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Posts tagged ‘Jesus’

Understanding the Spiritual Significance of Altars

The English word “altar” in Hebrew is “mizbeach,” derived from the root word “zabach,” which means “to slaughter, kill, or slay an animal.” The altar served as the central place for sacrifices and the meeting point between God and humans.

Notice the following altars:

Building of the AltarReference
Noah builds an altar after the flood(Gen. 8:20)
Abram (Abraham) builds an altar near Bethel(Gen. 12:7)
Abraham builds an altar on Mount Moriah and called it Jehovah-jireh(Gen. 22:9, 14)
Isaac builds an altar Beer-sheba(Gen. 26:25)
Jacob builds an altar at Shalem(Gen. 33:20)
Moses builds an altar and called it Jehovah-nissi(Exod. 17:15)
Joshua builds an altar on Mount Ebal(Josh. 8:30)
Gideon builds an altar and called it Jehovah-shalom(Jude 6:24)
Manoah builds an altar on a rock(Judg. 13:19-20)
King Saul builds an altar to the Lord.(1 Sam. 14:35)
King David builds an altar and stopped a plague(2 Sam. 24:21, 25)

Solomon built the First Temple to God in Jerusalem, placing a permanent altar in the outer court for daily sacrifices. Under the Old Covenant, three types of altars were made: one of natural stones (Joshua 8:30-32), a square brass altar (Exodus 27:1-2), and a golden altar in the holy place for burning daily incense (Exodus 30:1-3). These three altars symbolize three spiritual battles every believer will face.

  • Stone Altar: Abraham uses the stone altar to offer Isaac to God on Mount Moriah, symbolizing personal sacrifice and the surrender of our own will to the will of the heavenly Father. Willing to give up his best to please the Almighty, Abraham sets aside his personal feelings to serve a greater divine purpose. To understand God’s will, we must first come to this altar and confront our own desires, emotions, and self-interest.
  • Brass Altar: The second altar, known as the brass altar, is where the flesh of animals was offered in sacrifice. It symbolizes our willingness to take up our cross and follow Christ (Matt. 16:24) and to crucify our flesh (Gal. 5:24). Our bodies are “living sacrifices” (Rom. 12:1), with our carnal nature needing to be brought under control. Sacrifices here were bound to the four horns of the altar, representing believers standing firm in faith until God transforms them from within. The three fires constantly burning on the brass altar remind us of the Lord’s zeal that must keep burning in our hearts as we submit to God’s Spirit and bring our flesh into submission.
  • Golden Altar: The golden altar is where incense is burned each day, carrying the prayers of the righteous to God. It’s the place where we grow in worship and prayer.

At the stone altar, we learn obedience to God’s will; at the brass altar, we find freedom from sin and train our flesh; and at the golden altar, we embrace and practice daily prayer and worship.

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The Significance of Mount Sinai in Biblical Prophecy

Israel reaches Mount Sinai and stays there for about a year (see Exod. 19:1 and Num. 10:11). During this time, Moses ascends and descends the mountain eight times, spending forty days there on two occasions. It’s here that Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God (Exod. 20). Exodus 19 is often seen as vivid imagery of the catching away of the saints, described by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, and identified by some as the Rapture. Moses receiving the Law on Mount Sinai serves as a powerful preview of Christ’s coming, as revealed in the New Testament.

Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19The Rapture and Second Coming
Israel was a peculiar people
Exodus19:5: Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:		The Church is a peculiar people
1 Pet. 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Israel was a kingdom of priests
Exodus 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.		The Church is kings and priests unto God
Rev. 1:5-6 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The people were to be sanctified
Exodus 19:10 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes,		The believers are to sanctify themselves
1 Thess. 4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
God appeared on the third day
Exodus 19:11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.		Christ was raised on the third day
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
God came down in the clouds
Exodus 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.		He is coming in the clouds
Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
God came down in the lightning
Exodus 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.		He is coming as lightning
Matt. 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
God’s voice was as a trumpet
Exodus 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.		The trumpet of God will sound
1 Thess. 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
God came down in fire
Exodus 19:18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.		Christ returns to earth in flaming fire
2 Thess. 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
God answered Moses in a voice
Exodus19:19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.		The voice of the archangel
1 Thess. 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
God descended from heaven
Exodus 19:20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.		Christ will descend from heaven
1 Thess. 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
God called Moses up
Exodus 19:20 And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.		The saints will be caught up
1 Thess. 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

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The Two Periods of Jacob’s Trouble Explained

THE TIME OF JACOB’S TROUBLE

Jeremiah predicted a “time of Jacob’s trouble” for Israel.

  • Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

Many scholars think this term refers to the seven-year Tribulation, known as “Daniel’s last seven years” or “Daniel’s seventieth week,” mentioned in Daniel 9:27.

  • Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Jacob works for seven years, but when the time comes, his father-in-law tricks him into marrying Leah instead of his beloved Rachel. Laban then tells Jacob to “fulfill her week.”

  • Genesis 29:27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.

The Hebrew word for week is shabuwa, and is literally a week of years, not days.

  • Strong’s H7620
    • שָׁבוּעַ shâbûwaʻ, shaw-boo’-ah; or שָׁבֻעַ shâbuaʻ; also (feminine) שְׁבֻעָה shᵉbuʻâh; properly, passive participle of H7650 as a denominative of H7651; literally, sevened, i.e. a week (specifically, of years):—seven, week.

This word is found four times:

  • Genesis 29:27 & 28
    • Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
    • And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
  • Twice in Daniel 9:27
    • And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
      • The word week in Daniel 9:27 is a prediction of a seven-year covenant that the future Antichrist will sign.

Jacob’s trouble spans two periods of seven years. He worked the first seven years only to be deceived by Laban, then labored another seven years before finally marrying the wife he had chosen.

  • Some rabbis believe that the Jewish Holocaust, from 1938 to 1945—a span of seven years—was the fulfillment of Jacob’s trouble. However, Jacob experienced two distinct periods of “seven” in his life.
  • The upcoming seven-year Tribulation will mark the second and final period of seven years in Jacob’s (Israel’s) time of trouble.

After the second seven-year period, Jacob marries Rachel and eventually returns to the Promised Land, where he meets Esau and visits his father, Isaac. In the future, after a seven-year Tribulation, Christ the Messiah will return to Israel and reveal Himself as the suffering Messiah to the descendants of both Esau and Isaac.

  • Zechariah 13:6 And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.
    • Jesus is the one with wounds in his hands.
      • John 20:25-27
        • The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
        • And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
        • Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.


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The Ten Plagues: God’s Judgment on Egyptian Idols

TEN PLAGUES AGAINST TEN IDOLS

The 10 Plagues that occurred in Egypt was designed to prove to the Egyptians that God is the Lord.

  • Exodus 7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

Each plague was designed to prove that the Egyptian gods have no power over the judgments of the Hebrew God.

Plague sent from GodAttack Against the Egyptian Idol
the rivers and water judged (Exod. 7:14-25)Hapi: god of the Nile
frogs (Exod. 8:1-15)Heket: god of fertility (Heket looked like a frog)
lice (Exod. 8:16-19)Geb: god of the dust of the earth|
beasts and flies (Exod. 8:20-30)Khepri: god of creation and sun movement
livestock disease (Exod. 9:1-7)Hathor: goddess of love and protection
boils (Exod. 9:8-12)Isia: goddess of medicine and peace
hail mixed with blood (Exod. 9:13-35)Nut: goddess of health and peace
locusts (Exod. 10:1-20)Seth: god of storms and disorder
darkness (Exod. 10:21-29)Ra: god of the sun
death of firstborn (Exod. 11:1-10)Pharaoh: the ultimate god of Egypt




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Bible Studies: Lessons from People in Scripture

Studies about People in the Bible

We are able to learn many things when we study the life of people who has gone on before us. It is interesting to learn about how God was able to work in the lives of the various people. Remember those that don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. Below is a list of Bible Studies about various people. More will be added as time goes on. Bible studies about Jesus can be found here: Exploring the Life and Teachings of Jesus.

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Eternity After Judgment: New Heaven and Earth

Time Ends-Then Eternity
The time after the white throne judgment is not described in detail, but the Bible does give us some insights that are very interesting.

  1. Earth Aflame
    • 2 Peter 3:10 tells us, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up.
    • The whole earth and space around it will be aflame. Everything humanity has made on the earth will be burned and destroyed.
    • Everything humans have sent into outer space will be totally obliterated. The earth and the heavens around it will be completely purged.
  2. New Heaven and New Earth
    • We look for a new heaven and a new earth.
      • Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea.
      •  2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
  3. The New Jerusalem
    • John saw a beautiful city coming down from God.
      • “And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).
    • There will be a new heaven, a new earth, and a new city.
      • Jesus said, “In my Father’s house are many mansions….I go to prepare a place for you… that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).
    • Revelation 21 uses wonderful imagery to describe the splendor of the eternal dwelling place of God’s people.
      • It depicts the city as 12,000 furlongs (1,500 miles) in length, breadth, and height (verse 16).
      • It is made of pure gold like clear glass (verse 18), with walls of jasper and gates of pearl (verse 21).
      • It will not need any power plant, or sun, or moon to shine, for Jesus will be
        the light (verse 13).
    • There time and eternity will meet. The temporal will cease forever, and the hope of the righteous from all ages shall be fulfilled. We shall live with our Lord Jesus Christ forever.

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The Children’s Six Minutes: Last but not Least

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

How often have we heard this phrase! You girls and boys use it, “Here I am, last but not least.”

When Jesus was on earth there was often a discussion among the disciples concerning rank among them. Some were fearful that they would be last. One day a mother, very proud of her two sons, as mothers are apt to be, asked Jesus to grant permission that her two sons might sit, the one on his left hand, the other on his right, in the kingdom. Then He made a very beautiful as well as perfectly true statement, “Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

There was another time, when Jesus sat at supper with his disciples, wishing to show them, by example, the utter worthlessness of station, for station’s sake, rose from the table, took a towel and basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet. Peter objected, but when he understood, he said, “Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.” At the last Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.”

Girls and boys, if you desire a high place in life, begin low. If you want to occupy a leading place you must be willing to serve in the least. It always has been so, it will never change, this great law of life, that he who would be first must be willing to be last. It is the eternal law of service.

MEMORY VERSE, Mark 10: 31

“… But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.”

MEMORY HYMN

“Hark, the voice of Jesus calling.”

THE CHILDREN’S SIX MINUTES by Bruce S. Wright

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Weekly Recap of Articles for Christians Dec 21st to Dec 27th

Bible

Education

General Reference

Poetry

Stories by Bell

Inspirational

Cooking/ House Keeping

Estudio Bíblico en Español

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Understanding the Great White Throne Judgment

The Great White Throne Judgment

  • After one thousand years of the reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth, the great white throne judgment will take place.
  • It will be a judgment of all the dead from the beginning of human existence on the earth.
  • The only people who will not need to be judged will be the redeemed people, both dead and living, who arose to meet the Lord at the Rapture.
    • Revelation 20:11-12
      • And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened.
  1. The Throne
    • John saw an impressive, large white throne.
  2. The Judge
    • Jesus Christ will sit upon the throne.
  3. The Judged
    • The dead from all walks of life will be judged.
      • Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and
        hell delivered up the dead that were in them.
  4. The Evidence
    • The books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works
      • Rev. 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
    • The books represent:
      • The Bible, which reveals God’s plan for humanity.
      • The recorded history of each person’s life.
      • The book of life, the book with the names of the righteous of all ages.
  5. The Witnesses
    • The saints of the church will be present with Jesus.
  6. The Judgment
    • Those whose names are not in the book of life will be cast in the lake of fire.
      • Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

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Discovering Missionary life in Submarine

This is a fictional story about a Missionary family who lives in a Submarine. Parts 1 and 2 are finished. I will be writing a few more parts as time goes on.

Poems and stories by Bell

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