Imminency vs Prophecy

 

One common objection to the doctrine of the imminent return of Christ (as a thief- 1 Thes.5:1-2) is that if Jesus could have returned before Peter died (Jn.21:18-9, 2 Pt.1:14) or Paul bore witness before kings (Act 9:15-6,) then Jesus prophecies would have failed. And this simple point is managed with great verbose to be squeezed into large bodies of text fatiguing the spryest of readers. It is assumed that God could not have 2 potentially different outcomes based upon whatever contingencies He prescribes as God, else a contradiction ensues.

 

Let me offer a couple of counter examples to this imagination. Consider Isaiah 38. Hezekiah was told explicitly and without conditions, ”Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live.”(v1) Hezekiah wept sore entreating the mercies of God and the Lord sent Isaiah back “Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.” (v5)

Consider Jonah. The Lord told him “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”(1:2) After a slight detour he went “And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.” Notice the lack of any conditions in his proclamation- “And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” (3:1-4) Was it over thrown in 40 days as the prophet declared? No, much to Jonah’s displeasure (4:1)

What about Eli? “And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” (1 Sam.2:27-30)

 I’m sure more examples could be given if we sought, but if we apply their standard to these prophets then they were likewise false. We could make Christ contradict himself if we applied this standard. In the Olivet discourse Christ told the disciples including Peter “ye shall hear of wars” (Mt.24:6), “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake”(v9) “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet”(v15), “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” (v33) But I suppose in their minds Jesus in the same discourse gainsaid himself when he declared ”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.”(Lk.21:36) So will they see these things or can they escape?

Once reduced to absurdity we should consider that perhaps likewise in Christ’s revelation to Peter and Paul there was a condition not stated; an unstated ‘if he tarries’ then these things will surely happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He who now letteth, taken out of the way

 

2 Thess.2:5-8 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

1 Jn.4:3-4 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Matt.16:16-8… Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God… upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

1 Tim.2:1-2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

Eph.6:10-13 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

2 Cor.10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

 

That final king shall come, that beast that was, and is not; who shall ascend out of the bottomless pit rising up from the sea, seething in murderous rage, understanding dark sentences, quickened by the God of forces and a god newly come up. He shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries which kingdom being conformed into a habitation of devils, when the transgressors are come to the full, he- a king of fierce countenance shall stand up the head of the fourth beast, the seventh head, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

 John tells us by the Spirit “And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.”(Rv.17:10-11) If we count backwards from Rome (one is) we have Greece (Dan.10:20) Media/Persia (10:13, 5:28,2:39-40), Babylon (2:38) Assyria (Jer.50:17-18, 2 Ki.17:6, 23, 18:11) and Egypt (Hos.11:1, Ex.15:4); then the 7th head – the kingdom of the beast carrying the whore. (These heads all appear to have world dominance and the subjugation of Israel in common.) She is associated with seven heads but then the beast is the eighth even though he is of the seven (v11). As the eighth arises she no longer has a seat and therefore the ten kings “eat her flesh, and burn her with fire”. The great whore of John’s day appears to be the Mother of Harlots in the time of the end associated with the 6th and 7th kings.

  But- there is no head of the dragon during the church age. Why? Ye are the salt of the earth… Ye are the light of the world (Mt.5:13-16)

 There appears then to be a gap between the 6th and 7th heads of the dragon which we understand to be the ‘church age’. We see this gap in a number of places; for example Rev.12 where the dragon with 7 heads seeks to devour Christ the man child as soon as he is born, but after his resurrection and ascension the beast pursues the woman in the middle of the tribulation- a 2000 year gap. This is seen again in Daniel 2 where the legs of iron corresponding to the Roman Empire (in Christ’s day) seamlessly transitions into the 10 kings who are destroyed at Christ’s return (2:37-44). Daniel sees no church age for this is a New Testament mystery (Eph.3:1-6, Rom.11:25, 1Tim.3:16). In Daniel 9 also we see the same thing with the gap between the 69th and 70th week, between Messiah the Prince and the prince that shall come (Dan.9:25-6). The Messiah is cut off for us and the abomination of desolation set up in the midst of the week at the time of the end. “Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end” (Dan.12:9-11). Interestingly then the Roman Empire would be connected with both comings of Christ.
(For further study of this church age gap between Christ’s first and second coming review these- Isa.61:1-2, 42:1-4, 11:1-10, 9:6-7, Mic.5:2-7, Zech.9:9-10,Psa.2:7-12, Matt.3:10-12)

So, “what witholdeth”(v6) is “he who now letteth... until he be taken out of the way”. (v7) He is restraining the mystery of iniquity which emerged cancerously after the mystery of godliness as a contradiction to it. (1 Tim.3:16) The preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (Rom.16:25) centers on the fact that God was manifest in the flesh in Christ. (Col.1:19,2:9) The mystery of iniquity thus denies that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and is antichrist. (1 Jn.4:1-4) The mystery of godliness we are stewards of (1 Cor.4:1) as we oppose the mystery of iniquity. The “mystery of iniquity doth already work” which is “that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world”. (2 Thess.2:7, 1 Jn.4:3) This spirit of antichrist and the depths of Satan (Rev.2:24) are seen fully developed in falling away from the faith. (1 Jn.2:18-9) This lower degree of apostasy already working will increase in intensity in the latter times. (1 Tim.4:1) And will become a large-scale apostasy when he who witholdeth is taken out of the way. Then the “many antichrists” make way for the antichrist who shall come. 

The restrainer is holding back the apostasy from the faith that Christ is come in the flesh, withholding the mystery of iniquity, and therefore the man of sin being revealed until the restrainer is taken out of the way. This restrainer would not be any governments as Christ’s kingdom is not of this world and thus not ordained to advance the preaching of Christ, but this whole world lieth in wickedness. (Jn.18:36, 1 Jn.5:19) They will become his in that day (Rev.11:15), but right now they are under the power of Satan (Lk.4:5-7) as God permits. Neither can it be understood that this restrainer is Michael the Archangel (Dan.10:13,21,12:1, Jd.1:9, Rv.12:7), for the selfsame reasons that he is not opposing the doctrines of the world denying Christ in the mystery of the gospel (Eph.6:19, Rom.16:25) “which things the angels desire to look into”. (1 Pt.1:12)

    Apparently 'he' that now withholdeth the man of sin from being revealed in his time is that new man (Eph.2:15). Which when the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (Rom.11:25) will become a perfect man (Eph.4:13) and will be taken (2 Thes.2:7). None considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come (Isa.57:1). The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead (Prv.11:8 ‘then shall that Wicked be revealed’). Jesus when he ascended to the Father's house to sit at his right hand it was said "he was taken up". (Act.1:9)

  The message that the spirit of antichrist hates is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Word with God who is himself God come in the flesh. (Jn.1:1, 14, 1 Tim.3:16)

1 Jn.2:18 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. v22-3 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

 All those denying the incarnation and full deity of Jesus Christ are carried by the spirit of antichrist and our battle is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and pray for the word of the Lord to have free course (Ac.6:4, 2 Thes.3:1). If we are not doing this we are not exercising ourselves in the weapons of our warfare. Our feet are not shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (Rom.10:14-5) But how shall they hear without a preacher? Christ himself said “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Ac.1:8) Are we bringing into captivity every thought and casting down wicked imaginations and philosophies contrary to the doctrine of Christ? If not then “thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (Rev.3:1-3)

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. (Lk.21:34-6)
 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. (Mk.13:33-7)

 

 

 

 

Is The Rapture in Matthew 24?

 This seems to be one of the most common objections to a pre-tribulation rapture that since it is not clearly seen in Matthew 24 therefore it is post tribulation (immediately after the tribulation-v29-30 Although this is not a rapture note #2 here ). This portion of scripture is commonly referred to as the ‘Olivet discourse’ since Christ “sat upon the mount of Olives” as he spake to his disciples (v3). Now a student of scripture must also consider the accounts found in Mark 13 and Luke 21 as they seek to rightly divide the word of truth.

 Now our post-trib brethren make a few mistakes here which they perpetuate through the simple. The first mistake is that they assume Christ revealed everything relevant here in this chapter. The second mistake is that they assume the disciples understood clearly a distinction between Israel and the church- or those who must endure and those who can escape while it will be very clear that they did not understand although Christ spoke of both groups of people.

There are those that can escape (Church):
Luke 21:36 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.
(All these things includes the beginning of sorrows:
Luke 21:9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Matt.24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.)
Rev. 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
1 Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
 
And those that must endure (Israel):
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Matt.24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. (Rev.7:14 came out of great tribulation)
Deut. 4:30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;
Luke 21:23  But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.
Daniel.10:14, 12:1 “…what shall befall thy people in the latter days”
Daniel 9:27 "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city..."

 

 The other error comes from a lack of understanding the mystery of Godliness (1 Tim.3:16) which was not fully revealed to the disciples in Matthew 24. The mystery of the church was not made known to them at this point. Jesus himself said he had many things to say unto them which they were not able to bear (Jn 16:12), but would eventually be made know unto the sons of men by the Spirit (Eph.3:3-5), who would guide them into all truth (Jn.16:13).

Jn.16:12-13 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Eph.3:4-6 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

 Since Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles (Rom.11:13, 15:16) where the 12 apostles were primarily sent to the 12 tribes of Israel (Gal.2:7-8) it is understood why he would primarily reveal this mystery (2 Pt.3:15-16). So let us consider all the relevant information the Holy Ghost provides us.

 

 It should not be a surprise to the diligent student of scripture that the disciples did not understand many things in Matthew 24 that we would think they did. Consider these:

Lk.18:31-4 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

Lk.9:44-5 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.

Mk.9:9-10 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

Jn.20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. (v9) For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

Mt.16:21-2 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

 

For further study on the rapture in Matt.24 you can see here:

https://greers1611.wixsite.com/mysite/post/answers-to-post-trib-struggles-with-scripture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 7^th Trumpet or the Last Trump?

 Post tribulationists seem to gain ground among those not well founded in scripture when they say things like- ‘Well the 7^th trumpet in Revelation would have to be the last trump in 1 Cor.15, because Revelation doesn’t list any more’. And it is assumed I guess that trumpets will be disposed of and no longer used in worship throughout all ages (Psa.150:3, 98:6) or to declare a new moon on the new earth (Psa.81:3, Isa.66:22-3). Oh wait, you don’t mean that- you mean trumpets will be used again and the ‘last trump’ was referencing a series? Ok so maybe there could be more than one series. They don't see an absolute 'last day' in John7:37 but rather last in a series or even the last feast of tabernacles (Jn.7:2). (Likewise here- Jn.6:39,40,44,54 as days follow this.)

 If you examine all the passages related to this topic you will see they divide into different events which we covered here. But their argument for a post trib rapture proceeds by placing these 2 passages (1 Cor.15:52, Rev.11:15) into Matthew 24 and lining them up with this verse “And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (v31). Obviously 3 references to a trumpet therefore must be the same trumpet blast. So they will smugly tie the ends together into a bow and ask ‘now when does this happen?’ And they will point to Mt.24:28 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days” with v29 “then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

 I’m sure not all post tribbers are snide at this point, but just the ones I have encountered. Anyway it isn’t an outrageous interpretation and one can see how that would seem a reasonable linking together of the verses. But consider a couple of things first. Look at Revelation 11 again:

 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.” (v15-8)

 Now this is interesting in 2 ways- firstly because it does not match Matt.24:28-31 where Christ returns and then he sends his angels with the sound of trumpet. Here the angel sounds the 7th trumpet before the Lord returns (which art, and wast, and art to come). He is still on the throne in v16-7 not seen over Israel. Secondly this is a textual variant. Suddenly a doctrinal passage with a textual variant which is important to interpretation and which effects the timing of the rapture.

 I think that the internal evidence supports the KJV here for consider that John uses the ‘past, present and future’ phrase in several other places- 1:4, 8; 4:8; 16:5. Plus I cannot find the phrase used as in ‘past and present’ only.

 Another interesting fact is who is blowing the trumpet in Matt.24:31. It is assumed the 7^th angel blows this trumpet. But look at Zech.9- “And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.”  (v14) “And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.” Perhaps when Christ “shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet” he is blowing the trumpet as he sends his angels. (Isa.27:12-13) One would think the Lord blowing a trumpet would trump an angel blowing one.

 But if the Lord blows the trumpet then after the 7^th angel sounds after the tribulation when he that “shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Heb.10:37, “art to come” Rv.11:17), when is the “last trump”? Good question. We see trump mentioned in reference to the rapture in these 2 places- the only time in scripture the word ‘trump’ is used:

 “Behold, I shew you a mystery... In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor.15:51-2

“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:” 1 Thes.4:16

 (Wouldn’t it be ironic if God gave us a president named Trump during when the rapture occurs?) Paul tells us this last trump is part of the mystery of the church (1 Cor.15:51)- which is a highly significant truth; see here. The trumpet blown in the end is by the Lord and for Israel's atonement. (Lev.23:24-7, Dan.9:24) When we compare the 1 Cor.15 passage with the other last trump passage in 1 Thess. 4 we see this trump cannot be the same event as the trumpet at the end of the tribulation because there are no signs (1 Thes.5:1-3). Now we really only need a first trump if there is a last trump- there doesn’t have to be more than that, but at least a first. If there is a first and last trump here when the dead are raised and the living are translated to not see death then perhaps the first trump is for the dead and the last trump is for “we which are alive and remain”. It certainly isn’t unheard of to have 2 trumpet blasts for the “calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.”(Num.10:2) “And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” (v3) Or perhaps there was a first trump sounded when Christ died and made atonement (Lev.25:9).
It is interesting at least that the church in Philadelphia has Christ "set before thee an open door" and leaves them the promise "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Rev.3:8, 10) And we see John (the beloved disciple connected with Christ's return- Jn.13:23, 21:20-4) caught up to the door opened in heaven before the tribulation of the seals are opened.
Rev.4:1
 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven:and the first voice which i heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and i will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."   
 

Angels appear to decide some judgments upon men

Dan.4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones:

v23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth… v31 While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.

Lk.1:19-20 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

 Ac.12:23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

Gen.19:11 And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

 Psa.35:5-6 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

Ecc.5:6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

1 Tim.5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

 Even evil angels decide

1 Ki.22:19-22 And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. (also 2 Chr.18:18-22)

  

But they cannot see into the hearts of men

Mt.13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. v28-30 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them:

Only God can:
1 Ki.8:39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
See also-  Jer.17:9-10, Rom.8:27, 1 Sam.16:7, Heb.4:12

The Mystery of His Will

So far as here is from there when naught doth exist anywhere
So far as west is from east, so far as from righteousness to peace

There were two in their chambers which cannot be spoken, until in that moment the creature is broken

These two that reside in the fathomless One ever awaiting their movement from under the sun
 
Eternity compassing before and behind, arising from depths of the infinite mind

Came forth beauty and strength the severe and the good, to deal with those who on the earth stood

The fullness would not yet be brought to bear, which calmness would cause the angelic stare

Why was theirs nurture and not admonition? Where was the judgment on defiant volition?

But further of interest to the Watchers survey, the sight of the Woman they could not assay

More beautiful than Man who embodied strength; what could this soul be at the length?

From mercy and judgment, from law and from grace, with man in betwixt, couldn’t both find a place

With everlasting behind both of these twain, righteousness says that the weaker must wane

Yet somehow the eternal purpose must stand thus to bridge this gap must there spring forth a man

Who hath in himself time and eternity seized and heaven shall look on the earth and be pleased

 

He that speaketh from heaven with thunderous wrath must carve for himself an eternal path

With furious anger the second man shall be trodden, the altar with his pure blood shall be sodden

At a moment in time is an eternal mooring when righteousness bows to the weaker’s adoring

And trumpets declaring the triumph of grace the angels now see the Shulamite’s face

 

Righteousness and peace have kissed each other, and new life can spring from a father and mother

Mercy and truth have met together, on a tree on a hill where they eternally tether

A Shepherded Soul

 

 

She desired to be keeper of the vineyard, and shepherd her father’s small flock

For he was to go on a journey, thus he supplied her with tools for the stock

 

He charged her one final time regarding his laws to keep safe his estate

But her desire to be shepherd was such that on his commandments she could not wait

 

She yearned for the sweet lambs attention, and did not like to see them confined

Her longing to feel her heart’s joy springing, forbade her call his commandments to mind

 

‘How they would love to feed in the vineyard, on the sweetness and beauty within

How will they return my affection surely this feeling cannot be sin’

 

Her loves were all her intention, to feel joys and have them be felt

Her loves thus clouded her judgment of the dangers that ever there dwelt

 

After days of pleasantly feasting and soaking the sweetness of love

She slept in the comforts of the vineyard as darkness filled the skies up above

 

Then slumbering deeply into morning she awoke to the terrors of night

The sheep were all scattered and missing to an evil she could not make right

 

Oh that she only had hearkened to the safety of her father’s commands.

She now understood of his wisdom but she could not this evil remand.

 

Her father gave place for her desire, yet structured it behind his strong gate.

But she permitted her feelings to flood her, ‘til her feelings sealed swiftly her fate.

 

While wanting only love and affection, ‘tis clear that these never can guide.

 

And are they not properly channeled, cause only a destructive
tide