal and intimate our relationship should be to our God. But, is He your God? +
Does Rehoboam or Jeroboam believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Just what type of belief do they actually profess and display?
1 Kings 12:25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel.
12:26-27 Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. "If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah."
What did he say? The house of the LORD was in Jerusalem and he did not want to lose any of ‘his’ people to leave him. He was not ignorant or innocent of his evil plans. But, what do you expect from someone who grew up under Solomon’s evil departure from the LORD?
12:28 So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt."
Does this sound familiar? Well, it should. This is the exact same phrase that Aaron used. Aaron, who was destined to be the High Priest, was not ignorant or innocent either.
Exodus 32:4 He (Aaron) took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."
12:29-31 He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi.
The evil plans kept getting worse. Only the sons of Aaron could be priests. The sons of Levi were to be aids to the priests, but not priests themselves. So, he just created his own priesthood. In today’s world of false ‘churches of Jesus Christ’, the Roman Catholic faith is carrying on after Jeroboam and Solomon.
12:32 Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
12:33 Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense.
Where is God in all of this?
What does God think of this?
What does God do because of this?
After all, He sent the prophet Ahijah to him to anoint him over these 10 tribes.
We will review that next time.
The State of the Church-Solomon's Legacy
God’s Word will be fulfilled exactly as He alone declared it to be fulfilled. God declared to Solomon that He would tear the kingdom apart because of his great wickedness in bringing idolatry into the nation.
Did Solomon not warn his son of this reality?
1 Kings 12:16 When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse; To your tents, O Israel! Now look after your own house, David!" So Israel departed to their tents.
The people rebelled against Rehoboam and his foolish advisors, just as God had declared. The kingdom was now divided.
12:17 But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
Just Judah and the small tribe of Benjamin, remained under the rule of Solomon’s son. The remaining 10 tribes went their separate ways.
12:18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.
Rehoboam did not take this revolt seriously, or so it would seem.
12:19-20 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. It came about when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, that they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. None but the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.
We often hear the phrase the 10 lost tribes of Israel. Many want to give their views and opinions as to what happened to them and where are they today?
12:21 Now when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
Rehoboam was ready to kill his fellow members of the chosen people of God to secure his power over them. He seemed to totally forget or disregard God’s declaration to his father Solomon. This is one of the ways of Satan to bring the world under his control. If you won’t come willingly through his deceitful strategies, he will wage war against you.
1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
12:22-24 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, "Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all the house of Judah and Benjamin and to the rest of the people, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, "You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me."'
" So they listened to the word of the LORD, and returned and went their way according to the word of the LORD.
So finally Rehoboam could not deny the plan and word from God.
He tried all the worldly wisdom of seeking counsel from frivolous, foolish young friends. That did not work.
Then puffed up, he decided to wage war against them to force them to obey him. That did not work.
Finally, God sent him a prophet to clearly declare God’s word to him. Finally, he accepted this judgment.
But, did this change his heart? More later.
THe State of the Church-Solomon's Legacy
Where did all of Solomon’s wisdom go after he died? It apparently did not go to his son, the one he chose to become king after him. Because Solomon did evil in the sight of God, God would take the kingdom from him.
1 Kings 12:5 Then he said to them, "Depart for three days, then return to me." So the people departed.
12:6-7 King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, "How do you counsel me to answer this people?" Then they spoke to him, saying, "If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever."
12:8But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him.
The Church today also forsakes the wisdom and counsel of the elders. Young men, contrary from God’s Word, lead mega-gatherings of sheep following a false shepherd. So where do many seek counsel today? Tweets, Instagram, YouTube seem to be filled with all kinds of beliefs, mantras, and lies.
12:9 So he said to them, "What counsel do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke which your father put on us'?"
12:10-11 The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, "Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, 'Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!' But you shall speak to them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's loins! 'Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.'"
What arrogance! What nonsense! Yet, Rehoboam liked what he heard from his childhood friends and peers. This is wisdom?
1Ki 12:12-14 Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day as the king had directed, saying, "Return to me on the third day."
The king answered the people harshly, for he forsook the advice of the elders which they had given him,
and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions."
God used his arrogance and prideful scorn of wisdom to fulfill His Word. This is the last time the nation of Israel was truly a nation of all 12 tribes.
12:15 So the king did not listen to the people; for it was a turn of events from the LORD, that He might establish His word, which the LORD spoke through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Neba.
God’s judgment, warnings, and condemnations will not fail nor be forgotten. Are there elders in your life?
The State of the Church
Solomon’s legacy brought disaster to Israel. He cannot escape his influence on guiding or leading them into idolatry of the most heinous kinds. This seems to hard to even contemplate let alone believe. How could David have raised Solomon to not know the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as he knew Him?
What does this tells us? What can we learn from this?
We will study one lesson at a time to let the truth really sink into our hearts and minds.
First, let us look into Solomon’s wealth from Chronicles.
2 Chronicles 9:13-14 Now the weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold, besides that which the traders and merchants brought; and all the kings of Arabia and the governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
9:15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of beaten gold, using 600 shekels of beaten gold on each large shield.
9:16 He made 300 shields of beaten gold, using three hundred shekels of gold on each shield, and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
9:17 Moreover, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.
9:18-19 There were six steps to the throne and a footstool in gold attached to the throne, and arms on each side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the arms. Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps on the one side and on the other; nothing like it was made for any other kingdom.
9:20 All King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; silver was not considered valuable in the days of Solomon.
9:21 For the king had ships which went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram; once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks.
9:22-24 So King Solomon became greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. And all the kings of the earth were seeking the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had put in his heart. They brought every man his gift, articles of silver and gold, garments, weapons, spices, horses and mules, so much year by year.
9:25 Now Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots and 12,000 horsemen, and he stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem.
9:26-28 He was the ruler over all the kings from the Euphrates River even to the land of the Philistines, and as far as the border of Egypt. The king made silver as common as stones in Jerusalem, and he made cedars as plentiful as sycamore trees that are in the lowland. And they were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all countries.
Sometimes or better yet, most of the time, it is better to just meditate on God’s Word without commentary from others. So I will just highlight a few concerns with Solomon’s life.
He seemed to take a great deal of time on his life and palace. Who was he trying to impress?
Solomon became greater than all the other kings living at his time.
Did he represent God in a manner that made God greater than all the other gods?
Could all this attention, gifts, and homage to him from the kings of the world only add to his sense of independence from God?
There is a real lack of reference, thanksgiving, and reverence to God, even though all of this was from God.
More to come next time.