The Iran Deal has been labeled as the “historic deal of the century,” which will bring peace to the Middle East. It has also been described as “catastrophic” and “idiotic,” which is “marching Israelis to the door of the oven.” There are many aspects within the deal and its many secret side deals which the US government refuses to reveal to the American public. In this program, we will show you numerous widely-unknown facts, proving that America’s leadership has given away “the whole store,” while receiving NOTHING in return and having become a laughing stock of the Iranians. This is all in line with biblical prophecy, and YOU need to know what YOU can do, individually, to escape the inevitable downfall of the USA. We are offering our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”
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The Sufferings of the Apostle Paul
Paul had to endure much hardship, but he never gave up. This sermon discusses many of his trials, including his unjust arrests and illegal imprisonments; several attempts to murder him; numerous false accusations against him by Jews and Greeks; and many conspiracies by unbelieving Jews with the declared goal of assassinating him. But Paul knew that his trials served a godly purpose. And we will see how he received strength to endure victoriously, becoming worthy for the Kingdom of God.
Do Dreams Influence Your Life?
Do dreams come from God? Does God give us secret instructions through dreams, which could be interpreted in different ways? How can we ascertain whether someone has received a dream from God, or whether someone tells false dreams? Is the concentration on dreams often times nothing but superstition? Do we need dreams and signs in order to believe God and obey Him?
When Will Sinners Die During the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment?
We find that at the very beginning of the Millennium (Christ’s 1,000-year rule on earth), even though Satan will be imprisoned, Asiatic hordes (referred to as “Gog and Magog”) will try to invade the Promised Land, but God will intervene and destroy those rebels (Ezekiel 38).
We also explained in a recent Q&A that at the very end of the Millennium, before the Second Resurrection, Satan will be released from his prison for a short time. He will deceive the nations so that they will try, once again, to invade the Promised Land. However, God will intervene and destroy those nations, as He did at the beginning of the Millennium. Many of those who die in these two rebellions will be resurrected in the Second Resurrection, but some might have committed the unpardonable sin during these rebellions. They will be resurrected in the Third Resurrection to be burned up in the lake of fire. They will cease to exist forever.
This poses the question as to when others will be killed if they commit crimes in the Millennium, worthy of physical death. Will they be killed at the time when they commit those sins or will this occur at a later time?
When we review the situation during the Second Resurrection which is also referred to as the Great White Throne Judgment period, we find that those who sin will die AT THE END of the period, not during the same. One of the seven of God’s annual Holy Days, the Last Great Day, symbolizes the meaning of the Second Resurrection. We say the following in our Statement of Beliefs:
“The Last Great Day which immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles… symbolizes a 100-year period called the ‘Great White Throne Judgment,’ during which all persons who have ever lived and who were never called by God for salvation during this life, will have their first opportunity to accept Christ as their Savior (Leviticus 23:36; John 7:37; Revelation 20:11-12). At the end of that period, there will be a judgment during which all people who have ever lived and who have refused to accept Christ as their Savior, will be finally condemned to eternal death and destroyed in Gehenna fire (Revelation 20:13-15).”
This 100-year time period is alluded to in Isaiah 65:20, where we read: “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.”
The “child” is a reference to a true Christian who must become as a child to enter the Kingdom of God (compare Matthew 18:1-5). He will “die” at the end of the hundred years. His physical “death” occurs when he is changed to immortality at the end of the Great White Throne Judgment period. His physical existence will cease to exist or “die.” The same is true for those Christians who are alive when Christ returns; their physical existence will end as well at that time–they will “die” physically when they are being changed instantaneously into immortal Spirit Beings (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).
The “accursed sinner” is someone who commits the unpardonable sin (compare 2 Peter 2:12-17, especially verse 14). He will also live until the end of the 100-year period. He will die and subsequently be resurrected in the Third Resurrection, to be destroyed and burned up in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41). Many commentaries understand that the “accursed” sinner will indeed die at the end of the Great White Throne Judgment period:
Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible writes: “… though the sinner, being an hundred years old, shall be accursed; for though this shall be common in this state to good men and bad men, to live a hundred years, yet their death will not be alike; the good man will be blessed, and enter into a happy state of joy and peace; but the wicked man, though he lives as long as the other in this world, shall be accursed at death, and to all eternity…”
The Benson Commentary states: “… the sinner that dies a hundred years old shall be (that is, shall be deemed) accursed, or cut off by the justice of God for his crime.”
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible adds: “But the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed – Though a sinner shall reach that advanced period of life, yet he shall be cursed of God and shall be cut down in his sins. He shall be held to be a sinner and shall die, and shall be regarded as accursed…”
When reviewing the situation in the Millennium, we find an interesting passage in Zechariah 13:3, which reads: “It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the LORD.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies…”
We discussed this passage in a previous Q&A. We stated the following:
“In explaining the passage in Zechariah 13:3, the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary points out: ‘The substantial truth expressed is that false prophecy shall be utterly abolished. If it were possible for it again to start up, the very parents of the false prophet would not let parental affection interfere, but would be the first to thrust him through. Love to Christ must be paramount to the tenderest of natural ties’…
“We see from this passage that God will not permit idolatrous and demonic doctrines, as well as sorcery and witchcraft, to be taught or practiced in the Millennium. At the same time, the passage above refers to a rebellious, wicked and incorrigible person who refuses to be submissive and obedient to God, even though he has been repeatedly warned (compare Isaiah 30:20). During the Millennium, the death penalty will be ‘on the books’ and will even be enforced, either directly by God or human beings, in case of flagrant presumptuous violations (compare an early incident at the beginning of the Millennium, in Ezekiel 38:18-23; 39:6; also compare a similar incident at the end of the Millennium, in Revelation 20:7-9)…
“Even when considering conditions during the Millennium, we need to understand that the nations will be ‘gradually’ led to the truth. Foreigners will hear about God’s true and righteous rule in Jerusalem, and they will want to go there to learn more about it (Isaiah 2:1-3)… But not everyone will readily follow [God’s] guidance nor respond to [His] oral teaching when they hear [a] voice behind them telling them to go the straight and narrow way. Some will need to be dealt with in more drastic ways, such as the temporary withholding of physical blessings (compare Zechariah 14:16–19)…
“Total rebellion will be dealt with quickly and thoroughly. Those who refuse to obey God will be destroyed. This will also serve as a lesson to others, so that they will not feel motivated to rebel also (compare Ezekiel 38:8–12, 15–23; 39:3–10)…”
Apart from the two rebellions mentioned in the Bible (at the beginning and the end of the Millennium), when sinners will be killed “on the spot,” we do not really know what will happen to those who commit serious crimes during the Millennium. We might wonder whether the commitment of serious crimes will even be allowed. It is certain that the death penalty for mortal crimes will be “on the books,” but a person might not be permitted to actually carry out such vicious acts, especially not towards other human beings (compare Isaiah 11:9). Even during the two rebellions at the beginning and the end of the Millennium, God will not allow that any innocent victim will be harmed.
In regard to Zechariah 13:3, the following additional thought was expressed in the Matthew Poole’s Commentary:
“Thou shalt not live; which I take to be not the sentence condemnatory, for, being private persons, they could not condemn him; but it is a repetition of the law which saith such shall not live… The father and mother thus should admonish and show the matter of law and danger, but not judicially pass sentence, and determine what shall be done…
“Shall thrust him through; or, wound, chastise with stripes that may leave their marks behind them; or rather, shall sharply reprove him, and with cutting words terrify him from the like practice. You read of words that are piercing words, Proverbs 12:18, words that run through as a sword… Besides, if it were to be understood of killing, the law directs to stone such a one, [Deuteronomy] 13:10, not to run him through with lance or sword.”
It is indeed interesting that the Hebrew word, which is rendered above as “thrust through,” is “daqar,” which can also mean “wounded” (Jeremiah 37:10), without conveying the thought of killing or dying.
Whatever the exact meaning and application of Zechariah 13:3, it is obvious that God will not allow or tolerate rebellious conduct in the Millennium and during the Great White Throne Judgment period. God will deal swiftly and righteously with rebellion and rebels, in accordance with His best judgment as to the manner and timing.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
Do You Stand Firm in God’s Truth?
Why do some resist the truth and walk away from it? Could a lack of faith, sinful conduct, anxious thoughts, the pleasures of this world, bitterness, or false priorities be decisive reasons as to why some do not understand the truth, and why others do not understand it anymore?
Messing With Donald Trump?
I dare to admit it: I like Donald Trump. That is, I like someone who stands up for his views and does not generally buckle in the face of adversity. And even though he received a lot of rejection for many of his comments, he also got some recognition that he was not “all wrong” in what he was saying. Take, for example, his comments on Mexican immigrants which prompted a whirlwind of hostile reactions. Of course, in context, he never quite said what his opponents claim.
Here are his by now “infamous” words:
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best… They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
When challenged by CNN, he stood by his words, emphasizing the obvious—that he wasn’t talking about the Mexican people, many of whom he loves, but illegal immigrants, adding that “somebody’s doing the raping.”
That left-liberal Democrats and moderators are not supporting Trump is obvious. And even most conservative Republicans and commentators, being fearful that a close relationship with him might backfire on them, are reluctant to publically side with Trump. But some few have decided to throw all caution to the wind, saying (as Ted Cruz did) that “Trump speaks the truth.” Ann Coulter agrees, alleging that the mainstream media covers up the many sex crimes committed by Mexican illegal immigrants, adding that the “rate of rape in Mexico is even higher than in India.”
The National Review editor grudgingly consented with some of Trump’s comments in an article, titled, “Sorry, Donald Trump Has a Point,” continuing, “NBC, Univision and Macy’s have all thrown The Donald under the bus… The companies fleeing from Trump were happy to be in bed with him so long as it suited their business interests… The point surely could be made much more deftly by anyone not named Donald J. Trump. In the meantime, he fills the vacuum, and enjoys the whirlwind.”
Especially America’s mainstream press and also media outlets in Europe (left and right) portray Trump as a villain, a lunatic, a showman, a joke and a laughing stock. Germany’s mass tabloids seem to find the most disadvantageous photographs of him when they “report” about “The Donald.”
In turn, Trump fires back, and his popularity in the USA rises as a consequence. He has not many kind words for politicians from either party. But it would be dishonest to question the accuracy of the following statements (which he made in one of his interviews with Newsmax TV):
“A politician is all talk, no action. They’re not going to get us to the Promised Land… They’re controlled by lobbyists, they’re controlled by their donors, they’re controlled by special interests. … If you’re looking at making our country great again, they’re not going to do it.”
Now, Trump has not always been following through, either. When neither Republicans nor Democrats were willing to publically question Barack Obama’s claim of being born in the USA (a necessity for becoming President), Trump dared to challenge the “evidence,” but he subsequently buckled when a copy of a long-form birth certificate was produced, allegedly “proving” that Mr. Obama was born in Hawaii. Some feel that Trump should not have given in, as in their evaluation, too many unresolved questions remain to this day. They point at the declaration of some analysts that the birth certificate was a fraud. They speak of the death in a plane crash of the governmental official providing the copy of the birth certificate and “affirming” its accuracy—even though Trump found the plane crash to be mysterious. They refer to the uncontested affidavit of Mr. Obama’s grandmother claiming that she was present when he was born in Kenya; and the proclamation of Mr. Obama’s publisher for many years that he was born in Indonesia.
Whatever the case, it seems that Trump may have learned from the past and is now even more determined to run with what has been given to him. No doubt, he will encounter much more opposition in the months ahead from just about every corner. Sadly, in this present evil world, even if he ended up in a high governmental position, he would still not be able to make a substantial difference, because our man-made faulty governmental system would prevent this from happening. It will require the return of Jesus Christ to build a new world from the ruins of a totally destroyed planet. Earth, under Satan’s rule, will be in shambles, caused by man’s greed, injustice, incompetence and his terrible wars.
Even though I can by no means agree with and approve of all of Donald Trump’s words, concepts, methods and courses of action, it is still refreshing to see that someone is apparently willing to cast off the shackles of fearful political correctness and speak his mind—pronouncing what he seems to truly believe, without “retracting” and “apologizing.”
How much more should we, as Christians in God’s service, cry aloud and spare not and show our people their sins and transgressions and identify the rotten EVILS of this world and its total lack of morality, while proclaiming with BOLDNESS and CONVICTION the gospel message of the Kingdom of God and Christ’s soon-coming return in POWER and GLORY? But even though timid lip services to this godly commission might be given occasionally, how many are REALLY willing to follow through with it without compromising, especially when faced with opposition and rejection?
Did Jesus Christ Have A “Sinful Nature”?
In a recent Q&A on human nature and the wrong concept of “original sin” of babies, we stated the following about Jesus Christ’s conception and birth as a human being:
“… all are born with HUMAN NATURE or, as the Bible puts it, with SINFUL FLESH. Christ never sinned, but He came into sinful flesh (Romans 8:3). He had human nature passed on to Him through His mother Mary, and He needed God’s help to overcome sin in the flesh. He had the fullness of God’s Spirit within Him without measure, and that from conception (John 3:34, Authorized Version), which enabled Him to stay sinless…
“Christ was not in any way guilty or sinful because of an ‘original sin’ which had been passed on genetically to Him when He was conceived in Mary’s womb, but Christ was conceived with human nature… Romans 8:3 tells us that Christ came ‘in the likeness of sinful flesh’ to overcome and condemn sin in the flesh.”
We also said this:
“A baby in his or her mother’s womb is not guilty because of ‘original sin,’ nor has he or she committed any sinful acts in the mother’s womb. When Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb, He was not guilty because of any ‘original sin,’ nor did He commit any sinful act in the womb of His mother. But as a human being conceived with human nature, a baby has the propensity of and proclivity for sin, and it would have sinned following birth (The only exception was the Man Jesus Christ—even though He, too, was conceived with human nature, God the Father’s Holy Spirit dwelt within Him from inception without measure, enabling Him to overcome sin in the flesh—including His own human nature—so that He NEVER sinned.).”
When the Bible says that Christ came “in the likeness of sinful flesh,” it also expresses the concept that He came “in” or “into sinful flesh,” as we pointed out in the above-stated Q&A.
The fact that both expressions (“coming in the likeness of sinful flesh” and “coming in sinful flesh”) are conveying identical thoughts has been clearly understood by commentators and translators. For instance, the Jerusalem Bible renders Romans 8:3-4 as follows:
“God has done what the Law, because of our unspiritual nature, was unable to do. God dealt with sin by sending his own Son in a body as physical as any sinful body, and in that body God condemned sin. He did this in order that the Law’s just demands might be satisfied in us, who behave not as our unspiritual nature but as the spirit dictates.”
The “likeness” of something or someone describes an IDENTICAL copy or representation of something or someone else.
The Greek word for “likeness” is “homoioma,” and means, quite literally, “something made like” or “being the same” (derived from “homos,” meaning “the same.”)
The same word is used in Romans 5:14: “… death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam…”
Adam’s descendants had not committed the same identical sin which Adam had committed, in that they did not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but they had sinned, of course, because death reigned over them, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We see, then, that the word “likeness” describes the identical duplication or representation of something else. If they HAD sinned according to the “likeness” of Adam’s sin, then they would have committed the same IDENTICAL sin.
The most convincing Scripture proving the accuracy of our statements in this Q&A can perhaps be found in Philippians 2:7 where we read that Christ came “in the likeness (“homoioma”) of man.” This is another way of saying that He came as a man; that He BECAME a man; that He WAS a man (compare John 1:1, 14).
So, when He came in the “likeness” of sinful flesh, He came in or into sinful flesh. That is, He became a man with human nature which is described as sinful as it CANNOT be subject or obedient to the Law of God (Romans 8:7). However, with the help of God the Father, Christ WAS able to OVERCOME His human nature—self—and learned obedience by the things which He suffered (Hebrews 5:8).
As Christ was fully man—as He came in the “likeness of man” and “in the likeness of sinful flesh”—He had to overcome His flesh and make sure that He would not succumb to the temptations of His flesh. That is why we read that Christ, “in the days of His flesh… offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear” (Hebrews 5:7). In that way, He overcame self.
We read that He had a human will which did not want to die, but He submitted to God’s Will, saying, “… not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39), adding, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (verse 41). He knew beforehand what would await Him, and He said to His disciples: “I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished” (Luke 12:50). But if He had followed His human will to escape His pre-ordained fate (giving in to the will of His “weak flesh”), He would have sinned, as He would have disobeyed God’s Plan for Him and for all of mankind.
If Christ would not have had “sinful” human flesh or human nature, He would not have been susceptible to Satan’s temptations either (since God cannot be tempted by evil, James 1:13), but He clearly was tempted by Satan and had to conquer him (Matthew 4:10; Mark 8:33). When Peter tried unknowingly to circumvent the Will of God, Christ told him: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense [a stumbling block] to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23).
As Christ overcame His human nature, Satan the devil and the world (John 16:33), so must we (Revelation 3:21). With the living Christ in us, we CAN obey God and become and stay righteous, so that the “righteous requirement of the law” CAN be “fulfilled in us” (Romans 8:4). We do not HAVE TO sin. Human nature cannot be subject to the Law of God, but God’s Holy Spirit in us helps us to overcome human nature and be obedient.
Christ NEVER sinned (Hebrews 4:15). But of Himself, He could do nothing (John 5:19, 30). It was the Father IN Christ who did the works (John 14:10), including the “works” of overcoming and staying obedient. With the help of God the Father’s Spirit within Christ without measure, leading, guiding and empowering Him, He could and did overcome the human nature of His “sinful flesh,” NEVER sinning even once (1 Peter 2:21-22; 1 John 3:5), and thereby becoming the perfect Sacrifice for us, paying the death penalty for our sins on our behalf and giving us the opportunity to “become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
Greece in Prophecy
Greece is faced with turmoil and economic disaster, and the “No”-Referendum did not bring any clarity. Will Greece leave the Eurozone or even the EU? Would this bring about the abolishment of the Euro and the ultimate downfall and dissemination of the United States of Europe? What does the Bible say about all of this? Don’t assume that you know the answer. We are offering FREE CDs and DVDs of a recent three-part sermon series on Prophecy and the current and future developments in Europe.
Download Audio Download VideoPolitical Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
The decision of the US Supreme Court, to grant “gay and lesbian Americans” the “right to marry as any other couple,” has been viewed as dangerous political manipulation, which violates the clear language of the Constitution and the declared will of the founding fathers. President Obama and Hillary Clinton enthusiastically welcomed the decision, but until recently, they had strongly opposed same-sex marriages. Former Governor Mike Huckabee called the ruling an “out-of-control act of unconstitutional, judicial tyranny.” Time magazine wrote that orthodox Christians are now “exiles in [their] own country,” and that the Supreme Court declared the “decline and fall” of America’s “social, political and legal order.” What can Christians do in light of such abominations?
Download Audio Download VideoThe Woman Riding the Beast
In chapter 17 of the book of Revelation, a fallen rich woman or “great harlot” is described who sits on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. She is called “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth.” She is identified as a “great city,” sitting on “seven mountains” or hills. What is meant with these symbols? And what is the meaning of the “dreadful and terrible” fourth beast in Daniel 7, having “huge iron teeth” and ten horns, and the “little horn,” coming up among the ten horns, speaking “pompous words against the Most High,” intending to “change times and law,” subduing three kings and persecuting the saints of the Most High for “a time and times and half a time”?
