Parking the prophet and taking the Bible as final and one and only

The catastrophic events that are signs of the end of the age are so unique that no mistake is possible. The shaking up of human openness to Scripture by people who have new and essential information is an added catastrophe. One cannot mistake the sun for the moon. The sea will not pass as the land, and when the angelic hosts get active no one should be mistaking their moves for God’s. The trumpet warnings and bowl plagues are designed to call attention to God’s fingerprint.

Trumpets and vials

The certainty of last day events comes from three evangelists reporting Yeshua’s message (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21). We see the further enhancement of the certainty of last day events in the three series of seven announcements.  These appear in the seven seals, seven  trumpets and seven bowls (vials) of the Book of Revelation.  An example of a distinct must happen is the 6th trumpet. When it sounds a third of humanity dies! The decrees of the trumpet series are interventions that seem to serve as the plagues on Egypt. The trumpets are woes; rock-your-world happenings. These next verses set up trumpets 5, 6, and 7 as woes.

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

Rev. 8:13

The fifth trumpet = first of the three remaining woes.

The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.

Rev. 9:12

The scope is devastating

When all green grass disappears we will know.

• A hail, fire, and blood mix, thrown on the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. (8:7)
• A third of the sea was turned to blood (8:8)
• A third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. (8:9)

Those plagues of Revelation 9 cannot hide and hardly need anyone to announce them.

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One person’s right is another person’s abomination. Occupied land can be undiscovered paradise and First Nations can become migrants overnight in the only land their ancestors knew for thousands of years. The Palestinian who resists the Israeli state is a hero to his people and a terrorist to Israel. If you can handle the truth, genocide was not always an evil practice and everyone on the planet needs the services of a levitical priest.

Right source, right means, and right result

From A to Z the record of covenant keeping reads like an obit. They are all dead, even when circumcised, and dead for not believing the promises. The slightest deviation from pure source, untainted means or method, and any lack of perfect satisfaction including the need for forgiveness makes Sinai righteousness wholly unattractive.

There is not just one type of righteousness and righteousness has certification from our understanding of its sources, tools or means, and result. dikaiosune at one time meant that one was complying with the laws, statutes, and judgments. It seems to have migrated to where we would need to have a levitical priesthood and an appropriate altar. If dikaiosune means something other than claiming to be in covenant (when in fact one is not) we have been in the wrong race.

The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

Malachi 2:6

Abraham – right for believing

Long before Abraham’s trip to Moriah God accepted Abraham’s faith as righteousness. The righteousness that we think we see coming from Mount Moriah is the scoundrel’s type. It is the rotten smell of behaviour without the aroma of divine acceptance. If God accepts faith as righteousness why does anyone feel he or she needs a cover story like “here are some other things I do”.

The priest was a teacher, a man who set the example of freedom and righteousness. So what is he doing ordering a defendant in court to be punched in the mouth?

Assaulting a defendant in court!
1) And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. 2) And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 3) Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? 4) And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest? 5) Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

Acts 23:1-5

Changing the world

If the law was in the hearts of ancient Israelites why did they repeatedly disagree with and desert God?  Be not deceived.  If you want to be dead meat for the mutilation mill just keep on talking about that righteousness of human deeds.

Who can we say was being changed in ancient times by Moses’ law being introduced into their country?  We know that the success in making disciples among the Gentiles was in making the Gentiles twice as devilish as the Jews. Still we believe the prediction at the end of Daniel’s prophecy.

And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Daniel 12:3

Crunch time for all operations

Now here is John (Malachi 4:6), charting a path for the times. It involves sorting out what from the past and our current generations must get discarded. Only a proud fool thinks that he gets to keep all his ancestral practices or that he alone gets to live in dignity in Abraham’s land.

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.

Malachi 4:6

We do not need to imagine what made John’s task successful after thousands of years and hundreds of priests and prophets. The heartwarming stories in the Old Testament of restoration and revival did not change the direction in which Israel or Judah was heading. They could nor invent enough inspiring sayings to cover up the dilemma of a rocky marriage.

Psalms 119:142

Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.

This is the truth one embraces with eyes closed. This is the reliable road to death. Life never comes from anyone’s law. This is not the truth that dies to save humanity.

The law is not a faith venture

Yup! Law and faith are odd partners. The marks of Christ are the wounds he received from his friends. His handwritten message is in blood: his life given as our payment, his life given as our inheritance (Holy Spirit),

And the law is not of faith: but, The man that does them shall live in them.

Galatians 3:12

You will not wake up one of these days to hear “The law will set you free or “Those freed by the law are truly free“. The facts are clear as day.

And all of you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

John 8:32

If the Son therefore shall make you free, all of you shall be free indeed.

John 8:36

Since God is infinite in his perfections the end of our adoption is not similarity. None of us – none of God’s creatures- can ever be said to become what God has always been. Whatever we become will lack the God’s sinless majesty, omnipotence and unchangeableness.

Observing the law and following prophets brings noone to their destiny. Does not yielding to the temptation to submit to law and prophets spoil the soup?

If you are approached with Psalm 82:6 run like a roo from a forest fire.

I have said, All of you are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

Psalms 82:6

And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

Mark 14:3

“Simon the leper” was hosting quite a crowd. There were the thirteen men that was the Yeshua party, and there was at least one woman. Lepers though live in desolate places in the company of lepers. They do not host dinners. This was ex-leper Simon.

Are we allowed to say “Yeshua the sin”? since he became sin for us? Do we appreciate being called what we used to be? The God who carries our sin does not need surrogates running around denying that he did. He does not need people muddying up the clear waters of truth.

God bearing the sins of the world is either a new thing – he is the same yesterday today and forever- or salvation is truly an eternal reality. When will we stop talking about the Lamb of God? Never. If being called a sinner offends anyone it may also be a symptom of an incomplete faith towards the gospel.

The leprosy law created doctors making a killing and healing few.

The importance of health seems to on the frontburner when disease and death appear and we have a range of coping strategies.  We live recklessly, follow medical advice, but the vast majority of us want instant relief and perfect bodies.   We all subconsciously rely on the doctor with healing in his wings. 

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and all of you shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Malachi 4:2

If the wound or condition is not virulent and persistent the human body is capable of fighting off most assaults. We do not need interventions for most injuries.

I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are your works; and that my soul knows right well.

Psalms 139:14

Holy health

Israelite health could be measured by the individual’s compliance with the law.  If a disease free condition depended on compliance with the law then  there must be an appropriate level of fitness attached to a person who violates 90% of the commands.

Maybe we will find the one command among the hundreds that will remove leprosy?  No! Not happening.  Surely there has to be a command that sends the common cold flying! We know why our Lord did not prescribe commandments from the law for sick persons to get healed.  We have to realize too that every Christian has died so that there is no physical healing in the atonement. Why would people with perfectly healed bodies and immortal souls die?

Dying daily

It would be foolish to think that health for an Israelite was not attached to the law. Diseases do not recognize international borders. Diabetes in Egypt and Canaan is the identical. We are literally dying every moment and every time we resist the temptation to follow the Holy Spirit we die.

Sickness no more

Our hopes are secure in the promises of God and our present condition has a certain date with destiny. The day is coming when all oppression ends.

Wherefore it shall come to pass, if all of you hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the LORD your God shall keep unto you the covenant and the mercy which he swore unto your fathers:

Deuteronomy 7:12

And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you know, upon you; but will lay them upon all them that hate you.

Deuteronomy 7:15

And said, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you.

Exodus 15:26

I wonder what answer the law has for fear and pestilence.