Peace

Peace

by | Jul 4, 2020 | Simple Bible Truth

Peace

Peace Beyond Understanding

Do you ever feel stressed out, weighed down with the worries of the world, your family, or work relationships? This is something people have experienced since sin entered the world. But as with all of the evil and wrong that is in the world today, God offers His support and He holds out incredible peace that we can embrace and experience daily. This peace goes beyond all understanding.

Peace Promised in the Life of the Believer

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

I have told you these things (about his crucifixion, resurrection, going to the Father and sending holy spirit to help in trouble) that in me you may have peace.  In the world you have trouble, but cheer up!  I have overcome the world! (John 16:33 AMP)

Shalom, Promised Peace

The Bible promises the believer strength and peace in their life. If we look in the Old Testament to the Hebrew word shalom, it is often translated peace. This peace is not a peace that most Americans or people in general understand. It encompasses all areas of your life. Shalom is “completeness, soundness, welfare, peace.” (BibleHub)

We should desire to constantly have this shalom peace in our lives. When we have it, we are able to deal with anything that comes our way, whether good or bad. It does not make bad things good nor does it make them right or acceptable. It helps us deal with them and have peace in our hearts and minds no matter the situation. It is scientifically proven that when we do not have peace in our lives, our health suffers. If we have continual stress and worry, we not only suffer emotionally and psychologically but physically as well.  Many cancers and diseases are caused by excess stress in our lives. We should desire a peaceful life in our inmost being. And we can have it if we choose. It is held out to us, but we must take it, accept it, and walk in it.

Be Open to Receive God’s Peace

I cannot explain it or draw a picture of it for you. It is something that you must experience. Even so, I can tell you from experience, this peace is available if we choose to have it. Unfortunately, God does not just pour His peace out on you and saturate you with it. You must have an open bucket to receive, just like if it rains. If you do not have a rain barrel to catch the rain or if it’s full of dirt, you will not be able to receive any rain.

If we have shalom peace, we will have more joy in our lives even in spite of bad circumstances. We will be better able to represent God and Jesus if we have shalom peace in our lives. It will help us to ripen the fruit that we should have since we have God’s spirit in us.

You Must Choose

Unfortunately, many people choose to keep their stress, worries, and problems instead of accepting God’s peace. Think about things in your life where you need peace. Is it your job? Finances? Relationships? Whatever it is, God’s peace can be present. Will you seek His peace and receive it, or will you hold on to your problems and your stress and try to deal with them yourself? I can tell you for a fact that if you are willing to let go of them and put them on God’s altar, you will have a great blessing. Your life will be much better because of it, and His peace will be reflected in others.

God will not force his peace upon you. If you are not willing to get rid of your anxiety and the problems causing you stress and lack of peace in your life, you will keep them. As we said, stress and anxiety cause health problems in many organs of our body. If we want peace in our bodies, minds, and whole being, we must be willing to put whatever is weighing us down on the altar and leave it there. We cannot Hold our problems and hold God’s peace at the same time. We must choose one or the other. It’s there for you, but it’s your choice.

Peace Beyond Understanding

God revealed to me long ago the importance of having peace in my life. His peace goes beyond my understanding and the understanding of the world. His piece does not make sense but it is real and it is the only true peace that lasts. The world does not understand how you can have peace in the midst of a storm. But as David said in Psalms 23, God will be with us when we go through the valley of the shadow of death. We are not guaranteed as a Christian to not have valleys and not come near death. But we are promised that He will be with us and walk with us through those times.

The Key to Peace

Philippians 4:4-7 gives us the key to peace. We must rejoice in the Lord and not be anxious about anything. We should talk to God about everything and petition Him with thanksgiving.  Don’t hesitate to make your requests known to God. As a result, you will have God’s peace which goes beyond all comprehension and it will guard your heart and thoughts in Christ Jesus. I have found this true in my own life over and over again.

Praise Him in the Storms

Casting Crowns song, “Praise You in the Storm,” touched my heart deeply. In that song, God asked me if I was willing to praise Him in the midst of my storms. That is when I understood what a true sacrifice of praise was. It is when we praise Him not because of something good in our lives, but just because He is good and because He is present.

Even when there are bad things happening in our lives, we can still praise our Father in heaven.  There is incredible freedom and we are released from whatever is weighing us down when we offer up a sacrifice of praise to Him. We can choose bondage or freedom; the choice is ours.

Release What You Cannot Control

We cannot control situations or people. You can only control half of the relationship, your half, whether it be a marriage, with parents, children, friendship, or a job or business. If there are other people involved you cannot control them or their part in their relationship with you.

If you are having a problem or stress in one of these situations, you must look at yourself and see what you can do to help the situation, and then take action and do those things. But if it is something that you cannot control, then you must release it and cut that chain that holds you in bondage. If it is not something that you can do anything about, release it. Either choose to cut that chain and experience God’s peace, or drag around the heavy ball and chain of your sorrow and problems. When you cut that chain you are not approving, you are just releasing the burden.

Cut the Chain

To illustrate that better, let’s say you are chained to an elephant and walking around the jungle. If the elephant dies you can either cut the rope and continue on, or you can try to pull it with you. If you try to do the latter you will realize that not only is it heavy and tires you out, but it gets snagged on a lot of other things which cause even more problems, not to mention the stench after a while.

Another illustration might be two athletes tied together and running in different directions. You cut the rope that holds you together and then you experience the freedom to go the direction you need to go. You determine the speed as well, rather than trying to pull somebody who is going in the other direction. If Either of the two athletes decides to turn around and join the other in the direction they are going, then they can enjoy that run together. If not, better to have peace and release the struggle and the extra weight.

The Struggles Are Real, But so is Freedom

I have experienced some very big struggles in my life. If to allow them to break me down, I would become so wounded that I would not be able to stand up or function. I would not be able to care for the people that need me. I could have allowed those issues and problems to destroy me. But I rejoice that God showed me the value of peace in my life, and gave me the strength to release my burdens. His peace is life and health and leads to well-being. I have found that we can even have joy as we go through the valley of the shadow of death. Of course, we are not rejoicing in that particular valley, but rejoicing in Him who is walking with us. That is true freedom, peace, and joy.

Put it All on the Altar

As Galatians says, I have been crucified with Christ and it is not I who lives, but he who lives in me. We are a new creation. The old man is gone and the new one is here. We must be willing to put all of our cares on the altar before God and leave them there. We may still have to deal with consequences and other things associated with them, but God will give us the strength to do so. The difference is that we will have peace of mind and our hearts will be at rest. I encourage you to choose the way of peace.

You Have a Choice

The choice is ours. We are free to exchange our burdens for peace.

It may sound harsh and it may sound like it is crazy, but the choice is yours. The world is not fair. People are selfish and self-centered. Maybe your parents were not there for you. Maybe your child ran from you and from God. Perhaps your spouse left you, or worse yet, is with you, being abusive or cheating on you. You cannot change those things or those people. But you can cut the rope spiritually by putting it on the altar. In some instances, you must do it physically by removing yourself from a dangerous situation.

There are many wives who cry themselves to sleep at night because Their professing Christian husbands are not showing them the love that they desperately need and desire. But you cannot change that circumstance or spouse.  Either way, you are in the situation, so better to be in it with peace.

Perspective

As a Christian our hope is when Jesus returns and we are resurrected and made immortal. This life of a mere 60 or 80 years, is not the life that is truly life. It is not the end-all or the best part of life. We still must live it, and there are good things. But life in the coming age, the next age when Jesus returns, is the life that we should be more focused on and more concerned about. 

This life is a race and the most important thing is to make it to the end and cross the finish line on our feet.

I Wish You Peace

My prayers for you are for strength and peace.  May you not fear releasing your burdens or cutting the chains that hold you in bondage to stress, worry, and anxiety.  May you accept and experience the peace that goes beyond any peace that you can imagine, God’s peace.  Shalom, my friends.

Persecuted

Persecuted

by | Jun 21, 2020 | Simple Bible Truth

Persecuted

Persecuted on Behalf of Christ and His Teachings

What does it really mean to be persecuted for Christ?

Why do so many Christians think that they should suffer no persecution during this mortal life?

Why do so many Christians choose to close their eyes to Jesus’ teachings, rather than to suffer as a result of obedience?

Jesus told his followers to expect persecution.  He told them if he was persecuted, they shouldn’t think that they would have it any different.  A consecrated and committed life to follow Messiah Jesus was never portrayed as an easy life.

Fear or Love?

God put on my heart that the main reason Christians don’t want to risk persecution, is fear.  Perhaps it is also lack of faith, which comes from a lack of truly knowing and trusting God.

The Bible tells us that perfect love casts out all fear.  Throughout the New Testament we are told over and over again to “fear not.”  We must ask ourselves then, what is it that we fear?  Do we fear death?

As a born-again believer we acknowledge that death is our enemy.  On the same hand though, that does not mean that we should fear it.  We are warned to not fear what men can do to us, that is kill is, but we should fear God who can destroy us forever.

Persecuted for Christ and His Teachings

This life, if we are blessed, is maybe 60 to 100 years.  That is nothing if to consider eternity, or even just the 1000-year millennial reign, which is only phase one of God’s Kingdom plan.

Would we dare to risk immortality and life in the age that is coming for even 100 years of life now?  We must choose to obey because obedience shows our allegiance and our love for our Father and for His son.

Sometimes we will need to risk loss or death not because a gun is pointed to our head demanding “renounce Christ or die,” but because we choose to live in obedience.  Living for Christ is much more difficult than dying for him.  Dying to self, our own desires, plans, and worldviews cost us much more than taking a bullet to the head as a martyr.

Resurrection Hope

Death is sad.  It is sad for all those who lose a loved one.   Believers though are told not to mourn as those do that have no hope.  Yes, of course, we mourn, but we also rejoice in God’s plan.  We can rejoice because we know that we will be resurrected to life and be given an immortal body that will never die again.  That hope should be worth dying for if need be today.

Rationalizing Who is Our Enemy

We often hear, “Well, if anyone would try to take my things or hurt my child or grandchild, I would kill them.”  This does NOT sound like Christ.  In fact, Jesus raised the standard and taught us to LOVE our enemies.  (Someone wanting to kill you or your child would definitely be considered your enemy!) There were no clauses or exceptions with that command.  We all know the definition of “enemy.”  An enemy is someone who wants to do harm to you, or even kill you.

Disclaimer:  When I say to love your enemy or chose a life of non-violence, that does not mean that I would not put my body in front of a bullet coming at my child, or that I would not detain someone, scream for help or call the police.   The Bible says that the governments (police) should be in place for our benefit, ad they are not looked at as part of the church.  The church is to remain separate, yes obey the laws of the land as long as they do not conflict with God’s laws.

Count the Cost, Prepare to Be Persecuted

I challenge you to really consider Jesus’ hard words to his followers.  “Love your enemy.”  Are you willing to OBEY him?  It doesn’t matter how you feel or what you think.  It is a matter of obedience and a willing heart to obey our Master at all cost.  Are you willing to lose something in this life, or even your life? 

Those choosing to follow Christ were told to count the cost.  Lay down their lives.  Die to self.  They were told that the road is narrow that leads to life, and in fact, only a few find it.

Belief & Trust

If we say we believe in him, the result will be trusting him.  Belief and trust are both a choice.  You cannot say you believe in his words if you do not show that belief by trusting in his words and walking according to his words.

Do we not trust God enough that we are not willing to put not only our life in His hands but that of our children?  Are we so proud to think that we love them more than He does, and so arrogant to think that we can defend them better than He could?  Do we dare value this life about that which is coming in the next age?

Persecuted Chldren?

Of course, we must care for our children as best as we can, but in accordance with the teachings of Jesus.  We must be willing to put them on the altar though and choose obedience.  We saw the example of Abraham, the father of our faith.  He was willing to put his son on the altar; and the reason being, he believed and trusted that God could raise the dead. (verse)

If we love our children so much, we would be better off spending time teaching them and leading them in the way that leads to the life that is truly life.  We would not worry about this temporary and mortal life so much but live with peace of mind and spirit.

Bondage or Peace

In reality, so many, even Christians, spend their energy thinking about what could happen (probably as a result of too much television and news shows).  Yes, theoretically, all these terrible things could happen.  But what is the chance that they will?  Perhaps we would fear less and have more peace if we chose to just trust God that He would give us wisdom to deal with any terrible situation, if it ever came about, which again, most likely won’t.  Perhaps we should trust God that He would give us words, thoughts or strength to do what we could, and have peace in that if He allows us or someone we love to die, that is His will and He can bring us back to life.

We must grasp the great truth about the resurrection and have peace knowing that the dead will be raised.  We must embrace that hope and live as we believe it.

Persecution Avoided

We see in Scripture that people were warned not to go a certain way or to a certain town, and even to leave a town because they would have been persecuted or killed.   God will not allow us to die if He has other plans for our life today.  Therefore, we must live each day to its fullest and for His glory.

Premeditated Murder or Possible Persecution

It brings Him no glory if we are premeditating murder.  If a person has made their mind up to have a conceal and carry permit and carry a gun, they have made their mind up that they will pull the trigger and kill another person.  No Christian can justify this with Scripture or point to an example of any New Testament believer who did anything of the sort.  When we allow such thinking to take residence in our minds and hearts, we give way to Satan and we risk losing God’s blessings, peace, and possibly even immortality.

God’s Peace

God’s shalom peace is amazing.  It brings the peace that goes beyond our human understanding (verse) to those who are willing to receive it.  I encourage you to choose obedience and to choose His peace.  When you do, you will experience great freedom, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  Do not remain in bondage to fear.  The jail cell has been opened; dare to come out, dare to follow the way of love that leads to peace and life.

Jesus Submits

Jesus Submits

by | Jun 9, 2020 | Simple Bible Truth

Jesus Submits

Jesus, the Son of God, Submits to His Father

Why would Jesus, the son of God, need to submit if he were equal to God or if he were God?  Jesus knew his place in relation to his Father.  As a result, he did not try to take more authority than was given to him.

Why did the Jesus Submit?

Jesus willingly submitted to his Father because his Father was a higher power and obviously had more authority.  He acknowledged this fact and knew his place.

Jesus only spoke and acted as God inspired him.  He humbly acknowledged that he could do nothing on his own.  Jesus repeatedly stated that he could do nothing on his own initiative, but spoke only those things as the Father taught him.  Again, Jesus emphatically confessed that he could do nothing without the Father.  (John 5:19,  8:28-30)

Authority from the Father

Jesus possessed nothing in and of himself.  He received his authority from the Father, from his God.  Jesus understood that the Father is the giver and him, the son, the receiver.  That authority Jesus received will ultimately be given back to the Father after the 1000-year reign.  (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)  (And an interesting side note, Jesus has the power to give authority to the church. Revelation 2:26)

Jesus had a Choice

Jesus willingly submitted to his Father.  He had a choice to obey or disobey, follow his own will, or his Father’s will.  This was not an easy choice, even for Jesus. 

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus wrestled with his own will to the point of sweating drops of blood (Luke 22:41-44).  But, in the end, Jesus chose to submit his own will (his desire to reconcile man to God in a different way), to the Father’s will.  He agreed to follow through with the Father’s plan and go to the cross.

Creator VS Created

Everyone understands that you cannot be the creator and the created.  A father creates a son, and without a father, a son does not come into existence.  Therefore, using the logical mind that God gave us, something created cannot be its own creator.

It is essential for Christians, followers of Christ, to understand who Jesus is and the different roles the Father and the Son have.

The Son Submits, Unlike God

The Father, who alone is God, submits to no one, not even to Jesus.  On the other hand, Jesus humbly and willingly submits to his Father, and his God. He acknowledges the Father as being superior and that he, Jesus, can do nothing without the Father.  Even after his resurrection, Jesus is still following his Father’s plan.

Can the Son be the Father?  Even trinitairians would say no.  This would make 3 gods.

So, can this same Jesus (the Son of God, Messiah), also be God?  The Bible states over and over again that there is only one being that is God, and that is the Father.  Jesus submitted to and accepted his role in God’s creation.  Why do professing Christians have such a hard time accepting what Jesus himself accepted?

Begotten

Begotten

by | May 19, 2020 | Simple Bible Truth

Begotten

Begotten Son of God

Understanding and believing in the begotten son of God is essential if we want to have life in the coming age when Jesus returns.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (life in the coming age).   (John 3:16)

So, why is it so important to understand that Jesus was begotten?

Mary

The young woman, Mary, was chosen to be the mother of God’s Messiah.  She was not the mother of God.  God did not put Jesus in her womb, He miraculously created Jesus in he womb using her egg.  This was all done by His holy spirit.

When the angel told her about God’s plan, she asked how she could bear a son if she had not been with a man.  The angel’s answer was simple, it was by God’s power, a miracle.  Since God did the begetting, the child would be called His son.

The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most-High will overshadow you; and for that reason, the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.  (Luke 1:35)

Joseph

Then the angel appeared to Joseph, Mary’s future husband, and told him that a child had been conceived (begotten) in Mary by God’s spirit.  You can imagine his shock!  But God knew that he would be the right man to raise His son and Joseph agreed.

But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”  (Matthew 1:20)

Begotten, the Origin of Jesus

Jesus was created by God’s spirit in the womb of Mary.  If this was the beginning, or origin, of Jesus, how could he possibly have a second genesis, origin, or beginning prior to that?

The definition of genesis, origin, or beginning, means, the point or place where something begins.  The point and place that Jesus had his beginning, was in the womb of Mary.

Definition and understanding of the words “begotten.”

STRONGS NT 1080: γεννάω (gennaó ) to beget.  HELPS Word-studies – Beget (procreate a descendant), produce offspring

“To procreate (properly, of the father, but by extension of the mother)” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).  The word implies “of men begetting children” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

God did the begetting because He was the one who created the child in Mary, but not by normal human means.

Jesus, Begotten by the Father

Jesus began in the womb of Mary.  God miraculously begat him and he was brought forth by Mary.  There was no “spiritual sex act”, no sperm from God, just a simple miracle, just like when He created Adam and Eve. 

The main point is the fact that Jesus was begotten or procreated by God.  Procreation focuses on the conceiving and bearing of offspring, in contrast to reproduction which focuses on the production.

“Reproduction is usually defined as the action of making a copy of something, or the production of offspring by sexual intimacy. … The idea of procreation focuses on the conceiving and bearing of offspring, while reproduction focuses on the production of offspring.” (Dykstra, 2013)

Human Descendant of David

Jesus has blood relatives through Mary.  His genealogy is traced back through King David, Abraham, Noah, and ultimately to Adam.

We know Jesus’ family tree. 

“…concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh…” (Romans 1:3)

At the Right Time in History

Jesus was created at just the right time in history.  God then commissioned him and sent him forth with purpose. ( “sent forth” BibleHub)

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.   (Galatians 4:4-5)

God has given Jesus authority and power to act on His behalf, just like Pharaoh gave Joseph.  Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring so people would know that he was empowered and sent by Pharaoh.  Likewise, God gave Jesus His holy spirit and gave him rule and authority as well, but in the future when he returns.  He even gave him immortality.

He (the Father) gave to the Son also to have life in Himself. (John 5:26)

Although God gave Jesus this authority, Jesus still humbly acknowledged that everything he had, came from the Father.

Subordinate to the Father

So there would be no confusion, Jesus declared that he had his existence because of the Father and he willingly submitted to Him.  (We will cover this in another post.)

I live because of the Father. (John 6:57)

Jesus knew his place and he was willing to accept the fact that the Father was greater than he.  He let people know that all the miracles he did were because the Father gave him tha ability.

Begotten Makes Sense

Although the miracle seemed incomprehensible, it is no more incomprehensible than Adam, a human, being created from dirt, and Eve from a rib of Adam.  Jesus was miraculously created by Mary’s egg.

Pre-existence violates the God-made rules of logic and the Bible teaches no such thing, although there are other religions that teach a similar doctrine about their Gods.

 

Dykstra, L. (2013). Having Babies: Personhood or Product? CederEthics: A Journal of Critical Thinking in Bioethics, 12, 2. [https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/01ac/5fc8c43881c5ef088e114b7cd0e08769e7ff.pdf]

Pre-existence

Pre-existence

by | May 9, 2020 | Simple Bible Truth

Pre-existence

Pre-Existence (Intro)

What does the Bible teach about pre-existence?  The first question we must ask ourselves is if a human being can pre-exist his existence.  Can a person have a beginning before they begin?

God has set certain rules, or laws, for this universe.  He did not set these parameters only to break them Himself or try to confuse His creation.  He created our brains and He did not intend for us to dismiss the obvious and simple concepts by saying, “it is a mystery,” or “you have to just believe blindly.”  In contrast, the Bible says that we can know and understand God by what has been made.  In addition, we can have greater understanding if we read the Bible since all that is written is for us so that we might believe.

Pre-Existence, Reincarnation, Or Miracle?

For this reason, unless you are Morman or believe in reincarnation, you should understand the Bible’s simple teaching about Jesus.

Jesus was miraculously created in the womb of Mary and started to exist AT THAT TIME.  He was created by God’s spirit, just as God created the world by His words.  Jesus had his beginning just like every other human being (except Adam and Eve), at conception.

The only difference, his conception was a miracle because there was no sperm.  Just like Adam and Eve did not have human parents, Jesus did not have a human father.  Adam and Eve were still human beings.  They were just miraculously created, and this did not take away from their humanity.

100% Human

God gave us the understanding as to what 100% means.  If you score 100% on a test, we all know that it means that you got them all right.  If there are 100 questions on an exam, you cannot score 110.  There are only 100 questions.

According to Merriam-Webster the definition of 100% is:  completely, entirely.  If to consider Jesus being 100% human, we understand that he is completely and entirely human and cannot be any percent anything else (before or after being human).  If he is truly 100% human, he cannot be any percent of anything else.  A person cannot be 100% human and 100% angel, God, or any other being  You have to be one or the other.

God’s Pre-Existent Plan

The only thing pre-existent with Jesus or any other human being is the plan God had for them before they came into existence.  The Bible says that God knew us before we were born.  This does not mean that we were with him before we were born.  He is God and He can know things before they happen.  This does not mean that He makes them happen before they happen.  He just knows they will.

Merriam-Webster defines something that is pre-existent as existing earlier or before.  So, if a person existed before they came into existence, that is an oxymoron!

Was Superman Human?

No.  Superman was not human, he was a Kryptonian, a fictional extraterrestrial race of humanoids.  Although he looked like a human, talked like a human and lived like a human, he was not a human being.  He could fly and humans cannot fly.  He was like humans in many ways, but he was not a human.

1 John Test Says No Pre-existence

We are told to test what we hear because there are many false prophets.  There is a spirit of truth and a spirit of error.  The spirit of error says that Jesus pre-existed, that is, he had an existence before he came into existence.  On the contrary, 1 John 4:2 tells us that Jesus was a human being (came in the flesh).

By this, you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

The true Christ (Messiah) must be a human.  Since human beings do not exist before they come into existence, Jesus did not pre-exist.  If he were part God in any way (before his birth or after the resurrection) this would disqualify him as a human being.

Using the Mind God Gave Us

In order to understand the idea that Jesus pre-existed, one must lay aside the commonsense and understanding that God gave human beings.

God set this world in motion with certain rules and laws that govern everything.  He gave us a mind to understand who He is as Creator and who we are as His creation.  God is not a man (or even “man”) and man is not a God.

The Scriptures are simple if to read them with the mind and understanding that God gave us.  Fact:  There is a God.  He created the human race.  He chose one human from among many to be His Messiah to save the planet and mankind.  End of story.  Anything else is a myth.

Quarantine

Quarantine

by | May 3, 2020 | Simple Bible Truth

Quarantine

1000-Year Quarantine and the Kingdom of God

At the time of writing, much of the world is, or was, under quarantine due to COVID-19.  The Bible forewarns us about another future quarantine.  This quarantine will last one thousand years!

Let’s explore who will be quarantined and what will we be quarantined from.  Many wonder what will be happening during those thousand years.  For one thing, there will be no masks or store closings, and the economy will flourish!

Thankfully, it will not be mankind that is under quarantine this time.  The one quarantined will be Satan, the Devil, the Serpent in Genesis. (Revelation 20:2 confirms that the Dragon=Serpent=Satan=Devil.)

Satan Quarantined 1000 Years

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.   He threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed.  After these things he must be released for a short time. (Revelation 20:1-3)

When Satan is released, he will rally many in attempt to overthrow Jesus and the Saints.  But this time will be short and he will be defeated and thrown into the Lake of Fire, never to deceive again.  (Revelation 20:7-10)

1000 Years Reigning with Messiah Jesus During Quarantine

What will we be doing while Satan is quarantined?

Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them.  And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God.  Those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.  The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.  This is the first resurrection.  Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power.  They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.  (Revelation 20:4-6)

This hope ignited my fire.  Resurrection and immortality are a few of the simple Bible truths of Scripture.  This hope must be shared with as many people as possible. 

Foundation of Faith

Therefore, leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings (baptisms) and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.  (Hebrews 6:1-2)

These are the foundations and what new believer much understand.  Hebrews 5:12-15 talks about milk and meat in regards to growing in faith.  If one only drinks the milk of Scripture, he is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, and is an infant.  Solid food is for the mature, and because of practice, they have trained their senses to discern good and evil.

Elementary Teachings, a Foundation

  • Repentance
  • Faith
  • Baptisms
  • Laying on of Hands
  • Resurrection from the Dead
  • Eternal Judgment

We have discussed faith and what the Bible teaches on baptism in other blogs.  This blog and vlog focus on the need to have a firm understanding and foundation about resurrection and judgment.

Resurrection and Quarantine

At the end of the Great Tribulation when Jesus is sent back to the Earth, the faithful believers will be resurrected and be made immortal.  Death and resurrection are simple truths that the Bible clearly teaches.  When you die, you are dead and awaiting one of two resurrections. The first resurrection guarantees immortality and life in the age to come.  To start, resurrected believers will govern the Earth with Jesus for 1000 years while Satan is quarantined.  Resurrection and immortality begin immediately after the Great Tribulation spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24.

The second resurrection is after the release of Satan, after his thousand-year quarantine.  Satan will be thrown into the Lake of Fire and then the second resurrection will happen.  At that time there will be the White Throne Judgment.

Eternal Judgment

The White Throne Judgment is when the dead from all time will stand before the throne to be judged according to what they have done.  If their names are not in the Lamb’s Book of Life, they are then thrown into the Lake of Fire to be utterly destroyed.  Destruction means that there will be nothing left of them and they will never live again.  (Revelation 20:11-15)

Blessed Life During 1000 Year Quarantine

During the millennium while Satan is quarantined, God’s righteous judge, Jesus, will be on the throne ruling over all the Earth.  We will be governing the world with him.  Isaiah 2, 11 and 65 and Micah 4 give a beautiful picture of life on Earth during this time.

They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.

The animals will be tame, the economy great, there will be plenty of food.  Likewise, people will be healthy and have extended life, and there will be no war.

These first thousand years of God’s kingdom reign through His Messiah will be so wonderful.  We must share this truly good news that Jesus spent his life proclaiming (Luke 4:43).  Everyone should have the opportunity to hear and believe!