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This is an instruction from our Father. You will recall one of the disciples once asked Christ, "When will Jerusalem be cleansed, and when will you return?" Christ told him the seven things which must pass before His return. These are essentially the seven seals or seven trumps.
There is one warning Jesus gave that you should never ever forget. This warning is given to us in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and repeated in Luke 21. Jesus instructed us to be careful not to be deceived. He was especially concerned about those that will be deceived by those coming in His name, supposedly good Christian preachers and teachers. Christ instructed us to learn from His Word, not from the words of men, lest you be deceived.
To put this in perspective Christ was speaking of the end days. He taught us through a parable. Christ told us the world is a field. God let it out to husbandmen. That is to say He let it out to His children, or Christians that they might tend to it.
Christ taught us in Matthew 24 blessed are those He finds working in the field on His return. On another occasion He expressed His concern that there would not be any faith left in the world on His return. Why? Deception. Many people will be deceived.
Some might be shocked at the title of this lecture, especially if they knew it refers to the rapture theory. They might ask "Do you mean the Lord didn’t know about the rapture? He certainly didn’t write about it. The word rapture simply does not appear in God’s word.
Then they might say "Well,you’ve never read I Thessalonians Chapter 4:13-17". Oh yes, I have. In more then one language.
The Book of Ezekiel contains more prophecy concerning the millennium than any other Book of the Bible including Revelation. Chapter 40 of Ezekiel begins the prophecy of the millennium and earlier chapters prophecy the end times. In Ezekiel 13 the Lord again warns us not to be deceived.
Ezekiel 13:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying (2) Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;
The son of man in verse 2 is Ezekiel. The Lord tells Ezekiel to prophesy against those preachers and teachers that will lie to His People. Let’s pick it up in verse 10. We’re going to cover what some of those preachers and teachers will be saying in the end times.
Ezekiel 13:10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter.
Does the word "Peace" sound familiar? God’s Word tells us they built a wall intended to make us feel safe, but they whitewashed it using untempered morter. As it is written in the 38th and 39th Chapters of Ezekiel, God is supposed to be your wall, your invisible wall of protection. Many preachers and teachers would have you believe you don’t have to worry about protection. They teach if you are saved, you are going to be gone when the antichrist comes.
Ezekiel 13:11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower, and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
Daub may be translated whitewashed from the Hebrew. Do you know which flood will bring that wall down? You may find it by reading Revelation 12 where a flood of lies will pour from Satan’s mouth to deceive those on earth.
Ezekiel 13:12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? (13) Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.
Yes, hailstones will fall on our enemies as it is written in Ezekiel 38. God is a wall of protection around you, but the false wall of protection will fall.
Ezekiel 13:14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
There will be many that think they know the Lord; however, they will have been deceived. They will cry out "Lord , Lord I have prayed to you," and "I have healed in your Name." He will tell them to get out of His sight because He doesn’t even know them. On the first day of the millennium every knee will bend and all will know He is the Lord.
Ezekiel 13:15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;
They will never have positions of authority professing to be priests and prophets again. Do not be deceived. Listen to the words of your Father and not the words of so called priests.
Ezekiel 13:16 To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD.
(17) Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of they people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,
(18) And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD, Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?
We are all the bride awaiting Christ. The word "women" in this case is without gender. The word "pillows" might be better translated covers, or pillow slips.
In other words the Lord is saying woe to those that sew covers over all armholes to block the outstretched arms of Christ. Woe to those that lie to his People about salvation.
"Well what do you mean preachers lie about salvation?"
It goes something like this, "You don’t have to understand what God said, it isn’t important. You’re not supposed to understand the Book of Revelation, or most of the New Testament, or most of the Old Testament. Just trust God, because you’re going to be gone when the antichrist comes anyway."
Nowhere in God’s Word does it say you’re not going to be here. That is a lie taught by man. You are to understand the Word of God. In fact, the very beginning of knowledge is reading and understanding His Word. Without this knowledge you are biblically illiterate and don’t know what to believe.
Ezekiel 13:19 And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?
The preachers and teachers are slaying souls that should not die and saving souls that should not live. But, what will they be lying about?
Ezekiel 13:20 Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.
The Lord God is against those that hunt souls to make them what? Fly.
They teach that it is not important to understand God’s Word. It is not important to stay working in the field.
They say you are going to fly out of here. Flying out of here is not scriptural. They are lying and God is against them.
Am I saying this to tear down the Christian Church? No, I am saying this to tell those preachers that are lying that they had better caulk up their Christian boat and make it float, because it sure is going to sink when that flood comes.
They had better do their homework and quit teaching God’s children they are going to fly to save their souls when He intends for them to stay working in the field.
Ezekiel 13:21 Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
He will tear up the kerchiefs placed over His People’s eyes so they may know the truth.
Ezekiel 13:22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:
The preachers and teachers are keeping His People from turning against their wicked ways to study His Word with lies about flying.
Read Ezekiel 44 and you will learn what happens to these preachers and teachers during the millennium. The sons of Zadok, the elect, will have a special teaching camp for false preachers and teachers. I am sure of this. God is against those that each His People to fly and to follow antichrist.
Ezekiel 13:23 Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
This is the point. He wants His People to know He is Lord. What is the danger of teaching people to fly? The danger is His People are not being taught there is a false christ coming before Christ.
The antichrist will perform miracles and supernatural act that would deceive, if possible, even the elect. Do you think for a minute the antichrist won’t capitalize on fact that millions have been taught and ready to fly out of here?
It’s up to you, friend. Stay in the field armed with His Truth, or be deceived. God warned the preachers and teachers, "Don’t teach My People to fly."
Isa 40:31 but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
"Isa 40:31 but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint."
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Hi there Lee! you can say our preachers and teachers of today are on some HUGE EGO trips, because of their false doctrines. They will take you down primerose lane, if you let them! lol
Isaiah Chapter 40 is about, Who do you compare God to? No man in the flesh can compare in any way to God.
Hey! let's take a look at what's going on in Isaiah!
Isaiah 40:1 " ' Comfort ye, comfort ye My People,' saith your God."
God didn't want Hezekiah running off at the mouth, but for His people of all generations to find comfort in Christ and His Word. He's going to tell Isaiah what to tell them!
Isaiah 40:2 "Speak ye comfortable to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."
This speaking should be going on right today, for the warfare of Jerusalem is still going on. This comfort and peace shall not take place until Jesus Christ returns to set up His Millennium kingdom, at the seventh trumpet.
This is in the future sense, and we will give comfort to Jerusalem when Messiah is reigning there. There will peace on the whole earth, and that is a very comforting thought.
Today the whole world is trying to work out a treaty that will work to comfort Jerusalem, yet as hard as they try, true comfort shall not come as long as there is wickedness here. Yet at the return of Christ all evil shall be gone, and there will be peace on the whole earth for the thousand year Millennium.
Isaiah 40:3 "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
Sound familiar? Remember "John the Baptist". The forerunner of Jesus Christ?
Matthew 3
1In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
That Prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist!
Ok, let's get back to Isaiah!
Isaiah 40:4 "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:"
In other words, the trail shall be made easy, and it shall be God's truth that shall do that. When you know and understand God's truth written in His Word, that truth sets you free from any fear that this world can send your way.
Isaiah 40:5 "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, His glory shall be seen and respected by all flesh, all people living in their flesh bodies on the face of the earth at the time of His coming. We know it shall happen because God has fore-warned that it shall come to pass. At the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at the seventh and last trumpet, all flesh shall be done away with and we then enter into our new spiritual incorruptable bodies.
Isaiah 40:6 "The voice said, "Cry." And he said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field."
Isaiah 40:7 "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass."
In other words, it is God's plan that these processes take place, and that the flesh body die off in the course of time. And just as the grass is assured of death in due time, so also does the plan of God call for the death and decay or aging within the flesh body.
Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
There is one thing for certain, the flesh, the grass and the flower will die and decay away, but Word of God shall stand forever.
Isaiah 40:9 "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid, say unto the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!" "
We can count on this verse today, for it was fulfilled in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ's birth in the manger some two thousand years ago. The purpose for the coming of the Messiah is given in Isaiah 60, He came to prepare the way of salvation, and He will return in our generation to bring the day of vengeance. "Behold your God!"
Isaiah 40:10 "Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him."
So Isaiah is fixing the time even in the future to our time now, when Jesus Christ shall return.
Isaiah 40:11 "He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."
Isaiah 40:12 "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?"
God is telling Isaiah to ask the people who amongst them can place the waters within their bounds, and cause the rivers to flow? Who can place the stars in the heaven in the order that they are in, and form the mountains and hills in the exact balance that gives them their beauty?
Isaiah 40:13 "Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counseller hath taught Him?
There is no man that can give counsel to our Heavenly Father. All knowledge and truth comes from the Word of God, and is directed by His Spirit.
Isaiah 40:14 "With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and shewed to Him the way of understanding?"
The answer is, no person gave God counsel, and no one taught Him one thing. Even when Jesus was in His youth, He did not need any instruction. Jesus was the one teaching and giving counsel to those scholars in the temple when He was age twelve. Even the wise men of the day were astounded at the knowledge of Jesus, as He taught.
Who are you going to follow? God the creator of your soul, or Satan the little cherubim that God created to be his servant? God is truth, knowledge and wisdom; while Satan is a rebel, a liar, and will deceive you to the point of taking your very soul. The choice is yours, and the only way to know which is which is to study God's Word.
Isaiah 40:15 "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing."
God is saying that you can take the superpowers of this earth, and all the power that they have is nothing more than a drop in a bucket. This is so true even today, as we see our National and Spiritual leaders standing in their bodies of men and women, showing their minds to be that of babies. These people think they are so powerful with the might of their nations behind them, yet they are nothing but a couple of drops in a bucket to our Heavenly Father.
Isaiah 40:16 "And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering."
In other words, you can take all the wood of the forests and beasts of the world, and it is not sufficient to be an burnt offering to God. Why? God doesn't want your burnt offerings, He wants your love.
This same One that we are talking about became the One and only sacrifice and offering that is acceptable to God. That acceptable offering is the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross for all those that repent in Jesus name, and believe on Him. That offering that was made by Jesus on the cross is the only sacrifice needed for one and all times.
Isaiah 40:17 "All nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity."
This word for "vanity" in the Hebrew is "toho", and it means "void" and "empty".
Isaiah 40:18 "To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?"
God is asking you, is there any person that you can compare Me to, or is there any thing existing that you can compare Me to?
Isaiah 40:19 "The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over the gold, and casteth silver chains."
This verse goes into what people do to create their own images of what they think God should be like. The workman builds the image, while the goldsmith overlays that image with gold. Then along comes the silversmith and makes that idol bright and shiney with his silver chains to deck it out.
They have taken their eyes off the whole Word of God, and focused only on what they have determined in their own minds that they want to accept. Then they build their beliefs around those images that they call God, and expect God to bless them for the traditions that they have created for themselves.
The workmen building the images for their worship in ancient times is no different than the denominations of today that build their images using only the parts of God's Word, better known as "One Verse Charlies"!
Then they over-lay those images or traditions with the gold and beauty of their church houses and their trinkets. Systematically they come before these self-created images in worship. Sure they take a verse from the Scripture that best fits their created image, and they sing their songs loudly to their traditions.
Isaiah 40:20 "He that is so "impoverished" that he hath no obligation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved."
This is saying that even a person that is "so poor" that he cannot go out to buy his or her idol or image, but will go out to find a tree that will not rot to build his own image. He looks for the hardest tree that he can find to form that idol for himself. Then he looks for someone to carve a face to that hunk of hard wood, and fasten a base to it so that it won't fall over when he is bowing down to worship that piece of wood.
This is exactly what false religions are and the power that they can give: they give absolutely nothing!
What happens when you go to church? What is taught there? Is all of God's Word taught there, chapter by chapter and verse by verse for understanding, or is it a time of story-telling and worthless chatter.
Are you listening to some wind-bag dumping his pride all over you, or are you taught the Word of God with understanding, taking the thought back to the way it was written in the Hebrew and Greek. An evangelist can be one versed, but it takes much more than 'ONE VERSE' to be a true teacher and preacher of God's Word.
Isaiah 40:21 "Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?
Isaiah 40:22 "It is He That sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; That stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:"
Isaiah 40:23 "That bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity."
Don't become like Hezekiah and set your mind to giving those things you have to your glory, and pride, but give God the praise and thanks for them. Don't get on an "EGO" trip, and glorify yourself!
Isaiah 40:24 "Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and He shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble."
Isaiah 40:25 "To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One."
God is asking you in these verses, Who compares to Me, and of course the answer is no one.
Isaiah 40:26 "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things, That bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth."
God is telling you to go out in the night and look up at the stars of the heaven. He created each and every one of those heavenly bodies, and He knows them all by name.
There is not one that is missing that He has intented to be there. Just as God knows the name and location of every star in the heavens, He also know all the souls of men and women on earth, and what is in their heart. God knows you personally, what you are thinking, and the intent of every act that you commit.
Isaiah 40:27 "Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, 'My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?"
You can't hide anything from God, and God's judgment is absolutely fair according to His absolute plan from beginning to end.
Isaiah 40:28 "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding."
God is reminding you again that He never gets tired and to busy for you. When you call upon Him, He is there to listen to you and answer your request for help.
He just sort of kicks those stones out of your path before you reach them. Have you ever helped a child, learn how to walk?
Isaiah 40:29 "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength."
God will take care of the weak. You can take a child that is afraid of His own shadow, and feed them the Word of God, and you will see a change in that child's life. Our Heavenly Father never grows weary of helping one that has the courage to ask for His help.
Isaiah 40:30 "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:"
Even a young person in the best of their health will get tired and weary at times. The human body can only endure for a certain period of time, but not God.
Remember the question for this chapter, is "Who do you compare God to? No man in the flesh can compare in any way to God.
Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the Lord shall "renew" their "strength"; they shall mount "up" with "wings" as "eagles"; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."
Let's go back to the original language, and use the King James Strong's Concordnance, Hebrew/Greek Dictionary
Check out the word "renew" in this verse:
2498
chalaph
khaw-laf'
a primitive root; properly, to slide by, i.e. (by implication) to hasten away, pass on, spring up, pierce or change:--abolish, alter, change, cut off, go on forward, grow up, be over, pass (away, on, through), renew, sprout, strike through.
the word "strength"
3581
koach
ko'-akh
or (Dan. 11:6) kowach {ko'-akh}; from an unused root meaning to be firm; vigor, literally (force, in a good or a bad sense) or figuratively (capacity, means, produce); also (from its hardiness) a large lizard: -ability, able, chameleon, force, fruits, might, power(-ful), strength, substance, wealth.
the word "up"
5927
`alah
aw-law'
a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative (as follow):--arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, + shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.
the word "wings"
82
'abar
aw-bar'
a primitive root; to soar:--fly.
the word "eagles"
5404
nesher
neh'-sher
from an unused root meaning to "lacerate"; the eagle (or other large bird of prey):--eagle.
the word "lacerate"
To rip, cut, or tear.
adj. (-rt, -rt)
Torn; mangled.
Wounded.
"Lacerate" is the key meaning our Father wants you to take heed to.
He wants you to know that even in times of trouble, if you wait on him, he will build you up, give you strength, so you can soar like the eagle, and "lacerate" satan and his evil doings, everytime he comes to stir up trouble for you!
God has complete control over your enemies, and he knows the intent of their thoughts and minds before they even have the chance to act upon them.
God will take care of you, "IF" you have the faith to love and trust Him with your whole life.
"you mean no wings as egoes?????"
See what happens when we get into HIS words, we learn something don't we?
Here's the link to the Kng James Dictionary
http://www.htmlbible.com/sacrednamebiblecom/kjvstrongs/index2.htm
who's intent is to have all brought unto him...as spoken of in 1 Corth.15....
thanks for the good word...worth the time spent...and true...it's by His words we will be stengthened....and as is expressed in Psalms 91:4 it's under His winds we shall find safety...