THE LAST DAYS
Here, you'll find articles that talk about the end of Satan's empire (hence the name, "the last days"), and the rise of Christ's kingdom on earth, and what we should do with such knowledge.
GOD WILL ARISE AND HAVE MERCY UPON ZION
In Psalms 102:13, David the Psalmist stated, “Thou shall arise, and have mercy on Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.” There are three main parts - Zion, God will arise, and Having Mercy. We have to understand all the parts in detail in order to understand the full meaning.
Zion is the House of God. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills: and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of Jacob: and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:2-3). It is from there that Jesus Christ will be ruling. “The LORD said unto my LORD, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.” (Psalms 110:1-2). That is also where our safety and deliverance comes from. “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For out of Zion and Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” (Joel 2:32).
Then, we also have to understand what it means for God to arise. “For the LORD shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.” (Isaiah 28:21). When God says he’s arising to do something, it means he’s turning his attention to us (Exodus 3:1-14, 8). And when he says he’s going to arise, there’s absolutely nothing we can do to stop or prevent that (Isaiah 14:27, Daniel 4:34-35, Isaiah 2:2).
Then, there’s actually having mercy. The only reason why God is having mercy on Zion, or the reason why anybody would have mercy on anything, is simply because we sinned, and fell short of God’s glory (Romans 3:10-11, 23, 6:23, Genesis 3:16-19). However, God has decided to rescue us, and forgive us of our sins. He’s answering our prayers, like in the time of old (Exodus 2:23-25, Matthew 6:9-10 / Luke 11:2-4). And God has appointed Jesus Christ as Head and King of his Glorious Government in order to kick and destroy all enemies and traitors so that righteous ones can be rewarded by God Almighty (Isaiah 63:1-6, 9-14, 42:13-16, 49:7-11, 33:2, 22, Jeremiah 51:20-23, Ezekiel 36:6-12, Revelation 12:1-12, 19:11-21, etc).And what he’s doing is going to last forever (Daniel 2:44, Psalms 145:10-13, Isaiah 65:17-25, Revelation 21:1-5, etc).
We have to repent to God in order for us to get our fair share in all of God’s blessings. We must be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Job 36:9-10, Acts 3:19-21, etc). That is when his lovingkindness will really show on us. “How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O LORD! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shall make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.” (Psalms 36:7-9 - see also Isaiah 63:7, 4:3-6, 52:2 and 26:2-4).
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JEHOVAH: A STRONGHOLD IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE
This was a statement made by Nahum the prophet: “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” (Nahum 1:7). There were other statements made by people about that same topic too. “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10). “They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.” (Psalms 125:1-2). Because God, the Almighty God (Genesis 17:1, Deuteronomy 10:16-17, 1 Corinthians 8:5-6) lives from everlasting to everlasting (Psalms 90:2, 93:2) and can do anything (Genesis 18:14, Jeremiah 32:17, 27, John 10:29) but, at the same, time, is longsuffering, gentle, and humble (Psalms 86:15, Romans 15:5, 1 Corinthians 10:11, Isaiah 63:7-9, Psalms 103:8-14, etc) we should trust in him, and walk in his ways (Isaiah 26:4, Psalms 36:7-9, etc).
There are many examples of when God protected people in days of trouble. For example, in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, Jehoshaphat had to battle against Moab and Ammon. It was a great multitude. When he prayed to God, he sent Jahaziel to tell Jehoshaphat that this wasn’t his battle to fight, but God’s battle. And he was right. Jehoshaphat and his army didn’t need to do anything. God sent Mount Seir to battle Ammon and Moab, and when they finished that, they simply destroyed themselves. All Jehoshaphat and his army needed to do was to invade the land and collect all the spoil, which took three days because there was so much of it. This just proves the power of God, and that he can save his children, and provide a stronghold in the day of trouble.
Another example of God providing help on the day of trouble is in Daniel 3, when the three Hebrew men had gone against Nebuchadnezzar’s rule that they had to bow down the statue he’d built. They were thrown into a furnace of fire as a result. However, none of them died; in fact, none of them even smelled burnt at all, and neither did their clothes. God had sent an angel to protect them from being harmed, which was why Nebuchadnezzar was surprised to see 4 men, when he’d only recalled throwing in three. God can do these things to us if we trust in him and keep his commandments.
As a result of man’s fall (Genesis 3:16-19, Romans 3:10-11, 23, 5:12-19, 6:23, etc), humanity as a whole has had days of trouble. We are as flowers, fragile flowers, before God (Job 5:6-7, 14:1-2). And in these last days, things are only getting more dangerous, as the wrath of God is hitting some people with a very heavy hammer, and he’s pronouncing judgment on people who certainly weren’t expecting it (Matthew 24:44-51, Isaiah 28:21, etc). However, God’s children are going to be kept under his canopy; the barn, while the other things are burnt. (Matthew 13:24-30). “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” (Joel 2:32 - see also Romans 10:13 and Isaiah 26:20-21).
We should never be looking up to witches and wizards, necromancers, or other people like that for help. Rather, we should look to God (Isaiah 8:19-20, 2:19-20, Deuteronomy 18:10-12. “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” (Psalms 146:3-4). “Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” (Psalms 62:10 - see also Psalms 20:7, Luke 16:9, 1 Timothy 6:7-10 and Ecclesiastes 7:12). We should always remember King Ahaziah in 2 Kings 1:1-17, and how he’d tried to pray to the god of Ekron for deliverance, and how he ended up dying, and Pharaoh in Exodus 7-11, and how Moses proved them useless when God gave him power to release the ten plagues.
It is our prayer, therefore, that God protects us from all the challenges that we may face in our lives, both physical and spiritual. Not one hair of our head will fall down without God noticing it (1 Samuel 14:45, Matthew 10:30), meaning that God always has his eyes on his children. “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12).
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"LET MY PEOPLE GO"
God has always had a plan for humanity. A plan of peace, restoration and true service towards him. Ever since the sin of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:1-6, humanity has been turning to themselves from the control of Satan the Devil in order to “pursue their dreams” (Ecclesiastes 7:29). This has gone on for thousands of years. However, God is currently restoring the world back to its former condition so they may serve him in peace and happiness (Isaiah 43:21). And, even though the wicked will always hold the people fast, God rescues his people nonetheless (Jeremiah 50:33-34).
However, what do the lines above have to do with the title?
During the preparations and waiting period of God’s plan, the wicked do their wickedness (Daniel 12:10) and rule over the righteous. When God is ready to execute his plan, he sends people to preach (Jeremiah 3:15). And their statements can be summarized in one phrase: “Let my people go”.
And, in the Bible, there are prototypes of this concept.
The story of Egypt is one of them because that’s where the statement, “Let my people go”, comes from. In Exodus 5:1, Moses told Pharaoh this, and he gave the reason why: “that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.” God had made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 that he would make a nation out of him. However, God told him it would be a natural phenomenon for his children to fall under the Egyptians’ clutches, and serve them for 400 years (Genesis 15:13-14). However, when the time was ready, he would rescue them, hence Moses’s statement, “Let my people go” (Exodus 5:1, 7:16, 8:1, 8, 20-21, 9:1, 13, 10:3-4).
One technique he’d used to free the Israelites was the flipping concept. Before God’s intervention, the survival of the Egyptian kingdom depended on the workforce. In Exodus 1, we see the kind of oppression the Israelites suffered. However, God flipped the situation with the plagues. Now, the survival of the Egyptians depended on the freedom of the Israelites from their power, hence Pharoah sending them away (Exodus 12:31-33).
The second prototype is the time of Jesus. God has had it in mind to free humanity of death (Job 33:21-24, Hosea 13:14), and Jesus eventually came down. When he was here, he summarized his entire mission with what Isaiah the Prophet stated in Isaiah 61:1-3, which led to a new religion and the salvation of many Gentiles: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18-19 - see also John 12:47 and Matthew 18:11). No matter what people did - shutting down the preaching of the gospel, murder (John 11:45-53, Acts 5:17-42), Christianity spread all over the world, in fulfillment of prophecy (Matthew 13:31-32).
In the last days, the time we are living in, the remnant of the saints are preaching the gospel of the Kingdom (Isaiah 66:19-21, Matthew 24:14). People prayed for deliverance through the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-10). Currently, the monarchs have been defeated, therefore giving humanity freedom of expression, action, etc (Revelation 12:7-12, 13:1, etc). Then, democracy came out of that (Revelation 13:1-4). Now, children of God have liberty to exercise themselves in righteousness, a true blessing from God.
However, the deliverance isn’t finished. There are still strands of autocracy, and the righteous are still being persecuted. God is changing that now (Psalms 147:3), as Jesus is testing the nations, weakening their abilities (Daniel 2:43), so that the wicked have no power to become leaders and lead in their evil, being a reproach to everyone (Proverbs 14:34). Jesus is doing so by denouncing leadership to make it worthless (Isaiah 3:6-7, 34:12). It will no more be an honour to rule the world. God did that to the Israelites, so that being a king of Jerusalem in Zedekiah’s time was nothing compared to being a king in David’s time.
It’s important we have faith in God’s deliverance, and patiently wait it out (Romans 8:24-25). “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:4). God’s deliverance for his children is a gradual process, so we have to patiently wait for its completion (Luke 21:19). We should never adapt to the deliverance of false prophets in this world (1 John 4:1-3, 1 Thessalonians 5:21), because their so-called, “gospel of deliverance”, only brings us closer to bondage (2 Peter 2:19, Matthew 23:15).
God has gifted us freedom, so we have to use it wisely. People are using their freedom to do all kinds of unrighteous things, the way Abiram, Dathan, Korah, On and the 250 princes used their freedom to show their true colors and oppose God’s plan (Numbers 14, 16). Rather, we should use our freedom to serve God more faithfully than before. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1).
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THE SIGNS OF CHRIST'S KINGDOM
The disciples listened to Jesus talk about a kingdom a lot, but they wanted to know when it would come. “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3).
It’s worth mentioning that there are many signs proving the coming and establishment of Christ’s kingdom; this article will review several.
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Globalization is a sign that Christ’s Kingdom has come. Jesus said that all nations would be gathered before him (Matthew 25:31-32). This has been done with social media (the whole world uses it), and other things. God wants the world to work as one, to share standards, to believe in the same things. And the world is gradually moving to be completely secular, all over the world. With that kind of system controlling the world, when God makes something occur that dismantles that system, the whole world will be affected and judged (2 Corinthians 5:10).
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The abomination of desolation is another sign of the time. Jesus Christ warned us of it in Matthew 24:!5-16). The abomination of desolation is the political system in this world which is God’s “whip” for spirituality, as it doesn’t represent what God wanted. The abomination of desolation does not regard God (that’s why it’s an “abomination”) and it takes apostate Christianity out under God’s control (Revelation 17:16-17). But, we must remember, the abomination of desolation itself will be taken out by Jesus Christ, too, because it’s wicked and doesn’t regard God (Revelation 19:11-21).
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Another sign of the time is that the heavens have been shaken. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.” (Matthew 24:29). The monarchical leadership that used to dominate the earth has now been replaced (through war) with a more liberal kind of hierarchy. And the Egyptians faced the same fate. The Pharaoh, the astrologers, prognosticators and magicians were the heavens in that time, but God shook them with the ten plagues, and the Israelites were set free (Exodus 7-12). They even went with much spoil. This was all in fulfilment of a promise from God to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14.
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Another sign of Christ’s Kingdom is that people and governments have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5). The constitutions of various nations sprinkle Bible laws and traditions, like a prohibition of murder and theft (and these are from Exodus 20:13-17). However, they don’t honour or worship God. They take people to themselves, and not to God.
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The general society is included, too. Many people go to church, but they don’t seek after God’s will or honour Him. They deem it more important to pay more attention to worldly things than God’s plans. And the Israelites were like this, as they would perform the burnt offerings, celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and annually do the Day of Atonement, but mercy, faith and loyalty to God was not present in the land (Hosea 6:6, Matthew 23:23).
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Another sign of Christ’s Kingdom is that people love their own pleasures more than God (2 Timothy 3:4). 300 years ago, everything was about God. If a woman wanted to buy an expensive dress, it was for church. People were excited to go to church and attend Bible meetings. A big chunk of the money made was spent on that, and there was deep glory in it. But now, football and other sports seized such honours. This is a fulfillment of Philippians 2:21. “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.” And this is a sign of Christ’s Kingdom, because the abomination of desolation drives people to care more about worldly things than spiritual things.
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The fact that a great, spiritual famine is raging in our time is a sign of the time, too. And this is explained in Amos 8:11. “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” The interest that people used to have in God has decreased dramatically (Matthew 24:12 - iniquity has decreased people’s love for God) to the point where people feel celebrate being secular (Revelation 11:10). This is a sign of Christ’s Kingdom because Jesus is controlling the abomination of desolation to do that to people, to eliminate Satanic Christianity.
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One more sign of the time is the abundance of false prophets. “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” (1 John 2:18). Jesus has come to take down Apostate Christianity (Revelation 19:11-21, 18:1-24), and Satan is using wealthy false prophets, who change their doctrines into smooth sayings to suit the ears of society (Isaiah 30:10, Jeremiah 23:17, 2 Timothy 4:3-4), to make Christianity still look appealing. False pastors also take advantage of this time of ignorance (people don’t know what’s going on, spiritually) to make as much money as possible, with clever snares (Jeremiah 5:26).
The signs of Christ’s Kingdom aren’t just things we know, though. We have to utilize such knowledge by rejecting the concepts from the abomination of desolation (enumerated in 2 Timothy 3:1-5), soberly and prayerfully, so that we can escape these things, and be judged by Jesus Christ as righteousness and worthy of eternal life (Romans 14:10-12). “”And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:34-36).
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THE NEW CREATION
The New Creation was talked about in many places in the Bible. “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17). “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13). “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” (Revelation 21:1). However, this process isn’t going to be some kind of transformation that everybody is going to see. It’s a gradual process that’s going to bring this world back to the condition that it was before.
It becomes easier to understand the New Creation once we understand the Old Creation, in Genesis 1. That event had only been recorded for us to understand that idea, so when it is replicated in a spiritual form, we can understand it (Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:11).
The Old Creation was not six days only. Days could be a thousand, or even a million years (Psalms 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8). But because God lives from everlasting to everlasting (Psalms 90:2, 93:2, etc), he wouldn’t see that as a very long time. There were periods of time, divided by the various things that he was doing. And what God created was perfect in his sight (Genesis 1:31 and Ecclesiastes 7:29). However, the only thing that was lost from it was the ability to live eternally, because Satan sowed a seed while Adam wasn’t thinking (Genesis 3:1-6), and the rest of humanity has had to suffer this as well (Romans 3:10-11, 23, 5:12-19, 6:23, etc). And even though Jesus Christ’s ransom sacrifice created the opportunity for righteous ones to inherit eternal life, they can’t inherit such a reward in a world of evil. That is why God is reconfiguring the world so that righteousness can rain. Then, when we look forward, it is the Garden of Eden (peace), and behind us a desolate wilderness (evil) (Joel 2:3).
The New Creation is taking place within the period of transition that we call, “The Last Day”. This idea started as a seed, but it’s going to grow into a tree, where the birds of the air, the righteous ones, will come and lodge in the branches thereof, talking about the peaceful lives we are going to be living (Matthew 13:31-32). It was established in the top of the mountains (Isaiah 2:2), and it will consume all other kingdoms (Daniel 2:44), to the extent that any entity that doesn’t comply with its principles is going to be swept along with it (Matthew 13:24-30, 39-43), because God’s hand cannot be turned back, and his ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:8-11, Isaiah 14:27, etc).
A big part of this is the signs of the times, the various things that not only prove that we are indeed in the last days, but also help us to understand the path that the New Creation as a project will take. For example, the idea of technology. Technology is fulfilling a prophecy of Daniel in Daniel 12:4. It is gathering the world together, because everybody is on the Internet now (Matthew 25:31-32). People who call themselves Christians but actually love technology will leave God, so that God doesn’t have hypocrites in his service (Zechariah 13:8-9).
God is setting up a new covenant with this new creation. This isn’t a covenant that requires people to be teaching others about the Bible, or forcing others to comply. People's mindsets will be attached to the Bible’s principles (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:8-12). It is about people’s hearts, instead of traditions and cultures, because it is what God has been asking for this whole time. The idea of obedience (1 Samuel 15:22 and Hosea 6:6). People will love one another, instead of loving themselves, and people, through a ton of humiliation, will come and learn the true basics of humility, because God is abasing people who think they are proud, and exalted others who humble themselves before God (Ezekiel 21:26, Luke 14:11, Matthew 23:12, etc).
It is very important that we understand the New Creation, because it is a creation that will never end. It is superior to the Old Creation, because this idea has been talked about by prophets of God for thousands of years. Therefore, it is important that we repent and be a part of this beautiful project. “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21). This is what the New Creation is all about.
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GOD'S KINGDOM
God’s Kingdom is an idea that God has created to bring man back to himself. “This people have I formed for myself: they shall shew forth my praise.” (Isaiah 43:21). It is a universal empire, covering heaven and earth (Daniel 2:44), owned by God and headed by his beloved son Jesus Christ, whom he as put in office to defeat Satan the Devil and establish his Kingdom for an eternity (Psalms 110:2, Daniel 7:13-14, Revelation 19:11-21, 12:7-12, Isaiah 9:6-7, 32:1, etc). And, after the saints have taught the message, they will be rewarded with the opportunity to live eternally and the assignment of assisting Jesus Christ in judging the earth (Revelation 1:6, Luke 12:32, 22:28-30, etc).
Even though the Kingdom of God is in heaven and earth, the heavenly portion of it is a lot more important. The parable of the lost sheep tells us that (Matthew 18:10-14), with ninety-nine sheep to one. Jesus Christ called God’s Kingdom the kingdom of heaven, but that doesn’t mean that we are going there to inherit it there. It just means that it’s where power comes from.
It is very easy to understand the Kingdom of God once we understand the kingdom of the Devil, and how spirits work generally. The Bible tells us that the Devil owned seven empires (Revelation 17:10-11). Satan the Devil would sell an idea to people he’d chosen to do his work. Many times it would be the kings, as the spirits can control the hearts of kings (Proverbs 21:1). Satan the Devil influences the hearts of people and uses them to advance his will. And the Kingdom of God works the same way. God has planted his ideas in the hearts of some people, and they live their lives out accordingly. Some of them teach the message (the saints - Matthew 24:31, 14, Joel 2:28-29).
In Revelation 12:1-12, there is an illustration of the Kingdom of God. The woman is God’s organization, or Zion. They gave birth to God’s Kingdom. However, it came with many birth pangs, another way of saying labour pains. A woman has lots of trouble and pain when giving birth, and the same goes with God’s Kingdom. The first and second world wars were very painful and troubling, but that gave birth to God’s Kingdom. Many people died, more injured, and the idea of autocracy collapsed. And freedom was given to all of mankind. However, Satan the Devil wasn’t done just yet. He is trying to go against what Jesus Christ and God have set up, but God has sentenced him, and he’s going to be defeated for all time (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). His kingdom will take over. “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” (Isaiah 2:2).
This idea is going to take a process. “The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.” (Matthew 13:31-32). And it’s not something that we can point to, “And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or lo there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21).
The Kingdom of God is going to bring peace to this world. “And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:7, 9). However, it will be only the meek, the people who believe and use their lives to support that idea, that will be able to inherit the rewards that it will bring. “For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shall diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” (Psalms 37:9-11). “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5).
As a result of all this, it is important that we make this our biggest interest and priority, and do whatever possible to help advance the process. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33).
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THE GLORIFICATION OF THE CHURCH
The Glorification of the Church is a very important subject, because it is the current-future destiny of all righteous ones. God has promised all his true children that they will be glorified. “For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.” (Psalms 149:4 - see also Ezekiel 21:26 and Psalms 147:3). However, how is this process going to take place? What things will have to give for this to be successful? Such things will be discussed in this article.
Some terminology should be covered, though. To glorify means to make admirable, or beautiful. The church is the people, those being the ones who love God. That’s the way we understand Matthew 18:20: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” When we see church in the Bible (e.g in Acts 2:47, 5:11, 8:1), it is understood in that light.
The reason why the glorification of the church is an event that is happens is because righteous ones, since the sin of Adam and Eve, have always been like the heath in the desert, waiting for rain to fall. They have to suffer persecution: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (Matthew 11:12 - see also Psalms 59:3, Acts 14:22 and Revelation 2:8-10). It was the reason why Job had to suffer (James 5:10-11), and the people that St.Paul talked about in Hebrews 11:36-38.
The glorification of the church, whether in the Old Testament or in the last days, cannot take place without some adjustments being made, mainly being one party going down and other being exalted. And that was what people in the Bible prayed for. “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.” (Psalms 25:2-3). In fact, King Solomon said, “I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.” (Ecclesiastes 10:7 -see also Proverbs 19:10). This is all the glorification of the church.
There are examples in the Bible of the glorification of the church. There was Job, previously cited, considering his sufferings, and how he got double of everything he had, fairer children, and 140 extra years to enjoy his life (Job 42:10-17). The Israelites, after all their years of yearning (Exodus 2:23-25), were glorified starting with the choosing of Moses (Exodus 3), and ending with the exiting of Egypt and the Egyptians being swallowed up in the Red Sea, the Israelites having all the spoil (Exodus 7-15). They were low, being under the Egyptians, and then their destruction glorified the Israelites.
That story of the rescue of the Israelites is a foreshadowing of the ultimate glorification of the church, starting with Jesus Christ, and ending with the children of God. Jesus Christ was glorified when he went to heaven, with all his glory (Matthew 17:1-9 - foreshadowing the glory - Philippians 2:5-11). and his prophecies didn’t fall to the ground, but were fulfilled by the destruction of Israel (Matthew 23:33-38, Luke 19:41-44, Matthew 21:33-46). The saints were glorified with the setting up of God’s Kingdom, and the leaders of this world brought down, and their prophecies fulfilled (Luke 18:1-8, Revelation 6:9-11).
In these last days, the glorification of the church is taking place, answering the prayer of Jesus Christ’s taught to mankind in Matthew 6:9-10. People had been praying that prayer for close to 2000 years, and it was only a century ago that the prayer was answered, where World Wars 1 and 2 announced the beginning of the process where righteous ones will no more be like the heath of the desert, hoping for rain, but they will be like the trees in the garden (Jeremiah 17:5-8). Righteousness ones will be like shining stars (Daniel 12:3, Matthew 13:43). “The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the ox together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.” (Isaiah 60:13). People will come and realize that the lifestyle of righteous ones had been better all this while, and the righteous will be glorified a a result, the way the 5 foolish virgins in Matthew 25:8-9.
The glory that righteous ones will get to have is incredible. It can’t be compared to our sufferings. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18 - see also 2 Corinthians 4:16-18). This is why we must persevere and trust in God, because there is light at the end of the tunnel. (Hebrews 10:35-36, 38-39). “Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.” (Job 8:7).
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THE STORY OF EDEN
The beauty of the Bible begins with the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 2-3. In Genesis 2:7, God breathed into Adam’s nostrils and became a “living soul”. In Genesis 2:18-25, God created Eve to join Adam, and they lived together for an unspecified time.
Then, in Genesis 3:1-6, Satan the Devil, in the form of a serpent, paid a visit, and asked her what God told her. In response, she told him that God instructed them to eat from wherever they desired but a certain tree. Satan lied blatantly against God’s former instruction. Eve was convinced to eat it, and so was Adam when Eve showed it to him.
However, what made them disobey?
Though not implied in the text, Eve must’ve been looking at the fruit often, questioning God by saying, “Why can’t I eat this fruit?” Otherwise, a lie like that wouldn’t have moved her to disobey. It was because she must’ve been looking at it often that Satan’s lie was enough to push her to do it.
She should’ve actually gone to Adam, the person who had most likely passed on the instruction to her, and informed him about the situation. Adam would’ve made the right choice. And if we read 1 Samuel 8:1-8, the concept matches. The Israelites, considered God’s wife (Jeremiah 2:2, 3:8, 14, Ezekiel 16, etc), should’ve consulted God before requesting a king from Samuel, the priest.
When Eve confronted Adam with the fruit, he should’ve remembered God’s instruction and rejected her, telling her something like, “I can’t deal with you anymore, because you are tainted with iniquity!” However, because Adam loved his wife and couldn’t imagine going against her, fell in and disobeyed God.
God pronounced death on them because Adam and Eve became inferior to him. Remember, God is without iniquity (Leviticus 11:44-45, 1 Peter 1:16). “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Therefore, when they sinned, falling short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), they couldn’t live forever, continuing in that sin, so God judged them with death, and this stretched to future humanity, also considered, “Adam’s children” (see Genesis 6:5 for their description).
However, God has always had a plan to create a spiritual family linked with His Word, the truth (John 17:17). Every member of this family overcomes iniquity (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26, Romans 12:21), and proves themselves righteous to God.
The head of this family is Jesus Christ, described as the last Adam, hence, “The Everlasting Father” (Isaiah 9:6). “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.” (1 Corinthians 15:45). Unlike the first Adam, which fell to Satan’s temptation, Jesus Christ rejected Satan, proving a lack of interest in his promises (Matthew 4:1-11 - see Hebrews 12:2-3). Both temptations were like, “tempting fruits”. The unqualified Adam ate it, but the qualified one didn’t.
And God had promised He would prolong Jesus’s spiritual family. “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” (Isaiah 53:10).
The wife of Jesus, the true Adam, are the saints, who replace Eve. The saints are devoted to Jesus Christ’s orders (Revelation 14:1-5), and won’t attempt to drag him to sin, unlike Eve did to Adam. They are predestinated (Romans 8:29-30), and prove themselves worthy by loving not their lives to the death (Revelation 12:11), and sacrificing the world’s enjoyment to save spiritual lives and move God’s purpose forward. That was Eve’s job for Adam, to take care of him, and help him obey God, but she failed.
The children of the true Adam and Eve are not worthless, like Adam’s children, but are all true Jews, attracted by the gospel message (Hosea 11:10, Romans 2:28-29, John 6:44). In Joel 3:18, the gospel message was described as water that would, “water the valley of Shittim”, representing its ability to seek out God’s chosen ones to join the spiritual family.
God’s Kingdom established in our time is being used to make Galatians 5:22-23 become the driving principles in this world, preparing it to be inhabitable by the righteous, so that God’s will may fulfill as planned and prayed for (Matthew 6:9-10). Man will become as the golden wedge of Ophir (Isaiah 13:12), and God’s spiritual family will have a perfect Earth as their habitation. It’s unimaginable! “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.” (Isaiah 64:4 - see also 1 Corinthians 2:9).
However, in order to qualify for this family, we shouldn’t be like Adam, or Eve, or their children, who all fell for the fruit, which was temptations that came from Satan. We must overcome temptations and prove ourselves righteous to God, departing from iniquity at every turn (Isaiah 52:11-12). In our time, the beast, an institution of blasphemy, is currently ruling the world (Revelation 13:5-10). We shouldn’t fall into their hands, but should stick with God and be refined through persecution (Zechariah 13:8-9).
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THE POWER OF MIRACLES
Miracles have been a big part of both the Old and New Testament. Miracles were used as advertisements, to bring the faith of people up. In John 6:2, for example, it states, “And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” (see also John 2:11, 23, 3:2). God knows that supernatural events can bring the hearts of people to him, so he does them from time to time. As Jesus Christ had stated in John 4:48, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”
There are many examples of miracles in the Bible. Jesus Christ had done many, like in John 11:32-44, when he resurrected Lazarus, or in Luke 17:12-19, when he’d healed the ten lepers. There were also many done in the Old Testament. For example, Elijah, in 1 Kings 17:1-6, was fed by ravens as a result of the drought, or famine. From verses 7-16, Elijah, from God’s power, made sure that the woman of Zarephath’s little food lasted a long time. Also, in verses 17-24, the son of the woman fell sick, and Elijah healed him. And, in verse 24, the woman acknowledged that Elijah was truly a man of God. Same goes with Moses, who was shown a miracle of a burning tree in Exodus 3:1-6 for him to know that it was somebody special. Here are some more examples (Acts 13:1-12, Joshua 5:13-15 - God made an angel stand in the battle field for Joshua to know that this is God’s battle - Joshua 10 - The sun didn’t set until Joshua, or God’s battle, was finished.
Now, even though miracles are like advertisements, just as how not everybody responds positively to advertisements, not everybody believes in miracle. For example, after the Pharisees had found out that Jesus Christ had raised Lazarus in John 11:32-44, they plotted to kill him from verses 45-53. The people in John 6:26 hadn’t believed in Jesus Christ, but just because they’d eaten the loaves. And Jesus Christ had talked about this idea of unbelief in John 12:37-43, quoting Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 53:1. Also, in the Old Testament, there were many people that hadn’t believe in what Moses was doing, and the miracles that God was performing (Numbers 14:22-24).
Now, in these last days, many people are praying for physical miracles, some even praying to be miracle workers. But, not only did St.Paul say that not everybody can be a miracle worker (1 Corinthians 12:28-31, Romans 12:4-8, but miracles aren’t just natural phenomenons, like a hurricane, or you survive a car crash. The Bible has described the beast in these last days as a miracle worker (Revelation 16:14, 13:13-15). Just as how people were praising God as a miracle worker (Exodus 15:11, 1-21), the beast will have such honour (Revelation 13:2-4. Mark 13:22). This is the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, where God used to be (Matthew 24:15-16).
There are also some spiritual miracles that God is doing in these last days. For example, God is making sure that spirituality, sometimes called the whore (Revelation 17:16-17), is suppressed by the beast, and overcome. Then, people will celebrate, and be happy (this isn’t physical, but there will certainly be no prophecies of destruction from any false prophet - Revelation 11:10). Some of these miracles were talked about in Matthew 24:1-51. Christianity used to rule and preside over the affairs in this world. Popes used to crown kings, emperors, etc. Popes could judge kings, and anybody else. Now, they can even be closed by the government!
Miracles are great things, supernatural things that make the faith of people grow strong. However, we have to understand the power that miracles can have, and understand their purpose. They aren’t for their own sakes, but simply advertisements. As a result, they are to be believed in and remembered, like the Israelites use the Feast of Tabernacles to remember and commemorate the feats of God in the wilderness, and spiritually, in the last days (Exodus 12:13, Zechariah 14:16-19). “Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth; O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.” (1 Chronicles 16:12-13).
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Salvation is the total deliverance from the consequences of sin, including death. The Scriptures have revealed to us that sin causes many things: lack of peace, tranquility, pain (Psalms 38:3). But most importantly, it produces death. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15).
Humanity plunged into sin in Genesis 3:1-6, when Satan directed us out of God’s principles. Ever since, there’s been a sense of sin in us. “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalms 51:5). It’s built into our moral instincts (Romans 7:7-25). It was because of our sin that God made us die off (Genesis 3:16-19), as people who live in sin can’t be walking in God’s presence forever (Genesis 6:3, Romans 3:23).
But God promised salvation to humanity, and for a couple of reasons. Number one: He felt sorry for our sinful condition (Job 33:21-24). Sin is a heavy burden to humanity. “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.” (Psalms 38:4). We have no power to save ourselves of death (Psalms 49:6-7). So because of that, God has provided a ransom (Job 33:24).
But God also wants to save us from sin because of Himself. He is holy (Leviticus 11:44-45, Deuteronomy 32:4, etc), and he doesn’t like unholiness in His presence. Humanity was seen as unholy before God because of their sin (Isaiah 1:4,6 - a relevant description of humanity’s sin). This is why, when God was angry with Job’s friends, because of their sin, he asked for sacrifices to be made (Job 42:7-10). Those sacrifices pacified His anger and disgust for the Israelites when they sinned against Him. Therefore, he gave a ransom for humanity to save them from sin (1 John 4:10, Romans 3:25) and feel good with looking at us. “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.” (Hosea 13:14).
And all Christians know that Jesus Christ was the ransom. “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45). He was the ransom because he was without sin (1 Peter 2:22), and his perfect life would equal the perfect life that was lost (Deuteronomy 19:21, Exodus 21:22-25). His blood was like a sacrifice (Hebrews 9:22), which would atone for the sins of humanity and take them away (John 1:29). This is similar to the day of Atonement, which was done once a year to atone for the sins of Israel (Leviticus 23:26-32). This was done so that God wouldn’t remember the iniquities of the Israelites, and Jesus Christ’s ransom was the same for all of humanity.
All this information about salvation was prototyped by the story of Egypt and Israel. Salvation, to reiterate, is the total deliverance from the consequences of sin, including death. During the time of the Egyptians and the Israelites, salvation could be defined as, “the total deliverance from Egyptian bondage.”
God saved them for some reasons. One, to fulfill His promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14. He remembered Abraham’s obedience and couldn’t let it go without reward (Deuteronomy 7:7-9). Two, because he pitied their condition (Exodus 2:23-25), and doesn’t believe that people can oppress one another like that (Exodus 3:9-10). And just like humanity as a whole, the Israelites had no way of saving themselves. They were powerless against the Egyptians. But God brought them on “His wings”, and brought them unto Himself (Exodus 19:4-6, 6:6, Deuteronomy 15:15).
In order to worship God, we have to believe that we needed the ransom. It isn’t just for the Jews, or for Christians; it was for all of humanity. And to show our belief, we have to do a few things:
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We have to learn about the ransom, and Jesus Christ, the person who paid it (1 Timothy 2:3-4). We have to understand God’s salvation and want to be a part of it.
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We have to believe in Jesus Christ (John 3:16, 36, 6:47, Acts 16:30-31, etc.). We do this by living by his words, and feeling proud of believing in him (Romans 1:16, Mark 8:38). Those are the works that James says we have to do for our faith to be of any worth (James 2:14-16).
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We have to live in righteousness and be sober, avoiding iniquity wherever possible (Proverbs 4:14-15). “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:11-14).
But the ransom sacrifice wasn’t salvation in itself. It was a door to it. Once again, salvation is the total deliverance from the consequences of sin, including death. And while the ransom sacrifice did defeat death (Hebrews 2:14-15), it didn’t just take sin away from our lives. That’s the job of God’s Kingdom. The Kingdom of God was set up to rework the world into righteousness (Acts 3:19-21). The Kingdom of God is an idea, not a place (Luke 17:20-21) that represents what God wanted the world to look like from the beginning. It is made of principles such as love, faith, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23). The whole world will move in that direction (Isaiah 2:2) as former systems of corruption, poverty, and injustice, in God’s sight, which have dominated the world under the rule of Satan the Devil (1 John 5:19) is being removed, as Jesus Christ is defeating the powers of this world, which Satan ruled the world through (Revelation 19:11-21). And in the end, all of this work will result in peace and happiness (Isaiah 65:17-25, Revelation 21:1-5). This may seem complicated, but if we watch what’s going on, and match it with the Bible, with prayers, such things will be revealed to us.
But how do we qualify to live to obtain that salvation? We have to prove to God that we have faith in His plans. All our spiritual works are like a resume which God looks at and approves of. “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Revelation 3:5). And our faith has to remain to the end to be valid (Matthew 24:12-13, Hebrews 10:35-36, 38-39, 3:14, 1 Peter 1:9-10, etc). If we return to sin, the ransom sacrifice doesn’t save us. “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” (Hebrews 10:26).
Rapture is a futurist doctrine in the branch of study “eschatology”. It’s the idea that Jesus would come physically and take his people to heaven. This theory was popularized by John Nelson Darby in the 1830s, and others like William Miller and Harold Camping predicted when it would happen (1843 and 2011 respectively).
This article will focus on Matthew 24:40-41 and whether that verse supports rapture or not, along with other topics that people misunderstand to support rapture.
Matthew 24:40-41
“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”
This verse does not refer to rapture, but rather how the gospel message works. When the gospel message is preached, some people accept the message, because they’re called by God (John 6:44). They have a spiritually fertile heart. God is spreading the gospel around the world (Matthew 24:14) to gather those people (Isaiah 11:12) so that they can live forever. This process can be understood with the parable of the sower.
“Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” (Matthew 13:3-8).
The seed is God’s word which is planted in different kinds of hearts. Some hearts are good, or “spiritually fertile” (the seed that fell on good ground) while the others are people who have hearts that can’t live according to the gospel message. This distinction is just like the one in Matthew 24:40-41, that some will be taken, and the others left.
There are examples in the Bible of such distincts made (not necessarily by the gospel message, though). For example, out of Jesse’s seven sons, it was David who was chosen to be King over God’s people (1 Samuel 16:1-13). David and his brothers were very similar physically (blood connections), but how they ended up spiritually was completely different, just like, “Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left."
Ruth and Orpah is another great example of this. Ruth and Orpah married into the same family, and both their husbands died. So you’d think that both of them would persist in going with Naomi to Bethlehem. But after some convincing, Orpah left. It was Ruth who persisted, as we see in Ruth 1:16-17, and she ended up marrying Boaz, and through that became the great grandmother of King David and a part of Jesus’ lineage (Matthew 1).
The statements in Matthew 24:40-41 were a part of a larger section of statements, from verse 36 to 42. It was about an hour that we’re not aware of. This doesn’t refer to the rapture being in an hour people don’t know, but rather the fact that Jesus Christ has come as a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10, Revelation 16:15). This is not because Jesus Christ wasn’ts to be secret; the wickedness of this world prevents people from understanding his coming (Matthew 24:12 - iniquity shall abound). This explains why the events of Jesus Christ’s kingship in our time, such as gathering the word together using social media, the Internet, etc (Matthew 25:31-32) and weakening the power of the nations and leaders (Matthew 24:29 - shaking the heavens) are largely unknown in the world. The way the world used to work (kingships and overlords, big spiritual powers) is changing so that there will be no oppression, injustice and wickedness prevailing from leaders being used by Satan. That entire system is a “new heaven” and a “new earth” (Isaiah 65:17, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1-5). Those who God reveals what Jesus Christ is doing will understand what’s going on in the world and rejoice (Revelation 19:1-6) and make sure to not love the world (1 John 2:15-17). Those who don’t know will fall with the world (1 John 2:17, Matthew 24:35) just like in Noah’s time (Genesis 6-8, Luke 17:26-30). They will be left behind, while the righteous ones will be “taken”.
The Saints
One reason why people believe in rapture is because they don’t know who the saints are, what their role is and the difference in their inheritance from the rest of God’s children.
In 1 Thssalonians 4:16-17, it gives us the answers to these questions. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
When God was crowned as King, he called his men from the grave and they became spirits, to rule with him in heaven (Luke 22:28-30, Revelation 1:6). The “trump of God”, can be understood with the two trumpets in Numbers 10:2-10, which were blown to sgnal various things, such as for the Israelites to assemble, and for them to fight a war. And just to know, the “descend from heaven” isn’t physical. It means he’s turning his attention to the Earth, the way God turned His attention to the Israelites to deliver them from their bondage (Exodus 3:8).
Another thing that people don’t understand is how God rewards His children. They use a verse like Matthew 5:12 to prove that they’ll go to heaven for their rewards. “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Jesus Christ was not telling us that we will have to go to heaven to receive our rewards. Rather, it was that our rewards will be heavenly ordained, and not made by man. If you look at Abraham’s life, you’ll see that his blessings didn’t come from the men around him. The nation that he’s known for was done by God (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:5-6, etc).
And for those who think that they’ll go to heaven because Elijah did, Jesus Christ told us that nobody went to heaven before him. “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” (John 3:13).
Rapture can’t be true because it would make much of the Bible wrong. The Earth is important to God; it’s His footstool, after all (Isaiah 66:1). He wants to rid it of its corruption and Satanic influence so that the righteous can live in peace, and without persecution. “For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem; When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.” (Psalms 102:19-22). God wouldn’t need to do that if the rapture would happen, right? He would just destroy the Earth and keep the righteous in heaven.
Therefore, rapture isn’t real.
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THE ETERNAL HABITATION OF MAN
This topic is drawn from Psalms 37:11. “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” (see also Matthew 5:5 and Proverbs 2:21-22).
This article will explain the important parts of this verse: the “meek” and “inherit the earth”.
THE EARTH
God created the earth to be inhabited and remain forever (Isaiah 45:12, 18, Ecclesiastes 1:4). He liked it when He created it (Genesis 1:31, 1 Timothy 4:4), and wanted the children of men (humans) to inhabit it (Psalms 115:16, Psalms 89:11), and worship Him there (Isaiah 43:21). There would be no violence, politics or anything like that. Peace would reign.
However, all this changed with the interference of Satan the Devil. He deceived Adam and Eve to believe that disobeying God and trusting in their own judgment would help (Genesis 3:1-6). Because of all that, he became the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and the world was “under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19, NKJV).
With the world under his control, he set up an economy, political forces, kingdoms and many other things. Living in the world became about meeting standards, competing with other people, amassing wealth, etc. That was what he showed Jesus Christ in Matthew 4:8-9. Seven of those kingdoms (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, the Medes and Persians, Greece, the Roman Empire and the British) influenced the Israelites in major ways (Revelation 17:10-11 - the seven kings). On a smaller scale, because the Israelites had rejected God (1 Samuel 8:7-8), they set up a nation for themselves, with an economy, standing army, etc, to compete with and resemble the surrounding Gentile nations (1 Samuel 8:1-8, 19-20). God never liked this idea because that wasn’t what He planned in the beginning (Hosea 13:11).
This is relevant because the righteous, consequently, have to suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). The righteous are ones who trust in God and not in political leaders, the economy, etc (Jeremiah 17:5-8). However, the majority of people in this world believe in the economy and politics, and because of that, righteous ones are on a narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14). People won’t like them, and as Revelation 13:17 put it, “no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” Essentially, they won’t have many friends or hold big positions in the world, especially in politics.
GOD’S PROMISE FOR A BETTER FUTURE
However, God wanted to fix the world so that His children would be beautified (Psalms 149:4) and shine like the sun (Matthew 13:43). And, to do so, He promised to create “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1). The world will be restored to how it was in the Garden of Eden (Acts 3:19-21). He would make war to cease in the world (Psalms 46:9, Isaiah 2:4 60:18). And to do all this, he appointed Jesus Christ as head and King over His government (Isaiah 9;6-7, 32:1, etc.).
It is evident that God’s government under Jesus Christ is working to reform the Earth for the righteous in our time. After all, political leaders have less power than before, and spiritual leaders can’t enforce Satanic doctrines on the congregation. Jesus Christ is making governance a very hot seat (that’s why leaders are criticized, and people are rioting against them all over the world). God is using that to destabilize Satan’s system, set up thousands of years ago. Being a president, prime minister, etc., is becoming more worthless as a position, in fulfilment of Isaiah 3:6-7, and 34:12. Eventually, the concept of politics and government will be universally rejected. And this process was summarized by Isaiah the Prophet in Isaiah 24:21-22. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.”
The world is also becoming more peaceful. An egalitarian concept is being sown into the hearts of people by God, and in various European countries, the idea that “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer” simply doesn’t exist. People care about others, aid others, and are more interested in the wellbeing of the society than their personal wellbeing.
The Scriptures also help us understand the future. For one, there will be no more war or suffering (Isaiah 11:6-9, 65:17-25, Revelation 21:1-5), or governments (Isaiah 3:6-7). There will be no economy, either, as Jesus Christ implicitly said in Luke 16:9. “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” The mammon of unrighteousness is money, and what is failing in the text is the money system (a.k.a the economy). There will be no marriage (Luke 20:37-38), or sickness, because sickness is a product of sin, which the future won’t have (Isaiah 33:24). And the righteous will not be persecuted by the wicked any longer, as Ezekiel told us in Ezekiel 34:28. “And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.”
The righteous ones of God will be resurrected to live in this world. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:28-29). Job expressed hope in resurrection in Job 19:25-26. “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.”
But we shouldn’t forget the first part of Psalms 37:11, the “meek”. It is the meek that will be inheriting what has been described above. Why? It is because only they will humble themselves before God and not feel entitled to inherit such a thing. They will be eternally grateful and will serve God the way He wants to be served, and not some other way. Isaiah the Prophet spole about this in Isaiah 57:15, where he declared, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
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SPIRITUAL SOLUTIONS FOR TRYING TIMES
COVID-19 has caused major disruptions in the lives of many. A loss of jobs, frustration, fear, sadness, emptiness and a lack of companionships are negative effects of having to stay at home. Many don’t see the need in living anymore, as everything they’ve sought for has collapsed, and there doesn’t seem to be much hope.
However, God is the Creator of man (Isaiah 45:12, 64:8, Job 33:24, Genesis 1:26, etc.) and because of that, he is the source of solutions to our problems, including the ones caused by COVID-19. In this article, we’ll learn about spiritual solutions to trying times, and in particular the effects of COVID-19 (lack of hope and purpose, sadness, frustration, etc.).
It all starts with studying the Scriptures. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (see also Joshua 1:8). Jeremiah spoke of how the knowledge of God elevates our soul. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16). What we are studying in the Bible is God’s plan for mankind, which has been called “the desire of all nations” (Haggai 2:7) because it is what many people wish for (peace, freedom, etc.). When we let it dwell in us richly, as St. Paul said in Colossians 3:16, then with that comes faith and hope (Romans 10:17), and it can elevate us from sadness and frustration.
Prayers is also a spiritual solution to the effects of COVID-19. If we are sick, we can pray to God (James 5:14-15), and we can also ask for wisdom so that we can understand how to remain spiritual in a time when many people are giving up their own spirituality (James 1:5). And we can seek God to help us out of sadness and frustration by hoping in His plan and praying to Him for assistance. “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalms 34:17-18).
An example of this happening was in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, but when he wanted the interpreation of it, he couldn’t remember it. The astrologers didn’t know the dream, and Nebuchadnezzar wanted to kill all the wise men of Babylon. These were trying times.
Daniel and his companions sought God for help, and Daniel revealed the dream to him. He thanked God earnestly (Daniel 2:20-23) and was saved from dying as a result. That is what God can do when His children are in trying times.
Sometimes, it’s also good to look for counsel. King Solomon made it clear that counsel is good. “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” (Proverbs 15:22). “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14; see also Proverbs 24:6). Assuring words and useful advice can really make an impact on someone’s spiritual life.
The other three solutions all lead to us hoping in God’s future and being patient for it, which is indispensable to overcoming the fear, sadness, lack of hope, etc., that comes from trying times like this. It is good to hope in what God has in store for mankind. “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” God said that it was a future of peace and not evil. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11). The Bible has made it clear that God’s plan, unlike what political leaders do, is eternal and immovable, like a rock Hebrews 12:28, Isaiah 14:27, 55:10-11). Therefore, when we hope for that, we also become stable and immovable, because our ways and beliefs will be upon something that endures.
In another way, hoping in God’s future is like casting our burdens upon God, which the Bible has deemed profitable. “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalms 55:22; see also 1 Peter 5:7). Jesus Christ also spoke about being relieved of burdens in Matthew 11:28-30, where he promised us that taking his yoke will make life a lot easier for people who are stressed in life. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). And David referred to God’s Word (which entails His plan for mankind) as “my comfort in my affliction”. (Psalms 119:49-50).
The story of Ruth is a good example to visualise how hoping in God’s future is a solution for trying times. Ruth, Orpah and Naomi were in trying times. They all lost their husbands, and in Naomi’s case, two sons as well (the husbands of Ruth and Orpah). When Naomi heard that her hometown (Bethlehemjudah) had recovered from the famine, she wanted to return. Orpah and Ruth wanted to follow her, as they had no where else to go.
Naomi, however, didn’t see what kind of future Ruth and Orpah were hoping for. She then urged Orpah and Ruth to go back to their families. Orpay eventually did so, but Ruth did not, and the statements in Ruth 1:16-17 are evidence of such persistence. Keep in mind that, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Ruth was hoping in God’s future, and this becomes obvious at the end of the story.
It was because of Ruth’s hope and patience in Naomi (and indirectly in God) that she was now able to marry again and be a part of Jesus’ lineage. Orpah, of course, didn’t partake in any of that.
It is clear from what has been said above that there are spiritual solutions to the current trying times. God’s love is unconditional and doesn’t move away from humanity (Isaiah 54:10, Psalms 103:8, etc) and He therefore has the patience and love to help us out of our sadness and make us live in peace and joy. But we have to trust in God’s plan and be patient for that freedom and joy to be in our lives. “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.” (Isaiah 40:31).
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THE CITIES OF REFUGE
In Numbers 35:6-34, Deuteronomy 4:41-43, 19:1-21, and Joshua 20:1-9, those accounts tell the story of the Cities of Refuge. There were six of them: Kedesh, Shechem and Hebron west of the Jordan River, and Golan, Ramoth-Gilead and Bezer, east of the Jordan River. God chose those six cities because they were spread out, and allowed manslayers, people who commit manslaughter, to enter in at any time.
Then, there would be an avenger of blood. When you kill unintentionally, you don’t alert anybody. You run to one of the cities. The avenger of blood would be a relative of the person you unintentionally killed. If he catches you before you get there, you’d be killed. But if you got there before him, you’d explain to the elders why you’re there, and if the case is valid, you’d be given a home, food and other necessities to survive. Most important, though, the avenger of blood would no longer have the consent to come after you, because the avenger of blood can’t go there. You’d remain there until the death of the High Priest; after that, you could leave freely. If you left before, however, the protection goes away with it.
All these parts are symbolic. For example, the Cities of Refuge in these last days are the teachings of the saints (Matthew 24:31, 14), because once we accept them, we are gathered together by God in his fold (Zephaniah 2:3). We are fleeing into that fold (Matthew 24:15-16) by studying the Bible (James 1:25, 2 Timothy 2:15), and living by its principles, to be accepted into God’s protection - Joel 2:32, Proverbs 18:10, Isaiah 26:20-21, etc.
In these last days, everyone is a manslayer. Everyone is a sinner, but most people have unintentionally sinned, because we inherited it from Adam (Titus 3:3, Psalms 51:5, Ezekiel 18:20, Romans 6:23, etc). However, if we don't’ take advantage of this, or we flee from the opportunity, there is no room for forgiveness - Hebrews 10:26-29
The avenger of blood in these last days is Jesus Christ. He is coming after anybody who doesn’t listen to what the anointed Christians have to say. He is God’s Vindicator, Referee, etc (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, Revelation 12:1-12, 19:11-21). The Holy Sanhedrin are the saints (Revelation 4:4, 1:6, Luke 22:28-30, Psalms 149:5-9).
The High Priest is also Jesus Christ (Hebrews 3:1, 9:11). The death of the High Priest is the end of his work, the death of spirituality (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). Then, he will hand everything back to God, so that he may be all in all.
It is very important that we understand how we need to be taking refuge in God’s Purpose. This age is indeed a very dangerous time (2 Timothy 3:1-5, Matthew 24:3-51) but if we know what to do, we will be safe.
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THE ACT OF GOD
There are three acts we need to know about - an act of God, an act of Satan, and an act of ourselves. God doesn't cause various misfortunes that may come upon our lives. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” (James 1:13).
Satan the Devil is the cause of the confusion and calamities that come upon us in the last days. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8. He doesn’t warn us before doing things; therefore, we can’t predict when he comes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t avoid him. “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” - (James 4:7).
An act of ourselves is based on free-will. God gave us free will, to see who his real children were. Forced service, or robots, isn’t what he wanted. He wanted true, voluntary service. And God allows certain things to happen for him to confirm that (James 1:2-4, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Zechariah 13:8-9, etc).
But, what is an act of God? An act of God always comes with warnings. “Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.” - (Proverbs 17:26). But, that always comes with something else - we can’t reverse his wrath. (Proverbs 1:24-30) And God warned his children that he’d be angry in these last days (Zephaniah 1:14-18, Isaiah 26:20-21, etc). “For the LORD shall rise as in Mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act.” - (Isaiah 28:21).
For example, God used Noah to warn people of what was going to happen (2 Peter 2:5). But nobody took the warning, and when the flood came, and the door was shut, it was too late. Nobody could convince God to open the door. God’s wrath can’t be reversed.
There’s also the story of Lot, and how people didn’t listen to Lot’s warnings, until God came and rained fire from heaven (Genesis 19: 1-30). Moses had warned Pharaoh, but he didn’t accept, causing the ten plagues to happen (Exodus 7-11). And many other examples. But, like Isaiah 28:21, in these last days, God has given warnings to us, through the Bible and the saints, the pressmen of God. ( Matthew 24:31- 14, Isaiah 52:17, Joel 2:28-29, etc). If we listen to the warnings, we’ll be saved by God. But if we refuse to listen, make light of it (Matthew 22:4-7), we will be overtaken by events, and God won’t do anything about that. We have to be careful, be watchful (Luke 21:34-36), and know the difference between an act of God, Satan the Devil, and even ourselves, because many people pray to God for deliverance, when they cooked the situation for themselves, and they are reaping what they sow (Galatians 6:7-8, Job 4:8, Proverbs 22:8, Lamentations 3:39,40, Jeremiah 30:15, etc).
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THE KINGSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST
For a long time, the world has been, “under the sway of the wicked one (1 John 5:19). He is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:3-4), because his principles had presided over the Earth and ruled his kingdoms.
However, God said that he would create a Kingdom, set a King in office, and have him rule it to success. This has been discussed in the Bible. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9). “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.” (Isaiah 32:1). He’s even been compared with David (Jeremiah 23:5-6).
Who is this king? Jesus Christ.
Let’s learn more about his kingship by answering a few basic questions.
Where was he inaugurated? Jesus Christ was inaugurated in heaven, in the “presence of God” (Hebrews 9:23-24). After Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, he was put somewhere until God was ready to set him as King (Psalms 110:1). When it was time, he was called out and crowned. It was not visible to humans, as St.Paul told us that we will know Jesus Christ as human no more (2 Corinthians 5:16).
When did it happen? The signs of the times in Matthew 24:3, 6-8 help us understand this. It was before World Wars 1 and 2 happened, as Jesus Christ was crowned King, and he with the holy angels had the battle with Satan and his angels, and as Revelation 12:7-12 tells us, Jesus Christ prevailed.
Why is he the King? Jesus Christ is the King of God’s Government because he was the firstborn son, and the big responsibilities go to those. “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:18-20). This was also a part of the reward for paying the ransom sacrifice, and proving his love for God’s will. “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Psalms 45:7).
What and where is his Kingdom? The Kingdom that he is ruling covers the whole world, sometimes called “the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:28-30). This Kingdom, though, derives its power from heaven, which is why it’s sometimes called, “‘the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11, 11:11, 13:31-32, etc), and this is also why Jesus Christ told Pontius Pilate during his passion that his kingdom was, “not of this world” (John 18:36-37).
His Kingdom has founding principles, principles that he is moving the whole world to embrace. Those principles are in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Those principles are starting to feature in the world’s events, and this will only grow, in fulfillment of Isaiah 2:2, Daniel 2:44 and Matthew 13:31-32.
So what is he doing as King? Jesus Christ is moving those principles mentioned above forward, so that the world can be reworked to represent what God wanted from the beginning. He is designing a world with no divisions or persecution (Isaiah 10:20), especially to the righteous. That’s why this time has been called “the time of refreshing” (Acts 3:19-21). He is gathering the nations (everybody) to be judged, both righteous and wicked (Matthew 25:31-32, Genesis 49:10), so that they can be rewarded for their works (Matthew 16:27). He is also supervising the preaching of the gospel message to rescue some people from God’s wrath, and to add to the “Other Sheep” (John 10:16, Hosea 11:10, Matthew 24:14), and making sure that the chosen ones who preach go to heaven, to be his wives (Revelation 14:4).
However, no king rules alone. Jesus Christ is ruling with ministers, the saints, who will be assisting Jesus Christ in juding the world. “Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28-30 - see also Revelation 1:6, 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 and Psalms 149:5-9). They have also been described as Jesus Christ’s bodymembers, because they constitute Jesus Christ’s cabinet members (Zechariah 8:23). These ministers are not all equal; God Himself decides who sits on Jesus’s left and right hand (Matthew 20:20-28). We shouldn’t also forget, though, that Jesus Christ also has angels ordered by God to be at his disposal (Luke 9:26 - the holy angels are with him).
When Jesus Christ is finished ruling, the entire project will be handed back to God, so that he will be all in all (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). There will be a big celebration, just like in David’s time with his people after defeating the Jebusites, establishing the capital in their land and returning the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:5, 13-16). And the way to be a part of this is to acknowledge Jesus Christ as King and follow his instructions, to be true servants who will inherit the rewards of his Kingdom. “I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.” (Ecclesiastes 8:2-3).
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GOD AND SEXISM
In the past 100 years, the world has advanced significantly, and sexism is one of many things that have been internationally rejected. For many Christians who believe the Word of God was inspired (2 Timothy 3:16-17), they look at sexism in the worldly, secular view and then look for quotations in the Bible to support the idea that God doesn’t really have much of an opinion on sexism, or worse, that the Bible actually agrees with the worldly view. But in this article, we are going to look into the real opinion of the Bible and find out one thing: Does God have an opinion on sexism, and if so, does He support sexism or not?
To begin, we need to know why God created different sexes, their roles and what makes them distinct. In Genesis 1:26, God wanted to create “man” in His own image. He made Adam a living soul in Genesis 2:7, put him in the Garden of Eden and told him “to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). However, God didn’t feel like Adam should be alone in doing his job. He wanted to create a “helpmeet”; someone who would assist Adam and support him in what he did. In Genesis 2:21-24, that help meet, who we know as Eve, was formed.
It’s important we understand that Eve and Adam were not equal. Eve, and every woman in this world are “the weaker vessel” (1 Peter 3:7) and Eve’s role was to help Adam. The woman was created “of the man”, and “for the man”, (1 Corinthians 11:8-9), and is the “glory of the man'' (1 Corinthians 11:7) and his “crown” (Proverbs 12:4). She was a “helpmeet”. Things such as raising kids were a major role given to women, as seen in 1 Timothy 2:15, 5:14, Titus 2:4-5, etc. Adam would be the one to submit to God, talk with Him and learn what should be done to lead himself and his wife the way God wants them to go.
The role of the man was different from that of the woman. As said above, men submit to God directly and take guidance from Him. Covenants that God had with humanity were with men, and not with women (like that of circumcision - Genesis 17, verses 10 and 12 in particular). If you look at Abraham and Sarah, God’s covenant and promises were to Abraham. He would talk with him from time to time (Genesis 12, 15, 18, etc.) and Sarah was being led by Abraham. The spirituality of Abraham was with God, and he was to do what God told him to do. Sarah was just a helper in that; she gave birth to the child God promised and raised him the way Abraham instructed. That was her spirituality that would earn her (and every other woman who does the same) salvation (1 Timothy 2:15).
Jesus Christ, also, chose disciples in Luke 6:12-13, and they were all men. It doesn’t mean that Jesus Christ didn’t care about women; he treated women of all kinds with the respect God wanted them to have. From time to time, he would visit Martha and Mary (like in Luke 10:38-42). Women as a sex weren’t treated the way they were supposed to, so Jesus Christ comforted them. Plus, God was very serious about maltreating widows and others in their category (Isaiah 1:17, Zechariah 7:10); He could punish severely if you maltreated them (Malachi 3:5), and in many cases, death was the penalty (Exodus 22:22-24). But when it came to the big tasks God had for His Son, it was men who were to aid him (they are his “companions - Revelation 14:1-5), in judging the world (Psalms 149:5-9, Luke 22:28-30, Revelation 1:6), etc.
It is because men are closer to God (when they’re righteous, of course) that they were instructed to head their wives and lead them in the path of righteousness (1 Corinthians 11:3). It was for such reasons that wives were told in the Bible to “obey their husbands'' (Ephesians 5:22, 24, 1 Peter 3:1-7), and “keep silence in the churches; for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law.” (1 Corinthians 14:34; see also verse 35). Also, women were told to bring their prayers to their husbands for approval (Numbers 30:1-14). God wouldn’t have seen any need in that if women and men were equal in rights, roles and closeness to Him.
In our time, women are finding it harder to submit to the leadership of their husbands, due to modernity and changed motives. But we can look at women in the Bible who carried similar ambitious and presumptuous motives, and how God felt about it/how they ended.
Jezebel is a good example of this, because she influenced King Ahab to sin against God in 1 Kings 21. She wasn’t submitting herself under King Ahab’s guidance, but was rather interested in materializing her own view of the matter. God was very angry with her, and she is biblically infamous as a result.
Queen Athaliah also didn’t do her role, and that’s evident in the “queen” part of it. Women weren’t supposed to be ruling, but because of her presumptuousness, she took advantage of the death of her son, Ahaziah, and started ruling, and she killed all her potential opponents to fully secure the office. She then ruled for six years. However, she was justly murdered outside the temple (read the story in 2 Kings 11:1-3, 11-21).
Mariam is another good example. She paired up with Aaron to oppose Moses because he married an Ethiopian woman, and because he acted like a leader over the people. A woman was never supposed to be opposing a man, especially when he’s righteous and he does God’s will. God made her leprous for a week because of what she did (read the story in Numbers 12).
However, there are stories in the Bible that complicate the issue of sexism, and these occur when men don’t do what they’re supposed to do and there are women of good understanding, like Abigail (1 Samuel 25:3). Nabal, her husband, drove David’s men away when they came to him for a request, and David wanted to take revenge on him. But Abigail came to him with courage and uttered some inspiring words from verses 25-31, and David praised her for it. Also, Deborah in Judges 4 had heartened the army and reminded them of God’s instructions towards them. She was a “judge” for Israel because they weren’t doing what they were supposed to. And then there was Huldah who was labelled a “prophetess”, and talked like a prophet (2 Kings 22:14-20).
These examples may make it look like women now have the right to rule men, or simply be equal with them, but these stories are not only the minority, but they hadn’t actually ruled over men or been equal. Periodically, men didn’t play their role, and sensible women filled in the gaps, like Deborah. But they weren’t presumptuous; they would remind the men of their roles, and men still did their job of leadership.
It is evident from what has been said above that God doesn’t see the sexes equally. It must be emphasized that the role of a woman is not less important, or worse than that of a man. Both are big and necessary for the salvation purpose. God had ordained those roles for each sex, and we can’t question what He does (Daniel 4:34-35). If God said women should obey men, and men should lead their wives properly and respect them, the only thing we should be asking God is how we can live our lives accordingly. We aren’t to be doubting it, and thinking our opinions are superior.
Equality as an idea is a worldly and modern concept; its roots aren’t biblical. It grew with the intense work that women did in World Wars 1 and 2, and the subsequent protests and pleas for women rights. In our time, women almost have completely equal opportunities with men in the west, and the other continents are catching up. But for those who are interested in what God thinks, His thoughts on sexism have been expressed.
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