In the beginning, God created all that we know and much, much more. So I am going to suggest something weird to you. In order to understand the Bible, you must understand some things you have to infer from the text. So we will look beyond the word but still firmly on solid Biblical ground.

I am sure you have heard of the devil. The king of hell who rules with a pitchfork and who stands in opposition to God. Well, get that picture out of your head. There is not just one, there are many, though there is one very much so notable. His name is Lucifer.

Now there are only two verses in the Bible that we really get a clear image of Lucifer.

12 How you have fallen from heaven,
You star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth,
You who defeated the nations!
13 But you said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of God,
And I will sit on the mount of assembly
In the recesses of the north.
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 Nevertheless you will be brought down to Sheol,
To the recesses of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you,
They will closely examine you, saying,
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world like a wilderness
And overthrew its cities,
Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
Each in his own tomb.
19 But you have been hurled out of your tomb
Like a rejected branch,
Clothed with those killed who have been pierced with a sword,
Who go down to the stones of the pit
Like a trampled corpse.
20 You will not be united with them in burial,
Because you have ruined your country,
You have killed your people.
May the descendants of evildoers never be mentioned.
21 Prepare a place of slaughter for his sons
Because of the wrongdoing of their fathers.
They must not arise and take possession of the earth,
And fill the surface of the world with cities.”
Isaiah 14:12-21

“You had the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The ruby, the topaz and the diamond;
The beryl, the onyx and the jasper;
The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald;
And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets,
Was in you.
On the day that you were created
They were prepared.
14 You were the anointed cherub who covers,
And I placed you there.
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 You were blameless in your ways
From the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you.
16 By the abundance of your trade
You were internally filled with violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you as profane
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, you covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Your heart was haughty because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.
I threw you to the ground;
I put you before kings,
That they may see you.
18 By the multitude of your wrongdoings,
In the unrighteousness of your trade
You profaned your sanctuaries.
Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you;
It has consumed you,
And I have turned you to ashes on the earth
In the eyes of all who see you.
19 All who know you among the peoples
Are appalled at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever.”
Ezekiel 28:12-19

This set of verses gives all the information about Lucifer that we need. Lucifer was most likely leader of the worship of God. He was one of the first creations of God, and he was beautiful. The important thing to recognize about these verses is not one of these charges against Lucifer, include the fall of Adam and Eve whom we will talk about next time. This time, I want to hammer out the conflict of good and evil.

If you don’t find that strange, then how about his charge of being thrown down before Kings? When did this happen? If you read these verses, you can easily miss what is going on here. This is not an I will, or it’s prophesied these things will come to pass. No, this has happened. So the question is when. This has troubled many scholars. So there is no ambiguity about my statements I am going to say it. Lucifer fell at sometime between verse Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2.

This is a preposterous statement, and many people have gone elsewhere by now. I have evidence, however. Let’s look at those verses, though.

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2

God created the heavens, and the earth is pretty definitive. Now there are some people that hold the view that is a summary statement. However, that is not. I think that is a statement.

The beginning of verse two is where things get interesting. In the Hebrew, the word for formless and desolate emptiness is “Tohuvubohu” it has a sense of becoming that way. So it would be more appropriate to say, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And BECAME formless and desolate emptiness,” This would place Lucifer in a world that was already made a heaven that was already made and then his rebellion against God happens. Everything around the world is destroyed.

The earth is ruined because of Lucifer and the angels that joined him. This would also explain some verses in Job which seem strange if you think about it.

“38 Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind and said,
2 “Who is this who darkens the divine plan
By words without knowledge?
3 Now tighten the belt on your waist like a man,
And I shall ask you, and you inform Me!
4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,
5 Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the measuring line over it?
6 On what were its bases sunk?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
7 When the morning stars sang together
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 “Or who enclosed the sea with doors
When it went out from the womb, bursting forth;
9 When I made a cloud its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling bands,
10 And I placed boundaries on it
And set a bolt and doors,
11 And I said, ‘As far as this point you shall come, but no farther;
And here your proud waves shall stop’?”
Job 38:1-11

We have God speaking to Job here. There is one thing I want to point out. The morning stars, aka angels, are already on the scene. So, they existed before God created the universe. I think I have shown enough proof for now. There will be more as we go through this study.

Let’s go on and finish the verse. “And darkness was over the surface of the deep”. This is another portion of a verse that should make you pause. The word for darkness here is not the normal darkness, this is a supernatural or spiritual darkness. Think the plague of darkness over Egypt. This is a darkness you can feel. Its chashak in Hebrew.

So then lets go along too deep. This is the abysso. The abyse. In some languages, it is called Tartarus. It is as far below earth as earth is heaven. I don’t know where that is, but I do not want to be there.

We have a cosmology forming. We have this dark, dark abyss above that we have a destroyed world and above that we have a destroyed heaven.

“and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.” Now we see the Spirit of God hovering the surface of this dark place. Calming it perhaps?

Now we witness how God creates. Genesis 1:3 God creates light. There was already darkness. More evidence of my theory.

Now the rest of Genesis God lists in extensive detail what he is doing and how he is making everything. You can find some very extensive work online about how this matches with know science and what not. That is not my calling. Now and then I will share some interesting ideas and what not but the science of the Bible I really care little about.

In the end, God explains things to a person who does not understand what he is saying. There is an entire mountain of hidden treasures though, if you search the scriptures for them. This is a basic Bible study though and we don’t want to get too into the weeds. A few times we will, but mainly this is just to give you the basic idea of what the Bible talks about.

However, if you go verse by verse, you can find wondrous things and I encourage everyone to.

Now, back to Lucifer. Lucifer is chief among fallen angels. He is the leader of them. He is called Satan now. Satan means the Adversary or Opponent. So it is not a proper name but a title. There are many Satans in the Bible in the Hebrew or the Greek. So don’t get ruffled when you are going through the book in the original language and you see that word used of something unanglic.

That being said, the entity that God calls Satan is very much your opponent in every way. Now don’t get it twisted. The Satan of the Bible is extremely different from the pop culture Satan or the Satan that you most likely are familiar with. He is a fallen angel with a command of roughly one third of the angels.

That means our guys outnumber his forces two to one. So what we know about him is from the above verses. You can infer that he was a worship leader of some sort. It mentions his pipes at one point which most likely is pointing to his skill with song. Ask the music industry about his skill at music. I am sure many of them will tell you they pledged themselves to him for talent.

It also mentions the way he gained favor with the angels. He campaigned against God. It was the goods he sold they wanted; their right place as God in his kingdom. He was violent to those that did not conform to his kingdom. And they brought him down for it.

So that leaves the question… who are the other fallen angels. Fortunately, we don’t need to know the other fallen angels to understand God’s message. We only need to know of God above. He will do the work on ridding them and foiling their evil schemes.

Angels are powerful and even other angels don’t rebuke other angels with their own power, but with God’s. We would be wise to do the same. So, with those understandings out of the way, lets look at Adam and Eve next time.

Bible Study, Ecclesial Studies, Jayce's Bible Study

Jayce’s Bible Study 001: Who Is God?

Posted on August 20, 2021August 24, 2021 by Jayce Ran

God, YHWH, Adonia, Abba, Father, Host of hosts, Lord, several things probably enter your mind when you hear the word God. If we wind back the hands of time to the very start; even before we have God. Everything was God, and all things sprang forth from God. He is the All Father.

If there is one thing that God wants us to know, is he created everything and that everything must bow to him? In Genesis, in the very beginning, he tells he created. In Hebrews, we are told everything sprung forth because of God.

The image some more juvenile people have is the old man in the clouds. Maybe he is wearing a crown and holding a stick. He might scowl at all the sinners down below, saying “Get off my lawn!” and then smiting a few of them. This is pure fiction.

He did not make it in vain. God makes nothing in vain. Instead, he puts great care and knows his creation intimately. I could even suggest he cancels out the improper movement of atoms on an individual level. He holds all things together. The very fabric of everything depends on him.

That being said, it would only stand that he is a mighty big God; enormous and beyond time itself. He is omnipresent because he made all things from him. He set forth the very vibrations with his voice that set the atoms in their proper sequence. So naturally, being able to see everything, he could hear everything, he could then sense everything, and he would know everything. He is wise beyond anyone’s understanding.

He says he knows the end from the beginning. We meet a moral dilemma here, though. If he knows the end from the beginning, he knows every evil action that will and has taken place. Every child murdered, every person left in misery, every temptation given from devils and more brutal things best left unsaid. Why does God allow for evil to exist?

There are some problems with God’s character. God primarily wants love and peace to reign. This is clear from one of Christ’s titles. “The prince of peace” God could make everyone without sin and only be able to act in a good way. This, however, is the captivity of the mind. If you cannot do evil, is it really a good thing to do good because that’s all you can do? No, the option of evil must be there to truly make an act good. So thats no good. God does not want to mind control us.

So lets say God allows evil, but why does he not right it or at least prevent the bad things from happening. Someone steals an item from you and poof, another one is there to replace it. Do you see a problem? How about a drunk driver is careening, and he stops it and magically no one gets hurt. Do you problem now? Maybe a man is thinking about kidnapping the child and his acts are made impossible for him to do. He keeps trying to, but suddenly he is teleported to across the street or maybe outside of the playground. See the issue. Well, let’s make it smaller. You are going to tell a lie, but the words can’t leave your mouth. Let’s say you have an argument and you want to call them stupid and you can’t. You thought it but you can no longer act on it. Our actions would be controlled. Well, God does not want to do that either. He wants our actions to be pure as well as our hearts. Giving our good deeds and actions more weight, evil must exist.

Then how about God punishes someone immediately after they do their action. So you have someone do the action like murder and he beamed them out of here. I mean, murder is extreme. However, God’s standard for goodness is much, much higher than murder. He considers it adultery if you even look at someone with lustful eyes. Even more so, if you hate your brother, you are guilty of murder to God. So God could justifiably end it all now and every single person on earth is dust in the wind. Another thing he does not want to do.

There will be a time of judgement for everyone. Where he will separate and divide the nations. However, that is a topic for another time. The important part to remember from this is that God may be in a unique position as a King over all. He created it and he could destroy it. God would be alright to destroy everything and start over if he wanted. He does not need us at all. We, however, are fueled by Him alone.

As we go through this study, we will learn about the character of God and His ways of dealing with things. Now, for your journey into the word, I would suggest you have several things. One a Bible, a program will do but I encourage everyone to have a physical Bible. I will use a NASB for this study (and will reference others to make the language clear.) Something to write notes in, be it a series of word documents, or a notebook, or anything really but have a system to take notes. I will also encourage you to share things, study with a friend and to teach it to them. You don’t need to share this study with them. However, I want you to share and discuss what you learned with others.

If you have not accepted Christ as your Lord and savior, that is fine. I encourage you to continue this study to at least learn about Christian’s and what we believe. We are going to start in Genesis for the first part of this study. We will look through the Bible in Chronological order, so I am going to have you flipping all over your text. You do not need to be an expert on where the Bible chapters are. However, here is a brief rundown of how your Bible is most likely set up.

The first we have the Old Testament. This is everything before the time of Jesus (Yushua). Not that Christ does not appear in the Old, but before he was made flesh like a man. The first five books of the Old Testament are the Torah or Pentateuch. These books are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Next we have the historical books, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. Now if you’re a Jew, Catholic or Orthodox person, you may think that’s too many books, or I have left what books. This is the Protestant version of the Bible. I am covering the Protestant version of the Bible because its the one I am most familiar with. However, I will do several aside just to look into other texts as well. So don’t worry, my “humble” and “expert” opinion will be available on those books as well.

Now we have the books of wisdom. This is Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus. Then we have the Major Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Then the minor prophets, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. That’s the Old Testament.

Now for the New Testament, we start with the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then we have the History which is one singular book Acts. Then the Letters Of Paul, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon. Then we have the general letters, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1 and 2 and 3 John, and Judas. Now we have a last book. That is the New Testament’s one book of prophecy, Revelation. That will be fun to get into. Now I am sure you remembered all that and I will never have to go over it again. So, with that over with… we can begin our study.

Articles Of Importance, Bible Study, Ecclesial Studies, Luke

Who Was Luke?

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Jayce Ran

I have been doing a Bible Study with a wonderful new group of friends I have made. Over the past few month it has been a real pleasure. I decided to go over the work I have done for the book of Luke and thought I might as well explain Luke a bit better.

We can assume he is a gentile because of a comment written in Colossians 4. Where Paul comments on how there are not many Jews around him. He names Luke specifically as a iaomai or physician. So it is safe to assume he is a doctor.

Luke was not an apostle of Jesus, he joined Paul when in Traos. It is evident from his writings that he is a well traveled man. Most likely because of his work as a physician he has seen many things and places. He would remain with Paul until Paul’s arrest in Philippi. From there we don’t have a clear picture of what happened to Luke. One could assume he carried on with spreading the gospel and being a physician, most likely traveling.

However, they would meet again and reunite with each other in Philippi, and spent a great deal of time there. Several years in fact. He followed along with Paul when he went to Jerusalem. Paul once again is arrested and imprisoned. Luke of course carries on with his work. He shows up again when Paul is eventually released and heads to Rome.

Luke would finally be caught up in things and be imprisoned in Rome. We are not sure when he wrote the book of Luke. It is clear though that his writings were cherished. Our dearly beloved physician is very much loved. We can thank Christ for preserving his work even today. It is ever so a blessing in this day.

Bible Study, Ecclesial Studies, Matthew

Bible Study: Matthew Chapter 10

Posted on April 4, 2021April 4, 2021 by Jayce Ran

Hello everyone, I am happy to see you again. This is going to be a difficult chapter for some. Mainly my protestant friends who think of Jesus as only loving and merciful. In the text we are going to go over this is not the words of a suffering servant but the words of a King and his soldiers. Hope I got your interests perked. Alright let us begin in prayer. I wont say a prayer for you. You should be able to pray on your own by now. So, shall we begin?

The Twelve Apostles

10 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. ²The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;⁴Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Matthew 10:1-4 ESV

First thing to note here is the concept of a disciple and the concept of an apostle. A disciple is someone who follows a particular person. They are there to learn, watch the teacher and act in his ways. Most often this was normally with a trade. However we see these disciples following Jesus like one would a rabbi.

Now, an apostle is different but similar to a disciple. Think of it as a rank up. They are to raise awareness of the teacher. In this situation the teacher is Jesus and the apostles are like recruiters. Apostle literally means “sent one”. Jesus must have seen something special in this bunch and he was like they understood me best.

Another note, Matthew being the writer of this decided to put down his occupation. One that he hates, tax collector, or publican in some translations (telōnēs τελώνης) “Tax Farmer”. You can also see a little bit of anger in his writings towards ol’ Judas Iscariot. Last mentioned and also his betrayal. Remember all this was written after the crucifixion.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

⁵These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, ⁶but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’⁸Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. ⁹Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, ¹⁰no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. ¹¹And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. ¹²As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. ¹⁵Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Matthew 10:5-15 ESV

So the apostles are sent on a mission. They are to preach the gospel to the house of Israel. What is the gospel? We learned it last time. It is the message of the coming Kingdom. Jesus says the Kingdom is at hand meaning the Kingdom draws near. There is urgency to his message. He wants them to take absolutely nothing with them. Instead they are to go and move quickly preaching the word to all of Israel. Later to the gentiles.

Jesus also grants them supernatural powers as proof that he comes from God so people will believe his message and know that they were in fact sent from Christ. In doing so they would be faithful servants of their King, Jesus, spreading HIS news around the old kingdom of Israel so that they could become the new Israel.

I will ask you a question. Are you spreading the word of the coming Kingdom? You should. If you are an artist, writer, musician, carpenter, dancer, wood worker, janitor, anything job really, find a way to do it that glorifies the God. Even if you are scrubbing toilets, let them shine for God. Be the best dang toilet scrubber the world has ever known and when people ask you why you put so much effort into it, tell them, you do it for God. I wish and I will forever be slain by the wasted opportunities I squandered to show the Kingdom through my works. However I was an arrogant child. Rebellious; who thought he understood the world. How blind was I? I can spread his message now and share such things with all you. Do not be like me, and if you are, I pray you grow into your role just as I have.

Persecution Will Come

¹⁶“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Matthew 10:16 ESV

One of my favorite lines in the Bible. Lets break this down because there is a lot in here to unpack. A sheep is an innocent animal. They are timid and they are gentle. A wolf can easily destroy a sheep. In fact they are hostile towards sheep. For a sheep to convince a wolf of anything would be rather difficult.

Jesus is acknowledging that he is sending them into danger, not of being ridiculed but actual death and unfortunately all of his apostles would die by the hands of those they are preaching to, all accept one, John, who Jesus charged to take care of his mother.

They are to have wisdom, aka street smarts in modern language. However they are also to have an air of innocents about them. Meaning be smart in how you act but in the same time do not loose your loving nature. We are to be smart in how we are preaching. To get yourself killed for no reason would be foolish. However if we must go onto dangerous grounds we must do so with direct knowledge of what we are walking into. I would no more think of preaching in North Korea for instance, openly. If I were to go be a missionary over in such a place, I would do so in secret. Though I see the sun setting over here, and I fear that I will be needed in my home country soon. Someone needs to be a torch to guide others.

¹⁷Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, ¹⁸and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. ²⁰For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, ²²and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Matthew 10:17-23 ESV

It is funny, Jesus is warning them what will happen to them. They would suffer all these and more. I truly believe that Christ did not want any of this to happen to them. However he knew it must be done in accordance with his word. Much sadder is this all would fall upon Christ himself. We are not meant to stand and take it but rather we are to flee. Christ own words. We are not to respect the laws of people that would silence us. In fact quite the contrary. We are to speak out regardless of our freedoms. Even if we do not have such a freedom, we are still to speak. We are to worship, because we are doing it for a higher Kingdom. Damn those who would be quiet for the sake of mortal law. They shall die as a mortal. Instead we serve our King, who is everlasting, who is beyond death, as we will be by his hand and his hand only.

²⁴“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
Matthew 10:24-25 ESV

A freighting thought, not for our sake but for the unsaved. There are many souls out there for the taking. Even still there are many who are born into this world in chains of darkness and don’t even know it. The are servant of an unwanted god, Beelzebul. He is lord of his house and he keeps his tied up in their sins. He brings them to their knees fearing death. Avoiding it, trapped by it. We all know what that is like. Many of us have been Christian so long we have forgotten those days. However, death is the one thing we feared most. Now we have no reason to fear it.

Have No Fear

²⁶“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. ³²So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 10:26-33 ESV

See even Christ tells us not to fear anything of this world. Death is part of this world. God can destroy even death. He can also destroy the soul. So do not fear those that may take your life away. I am writing this now in the time of Covid. Don’t be a Covid coward, don’t fear it. If we die from it so be it. God will not allow anything to happen to you that he did not intend to happen. Once again, be wise, but do not lose that dove like innocents. Never fear to acknowledge of your Father is, who your King is, who your Savior is. Do it all in the name of Yeshua! The great YHVH! Our Emmanual!

Not Peace, but a Sword

³⁴“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. ³⁷Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10:34-39 ESV

Do not get this twisted. Some have used this to defend arms and weapons among the Church. This is speaking to our sword. His sword. The word of God. When Christ speaks of a sword normally it is in the context of his word.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 ESV

As we can see here we have that same sword that is mentioned above. It is a dividing weapon. Many close close people in our lives will reject the word of God. Even those we may view as “spiritual”. God’s word is a bitter pill but a true and right one.

I would also like to note, people must have thought this was a very strange teaching from Jesus. The mention of the cross, he had not been put to the tree yet. Once again, this must have sounded strange to them. Now we read it and we know and understand what he is saying but at the time they had no clue.

Rewards

⁴⁰“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. ⁴¹The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴²And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
Matthew 10:40-42 ESV

Little ones in this context means a child. How much more are we children again being born again. We must relearn many things we were taught before we died with Christ. So let us be kind and loving one another and in that our reward is certain. Christ would not lie. We must hold steadfast to these truth.

I pray that everyone reading this is saved. If you are not, that is ok too. Though I would assume you reading this would understand the dire seriousness I take these issues to have. I should hope that you ponder these things. There is nothing more than I would like to meet you one day. Be it on earth, or in the Kingdom sharing in our eternal salvation. God bless you all. May you go in peace.

Bible Study, Ecclesial Studies, Matthew

Bible Study: Matthew Chapter 9

Posted on April 3, 2021April 3, 2021 by Jayce Ran

Jesus Heals A Paralytic

9 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.
Matthew 9:1 ESV

Jesus says his own city, this is Capernaum. Jesus had a wild relationship with the city of Capernaum. In fact he loved the city so much that it became his city. People were receptive to him. It became his base of operations. Pay attention to the number of miracles worked in this region. Clearly there was something special there at that time.

²And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.”
Matthew 9:2 ESV

Now notice that Jesus forgives his sins first. That is because no matter the terrible hopelessness of a situation, none is more hopeless than trying to make yourself righteous before God. Without Christ it cannot be done.

³And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”
Matthew 9:3 ESV

The scribes being Jewish scholars, maybe even Pharisees. Now, if this story seems familiar its most likely because it is. Mark and Luke appear to have covered the story in more detail. John being the only gospel to omit the story.

⁴But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? ⁵For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? ⁶But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” ⁷And he rose and went home. ⁸When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Matthew 9:4-8 ESV

Now often I have seen this twisted by charismatic preachers and other protestants. Sickness or illness or a disease or an ailment or disability is not a curse from God in itself. This mans ailment was not tied to his sin. Though in forgiven this mans sins he needed immediate proof that Jesus had in fact done it with authority. Making a paralyzed man walk would do the trick.

Jesus Calls Matthew

⁹As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
Matthew 9:9 ESV

In other gospels he is called Levi. Matthew being the writer of this book refers to himself as his new name, Matthew, instead of his dead name Levi. You may want to consider changing your name ones being saved as a representation of you being dead. You are given new life and a new name traditionally. We don’t tend to do that any longer, although I kind of like the idea of it.

The romans would use tax farming as a way of making money. I wont describe that here however you can look that up on your own. Basically he had a booth where he would collect tolls from. Leaving that meant he was abandoning his post, Herod, and more importantly any future with the Roman Empire. He had already alienated himself from the Jewish community, now he was to the Roman Empire. Most people do not understand the weight of what he was really doing. Its HUGE.

¹⁰And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Matthew 9:10-11

Now, we are really getting to the Crux of Jesus ministry. As one of my wonderful sisters in Christ likes to point out, “for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;” ~ Luke 1:48. Jesus does not think anything of eating with these sinners because he is eating with sinners no matter when he eats. However, Pharisees will do there Pharisee thing.

¹²But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:12-13

Its such an obvious statement. Jesus when he puts it like this the whole thing becomes easy to understand. He came to heal, so of course he would be among the ill. Now the next part most people will not get unless they know their bible well. I do not know it this well either but I use these little moment to study. He is actually quoting Hosea.

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Hosea 6:6 ESV

This is such a heart warming portion given to us. It gives me the feels when I read that because God does love us so much. Its amazing that passages like this are forgotten by the Jews. It just ties his nature so well together.

A Question About Fasting

¹⁴Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?”
Matthew 9:14 ESV

It is a valid question. Now these were disciples of John the Baptist, which I do find it strange that after Christ had come they did not travel with Jesus but for some reason they chose to stay with John.

¹⁵And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. ¹⁶No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. ¹⁷Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
Matthew 9:15-17 ESV

There is a lot here but its either too long to explain here, the Jewish Wedding, or its pretty straight forward. So I will leave this up to you. There is no historical context needed with the wine skins analogy.

A Girl Restored To Life And A Woman Healed

¹⁸While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.
Matthew 9:18-19 ESV

The ruler in this verse is not what you would traditionally think of as a ruler. Its a synagogue official. I know when I was reading it originally I thought Roman ruler.

²⁰And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, ²¹for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”
Matthew 9:20-21

Once again Matthew gives us an abridge version of this story. This lady had been suffering and she had such faith from the rumors that Jesus could heal her if she just touch his garments. Now in the other times this is described Jesus reacts to his garment being touch saying he felt power leave him. This suggest to me that Jesus is perhaps not the only performing actor in the miracles but rather the vessel for them. It is the Holy Spirit and God the father that allows for this things to be done.

²²Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Now the Hem of a garment was also there authority. I have no clue where in the ancient world this started but the term of removing the hem was to remove someone’ authority.

²³And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ²⁴he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. ²⁵But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. ²⁶And the report of this went through all that district.

Once again you may find this strange. Jesus appears to be acting funny here telling the people that she was asleep. Mind you it does say she was asleep but was she dead. I don’t think the verses are clear on this. Clearly something is going on here. However there is not enough information for me to say anything conclusive.

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

³²As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. ³³And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.”
Matthew 9:32-33 ESV

Matthew really did not give this much attention. It almost is like he was rushing through it. We already know that Jesus has command over all spirits, living, the dead, all things. So he forced this demon to leave this man who was mute. He was not born mute but made mute from this demon. Once again weird “christian” cults like to make these out to be all things wrong with a person is by demons. It is not the case, though, it is sometimes as well. Don’t discount or overestimate the presence of demons.

³⁴But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”

This right here is an odd phrase if you don’t know what was practiced at the time. He was commanding these spirits out of the man. When the Pharisees saw it they would know of certain practices that you would borrow the authority of a devil to cast out demons. They however did not consider he had the authority of God.

The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few

³⁵And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

So Jesus has his ministry in full swing. He is going all through Jerusalem and preaching and teaching the people and of course healing them of their afflictions. Now I want you to notice, he went out preaching the gospel. Those were not written yet. What is he preaching? He is preaching the Good News of The Coming Kingdom. Christian faith is while yes, salvation, but that’s just the basic membership. It is so much more than just a fire insurance pass.

The reason we follow Christ is not for salvation, it is because he is worthy. Sure, you have that perk, but its the right thing to do. Christ is King and a King has his Kingdom. Think about that. There is a coming Kingdom and you will bow before your King. I am sure some of you lost your smile there, I am sure some of you are beaming with Joy. If you are in rebellion I am sure you are not smiling. IF you are Joyed than either you got yourself a pardon and you know it, or you are very very foolish and deluded in yourself. Where do you stand? With a pardon signed in the name of the King, or not? The pardon is there for anyone to take, its written in his blood. You have to accept it though. It gets you citizenship in the Kingdom. Funny, I went into salvation there. Such self centered thinking coming from me.

³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

It is still true today.

God bless you all. Hope to see you again.

Christian Living, Ecclesial Studies

Which Bible Is Right For You?

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Jayce Ran

I often here people discussing the different versions of the Bible. They argue for which one is better and why one is not as good. So, let me tell you everything you need to know about your Bible and why it is flawed. Lol just kidding. This is actually a personal question with a personal answer.

So in my Bible Studies I stick to the KJV, ESV, and the NASB. KJV is the King James Version, ESV is the English Standard Version, and the NASB is the New American Standard Bible. I find these Bibles are more familiar among the people. When I write it I hope you are looking through your Bible with my study. Although I provide the text in some form or another, you should be searching your scriptures daily to prove what I say true, or WRONG. I am human I can be wrong. Anyone can be wrong. So do not trust someone with the word of God.

THAT MEANS THE BIBLE YOU ARE READING CAN BE FLAWD! That is right. You must do your do diligence and search the many different scriptures available to you to find the truth. I suggest using sites like BibleHub.com to see many many different scriptures laid out for each verse of the Bible so you can research what is true.

Often times there is errors in the translation of the Bible or old word means something different today. The concepts can become confused. The overall truth of the Bible is true though you may have to search a little to find the answers.

The next thing to point out is even if the translation is perfect. The idea may be lost to time. Sometimes the Bible can be especially confusing if you do not understand the culture. People are different than they used to be. Customs change over time and trust me, 6000 years is a long time for things to change.

So in conclusion what Bible is right for you? Not any of them. You must use what scriptures are availed to you to discern what is true and untrue. I suggest having the package I did above, KJV, ESV, and NASB. If you have those three generally you can have an answer. It also help to have a Strong’s Concordance with a Hebrew and Greek Lexicon. I am telling you if you have those it is so powerful to your understanding. It also helps to have some books of history as well.

Below is a list of Bible resources that are readily available Also buying one will help me out running this site.

KJV Study Bible: https://amzn.to/2QPrPix
ESV Study Bible: https://amzn.to/39vpRdS
NASB Study Bible: https://amzn.to/39yCncm

Strong’s And Vines Concordance: https://amzn.to/3dp9OPW

Rose’s Bible Maps And Charts: https://amzn.to/3rGD61v

I hope you found this little bit of information to be helpful to you. One of the things most important to remember is if you are reading the Bible, and you are doing your best to live those words. Your on the right track. God knows your heart. He will lead you. God bless and have a wonderful day.

Bible Study, Ecclesial Studies, Revelation

Bible Study: Revelation Chapter 1

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Jayce Ran

Alright, this is going to be a more difficult study, but we are going to take this on. So let us begin. Revelation was written by the apostle John. Most likely near the end of his life. He was on the island of Patmos at the time server a jail sentence. He was the only apostle to die of old age, though according to legend they tried to kill him through various means including boiling him alive in oil. He survived. While on the penal island John received the job as a scribe. This gave him the means to produce such documents. Now lets look at what John had written during his exile.

1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Revelation 1:1 KJV

Now there is a lot to unpack here. Jesus was given the Revelation from God the Father. This suggests there are things the Father knows that the Son does not. Thus meaning while Jesus is part of God the Father he is also separate. So the book is not named Revelation because Jesus reveals something to us but rather it is revealed to Christ since he has been dead and raised.

Now these events are not shortly in our modern sense of shortly but rather shortly in the sense that when they come to pass it will be short. The expression used is “a dei tachei genesthai” (ἃ δεῖ τάχει γενέσθαι) which means “the things, it is necessary, speed, to come into being (to happen/to become)” So basically its not saying that its going to happen swiftly but rather when they come to pass it will be fast. So, its is relative to when the events happen not that the when the events happen. Hopefully that is not confusing.

Next we need to tackle who the message was for. It was for his servants… however the word servant here is bond-servant, doulois, δούλοις, means for his slaves literally. We are Christ’s slaves, he wants you to remember this.

Now Christ did something to this message. He encrypted it in imagery so that the believer could understand it. It was meant for precious eyes only. The message was intentionally hidden to be revealed only by believers. He signified it or he communicated it through signs to his angel. His angel would then give John this message in the form of symbols and signs. So, John understood this.

2Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Revelation 1:2 KJV

As you can see John saw! This message. He was extracted from his time and place and taken to see these things.

3Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Revelation 1:3 KJV

Now here is something for all of you reading this. You are going to be specially blessed from reading this. No other book in the Bible makes this bold claim to give the reader a special blessing. This is the only book that say read me and you will be blessed by me alone. However, it is only a blessing if you keep what is written. Meaning if you protect it from blemish. Many people like this book. They read it a number of different ways to bring about their blasphemies. They read and are blind to what lays before them. We are not going to do that. We are going to read it as intended and not make boastful claims off of our own views but rather use the word to interpreted the word for us.

4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
Revelation 1:4 KJV

He is simply John which is because he is rather known. He does not give himself any fancy titles to distinguish himself from the others. He maintains his humbleness. Grace is a common Greek greeting however here it is used in a way that implies a heavier weight than just a greeting. The same goes for peace. Peace comes from who? God the Father. So it is firmly seated on solid ground. Now the seven spirits. Who are these, we have our first run through the scriptures. Alright friends get your Bibles read to do some flipping or trust me to quote scripture properly.

11 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
²And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
³And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
Isaiah 11:1-3 KJV

So what are the seven spirits before the throne? The spirit of the LORD, The spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understand, the spirit of counsel, the spirit of might, the spirit of knowledge, and the spirit of the fear of the LORD. You can track down verses about each of the spirits throughout the entire Bible. These characters or primal powers are among God. Most people think of the trinity as being the ultimate image of God but that is not the case, there are many aspects to God and many ways of understanding him.

Now many people will falsely suggests this is the seven angels. It is not the case because the language always used of the angels in this book is angels and not the “The Spirits”. So it is much more likely that the spirits its talking about is mentioned in the Bible, Isaiah fits the bill. So, now that we have our first key, we understand how this is going to be. We are going to hunt down every single image used in Revelation and present them to you.

5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Revelation 1:5 KJV

So we have Jesus given several titles here, he is the faithful witness, then the first begotten of the dead, the prince of the kings of the earth.

John here is drawing a few parallels if you did not notice. First one has us turning to Psalms.

35Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
36His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
37It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
Psalm 89:37 KJV

Now here we see that it is talking about the seed of King David. Ironically that seed is Jesus, the faithful witness. He shall rule upon the throne of David. Which shall be set in heaven like the sun. Jesus being the faithful witness shall be established as the moon. This becomes important later but for now keep it in mind. I will bring it up again in a later chapter.

Now most people focus on the first begotten of the dead as pointing to his death and resurrection, and it is, make no doubts about that. However, more importantly its pointing to a particular verse in the Bible. Its point to a chapter really. Hebrews 1.

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.
7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Hebrews 1:1-7 KJV

Now earlier in the chapter it is comparing Jesus to a light source. There is a motif of this in the book. Notice also it mentions that the spirits are angels and does not call them just spirits. So we got a clearer image of Jesus as the future ruler of the earth. That is what both are pointing to. Ruling from the sky. Even the angels will worship him.

²⁷Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
Psalms 89:27 KJV

Now this is speaking of David, but I believe this can be said of Christ too who gave David’s throne legitimacy to begin with. Now what does it mean that Christ is called Prince here. Not really he is called archōn ἄρχων or ruler or chief. It is funny how these titles point to places in the Bible. Kings of the Earth points to a lot of places. However I think this one is the best and closest references considering it is higher both in a literal and figurative distinction.

The word here is giving us a hint of things to come. God is going to appoint Jesus rulership over the earth. He will rule from the sky as the moon. This is what can be definitively gathered from what these specific titles are pointing us too. He will rule over the kings of the earth from this lofty position as well. See how interesting this book is, we will later discover in this book that this is in fact a correct interpretation because it will describe just that however for now you are going to have to take more word for it. Take what I say with a grain of salt too. If something I say does not seem right to you, search the scriptures to prove what I say wrong. I am not above making errors though I try to present you with the most honest interpretation of scripture as I can give.

6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 1:6 KJV

What what what… there is a problem with this statement. Did you see it? Kings and Priests are separated. A member of the priests was not allowed to act as King nor could a King act as priest. Yet, here we are told we are made Kings and Priests through Christ. There is only one other guy who was called a King and Priest, that was a King Priest by the name of Melchizedek.

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
Genesis 14:18 KJV

Ok so whats the deal with this Melchizedek guy you must be thinking to yourself. Well, let me show you another verse.

⁴The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
Psalm 110:4 KJV

Ok ok, so what is my point. Alright alright I will show you just a couple more that will make it clear.

1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
²To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
³Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
Hebrews 7:1-3 KJV

Now, got the picture. This Melchizedek is a person without a father or mother, Abraham gives a 10th of his riches too, he is King of righteousness, called priest and King of Salem (Jeru-Salem). If that ain’t the preincarnation of Jesus I don’t know what to tell you. Now I have been told that I am wrong but I just honestly cannot see past the similarities and Christ. I just can’t. I don’t want to be saying anything that is false so I going to tell you I honestly think this is Christ and the fact that Christ calls us to be Kings and Priests I think this is a role only God and Christ can appoint. If he is not a reincarnate Jesus he was a model of what is to come.

Once again all of this points to Christ ruling over all things. Its hammered into your head that Christ will be ruler of the world. I think God does this to assure us that no matter what we see, no matter what we witness, no matter how dark and evil and terrifying things are, Christ will rule when all things are said and done.

7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Revelation 1:7 KJV

Alright more imagery, got to search the scriptures again.

And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mark 14:62 KJV

This is in reference to his deity. It is also literal I believe. Notice he does not say on, but rather in. Is it to shield us from his true radiance?

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
Daniel 7:13 KJV

Once again this image of the Christ coming in the clouds.

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Matthew 24:30 KJV

And another time we see this image of Christ coming from heaven in the clouds. Its very clear that this image has been given to many many people around the world.

The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
Nahum 1:3 KJV

And don’t picture this as a happy nice little fluffy clouds. These are most likely storm clouds. This is an entrance not to be forgotten by anyone. I could take you through more but I want to save you from it but you can look up for yourself additional verses pertaining to this. There is no shortage of them.

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
John 19:34 KJV

This is what Jesus is referencing, the soldiers who held Holy Lance, also called Spear of Destiny or Spear of Longinus. These soldiers are clearly dead by now. So it has been a number of years but they still witness it. This means once again the dead will witness this or it has already happened. The problem is, no one thought to write down this happening. So I am going to say, it did not.

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Zechariah 12:10 KJV

Then we have the last part of his statement. Don’t confuse this. It is only the people of Israel who will see this. In fact I was confused by this verse up until now. It helps to look at the original language. The word kindred here is means tribes. Phulai φυλαὶ, tribe or clan. So we have really grabbed the imagery here. These Jewish people will be made to regret rejecting Christ. They will see the truth. Notice though it says the tribes of the earth. In reference to Jerusalem. This means that its those who still reject him. It is not those who have seen the light. They will rejoice and be happy that he is coming. This is his second coming though, woe to the earth that has not followed him.

⁸I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 1:8 KJV

The term Alpha and Omega is a reference to the Greek alphabet. Alpha is the first letter and Omega is the last letter. So Jesus is saying that he is the first and the last. So where in the Bible is this term used?

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isaiah 44:6 KJV

So Jesus right here is making a direct statement that he is in fact, God. The point of using this form of encryption is A proving the Bible but also B is proving his statement. Now, I am going to make a statement that will sound a little strange. I do not believe the beginning and the ending was meant to be part of the Bible. I can only find it in a few select translations but the original text and oldest texts we have does not include this. It is interested also that this does not have any parallel.

Which is and which was, and which is to come. I believe this is a reference to God of course but further the way this book is written. Present, Past, and Future, I strongly believe all these things can be extracted from the book. I have debated on covering this and some of it I will. Other stuff I will share later. One thing is speculative. I want to keep speculative things to a minimum in this study.

9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
Revelation 1:9-10 KJV

John is mentioning where he is but look closer to what he is saying. Companion in tribulation, or rather the tribulation. Often people speak Christianese words and Tribulation is one of them. See they have all these people who believe in a rapture and the tribulation cannot happen till the rapture. Those are known as pre-trib people which refers to them believing the tribulation cant happen till the rapture. Well, John disagrees and so does the Bible. Sorry but its true. Don’t worry, I will get to your personal beliefs eventually. There is so much dogma and not enough scripture reading.

He is also in the kingdom, a word of warning, the kingdom of God is in us. Right now we should all be living our lives not as citizens of the world but citizens of the kingdom of heaven. We are the kingdom and we should act as such. Patience of Jesus Christ, where does our patience derive? Jesus Christ.

Another interesting thing John says. John recognizes that all things work towards Christ. Even though by most people standards he is in the arms of a violent enemy, he keeps his focus on his mission for Christ. It is for Jesus’s testimony, not his, that he is in the situation he is in.

Now, John does not say he was in a dream here. He does not say he was given a mental image, rather, he says he was there. He transcended space time and was brought to the Lord’s Day. This rather major thing to claim. I want you to be sympathetic to the idea of moving through space time. God can move us anywhere he pleases be it the future or the past or change our locality. It is all possible with God.

What is the Lord’s Day? The Kuriake Hemera, most people confuse this verse. They assume it is the sabbath, which is what day? For all you who answered Sunday you are wrong. The sabbath day is defined in Genesis 2:3.

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
Genesis 2:3 KJV

The seventh day is Saturday. Later God solidifies his sabbath with the Jewish people placing it in the law and even giving it a commandment.

Yet at the same time you may find this interesting too.

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Daniel 7:25 KJV

Clearly the changing of times and laws, will have to do with the sabbath. This is speaking of the antichrist. I want to make this portion clear. I am not suggesting the sabbath is over and I am not seeking its replacement. To do so would be an evil act against God. So clearly the sabbath is important still. Do not let anyone suggest otherwise. God set that day as a special day for all humanity.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
Ezekiel 46:1 KJV

Believe it or not this is part of a prophecy. This is the practices at the third temple. When God will reign. You can read more about it but I believe this as many people reference as the Lord’s Day but once again I don’t think that is it either.

Colossian’s suggests that the Lord’s day is not the sabbath. I want you to bare with me here.

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Colossians 2:16-17 KJV

I believe that when we are given this kind of information we should hold it to be true. So the Lord’s day would point towards Christ somehow. I think it may be the day he was resected. Which is Sunday. I have changed my views on this subject and while I believe in the Sabbath and completely am quick to point out anyone calling Sunday the sabbath; I believe that Sunday is a special day all the same. If Saturday is the day the LORD rested of his works than Sunday is the day he began a new one.

11Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Revelation 1:11 KJV

Now, we are finally given a command by Jesus. He is instruction John to write down what he sees in a book, then from there he is too issue this book to specific churches. They were not the biggest churches either but Jesus selected them for their ability to diagnose strengths and illnesses within the Church proper. So essentially Jesus was creating a guide for the Church through the use of the seven churches. Now the term Asia here does not mean Eastern Asia in the modern sense. It means Asia from a western standpoint. This is Asia Minor, so in todays terms it was mostly western Turkey. It was known as Galatia in its time.

¹²And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
¹³And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
Revelation 1:12-13 KJV

Jesus will interpret a lot of this so I am not going to focus on the parts he will put the the page. Instead lets focus on what he chooses not to interpret for us. Now locally where is Jesus in this. He is in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks or in the middle. In the Greek it is luchnias (λυχνίας) or a lampstand. So we have Jesus speaking to John while he is in the middle of seven golden lampstands. Not only is it gold though, its fine gold, chrusan (χρυσᾶν), meaning it is indicative of wealth.

He is acting as the Son of man at this point in time. He is distinguishing himself as a kinsman. Not only as Messiah but as a fellow human for our sake. This points to the book of Ruth. I wont go into that now because it will become much more important later and it will be discussed at length then. But keep that in mind.

Now he is clothed in robe reaching to his feet, and he is girded across his chest with a golden sash. This is telling you he is High Priest. High Priest of who? Priest of all mankind, hence the term Son of Man.

¹⁴His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Revelation 1:14 KJV

Now these may be descriptors of Jesus, but they are also more. For instance lets look at his white hair. We need to look to Daniel… an entire chapter of Daniel… I am sorry but we really have to. I have decided to cut out verses and just show you what I mean. I encourage all of you to read it because it is important to the study and topic. Old Testament will have a lot to do with the Revelation of the father to the son.

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.
Daniel 7:9 KJV

Now lets look at the eyes of fire.

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Acts 3:2 KJV

And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
Acts 3:7 KJV

So do you see it now? He is trying to make a parallel here. He is showing that he is God. Through the symbols and signs of God, how seen and experienced him in the past.

And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
Hebrews 1:7 KJV

We too should seek to have the same fire in us because God has offered us a place as his minister. Why not take it?

One more point.

This is not the wrathful fires of death that we are to wield. We are to be ministers. Teaching truth and while truth can burn it can also be where people gather to escape the harsh grasp of winters touch. It will make one pure and we too should seek purification by the fire of God’s word. We should seek not our baptism by water, but a baptism by fire.

But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
Malachi 3:2 KJV

¹⁵And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Revelation 1:15 KJV

You know the drill. Brass, where in scripture are we met with this image. I am going to make a rather strange suggestion to you. We are looking towards something that had supernatural power. The reason I suggest this is because clearly the burned in a furnace is pointing to Daniel 3.

So what is the brass miracle I speak of?

6And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Numbers 21:6-9 KJV

As you can see here we have this very strange thing in Numbers. Yet, it points to Christ. To merely look upon this artifact you were healed. Likewise, faith in the Christ heals you. Another point to make if fiery serpent means Seraphim; (Are we dealing with fallen angels or snakes)? But that’s not here nor there.

So lets look at Daniel 3 because I invoked for anyone who does not know what I was talking about.

22Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. 26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. 27And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 28Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
Daniel 3:22-28 KJV

I think that is pretty clear who was in the furnace with them. It was Christ.

Now I am not going to look up the next part but waters are often issued when we are talking about nations. So being on many waters would be like being on many seas or oceans. So he is speaking for every nation and every people here. We can also look at him sounding like a water too. Either a cool stream or a rushing river or perhaps a powerful flood. You dont need to take my word on it. You can look it up and really I am sorry I do not have scriptures on this. Voice of many waters can mean Babylon as well and we know that is not Christ. So my searching through scripture did not have this portion. It is also missing from my notes so if someone can point me in the direction to look I would love to add that. I will credit you as well.

¹⁶And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Revelation 1:16 KJV

Once again not going to cover what Christ will. So lets forget what the seven stars are. So what is the double edged sword? This is a weapon of war. It was intended to cut deep into people through a thrust but also had the ability to cut as well with a slash. This is an incredibly strange image, but remember Christ already said he would signify all the images to understand this teaching.

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;
Psalms 149:6 KJV

So the praises of God should by a double edged sword to us.

1My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: 2That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge. 3For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: 4But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. 5Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.
Proverbs 5:1-5 KJV

It is bitter as wormwood, but true.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 KJV

It is the word of God, that is the double edge sword that Christ has in his mouth. It is amazing how a few words of truth can demolish the strongest of foes. We too are to be trained with our swords too. Remember always to be a prepared warrior, who knows who will need defending? However do not be selfish with your sword and go around slashing cause you can. Be gentle with your tongue but use it with impunity when you have to, after all we are free agents acting in the world.

Now a face like the sun. Clearly we are supposed to remember the transfiguration here.

1And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Matthew 17:1-5 KJV

Now we get to see this as a direct refrence to Christ here. So he had already appeared before Peter and James and John like this. He also is with Moses whose body was recovered by Michael and had to be taken from Satan’s grasp (Search Jude for that.) and Elijah who was transfigured and did not die. Jesus once again is making a distinction. He is the fleshborn God.

¹⁷And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
¹⁸I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Revelation 1:17-18 KJV

Now John is pretty frightened by this image he was so frightened that he lay like a dead man. He nearly fainted, he fell dead. Christ says to him not to fear. Once again saying that he is first and last just as God had in the past. Once again he lives even though he died. He has the keys OF hell and death. These are things not states of being. It is very important to remember hell is a thing and death is too and they are separate.

¹⁹Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
²⁰The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Revelation 1:19 KJV

Now we are given a teaching from Christ and this is how I knew how to find the answers in this book, the keys and the secrets of scripture. We are told that the seven stars are angels. There is nothing analogous about what he is telling him now. The seven candlesticks or lampstands are the churches. You may be shocked to find out that angels and devils control many things in this world. Under God’s will he will allow them to take power over things. However it is by people that the power either remains or it is thrown aside and another entity will take its place. It is true of yourself, your home, your town, your country, your church. Leaders are either lead by loving agents of God or they are lead by fallen beings.

The importance is remembering this. The Church is the light here. We are shown an insider look that Christ has them within his palm, this is a position of safety. God will stop all harm to the church if that is his will. He will let it fall otherwise. We are to learn here that God is the supreme ruler of all things with this chapter. He knows all things and ultimately all things going foreword will be done according to his will. Nothing can act outside of God’s will, while we may have a choice in how things go; ultimately it is God that will decide what will happen. Take heart in this, we are never without God’s protection and no matter the depths of despair the world seems to be in, it all comes to bow before his glory and peace.

I love you all, I hope that you continue on this journey with me. In Christ go in peace and spread the good news. All has been accomplished in him.

Ecclesial Studies, Spiritual Warfare, The Heart Of Darkness

The Heart Of Darkness 5: Nimrod, A Hunter Before The Lord

Posted on November 24, 2020December 2, 2020 by Jayce Ran

Nimrod, a man whose name is synonymous with stupidity. Ever wonder what exactly Nimrod did to deserve that? He was king of Babylon. Tried to build a tower to heaven to overthrow God. Thought he could build it high enough to get there. That is the myth. The truth is he was building a tower to heaven, but it was not to “heaven”.

I want to look at Nimrod a bit more closely so lets look at our only real historical record of this man.

⁸Now Cush fathered Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. ⁹He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” ¹⁰And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. ¹¹From that land he went to Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, ¹²and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.
Genesis 10:8-12 NASB

He was a hunter before the Lord. That term is obscured within the text. It means he hunted those who followed God. He was the rebel, Nimrod means The Rebel. Who did he rebel against? God. But the text says something interesting. It is repeated in Chronicles.

¹⁰Cush fathered Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.
1st Chronicles 1:10 NASB

Why is it so important to say he is a mighty one? It is the one characteristic that the Bible tells you to recognize about him. We have heard that term before, in Genesis.

⁴The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of mankind, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
Genesis 6:4 NASB

The term “Became” is הֵחֵ֔ל (hechel). That means to defile, to pollute, to profane. He polluted himself to become a mighty man. Likewise he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He became like a Nephilim. What in the world does that mean? I don’t know for sure but it suggests something happened to him and he became like a Nephilim being either a giant or very strong. We have a bit more information from Josephus actually, a Jewish scholar who most likely had access to lost books. Sadly we do not any longer have them. However we do have his writings, and this is what he says of Nimrod.

Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power.
He also said he would be revenged on God, if he should have a mind to drown the world again; for that he would build a tower too high for the waters to reach. And that he would avenge himself on God for destroying their forefathers. Now the multitude were very ready to follow the determination of Nimrod, and to esteem it a piece of cowardice to submit to God; and they built a tower, neither sparing any pains, nor being in any degree negligent about the work: and, by reason of the multitude of hands employed in it, it grew very high, sooner than any one could expect; but the thickness of it was so great, and it was so strongly built, that thereby its great height seemed, upon the view, to be less than it really was. It was built of burnt brick, cemented together with mortar, made of bitumen, that it might not be liable to admit water.
When God saw that they acted so madly, he did not resolve to destroy them utterly, since they were not grown wiser by the destruction of the former sinners; but he caused a tumult among them, by producing in them diverse languages, and causing that, through the multitude of those languages, they should not be able to understand one another. The place wherein they built the tower is now called Babylon, because of the confusion of that language which they readily understood before; for the Hebrews mean by the word Babel, confusion …
~ Josephus

Nimrod was tyrant of a man, who hated God for ending the lives of his ancestors. Most likely he began his life gathering up people and because he was strong he held a great number of them in his power. More so he founded several cities. Babylon being his greatest city. It was the worlds first post flood government.

Naturally he would have a large army, and lands and of course materials. In mythology he would fall in love with a woman named “Semiramis”. A prostitute who lived by the shores. Religiously she was thought to be a virgin who was given to Nimrod by the seas. She came out of the ocean, at least that is what the legend says.

“Semiramis” would be an interesting figure, Nimrod while masculine and strong ruled his people with fear and power. “Semiramis” would through a woman’s touch. She would be the high priestess and queen of the land. She would rule through seduction to get what she wants. The name of whoever Nimrod’s wife was is not important, what is however is that they would form a primitive mystery religion that has survived as mystery Babylon.

If you do not know, the mysteries, the mystery religion, the occult, the secret, whatever name you want to call it has its origins in Babylon. To spare you a long and drawn out explanation of Babylon right now, I am going to have you shelf those thoughts. The next session we will look into that more. However, for right now I want to look at Nimrod. He is one of the sacred masculines in occult teachings.

The goal of the masculine in occult teaching is to be strong and mighty. Much like the affix to his name. Evil will use this to its advantage. Think of the idea of Might Makes Right. If you can be trampled upon and forced to do what evil want you to it will. Nimrod is a good example of this for us as well. We should remind ourselves to be brave and fearless in the face of darkness. We do bend, we do not submit.

If evil senses weakness in us it will try to make us submit. Likewise as Christians, if we sense someone is weak, we take mercy on them. Instead of pummeling the weak because we can we try to help them. We protect them, don’t allow them to be bullied. Not because they bend to our will or believe the way we believe but because no one deserves to be picked on. It is by righteousness that we defend the weak.

Likewise, the government will use this tactic against us. It tries to appear as an incredible force that we cannot stand against. We can though, and we do. There is nothing anyone can do to you that will not be avenged by God. Remember this.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Romans 8:31 NASB

With much love, go out and be strong in the Lord.

Jayce Ran's Sweet Insanity