Speaking maliciously of a king or powerful rich person has repercussions. “Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter” (Ecclesiastes 10:20 KJV). Simply testifying of evil conduct is not so much implied, as speaking maliciously with intent to harm, and certainly not “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). “A little bird told me” would more be like gossip, for obvious political purposes, when speaking of a person of power. Moses wrote, “Thou shalt not revile the gods [Hebrew, elohim, as in lesser gods of the Divine Council, Psalm 82:1 ESV ], nor curse the ruler of thy people” (Exodus 22:28). Even the archangel Michael refused to speak boastfully against the devil from the Unseen Realm, but carefully watched his heart and directed his speech. “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee” (Jude 1:9). Paul vilified Ananias the high priest for ordering him to be struck, contrary to the law, for simply speaking the truth. When informed his words were directed against a high priest, Paul respectfully replied, “I wist [knew] not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people” (Acts 23:5). He quoted again Moses, closing the circle of the argument, especially dealing with the powerful but lesser gods of the Unseen Realm, we need to be like Michael the archangel, by humbly resisting the devil “and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). LORD, we know You have already won the game, so we know how we play the game is the only thing of importance. Help us to remember to watch always our heart, that none can ever tattle on us, ‘A little bird told me.’ May our hearts stay pure in the midst of the political posturing and wrangling, of others. In Jesus’ name, we pray, for “Thou God seest me” (Genesis 16:13). Amen.
Author: Ken
Thy Judgments Are Made Manifest (Revelation 15:4)
A dramatic pause before the final battle climax, where already victorious Tribulation Saints extol the Almighty for His judgment upon the Antichrist, even as the concluding Seven Vial Judgments are prepared for outpouring. “Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest” (Revelation 15:4 KJV). By this time, the Church has shed all reluctance to see God’s judgments poured out upon the earth, realizing what the Psalmist always knew. “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9). Judgment alone has never been the real enemy, but unrighteous judgment (John 7:24) is always to be hated. All differences among brothers and sisters about the rightness of judging one another would have been melted away by the Holy Spirit, as we sanction the Lord God Almighty to judge the Earth. “O our God, wilt Thou not judge them?” (2Chronicles 20:12). The “wrath of God” (Revelation 15:1) readies itself to be poured out as the Translated Saints stand upon the “sea of glass mingled with fire” (15:2), signifying the judgment of God. Lord God Almighty, cause us not to judge according to man’s judgment by outward appearance, but to judge righteous judgment. LORD, especially open the eyes of Your Church that they may not receive the testimony of anyone, who claims to know You, while walking in disobedience. May all our objections to judge be already melted away, as we sanction and call upon You to judge the god of this world, his Antichrist, the False Prophet, and all the minions of little gods, who plague this earth, even now. Return quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen and amen.
Gift of Physical Life
The ability to sense our surroundings gives us self-awareness, and acknowledging God’s presence is essential to appreciating God’s gift of physical life. “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28 KJV). Laying down our physical life for a selfless cause is both loving and heroic. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). But, the hopeless taking of our own life is both suicide and unpardonable. What then is the best thing to do with our gift of physical life? “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). LORD, You are the giver of all good gifts. May we not consider ourselves as our own, but to be used for whatever gives You the greatest benefit, for then we will have our greatest happiness. Return quickly, and accomplish all your will on earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.
Final Harvest of the Earth (Revelation 14:14-20)
Harvesting means saving to the uttermost those who come to God by Christ Jesus (Hebrews 7:25), but the opposite must also be true in the judgment of the wicked. “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Revelation 14:15 KJV). No more the rejection of Christ and His truth can be tolerated. This is what the adversary has always feared would happen. “The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him” (Proverbs 10:24). The utter irrationality of sin must be paid for to the uttermost. Christ has the diadem and sickle (Revelation 14:14) to fulfill His role as the Harvester of the Earth. No more will evil seemingly triumph unopposed and unchallenged. “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God” (14:19).
“And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs [Greek, stadion]” (Revelation 14:20).
If a stadium is a Greek measurement equivalent to 606 feet 9 inches, then 1,600 furlongs would be 183.86 miles (Easton’s Bible Dictionary, 1897).
What is the manner of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Second Coming?
First, Christ will descend to the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem, as promised by the angel at Christ’s Ascension (Acts 1:11-12), which was prophesied by Zechariah. “Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:3-4).
Second, Christ will pursue His enemies slaying them with blood “unto the horse bridles” Revelation 14:20) down to Bozrah, which is approximately 58 miles southeast of the Mount of Olives. “The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness” (Isaiah 34:6-7).
Third, Christ will then continue His pursuit and slaying of His enemies from Bozrah to Megiddo, which is the ancient city close by the final conflict at Armageddon — approximately another 128 miles. “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art Thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like Him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me: for I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me; and My fury, it upheld Me. And I will tread down the people in Mine anger, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth” (Isaiah 63:1-6).
Fourth, Combining the distances from the Mount of Olives to Bozrah of 58 miles with the distance from Bozrah to Megiddo of 128 miles, is a distance of 186 miles, which is approximately 1,600 furlongs (Revelation 14:20).
LORD, our calculations and approximations lack the precision of Your Word. If You say the distance is 1,600 furlongs, then You would know best. If You say the blood will be “unto the horse bridles,” then we can only say, Amen. Even as You have faithfully saved to the uttermost, may You be justified in judging altogether as You have prophesied. Magnify Yourself in holiness and judgment. Let not one jot or tittle of Your Word fall to the ground unfulfilled unto 1,600 furlongs. Return quickly, deliver Your people, and judge the impenitent. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Joy of Our Heart
God’s words are our unspeakable joy. Are they not? Or, can they be? Even when commanded to bring the difficult message of coming judgment to fellow Judeans, Jeremiah reminded himself of the unwavering joy that comes only by embracing God’s words. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16 KJV). Spirit of God, work to make Your words the joy and rejoicing of my heart. In the film “The Rookie” (2002), Dennis Quaid plays an older baseball rookie (Jimmy Morris) trying to make it into Major League Baseball (MLB) through the minor leagues, but he was getting discouraged. Watching a little league field of young players, he remembers his enjoyment of the game and is inspired to make another (and successful) attempt into the major leagues. The next morning, he announces to his friend, “Brooks, you know what we get to do today? We get to play baseball!” Pray that God’s Spirit would give us that kind of enjoyment in seeking Him, His Word, and His message.
Messages From Three Angels (Revelation 14:6-13)
The Gospel, judgment for Babylon, and personal judgment are the messages of the three angels from God to the world. With the removal of the 144,000 and the Two Witnesses at the Pre-Wrath Rapture, no other outward testimony for the LORD exists on planet earth, but these three angels, before the handfuls of days left for the completion of the Seven Vial Judgments at the end of the Tribulation Week. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6 KJV). The Gospel is the Greek euaggelionor good news, but it is only good news, if you repent. The second angel announces, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (14:8). This warns of the soon and sudden demise — “in one hour” (18:17) — of the Beast’s religious and economic systems detailed in Revelation 17 and 18. And finally, the third Angel warns of the “wrath of God” (14:10) for all worshippers of the Antichrist, and blessing for those who “die in the Lord from henceforth” (14:13). The stage is now set for the final judgment of the earth. LORD, we can barely imagine the scope of what You have set for Your program of dealing with humanity. How You have wisely designed all these interactions and prophesied their fulfillment, knowing that You will bring them to pass contrary to the best efforts of the Devil, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. Glory to Your name. We magnify You for Your mercy and grace in salvation. And, we praise and extol You for Your righteousness and judgment of the earth. Fulfill all Your prophecies and keep all Your promises. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Come Out From Among Them
Where does God draw the line for you? When you make a decision to move away from a circumstance, which would cause you to compromise truth you have received, then the LORD will receive you. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2Corinthians 6:17 KJV). Holiness unto the LORD is our set apartness unto God. The Holy Spirit gives us our guidance. How close can we get to God? The question is never how close to the world can you get and still be a Christian? Unless God has your whole heart, you are none of His. “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways” (Proverbs 23:26). Remember the warning to the Professed Christians at Laodicea. “Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:16). Profession is not possession, unless there is heart obedience. LORD, make us to be holy for You are holy. Cause us to see how close we can draw to You, and not the world. Return quickly, and deliver us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
144,000 Israelites Safe in Heaven (Revelation 14:1)
Safe in Heaven, 144,000 Tribulation Saints, who are Israelites, have made it through the Tribulation Week without suffering martyrdom and have been Pre-Wrath Raptured before the final Seven Vial Judgments (Revelation 16) are poured out at the end of the Seventieth Week of Daniel. “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads” (Revelation 14:1 KJV). Roughly speaking, this would be akin to the head of state (Christ the Lamb) greeting hostages, who have returned from captivity from an enemy country. These are the same 144,000 sealed in Revelation 7. All of this indicates that there will be an enormous number of Israelis saved immediately after the Pre-Tribulational Rapture, which means evangelistic efforts in Israel must be effectively reaching out to Israelis prior to the Tribulation. Support and pray for those ministries. The faithfulness of God to preserve all of His Saints presently from temptation, is also able to do so during the Tribulation. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:13). Remember, the 144,000 are the “firstfruits” (Revelation 14:4) of the nation of Israel, who will “be born at once” (Isaiah 66:8) at Messiah Jesus’ Second Coming. LORD, You are the same God now and forever. Demonstrate Yourself strong on behalf of Your people now and Your 144,000 later. In Jesus’ name, return quickly. Amen and amen.
Awakening the Church
The Holy Spirit has always been the Church’s greatest secret, but especially for the fragmented Church, its greatest mystery. Our most valuable connections are not man’s devices, such as the internet or social media — which have their place — but the Holy Spirit. We are accustomed to other means because of their obvious utility. What has the Church always had as both its Source and resource, but the Holy Spirit? How did the Early Church achieve such incomprehensible results without our modern devices, but through the Holy Spirit? “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13 KJV). Disconnected from man’s devices, God is able to replicate and communicate His intentions and movement through the Holy Spirit. His Word is used to communicate to us by His Spirit. And, prayer is used to communicate with Him — and, to the rest of the Body of Christ. When His Spirit is moving upon us, then we can believe and pray He is similarly moving upon others. Use the assembling of the local church and the fellowship of disciples and believers, where possible and available, but do not neglect the Holy Spirit and prayer. Naturally, the enemy does not want us to fully appreciate our advantage. We neglect prayer because we do not well understand nor control it. “Through God we shall do valiantly: for He it is that shall tread down our enemies” (Psalm 60:12). LORD, inspire us to pray like we believe prayer is more effective and valuable than man’s devices. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen.
Blindness of the Church (Part 1)
All of history has been building up to today, when the Church faces the god of this world and the minions of his demonic horde, long ignored in western biblical exposition. Jewish rabbis would rejoice to find the difficult passages to interpret because then they would have the most opportunity for discovery. “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law” (Psalm 119:18 KJV). We will either lose our faith or go mad, if we continue to seek solutions without elevating our thinking about the Scriptures. Genesis is the beginning of most of our misunderstandings that only multiply throughout Scripture. Without debating six literal days of creation or Noah’s worldwide flood carving the Grand Canyon, trouble appears in Genesis 6, where the “sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown” (Genesis 6:4 KJV). In the OT, benai elohim, “sons of God” (6:4) always refers to angelic beings (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Angels (also called elohim, Psalm 82:1,6) who “kept not their first estate” (Jude 1:6) produced an unnatural, ungodly hybrid known as Nephilim. “The Nephilim [KJV, giants] were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown” (Genesis 6:4 ESV). The significance of this ungodly hybridization manifests itself throughout Scripture, e.g., Goliath; but ultimately, it will demonstrate itself in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy concerning the Antichrist. Already, the Church has been blinded concerning this because it has been mired in establishing the First Truths of the doctrines of Christ. “1 Therefore leaving the principles [Greek, archē, elementary instructions, first truths] of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-2). More about this later. LORD, grant us the gift of a willing heart to remove our blindness about what You are about to do in fulfillment of Prophecy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
For more information on the Nephilim, see our book, Understanding Spiritual Warfare.
We Need A Miracle 
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