Come out of her!
Where does the Bible tell you to leave? Of Babylon, the Great
Congregation, Ekklesia
Congregation in Laodicea, compared with congregations in Smyrna and Philadelphia
How does God want us to believe and live?
How much faith has God given you?
What kind of world are we living in?
Away from worldly life?
What is worldly life like?
We, believers, are all Jews
Should Christians try to adapt to this world?
What happens at the end of time?
Get away, but where?
(2 Cor 6:17 and Rev 18:4)
Come out of her!
Rev 18:4 “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues,
5 for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Do to her as she herself has done. Give her double for her deeds. Mix a double drink for her in the cup she mixed.
7 Just as she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her just as much torture and misery. In her heart she says, ‘I am a queen on a throne, not a widow. I will never see misery.’
8 Because of this, in one day her plagues shall come: death, and mourning, and famine; and she will be consumed with fire, for the Lord God judging her is strong.”
Why is it important to leave the wrong religion and the wrong church? You may say that all churches have the right faith, but also the wrong interpretation and practice. That’s probably the case. I have not found a church, not a big one, not a small one, that would correctly interpret the word of God and also follow the teachings of the Bible. God also knows the pros and cons of every church. The most important thing is your faith. Bring it up to your God and avoid participating in clearly wrong teachings. The apostles warned, e.g., Luke wrote 21:36 “Therefore be watchful all the time, asking that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Where does the Bible tell you to leave? Of Babylon the Great.
The Bible’s call to leave is in Revelation 18:4 “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues. In verse 18:2 the Bible says: And he cried in a strong, great voice, saying, Babylon the great has fallen! It has fallen, and it has become a dwelling-place of demons, and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean bird, even having been hated, 18:24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
Verse 21 tells us what this ‘great Babylon’ really is. It is a great city and a great religion. 21 “Then a powerful angel picked up a stone that was like a large millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, The great city Babylon will be thrown down with violent force—and will never be found again.”
Isaiah already predicted the same: 21:9 “… Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the engraved images of her gods are broken to the ground.” And Jeremiah 51:37 “Babylon shall become heaps, a home for jackals, a horror and a hissing, without a dweller.”
Strong’s defines Babylon Βαβυλών:
- allegorically, of Rome as the most corrupt seat of idolatry and the enemy of Christianity
The great city in question, Babylon, is Rome. Rome was called Babylon so that the whereabouts of its congregation would not be revealed during the persecutions. 1 Pet 5:13 “Your sister church in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you; and so does Mark, my son.” – Christians did not have a church in Babylon. Babylon was used as a pseudonym from Rome because it did not want to lead Roman rulers to the church.
According to the Bible, Babylon the Great is “The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls.” It is not just a church of false religion, but especially its leadership, who dresses in purple and adorns themselves with gold, precious stones, and pearls. The Great Babylon, which has its roots in Mesopotamia, still today has considerable wealth, has even its state and its bank. This religious Babylon has been the founder of the Christian church since the apostolic era. It has shaped it into huge machinery, forgetting the ideal of the apostolic age. It is still the most significant Christian church today, the Roman Catholic Church.
Its history is full of the persecution and torture of those who believed otherwise. It has raised money by selling indulgences for the remission of sins, by which the Catholic Church was funded, e.g., St. Peter’s Church in Rome, built during the 16th and 16th centuries.
Revelation 17 describes this great harlot. Remember, Revelation says, “Come out of her…” The harlot rules the nations, the tribes, and the tongues: 17:15 “He said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.” – The number of members of the Catholic Church is estimated at 1.3 billion.
The Roman Catholic Church has been identified as the harlot of the Bible a city built on seven hills. The beast in Revelation 13 refers to the Catholic Church as a political power. In the religious sense, it is a system of false faith, taught by Satan himself. Babylon the Great is not limited to the Roman Catholic Church, but to all the denominations that keep in touch with Rome and the ecumenical movement, it advocates.
God’s appeal to leave it also applies to other churches whose doctrine is not biblical. The problem is that there is no consensus among Christianity, even on the central issues of Christian doctrine. How could a small person solve doctrinal questions when even church leaders have not been able to do so? Some churches may forbid all members to use alcohol as a sin. For another, drinking alcohol is acceptable, but smoking is prohibited under the threat of separation. There are certainly hundreds of doctrinal disputes, both large and small.
However, I would say that Babylon is not just a church; it is a kingdom of Satan that has spread worldwide. Satan’s kingdom encompasses the whole world. It is an invisible kingdom, but it also contains a large visible and physical part, the church led by Satan. Its headquarters is described in the Book of Revelation (a large city built on seven hills). Even if you are not even a member of any church, you can still belong to the kingdom of Satan if you sin and do not apologize to God for it. No church can save you just because you belong to it as a member. Being born again is a personal event that you don’t have to be a member of the “true” church to experience rebirth and whose priest will forgive you of your sins. Only Jesus Christ can forgive sins, and faith will give birth to you again.
Congregation, Ekklesia
The word church (or congregation) is based on the Greek word ‘ekklesia,’ which means ‘called out.’ The church is described in the Bible as the body of Christ and the temple of God: Ephesians 2:19 “So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, 20 being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; 21 in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
Christ wants his glorified church should be holy and without blemish. (Eph 5:27), separated from worldliness to God.
1 Cor 12:27 adds to the description: “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” Ephesians speaks of building the body of Christ: 4:10 “He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. 11 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds [The word for “shepherds” (poimenas) can also be correctly translated “pastors.”] and teachers; 12 for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ;” 2 Cor, in turn, describes the temple of God; 6:16 “What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
In its purest form, the church is thus made up of Christ’s believers who have been called out (and left) of the world. 2 Cor 6:17 “Therefore, come out from among them, and be separated, says the Lord, touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.”
Does the biblical exhortation “come out of it” mean leaving the world, or leaving a particular church or doctrine?
The congregation in Laodicea compared with congregations in Smyrna and Philadelphia
Jesus says he is vomiting such a person out of his mouth (i.e., out of his body, out of his connection). So revolting is, in Jesus’ view, half-hearted faith.
Mar 8:38 “For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Jesus thinks it would be ideal if a person were burning in spirit, but if he is not, it is better to be openly godless than to be a lukewarm, “odorless and tasteless” intermediate form. Jesus uses the language of “vomiting such a person out of his mouth,” which means he is expelling such a person out of his connection. Jesus does not at all accept as his own other than those believers who are his with all their hearts.
Such a Christian has a very deficient understanding of the doctrines of his church. He does not know what the church teaches, nor can he take a position on the correctness or inaccuracy of the church’s teachings. Such lukewarm believers are nominal Christians who belong to the church but attend services well if once a year, many never do. As early as the OT, the prophet Elijah said to the Israelites: 1 Kin 18:21-22 “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Jehovah is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. The people answered him not a word. 22 Then Elijah said to the people, I, I alone, remain a prophet of Jehovah; but the prophets of Baal are four hundred and fifty men.” – Today, it could be said that the earth is full of priests, but few hold to the truth of the Bible.
The letters to the churches in Revelation and the descriptions of the churches describe the churches of the first century in the territory of present-day Turkey. However, biblical scholars have seen the description of congregations in a broader area of history; the present day is mainly similar to the Laodicean church of the first century of Revelation, which Jesus said he vomited from his mouth. The opposite of Laodicea was the congregation of Smyrna; while the Laodiceans believed they were rich, the Smyrnans considered themselves wretched and poor. However, Jesus testified quite the opposite; Rev 2:9 “I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”
God wants people to be powerful in their faith. However, there is a problem with this; if God has given a man faith but little, how could he be like those in Smyrna? Rom 12:2 “And be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God.” 3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.” – Verse 3 contains an important observation; God has given each a certain amount of faith. Some have received a lot and others a little. Presumably, one who has received much faith is more burning in his faith than the one who has received it only a little. It is logical to think that the people of today who live “according to the course of this world” are precisely those who have little faith. Many of them may well be Christians and church members, but they are precisely like the lukewarm that Christ spits out.
And with the final judgment, what kind of judgment will these ‘lukewarm’ receive? Can they plead that they received only a small amount of faith from God? Surely God will consider all such things. After all, he is righteous. A similar figure of speech tells of vessels made by God for regular use, while others are made for a special occasion. Rom 9:21 “Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor? 22 Now if God wants to demonstrate his wrath and reveal his power, can’t he be extremely patient with the objects of his wrath that are made for destruction?
Romans deals with the question who are the true children of God, whom God calls: 9:18 “So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
19 You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?
20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?
21 Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath made for destruction,
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, 24 including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the Gentiles as well?
25 As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; And her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”
26 It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ There they will be called ‘children of the living God.’
27 Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, It is the remnant who will be saved; (Along the same lines, Isaiah 10:22 “For though your people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return: a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.”)
Do these Bible verses mean that God has already predetermined some people to be “vessels of wrath” and to be destroyed? Is salvation already ruled out for them? Or, is it the case that the Last Judgment treats such people with more tolerance and does not require deeds and the same faith as those who have been given a better starting point in their lives?
Congregations in Smyrna and Philadelphia
The letters written two millennia ago to the congregations of Smyrna, Philadelphia, and Laodicea are also addressed to future generations i.e. to the present day, and even to the future. How can we know this? If you look at the letter to the angel of the Philadelphia church in Revelation 3:12, you will find that it concerns time in the future; “I [Jesus Christ] will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.“. The New Jerusalem will descend from heaven to earth after the Last Judgment, when only the saved believers remain on the earth, to whom the New Jerusalem will descend, and God himself will dwell with them, and he and Jesus Christ will sit on their thrones.
2:8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: “The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:
9 I know your suffering, your poverty—though you are rich—and the slander on the part of those who claim to be Jews but aren’t. They are the synagogue of Satan.
10 Don’t be afraid of what you are going to suffer. Look! The devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. For ten days you will undergo suffering. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the victor’s crown of life.
11 Let the person who has an ear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be hurt by the second death.”
To the people of Smyrna, the Lord said he knew their poverty, though they were actually rich. They would be ridiculed and even imprisoned for a short time. By being faithful until death, the Lord gives them the “crown of life,” or eternal life. 3:7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write: These things says the Holy One, the True One, the One having “the key of David,” “the One opening, and no one shuts; and shuts, and no one opens:
8 I know your works. Look! I have put in front of you an open door that no one can shut. You have only a little strength, but you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
9 I will make those who belong to the synagogue of Satan—those who claim to be Jews and aren’t, but are lying—come and bow down at your feet. Then they will realize that I have loved you.
10 Because you have kept my command to endure, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming to the whole world to test those living on the earth.
11 I am coming soon! Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your victor’s crown.
12 He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will go out from there no more. I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own new name.
13 Let the person who has an ear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
To the people of Smyrna, the Lord said he knew their poverty, though they were actually rich. They would be ridiculed and even imprisoned for a short time. By being faithful until death, the Lord gives them the “crown of life,” or eternal life.
The church in Philadelphia was weak in strength but had heeded the word of God. The Lord promised the church those who said they were Jews but were not them. The Lord said He loved this church and vowed to save them from the world’s plight. “Keep what you have,” the Lord said, promising to make them pillars in the temple of God and take them to the New Jerusalem that descends from heaven to earth.
How does God want us to believe and live?
Is believing in God necessary? Many say, “I can be a good person even if I don’t believe in God.” True, many atheists have been better as human beings than many baptized church members. Many freethinkers are more tolerant in their neighbors than Christians, who are willing to send to hell all those who do not biblically believe in God and Christ, that is, in the way that he has defined as right.
The Bible emphasizes your faith. You cannot decide on behalf of another, whether he will be saved or not. It is not for you to pass judgment on your neighbor – if you do, you may be lost. Act 16:31 “They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” – I interpret this promise to mean that the faith of the head of the family can bring other members of the family into salvation. However, this is not any automation.
In these writings, I have dealt mainly salvation of man’s point of view. Sure, you can worry about saving others and working for it: you can go on a mission to Africa or walk door-to-door in your hometown and try to turn people to the religion you represent. Ask yourself first; do I live my life according to the will of God? What should I do to do God’s will as well I can? What does the Bible give as a guide?
Churches have been making creeds for nearly two millennia. It has been descriptive to them that a believer must obey every word, or else he will not be saved. Salvation depends on the grace of God and Christ. No ecclesiastical assembly has been given the authority to decide the terms of man’s future salvation.
I stated my opinion that in these articles, the Apostles’ Creed is not only the oldest but also the best creed to follow Christ’s teaching. Its first sentences state the most essential: “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary…”
It says that God the Father is omnipotent, the creator of heaven and earth. Faith includes believing in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, our Lord, born as a human of the Virgin Mary, by the influence of the Holy Spirit. The scholars have debated these few sentences alone over the centuries to explain how Jesus was the creator of the world and how Jesus existed before everything else, etc. What is the result? It is that the churches of the world are doctrinally divided and cannot find a common Christian faith.
How could a simple little man be wiser in this matter than the theologians of the churches? How could one resolve doctrinal controversies and interpretations when even churches are unable to do so? No human salvation can depend on choosing the right doctrinal understanding. It is enough to believe in God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, for example, according to the Apostles’ Creed.
How much faith has God given you?
Is faith the gift of the Holy Spirit in the same way as many other gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians? In his Romans, Paul says: 12:3 “For by the grace given to me I ask every one of you not to think of yourself more highly than you should think, rather to think of yourself with sober judgment on the measure of faith that God has assigned each of you.”
I drew my attention to the phrase “on the measure of faith that God has assigned each of you.” So, God determines the amount of faith to be given to each. When I look at the society around me and the whole world, it feels like there is very little faith, and very few have got it. So worldly are people’s lives. If one has gained little faith, he can ask God for more. Even the apostles did! Luk 17:5 “Then the apostles said to the Lord, “Give us more faith!”
Faith is the central pillar of the Christian life. It is worth cherishing and asking for more. God doesn’t mind, even if you ask for more every day. 1 Cor 12:8-9 “ [it is God who works all things in all.] 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;… to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit.”
I believe the blessing consequences of faith are enormous:
Joh 3:15 “ that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life..
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.”
Joh 11:26 “Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Joh 14:12 “Most assuredly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these will he do; because I am going to my Father.”
The Bible says that man is judged according to his deeds. Over the centuries, scholars have emphasized in gaining salvation, sometimes deeds, sometimes faith, or the grace of God. I can say with certainty that man cannot guarantee himself salvation based on his own merits. Faith saves by the grace of God – deeds are the result of faith. Jacob’s letter aptly describes the relationship between these factors: 2:18 “But someone may say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without any works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
What kind of world are we living in?
If I tell a believer that the world is in the power of Satan and not God or Christ, he will look at me in disbelief. If I add saying that God himself has given the world control over Satan, he may outright get angry and ask me which satanic sect I am preaching.
How do we know that God has given this world to Satan? Satan himself assured Jesus that this was the case: Luk 4:6 “The devil said to Jesus, “I will give you all this authority and the glory of these kingdoms. For it has been given to me, and I give it to anyone I please.”
How can we believe Satan; after all, he is the father of lies? Jesus did not deny that it was not as Satan said. The apostles also confirmed Satan’s power in the world: 1 Joh 5:19 “ We know that we are from God and that the whole world lies under the control of the evil one.” 2 Cor 4:4 “In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe to keep them from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God .” – Paul speaks of Satan using the phrase “god of this world.”
Very few know that Satan rules this world. God gave the world to Satan under his power but not permanently. Man cannot take it away from him. We can only wait until Christ comes and captures Satan for a thousand years. In the meantime, we can only do as the Bible says: “Therefore, Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord, ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.” (2 Kor 6:17) or as the Revelation says: 18:4 “ I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues.”
The book of Ephesians:
2:2 “ in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience;”
The following are central to the relationship between man and God:
– God created man in His image. The purpose of God is to restore man from the present state of humiliation to the image of God and to restore to man all the qualities and powers which man had after the creation of God.
– After the Fall, God gave control of the world to Satan. The Bible warns against wandering and adapting to “the king of this world.”
– God will soon destroy the world ruled by Satan. Satan, who is still the king of this world, rejoices when the instruction he pursues the conduct of humanity, has supplanted Christ’s direction. Satan’s Guidelines are: life is short, make the most of it, live on this day.
– According to what kind of faith does God want us to live? What is the faith from which God wants us to depart? For example, should one believe that even though God is one, he is still triune? See. e.g., the Creed of Athanasius.
Paul describes humanity in his letter to Timothy:
2 Tim 3:1 “ But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come..
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good,
4 traitors, reckless, conceited, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God;
5 holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof. Turn away from these, also.”
Rom 16:17 “Now I beg you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them.” James sanoi: 4:4 “You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Joh 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Romans 11:23: “They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.” – The result will be that there is only one Israel — natural (historical) Israel plus reborn believers from among the nations — both grafted into one and the same olive tree.
Because of his unbelief, the branches of natural Israel have been folded out of Israel’s olive tree. Jesus said in John 6:37 “Everything the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never turn away.” – Most Jews, natural Israel, have not turned to Christ. A small part has been converted, and they are called Messianic Jews. It is also to be expected at the end of time that a large number of Jews will turn to Christ. Rom 11:25 “For I do not want you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are. A partial hardening has come on Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob..”
Jam 4:4 “You adulterers! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility with God? So, whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.
Jesus taught us saying: “But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Mat 6:33) – However, people have begun to look for everything else, and the search for the kingdom of God has been left entirely in the background.
Away from worldly life?
God’s exhortation to “get out of it” is about leaving the wrong religion and breaking away from the worldly way of life. Jesus said he was humble and also wanted his followers to be alike. To a rich young man who asked how he could enter the kingdom of God, Jesus said as a guide Mat 19:21 “Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
– This should not be understood as meaning that every Christian must sell his possessions and then live from hand to mouth and day to day. The instruction probably concerned the possibility that the rich man wanted to become one of the apostles. There were also wealthy believers in Jesus’ circle of acquaintances, and Jesus did not instruct them to sell their possessions. Wealth and its pursuit can easily lead to excesses, and a person loses the most important thing in his life. As Jesus said to Satan, who tempted him Mat 4:4 “But he answered, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
Jesus also instructed, “Seek first God’s kingdom” Mat 6:31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed? 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.”
In this chapter of Matthew, Jesus instructed how to pray to God. 6:8 “Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him. 6:19 Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But treasure up for you treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust cause to vanish, and where thieves do not dig through and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Rom 8:35 “Who can separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, or a sword? 8:39 nor anything above, nor anything below, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What is worldly life like?
When the Bible urges us to ‘get out of it’, it can mean two different things: most may feel the command to separate from a church that offers false doctrine. Another thing that we should keep out is the wrong way of life, worldly life. Worldliness is the word that describes the vast majority of the world’s people.
Joh 15:19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you..”
1 Tim 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” – Paul had made this observation about two thousand years ago, and we can say that the way the world is going is the same.
Paul writes instructions to the Philippians: 2:14 “Do all things without murmurings and disputes, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world,”
The crooked and perverse generation is already spoken of in Deuteronomy 32:5: “They have corrupted themselves; they are not his sons; it is their blemish; they are a crooked and perverse generation..
What other than money do the people of the world seek? Everything starts with money, because it gives you everything you can only hope for. Each person has their dreams; A great car is number one on the wish list for many. A long vacation in the Caribbean, a new bigger house, beautiful clothes, and jewelry, etc.
Paul was a tentmaker by profession. For that work, he supported himself and did not expect others to pay for his life. He must have received a grant for his travels and was taken care of by local parishioners. However, he understood that God had chosen His followers from an impoverished population. James wrote: 2:5 “Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him?”
Luke was on the same lines: Luk 6:20 “He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.”
Does the poor have better opportunities than others, middle-income people? Jesus urged the rich young man to sell his possessions and follow him. In the second passage, Jesus rebuked his disciples, Mar 14:7 “For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want to, you can do them good; but you will not always have me.”
As early as the time of Moses, the Bible recalls: Deuteronomy 15:11 “For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.”
John instructs, 1 Joh 2:15 “Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. 17 The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.”
If God wants us not to love the world, does God want us to remain poor? How does God view human prosperity?
Christ says in Joh 10:10: “I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” 3 Joh 1:2 “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.” – Success εὐοδόω euodoō G2137 means to prosper, be successful. Prov 10:4 tells: “He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, But the hand of the diligent brings wealth.”
Job was a prosperous man, as the book of Job says. Satan claimed to God that Job’s obedience was because God had given Job worldly success and wealth. God allowed Satan to deprive Job of all his possessions and health. When Satan’s plot failed, God restored Job to his position as a rich man: Job 42:12 “And Jehovah blessed the latter days of Job more than the earlier days. And to him were fourteen thousand sheep and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses. 13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.”
I just quoted Paul’s letter to Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with much pain.” God does not oppose success and prosperity. It’s about the attitude of the heart and the order of importance of values. When you first seek the kingdom of God,… wealth may come. The most important things, however, first.
1 Joh 2:15 “Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. 17 The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.”
Isaac called his eldest son Esau, saying: 1 Moos 27:4 “ And make for me delicious things, such as I love, and bring to me, and I will eat; so that my soul may bless you before I die.” – Everyday food was probably simple, but on holidays like weddings, gourmet food and wine were offered.
We remember the story of the wedding in Canaan. The mother of Jesus was in pain and said to Jesus in this way; Jesus, what do we do now? We have no more win! Maybe it would have been time for the guests to go home, but Jesus understood the situation and asked to bring six large containers of water. It was his first miracle to turn water into wine, in large barrels. When we read the Bible carefully and thoughtfully, we find out that the guests were already drunk. The groom said, wondering, ” Everyone serves the best wine first, and the cheap kind when people are drunk. But you have kept the best wine until now!” Jesus had turned water into excellent wine. (John 2: 1-11) Jesus condemned heavy drinkers but understood that in particular situations, one could deviate from the limits of reasonableness.
At the beginning of Ecclesiastes, the author, probably Solomon, writes: 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” 1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.” – Perhaps not all of man’s deeds are in vain, but many of the things that man seeks and dreams of indeed are. Many could look in their wardrobes; are all beautiful clothes and shoes necessary? Is it essential to replace the car with a new one? What about expensive vacations? Do these bring happiness and content to life?
Galatians describes the unhealthy behaviors and pleasures of life: 5:19 “Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, 21 envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” –In contrast, the Holy Spirit offers its fruit: 22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”
Many religious organizations outright condemn smoking tobacco, playing cards, watching television, alcohol etc. I once asked a Jehovah’s Witness why they ban their members from smoking under the threat of being fired if he disobeyed. In answer to my question, I only got a question “do you believe smoking is healthy for you?”. These ban lists are special in that some religious group bans smoking but allows drinking wine. Another group strictly forbids the consumption of wine and all alcohol, but allows smoking, even for children.
Eccl 10:19 “A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes the life glad; And money is the answer for all things.” But, there is a limit to everything: 1 Cor 6:10 “nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of God.”
What about our appearance? How much money we spend on improving the way we look! Clothes, make-up accessories, cosmetic surgeries, etc. If nothing is enough, so go to a tattoo shop and take your whole body full of tattoos. I guess such behavior was already familiar in the days of Moses. Leviticus 19:28 “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you. I am Jehovah.”
Such behavior degrades the relationship between man and God; Genesis 1:27 “God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.” – God created man in his image. Over the millennia, man has degenerated in many ways, including in appearance. However, a full-body tattoo does not restore a person to the image of God. It will happen after the resurrection.
Jam 4:4 “You adulterers! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility with God? So, whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.”
2 Cor 6:14 “Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness? 15 What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people. 17 Therefore, Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you. 18 I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
Hos 1:10 “Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which can’t be measured nor numbered; and it will come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, You are not my people, they will be called ‘sons of the living God.”
Ilm 18:4 “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues.”
Eccl 1:17 “I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind. 18 For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”
Luk 17:26 “As it happened in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man:
27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise, even as it happened in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built,
29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky, and destroyed them all,
30 It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.”
Jesus will come during the great tribulation in the last days. At that time, the first resurrection takes place; the dead in Christ rise first, and Christ’s own still living on earth, rise next to meet Christ “in the clouds.” The same way Christ ascended to heaven. Surely Christ did not stay in the clouds or the sky. He went to God, but where God’s heaven is, no one can explain. I guess that he is here close to us but in a different dimension. Scientists have estimated that there are 10-11 different dimensions. No one has been able to explain these dimensions outside the four dimensions that we all know.
When Christ establishes his Millennial kingdom, the leadership of the kingdom may be near us, but invisible in heaven, yet it guides the events of the world. Luk 17:33 “Whoever seeks to save his life loses it, but whoever loses his life preserves it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed. The one will be taken, and the other will be left. 35 There will be two grinding grain together. One will be taken, and the other will be left.”
Same-sex relationships, even marriages, are legalized and are considered perfectly acceptable.
When God had decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the men of Sodom invaded Lot’s house to have sex with the guests of Lot. However, the guests were angels and had come to warn Lot. If a man sleeps with a man as he does with a woman, they have both committed a horrible act and must be killed. They have deserved to die. (Leviticus 20:13) – This commandment of the Bible is now superseded. Instead of being killed, they are married!
Rom 1:26 “For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature; 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error.”
1 Cor 6:9 “Or don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals,”
1 Tim 1:9 “as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine.”
At least the Lutheran Church tacitly accepts homosexual relationships. Even gay couples are married. Many smaller religious communities, for whom it is still essential to keep the word of God, categorically refuse to accept such a sinful practice forbidden in the Bible. Were the above quotations not explicit prohibitions? How many scholars spin these bans in an attempt to interpret them differently? Can a Christian choose from the instructions in the Bible some that he does not want to follow? Can a Christian disobey any of the clear commandments of the Bible because “society has changed and become more tolerant?”
What to think about the female priesthood?
All of Jesus’ apostles were men. From those days, first the Catholic Church and even after the Reformation, other churches followed this practice that only a man could be ordained a priest. It seemed to form as if a ‘divine’ instruction. In the Bible, we find several arguments in favor of men, but none in favor of a woman being worthy of the office of priest of the congregation.
But, to be honest, nowhere does the Bible explicitly forbid appointing a woman to be a priest.
In his letter to Romans, Paul sends greetings to Priska:16:3 “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,” – Does Paul mean with fellow worker a partner like a priest? KJV talks about Priska as an assistant, helper. The Greek word συνεργός synergos has been translated as ‘fellow workers’ in many parts of the UT.
This is probably quite right because there were no ordained priests to serve the congregation at that time. The priests and bishops did appear in the Catholic Church fairly soon when the apostolic faith also began to crumble. The office of priest remained in the hands of men until very recently.
However, there are verses in the Bible that, for a good reason, can be considered to mean that women should not take on a priest-like role in the church. In the role of the priest, I highlight the speaking and explanation of the word of God. The following terms of Corinthians are evident in this regard:1 Cor 14:34 “Let your women be silent in the churches, for it is not allowed to them to speak, but to be in subjection, as also the Law says. 35 But if they desire to learn anything, let them question their husbands at home; for it is a shame for a woman to speak in a church.” This means that
Wives should be silent in church meetings
They are not allowed to speak
They must be obedient to their husbands according to the law
If they want information about something, they should ask their husband at home
It is a disgrace for a woman to speak in a church
Someone has explained this silence of wives that it concerns the prohibition of disruptive behavior. Women, you know, how they babble all the time. I don’t think that’s the point. Paul, I think, found women’s level of knowledge so low that he urged women to be quiet and ask their better-informed men. Paul’s conception of women was not very modern. 1 Tim 2:9 “In the same way, that women also adorn themselves in decent clothing, with modesty and propriety; not just with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive clothing, 10 but what becomes women professing fear of God, through good works. 11 Let a woman learn in quietness with all subjection; 12 But I don’t permit a woman to teach, nor to exercise authority over a man, but to be in quietness.”
According to Paul, women should be decent in dressing and adorning themselves. Women should learn in silence and be in all respects submissive. Paul does not allow a woman to teach, nor does a wife rule over her husband. Wives must live in silence. – What if the wife has a doctorate in theology, couldn’t the husband ask her for advice on a question of Bible interpretation?
However, these teachings of Paul contradict other notions presented by Paul. He assures that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28). Is it to be understood, then, that according to Paul, a woman is also equal in Christ, as long as she is silent and submissive?
However, Paul’s writings must be given full value, for he has received his office ”not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” (Gal 1:1)
We, believers, are all Jews
It is Paul who says: “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.” (Rom 2:28-29)
“Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham.” – All who receive Jesus Christ in faith are ‘children of Abraham, heirs according to the promise.’ Jews have no privilege. Today they are not in high numbers seeking to become disciples of Christ. But that time is still to be seen! 1 Joh 5:19 “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
5:18 “We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him.”
Should Christians try to adapt to this world?
The course of this world is accelerating. It is related to rising living standards. It is connected to technological development, and humanity will have access to new and excellent technical services; 3G – 4G – now 5G is making its coming, etc. Think of the development over the last hundred years compared to the first century, when there was no technical development at all. Luk 17:26 “As it happened in the days of Noah, even so will it be also in the days of the Son of Man.
27 They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise, even as it happened in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;
29 but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulfur from the sky, and destroyed them all.
30 It will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.”
The development of society and humanity is linked to the course of development described by Luke above. It culminates in the second coming of Jesus Christ. As we now live in the last days, the end times, everyone should ask themselves these important questions: Will I continue my life on this “squirrel wheel”, that is, will I try to adapt to the lifestyle led by the king of this world. Am I trying to persevere in this modern way of life, trying to make sure I don’t let Satan get hold of me. Or, should I leave this Satan-led religious and worldly system altogether?
The world is fast becoming like it was in the days of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah.
Peter encourages: 1 Piet 4:1 “Forasmuch then as Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind; for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin; 2 that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries. 4 They think it is strange that you don’t run with them into the same excess of riot, blaspheming: 5 who will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
What happens at the end of time?
In my previous article, I wrote about preterists who claim, by their interpretation, that Satan has already been destroyed and that Christ rules the world from his invisible Kingdom. Even if Christ ruled his invisible Kingdom, this visible and concrete kingdom is strictly under Satan’s control.
Rev 12:9 tells of the near future: “The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.. – The above verse shows that Satan’s influence is worldwide. It does not mean that Satan has taken possession of every human being, but that he has people under his control everywhere. The next verse tells us that Satan will be cast out of heaven. 10 “I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now is come the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.”
– Has this already happened? Many believe so and interpret it that Christ, in receiving all power from God in heaven and on earth, two thousand years ago cast Satan out of heaven with a great multitude of angels. Could this interpretation be correct? I have already proposed that the words of the verse, “The time has come … the kingdom of God and his anointed power” must be interpreted strictly. When Satan is cast out of heaven, the kingdom of God and the power of Christ come at the same time. After all, the kingdom of God has been in heaven forever, so this refers to the coming of the kingdom of God to earth. The coming of the kingdom of God to earth means the coming of the Millennial reign of Christ. At the same time comes the power of God’s anointed one, or Christ, as he rules the Millennial Kingdom together with the saints. That has not yet happened, which means that this fulfillment of the verse in Revelation is in the future.
However, the above reasoning does not mean that Satan and his angels and demons did not do their mole work right from the time God gave the world Satan control. Ephesians testifies to this. The New Testament contains descriptions of the activities of demons during Jesus’ earthly activity. This is recorded in Ephesians 2: 2 “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience.”
God’s own people Israel faced great calamity and destruction in 586 BC when Israel was taken into exile. There were only a fraction of the migrants when the nation was allowed to return after 50 years. The return to poverty did not attract, but the returnees made every effort to build the destroyed temple in Jerusalem. Another destruction occurred in 70 A.D. when the Roman legions destroyed Jerusalem and its second temple on the ground. The tribes of Israel were scattered among the nations of the world. They were in this state until the 20th century. In the German-ruled countries, about six million Jews were persecuted and exterminated in concentration camps in the 1940s. However, the world woke up to the persecution of the people of Israel, and a desire arose to help Israel return to the land God promised them. Jews from all over returned to the Promised Land, which declared independence in 1948.The Jews have still not received Christ except for a small number of Messianic Jews. In the end times, according to the Bible, Israel will experience a powerful revival.
Already Jeremiah prophesied the end times of 30:23 “Behold, the tempest of Jehovah: fury goes forth, a sweeping tempest; it shall swirl on the head of the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of Jehovah shall not turn back until he has finished, and until he has fulfilled the intentions of his heart. In latter days you will understand it.” 31:1 “At that time, says Jehovah, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people..” 2 So says Jehovah, Israel, the people, the survivors of the sword, have found grace in the wilderness, I will go to give rest to him.” God promises: 31:4 “Again will I build you, and you shall be built, O virgin of Israel: again shall you be adorned with your tambourines, and shall go forth in the dances of those who make merry.”
Only the remains of two tribes returned from Babylon. Jeremiah’s prophecy concerns the times to come when God brings into His land all the tribes of Israel. It is the end of the second diaspora in the late 1940s, at the “end of time.” Did all the tribes of Israel return at that time? Or even representatives of all tribes? Where had they been? They were among all nations, but even there, the Jews have been isolated and remained in their communities. The RCG Church has written a book on lost tribes, but how reliable is it? After this, according to the Bible, it will still be the case that Israel, adhering to the Old covenant, will find salvation: Hos 3: 5“Afterward the sons of Israel shall return and seek Jehovah their God and David their king. And they shall fear Jehovah and his goodness in the ends of the days.”
The Bible promises that the twelve apostles will each be ruling one of the twelve tribes of Israel. David is raised to be the king of all Israel. Jesus Christ will be the king of the world throughout the Millennium.
Zechariah prophesies: 13: 8 “It shall happen that in all the land,” says Jehovah, Two parts in it will be cut off and die; But the third will be left in it. 9 I will bring the third part into the fire, And will refine them as silver is refined, And will test them like gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will hear them. I will say, ‘It is my people;’ And they will say, ‘Jehovah is my God..”
“The Times of the Gentiles” began in 70 A.D. and ended in 1967 in the War Between Israel and the Arab powers and resulted in reclaiming the whole of Jerusalem, and especially its Temple Mountain, to the Jews. Luke 21:24 “They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”
In his Romans, Paul testifies of the coming conversion of Israel: 11:25 “For I do not want you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are. A partial hardening has come on Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, And he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”
From this, we can read between the lines that Israel’s hardening will end, and it will turn to Christ when “the full number of the Gentiles has come in.” What do these mean: this time, the full number of the Gentiles, and has come in? I interpret it to say that God has decided that a certain minimum number of Gentiles will turn to him. Entered, that is, converted into Christianity and believers worthy of the kingdom of God.
Already in the time of Moses, it was prophesied to happen to Israel during the end times: Deu 4:27 “And Jehovah shall scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations to which Jehovah shall lead you away. 4:29 And if you shall seek Jehovah your God from there, then you shall find him, if you seek Him with your whole heart, and with all your soul, 30 in your distress, when all these things have found you, in the latter days, then you shall return to Jehovah your God, and shall listen to his voice.”
The above verses testify to the return of the Jews to God. When Christ sits on the throne next to God, it is impossible to think that the Jews would return only to God the Father and ignore Christ, the Christ who has all power both in heaven and on earth. The return will take place at the end phase of the last times. In the end, two-thirds of the Jewish people will be destroyed, and the remaining third will be the one who returns to the Father and Christ (see Zechariah 13:8 above).
After the time of great tribulation, in the Lord’s day. Then, during the 3.5 years, various trials will follow for humanity, especially for the beast’s followers. “Seven golden bowls filled with the anger of God”. Rev 15:7 > “One of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.” War against the Lamb: Rev 17:14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings. They also will overcome who are with him, called and chosen and faithful.” – The forces of Christ win. The beast (the Antichrist) will be overthrown, as will Babylon the Great, whom the Antichrist hates.
Then comes God’s call: “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues.” (Rev 18:4) Followed by: Rev 19:6 “And I heard as a sound of a numerous crowd, and as a sound of many waters, and as a sound of strong thunders, saying, Hallelujah! Because the Lord God Almighty, reigns. 19:7 Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.”
God Almighty will rule from now on. He will destroy all resistance. Rev 19:19 “I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse, and against his army. 20 The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.”
Get away! But where?
God urges us to depart from false religion and worldly lifestyles. However, God does not say unequivocally where one should go so as not to share in the sins of false religion and the world.
I resigned from the Church in 1969. At the time, as a young student, I was not yet interested in doctrinal issues. At that time, a new and as I thought, a horribly expensive church was being built in my hometown. I thought that money could have been better used to help people. The Church became beautiful, and now I would not resist building such a church. I have seen many old and beautiful churches, and I understand people’s desire to construct churches to God’s glory. Many small religious communities have their meeting facilities, simpler and cheaper. Often these are built by the parishioners, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The reason for my leaving was also the institutionalization of the Church. The Church seemed to be more concerned about the Church’s economy than bringing people into contact with God. Priests are like civil servants. I don’t approve of female priesthood either, but I do accept other roles for women in the Church.
I later read a lot of different church programs when I felt God calling me. The Mormons visited me once, Jehovah’s Witnesses for many years. I want to say good things about them as people. The individual witnesses were God-loving, kind people. However, their doctrine was not entirely in accordance with the Bible, so I abandoned them.
I could not choose any other church to replace but was left alone with my God. I have published these articles since 2016 also in English, my third language, in this site “Bibleconcealed.com.”
So, if you leave, then where do you go? I was recently contacted by a person who, like me, left his Church. Now he too writes on biblical topics. A small circle of similar individuals accompanies him. Such rings of believers certainly are here and there. At least these individuals are strong in their faith and probably want new members to join them.
