The Terrible Day of the Lord-Satan's Leaders in Rebellion-3

As we read in Revelation 13, the beast has been described in terms of the characteristics of animals. The major book of these days is Daniel. But, even within Daniel there is much confusion and controversy. While we may not come to a complete agreement in these areas, we should agree on what God has said. Daniel’s prophecies begin with Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2.

Daniel 2:27  Daniel answered before the king and said, The secret which the king has demanded cannot be shown to the king by the wise men, the conjurers, the horoscopists, or the fortune-tellers. 2:28  But there is a God in Heaven who reveals secrets and makes known to King Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed are these. 2:29  As for you, O king, your thoughts came on your bed, what should happen after this. And He who reveals secrets makes known to you what shall happen. 2:30  But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living man, but so that the meaning might be known to the king, and that you might know the thoughts of your heart. 

Daniel humbly begins where we should always begin, that is, only God knows the future, plans the future, and is totally sovereign over the future.

2:31  You, O king, were seeing. And, behold! A great image! That great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before you. And its form was dreadful. This image's head was of fine gold; his breast and his arms were of silver; his belly and his thighs were of bronze; 2:33  his legs were of iron; his feet were part of iron and part of clay.  2:34  You watched until a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image upon its feet which were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces. 2:35  Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were broken to pieces together. And they became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors. And the wind carried them away, so that no place was found for them. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. 

Imagery is often used in prophecy and especially in the last days. Thankfully, Daniel is given a very definite starting point.

2:36  This is the dream. And we will tell its meaning before the king. 2:37  You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of Heaven has given you a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 2:38  And wherever the sons of men, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens live, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all. You are this head of gold. 

Now we have a very definite starting point for our study. This kingdom historically covered the time of 612-539 BC.

2:39  And after you shall arise another kingdom lower than you, and another third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.2:40  And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron. Since iron crushes and smashes all things; and as the iron that shatters all these, it will crush and shatter. 2:41  And as to that which you saw: the feet and toes, part of potters' clay and part of iron; the kingdom shall be divided. But there shall be in it the strength of the iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay. 2:42  And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 2:43  And as you saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mix themselves with the seed of men. But they shall not cling to one another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 

So each of these other parts of this image are also kingdoms and are progressing from strength to weakness and ultimate defeat.

2:44  And in the days of these kings, the God of Heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other peoples, but it shall crush and destroy all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 

This explanation ends with Jesus’ final complete victory and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.

2:45  Because you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it crushes the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what shall occur after this. And the dream is certain, and its meaning is sure.

Daniel is 100% convinced of the truth and certainty of this prophecy, as should we.

Now that we know this is all about the kingdoms that will come and go as the end of the world comes near, we must try to discern where we are today in this timeline.

While great certainty and accuracy cannot be assume, Jesus Himself said we should be able to discern signs and seasons. We will go to Daniel 7 to study further next time.

The Terrible Day of the Lord-Satan's Leaders in Rebellion-2

We left off last time with a fearsome beast rising up to make war with the saints. This of course implies that true believers will still be on earth at this time. But, now another beast comes onto the prophetic scene. Who is he?

Revelation 13:11  And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. And it had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon. 13:12  And it exercises all the authority of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and those dwelling in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 

So here we have what appears to be an individual who comes to power over this worldwide political system, i.e. the One World Government. As now the uncontested leader, he enforces his will onto all in the world. That is to worship this Satanic belief and to not worship God.

13:13  And it does great wonders, so that it makes fire come down from the heaven onto the earth in the sight of men.13:14  And it deceives those dwelling on the earth, because of the miracles which were given to it to do before the beast, saying to those dwelling on the earth that they should make an image to the beast who had the wound by a sword and lived. 

He will have available to him all the power of Satan at his disposal, even though he is totally under the control of Satan. We will discuss the wound next time.

13:15  And there was given to it to give a spirit to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might both speak, and might cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 

This beast now has an image, perhaps similar to the image made by Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3. The same warning made then will now be enforced with the same deadly force. Remember, only 3 men refused to worship the image for King Nebuchadnezzar.

13:16  And it causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark on their right hand, or in their foreheads,13:17  even that not any might buy or sell except those having the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of its name. 

Here we read of the mark of the beast. What it looks like to consists of is not clear, but with technology rapidly advancing daily, it is not hard to see something new appearing to make this happen today.

13:18  Here is the wisdom. Let him having reason count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. And its number is six hundred and sixty-six.

The Hebrew alphabet also has a numerical equivalent. Hence the number to his name. It seems like this number is appearing more frequently today in a number of areas. I don’t believe this is just some random coincidence.

We will go to Daniel 2 and 7 next to gain further understanding

The Terrible Day of the Lord-Satan's Leaders in Rebellion

There is a lot of confusion in regards to who Satan will reveal in the last days to bring the whole world under his evil, hateful, murderous control. What are there names? What will they do? How are they identified? Let us begin where we left off, who or what is the beast(s)? While some of the following verses have been reviewed in light of the mark of the beast, this time we will try and understand this beast(s) in greater detail.

Revelation 13:1  And I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns. And on its horns were ten crowns, and on its heads was the name of blasphemy. In this verse we see a beast rising from the sea.

This imagery suggests that this nation, belief system, or worldwide association will rise up from within the world i.e. the sea. It is comprised of ten authority figures or worldwide leaders, such as, kings, emperors, presidents, or rulers. It could very well be the World Economic Council, G-7, or any similar organization that believes they should be in control of the world. They are vulnerable to Satan’s lies and deception. The World Council of Churches is the religious equivalent to them.

13:2  And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and its feet like those of a bear, and its mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him its power and its seat and great authority. 

They get their power and authority from Satan. They are his servants, his followers, his slaves. It is not immediately noticed from where they get this power or authority, as they just seem like the intellectual elites that are often depicted and seldom deplored.

Rev 13:3  And I saw one of its heads as having been slain to death, and its deadly wound was healed. And all the earth marveled after the beast. 

Something happened here that is hard to identify with absolute assurance. One of the heads was so wounded or made ineffective that it appeared to be forever destroyed or made insignificant. But, miraculously it rose up like the mythical Phoenix and resumed with power. It could be a religious organization, like the Roman Catholic Church. It could be a nation-state. It could be a system of beliefs in government, cultural, or societal areas that once was ‘destroyed’ but now is back.

13:4  And they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast. And they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with it? 13:5  And a mouth speaking great things was given to it, and blasphemies. And authority was given to it to continue forty-two months. 13:6  And it opened its mouth in blasphemy toward God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, and those dwelling in Heaven. 

Now we read about the goal or main purpose of this organization or nation. It’s sole purpose is to blasphemes God and bring worship to Satan. This has been Satan’s life goal. This is the very reason for Satan’s fall. It has now finally come to fruition, but only for a very short time and only at the very end of time.

13:7  And it was given to it to war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given to it over every tribe and tongue and nation. 13:8  And all dwelling on the earth will worship it, those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain, from the foundation of the world.

A number of sobering truths.

• It will make war against the remnant of true believers.

• It will overpower them and take control over them.

• It will assume absolute power over the entire world, which is now solely comprised of non-believers.

• It will require worship.

• This is now where the mark of the beast is clearly evident.

  Do any of these terrible warnings look like what we are seeing and experiencing today?

The Terrible Day of the Lord-The Mark of the Beast-Final

Let us conclude this study of the last days with summarizing what God has revealed to us. What elements of the mark are most significant?

First, it comes from the beast. It is clearly associated as his mark.

Secondly, everyone who takes this mark knows from whom it comes. There is no confusion as to this mark they are taking, other than its eternal consequences.

Third, it will only come when the beast appears, which is in the middle of the Tribulation.

Fourthly, God’s pouring out His judgments will come soon after this mark is presented and made mandatory.

Fifthly, it is associated with worship and the Temple/Tabernacle in Jerusalem. Therefore, for today it is not the Covid vaccine, but this vaccine could be a precursor or practice run for worldwide conformity.

Lastly, a one world government and one world ecumenical religion will be in place. So this is something to watch for and be wary of its soon appearing.

With all this worldwide lawlessness, can the Man of Lawlessness be far behind?

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The eternal destiny for those who take the mark of the beast is horrific. Many now try to eradicate Hell as being inconsistent with a god of love. They fail to truly recognize a God of infinite holiness and divine wrath. They deny God’s divine right to punish anyone.

Revelation 20:11  Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 20:12  And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. 

The redeemed names are in the Book of Life, while all the condemned deeds are in other books. Every deed, every thought, and every word has been exactly recorded.

Matthew 12:36  "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 12:37  "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Some of us have heard our parents tells us that words can never hurt us. We know that is not true in all regards, as most of us have been hurt by words. However, the words recorded for judgment will hurt all who are not redeemed. Do you remember every careless word you have ever spoken? God does!

Rev 20:14  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. Rev 20:15  And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Again, many teach that the lake of fire was only created for Satan, his demons, the false prophet, and antichrist. But, here we read that all the un-redeemed will also be thrown into this lake. Jesus taught more on the terrible reality of Hell than anyone else.

We need to take Jesus more seriously and share the gospel more diligently.

The Terrible Day of the Lord-The Mark of the Beast-6

What happens to all who do take on the mark of the beast? Only those who do not take his mark during this time will enter into heaven and have their names written in the Book of Life. How does this all end?

Revelation 20:7  When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 20:8  and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.

Who are these nations and what about all the redeemed saints ruling with Jesus Christ during His reign? There are only two kinds of people who will initially enter into His millennial kingdom. The first will be the saints. The second will be all true believers who endured through the Tribulation and had not yet physically died.

It is the off-springs of these believers who after a thousand years will once again show how pervasive is the inherited sin nature and how cunning and deceitful is Satan.

20:9  And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 20:10  And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

This last battle will be over quickly as God finally ends the rebellion of Satan and all who follow him. Satan is now eternally condemned and imprisoned. No escape. No more chances. Just eternal, unending punishment. There will be no remorse or repentance.

What about all who took his mark, or who never submitted to Jesus Christ as their own personal King and Lord, and therefore do not have their names written in the Book of Life?

God has revealed this in the next few verses. All for next time.

The Terrible Day of the Lord-The Mark of the Beast-5

Many true and false teachers don’t really want to tackle this subject, even those who proclaim that they adhere completely to Sola Scriptura. But, what do you do with this mark? Can you take the mark in order to survive and buy and sell? Some say you can, but what does God say? First, what is the eternal destiny for those who did not take this mark?

Revelation 20:1  Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 20:2  And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 20:3  and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. 

This passage, among many others, confirms the reality of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. Secondly, it also confirms the limited power of Satan, even though he had enough power to deceive the world.

20:4  Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

True Christians were killed during the reign of the beast. They had been persecuted and beheaded for not taking his mark. This could only be true if Christians are still on earth during his reign. This lends doubt to any pre-millennial rapture.

20:5  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 20:6  Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

This also confirms that we will reign with Jesus Christ during His thousand year earthly reign. Those who died during this period, will join the rest of the redeemed and will reign on earth with Christ because they did not receive the mark of the beast.

Revelation 5:6  And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. 

5:7  And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. 5:8  When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 

5:9  And they *sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 

5:10  "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

What a glorious promise and reality!

1 Peter 2:6  For this is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." 2:7  This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone," 2:8  and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. 

2:9  But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 2:10  for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

More on this magnificent reality next time.

The Terrible Day of the Lord-The Mark of the Beast-4

What will God do? What will Satan do? Both God and Satan have marked or sealed their followers. God is not confused about who are His sheep. But, taking the mark of the beast has a very serious bearing on eternal life.

Reelationv 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 

19:12  His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 

19:13  He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 

19:14  And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 

19:15  From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 

19:16  And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." 

Is this the Jesus you know? Is this the Jesus that you have devoted your life to serving and obeying? Too many think of Jesus as a baby in a manger in December, or in Mary’s arms. Others think of Him as on a cross or in a tomb. But, how many think of Him in these terrifying terms?

19:17  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 19:18  so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great." 

This is a very terrifying and gruesome passage. Perhaps millions or billions of birds descending on this scene of death and carnage to pick at the dead flesh of all of those who followed Satan into battle against the King of Kings. From the loftiest leaders to the lowest slaves, they were deceived.

19:19  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 

19:20  And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 

19:21  And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

The beast and the false prophet were thrown into the lake of fire. The billions of others who were slain will now be brought before the great white throne for judgment. They all have the mark of the beast. They were all deceived. They all worshiped his image. They will all be thrown into the lake of fire with the beast and false prophet.

They have no place to hide and no one else to blame. They are neither innocent or ignorant. They are condemned.

The Terrible Day of the Lord-The Mark of the Beast-3

The mark of the beast is a defining element of the end times. It identifies those who serve Satan from those who serve the living God. Satan’s followers are in the majority, while only a remnant truly serves the King of Kings.

Revelation 16:1  Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God." 

16:2  So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. 

16:3  The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died. 

16:4  Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood.

These first three bowl judgments seem to come one right after the other. But, notice who is it directed toward, only those who had the mark and worshiped the beast.

16:5  And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; 16:6  for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it."

For those who believe that the US Church will not suffer persecution, what do you do with this verse? The ‘they’ are the followers of the beast who have killed the saints.

16:7  And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments." 

16:8  The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. 

16:9  Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory. 

What is keeping them from repenting as they endure God’s wrath? The beast, Satan’s servants, has been so deceived that they have believed that Satan is good and God is evil. Don’t underestimate the power of false beliefs. The major religions of the world should give you plenty of examples.

16:10  Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, 16:11  and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.

Who are they blaspheming? The God of heaven! They are not ignorant of who is pouring out these judgments. But, they accuse God of being evil, unfair, and unjust. Satan, who appears to them as an angel of light, is fighting for his spiritual life. He knows his time is short and still thinks he will triumph. So he enlists most (90+%) of the world to fight with him.

What will God do?

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.