Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | May 5, 2023

God’s Sixth Intervention, the Millennial Kingdom and the Great White Throne, a Test and a Judgment!

A Victorious Celebration and a Feast!

The Times of the Gentiles is now a thing of history; a new dispensation has started and it will start with a festive happy time for all! I’m of the opinion that the mysterious 45 days, referenced in Daniel 12:12 will indicate the time our Lord takes to totally restore the earth to Millennial standards.

Day 45 may be the day all of the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation saints will be resurrected from the dead and brought into their fully restored Israel. This addition will complete a mighty assembly of God’s creation that includes all the resurrected saints from both the Church age, and the age of Israel.

In addition, the mortal believers who were saved through the Tribulation will also be included; this will indeed be a mighty assembly of both mortal and immortal people who love the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord! The entire population of the world will all love our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

The time has come for all of God’s children to rejoice in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ; a time of celebration to observe the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Lord Jesus Christ had given his life, “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

In Ephesians 5:25-27 it is written:

“25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

In Revelation 19:6-9 it is written:

“6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,

“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
    the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
    and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
    and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
    with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

It would be impossible to express in words all that God has planned for this event!

The Millennial Kingdom, God’s Ultimate Pass/Fail Test of Humanity

I believe the Lord will restore the earth to pre-flood conditions which will provide a perfect environment for all living beings. As then, life expectancy will increase and people will live much longer. Just as the Lord started mankind with perfect environment in the Garden of Eden, so shall it end with perfect environment in the Millennial Kingdom!

There will be a perfect harmony between mankind and the animals, in Isaiah 11:6-9 it is written:

“6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze;
Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.”

Although all aspects of life are perfect for the 1,000 years, as children are born to mortal parents there are many who will reject the Lord Jesus Christ and the amazing wonders of his kingdom and look for something else. Just as Adam failed in the perfect environment of the Garden of Eden, so these will fail in the perfection of the Millennial Kingdom.

At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan is released from the abyss and moves freely among the population. This is described in Revelation 20:7-10 where it is written:

“7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

This blatant rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, after 1,000 years of perfection, is a clear indication of the depravity of fallen humanity! The incredible wonders of the Millennium are simply brushed aside in favor of Satan’s deception! It helps the Christian understand why so many are falling for Satan’s deceptions today!

This, the second battle of Gog and Magog, will close the Millennial Kingdom; once again perfect environment ending in judgment and fire.

The Great White Throne

This final judgment will be preceded by the resurrection of all those who have rejected the gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. The Great White Throne judgment is described in Revelation 20:11-15 where it is written:

“11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Next time, God’s Seventh Intervention, the New Heaven and the New Earth.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 28, 2023

God’s Fifth Intervention Part 2, the Second Advent, Armageddon!

The Battle of Armageddon

The Times of the Gentiles will close with a terrible battle, called “The Battle of Armageddon” Prophetic references to this battle are spread all over the Bible. When one examines a number of Old and New Testament scripture verses a sequence emerges.

Battle of Armageddon Sequence of Events

  1. King of the South attacks Israel (Daniel 11:40a.) This would represent nations south of Israel and could include Middle Eastern and African nations.
  2. This is followed by an attack by the King of the North which represents Russia and other nations north of Israel. Earlier Russia will have suffered defeat at the battle of Gog and Magog but must have had the opportunity to rebuild its military (Daniel 11:40a).
  3. The Antichrist will be successful in defeating his attackers but will then hear of another invasion coming from the north and a gigantic invasion coming from the east (Revelation 9:13-21);
  4. The Antichrist will furiously attack his enemy and will engage them in lengthy battles that are only stopped by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Daniel 11:44; Zechariah 14:1-4).
  5. The Lord Jesus Christ returns and brings the Battle of Armageddon to an end (Revelation 19:11-21).
  6. The return of the Lord Jesus Christ brings the “Times of the Gentiles” to a close with judgment on the evil rulers and those who supported them.

This map and sequence are based on Bible studies given by R. B. Thieme, Berachah Church, Houston, Texas

The King of kings and Lord of lords Returns in the Air!

I’m convinced the awesome grandeur of this event would beggar any language we might use to try and describe it! In Revelation 1:7 it is written:

7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

The implications of “every eye will see Him” suggests the return, with the armies of heaven, may take an extended period of time and be visible all over the earth!

In Revelation 19:11-21, the return of the Lord Jesus is described:

“11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.”

The Day of The Lord!

In Zechariah 14, “The Day of The Lord” is described as the King of kings and the Lord of lords touches the ground at his Second Advent. I encourage you to read that chapter for important details.

14 Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! 2 I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city.

3 Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. 5 You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones with him. 6 On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, 7 yet there will be continuous day! Only the Lord knows how this could happen. There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light.” Zechariah 14:1-7

Restoration Begins

The earth has been left in a devastated condition and is in serious need of its creators hand to restore it to the perfect conditions that will exist during the next 1,000 years of the Millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. A large number of people will have survived the Tribulation, by God’s grace, to repopulate the earth. There is no information on how the Lord will restore the earth, but a passage in Daniel 12:12 may shed some light on the timing:

“12 Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.“

The second half of The Tribulation, known as the Great Tribulation, will last three and one-half prophetic years or 1,290 days. Verse 12 adds an additional 45 days which may be the time the Lord Jesus Christ restores the earth to perfection. At the end of the Great Tribulation, unbelievers are thrown into the Lake of Fire while mortal believers who have survived the Great Tribulation and will populate the Millennial Kingdom are protected by the Lord.

Regarding the resurrection of Old Testament saints and Tribulation saints it may be the verse in Daniel provides an important clue. When the Lord restores the earth, then the resurrection of the Old Testament and Tribulation saints may well take place on that 45th day after the completion of the second 31/2 years of the Great Tribulation and the close of the Times of the Gentiles.

Next time, we will consider the Millennium and the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ over all the earth followed by God’s judgment on sin!

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 21, 2023

God’s Fifth Intervention, the Second Advent

Illustration by Stephen Bower Used by permission of the artist Copyright © 2015

Time for the Second Prophetic Mountain Top, the Messiah’s Return as King of kings and Lord of lords!

At a time known only to God, the “Times of the Gentiles” will come to a close with the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords.

The last seven years of the Times of the Gentiles will coincide with the last seven years given to Israel and are known as the Tribulation. They will be a time of unimaginable suffering and horror! The Lord warns the disciples in Matthew 24:22,

“22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

Millions of people will die from the carnage and mayhem that will characterize these seven years, but a remnant, that trusts the Lord Jesus Christ, will be preserved to populate the Millennial Kingdom.

The time frame between the removal of the church and the Second Advent will be filled with great suffering. There are two unfulfilled prophetic battles that will take place, the Battle of Psalm 83 and the first Battle of God and Magog. I’m of the opinion that the removal of the church will be the catalyst for the Battle of Psalm 83 while the peace, that results from that battle, will provide the stability preceding the first Battle of Gog and Magog.

Although God will protect Israel, in the Battle of Psalm 83, the United States, the Great Satan, will receive no protection from God and will be removed as a world power after the devastation caused by the removal of the church and the Battle of Psalm 83 which will include the United States.

Israel’s obvious protection by God during the battle of Psalms 83, intimidates Israel’s enemies and gives Israel the time of peace referenced in Ezekiel 38:11 where it is written:

“11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’—”

Israel’s enemies, are afraid of Israel’s God, and stop their attacks on Israel, giving Israel a time of peace; I believe this all happens before the signing of the covenant agreement with the Antichrist.

The Tribulation Begins!

At some point after the Battle of Gog and Magog is won, Israel will confirm a covenant with the Antichrist for a period of seven years. This is prophesied in Daniel 9:26-27 where it is written:

26 “And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate.”

This is the prophecy the Lord mentions in Matthew 24:15-22 where it is written:

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.“

God’s Timetable is Perfect!

The Book of Revelation provides a brief summary of the terrible judgments that will fall on the earth causing death and destruction! To me, there is one verse in the Book of Revelation that has an impact on my thinking that clearly establishes God’s authority over all that happens. In Revelation 9:15 it is written:

15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.

The timing on all of the end time events has been carefully planned by God and will occur as scheduled!

Next time, the Battle of Armageddon.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 14, 2023

God’s Forth Intervention, the Removal of the New Creation!

The World Situation Degenerates as the Church Age Draws to a Close

The Bible paints a very grim picture of the last days of the Church Age. We are given several descriptions of those days; verses in Romans 1:18-32; and Matthew 24:4-14 tell of moral and social deterioration. The moral and social conditions in some parts of the United States are already horrific beyond description!

Erica Sandberg, Brian C. Anderson Bay Watch

San Francisco Street Scene

The Bible does not reveal when the New Creation will be removed; there is a fearful similarity to be found in world conditions today and those described in the Bible as characterizing the last days of the Church Age.

The United States is one of those nations that still has a large number of Christians; the loss of that large a percentage of the national population will wreck havoc on this nation. I believe the removal of the church may well be the trigger for the Battle of Psalm 83; I have written more on that in a three-part series that starts with, “What’s Going to Happen Next, 2021? Part 1”

Laodicea

I believe we are living in the seventh and last church era, Laodicea which is described in Revelation 3:14-22

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”

God’s Forth Intervention

The Bible makes one thing clear, God never mixes the Age of Israel with the Church Age. Israel was set aside on March 30th AD 33 while the church did not come into existence until May 25, AD 33; fifty seven days later. The Church Age will end when the church is suddenly removed by God; the Age of Israel will not recommence until Israel signs a covenant agreement with the Antichrist.

Considering the unfulfilled prophecies mentioned in the Bible, there could possibly by an interval of several years.

Caught Up in the Clouds!

The removal of the church is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 where it is written:

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

This forth intervention will introduce changes that will impact the entire world; it is impossible to even imagine the impact of millions of people, all over the world, suddenly vanishing into thin air. The extent of the impact will directly depend on the number of Christians living in a nation; the United States and some other Christian nations will experience the greatest change.

The Restraining Ministry of the Holy Spirit is Removed

A profoundly serious aspect of this event is the removal of the restraining ministry of God, the Holy Spirit. If you think things are bad now, after the restraining ministry of God, the Holy Spirit is withdrawn, the world situation will deteriorate even quicker and things will get much worse. In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 it is written:

“2 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

During the Church Age, God, the Holy Spirit has made individual Christians his temple. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 it is written:

“19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

A Precipitous Decline

When the individual temples are taken to heaven, the Holy Spirit will go with them and remove the restraints he had placed on sin! “7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

I’m convinced this fourth intervention by God will be the catalyst for eliminating the United States as a world power!

The timing on this event is known only to God but the signs of the times suggest it may be soon.

Next time, God’s Fifth Intervention, the Second Advent.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 11, 2023

God’s Third Intervention, A New Creation!

The Mystery of the Church Age.

God had revealed two major prophetic events to the Old Testament prophets; their Messiah would come both as a suffering servant, and a triumphant King. In Isaiah 53, for example, the Messiah is described as the suffering servant; while in Isaiah 9 the Messiah is a victorious king.

These were two prophetic mountain tops that concealed a long valley in between, the age of the church; a time when God would introduce an entirely new creation, mankind indwelt by God! Although the prophets could see the two mountain tops, the valley in between them was hidden from view!

The valley held a mystery, the mystery of the church; a collection of individuals from every nation who would join in one body to serve the Lord Jesus Christ forever! We are now in year 1,990 of this hidden age.

This new creation would be available to all who would simply receive the free gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior regardless of nationality or ethnicity!

The implementation of this new plan required the completion of the First Advent by the Lord Jesus Christ including the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord back to heaven, which would then open the door to a completely new ministry by God, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit Comes to Create a New Human Being

Our Lord is speaking to his disciples in John 16:5-15 and tells them of the importance of his going to the Father so the Holy Spirit can be sent to them.

5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

Jesus tells them it is to their advantage that he go away so he might send the Holy Spirit to them to minister. I suspect their initial reaction was doubt, how could Jesus’ absence ever be better? While Jesus reveals the general ministry of the Holy Spirit to the world, he does not, at this point, explain the fundamental change the Holy Spirit will bring to mankind!

At the Feast of Pentecost on May 25, AD33, the Holy Spirit would indwell human beings for the fist time after resurrecting their dead spirits and awakening them to eternal life in Jesus Christ! Jesus makes a reference to this in John 14:16-17 where it is written:

“16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

At Pentecost, that is exactly what happened; the Holy Spirit joined with human Christians in an unbreakable bond that would never change. The Holy Spirit would join with every human being that received Jesus Christ as Savior and was born again into the family of God!

That union, between God and man, continues to this day! When you received Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit had come into you, resurrected your dead spirit, and took up an unbreakable presence in you that is eternal! You became a new creation as described in 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 where it is written:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

While the church age had a specific time when it began, it will close at a future time when the church age is ended by the removal of all born again Christians from the face of the earth. This event has a specific future date that is only known by the Father!

Next time, the church’s work is finished and the church is called home.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 6, 2023

Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the Beginning of the End!

The End of What?

This Friday is the day we observe Good Friday and while that is the day we remember the crucifixion, death and burial of our Lord Jesus Christ; Easter Sunday is the occasion we celebrate His resurrection from the dead.

A historic change in man’s relationship to God had occurred; by God’s grace, the barrier between God and man that had been created by Adam’s deliberate sin of disobedience had been removed by the death of our Lord, the Second Adam from above.

You may recall in Genesis 2:15-17

“15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Unfortunately Adam choose to disobey God and when he ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he, and all of humanity present and future died in Adam. As I’ve observed before, that means that you and I and every human born of a human father are born spiritually dead. It is the sin of Adam that created the barrier between God and man and the primary reason the Lord Jesus Christ suffered death as our kinsman-redeemer.

The Tearing of the Curtain on Good Friday

God gave us a symbol of the removal of this barrier when, at the time of the crucifixion, the curtain between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies in Herod’s temple was torn from the top to the bottom; signifying that access to God was now open to mankind through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

By his death and resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ had paid the penalty for all human sin for all time; sin had been removed as a barrier between God and man. As hard as it may be to imagine, personal sin is no longer the issue; the only remaining issue requiring resolution is receiving the forgiveness of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and God.

The Good News

Because of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, the end had come for sin as a barrier between God and man. This is effectively expressed in 1 John 2:1-2 where it is written:

“2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”

The church can now proclaim a message of hope, a message of reconciliation and good news for a suffering humanity:

BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED!

(First published April 3, 2015)

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | April 4, 2023

50,000 Views and Counting!

Monday Morning I Got a Big Surprise!

First of all, I didn’t know anyone was keeping track so you can imagine my surprise when I got this message from WordPress! It is very rewarding to realize that a 90 year old great-grandfather can still be used by the Lord in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ!

In 2011, I had been reflecting on my genealogy and the sad fact I had no idea what my father and two grandfathers thought about the deeper spiritual facts that impact us all. I felt a sense of loss in knowing that I would never have the opportunity, this side of heaven, to have deeper conversations with them on spiritual matters!

My beloved wife had been suggesting I write a blog, but I objected that I was not a writer and had no business trying to write a blog. Then, I made a decision that a blog might be a way to communicate with my family the deeper thoughts I had about the Christian life in a format that could be available to them when they were ready and it was convenient for them. In July of 2011, I published my first blog.

My wife and I have been blessed by the opportunity to study the Bible under many notable teachers. The first that immediately comes to mind is Brother Burkes, pastor of Bay View Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia. The second was Bob Thieme, pastor of Berachah Church in Houston. Last, but certainly not least, was Brother John Bisagno, at Houston’s First Baptist Church.

In addition, after I retired from work, I was able to return to Dallas Theological Seminary, after a gap of 45 years, finish my work there and graduate in May of 2009.

My wife and I have enjoyed our lives as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ and rejoice in the rich blessings of a Holy Spirit filled life. We both recognize that we have been richly blessed by the Lord as each of us sought to faithfully serve our Lord and be faithful stewards of his word to our family and to others as we were enabled by the Lord.

My blog is written to share the blessings available to God’s children as they faithfully implement the word of God as a daily guide to life. My wife and I can testify that God’s way is the best way! I fully endorse 1 Timothy 2:15

“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | March 30, 2023

Palm Sunday, 2023 and its Enormous Significance!

April 2nd, 2023 is Palm Sunday

This Sunday we observe and remember the entry of the Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem where He had come to die. This week was to be a terrible time of testing for the Jewish nation although they had no idea of the great significance of what was to happen from that point on.

The exact date for this momentous event had been prophesied by the Prophet Daniel and that prophecy, among many others, was being perfectly fulfilled by our Lord as He rode into the city. I would say it was certain that among the tens of thousands present that day, only the Lord understood the staggeringly wondrous truths that were being put into place as that amazing prophecy was fulfilled.

Four hundred and eighty-three years had passed since the beginning of the third and final group of three 490-year periods that had been given to Israel by God. The second group had ended with the Babylonian captivity and now the third group of 490 years had been put on hold at year 483 as also foretold by Daniel; I have written on this in some detail in a three-part series, The Seventy Weeks of Daniel.

Israel was being set aside for an unspecified number of years while a mystery was revealed, the mystery of the church and the age of grace, the age in which we now live. The remaining 7 years promised to Israel would resume at a point yet future when Israel would sign a covenant with the Antichrist.

The Entry into Jerusalem

Contrary to what we customarily celebrate, the entry was on a Monday, not a Sunday and it was not triumphal for our Lord; it was a time of great sadness as evidenced by Luke 19:41-42 where it is written,

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

The particular Greek word used for wept (ἔκλαυσεν) means a loud wracking sob; our Lord’s body was shaken by His sobs as He entered Jerusalem. He is likely the only one who understood the enormity of what was happening; the Jewish nation was being temporarily set aside, their rejection of their Messiah was going to yield great suffering for centuries to come. Their judgment would be severe and is still in force today.

It is likely, in His omniscience, that Jesus saw the Jerusalem of 70 AD as destroyed by Titus and could also see the bodies of some of those welcoming Him as they lay silent in death. This was a momentous, tragic moment that was being recognized only by the Lord and the thought of what was going to befall Jerusalem and His people reduced Him to wracking sobs. I suspect His disciples were totally confused by His reaction to the sight of Jerusalem and the excited crowds.

From the Shephard’s Notes.com

There is another extremely touching aspect of our Lord’s entering Jerusalem on Nisan 10. If we examine Exodus 12:3 we read,

“Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month (Nisan) each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.”

This was part of the instructions given to Israel on the occasion of the first Passover in Egypt. Traditionally, the family would select a perfect lamb and place it on display in front of their dwelling so all could see they were offering the Lord their very best.

God’s Passover Lamb put on display

On March 30, AD 33, the 10th of Nisan, the Father put His Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world on display for all Jerusalem to see that the Father was offering them His very best. (In 2023 we are in year 5783 according to the Jewish calendar and the 10th of Nisan will be Saturday, April 1st.)

After the passing of that day, Israel had been set aside for an undetermined number of years. Today we are at year 1,990 and still counting as Israel continues to suffer judgments until the return of the Lord they rejected.

The countdown clock on the remaining seven years of Israel’s last 490 years will recommence when Israel signs a covenant agreement with the Antichrist; this event and not the rapture of the church will be the trigger that starts their final countdown and the beginning of the Tribulation.

While this was an amazing week, filled with suffering and anguish for our Lord and judgment for Israel, it was the reason our Lord took on human form; that was necessary that He might die for our sins. The moment of triumph was coming soon, the following week our Lord would rise from the dead having perfectly paid the price of our redemption.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4

(First published March 28, 2015, updated and revised)

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | March 6, 2023

We, as Christians, Live Under God’s Shield of Protection!

First of All, Who and What we Really Are!

A Satanic priority is to conceal who and what we really are; if the truth were widely understood and believed, then the world would be greatly changed! The basic truth of the matter is; we are eternal, spiritual beings created in the image of God! There will never be a time when we do not exist in some form somewhere.

It has pleased God to place us initially in a temporary container made of this earth; this container, our human bodies, are short-term affairs, referred to in the Bible as tents which have been cursed by God for Adam’s disobedience, and will not accompany us on our future travels.

The Bible provides a brief historic summary of how we got here, where we’ve been and where we’re going. It also reveals the plans God has for us are unalterable and inevitable. We discover, from the Bible, there is one race of humankind that now exists in two forms; those spiritually alive and those spiritually dead.

Those spiritually alive have received life by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior; those spiritually dead remain under the death curse that resulted from Adam’s disobedience to God’s command. Ethnic distinctions are meaningless Satanic deceptions; we are all one race descended from Adam through Noah!

God’s First Intervention, the Great Flood

History shows that God deals dramatically and decisively when he chooses to intervene in the affairs of mankind. The Bible is filled with instances in the past and in the future when God steps in with great power and drama!

In Matthew 24:36-39 it is written:

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

The Lord Jesus Christ tells of a time when life was proceeding in a normal fashion and suddenly there was a massive change introduced by God; something that had never happened before started happening, water, pouring from the sky and monstrous torrents of water shooting miles up from the ground and flooding the earth.

For one thousand, six hundred and fifty-six years the ground had been watered by a mist that went up for the earth: “6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.” Genesis 2:6 Now, something was happening that defied the imagination.

Suddenly, the world as it had been known, was changing in a very dangerous way; earthquakes and volcanic eruptions were everywhere as the water started rising and wouldn’t stop. This would continue until every living creature on the face of the earth had drowned.

God’s Shield of Protection!

Although the world’s judgment would be severe; God, in his grace, had chosen some to protect from that judgment. In Genesis 6:5-14, the situation is explained:

“5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.”

It is easy to imagine the ridicule and laughter that must have been generated by a man building a massive boat on dry land and likely telling of something that had never, in the history of mankind, happened before. There must have been some moments of doubt when animals of all sorts started making their way into this massive boat with no visible guidance or motivation; Noah was putting on quite a show!

The Bible does not reveal how many were watching the show nor how they reacted when the unimaginable started to happen; water started falling from the sky for the first time! Genesis 7 summarizes what happens next as a cataclysm of truly Biblical proportions begins to unfold for the terrified left outside the Ark.

God’s Second Intervention, the First Advent

As a further manifestation of God’s grace, God determined to send His Son to earth to take on human form and be born of a virgin so he might die as the payment for the sins of the world. In addition, after the successful completion of his task, the Son would return to heaven and God, the Holy Spirit would come to earth to indwell all those who received salvation by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

God had hidden from the Old Testament prophets a new, secret development, the formation of a new entity called the church. All receiving Jesus Christ as Savior, would be given new spiritual life and joined, by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, into one spiritual body called the church.

This is where we find ourselves today, the church is almost 1,990 years old; having begun at Pentecost in 33 AD. At the First Advent, God had set Israel aside for an unrevealed number of years but had promised them an additional 7 years in the last days. I have written more on that in a three-part series that starts with; “The Seventy Weeks of Daniel”

Once Israel’s last seven years begins, the church will be gone, God does not mix the church and Israel. Israel had been set aside on March 30, AD 33 while the church didn’t come into existence until May 25, AD 33.

Next time, God’s Third Intervention, the New Creation.

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Posted by: davidbowerkingwood | February 27, 2023

Ninety Years Old (and Counting)!

While not as sonorous as 100 years old, 90 years old has a certain ring of its own.

A Chocolate Birthday Cake for my Ninetieth!

At the insistence of our daughter, Karen, our family celebrated my 90th birthday with a party at our house. It was a truly wonderful occasion with our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in attendance! The great-grandchildren, running and playing made it a noisy, active, thoroughly joyous event!

Our house, which is usually rather quiet, was filled with the excited laughter and screams of little children playing; bringing back memories of past years when our children and grandchildren provided the excitement. Since we have lived in that same house for almost 48 years, our grandchildren can remember when they were the little ones playing on the floor; now their children are playing in the same rooms!

As a young man, I never had thoughts of being 90 years old; my life was too full of people, places and past-times to let such thoughts even momentarily drift through my mind.

There had been two older men in my youth that influenced my perceptions of being old; my mother’s father, Dave, and my father’s father, Bob. My name, Robert David Bower came from them; since Bob and Dave were already taken, I got Robert David. I was impressed by their age and appearance and thought of them as being really old.

In retrospect, I do not think of them as all that old; Bob died when he was 73 and Dave died when he was 74; for me, that is almost ancient history!

My parents divorced when I was 2, so I have very few memories of my father being an influencer in my life. He died in a car wreck when he was 69.

No Plan for the Future

I decided to retire when I was 71 years old; there were changes in the wind that suggested a change in my situation was timely. By God’s grace, I was in a financial situation that permitted me to consider retirement as an option so I retired in September of 2004.

I had no idea what I would do after I retired; I had always had some sort of job since I was in junior high and was living on my own and fully supporting myself by the time I was 18. It was going to take some adjusting to not think of going to work and doing something.

It really didn’t matter as the Lord, in his grace, had already planned my retirement and would reveal his plans to me at the appointed time. I can say, with great enthusiasm, that the years of my retirement have been gloriously rewarding and filled with unexpected opportunities and challenges!

Building on a Solid Foundation

My wife and I got married while we were still children, at least legally we were children; she was 17 and I was 19 and we decided we would finish growing up together. I had been living in a furnished room and she spent too much time worrying about me so we figured it would be easier on both of us if we lived closer together.

Now, over 70 years later, that arrangement is still working for both of us. I have written more on that in a 2-part series that starts with: “A Husband’s Perspective on Building a Successful Christian Marriage.”

Our marriage has served as the foundation for my life and I continually thank and praise the Lord for his grace in giving me his servant, Adele, to be my wife! Our love for each other has continued to grow each day and has provided the necessary component to make our marriage the happy adventure it has become.

I continue to welcome the future, knowing my times are in the Lord’s hands!

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