A. What is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost?
The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is the indwelling of God’s Spirit in the soul of an individual believer. It is the third work of God’s saving grace in a sinner’s life. It begins with repentance, accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, and going through water baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ (known as justification –- the first stage of the New Birth). The second stage to being born again is sanctification, which sets the individual for God’s service, God cleansing him from sin and leading him to a life of holiness before giving him the promise of the Holy Ghost. The third stage, known as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the SEAL of God (Ephesians 4:30) indicating that God has already completed His work in the life of an individual, dressing him with Christ's robe of righteousness, and making him assured of the rapture. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is Christ Himself dwelling in the individual person.
This promise of the Holy Ghost Baptism is clearly laid out in Acts 2:38-39:
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the NAME of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the GIFT of the Holy Ghost. For the PROMISE is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
The Holy Spirit is Jesus Himself coming down to the soul of the believer, as He has promised in John 14:18, saying, “I will not leave you comfortless, " I " (personal pronoun) WILL COME TO YOU.”… “I will be with you, even IN YOU until the end of the world.”
Galatians 4:6 states, “And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the SPIRIT of His SON into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.” And in Romans 8:9, it tells us plainly, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

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A Brief Description of the "Holy Ghost:"
1. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF POWER & TRUTH
ACTS 1:8- "But ye shall receive “POWER”, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
JOHN 14:26-“ But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My Name, he shall TEACH you ALL things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
JOHN 15:26- "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of TRUTH, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of ME."
JOHN 16:13- "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."

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2. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION
I CORINTHIANS 2:9-16-
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath REVEALED [them] unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, NOT in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But WE have the MIND of Christ."
JOHN 14:17-"[Even] the Spirit of TRUTH; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be IN you."

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3. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A “SEAL”
EPHESIANS 4:30- "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are SEALED unto the day of redemption."
EPHESIANS 1:13-14 - "In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
A SEAL means three things: (1) security (2) ownership (3) completion.
When you are truly baptized with the Holy Ghost, you now have eternal security within your soul, and you have been accepted in the beloved and have been bought with a price by God through Jesus Christ. You are now complete in Him, a truly heaven-bound creature.
"Seal, what is the seal? What is a seal? A seal is, first thing it shows is a work that has been completed, a completed work. The next thing it shows is ownership. And the next thing it shows is security, keeping it." (WMBRANHAM, ADOPTION.OR.PLACING.title JEFF.IN AD.PT.4 60-0522E)
"There's only going to be two classes of people in the last day. Both of them is going to wear a mark. The mark of God is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, without a shadow of doubt. I preached that not long ago right here… that the SEAL of God is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Ephesians 4:30 says, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you're sealed until the day of your redemption." Without the Holy Spirit you are not sealed. But the Holy Spirit is God's Seal. And then, that, all that was not sealed by the Holy Spirit, was took on the mark of the beast. And the mark of the beast is a mark of apostasy, which is rejecting the Holy Spirit. See what I mean?" (WMBRANHAM, JUBILEE.YEAR.title JEFF.IN V-26 N-6 54-1003E)
"I've heard ministers get up with charts and try to explain what the mark of the beast was by some kind of a chart. It doesn't take a chart. The Scripture says, "All that didn't receive the Seal of God had the mark of the beast." There's only two classes on the earth. One's got the Mark of God, the other one's got the mark of the Devil. And all that didn't receive the Mark of God had the mark of the Devil." (WMBRANHAM, UNITY.ONE.GOD.ONE.CHURCH.title JEFF.IN V-16 N-8 58-1221E)

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4. THE HOLY SPIRIT: YOU ARE HIS TEMPLE
ACTS 7:48-49- "Howbeit the most High dwelleth NOT in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven [is] my throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what [is] the place of my rest?"
I CORINTHIANS 6:19-20- “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

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5. The HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM is the REAL NEW BIRTH
JOHN 3:5- "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be BORN of water and [of] the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
ACTS 2:38-39 - "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the NAME of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the GIFT of the Holy Ghost. For the PROMISE is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call."
"There’s three elements it takes to bring our birth. And that's the three elements that came out of the life of Christ when He died. There come from His body, water, Blood, Spirit. Is that right? Three elements, and that's the elements we go through when we're born again: justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Spirit. Now, that can all be in one act, but it takes... But you can be in a justified state without being sanctified. You can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and still carry your filth with you. But you can absolutely live in a both justified and a clean holy life, and without the Holy Ghost." (DEMONOLOGY.1.PHYSICAL CON.IN DE 21-40 53-0608A)
"You see, each one of those ages only taken a dip into the Holy Spirit. Justification is a work of the Holy Spirit; sanctification is a work of the Holy Spirit, but the baptism is the Holy Spirit." (QA.ON.THE.SEALS.title JEFF.IN 63-0324M)

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6. THE HOLY GHOST IS THE “OIL” THAT’S REQUIRED FOR THE RAPTURE MATTHEW 25:1-13-
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto TEN VIRGINS, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took NO oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."
Ten of them were virgins. Five was wise that had Oil in their lamps, and the other five was just as pure and holy but they had no Oil. They were sanctified, without the Holy Ghost… But you can be justified without being sanctified. And you can be sanctified without having the Holy Ghost; be clean, live a pure life, and have a form of godliness, and deny the power of healing, and speaking in tongues, and the great gifts of God (and every one of them in there). (QA.ON.GENESIS.title JEFF.IN COD 53-0729)
"Now, the church that professes to be a Christian church, will have to have that SAME SPIRIT that was IN Jesus Christ. For at the resurrection of the church, Christ and His Bride will come together and dovetail. The writings and promises of God will be made fulfilled there. So it cannot come together unless the same Spirit was in Christ is in you and me. And then if that same Spirit is in there, It'll do the same works, and live the same kind of a separated life, and do the works that He did. The Bible said so, all the way to Genesis confirms it. It ought to be striking. It ought to make a church member come to Christ and stay until he's filled with the Holy Ghost. It's the only PROMISE of the RAPTURE, the only way that the church and Christ can come together, the very Spirit." (FAITHFUL.ABRAHAM.title RICHMOND.VA 61-0312)

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7. The HOLY SPIRIT is POURED OUT UPON “ALL” FLESH (Both JUST AND UNJUST)
JOEL 2:28-29 – “And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.”
Yes, the HOLY SPIRIT is POURED OUT UPON ALL FLESH (both upon the JUST AND the UNJUST), no exceptions. Everyone can feel the moving of the Spirit especially in the last days, for it is typed to the former and latter rain. Just like rainfall, God sends the Holy Spirit to water all plant and animal life. It can fall upon the tares and the wheat, and both can shout halleluiah, but it does not change the seed at the core of the plant. The Spirit only brings to manifestation what is it at the core, for every seed will bring forth of its kind (Genesis 1:11). “By their fruits they ye shall know them”. Once plant life reaches its maturity during harvest time, they are known by their fruit. A son of God will manifest the life of God, while a son of perdition will manifest the works of Satan, and will come to full maturity also, by the same Holy Spirit anointing.
QUOTES from Rev. William Branham:
“The Spirit can come out here and anoint you to do certain things, and you do it, but that don't mean you're saved. But think of it. Caiaphas prophesied. Judas cast out devils. See, the Spirit anointed him. There's rain falls on the just and the unjust; the weeds can rejoice with the wheat. But it's what it is at the core. There's where you can, intellectuals can accept and say, "Oh, sure, that looks good. I believe that." That still don't do it. No, sir. And the spirit can actually make witness of it, and still it isn't so. Because if that soul hasn't come from God, it can make all the impersonations out here, but it cannot be real. You can act healing; you can act like you have. You can act like you receive it. Christians can act like they're Christians, and act and be ever so good at it, but that don't mean they're saved. That's exactly right. See? The Spirit can be there, the real genuine Spirit. The Holy Spirit can anoint you; that still don't mean you're saved. It's that inside soul that never dies; it's got Eternal Life. It always was Eternal Life. See? It come from God; it goes to God; it's the soul."

(WORKS.IS.FAITH.EXPRESSED.title SHREVEPORT.LA V-7 N-1 65-1126)
"The true vine and the false vine both had the “same anointing”. The water fell on both of them. No wonder He warned us it would “deceive the very elected if it was possible”.

(ANOINTED.ONES.AT.END.TIME.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-3 65-0725M)
MATTHEW 5:44-45- "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for HE maketh his SUN to RISE on the evil and on the good, and sendeth RAIN on the just and on the unjust."
MATTHEW 13:30- "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: but gather the WHEAT into my barn."
MATTHEW 7:20- "Wherefore by their FRUITS ye shall know them."

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B. Does having the Gifts of the Spirit (healing, speaking in tongues, miracles, etc) assure you that you are truly baptized with the Holy Ghost already?
NOT SO. Though we believe in the nine (9) spiritual gifts as stipulated in 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 namely: (1) Prophesy (2) Word of Wisdom (3) Faith (4) Healing (5) Tongues (6) Interpretation of Tongues (7) Discernment (8) Word of Knowledge (9) Working of Miracles, yet these gifts can be impersonated by the devil. There will be “false anointed ones” and “false christs” in the last days to impersonate and to deceive the very elect if it were possible by using these gifts. Yes, they will be truly “anointed”, but false at the core.
Let’s look at Judas. JUDAS was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ. Judas preached along with them and healed the sick, and cast out devils. But Judas he had shown his true colors as the son of perdition when he sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. BALAAM was a prophet. But his true colors were manifested because of the love of money and popularity, he tried to curse Israel. JANNES AND JAMBRES were two magicians who withstood Moses by manifesting the same powers of turning their sticks into snakes in the sight of pharaoh. Therefore, miracles and signs are no true signs that one is a true servant of God. Even Lucifer himself was previously an “angel of light”.
SCRIPTURES:
MATTHEW 7:21-23- "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not PROPHESIED in thy Name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy Name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
MATTHEW 24:24- "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall SHEW great SIGNS and WONDERS; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall DECEIVE the very ELECT."
QUOTES from Rev. William Branham:
"A false christ is a false anointed, because Christ is the Anointed. How many knows that the "Christ" means "the anointed One"? There will be false anointed ones, and they'll call themselves prophets. But how will you recognize them? By the Word; that's how you'll know it: by the Word, whether they are right. How will we recognize them? Will be by the Word. If they're... If they say that they have the Word, and then deny the Word, then there's nothing to it, no matter what they do. They might heal the sick; they might open the eyes of the blind; and deny the Word, stay away from it. Don't care what it is, stay with that Word regardless (See?), because many times I've seen voodoo and all kinds of things take place under--under healing."

(QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 64-0823M)
You may say, "How can this be? Would the anointed ones... What were they?" Christs: c-h-r-i-s-t-s, anointed christs and false prophets: anointed ones, but false prophets. Jesus said that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Now, someone might say to me, "Do you believe that that anointing on those people means that it's anointing of the Holy Spirit?" Yes, sir, the genuine Holy Spirit of God upon a person, and yet they are false. Now, listen close and see what He said: "And they shall show signs and wonders, insomuch that it would deceive the very elected if it were possible." And they are anointed with the genuine Holy Spirit. "

(ANOINTED.ONES.AT.END.TIME.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-3 65-0725M)
No, they wouldn't stand to be called false Jesus. They wouldn't be--stand to call Jesus; certainly not. That's too plain. Anybody would know that. Anyone would know they wasn't Jesus. ..But they call themself the anointed, and they do signs and wonders almost to deceive the elected. But false christs, anointed ones, shall arise and shall deceive the elected if it were possible." And remember, Jesus never said that them guy's would appear. He said there'd appear false christs: christs, plural, “denominations” and so forth, anointed ones, anointed with a denominational spirit and not the Word. You follow it? Not false Jesus, false christs, false anointed ones. See?

(ANOINTED.ONES.AT.END.TIME.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-3 65-0725M)
Having the gifts of tongues, prophesy and knowledge, is therefore not an absolute evidence that one is truly baptized with the Holy Ghost already. This truth is attested by Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-10:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."

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C. Are“SENSATIONS” and "EMOTIONS" like ‘CRYING and SHOUTING in the Spirit” genuine evidence of the BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST?
“TASTING” THE HOLY GHOST is far more DIFFERENT from being BAPTIZED WITH IT. A lot of people just “tasted” the goodness of God but in the end they still perished. It’s a type of Israel in the wilderness coming out from Egypt. They have tasted the signs and wonders done by the Holy Ghost through the ministry of Moses. They have seen the mighty works of the hand of God by sending plagues to Egypt, they have crossed and walked over the dry Red Sea, they ate of the Manna that fell in the wilderness from heaven, they drank from the Rock, and have seen many many more miracles by Moses. Yet only Joshua and Caleb was able to reach the Promised Land. All the rest of the ten spies and their tribes perished. And today, the promise Land of today for the Christian is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. How many will ever get to it? "Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to eternal life, yet broad is the way and wide is the gate that leads to destruction.."
HEBREWS 6:4-6
"For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have “TASTED” of the heavenly gift, and were made PARTAKERS of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.”
QUOTES from Rev. William Branham:
"Church, that's the reason I can't take the Baptism of the Holy Ghost of crying, shaking, or speaking in tongues, or any sensation. They're all right now. See? Them--them things are all right, but the devil can impersonate that so real. But the Holy Ghost is Deity, God tabernacled in men. It's more than a sensation. It's more than speaking in tongues. It's more than shouting in the Spirit. It's more than weeping. It's more than joining church. It's God living in men, Deity, God Himself tabernacled into that person, when he can speak and it's just the same as God speaking; that's the Church of Jesus Christ."

(TESTIMONY.OF.A.TRUE.WITNESS.title JEFF.IN V-15 N-6 61-1105)
"You might be able to try to say you have; you might be able to show some evidence of some emotion; but unless your life is vindicating what you're professing to have, you still haven't got It. No matter how many emotions, how much you jump, run, sensations, speaking in tongues, or shouting, or whatever you might lay it upon (which is all right, I believe in all that too.), but unless your life copes with your testimony, then you haven't got It. 'Cause the fruit of the Spirit vindicates what you are, just like the fruit of any tree tells what it is. Jesus said, "By their fruit you shall know them."

Warning! An End Time Message

 

Communication is always of vital importance when a kingdom is at war.  It is critical to keep communication with one’s own soldiers secret.  Just as important is the ability to decipher the secret codes of the enemy and learn their secrets.  During World War II, two secret codes were so well-crafted that they were never cracked.  The German Enigma machine was a mechanical device that was so complex the Allies were never able to decipher its messages.⁽¹⁾  Only after a series of events provided the Allies with both the machine and the current cipher code itself, were the Allies able to read secret German military communications.⁽²⁾

The other unbreakable code was devised by the Navajo code talkers.  These young American Indian Marines worked in pairs, communicating via a complicated code-within-a-code.  Since modern military terms had no corresponding words in Navajo, the young men worked out a secret code to refer to different ranks of officers, various types of planes, locations, etc.  The second code was Navajo itself, which is a tonal language containing sounds that German, Italian and Japanese do not have. 

The Japanese, who were skilled code breakers, remained baffled by the Navajo language . . . The Navajo code talkers even stymied a Navajo soldier taken prisoner at Bataan . . . The Navajo soldier, forced to listen to the jumbled words of talker transmissions, said to a code talker after the war, “I never figured out what you guys who got me into all that trouble were saying.” ⁽³⁾

Heaven has a code as well.  Many Bible students, throughout time, have puzzled over the divine secret codes contained in Daniel and Revelation.  Like the secret codes used by governments to protect sensitive information from the enemy, it has been impossible to fully understand Heaven’s secret code.  One vital piece of information has been missing: the Creator’s calendar.  Prophecy is Heaven’s way to communicate vital information to the faithful soldiers of Christ.  However, only now as knowledge of the true calendar is understood, is it possible to fully understand the messages carefully preserved for the final generation.

Daniel’s prophecies provide sweeping views of the calendar struggle through history.  The various elements of calendation that comprise the calendar of today are foreshadowed as well as when the Creator’s calendar triumphs in the end. Daniel also foretells the legislated calendar changes that effect God’s faithful people.⁽⁴⁾ Like the Enigma Machine, the book of Daniel has been impossible to fully decipher without the cipher code of the calendar.

Revelation expands on Daniel.  The prophecies of Revelation are the code-within-a-code of the Navajo code talkers.  Using the symbols introduced in Daniel, Revelation takes them one step further, providing detailed information of the final conflict: a battle so horrendous that even Christ warned that, if it were possible, even the very elect would be deceived.⁽⁵⁾ 

The conditions for eternal life are the same today as they have always been: obey and live; disobey and die.  The grace of God [Yahuwah] through faith in the merits of His Son enable all who want to obey, to be able to do so.  However, in order to obey, justice demands that everyone have a chance to clearly understand the requirements.  The Creator, He Who stated, “I am the Lord; I change not,”⁽⁶⁾ has never changed His day of worship nor has He ever given permission for anyone claiming to represent Him to do so, either.  In keeping with His kind and gracious character, the only living God has encoded in Revelation, in painstaking detail, a merciful warning.  It is now possible to fully understand the message, using the calendar to provide the key to decipher the code.  This warning explains everything one needs to know to be prepared for the final battle over worship.⁽⁷⁾ 

The warning is contained in three parts. 

First Angel’s Message

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.⁽⁸⁾

This is an invitation to everyone on earth to honor their Creator by worshipping Him on the day which His calendar, established at Creation, dictates.  The very wording of this angel’s message is very similar to that of the fourth commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work . . . for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is . . . .”⁽⁹⁾  Of all Ten Commandments, this is the only one which contains the name, title and dominion of the Lawgiver: He is YHWH Elohim, the Creator who made and rules everything.  This establishes His authority, His right to dictate the requirement.

When one obeys the commandment to honor the Sabbath, he is pledging his allegiance to the divine Government of Heaven.  The Sabbath, then, is the sign or mark of loyalty to the Creator.  A continuous weekly cycle is not anchored to anything in creation.  It cannot be a memorial of Creation.  Only when the Sabbath is linked to creation via the moon can it truly be a memorial of Creation.

The words of this angel’s message are full of import.

Fear God – The word “fear” comes from the Greek phobeo which means to reverence the Heavenly Father and hold Him in awe.  The idea is one of complete loyalty and surrender to His will.  As previously shown, when worship is offered on days calculated by a pagan calendar, the worship is offered to pagan deities, ultimately, Satan.  Complete surrender of the will is necessary before one is willing to step out and be different from the rest of the world, worshipping by the genuine calendar established for that purpose.

Give Glory to God – Only those who fully surrender their will are able to truly give glory: honor, praise and homage, to their Maker because He is truly glorified only when His people are living in obedience to His will.  When a person in sincerity of heart, offers love and worship to the Creator on Sunday or Saturday in ignorance believing that is the true day of worship, the loving heart of the Eternal God accepts this as their best efforts.  However, with greater light come greater privileges and responsibilities.  When a person knows that the luni-solar calendar is the only genuine time-measurement, all others are counterfeits designed to divert worship to the hidden god, that person is responsible for acting on that knowledge.  His obedience (or lack thereof) then gives (or withholds) glory to his Maker.

The Hour of His judgment is Come – One of Lucifer’s charges against the government of God is that the law, which is holy and perfect, cannot be kept.  Before the great controversy between Christ and Satan can be finished, this charge must be answered.  Thus, the eternal God Himself is judged in the lives of His saints.  If a person tries to side-step the obligations of the divine law, he lends support to Satan’s charges.  The final generation will acknowledge the supremacy of the holy law of God and will, through faith in the merits of their Saviour, be enabled to keep that law, even at the cost of life itself.  The Father is thus vindicated when those who claim to be His people lay all earthly interests aside, surrender their will, and obey His law.

Worship the Creator – As has been demonstrated, the day on which a person worships directs that worship to the God/god who claims that day.  By creating a Saturday versus Sunday conflict, Saturn/Sheitan/Satan has remained hidden, receiving the worship of both days.  To truly worship one’s Creator, all false, pagan calendars must be laid aside.  The seventh-day Sabbath, calculated on the genuine luni-solar calendar of Creation, is the only true day of worship claimed by the Creator.  All others are counterfeits which give worship, glory and honor to Lucifer whose stated goal was to sit on the Mount of the Congregation and receive worship due the Creator alone.

Thus, the first angel’s message is a complete call to lay aside all counterfeit calendation and give honor to the Creator by worshipping Him on the day He has specified, dictated by His calendar.  It is given with a loud voice, signifying that it is an important message that all will hear.

Second Angel’s Message

And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.⁽¹⁰⁾ 

It should be noted that this message is not given with a loud voice.  The reason is simple: only those who have accepted the first angel’s message will accept the second angel’s message and be benefitted by it.

babylon is fallen, is fallen – Babylon falls when her foundation is destroyed.  The assumption that Christ was resurrected on Sunday has formed the basis for worship on that day.  When it is proven that the First Day on which Christ was resurrected was the first day of the Biblical week, and not Sunday, Babylon falls.  From the first, Lucifer boasted that he would change times and laws.  Babylon falls a second time, and still further, when his identity is revealed to be the hidden god, Saturn/Satan usurping all worship offered on the pagan worship days of any counterfeit calendar.

That Great City – As early as Irenaeus (c. 130-c. 202) Bible students were linking the Roman Empire to the prophetic symbols employed in Daniel and Revelation.⁽¹¹⁾  Michael of Cesena and Johannes De Rupescissa,⁽¹²⁾ both friars in the 14^(th) century, were among the first to outspokenly link the paganism flowing from the Church of Rome to the “whore of Babylon, drunk with the blood of saints.”⁽¹³⁾  John Milicz (d. 1374), an influential priest, highly placed in both politics and the Church, posted on the doors of the original St. Peter’s in Rome, a placard which stated “The Anti-christ is come; he has his seat in the church.”⁽¹⁴⁾  Only in recent years has it become politically incorrect to link the paganism of the Roman Catholic Church to the Apocalyptic symbolism in Revelation.  This symbol should not be limited to the papacy, however.  All who embrace Babylonian Christianity or worship by Babylonian calendars fall under the umbrella of paganism.

She Made All Nations Drink of the Wine of the Wrath of Her Fornication – Fornication is the joining of that which is unlawful.  By using civil legislation to impose a pagan calendar for religious observances, the hidden god has directed all worship to himself, stealing it from the Creator.  Christian missionaries in ignorance have taken first the Julian and later the Gregorian calendars to all parts of the world.  They have taught this counterfeit system of time-measurement to people who, frequently, were closer to true calendation than the missionaries, but sunken in paganism in other areas. 

Wine is intoxicating.  It beclouds the mind, making it difficult to reason.  The wine of Babylon has been the pagan system of calendation which makes it so difficult for people today to grasp a calendar that does not have a continuous weekly cycle.  Ever since 1949 when the world united in using the Gregorian calendar,⁽¹⁶⁾ the whole world has drunk of the wine of this intoxicating deception.  The Seventh-day Adventist Church has long taught that “the wine of Babylon is the exalting of the false and spurious sabbath above the Sabbath which the Lord Jehovah hath blessed and sanctified . . . .”⁽¹⁷⁾

God denounces Babylon “because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”  This means that she has disregarded the only commandment which points out the true God, and has torn down the Sabbath, God’s memorial of creation.⁽¹⁸⁾

Roman Catholics and Sunday-keeping Protestants are used to hearing Jews and Saturday-observing Protestants say that they are worshipping on the wrong day.  The truth is, all who worship by pagan calendation, worship pagan deities (devils) on pagan holy days.  This is the wine of which all the world has drunk.  The second angel’s message is not given with a loud voice because only those who accept and obey the first angel’s message will recognize the truth of the second angel’s message.

Third Angel’s Message

And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.⁽¹⁹⁾

The most fearful threatening is contained in this message.  For such a judgment to be pronounced, some heinous wrong must have been committed.  In order to understand this message, it is necessary to first decode the symbols used.  In prophecy, beasts are symbols of world political powers that war against God’s people.⁽²⁰⁾  The beast and his image referred to in the third angel’s message are first described in Revelation 13.

The beast from the sea

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.  And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.  And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?  And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies . . . And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name . . . .⁽²¹⁾

The repeated use of the word blasphemy reveals that this, like every other issue in the conflict, is over worship.  Like the image of Daniel 2, the various creatures which make up this amalgamated beast represent the different principles of calendation which form the calendar of today.   The seven heads represent the seven planetary gods, three of which have double horns.  Horns are ancient symbols of power, originating with Nimrod.⁽²²⁾  The heads with double horns represent Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  These are the days of the world’s three main religions: Islam, Judaism and Christianity.  Every head having a horn traces this counterfeit system back to its origins: Nimrod.

Babylonian Christianity has two worship days: Sunday for the uninitiated masses, and Saturday, for the ignorant and the initiated alike.  It is worship on Sunday, based on the assumption that Christ was resurrected then, that has supported Babylon.  Sunday has provided a “front” to allow Saturn, the hidden god, to remain hidden.  Therefore, it is reasonable that the head/day which received the deadly wound was Sunday.  This occurred in a series of events, culminating in 1798 with laws which enforced a calendar that had a 10-day week.⁽²³⁾  Babylon’s support for Sunday worship fell when the weekly configuration was changed removing Sunday from the week. 

The beast from the earth

The beast from the sea is followed by another from the earth.

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.  And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed . . . And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth . . . saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword, and did live.  And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.  Here is wisdom.  Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred three score and six [666].⁽²⁴⁾

A lot of money has been made in Hollywood and with books speculating about the “mark of the beast.”   Sincere people have suggested that the mark of the beast is everything from national ID cards, to Social Security numbers in the United States,⁽²⁵⁾ to nano-techonology which can implant computer chips under the skin.  All of these speculations are wrong because they lack the basic understanding that the final war is, as it has always been, over worship.

The image to the beast (Revelation 13:14) is also an image of the beast (verse 15).  Therefore, to understand what the image is, one must understand what the original beast is which comes out of the sea.  This beast, as demonstrated in this article, is the world-power which first imposed pagan calendation for religious purposes upon the world.  The first beast-power, (the amalgamated pagan/papal Rome) did this at the Council of Nicæa under Constantine, when Biblical calendation was outlawed.

It is reasonable to conclude that the action of the first beast, imposing a counterfeit calendar, will be repeated by the image of the beast.  Currently, there is a revived movement to reform the Gregorian calendar.⁽²⁶⁾  This was first agitated with wide support in the 1930s-1940s,⁽²⁷⁾ before dying out in the 1950s.⁽²⁸⁾  On December 31, 2009, the Wall Street Journal published a well-researched article on calendar reform, presenting several possible calendar options.⁽²⁹⁾  The World Calendar Organization⁽³⁰⁾ and the Benedictine Perpetual Calendar⁽³¹⁾ are only two of several proposed calendar reforms, each of which begins the year on Sunday.  The goal is to implement a new calendar in 2012, because that year begins on Sunday.  Calendar reform would also “fix” Easter – a long-held desire of the papacy.⁽³²⁾

The third angel’s message is a dire warning against worshipping the beast via use of his calendar.  “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God.”⁽³³⁾ The fact that there is a distinction made between the “beast” and his “image” would indicate that there are two distinct entities which bear a surface similarity.  The seal of the true God, the mark of allegiance to Him, is in keeping holy His Sabbath, calculated by His calendar.  The mark of the beast is the same thing: a pledge of allegiance to the hidden god by keeping his worship day(s), calculated by his calendar.  An image, then, indicates yet another calendar.

The third angel warns all against either calendar: the Gregorian or its successor.  The fact that the mark of the beast can be received in either the forehead or the hand reveals another distinction.  Those who receive the mark of the beast in the forehead, like those who receive the seal of God in the forehead, are truly convinced of the legitimacy of the calendar.  Those who receive the mark in the hand are people who go along with the calendar for temporal security.  An example of the last class is a Seventh-day Adventist pastor who said, “You’re right.  When the Sabbath is calculated by the Biblical calendar, it will fall differently.  However, all God requires is that we worship on the seventh day of whatever calendar society is using.”⁽³⁴⁾

This is a fearful deception to believe.  The third angel explicitly states what will be the punishment of receiving the mark of the beast by worshipping him:

If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever:⁽³⁵⁾ and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.⁽³⁶⁾

The very next chapter, Revelation 15, tells exactly what that “wrath of God” is, and it is the most dreadful threatening ever presented to man.  By contrast, those who worship the Creator on His calendar are described: “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”⁽³⁷⁾  All who desire to honor their Creator, shunning the punishment of the wicked, will choose to worship Him on the day which He has never changed: the seventh-day Sabbath, calculated by His calendar, established from the beginning.

Prophecy is always understood at the time of its fulfillment.  The genuine calendar of Creation provides the key to unlock the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation.  Every student of scripture should reexamine the prophetic books because great light is now available.  The fact that these prophecies are finally being decoded and opened for the understanding of all reveals that the time for their complete fulfillment has come.

______________________________________________________________________________

Related Articles, eCourses, & Videos:

• Armageddon: The Battle Over Worship

               See also: The Battle Over Worship (eCourse) and Armageddon (Video)

• Papacy Boasts of Calendar Change
• The Modern Seven Day Week: Exploring the History of a Lie
• Julian Calendar History (Video)
• The Three Angels Messages (eCourse)
• "USA in Bible Prophecy | Second Beast of Revelation 13"
  

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⁽¹⁾ David Kahn, Seizing the Enigma, (Barnes & Noble, 2009).

⁽²⁾ See Charles Cooper, “The Enigma Machine,” U.S. Naval Academy, April 16, 2002, for a brief overview.

⁽³⁾ “Navajo Code Talkers,” United States Navy, www.history.navy.mil.

⁽⁴⁾ See “The Prophet Warns of the Counterfeit Calendar.”

⁽⁵⁾ Matthew 24:24

⁽⁶⁾ Malachi 3:6

⁽⁷⁾ Space constraints demand a limited perusal of these deep subjects.  The WLC team urge every reader to make a thorough study of these prophecies for himself.

⁽⁸⁾ Revelation 14:6-7

⁽⁹⁾ Exodus 20:8-11

⁽¹⁰⁾ Revelation 14:8

⁽¹¹⁾ L. E. Froom, Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, (Washington, D.C.: Review & Herald Publ. Assoc., 1950), Vol. I, pp. 243-245.

⁽¹²⁾ He is sometimes called Jean Roquetaillardes.

⁽¹³⁾ John Foxe, Acts and Monuments, (1684 ed.), Vol. 1, p. 445.

⁽¹⁴⁾ Ezra H. Gillett, The Life and Times of John Huss, (Boston: Gould and Lincoln, 1863), Vol. 1, p. 23.

⁽¹⁵⁾ Not surprisingly, Milicz was arrested.  “Before a large assembly of prelates and learned men, in the church of St. Peter, he delivered a discourse in Latin, which produced a great impression.”  (Augustus Neander, General History of the Christian Religion and Church, trans. Joseph Torrey, [Boston: Crocker & Brewster, 1856] Vol. 5, p. 181.)  He was finally released from prison by Cardinal Albano, but his works continued after him, influencing Matthias of Janow (d. 1394) and through him, John Huss, John Wycliff and later Martin Luther.

⁽¹⁶⁾ Greece was the last European country to adopt the Gregorian calendar in 1923.  Although China adopted it in 1912, the wars that followed so disrupted the country that it was not until the communists united China that the use of Gregorian calendation was enforced, joining China with the rest of the world in the same method of time-keeping.

⁽¹⁷⁾ E. G. White, Selected Messages, (Washington D.C.: Review and Herald Publ. Assoc.), Vol. 2, p. 68.

⁽¹⁸⁾ E. G. White, Letter 98, 1900; Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7, p. 979.

⁽¹⁹⁾ Revelation 14: 9-11

⁽²⁰⁾ See Daniel 7:17, 19, 23; 8:20-22.

⁽²¹⁾ Revelation 13:1-6

⁽²²⁾ “Kronos signifies ‘The Horned One.’  As a horn is a well-known Oriental emblem for power or might, Kronos, ‘The Horned one,’ was, according to the mystic system, just a synonym for . . . Nimrod . . . The name Kronos, as the classical reader is well aware, is applied to Saturn as the ‘Father of the gods.’ . . . The meaning of this name Kronos, ‘The Horned one,’ as applied to Nimrod, fully explains the origin of the remarkable symbol” Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, (New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., 1959), pp. 32-33.

⁽²³⁾ See “French Republican Calendar.”

⁽²⁴⁾ Revelation 13:11-18

⁽²⁵⁾ This has been speculated ever since Social Security cards were first introduced in 1936.

⁽²⁶⁾ See “One World, One Calendar.”

⁽²⁷⁾ Between August 26, 1929 and June 26, 1940, the Soviet Union actually did reform the Gregorian calendar, changing the length of the weeks in a blatant attack on Muslim/Judeo-Christian religions.  See Appendix F.

⁽²⁸⁾ See “The World Calendar.”

⁽²⁹⁾ Charles Forelle, “Time and Again, the Calendar Comes Up Short,” Wall Street Journal, December 31, 2009.

⁽³⁰⁾ While not all suggested calendar replacements disrupt the continuous weekly cycle, the World Calendar does.  See www.theworldcalendar.org.

⁽³¹⁾ See www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/about_council/mayor_and_councillors/division_2/perpetual_calendar/.

⁽³²⁾ In 1937, Dr. Jean Nussbaum conducted a series of interviews with leading Catholic prelates and scholars in Paris and Rome.  After interviewing the Rector of the Biblical Institute in Rome, Nussbaum recalled that he “sees no difficulty in accepting the calendar reform . . . He feels that the [Roman Catholic] Church has the necessary power to make this change.”  To read Nussbaum’s interview notes, visit www.4angelspublications.com/mcrm.php.

⁽³³⁾ Revelation 14:9-10

⁽³⁴⁾ Personal interview, August 16, 2007, Spokane, Washington.

⁽³⁵⁾ This is not teaching the immortality of lost souls, burning forever in hell.  Scripture makes it clear that the wages of sin is not eternal life in torment.  Rather, “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  The third angel’s message makes it clear that the length of the sentence of death is forever, not that any are actually burning alive forever.  See also Ecclesiastes 9:5: “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.” 

⁽³⁶⁾ Revelation 14: 9-11. 

⁽³⁷⁾ Revelation 14:12

What Do You Mean,

"The Second Coming
of
  Christ"?

From the Message of

Bread Upon The Waters Ministry

Jesus REALLY is coming soon. BE READY!!!

Believing in the Second Coming of Christ

This site, of course, is about the Second Coming of Christ and the events related to it. From things that have been written and publicly said about this, it is clear that many people don't understand this concept. So, it makes sense to include a page that makes it perfectly clear what is being discussed.

There are many different doctrinal views about the Second Coming among Christians. Some Christians don't even believe that there will be such a literal, future event. But it has been pointed out by a number of Bible scholars and theologians that you can't really be a true Christian without in some way believing in the Second Coming. The Bible contains too many references to this event for any Bible believing Christian not to believe in it at all. And if you don't believe the Bible, you aren't really a Christian, regardless of what you may think.

Anything we believe as Christian doctrine should be based on the Bible. Many non-Christians, and even some Christians, have formed ideas about Biblical subjects that have nothing to do with what the Bible says. These ideas run in significance from sheer, shallow nonsense to subtle but serious lies of the devil. The erroneous ideas about the Second Coming cover the whole spectrum. Someone once said something in print about "Jesus rising from the dead and coming again". Which means that the writer, who probably thought of himself as educated, didn't know even the most basic concepts of Christian doctrine.

How Jesus Will Not Come

When a New Ager, or a Christian with a New Age background, thinks about the Second Coming of Christ, he or she usually thinks of another Jesus of Nazareth going around healing people and teaching a message of love and enlightenment. They think He will come again by reincarnation and/or enlightenment, and see Him as just being something like a Hindu avatar. This term, by the way, contrary to popular opinion, has little in common with the Judeo-Christian concept of the Messiah, or Christ. But this idea is so widespread that even Christian clergymen have accepted this view.

There is at least one living person (or so it is claimed; he may not really exist) who is presently claiming to be the Jesus Christ of the Second Coming in exactly these terms - the so-called Lord Maitreya.
An Avatar?

One of the stupidest errors of New Age Movement is to equate the concept of the Hindu "avatar" with the Judeo-Christian concept of the Messiah. It shows their ignorance of real Judeo-Christian theology. The only thing the two concepts really have in common is a similar (but by no means identical) concept of divine incarnation. According to Eastern belief, there are supposed to be several (this writer recalls seven, which may be inaccurate) avatars. There is exactly one true Messiah.

The concept of the Messiah, or Christ (the two words mean the same thing), has a very specific meaning relevant to both Judaism and Christianity. Both words mean "The Anointed One". The term "The Anointed One" is derived from the ancient Israeli ritual of the anointing with a specially perfumed oil - literally pouring it over them - of kings, prophets and high priests when they began their offices. The Messiah is seen prophetically as a person who embodies all three roles in one person. The physical anointing with oil symbolizes the anointing with the Holy Spirit -the indwelling of the unlimited power of God (See John 3:34) - that the Messiah receives. Furthermore, the Messiah has a specific role to fulfill; namely bringing salvation and restoration to Israel. That's why the two terms, avatar and Christ, are not synonymous. Jesus Christ in His Second Coming will not be an avatar!

Reincarnation

It has been claimed of or by more than one person that he was "a reincarnation of Jesus Christ". Jesus will not come again by reincarnation. Belief in reincarnation is not in accord with what the Bible says about the Second Coming or human destiny, generally. There are two Biblical references that hint at the idea of reincarnation, but both of them, by implication, refute it. The Bible says, "It is appointed for men to die once, but after that the judgment", (Hebrews 9:27). The dialogue between Jesus and His disciples in John 9:2 & 3 also hints at the idea of reincarnation and indirectly refutes it. Christians believe that everyone will eventually arise from the dead, but reincarnation is not considered part of our destiny. To put it bluntly, anyone who calls himself (or herself) a Christian, and yet believes in reincarnation is theologically off the wall. By the way, Jesus can't be reincarnated for two serious reasons: He isn't dead and He has a body!

Enlightenment

Jesus will not come again by enlightenment either. The New Age - Eastern religion concept of enlightenment has no place in Christian doctrine, contrary to what some people ignorantly believe. Fundamental to the idea of enlightenment is the belief that all people already have God within them. Enlightenment is supposedly acquiring direct awareness of the God within. This includes the idea of seeing God as basically an impersonal force.

The Bible teaches that God is a Person, and that humans are as fundamentally separate from God as a sculptor is separate from his sculpture. The sculpture may be a self-portrait, but it resembles the sculptor only in appearance. The sculptor does not indwell the sculpture. It does not have the sculptor's life, nor is it made of the same substance.

Christians believe that humans are naturally separated from God by, and dead in, sin. The only humans who have God within them are those whose sins are forgiven and who are Born Again. God does indwell those who are Born Again. They do have His life.

Again, "enlightenment" is something that is usually (there are exceptions) achieved after years of self-discipline (yoga or something equivalent), usually under the tutelage of a "guru". It is where the Eastern religions end. (By Christian doctrine, it is really just the opposite of true enlightenment; i.e. it has to be a deception.)

The New Birth, that is, Being Born Again, is a free gift, acquired by faith and repentance. It is where the Christian life begins. The Lord Jesus Christ, by the way, is the only human being who ever lived who didn't need to be Born Again. He was the only one who, more than just having God within Him, was in fact God in human form. As Christian theologians say of Him, "very (in the sense of "truly and absolutely") man; very God". See John 1:1 - 2 & 14.

Resurrection

Finally, Jesus will not come again by Resurrection. He already did that, on the day that Christians call the first Easter. That's why we celebrate the Holiday (which word originally meant "holy day"). Belief in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the theological pillars of the Christian Faith.

"For I delivered unto you, as of first importance,
what I also received;
that Jesus Christ died for our sins,
in accordance with the Scriptures.
That He was buried, that He was raised the third day,
in accordance with the Scriptures".

I Corinthians 15: 3 & 4, RSV

If there is one thing that you must believe to be a Christian it is that Jesus Christ arose from the dead.

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ,
and believe in your heart that
God raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved."

Romans 10:9, NKJV

Anyone who does not know that Christians believe that Jesus physically arose from the dead doesn't know anything about the Second Coming either. Furthermore, you may consider yourself a Christian, but if you do not believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, (some so-called Christians don't) then by Biblical standards, you are not a Christian!!!

So How Will Jesus Come Again?

He will come again from Heaven as Himself. To fully understand this, we must back away from the question above and ask another one:

Where is Jesus Now?

We have already said that Jesus arose from the dead on the first Easter Sunday. One of the basic beliefs of true Christianity is, and always has been, that Jesus is alive right now. So where is He?

The Bible says that after Jesus arose from the dead, He stayed on earth for 40 days (Acts1:3), during which time over 500 people saw Him alive (I Corinthians 15:6). Then He ascended into Heaven. To use modern terminology, He literally levitated up into the sky until a cloud hid Him from the sight of His disciples. And thus He disappeared. Where did He go?

To answer that in concrete terms, we must begin by saying that the Bible affirms the reality of the material world. This is another major point on which the Judeo-Christian theological tradition differs from Eastern religions, which see the material world as being an illusion (maya). But the Bible also affirms the reality of another realm, or we might say, plane or dimension of existence. It is what we call the spirit world. God, Heaven, the angels, the demons, the devil, hell, etc. all exist in the spirit world. And that's where Jesus is now. The Bible says that He is seated at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. The place where He is now apparently corresponds to a physical location somewhere in outer space. There is actually Biblical reason to locate this above the Northern Hemisphere of the earth. Whether this is literal or metaphorical or both we cannot say. But understand that He is reigning in Heaven as the "Mighty God", (Isaiah 9:6) and waiting for the time of His Second Coming, when He will return to Earth.

The strange thing about the relationship between the material world and the spirit world is that things from the spirit world can exist in the material world, but things from the material world can't exist in the spirit world. See I Corinthians 15:50. When Jesus walked the earth before the Crucifixion, He was a material human being. Since the Resurrection, He has a different kind of body which can function both as a material and a spiritual body. After the Resurrection, He showed His disciples that He could eat like a normal human, but He could also walk through a closed door without bothering to open it, neither He nor the door being any the worse for wear. Christians believe that following the Second Coming of Christ, we will all have bodies like that.

So...

...what do we mean by "The Second Coming of Christ"? We will now start to answer that, but first we must step back again. Just before He ascended into Heaven, Jesus gave His disciples some final instructions, of which there are three different renderings in the New Testament (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-19 & Acts 1:8.) They all add up to a single message: The disciples were supposed to go out and preach the Gospel to the whole world. Combining these instructions with Matthew 24:14, we conclude that the day will come when God the Father considers the job done, or at least done as much as it ever will be. When He does, Jesus will return. He will return as Himself, the same person who ascended to Heaven. He will, to again use modern terminology, levitate down from the sky to the very place from which He ascended (Acts 1:11). But there will be some major differences from the way He ascended.

For one thing, He won't be coming alone. He will have an army of angels with Him. And He's coming to take over. He's coming as a King and a Judge. Not an "avatar". To use a modern expression, "no more Mr. Nice Guy". The Bible says that He will rule with a rod of iron. This appears to mean that He will rule with such absolute authority that it will be impossible to disobey Him without immediate, shattering consequences. There's a mocking vulgar statement about the Second Coming that you may have heard or seen that has more truth in it than the people who use it would want to believe:

"Jesus is coming, and boy is He bleep (= angry)!"

Sad to say, this isn't any joke, as the people who have been using it will learn the hard way. For sinners, His Coming will be the worst thing that could ever happen.

The Resurrection and The Rapture of the Saints

All Christians who truly believe in the Second Coming of Christ also believe that His Coming will include the Resurrection and Rapture of the Saints. He will come to finally defeat the forces of evil and to glorify the saints. He will institute the everlasting Kingdom of God on earth in visible form. Those who believed in Him and were truly obedient in this life will reign with Him as priests and kings in that Kingdom. At His Coming, all those Christians who have died in a state of obedient faith will be raised from the dead with bodies such as described above. At the same time, all living Christians will be instantly transformed and taken up to meet Jesus in "The Rapture". (See I Corinthians 15:51-55 and I Thessalonians 4:13-18.)

The doctrine of the Resurrection of the Saints is another pillar of the Christian Faith that sets it apart from all other religions. Although the Bible does indicate that Christians who die go to Heaven and are consciously in the presence of Christ there, it also indicates that whatever their status in Heaven is, they are in a temporary state of rest that is compared to sleep.

(Note: This has been the topic of hot - and worthless - debate. This is just presenting what the writer understands the Bible to say. Whatever happens to a Christian after death is good. So, like the issue of the Millennium, why argue about it?)

What the Bible really promises to Christians after death is the Resurrection. In reincarnation, if it is real (actually, by Christian doctrine, it probably isn't, but is more likely a satanic deception) the reincarnated person doesn't normally remember his past life, and is in effect another person. If you don't remember your past life, what is the effective difference between being reincarnated and just being dead when you're dead? If you are a Christian, in the Resurrection you will be you. But it will be you with an immortal body that can't get sick or injured, and that will never grow old. All pains and sorrows will be gone. You will have complete freedom from sin, and be totally and consciously in the presence of God.

If your loved ones in this world were also Christians, you will be reunited with them. If not, either your memories of them won't be painful or they will be completely forgotten. By the way, only the Bible gives any concrete basis for this joyous expectation. It is not part of the doctrine of Eastern religions at all.

Justice

The idea that there is, or at least ought to be, real justice in this world is part of every major religion. Part of this idea is that when a person gets what he or she deserves, whether good or bad, the person should know why. This idea is implicit to the universal cry of those who are suffering: "Why me?" If you are either just dead when you are dead, as some people believe, or if you are reincarnated and don't remember your past life, or lives, then where is the final justice? To reward, and especially to punish, without the recipient knowing why is not justice, but rather is enormous injustice. Only the Bible offers the promise of real, final justice. In the Resurrection, everyone will get what he, by God's rules, really deserves. The righteous will be rewarded in Heaven, the wicked will be tormented in hell, and they will all know why.

Children of God

One more thing: The Bible says that Christians are sons (that is, children) of God. However, it indicates that our status as God's children won't be complete until the Resurrection. The Bible says that we will be like Jesus in His glorified state (I John 3:1 & 2). Now consider this: A son of a man is a man. A son of a dog is a dog. And a son of God is...

...a god!

You may have never thought of it this way before, but this is really what God promises to all true Christians! God promises it! ( John 10:34 & 35) Not the devil!

The great Christian hope, the thing that all true Christians can and should look forward to, is the Resurrection.

Final Warnings

False Christs Vs. The Second Coming

Something the Bible warns us about, which has come true many times, is that there will be many false prophets and false christs. Most of them don't last long. We had a dramatic case of this with the horrible incident in Waco, Texas early in 1993. In most cases, however, unless something sensational happens, like the Waco tragedy, relatively few people know about the false christ.

This will not be the situation in the Second Coming. The Bible tells us that when Christ returns, it will happen in such a way that it will be impossible for anyone not to know what has happened. "For as lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also shall the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:27). The whole world will know about it the moment it happens. It won't be a case of some ordinary human walking around claiming to be the Christ of the Second Coming, as a number of people have done, and a few are still doing. It will be the most spectacular event in history.

The Great Tribulation

Unfortunately, very unfortunately, that isn't all there is to it. The Bible makes it perfectly clear that before Jesus comes, there will be a period of several years in which God will, to use a Biblical expression, "pour out your (His) wrath on the nations..." (Jeremiah 10:25). In other words, He will make a lot of terrible things happen to the entire world. The Bible calls this period "The Great Tribulation", though as shown in this site, it can also be called, "The Three Great Woes". It is unclear exactly how long this will last, but it will be the worst thing that will ever happen to the human race. This is what people really need to be ready for. The Biblical references to the "Day of the Lord" coming "like a thief in the night" are about the Tribulation, not the Lord's actual return. (See I Thessalonians 5:2-4 and II Peter 3:10). It is the purpose of this ministry to help Christians to be ready; in one sense, to be expecting it, in another to know what is going to happen, but even more, to be prepared spiritually.

There are many groups of Christians (in terms of beliefs) who do not expect to go through a Great Tribulation. And of course, non-Christians would tend to dismiss the whole thing as so much bleep (= garbage). But there is good reason to believe that there will be a Great Tribulation. Everyone living when it starts will suffer terribly in it, and the majority will die in it. Why should you believe this? See the following page:

Why There Will Be A Great Tribulation

Contact Author, William D. Brehm: bready@interport.net