Luke 16:14-15 Easy-to-Read Version God’s Law Cannot Be Changed 14 The Pharisees were listening to all these things. They criticized Jesus because they all loved money. 15 Jesus said to them, “You make yourselves look good in front of people. But God knows what is really in your hearts. What people think is important is worth nothing to God. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello, this passage is so interesting to me I read the question and instantly wanted to give an answer to it. I think life is interesting and know for a fact that people have a personal interest in each other. I remember when people loved to follow me even though you could tell they did not understand one thing going on, pretty much misunderstood everything. But even so they loved to know my business and what I was doing every minute of the day. It really bothered me at first, I had no privacy, but I realized that they meant no harm to me but a habit they formed. God is not like that God looks at people but not in the same way. No one gets offended when it may be very clear that God was obviously watching you and your affairs. It does not appear nosy or disrespectful to constantly looking into people's business. The intelligent way of understanding people and their desires is one of God’s trademarks. In the passage above it is not so hard to understand the thoughts of the Pharisees, why? Because they are criticizing Jesus it is easy to see the nonsense in their head. Jesus talks common sense about money, and they look down on it simply because they LOVE money and did not agree with him. It could also be because Jesus was not dressed up as they normally are and was a simple man, his characteristics were different than theirs so they thought he could not understand money. Let's see what the Bible says about knowing people's hearts. 1 Samuel 16:4-10 Easy-to-Read Version 4 Samuel did what the Lord told him to do and went to Bethlehem. The elders of Bethlehem shook with fear. They met Samuel and asked, “Do you come in peace?” 5 Samuel answered, “Yes, I come in peace. I come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. Prepare yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Samuel prepared Jesse and his sons. Then he invited them to come and share the sacrifice. 6 When Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the man who the Lord has chosen.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Eliab is tall and handsome, but don’t judge by things like that. God doesn’t look at what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart. Eliab is not the right man.” 8 Then Jesse called his second son, Abinadab. Abinadab walked by Samuel. But Samuel said, “No, this is not the man who the Lord chose.” 9 Then Jesse told Shammah to walk by Samuel. But Samuel said, “No, the Lord did not choose this man, either.” 10 Jesse showed seven of his sons to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these men.” 1 Chronicles 28:9-10 Easy-to-Read Version 9 “And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father. Serve God with a pure heart. Be happy to serve him, because the Lord knows what is in everyone’s heart. He knows what you are thinking. If you go to him for help, you will get an answer. But if you turn away from him, he will leave you forever. 10 Solomon, you must understand that the Lord has chosen you to build his holy place—the Temple. Be strong and finish the job.” 2 Chronicles 6:28-31 Easy-to-Read Version 28 “The land might become very dry so that no food will grow on it. Or maybe a great sickness will spread among the people. Maybe all the food that is growing will be destroyed by insects. Or your people might be attacked in some of their cities by their enemies. Or many of your people might get sick. 29 When any of these things happen, people feel the need to spread their hands in prayer toward this Temple. 30 Please listen to their prayer while you are in your home in heaven and forgive them and help them. Only you know what people are really thinking, so only you can judge them fairly. 31 Do this so that your people will fear and respect you all the time that they live in this land you gave to our ancestors. Proverbs 15:11 Easy-to-Read Version 11 The Lord knows everything, even what happens in the place of death. So surely he knows what people are thinking. Acts 1:23-26 Names of God Bible 23 The disciples determined that two men were qualified. These men were Joseph (who was called Barsabbas and was also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s thoughts. Show us which of these two you have chosen. 25 Show us who is to take the place of Judas as an apostle, since Judas abandoned his position to go to the place where he belongs.” 26 They drew names to choose an apostle. Matthias was chosen and joined the eleven apostles. Acts 26:24 Easy-to-Read Version Paul Tries to Persuade Agrippa 24 While Paul was still defending himself, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Too much study has made you crazy.” Greetings this passage here is the reaction that the nations had towards the Good News and Paul’s address to the courts of the Roman Leaders. It was totally rejected as nonsense, but it was noted that he has learned strong religious teachings. The best things to do is take a closer look at what the Good News was and how it was preached all around the world. What does the Bible tell us about the methods used by Paul and others to spread the word of God? 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Names of God Bible 2 Brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I didn’t speak about God’s mystery as if it were some kind of brilliant message or wisdom. 2 While I was with you, I decided to deal with only one subject--Yeshua Christ, who was crucified. 3 When I came to you, I was weak. I was afraid and very nervous. 4 I didn’t speak my message with persuasive intellectual arguments. I spoke my message with a show of spiritual power 5 so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Easy-to-Read Version My Message: Jesus Christ on the Cross 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when I came to you, I told you the secret truth of God. But I did not use fancy words or great wisdom. 2 I decided that while I was with you I would forget about everything except Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. 3 When I came to you, I was weak and shook with fear. 4 My teaching and my speaking were not with wise words that persuade people. But the proof of my teaching was the power that the Spirit gives. 5 I did this so that your faith would be in God’s power, not in human wisdom. Using two different translations we can see that emphasis was placed on Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection from the dead this is the bases for presenting the word of God to people everywhere. You could say that the Good News was downplayed in speech and mannerism so people could see God’s power. In today’s terms the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the ace up their sleeves so to speak and they did not want something else to overpower the presentation: A religious scholar was murdered in Israel and then seen walking around just three days after his death. As it says the ancient followers decided to focus their preaching methods on Jesus Christ and the fact that they are eyewitnesses to their teacher that spread announcement of the Kingdom of God. This is the overall plan used as a method in preaching the Good News all around the world, with the help and the planning of God it was a huge success. What prophecy is recorded in the Bible that helps us understand the reaction people will have towards the Good News? Isaiah 8:14-15 Living Bible 14-15 He will be your safety; but Israel and Judah have refused his care and thereby stumbled against the Rock of their salvation and lie fallen and crushed beneath it: God’s presence among them has endangered them! Isaiah 8:14-15 Easy-to-Read Version 14 If you people would respect him, he would be a safe place for you. But you don’t respect him, so he is like a stone that you stumble over. He is a rock that makes both families of Israel fall. He has become a trap that all the people of Jerusalem will fall into. 15 (Many people will trip over this rock. They will fall and be broken. They will be caught in the trap.) What results did the people have to this approach of spreading the Good News of the Kingdom? 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 Living Bible 22 It seems foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven as proof that what is preached is true; and it is foolish to the Gentiles because they believe only what agrees with their philosophy and seems wise to them. 23 So when we preach about Christ dying to save them, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. 24 But God has opened the eyes of those called to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, to see that Christ is the mighty power of God to save them; Christ himself is the center of God’s wise plan for their salvation. 25 This so-called “foolish” plan of God is far wiser than the wisest plan of the wisest man, and God in his weakness—Christ dying on the cross—is far stronger than any man. JEWS REACTIONS: Matthew 13:53-58 Living Bible 53-54 When Jesus had finished giving these illustrations, he returned to his hometown, Nazareth in Galilee, and taught there in the synagogue and astonished everyone with his wisdom and his miracles. 55 “How is this possible?” the people exclaimed. “He’s just a carpenter’s son, and we know Mary his mother and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. 56 And his sisters—they all live here. How can he be so great?” 57 And they became angry with him! Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own country, and among his own people!” 58 And so he did only a few great miracles there, because of their unbelief. GENTILES REACTION: Acts 17:32-34 Living Bible 32 When they heard Paul speak of the resurrection of a person who had been dead, some laughed, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33 That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34 but a few joined him and became believers. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the City Council, and a woman named Damaris, and others. See An Amazing Model of Jerusalem From the Time of Jesus! Hi, I understand your question if you are referring to divine court it would mean that you don’t need to worry about having to appeal for charges against oneself that part is officially over. Religion has been shut down if it reopens, we will see how God will handle this. If you are actively a part of a religion, any religion it will be worked out no need to worry. If you have never been a part of a religion or have left the church still no need to worry, Isaiah 2:2–4. God is right now using the Great Tribulation to get firm acknowledgment from people every that the Kingdom of God is now here as well as testing mankind. Next the government of God is set up and information will be given on what will happen. I remind you that God has intervene in human affairs this means all business is preparing for transfer to God who is busy establishing the government for visual rule, Isaiah 65:17-19. At this point existing secular governments are still on the world scene they are still active in their roles as government leaders they must be removed and inactive, Daniel 2:44. This has not happened yet that is why you are hearing of elections and plans for the future because results have yet finalized for governments exit but soon. Once this happens everything will be different, and the Kingdom of God will be active on the world scene alone. So don’t worry about everything all is in order. Ecclesiastes 1:18 Living Bible 16-18 I said to myself, “Look, I am better educated than any of the kings before me in Jerusalem. I have greater wisdom and knowledge.” So I worked hard to be wise instead of foolish—but now I realize that even this was like chasing the wind. For the more my wisdom, the more my grief; to increase knowledge only increases distress. Hi, I think the passage was written with salvation in mind, anything from imperfect people can be in the end very frustrating. One point unknown to people is that salvation opens wisdom naturally so that you got smarter in a different way than before salvation was given. So, I added more passages that expresses the desire for one to obtain salvation and gain true wisdom that comes from God it is very different. Ecclesiastes 2:14-16 Easy-to-Read Version 14 Wise people use their minds like eyes to see where they are going. But for fools, it is as if they are walking in the dark. I also saw that fools and wise people both end the same way. 15 I thought to myself, “The same thing that happens to a fool will also happen to me. So why have I tried so hard to become wise?” I said to myself, “Being wise is also useless.” 16 Whether people are wise or foolish, they will still die, and no one will remember either one of them forever. In the future, people will forget everything both of them did. So the two are really the same. Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 Living Bible 15-17 In this silly life I have seen everything, including the fact that some of the good die young and some of the wicked live on and on. So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either—don’t be a fool! Why should you die before your time? 18 Tackle every task that comes along, and if you fear God, you can expect his blessing. Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 Easy-to-Read Version 16-17 So why ruin your life? Don’t be too good or too bad, and don’t be too wise or too foolish. Why should you die before your time? 18 Try to be a little of this and a little of that. Even God’s followers will do some good things and some bad things. 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 Living Bible 18 Stop fooling yourselves. If you count yourself above average in intelligence, as judged by this world’s standards, you had better put this all aside and be a fool rather than let it hold you back from the true wisdom from above. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As it says in the book of Job, God uses man’s own brilliance to trap him; he stumbles over his own “wisdom” and falls. 20 And again, in the book of Psalms, we are told that the Lord knows full well how the human mind reasons and how foolish and futile it is. Ecclesiastes 12:11-12 Easy-to-Read Version 11 Words from the wise are like sharp goads. When these sayings are written down and saved, they can be used to guide people, just as a shepherd uses a sharp stick to make his sheep go the right way. 12 So, son, study these sayings, but be careful about other teachings. People are always writing books, and too much study will make you very tired. Hi what an interesting question, Will people have lawyers to represent them during Judgment Day? Well, I think the lawyers will also be in “court” because all the earth is judged, Revelation 11:16–18. The testimony to that is the Great Tribulation happening in one place after another, so that no country is spared. I read the other comments for this question and liked them. I think we don’t have to worry about God being unfair and the justice measured out being inappropriate, trust in the Lord, Psalms 37:3–4. But I understand your question though and delighted to hear that you wish to have chance to be acquitted and who knows maybe you will be. Take care smile. HI that is an interesting question I think the original term means to uphold a standard that is clearly not happening. It could also mean a viewpoint that is not in agreement. There are many examples, but I feel inside you already know what one would be. Do you believe that God simply put up a commandment and a member of your family just outright refused to agree or acknowledge the commandments? I remind your that the commandments are actually laws or administrative requires of the land or country. A recent situation that I will put down that involves my own personal family. A while back I found out over the years that my family was indeed incestuous and I myself will have nothing to do with it period. What commandment of God should be foremost in my mind and heart? It would be Leviticus chapter 18 that has all kinds of sexual sins printed out loud and clear. The modern version of this is at: Ephesians 5:3-5 Names of God Bible 3 Don’t let sexual sin, perversion of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you. This is not appropriate behavior for God’s holy people. 4 It’s not right that dirty stories, foolish talk, or obscene jokes should be mentioned among you either. Instead, give thanks to God. 5 You know very well that no person who is involved in sexual sin, perversion, or greed (which means worshiping wealth) can have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. So, what should I do? I am a New Yorker the first impulse I had was to punch in the face anyone even suggesting something like that family or not. I am not playing games in here I pursued the law courts and jail instantly. Now ask the question: WAS I WRONG? The appropriate example is this action then you will succeed in standing before the Judgment Seat of God satisfied in your mind and heart that you upheld divine principles no matter what. This is the most important thing of course and what the passage is referring to. Peace Hi, the stories of an earth wide deluge are told in many versions all over the world. Some say that the flood of Noah’s Ark was only a flash flood as we have today that is covering the ground up to the thighs, some places even higher to the chest. But the story of Noah’s Ark is flood waters that covered the highest mountain as in Mt. Everest that is over 29,000 feet. That would make the waters of the flood into outer space. Must remember it was just a story for how could the earth hold the waters if it overwhelmed the earth into outer space? The Bible says the waters drained off the earth. We don’t see that happening even now. I believe the waters will be absorbed into the ground, there are desert areas on earth. Hello, the Ten Commandments are the words written on the stone tablets the rest are called Laws and they have a general topic from instructions on building the Tabernacle to festivals and ceremonies. Some are outright laws of prohibited illegal actions. The entire bulk are called the Laws of Moses or The Torah Laws. Hi, I waited awhile in thought before I answered this question. I wondered why a ritual could be created. Why eternal Life should have a ritual? In the dictionary the word Ritual is defined as: a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. And/or relating to or done as a religious or solemn rite. So, I thought what is the principle behind eternal life, or what is God’s intention of bestowing it to humans? Is eternal life a natural form of life for humans? Is it wise to give life forever to imperfect humans? How should eternal life be viewed by people everywhere? Is this some kind of trick question? What information does the Bile provide for us? COURT CASE Beginning: Charges Genesis 2:15-17 Names of God Bible 15 Then Yahweh Elohim took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to farm the land and to take care of it. 16 Yahweh Elohim commanded the man. He said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because when you eat from it, you will certainly die.” Genesis 3:6-7 Easy-to-Read Version 6 The woman could see that the tree was beautiful and the fruit looked so good to eat. She also liked the idea that it would make her wise. So she took some of the fruit from the tree and ate it. Her husband was there with her, so she gave him some of the fruit, and he ate it. 7 Then it was as if their eyes opened, and they saw things differently. They saw that they were naked. So they got some fig leaves, sewed them together, and wore them for clothes. Isaiah 43:25-28 Easy-to-Read Version 25 “I, I am the one who wipes away all your sins. I do this to please myself. I will not remember your sins. 26 But you should remember me. Let’s meet together and decide what is right. Tell your story and prove that you are innocent. 27 Your first father sinned, and your lawyers committed crimes against me. 28 I will make your Temple leaders unfit to serve there. I will destroy Jacob. Bad things will happen to Israel. Ending: Judgment Verdict Genesis 6:3, 5–7 Names of God Bible 3 Then Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not struggle with humans forever, because they are flesh and blood. They will live 120 years.” 5 Yahweh saw how evil humans had become on the earth. All day long their deepest thoughts were nothing but evil. 6 Yahweh was sorry that he had made humans on the earth, and he was heartbroken. 7 So Yahweh said, “I will wipe off the face of the earth these humans that I created. I will wipe out not only humans, but also domestic animals, crawling animals, and birds. I’m sorry that I made them.” Judgment Executed Matthew 25:31-46 Easy-to-Read Version The Son of Man Will Judge All People 31 “The Son of Man will come again with divine greatness, and all his angels will come with him. He will sit as king on his great and glorious throne. 32 All the people of the world will be gathered before him. Then he will separate everyone into two groups. It will be like a shepherd separating his sheep from his goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the king will say to the godly people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has great blessings for you. The kingdom he promised is now yours. It has been prepared for you since the world was made. 35 It is yours because when I was hungry, you gave me food to eat. When I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I had no place to stay, you welcomed me into your home. 36 When I was without clothes, you gave me something to wear. When I was sick, you cared for me. When I was in prison, you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the godly people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you with no place to stay and welcome you into our home? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’ 40 “Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’ 41 “Then the king will say to the evil people on his left, ‘Get away from me. God has already decided that you will be punished. Go into the fire that burns forever—the fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 You must go away because when I was hungry, you gave me nothing to eat. When I was thirsty, you gave me nothing to drink. 43 When I had no place to stay, you did not welcome me into your home. When I was without clothes, you gave me nothing to wear. When I was sick and in prison, you did not care for me.’ 44 “Then those people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty? When did we see you without a place to stay? Or when did we see you without clothes or sick or in prison? When did we see any of this and not help you?’ 45 “The king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you refused to do for any of my people here, you refused to do for me.’ 46 “Then these evil people will go away to be punished forever. But the godly people will go and enjoy eternal life.” Hi, I say studying the Bible expresses history and how could that be a waste of time? If the stories of the Bible are not real, it would not matter it is the Word of God or in general what God wanted to say to people. I think God knows the stories are not real. I think people will just have to wait until God wants to speak again. Peace. Hi as you know Adam and Eve are the only two people living on earth at the beginning. So, the only way for their children to start families is to marry each other and pair off. There are no cousins and things of that nature yet time will build a family of large people such as we have today. People are of the same family and do not even know it. Hi the book of Revelation is just a story that tells information about the future in dream format, a version of 16 or so recurring dreams. The time of John’s life came in the 1st Century AD and as you can see the Great Tribulation come in 21st Century AD. It is not possible for the Apostle John to acknowledge the things he sees in dream format living in the first century because today we wear suits, drive cars, build megacities which in the first century hasn’t been created yet. Another point for the Apostle John is to see millions of people in just one city like NY. The city alone has millions of Americans, 8 million people live here spread out in five boroughs. The Apostle John lives in a village of about maybe 25 families he could never image a big city. Below I will show you a picture of the 1st century and 21st century so you can compare. 1st Century AD 21st Century AD Hello, the plan for salvation is extensive and complex and I have prepared the best I can to make it as easy as possible for people to understand the stories relayed in the Bible as an explanation for the will of God. 1 Peter 2:24 Easy-to-Read Version 24 Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you were healed. EXPOUNDED MEANING Judaism Rites: Leviticus 16:20-22 Easy-to-Read Version 20 “So Aaron will make the Most Holy Place, the Meeting Tent, and the altar pure. Then he will bring the living goat to the front of the tent. 21 He will put both his hands on the head of the living goat. Then he will confess the sins and crimes of the Israelites over the goat. In this way Aaron will lay the people’s sins on the goat’s head. Then he will send the goat away into the desert. A man will be standing by, ready to lead this goat away. 22 So the goat will carry all the people’s sins on itself into the empty desert. The man who leads the goat will let it loose in the desert. Christian Rites: 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 Living Bible 20 We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, receive the love he offers you—be reconciled to God. 21 For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured God’s goodness into us! Philippians 2:5-11 Living Bible 5 Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ, 6 who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God, 7 but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men. 8 And he humbled himself even further, going so far as actually to die a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Yet it was because of this that God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name which is above every other name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Isaiah 53 Living Bible 53 But, oh, how few believe it! Who will listen? To whom will God reveal his saving power? 2 In God’s eyes he was like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. But in our eyes there was no attractiveness at all, nothing to make us want him. 3 We despised him and rejected him—a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we didn’t care. 4 Yet it was our grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, for his own sins! 5 But he was wounded and bruised for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed—and we were healed! 6 We--every one of us—have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet God laid on him the guilt and sins of every one of us! 7 He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he never said a word. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he stood silent before the ones condemning him. 8 From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people of that day realized it was their sins that he was dying for—that he was suffering their punishment? 9 He was buried like a criminal, but in a rich man’s grave; but he had done no wrong and had never spoken an evil word. 10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to bruise him and fill him with grief. However, when his soul has been made an offering for sin, then he shall have a multitude of children, many heirs. He shall live again, and God’s program shall prosper in his hands. 11 And when he sees all that is accomplished by the anguish of his soul, he shall be satisfied; and because of what he has experienced, my righteous Servant shall make many to be counted righteous before God, for he shall bear all their sins. 12 Therefore, I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great because he has poured out his soul unto death. He was counted as a sinner, and he bore the sins of many, and he pled with God for sinners. Hi, the best information in the Bible for this subject is Matthew 24:3–8, 21–22, 29–30 that says: Matthew 24:3-8, 21–22, 29–20 Easy-to-Read Version 3 Later, Jesus was sitting at a place on the Mount of Olives. The followers came to be alone with him. They said, “Tell us when these things will happen. And what will happen to prepare us for your coming and the end of time?” 4 Jesus answered, “Be careful! Don’t let anyone fool you. 5 Many people will come and use my name. They will say, ‘I am the Messiah.’ And they will fool many people. 6 You will hear about wars that are being fought. And you will hear stories about other wars beginning. But don’t be afraid. These things must happen before the end comes. 7 Nations will fight against other nations. Kingdoms will fight against other kingdoms. There will be times when there is no food for people to eat. And there will be earthquakes in different places. 8 These things are only the beginning of troubles, like the first pains of a woman giving birth. 21 because it will be a time of great trouble. There will be more trouble than has ever happened since the beginning of the world. And nothing as bad as that will ever happen again. 22 “But God has decided to make that terrible time short. If it were not made short, no one would continue living. But God will make that time short to help the people he has chosen. 29 “Right after the trouble of those days, this will happen: ‘The sun will become dark, and the moon will not give light. The stars will fall from the sky, and everything in the sky will be changed.’ 30 “Then there will be something in the sky that shows the Son of Man is coming. All the people of the world will cry. Everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky. He will come with power and great glory. Hi, I would like to think that God tested completely those that have faith in him. I understand that the lives of people today are too fast paced, and people need to slow down in order to think clearly. It may be destruction came not only because people would not listen but the stubbornness that is displayed. It is important that people acknowledge their life course, and it affects God that the world did not turn out the way that God wanted it to. There are many steps to be taken and people should know that, and the end result will mean God has completed what he started out to do. The passage in Jeremiah 33:6 belongs to a reminder about God's purpose and change will materialize because of God's will. This is to recall the Book of Job and that the outcome he had after he displayed faith in God and the will of God. Job 42:10-11 Names of God Bible 10 After Job prayed for his friends, Yahweh restored Job’s prosperity and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 Then all his brothers and sisters and everyone who had previously known him came to him. They ate with him at his house, sympathized with him, and comforted him for all the evil Yahweh had brought to him. Each one gave him some money and a gold ring. Hi, I believe that repentance means to change one's mind about a course that was not clear at presence but suddenly became clear and understood. When people sin, they mostly do so because an important point is lacking, it could be experience or some factor. One passage in the Bible really hits home on how this can be every true and that people just did not know and mistakenly sinned, 1 Timothy 1:13. That is why the Bible says that no matter what we sin it will be forgiven us because of faith in Jesus Christ our Lord, James 5:13–15. Romans 12:2 Names of God Bible 2 Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants—what is good, pleasing, and perfect. Hello, I never heard of a small day of Judgment. But in reference to the term Judgment Day, what does it mean and what is the significance of it? 2 Peter 3:7 Easy-to-Read Version 7 And that same word of God is keeping the skies and the earth that we have now. They are being kept to be destroyed by fire. They are kept for the day of judgment and the destruction of all people who are against God. THE ACTIONS OF ALL MANKIND: Isaiah 37:28-29 Living Bible 28 But I know you well—your comings and goings and all you do—and the way you have raged against me. 29 Because of your anger against the Lord—and I heard it all!—I have put a hook in your nose and a bit in your mouth and led you back to your own land by the same road you came.” Isaiah 59:6-8 Living Bible 6 You cheat and shortchange everyone. Everything you do is filled with sin; violence is your trademark. 7 Your feet run to do evil and rush to murder; your thoughts are only of sinning, and wherever you go you leave behind a trail of misery and death. 8 You don’t know what true peace is, nor what it means to be just and good; you continually do wrong and those who follow you won’t experience any peace either. Amos 5:10-13 Living Bible 10 How you hate honest judges! How you despise people who tell the truth! 11 You trample the poor and steal their smallest crumb by all your taxes, fines, and usury; therefore, you will never live in the beautiful stone houses you are building, nor drink the wine from the lush vineyards you are planting. 12 For many and great are your sins. I know them all so well. You are the enemies of everything good; you take bribes; you refuse justice to the poor. 13 Therefore, those who are wise will not try to interfere with the Lord in the dread day of your punishment. THE THOUGHTS OF ALL MANKIND: Deuteronomy 31:19-21 Easy-to-Read Version 19 “So write down this song, and teach it to the Israelites. Teach them to sing this song. Then this song will be a witness for me against the Israelites. 20 I will take them into the land that I promised to give to their ancestors—a land filled with many good things. And they will have all they want to eat. They will have a rich life. But then they will turn to other gods and serve them. They will turn away from me and break my agreement. 21 Then many terrible things will happen to them. They will have many troubles. At that time their descendants will still know this song, and it will show them how wrong they are. I have not yet taken them into the land I promised to give them. But I already know what they are planning to do there.” Isaiah 55:6-7 Easy-to-Read Version 6 So you should look for the Lord before it is too late. You should call to him now, while he is near. 7 Evil people should stop living evil lives. They should stop thinking bad thoughts. They should come to the Lord again, and he will comfort them. They should come to our God because he will freely forgive them. Micah 2:1-2 Names of God Bible Israel’s Sins Are Condemned 2 How horrible it will be for those who invent trouble and work out plans for disaster while in bed. When the morning dawns, they carry out their plans because they are able to. 2 They desire other people’s fields, so they seize them. They desire people’s houses, so they take them. They cheat a man and his family, a man and his inheritance. COLLECTING THE CHOSEN ONES: Psalm 86:6-13 Easy-to-Read Version 6 Lord, hear my prayer. Listen to my cry for mercy. 7 I am praying to you in my time of trouble. I know you will answer me. 8 My Lord, there is no God like you. No one can do what you have done. 9 My Lord, you made everyone. I wish they all would come worship you and honor your name. 10 You are great and do amazing things. You and you alone are God. 11 Lord, teach me your ways, and I will live and obey your truths. Help me make worshiping your name the most important thing in my life. 12 My Lord God, I praise you with all my heart. I will honor your name forever! 13 You have such great love for me. You save me from the place of death. Isaiah 2:2-4 Names of God Bible 2 In the last days the mountain of Yahweh’s house will be established as the highest of the mountains and raised above the hills. All the nations will stream to it. 3 Then many people will come and say, “Let’s go to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the Elohim of Jacob. He will teach us his ways so that we may live by them.” The teachings will go out from Zion. The word of Yahweh will go out from Jerusalem. 4 Then he will judge disputes between nations and settle arguments between many people. They will hammer their swords into plowblades and their spears into pruning shears. Nations will never fight against each other, and they will never train for war again. Matthew 25:31-33 Living Bible 31 “But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. 32 And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left. Revelation 7:9-10 Easy-to-Read Version The Great Crowd 9 Then I looked, and there was a large crowd of people. There were so many people that no one could count them all. They were from every nation, tribe, race of people, and language of the earth. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They all wore white robes and had palm branches in their hands. 10 They shouted loudly, “Victory belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” JUDGMENT OF ALL THE EARTH: Ezekiel 39:21-24 Living Bible 21 “Thus I will demonstrate my glory among the nations; all shall see the punishment of Gog and know that I have done it. 22 And from that time onward the people of Israel will know I am the Lord their God. 23 And the nations will know why Israel was sent away to exile—it was punishment for sin, for they acted in treachery against their God. Therefore, I turned my face away from them and let their enemies destroy them. 24 I turned my face away and punished them in proportion to the vileness of their sins. Hi, I think clarity must be understood here, the Great Tribulation is a test of all the Earth where people are given situations and God views the outcome or the actions people use to address the conditions, Revelation 3:10. The Great Tribulation was not meant to destroy the chosen ones but to help each one see their own skills and abilities. It was a test to help you ponder about yourself and your direction in life. The end of the world is correctly termed the end of Human Nature that is people ways of life and thinking opposed to God’s way of living. Hence it has already taken place so when will the pondering come in? I guess people need time to think and the plan is to give you all the time you need. HI, the Bible is stories made up of people that are not real, the stories can be written anyway that the author wants them to be like. You would need to ask why the people of the Bible especially those in Genesis lives so long then they died? Perhaps the longevity had a purpose or was an example of something. This is all in the mind of the author. The people lived in order to make the characters more interesting since in former times things had to be born and they were not created. Longevity made them appealing and real so that the stories would be attractive to the reader. Hello, the prophecy of the dry bones Ezekiel 37:1–14 is for the time of the end and a prophecy that will conclude the Great Tribulation. Let’s open the prophecy! Isaiah 65:17-19 Easy-to-Read Version A New Time Is Coming 17 “I am creating a new heaven and a new earth. The troubles of the past will be forgotten. No one will remember them. 18 My people will be happy and rejoice forever and ever because of what I will make. I will make a Jerusalem that is full of joy, and I will make her people happy. 19 “Then I will rejoice with Jerusalem. I will be happy with my people. There will never again be crying and sadness in that city. Ezekiel 36:9-12 Living Bible 9 See, I am for you, and I will come and help you as you prepare the ground and sow your crops. 10 I will greatly increase your population throughout all Israel, and the ruined cities will be rebuilt and filled with people. 11 Not only the people, but your flocks and herds will also greatly multiply. O mountains of Israel, again you will be filled with homes. I will do even more for you than I did before. Then you shall know I am the Lord. 12 My people will walk upon you once again, and you will belong to them again; and you will no longer be a place for burning their children on idol altars.’” Ezekiel 37:11-14 Easy-to-Read Version 11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are like the whole family of Israel. The people of Israel say, ‘Our bones have dried up; our hope is gone. We have been completely destroyed!’ 12 So speak to them for me. Tell them this is what the Lord God says: ‘My people, I will open your graves and bring you up out of them! Then I will bring you to the land of Israel. 13 My people, I will open your graves and bring you up out of your graves, and then you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will come to life again. Then I will lead you back to your own land. Then you will know that I am the Lord. You will know that I said this and that I made it happen.’” This is what the Lord said. Isaiah 49:8-14 Easy-to-Read Version The Day of Salvation 8 This is what the Lord says: “There will be a special time when I show my kindness. Then I will answer your prayers. There will be a special day when I will save you. Then I will help you and protect you. And you will be the proof of my agreement with the people. The country is destroyed now, but you will give the land back to the people who own it. 9 You will tell the prisoners, ‘Come out of your prison!’ You will tell those who are in darkness, ‘Come out of the dark!’ The people will eat along the road, and they will have food even on empty hills. 10 They will not be hungry or thirsty. The hot sun and wind will not hurt them. Their Comforter will lead them. He will lead them by springs of water. 11 I will make a road for my people. The mountains will be made flat, and the low roads will be raised. 12 “Look! People are coming to me from faraway places. They are coming to me from the north and from the west. They are coming to me from Aswan in Egypt.” 13 Heavens and earth, be happy! Mountains, shout with joy! The Lord comforts his people. He is good to his poor people. 14 But now Zion says, “The Lord has left me; the Lord has forgotten me.” Revelation 11:11-13 Easy-to-Read Version 11 But after three and a half days, God let life enter the two witnesses again. They stood on their feet. All those who saw them were filled with fear. 12 Then the two witnesses heard a loud voice from heaven say, “Come up here!” And both of them went up into heaven in a cloud. Their enemies watched them go. 13 At that same time there was a great earthquake. A tenth of the city was destroyed. And 7000 people were killed in the earthquake. Those who did not die were very afraid. They gave glory to the God of heaven. DEAD SEA TURNS BLOOD RED BEFORE HOLY DAY OF YOM KIPPUR (DAY OF ATONEMENT) Hello, the Festival is celebrated this year September 20–27, 2021 is Sukkot, the Jewish holiday that follows five days after Yom Kippur, celebrates the years the Jews spent in the desert on the way to the Promised Land and the way God protected them in the desert. It also celebrates the way in which God protected them under difficult desert conditions. Sukkot is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, or the Feast of Booths. Does the Festival of Booths connect in some way with the End Times Prophecies? No, the observance of this celebration only goes with the tradition that formed as a remembrance of the Hebrew Exodus and causes reflection of the event. Typically, the Tabernacle was the center in which the tents were surrounding the House of Jehovah where the portable “wilderness” Temple was set up. Today that would be Temple Mount in Jerusalem but now all that remains of the ancient temple is the wailing wall. Basically, this celebration should cease to be observed because the ancient temple is no more, and the synagogues are not appropriate as the House of God. Today the booths are outside of each person's home which was not the arrangement it was supposed to be booths surrounding the House of God. The people do their best today to uphold this historical moment in Jewish tradition. The best acknowledgement of the festival and its present-day meaning is display in the movie “Ushpizin” Hello, no humans that pass the test of the Great Tribulation and have salvation applied to their bodies during Judgment Day will become God’s children or Chosen Ones which time period hasn’t happened yet but soon. The two posts recently entitled: What does the Pharisee Nicodemus represent? / How does one change from glory to glory, to come unto the fullness of Christ, remaining complacent in their belief? answers the question of the future of the chosen ones and what will take place for them. God's name is of key importance in which there are many titles for the God of the Bible. Elohim is simply one of the titles for God but the personal name JEHOVAH in English form tells everything about God period. Psalm 83:18 Easy-to-Read Version 18 Then they will know that your name is Yahweh-- that you alone are the Lord. They will know that you are God Most High, ruler over all the earth! |