And God Will Send Them A Strong Delusion

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VIDEO: AND GOD WILL SEND THEM A STRONG DELUSION

As the millennial reign of Christ approaches, so do the ominous hoof beats of the coming Tribulation. Biblical prophecy makes it clear that God's going to send a powerful delusion upon an unrepentant population. (2 Thess. 2:8-12)

Ever since sin entered the garden, mankind has chosen self over God. It's the result of our fallen nature. The desire to live our own lives apart from God is just as strong today as it was in the beginning, the evidence of which we can find in the myriad of false religions and belief systems in the world. We have Wicca, Scientology, Humanism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Universalism, Rastafarianism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Islam, etc... Mankind's attempt to bring meaning to their lives apart from the One True God continues to occupy the minds of the majority of the population as they spend their time fulfilling their own desires and seeking their own "truth"... a truth that fits their own individual moral code. Christians know there is only one "truth," and that is Jesus. 

What happens when an individual, group, city, nation or worldwide population becomes stiff necked, hard-hearted, and turn their backs on God, choosing instead to satisfy their own fleshly desires and worship their own false gods? The bible is full of examples of the consequences of these actions. Here are just a few you may be familiar with:

- The fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 3)

- The great worldwide flood. (Genesis 6-7)

- The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and their inhabitants. (Genesis 19:1-25)

- The fall of Nineveh (Nahum 1-3)

- 40 Years of God's people wandering in the desert, denying an entire generation entrance into the promised land. (Numbers 14)

... and numerous incidences of God's chosen being taken into captivity.

After these judgments, mankind, as a whole, has still refused to repent. Lessons learned are soon forgotten as time passes and memories fade, taking what was once a mighty work of God and diminishing it to the point where it's seen as just an old fable. So here we are today, in what people would like to believe is a more enlightened age. As mankind continues to push God away, they are unwittingly setting themselves up for the consequences to follow, just as those who have lived before us have done. This time, the consequences will involve falling under a strong delusion that God's going to send during the Tribulation.

What exactly is the definition of a delusion?

Strong's: Delusion(4106) plané Error, delusion, deception

Oxford Dictionary: "an idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality or rational argument..."

Cambridge Dictionary: "something a person believes and wants to be true, when it is actually not true"

Mirriam Webster: "something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated"

Some of the consequences of this "delusion" will be:

- Being ensnared by a one world religion and one world government/economic system

- Receiving the mark of the Beast, which will mean declaring themselves an enemy of God, suffering God's wrath during the Tribulation, and sealing their ultimate fate.

- Being deceived into believing that Christians are the enemy and participating in the worldwide persecution and execution of born-again believers.

So, who exactly are these people who will fall under this strong deceptive influence? Read Romans 1:18-32, John 8:42-47, and 2 Thess. 2:8-12. As you can see, mankind hasn't changed throughout the course of human history. Mankind's increase in knowledge has allowed us to invent new and convenient ways to sin, but our sin nature has not changed. Sin also challenges born-again believers, who continue to live in these fleshly tents and experience daily battles.

Man's heart is wicked, God's word tells us so (Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 15:19). Being under the influence of this strong delusion will cause reason and sound logic to fly out the window. As a result, most, if not all, will never experience a repentant heart as they endure the judgments of God during the Tribulation. No. Instead of coming to God on their knees, they will do just the opposite. They will shake their fists at God, curse Him, and reject Him. (Rev. 16:8-11)

God will be sending this strong delusion at a time when born-again believers have already been raptured, rescued in the blink of an eye from the 7-year Tribulation to come. Those remaining on the earth will be in one of two groups:

- Those who repent and believe (yes, it is still possible to become a born-again believer during the Tribulation).

- Those who will continue to reject God.

Unfortunately, with the Holy Spirit no longer holding back the full force of evil in the world after the rapture, Christians during this time will suffer worldwide persecution. That would include the United States as well. Even now, Christians are being persecuted all over the world. Even in the United States, bible believing Christians are being classified as radicals and possible terrorists. We are in the first stages of worsening persecution.

During the Tribulation, those living under this strong delusion will honestly believe that they are performing a beneficial act for the good of mankind and world peace by persecuting, incarcerating, torturing and killing those that they deem "intolerant," "racist," "judgmental," "divisive," "dangerous," "phobic," and, believe it or not, "delusional." But that's not all. Sin's ferocity, no longer restrained, will be multiplied many times over. If the unsaved are willing to try and beat down the doors of the Supreme Court, riot and burn down and destroy neighborhoods, physically attack and "cancel" those who disagree with them, and label truth as lie while ignoring or distorting the evidence, as we've witnessed in recent history, if they snap at a moment's notice and verbally and/or physically attack someone who doesn't support their cause to murder babies in the wombs of their mothers, if they are willing to flaunt their hatred by holding up and effigy of a president's bloody, severed head, if they can go on television or stand on their soap box in public to incite groups of other individuals to harass law abiding citizens, if they can call for the death of those who don't agree with their sinful beliefs, if they can do all this and more in the name of what they deem is "right" in their eyes at this moment in history, then when the full force of sin is released, the harassing, beating, torturing and killing of Christians will become the answer to their "prayers." 

This strong delusion will help the Antichrist affirm his position as the head of the New World Order, a one world government. Those unsaved individuals who are under this strong delusion will see the Antichrist as mankind's savior, during a time of economic and social upheaval. When the Antichrist is killed and then "resurrected" a few days later during the middle of the Tribulation and at the start of the Great Tribulation, he will secure his place as their temporary "god." 

To recap:

- Biblical prophecy reveals that God is going to send a strong worldwide delusion during the Tribulation.

- This delusion will affect everyone who is not a true born-again believer.

- Those under this delusion will eagerly and willingly take the mark of the Beast and even worship him and his image.

- Christians will be persecuted and martyred by those who believe they are actually doing what is right in their eyes.

- Biblical history reveals a multitude of examples of God's righteous judgments against a wicked, rebellious and unrepentant individual, group, city, nation and world population.

- This delusion will help cement the position of the Antichrist as the head of the one world government and as mankind's "savior."

- This is just the precursor to their eventual defeat and eternal punishment.

Don't leave yourself open to this delusion. Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!  

All scripture, unless otherwise noted, is quoted from the New American Standard Bible

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Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!

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'Gay Christian' or 'Christian Fighting Same Sex Attraction?'

I was once asked by a friend why Christians focus so much on the LGBT+ community when there are so many other types of sin out there in the world on which we can focus. The truth is, the LGBT+ community is so loud, publicly perverse, and unrelenting when calling for the disfiguring the bodies and interfering with the puberty of the young, that Christians can't help but focus their attention on them more sharply. For me, I'll call out a liar, an adulterer, a thief, etc... Sin is sin. If you're professing to be a born again believer and you're openly committing sin in view of everyone, I'll call you out on it. I don't like doing it, because it's lost me friends and family, but I won't sit by and say nothing. To say nothing is to agree with them in their sin.

Let's just look at the label, “gay Christian.” What word comes first? Using the word "gay" first, makes their sexual identity more important than their “Christian” identity. There is a difference between being a “gay Christian” and being a “Christian who struggles with same sex attraction.” One places the focus on 'self' and the other on 'Christ.' Some will say it's all semantics, but it's not.

I've seen Christians give up the fight and settle confidently into a gay relationship, boasting online and in public how satisfied they are in their new found freedom in Christ. How could that happen? How could someone who was fighting the good fight suddenly give up on what they once confessed was a sinful lifestyle? The answer is complicated. For some, it begins by doubting God and who He really is. For others, it begins by questioning God's word. It begins by imagining what it would be like to stop fighting a battle that's taken so much effort to wage, making them feel weary, weak and mentally exhausted. It begins by wanting to come out of the shadows and finally reveal a secret that they have tried so hard to keep hidden from everyone for so many years.

You see, during this time, the enemy is interfering with their thought process. He's trying to steer them into a “Garden of Eden” moment when they will listen to his subtle lies mixed with truth, a twist of scripture, a moment of doubt, a promise of something better. Eventually, the individual begins to believe the lies. Maybe God made them this way and this is the lifestyle God chose for them. Maybe those scriptures they stood on in the battle with the enemy don't really mean what Christians say they mean. Christ never specifically spoke out against homosexuality. John and Jesus loved each other. The scriptures in the OT that forbade homosexuality are law, and we are no longer under the law. Love is love, right? So it doesn't matter who you're with, as long as you love them.

They forget that the enemy is the father of lies. He's been a liar from the beginning of time and he continues to lie. For the Christian who fights same sex attraction, a twist of scripture, a change of view, and the promise of ending the battle is so tempting, but as we know, it's also a path to destruction. God doesn't just call homosexuality a sin, He calls it an “abomination.”

When born again believers begin to embrace the gay lifestyle, their god is no longer the God of the bible, but a false god; a god they've created who resembles the one true God, but is, in fact, a counterfeit. The god they create is a god who accepts their lifestyle as ordained by him; a lifestyle that they see as blessed, not sinful. Their lives are no longer lead by the Holy Spirit, but by self. They dismiss conviction, quenching the Spirit, attempting to smother His voice while turning up the volume on the voice that keeps assuring them that they are going in the right direction. Many of their decisions (spiritual, educational, political, financial, etc...) now become based on their new moral code and on what would be beneficial in promoting and/or normalizing their chosen lifestyle instead of what Jesus would command they should do.

How we identify ourselves is important because it sets the stage for the decisions we make in the present, which will affect our future. Are you defined by who you are in the world or who you are in Christ? Are you a 'gay Christian' or are you a 'Christian battling same sex attraction?' Will you continue to fight the good fight and endure to the end?

Don't let your same sex struggle define who you are. Put Jesus first and remind yourself often that there is a reward waiting for you when you complete this race. The fight may be difficult and you may feel you're living a life that is contrary to what your sexual attraction may be, but God will either deliver you from those desires or give you the strength every day to endure. The most important thing to do is to keep Jesus at the center of your life, the center of your attention and affection. Read His word. Talk with Him and open your heart to Him. Having same sex attraction isn't sinful. Acting upon those desires is. I encourage you to be strong in the Lord!!!

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Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!

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The Burial and Resurrection

As we discovered in my previous article, “The Beating, The Whipping And The Crucifixion,” the injuries Jesus suffered most assuredly led to His death. From His death, we move to His burial and resurrection.

THE BURIAL

Day 1 – Jesus died at approximately 3PM. The Sabbath was quickly approaching and His body needed to be buried before sunset (Deut. 21:22-23 / Gal 3:13). Everyone had to move quickly. Joseph of Aramathea sought and received permission from Pilate to claim Jesus’ body. The nails used to pin Jesus hands and feet to the roughly hewn cross, the Roman’s execution device, were removed so that Jesus could be freed. His limp and lifeless body was quickly carried to the tomb that Joseph of Aramathea had originally built to house his own body. The tomb was located among the gardens, close by the site of Jesus’ execution (Jn. 19:41-42).

The act of ensuring a proper burial was regarded as one of the greatest acts of benevolence one could bestow upon another. Great care was taken when preparing a body for burial, but there was barely enough time to provide such care for Jesus. They had to move quickly!

It was customary in Jesus’ time to use great quantities of spices for embalming the dead, especially for those held in high esteem. Joseph of Aramathea and Nicodemus brought with them about 100 pounds of aloe and myrrh.

“In preparing a body for burial according to Jewish custom, it was usually washed and straightened, and then bandaged tightly from the armpits to the ankles in strips of linen a foot wide. Aromatic spices, often of a gummy consistency, were placed between the wrappings or folds. They served partially as a preservative and partially as a cement to glue the cloth wrappings into a solid covering…” Tenney, Merrel C., The Reality of the Resurrection, Chicago: Moody Press, 1963.

After wrapping Jesus’ body, Joseph and Nicodemus left the tomb. The stone was rolled over the entrance, leaving Jesus’ body to lie alone in the dark.

Day 2 – It was the Sabbath and the chief priests and Pharisees weren’t done with Jesus just yet. They went before Pilate to request that guards be placed at the tomb. They told Pilate that Jesus had declared He would rise from the dead in three days and the chief priests and Pharisees didn’t want Jesus’ followers to steal His body and then falsely claim that He had risen. Pilate granted their request.

The chief priests and the Pharisees headed to the tomb, taking with them a few Roman soldiers. At the tomb, the chief priests and the Pharisees “sealed” the tomb (most likely using clay, in order to leave their mark by pressing their signet rings into it). This, of course, would have been done in the presence of the Roman soldiers. Why? The soldiers were posted to make sure the disciples didn’t gain access to the tomb and the seal was used to ensure that there would be no collusion between the Roman soldiers and the disciples. If the seal was broken, both the disciples and the soldiers would be held responsible.

Throughout that day and throughout the long, chilly night, Jesus’ body lay in the tomb as the guards stood watch just outside the entrance.

Day 3 – Jesus’ lifeless body remains in the sealed tomb. The guards have kept watch all night. No one has approached the tomb. Sunrise was moments away.

THE RESURRECTION

It was the beginning of a new week. While it was still dark, Mary Magdeline and Mary the mother of James and Salome gathered the spices they had prepared to anoint Jesus’ body. They made their way to the tomb in the early morning light. As they fought off the chill of that early hour, they wondered if they would be able to find help to move the stone from the entrance of the tomb.

At the tomb, the guards kept watch. Without warning, the earth trembled and then shook. The earth quaked as an angel of the Lord descended. The guards stood in astonishment as the angel, by himself, easily rolled the stone away from the entrance of the tomb, breaking the seal. This angel, whose had the “appearance of lightening” and who had clothing “as white as snow,” then took a seat on the top of the stone. The Roman soldiers, seeing this mind-boggling site, either passed out or were slain in the spirit, almost mimicking the incident that occurred in the garden of Gethsemane just days before (Jn. 18:4-6).

Since there is no mention in the Gospels about the women noticing the Roman soldiers on the ground, it can be assumed that they had quickly recovered as those at Gethsemane had and had fled the scene by the time the women arrived. The guards went to the chief priests and reported all that they had seen. After the chief priests discussed the matter, it was decided that the guards would say that they fell asleep at their post and that the disciples had come during the night and stolen away the body of Jesus. The guards were also told that if the news of the incident reached the ears of the governor, then the religious leaders would take care of the matter and the guards would not suffer punishment. Unfortunately, the guards agreed to participate in this deception.

When the women arrived at the tomb, the angel was still sitting atop the stone. He told them not to fear; that Jesus had risen from the dead. He instructed them to tell the disciples and Peter about Jesus’ resurrection and to let the disciples and Peter know that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. The women, at the angel’s prompting, entered the tomb where they found three angels. One was sitting on the right side of where Jesus had been laying. The other two were standing beside the women. The women fell with their faces to the ground in fear of the Lord at the glorious appearance of the angels. The angels repeated what the first angel had told them and revealed some of the prophecies that Jesus had to fulfill with His suffering and death. As the women left the tomb, they were filled with fear and joy.

The women ran from the tomb. Mary delivered the message to the disciples and to Peter. Peter and James raced to the tomb. James got there first and just peered in. He saw the linen clothes lying where Jesus’ body had been. Peter, upon his arrival, went into the tomb. He, too, saw the empty linen clothes. They both noticed, folded and placed by itself, the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head. (This may be a good place to note that as I understand it, in Jewish custom, when a guest folded their napkin at the table and left, it meant that they were returning to finish their meal. Could the folding of the face cloth be seen as a message from Jesus that He would be back?) The disciples left the tomb.

Later Jesus appeared in the midst of the disciples. He even encouraged poor doubting Thomas to examine the wounds to His hands, feet and side so that he would be convinced that Jesus had truly risen from the dead. After forty days, Jesus gathered His disciples and was lifted up into the sky on a cloud until He had disappeared from their sight. Two angels appeared, standing beside them, and told them that Jesus would come back in the same manner in which He left.

DID JESUS DIE?

Now some may claim that Jesus never died, that somehow He managed to survive the beatings, the whipping and the crucifixion. Of course, this is nonsense. If He had survived, surely the disciples, Joseph of Aramathea, Nicodemus or one of the Roman soldiers witnessing His execution or removing Him from the cross would have noticed (Romans were experts in death). Even if Jesus had some small spark of life left in Him, remember that He was mortally wounded. Could He really survive all that time in a cold tomb with no medical attention for His injuries? Surely He would have died from shock, exposure, dehydration or blood loss. No. Jesus was dead.

SOMEONE STOLE HIS BODY

Could the disciples or some of His other followers have stolen His body? That’s highly unlikely and here’s why:

• His resurrection was still a mystery to the disciples at that time. That’s why they were grieving His death. They had not yet comprehended what he meant when He said that He would rise again.

• If the disciples or some of Jesus’ other followers had stolen His body, would they take valuable time trying to carefully remove the tight wrappings in one piece like a cocoon (which would have been very difficult because it would have been stuck to his body with the gummy spices that had been applied) or to carefully fold the linen cloth that covered His face? Wouldn’t they have taken Him, linen and all, so that they could spend as little time at the scene of the crime as possible?

• Could they have arrived, moved the stone and stolen Jesus’ body without making a sound or being seen by the guard?

• The official story that the Jewish leaders spread was that the guards said that they had fallen asleep and that Jesus’ disciples stole the body. Question: If they were asleep, how would that know who stole the body? The bible states that the Roman guards saw and reported what really happened and that they were bribed by the Jewish leaders to change their story.

• The chief priests and Pharisees did not go out to inspect the tomb. Their lack of concern for viewing the scene of the crime screams cover-up.

• Breaking the seal on the rock in front of the tomb was a punishable offense. None of the disciples were ever charged with such an offence.

• The Roman soldiers couldn’t have been in collusion with Jesus. Not only was their allegiance sworn to Caesar, Jesus (if He was just a man) could not have possibly known which guards would have been chosen to guard the tomb.

There is always the possibility that Jesus was never placed in the tomb to begin with, but that isn’t possible either. There would have been too many witnesses to His burial to try a stunt like that. If the chief priests and Pharisees weren’t sure of His presence in the tomb, then they never would have sealed the tomb and posted the guard. Groups, both for and against Jesus, witnessed His burial, we can be confident of that. He was a high profile and very controversial person. We can be sure that a crowd was at His execution and burial, including the chief priests and Pharisees.

So, if Jesus did not survive the crucifixion, if He wasn’t taken by His disciples or other followers under the cover of darkness, if He was in fact placed in the tomb on the first day and then sealed in by the chief priests and Pharisees, then what is the alternative?

“What does the critical historian do when the evidence points very strongly to the reality of an event which contradicts his expectations and goes against the naturalistic view of reality? I submit that he must follow his critically analyzed sources. It is unscientific to begin with the philosophical presupposition that miracles cannot occur. Unless we avoid such one-sided presuppositions, historical interpretation becomes mere propaganda. We have a right to demand good evidence for an alleged event which we have not experienced, but we dare not judge reality by our limited experience.” (Ronald Sider, A Case for Easter, HIS magazine, April 1972)

“We have no right to begin with the presupposition that Jesus can be no more than a man. For then, obviously, our conclusions may simply reflect our preconceptions instead of representing the actual content of the documents. We must, in other words, objectively try to discover the picture Jesus and his contemporaries had of him, whether we agree with it or not. The question of us is not whether Jesus is pictured as a man. Virtually no one today would question this, for the records tell us that he was hungry and tired, that he wept, that he suffered and died, in short, that he was human.

The question we face today is whether he was depicted as no more than a man.” (John Warwick Montgomery, History and Christianity, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1971)

Could He be who the scriptures say He is? We'll take a look at the validity of scripture in my next article.

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Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!

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The Beating, The Whipping, And The Crucifixion

This article was written with the expectation that readers, like yourself, have more or less come to the conclusion that Jesus is an actual historical figure and that your study of the Bible, the writings of other Christian authors, or the writings of secular scholars, historians and/or philosophers have convinced you of this. You are not alone. The majority of secular historians no longer argue this point. They, too, believe that Jesus was a real man who lived approximately 2,000 years ago. It is also becoming clear that the Bible can be relied upon as being accurate and reliable. More about that in a future article.

This article briefly describes the physical torture that Jesus endured from the moment of His betrayal to His death on the cross. Whether Jesus was just a man or was fully man and fully God is a personal decision that everyone needs to make for themselves. This is just one of a series of articles that will culminate in one or two articles that will bring all of this information together.

THE BEATING

Jesus had been betrayed (Ps. 41:9/Mt. 26:20-25). Judas singled Jesus out with a kiss on His cheek. And the price? Judas carried with him the 30 pieces of silver that had already been paid to him for his betrayal (Zech. 11:12/Mt. 26:15). Approaching were some of the chief priests, temple officers and elders. They arrested Jesus, which caused his disciples to flee into the darkness of the night out of fear that they, too, would be arrested.

Jesus was bound and brought before Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year. While being questioned, Jesus was slapped in His face for what they deemed a disrespectful response. This would be the first strike of many. Jesus was then brought before Caiaphas, the chief priests and the elders. As they proceeded, false witnesses were called forward to make known their accusations. Jesus was eventually declared guilty of blasphemy because He dared call Himself the Son of God. Those in attendance covered His face, spit on Him, struck Him, slapped Him and mocked Him. Even the guards beat Him (Isa. 50:6/Mt. 26:67-68).

Following this physical assault, Jesus was taken to Pilate, who spoke with Him. After refusing to respond to any of the charges made against Him by the Jewish leaders (Isa. 53:7/Mt. 27:12-14), Pilate sends Jesus to Herod questions Jesus as well, but again Jesus does not respond to the charges made against him (Isa. 53:7/Lk. 23:8-10). Herod and his men treat Jesus with contempt, mocking Him as they dressed Him up in fine clothing, like royalty. Jesus is then sent back to Pilate dressed in that manner.

Pilate is amused with Herod’s display of mockery. Their shared contempt of Jesus causes an instant bond of friendship between the two of them (Luke 23:12).

Pilate, since he could find no reason to give Jesus the death sentence, assumed that a severe whipping would be sufficient to placate the Jewish leaders, so Jesus is handed over to the guards, a full battalion, who gather together for what they consider the day’s entertainment.

One soldier fashions a crown of thorns and presses it into the flesh on Jesus’ head. They then strip Jesus and clothe Him in a scarlet robe. They put a reed, like a scepter, in His right hand. Then they begin saluting and bowing to Him, laughing and yelling, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

They blindfold Him, spit on Him and continue to mock Him. Then they begin beating Him with their fists. The Roman soldiers do their job well as they pummel Jesus (Isa 50:6/Mt. 26:67-68). Once they have had their fill of fun, they remove the scarlet robe that they had put on Him to mock Him, and they dress Him in His own clothing. After experiencing two physical assaults, being beaten about the head, face and body, Jesus is about to experience a more severe punishment.

THE WHIPPING

Sore and bleeding, His face swollen and bruised practically beyond all recognition, Jesus was bound to a pole or a stump. The whipping that Jesus was about to endure was more than just a few strikes with a leather whip. It was a brutal act meant to cause serious bodily harm and severe pain.

The instrument of punishment used by the Romans to scourge their victims was called a flagrum. Attached to the leather straps were pieces of sharp bone and metal, which would tear into and lacerate human flesh. It was created to do damage!

“…veins were laid bare, and… the very muscles, sinews and bowels of the victim were open to exposure.” (Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, 3rd century historian)

Although Jewish law limited the number of lashings a person could receive, the Romans did not have such limitations. The victim was at the mercy of his punisher, however long he chose to extend the punishment.

The severe wounds Jesus received would never have time to close or to heal, because Jesus was never allowed to rest or recuperate. Shortly after they whipped Him, He was on the move again, being brought before Pilate and before the crowd. Then the judgment… “Crucify Him!” Wounds still fresh and being forced open as he moved, he was led away.

Jesus, being led through the streets to His execution, managed to carry the cross, but not for long. The blood loss and the physical damage to his body from the beatings, the whipping and the lack of food and water brought Him to the point of near death. Another man, Simon of Cyrene, was forced to carry the cross that Jesus was too weak to carry. All this torture was a prelude to the horror that was about to unfold.

THE CRUCIFIXION

The Romans weren't unfamiliar with crucifixions or death. They were experts at both. The suffering endured on the cross was intense and severe. In Jerusalem, it began with carrying your own torture device, the cross, through the streets, out of the city and up a hill. Jesus, drained of blood and strength, could not manage this task for long. As I already mentioned above, that task was forced upon another.

At the crucifixion site, Jesus would have been stripped naked, the fabric of his clothing brushing over His open wounds causing Him additional pain. He would have then been laid on top of the cross, the wood pressed against the inflamed and swollen lacerations, causing fresh blood to seep from them.

Then the huge nails, driven into his hands and feet, brought the new pain of metal puncturing flesh, causing wounds that expel even more of His precious blood (Ps. 22:16/Lk. 23:33). Bleeding from His head, His body and the new wounds to His hands and feet, He’s lifted up until the cross is vertical and His body is displayed for all to see.

There He hangs, a man barely recognizable as human. His face disfigured from the beatings and His body torn apart (Isa. 52:14). Behind the scenes, the soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ clothing. (Psalm 22:18/John 19:23-24) On either side of Him hangs a thief, crucified for their crimes (Isa. 53:12/Mt. 27:38).

Suffocation, dizziness, cramping, thirst, hunger, shame of His nakedness, blood loss, raw exposed nerves… all endured by Him. Eventual death on the cross was inevitable, but His injuries and dehydration would quicken the process. Every breath was painful and laborious and He would need to use His legs to lift Himself up for every breath He took. Eventually, the loss of blood, the torture and anxiety He suffered eventually becomes too much for His human body to withstand. The centurion, standing in front of the cross, watched Jesus take His last breath. Jesus dies of what can be described as a *cardiac rupture (Ps. 22:14/Jn. 19:34)

Jesus hung from the cross, His life drained from Him. The Sabbath was quickly approaching. It was already the 9th hour (3:00 PM) and Jewish law demanded that He be buried before the Sabbath began. The Romans, seeing that Jesus was already dead, did not break His legs, but instead thrust a spear into his right side (Isa. 53:5, Zech. 12:10/Jn. 19:34), which caused blood and water to flow. The Romans, masters of death, recognized a dead man when they saw one. Pilate sent a guard to the crucifixion site to double check whether or not Jesus was truly dead. Pilate then released Jesus’ body to Joseph of Arimathea.

*An article in JAMA concluded from the Gospel accounts that Jesus certainly had died before He was removed from the cross: “clearly, the weight of historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to His side was inflicted and supports the traditional view that the spear, thrust between His right ribs, probably perforated not only the right lung, but also the pericardium and heart and thereby ensured His death. Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus did not die on the cross appear to be at odds with modern medical knowledge.” (Edwards, PDJC 1463)

*Samuel Houghton, M.D., the great physiologist from the University of Dublin, relates his view on the physical cause of Christ’s death: “When the soldier pierced with his spear the side of Christ, He was already dead; and the flow of blood and water that followed was either a natural phenomenon explicable by natural causes or it was a miracle… Death by crucifixion causes a condition of blood in the lungs similar to that produced by drowning… A copious flow of blood, succeeded by a copious flow of water… would occur in a crucified person, who had died upon the cross from rupture of the heart… there remains, therefore, no supposition possible to explain the recorded phenomenon except the combination of the crucifixion and rupture of the heart.”

Part two of this series can be found by clicking HERE.

This article will be updated with more scriptural references and links to additional information as time permits.

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You Can't Compromise On Who Jesus Says He Is

You can't call Jesus a great teacher or just a prophet of God or a great philosopher while at the same time ignoring the fact that He says He is God. Many try to walk that fine line between His deity and His humanity. The compromise is to view Him as a man and accept his "moral teaching" while ignoring the fact that He is God.

If Jesus is not God, then He was a liar and a con man and should not be held up as an example of how we should live our lives. If Jesus was a liar, then how can we explain the fact that He left us with the most profound moral instruction and powerful moral example that anyone has ever left? Could a deceiver teach such unselfish ethical truths and live such a morally exemplary life as Jesus did?

Throughout history, Jesus Christ has captured the hearts and minds of millions of people who have striven to pattern their lives after His. Some may deny that Jesus ever claimed He was God, but scripture tells a different story.

Scripture shows us others recognized that He was God (and Jesus did not refute them):

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matt. 16:16-18

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” John 11:25-27

28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” John 20:28

35 Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” 38 And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. John 9:35-38

31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” Matthew 14:31-33

Jesus Himself said He was God:

60 The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 61 But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 Tearing his clothes, the high priest said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? Mark 14:60-63

43 He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” Matthew 27:43

24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them and they will never perish;, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” John 10:24-30

10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:10

28 So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. John 8:28

58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. John 8:58-59

21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. John 5:21-23

23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. John 14:23

Since none but God can forgive sins, then Jesus, who forgives sins, is God:

5 And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:5

If you accept that Jesus lived on earth and that the bible gives an account of His life, then you need to take all that Jesus did (as well as what others said about Him and responded to Him) into account when forming an opinion on who He is.

Was He a liar? A con man? Or is He the Son of God who stepped out of eternity and gave up His glory to come to earth, lived the life of a common man (a laborer), and lived a sinless and blameless life as an example of how God intended us to live when He created Adam and Eve? Did He come as just a teacher or prophet, or did He come to redeem us and save us from the penalty of sin by laying down His own life to save ours? Was He God in the flesh?

His teachings were ultimate, final, above those of Moses and the prophets. He spoke with authority. He made Himself equal with God. How can we ignore such vital information when searching the scriptures? How can we strip Him of His divinity and make him nothing more than a man like us?

If you question the divinity of Jesus, then you question the validity of the word of God. If you don't believe that the bible is the true inspired word of God (which is what you're saying when you deny the divinity of Jesus), then your attempts to follow the teachings of the bible are in vain. You will eagerly covet those scriptures that you agree with and try to apply them to your life from a humanistic perspective while ignoring those scriptures that you feel are to difficult to understand and apply, or that seem outdated or intolerant. Cherry picking which scriptures you choose to believe in is like writing your own bible. Following an incomplete bible can only lead to worshiping a false god, and that's idolatry.

You can't compromise on who Jesus is or on understanding that the bible is the complete word of God.

If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!

Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!

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Take Off Those Muddy Boots

I borrowed this analogy from a friend on another blog site. I liked what he had to say, so I expanded a little on what he wrote. It's very simplistic, but the message is still clear.

People often say, “God loves everybody just they way they are.” That may be true, but He also loves us too much to let us remain in our sin.

We cannot enter the kingdom of heaven in our present unsaved condition. We must be born again to enter the kingdom of God.

Those who are not born again believers in Christ continue living with their spiritual connection with God severed. It’s not until we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior that this spiritual connection is repaired, offering us a direct line of communication with God and giving us the opportunity to begin building a lifelong relationship with Him.

God has revealed to us that we are sinners and unless that condition changes, we can’t enter into His kingdom. Look at it this way... Just as you refuse to let somebody walk through your clean house with muddy boots on, God has a requirement for His home too. You love your child, but he isn’t coming in the house until he takes off those muddy boots, no matter how much he sweet-talks you or tries to use his intellect to convince you otherwise.

It’s the same with God. He’s pretty much saying, “Come to me dirty, just the way you are.” He even kneels down and takes those filthy boots off of us; all we have to do is let Him. But people still refuse to repent; still refuse to go through the trouble of taking off their dirty boots, claiming those boots will be coming into God’s house in spite of what He says.

We all have a choice. Do we take off those filthy boots or do we remain outside of God’s kingdom forever.

If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!

Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!

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The Demise of Damascus

The demise of Damascus is prophesied in Isaiah 17:1 "The burden against Damascus. 'Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.'" (KJV)

This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled (as of the date and time), and it makes one wonder how the Lord will bring about the destruction of Damascus. 

Damascus, the center of terrorist activity in the region; the nation that has provided terrorist organizations protection, financing and weapons. The blast of a nuclear weapon would destroy Damascus, the capital of Syria, and make it a "ruinous heap" as the prophecy has foretold.

The question I would then ask is this: Would the use of a nuclear weapon, and the destruction of Damascus, bring about a quick response from Arab countries and Russia, resulting in the war of Gog and Magog? This is also part of biblical prophecy and can be found in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Although the attacking forces will come against Israel from all sides, God intervenes and brings about the end of the war supernaturally. This attack will devastate the military forces of Israel's enemies.

Once this happens, the surrounding Arab countries will have no defense against Israel's military might, which could usher in the Tribulation through brokering a 7-year peace treaty. Yes, this could be the incident that finally brings some peace to the region. Could this be what prophecy states as a time of "peace and safety" for Israel? Will this allow Israel to finally feel it can rest and not have to be on constant guard against the enemies that surrounded her in the past?

One thing is certain. Syria would need to commit a crime against Israel that is far worse than the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 in order for Israel to even consider the nuclear option. The attack form Syria on Israel would have to be so heinous (biological weapons?) that she would feel that her future existence was in jeopardy, and therefore would feel compelled to choose the nuclear option. Israel will not go down without a full-on fight to the death. 

Whether or not this biblical prophecy is fulfilled during the church age (before the Rapture), I still eagerly await the Lord's return for His bride... us. What a glorious day that will be. Praise God, who was, and is, and is to come!

REPENT, AND BE FORGIVEN!

BELIEVE, AND BE SAVED!

TRIBULATIONHARVEST.NET

Fascinating Information About Preparations For The Third Temple

I just read the book, "The New Temple and the Second Coming" by Grant R Jeffrey. There were a few intesing bits of information that I found fascenating. Some of you who have kept up with recent events surrounding the plans for the Third Temple will undoubtedly find this information redundant, but I know that there are some readers who will find this article informative. Most of what I will write below will be quoted from the book.

The Discovery of the Oil of Anointing

An archaeological team discovered a clay vessel that contained oil that had solidified to the consistancy of molasses. When the oil was analized, it was shown to be composed of five ingredients, exactly as God commanded Moses (Exodus 30:23-26, 30-31). Intensive testing by the Dept. of Hebrew Univ. established that the oil inside the clay vessel was the ancient oil of anointing. It was given to two chief rabbis of Israel for safe keeping.

One of the five ingredients in this oil is the rare persimmon or balsam (afarsimon) oil. There were only two groves in the whole Middle East where the precious balsom trees grew. When it became apparent that the Romans were going to destroy Jerusalem and the Temple, priests burned the two groves to keep them out of the hands of the Romans. With their destruction, it became impossible to reconstitute the ancient oil of anointing. Without the oil of anointing, it would seem to be impossible to anoint the sacred objects and the priests. However, the discovery of this ancient sample of the oil of anointing makes it possible to anoint the Temple, the sacred vessels and the priests.

Special Blue Dye
The Bible records that many of the special garments, including the avnet-belt of the high priest, must be dyed with a special blue dye known as tchelet. This dye was produced from a rare mollusk found only in the Mediterranean Sea, a marine creature long thought to be extinct. However, in the late 1990's, Israeli divers discovered the mollusk, the hillazon snail, in the Red Sea. A thick liquid is extracted from a gland in the mollusk to produce the rich blue dye. The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has created a supply of the blue dye, which will be used to create the garments required in Temple worship... and used to produce the tsitsit fringes worn by observant Jewish males in the temple. The unspun wool for the priestly robes is dipped in this liquid, turning the wool a bright green. When the new green wool is exposed to the light, it takes on a rich blue color. Once it dries, the wool is spun into a blue thread.

Ashes of the Red Heifer

The Third Temple cannot be built and used for worship until the appropriate area on the Temple Mount is ritually purified using waters of purification from the ashes of an unblemished red heifer. The ashes from the burned sacrifice will be mixed with water, scarlet thread, cedar, and hyssop, producing the waters of purification. Then the priest will sprinkle the water on the stones of the Temple Mount, the priests and the Temple vessels according to the Bible's commands as recorded in Num. 19.

A pure red heifer is very rare... Jewish authorities are raising a number of red heifers in Israel so they will have a qualified candidate when they receive a divine sign that the time has come to rebuild the Temple.

But do we need a red heifer? Could ashes from the last red heifer be found just as the oil of anointing was found?

During the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, priests took the ashes from the Temple in a vessel called the Kalal, a container made with clay and dung from a previous red heifer. The Essene priests buried the container holding the ashes near Qumran, along with a great number of the sacred objects (including the oil of anointing, which has already been discovered). The chief rabbis believe the recovery of the ashes of the red heifer... is key to rebuilding the Temple.

HEADLINE UPDATE 09/05/2018: Temple Institute Announces Birth Of Red Heifer

We are witnesses to the fulfilling of numerous prophecies as we live and breathe in this era of biblical history. We are filled with hope as we anticipate the return of our Messiah. We are encouraged by the progress of the Temple Institute and other organizations in retrieving Temple artifacts and discovering clues to the exact location of the First and Second Temples.

I pray for the peace of Israel and the return of Yeshua HaMashiach!

If you like this article, or any of the other information on this web site, please consider following me. You'll be one of the first to be notified when I create new content! You'll find the section at the top of the right hand column on this page. It says, "Follow Tribulation Harvest by Email." After entering your email address, you may be prompted to sign in to your Google account. Thank you!!!

Repent and be forgiven! Believe and be saved!

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