[ 5 ]: The Millennial Reign Of Christ, And Much Much More!

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Noah Part -1. MENU

[ No. 1 ] - Christ's Return - At His Own Allotted Time . . .

[ No. 2 ] - This Is A Factual Event And A Prophecy That Will Be Fulfilled To The Letter . . .

[ No. 3 ] - Christians Should Not Lose Faith As The Next Verses State . . .

[ No. 4 ] - The Nations Since Christ's Departure Have Neglected The Truth Of His Promises . . .

[ No. 5 ] - All The Way Through The Entire Scriptures The Second Advent Is Promised! . . .

[ No. 6 ] - The Lord Answered And Taught Them . . .

[ No. 8 ] - The Economic - And Moral Signs Of The Past, And Of The Future . . .

[ No. 9 ] - Modernism Is A Sign For Today . . .

[ No. 10 ] - Refusal Of That Which Concerned The Blood Offering . . .

[ No. 11 ] - Therefore, As It Was During The Days 0f Noah, So Shall It Be! . . .

[ No. 12 ] - "Unbelief Modernism" - "By Faith Fundamentalism."

[ No. 13 ] - What Was This That Concerned Faith? Why Was Faith Necessary? . . .

[ No. 14 ] - So Shall It Be In The last Days . . .

[ No. 15 ] - Prophetic Eschatology Concerning The Age Of Travel . . .

[ No. 16 ] - The Prophet Daniel Testified Of The Time Of The End . . .

[ No. 17 ] - The Entire Epistle Of Daniel Was Not To Be Understood Or Be Interpreted Correctly Until These Last Days . . .

[No. 18 ] - A Time Of Higher Education And Of Rapid Travel . . .

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1. If the readers desire to have a part in the Lord's work as soul workers, it would be great for them to begin their own Christian tract ministry by downloading our messages and send or give copies to others. What could be more important for you as an ambassador for Christ than to support the Body of Christ in this way? The messages are already written, so why not pass them on to others? { See I - Corinthians 5:17-21 }. It should be noted that practically all our Scriptures are taken from the "King James Version" unless we Paraphrase the text.

2. As to the writer's belief and doctrine, we are strictly Biblical! We adhere to no denominational beliefs unless what they teach is taken from the true Word of God and taught in the correct context. We believe that we are to be busy proclaiming the truths for the present age of grace, in view of the soon coming of our Lord.

3. We believe in ...

No - 1. The verbal inspiration of the Word of God, { 2- Timothy 3:16 }.

No - 2. The Deity of Jesus Christ, and the Trinity of the Godhead, { Titus 2:13; - & - 2-Corinthians 13:14 }.

No - 3. The total depravity of man, and everlasting punishment of those who reject Christ, { Romans Ch. 3; - John 3:36; - & - Revelation 20:15 }.

No - 4. Redemption by the blood of Christ, and by grace, not of works, are we saved, { Titus 3:5; - & - Ephesians 2:8-9 }.

No - 5. Everlasting life and the security of the Believer, { John 10:29 }.

No - 6. The personality and everlasting punishment of Satan, { Job Ch. 1; - & - Revelation Ch. 20 }.

No - 7. The imminent Rapture [ Resurrection ] of the Body of Christ, followed by the great 7 year Tribulation Period and the literal Millennial reign of Christ on this earth, { 1- Thessalonians 4:16-18; - 1- Corinthians 15:50-55; - & - Revelation 20:1-6 }.

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4. The reader will observe that we have placed dividing brackets such as the two below - just above and below the various "Bible Texts" in our message.

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The reader will also notice that we have put words in parenthesis in the various Bible verses. This is done to help the student have a better understanding of the old King James language, which is often a little bewildering to some folks who are not use to that kind of speech. Therefore, please bear with us as we teach the message. The reader will also notice that we have repeated several verses here and there in our message and of course we do this to bring out a better understanding of the message. We would like to make this point also: when we mention a translation of certain words in a verse - it would be wise to turn to that verse in your own Bible and copy the notation next to the verse in your own Bible for a better understanding: while you read it, and while you are studying your Bible.

5. A good idea would be to read your Bible along with each verse we have quoted. It is also very important for the student to look up all the added Bible texts that we have referred to in the message. This will give the reader much added information! Another thing we should mention is that when we copy a verse from the Bible we will change much of the spelling from the archaic King James language to the modern way of spelling. Such as . . . "searcheth to searches, thy to your, standeth to stands, knoweth to knows, maketh to makes, nay to no, bringeth to bring or brings, hath to has or have, saith to says, unto to- to, doeth to does, wherefore to therefore, thee to you, justifieth to justify, helpeth to help, liveth to lives, ever to always and etc. None of this will take away from the true meaning of the original text.

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6. Commentary . . . The most certain future events that must take place is the Rapture and 7 years later, the Second Advent of Jesus Christ to this earth. The same Jesus who came as a babe, born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, is coming back personally, literally, and visibly. This is the unbroken testimony of the Bible, and the unmistakable word of Christ Himself. He stated to His Hebrew listeners just before His resurrection. . . .

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7. Scripture: "And if [ when ] I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also, { John 14:3 }."

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8. Commentary . . . This too was the unmistakable meaning of the very first message Jesus sent back from Heaven after He ascended. Before the eyes of His followers Christ was taken up from the earth, and immediately He reassures them of His return. The Lord said "I will come again" This is the promise that the Lord gives to troubled souls. The emphasis of His coming is not on the dwelling places but on the prospect of His Saints being present with the Saviour [ Greek, 'pros' literally., face to face ]. The way to Heaven can only be obtained through Jesus Christ Himself .

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9.. Scripture: "And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight, { Acts 1:9 }."

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10. Commentary . . . Having commissioned His disciples, the Lord was now prepared to disappear from their sight and make no further appearances. As the cloud received him out of their sight, He was once again restored to the glory which He had with God The Father before the world was created, see { John 17:4-5 }. When Christ went up from the earth His ascension was plainly visible, and when He returns it will be in the same body of which He had arisen. This is the literal account of our Lord's going into Heaven. We must therefore take the following verses just as literally. The Apostle Luke states:

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11. { V. 10 } Scripture: "And while they looked stedfastly toward Heaven as He went up, behold, two men [ Angels in the form of men ] stood by them [ dressed ] in white apparel;

12. { V. 11 }: Which also said, you men of Galilee, why stand you gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come [ i.e., back to this same place at His Second Coming ] in like manner as you have seen him go into Heaven, { Acts 1:10,11." See Zechariah 14:4 }.

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13. Commentary . . . If there were not another verse in the entire Bible dealing with Christ's return, this one standing all by itself would be sufficient to establish the fact of our Lord's return. The words are unmistakable. This same Jesus, Whom they had just seen ascend into Heaven, will return in the same way as He left the earth. When He returns He will be in the same body, He will come back again through the same atmosphere, to the same Mount of Olivet, personally, visibly, and literally, just the same as He went away. Between Christ's ascension and His return to them, however, would be an interval of time in which the Holy Spirit would empower His Saints, "the Body of Christ" to carry on the ministry of worldwide evangelization, { 2- Corinthians 5:18-21 }.

14. Commentary . . . He will return again! This is the only hope for the Body of Christ, and the redeeming hope for the nation of Israel and the nations of this world. After Christ announced His going away, the minds of His disciples were saddened. The Lord quickly assured them that His absence was not permanent and that He was going to return again. Thus, He immediately sought to comfort them with this assurance. He did not tell them to look forward to a time when the world would eventually be completely converted. Neither were they to look for things to get better and better, or that a great revival would usher in world peace. But, to the contrary, He told them things which would grow far worse on this earth. And, they were not to be discouraged but to continue to watch with expectation for His return.

15. Commentary . . . Christ had announced His betrayal and His departure in { John 13:21, -& - V- 33 }. It was with the following words of that which Christ reassures them of when He stated . . .

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16. { V. 1 } Scripture: "Let not your heart [ mind ] be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me.

17. { V. 2 }: In my Father's house are many mansions [ dwelling places ]: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go [ i.e., back to Heaven now ] to prepare a place for you, { John 14:1-2 }."

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18. Commentary . . . Let not your heart [ mind ] be troubled": this is the foundational statement of the whole 14th chapter of John. To settle the emotions of the disciples, Christ lists the reasons why their minds should not be troubled [ i.e., Greek, 'trasso,' stir up, disturb, throw into confusion ]. "Believe." Both times this Greek verb [ pistelio ] can be interpreted as imperative. Christ stirs both their faith in the triune God and their faith in Himself as the Saviour. This settles a troubled mind. The Disciples was to be comforted with the fact that Jesus would now prepare an abode for them in Heaven in His Father's house."

Of His Promises . . .

19. Commentary . . . Yes, the Lord Jesus is going to return again! The Bible is full of this promise from cover to cover, and yet it is the most overlooked and neglected truth in our Christian Dispensation. The two most urgent messages today are: [ 1 ] Jesus Christ came 2,000 years ago, lived and died and rose from His tomb to save humanity from eternal damnation in the lake of fire; and . . .

[ 2 ] The Lord is going to return to the earth as He left it, to redeem creation, glorify the saved Believers, bless the earth's nations, and return His chosen people Israel to their covenant land. Without His Second Coming, His first coming would have been useless, because His O.T. promises could have never been kept. The Bible has far more to say about Christ's Second Coming than about His first. Naturally we aren't stating that Christ's first coming was not as important as His Second. They are equally important, without the one the other would be incomplete.

20. If we reject the hundreds of prophecies about His glorious reign, then how can we believe the record of His first coming? They are both portrayed in the same Bible. The Bible contains over three times as much about Christ's Second Coming to reign on the earth as is stated about His first coming to die. There is far more in the Scriptures about Christ's future Millennial Kingdom than about the Body of Christ. The prophecies in the Old Testament deal far more with Christ's glorious future earthly reign than His suffering and death. Yet thousands of Christians are almost completely ignorant of this fact.

21. It is a strange thing that when the Lord Jesus came the first time, everyone expected Him to set up the promised Kingdom, but they had overlooked the ancient prophecies concerning His rejection and the Cross, { Read Psalm 22 }. They were so fascinated by the hope of Messiah's glorious future reign that they overlooked the predictions concerning His rejection first, and His return to Heaven from which He had came. Today the situation is completely reversed. The world is so occupied with the Lord's first coming that folks completely overlook the blessed hope of the Rapture followed seven years later by His Second advent. Both are very important to comprehend, but one prophetic fulfillment without being followed by the other has no meaning.

22. Commentary . . . We would therefore first of all emphasize the fact that the Bible plainly teaches the Second Coming of Christ. Until we have this fact settled, it will do no good to study about the days of Noah - and, It would be useless to teach concerning future prophecy and the signs of the times of Christ's return! Beginning with the first book of the Bible we can trace an unbroken chain of Scriptures dealing with the hope of Christ's Coming. It is implied in the very first promise to man after the fall from grace, and the lies of Satan was instrumental in causing Adam and Eve to fall out of fellowship with their Creator.

23. The woman mentioned in the next verse { Genesis 3:15 }, refers to Israel 'in type' as a nation who is always spoken of as being in the feminine gender. Naturally it would be over two thousand years in the future before Israel would come on the scene, but Eve was used as a type in the future of Christ's coming forth from the woman Israel to proclaim Himself equal with God the Father, See { John 10:30 }. Christ Jesus made clear that He Himself and God the Father are One God! See also { 1-Timothy 3:16 }. The prophet stated:

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24. { V. 6 } Scripture: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father [ of Eternity ], the Prince of Peace.

25. { V. 7 }: Of the increase of His government and [ of ] peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon [ over ] His kingdom to order it, and to establish it [ and to uphold it ] with judgment and with justice [ i.e., and with righteousness from that latter time ] from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this, { Isaiah 9:6-7 }." See { Luke 2:11; - Matthew 28:18; - Hebrews 1:8; - & - Ephesians 5:14 }. See also { Daniel 2:44; - & - 1- Corinthians 15:25-28 }.

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26. Commentary . . . Messiah was to appear as a baby born in the flesh Who is born as a gift from the Triune God to be a ruler { Luke 1:31-33 }. The gift Child in this passage is certainly to be understood as the same person as the Immanuel Who appeared earlier. His perfection's are described as: Wonderful, Counsellor. "Wonderful" in this instance, regularly means 'SUPERNATURAL' { see Judges 13:18; secret = wonderful, } so the phrase refers to Messiah as the SUPERNATURAL Counselor Who, at His first coming, brought words of eternal life, and Who, when He comes again, will rule with perfect wisdom { Isaiah 11:2 }.

27. 'The mighty God.' A term applied to "Yahweh." We find that in { Deuteronomy 10:17; - Isaiah 10:21; - & - Jeremiah 32:18 }, the word God means 'Yahweh the great the mighty God.' The Scriptures predicts the ultimate victory Of Messiah over evil. The words "everlasting Father, literally means 'Father of Eternity; i.e., Messiah is eternally a Father to His people, guarding, supplying and caring for their needs. This Child is certainly none other than the virgin's son Jesus Christ."

28. Contrasted with the Syrian-Ephraimitic coalition, this Child brings deliverance to the people of God. Again, using the prophetic perfect, the prophet speaks of Him as though He were already born! Even the text of the Targum - That is, from the Hebrew Old Testament in the Aramaic language" which also supports a messianic interpretation of this passage. The concept of a Messiah Who is both the Son of David Israel's second king and the Son of God is also stated in { Psalm 2:7 }. Notice also the play-on-words between "Child is born" [ i.e., Hebrew 'yalad,' to be delivered, as in birth ] and a "son is given" to the Hebrew nation. Some have suggested that there is a distinction between the human birth of the Child and God the Father's Divine gift of the Son.

29. While the usage of the verbs is not conclusive, it is interesting to note that the same idea appears in { Isaiah 42:1 } where God gives His Spirit to His Servant. The real significance of this unique Child comes in His fourfold name, Wonderful, Counselor . . ., [ 'pele'yo'ets' ] is actually one title in the Hebrew based upon the Masoretic accentuation. "Wonder," from 'pele', is indicative of that which is miraculously by God Himself. The term "Counselor" is often used in parallel with "King" { i.e., Micah 4:9 }, so that the emphasis here implies that of God-like counsel of a God-like King. Concerning the words, "The Mighty God [ Hebrew 'el gibbor' ], in { V. 6 } above, is the strongest of the titles with reference to deity."

30. In the Book of Isaiah [ 'el ' ] is always used of God and never refers to man { Isaiah 10:21 }. Gibbor means "hero." It is an epithet that indicates deity. There is, therefore, every indication that the Child is the "Mighty God Himself!" Obviously, such a revelation explains how the Child in { Isaiah 7:14 } could be born MIRACULOUSLY of a virgin and how He could symbolically be called Immanuel [ meaning 'God with us' ]. "The everlasting Father" [ Hebrew 'sbiy'ad ] is a peculiar expression literally meaning Father of Eternity. He is the Lord of eternity, as we have before stated, and He is also the Author of eternal life. He is "of old, from everlasting { Micah 5:2 }." Here we clearly see how the throne of David, which is to be forever, is to be preserved.

31. It will seat a ruler Who Himself is eternal! "The Prince of Peace" [ i.e., Hebrew 'shar-shalom' ]. Rather than a warring monarch, He Who is the Mighty God will be a benevolent Father, bringing a peace that will be eternally established in His kingdom. His reign will be characterized by a rule of peace on earth because He is the very embodiment of peace itself. Thus, the obscure figure of Immanuel in { Ch. 7:14 } is now brought to clear understanding. We know of His Kingdom, throne, peaceful reign, and eternal Kingdom, as well as His virgin birth. More than this, we know Who Christ is . . . God Himself Incarnate!

32. The Father and the Son are in perfect unity in their natures and actions, but the neuter form of "one" rules out the meaning that they are one individual in one way but are the same person in another. We have made this clear several times in other messages that the Trinitarian God is the same God, but that God is in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, yet they are One God. Each has His own works to perform, yet they three are the single God head of the Universal order. Much could be taught concerning the Lord if time and space permitted! :

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33. { V. 14 } Scripture: "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle [ i.e., domestic animals ], and above every [ wild living ] beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust [ and what it contains ] shall you eat all the days of your life:

34. { V. 15 }: And I will put enmity between you [ i.e., Satan and the "women [ Israel in the future ]," and between your seed [ offspring, that follow in your evil foot-steps ] and her [ Israel's ] seed 'it' [ i.e., the God Child Jesus Christ ]; shall bruise [ and tread ] your head [ under foot ], and you [ will lie in wait and ] shall bruise His heel, { Genesis 3:14-15 }." See { Galatians 4:4 }.

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35. Commentary . . . And the effects of the fall from grace reached well beyond Adam and Eve. Man was appointed to rule over God's creation, and thus, the animals suffered then and now along with mankind because of the Edenic Curse { Jeremiah 12:4 }. The world needs more Jeremiah's who, in the midst of opposition, are true to the standard of the Bible, patient in the proclamation of the Gospel, gentle in the hands of persecutors, committed to the protective care of the chief Shepherd, and burdened for the souls of lost men and women.

36. Satan and the world may conspire against a servant of God, but the conspiracy is really against God, and God is invincible! But the serpent was cursed 'above' or distinct from all cattle and every beast of the field. One commentator wrote and said, 'quote': "From the Hebrew text, the Hebrew word "mikol" can be taken as a partitive . . . "any of the beast of the field, "end quote." Here it must be comparative; the context favors this view also, thus indicating "more than one kind of animals."

37. As a result from man's sin, God said that the serpent would from hereafter travel on his belly, having previously stood erect, or having at the very least, undergone some external transformation with regard to form. It is quite possible though, that the language of the text indicates nothing more than the humiliation of the serpent, once exalted as the most subtle beast of the field, to a position which it is reduced to a creature slithering skillfully through the grass. For it was God Who had pronounced the creeping things as good { Genesis 1:24-25 }.

38. On the sixth day of creation God formed all the terrestrial animals. As you can see in the text, this included cattle, as representative of all four-footed beast, and yes, according to this even dinosaurs, mastodons and saber-toothed tigers, see { Genesis 47:18; - & - Exodus 13:12 }, and every creeping thing, including all kinds of insects, { Leviticus 11:20-23 } and the beast of the earth, i.e., the wild, roving, carnivorous beasts of the forest. Once again, each of these three orders was to produce only after his kind, and not the way the evolutionist believe and teach. You will notice in { Genesis 1:23 } that these verses is a latent proof that the days of creation in Genesis spoken of here were literal twenty-four hour days!

39. The flowering plants were created on the third day, but the insects were not until the sixth day. If there were millions of years encompassed in, or between, each of these days, how could these flowering plants have survived without the insects to pollinate them? In fact, how could they have survived until the fourth day, during which the sun was created, if these two days were separated by millions of years or even thousands of years as some mistakenly teach, then how could this be explained? When the Lord God completed the creation of the cattle, the creeping things, and the beasts of the earth, He saw that it was good and was pleased. The fact is, all six of the days of creation were twenty four hour days, and other interpretations cannot be true! The Creation was an "INSTANTANEOUS, MIRACULOUS, SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENON," performed by Jehovah, the one and only Almighty God.

40. This was an event that Satan with all his power could never duplicate. Since Adam's creation dates back six thousand years, no matter what this and other writers have thought and taught in the past, this means that the earth can only be six thousand years old! This also means that our earth is a young earth. After the six 24 hour days were at an end God rested on the 7th 24 hour day, thus, the creation was finished at the end of the 6th day. Scripture: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made, {Genesis 2:1-2 }." We will expound further in this matter in the last part of this message.

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41. { V. 24 } Scripture: "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind [ that is, according to their own species ], cattle [ domestic animals ], and creeping things, and [ wild ] beast of the earth after his kind [ their own species ]: and it was so.

42. { V. 25 }: And God made the [ wild ] beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good, { Genesis 1:24:25 }."

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43. Commentary . . . Yet the greater curse upon the serpent is upon that old serpent, the devil. To Satan the Lord God promised that He would "put enmity between you 'i.e., Satan' and the women Israel, and between your seed and her seed; [ and ] it [ that is, the Christ ] shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." Here is the initial messianic prophecy of the Bible. The traditional Christian interpretation is that this is the first direct expression of the Gospel. It recognizes the essential conflict between Satan and the Lord and indicates that this conflict will involve the people of God and the followers of Satan. See { John 8:44; - Acts 13:10; - & - 1- John 3:10 }.

44. The seed of the woman is a clear reference to the Lord Jesus Christ Who will return as the Messiah, see { Galatians 3:16, 19; - & - Revelation 12:1-5 }, Who came to destroy the works of the devil { Hebrews 2:14; - & - 1- John 3:8 }. The Author of the Bible prophesied that Christ would deliver a death blow to Satan but in so doing would suffer death Himself. The Hebrew word for "seed" refers in this text to only one person, but at times can refer to many individuals, see { Genesis 22:17 } but the culmination of this promise we believe is in reference to Christ in { Galatians 3:16 }. All of this should be understood in the knowledge of the New Testament's total revelation of the ramifications of this prophecy. Certainly Adam and Eve were not aware of any of this future revelation!

45. Again we repeat : These words in { Genesis 3:14-15 } were spoken to the devil and concerned two different conflicts between the Seed of the woman [ who was and is Israel ], Who Became the Christ child, and, the future seed of the serpent in the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation Period. The 'Seed' of the woman had his heel bruised first by Satan. This was literally fulfilled on the Cross of Calvary. But the prophecy also announces the bruising of the head of the serpent [ Satan ], which is still future and will occur at the Second advent of Christ. Mother Eve believed in the promise of the coming of Messiah, for she called her firstborn son "Cain" which means literally "I have begotten the man even Jehovah." Enoch believed in the Second advent of Jesus, for the Apostle Jude stated . . .

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46. { V. 14 } Scripture: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes, with ten thousands of his Saints,

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48. The above two verses paraphrased, { V. 14 }: "It was of these people moreover that Enoch in the seventh Generation from Adam and Eve prophesied" when he stated, "Behold, the Lord will return with His myriad's of holy ones . . . tens of thousands of His Saints";

49. { V. 15 }: "To execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the impious [ unholy ones ] of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the severe . . . abusive, soul-jarring . . . things which ungodly sinners have spoken against the Lord." Job who lived before Abraham believed in the Second Return of Christ, for he stated . . .

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50. { V. 25 } Scripture: "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth . . .

51. { V. 26 }: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh [ that is, whether in my fleshly body or without it ] shall I see God, { Job 19:25-26 }." See { Zechariah 14:4; - Isaiah 44:6; - & - 48:12 }.

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52. Commentary . . . King David looked forward and saw the glory of Messiah's Second advent, and in one Psalm after another extols the greatness of the King when He comes to reign, David cries out . . .

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53. { V. 7 } Scripture: "Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be you lifted up, you everlasting [ age-abiding ] doors; and the King of Glory shall come in.

54. { V. 10 }: Who is [ He then ] this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah. [ i.e., Selah means to pause and meditate on what the psalmist just said ], { Psalm 24:7, 10 }." Isaiah saw both the first and second coming of the Lord, for we read:

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55. Scripture: ". . . unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, { Isaiah 9:6 }." [ This we all know refers to the first coming of Jesus, but then Isaiah says about the same Jesus that will appear in the latter day as Messiah ]. . .

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56. Scripture: "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order [ establish ] it, and to establish [ and uphold ] it with judgment and with justice [ and with righteousness ] from henceforth [ in that latter time and ] for ever and ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this, { Isaiah 9:7 }." See { Daniel 2:44; - & - 1- Corinthians 15:25-28. }

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57. Commentary . . . We do not wish to take up the space to quote from all the rest of the prophets such as: Joel, Amos, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zephaniah ect . But, we will mention the verse in Zechariah which confirms the promise of the two men on Mount Olivet when Jesus ascended." Zechariah states concerning the Messiah . . .

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58. { V. 4 } Scripture: "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.

59. { V. 9 }: And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord [ that is, in the recognition and worship of men ], and his name one, { Zechariah 14:4, 9 }." See { Isaiah 64:1-2 }.

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60. Commentary . . . From these and hundreds of similar passages we see that the theme of the Old Testament prophecies was the coming of the Messiah in power and glory. Then 4,000 years after Adam's creation, He came. However, the folks of His day did not comprehend His first advent to die, but expected only the glory of His Second advent to reign. And no wonder, for all the Old Testament prophets had prophesied far more about His glorious reign after His Second advent than about His rejection the first time He came. When He therefore went to the Cross, the disciples began to question. What about all the hundreds of O.T. prophecies concerning His reign? When will these be fulfilled, or have we been completely mistaken?"

61. Commentary . . . Jesus then revealed to them that He would return back to earth again, and all the prophecies of His wonderful reign will be fulfilled to the very letter. For this reason the Lord spent almost all His time in the last few days before His death in answering and teaching His disciples concerning His return. Read carefully { Matthew Ch. 24 - & - 25, Mark Ch. 11 to 13, - & - Luke Ch. 21 }, and you will see that the primary thing Jesus talked about was His Second Advent and reign during the Millennial age. This was Christ's answer to the question as follows in verses { 1- 4 }":

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62. { V. 1 } Scripture: "And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple [ area and was going on His way ]: and [ when ] His disciples came for Him for to show [ and call attention to ] Him [ about ] the buildings of the temple [ and pointed them out to Him ].

64. { V. 3 }: And as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world [ i.e., the Hebrew age. That is, what will be the completion, the consummation of the age ],

65. { V. 4 }: And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed [ be careful ] that no man deceive you [ that is, deceiving and leading you into error. ] { Matthew 24:1 - 4 }." Keep the words in the 4 above verses in mind when reading the following . . .

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66. Commentary . . . { Matthew 24:1 through Ch. 25 V. 46 } from Christ's last major discourse and His most prophetic and apocalyptic message of the coming of the end of the Hebrew age. While the message includes predictions of the imminent fall of Jerusalem, they also go far beyond to point us to the distant future during which the "times of the Gentiles" will continue until the end of the Great Tribulation. The Greek word for Temple in { V. 1 } is [ 'hieron' ] and means the temple precincts. This prophecy of the very stones of the Temple being cast down was fulfilled in the time of the Emperor Julian who, in a futile attempt to rebuild the Temple, removed even the stones that had been left at the time of its destruction by Titus in A.D. 70.

67. the Lord Jesus then left the city of Jerusalem, and crossed the Kidron valley, and went east of Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives from which He could look down on the temple courtyard. Here His disciples asked Him three questions . . .

[ 1 ]: "when shall these things be" [ i.e., the destruction of the Temple ];

[ 2 ]: "what shall be the sign of Your coming?" [ "I.e., Greek 'parousia,' technical term for the return of Messiah the Lord Himself as King and Lord of the entire world," ] . . .

[ 3 ]: "and of the end of the world [ meaning Hebrew age? Greek 'aion, "the age" ]. Therefore, the entire discourse must be looked upon as answering all three questions. On the significance of the signs of the end of the Hebrew age, many commentaries have been written to emphasize the answers given in the discourse which this writer will not go entirely into in this message because of limited space. But, . . .

68. Pre-millennialist, accordingly, rightly interpret the discourse as an accurate statement of end-time events, which will lead up to the end climaxing in the Second Coming of Christ to set up His millennial Kingdom on this earth. The key to interpreting this section of the discourse rests in one's view of the "Gospel of the Kingdom { V,13-14 }." Actually we have taught practically this whole discourse in other messages. There are many signs of the end in general characteristics in this present grace age which shall be intensified as our own age moves on to conclusion, and they will follow by more specific signs that will be fulfilled after the Rapture of the Body of Christ, during the Great Tribulation Period.

69. The last words of Christ before going away were: "I am coming again;" and His first promise through His two angelic messengers after He went to Heaven was: "This same Jesus . . . shall so come in like manner . . . , { Acts 1:11 }." No wonder then that the Second Advent becomes the theme of all the apostles in the rest of the N.T. The first N.T. books ever written were { 1 and 2 Thessalonians }. Read them and see what the Apostle felt was necessary for the new Christians to know. In the N.T. there are some 320 references to the truth of our Lord's return. Almost every book in the N.T. that was written after Pentecost mentions the blessed hope of the Rapture of the Body of Christ, and later of Christ's Second Coming. Paul says in Romans . . .

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70. { V. 19 } Scripture: "For the earnest expectation of the creature [ creation ] waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.

71. { V. 22 }: For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now, { Romans 8:19, - & - 22 }."

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72. The above two verses paraphrased, Scripture: "{ V. 19 }: For even the whole creation 'all nature' waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God's adopted sons to be made known . . . and are waiting for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship.

73. { V. 22 }: We also know that the whole creation [ i.e., of irrational creatures - has been moaning together in the pains such as a woman suffers when she is in labor until now. ] See { Jeremiah 12:4, 11. } In 1- Corinthians Paul devotes considerable information in just one chapter to the Rapture of the Lord's Saints when Christ appears in the clouds of Heaven for them. The Apostle went on to say . . .

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74. { V. 51 } Scripture: "Behold, I show you a mystery ; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed :

75. { V. 52 }: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. { 1- Corinthians 15:51-52 }." [ As a metamorphosis - a "transformation." ]

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76. The above two verses paraphrased, Scripture,

77. { 51 }: "Take notice! I tell you a mystery . . . a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God. We shall not all fall asleep in death, but we shall all be changed" "Transformed at the time of the Rapture," and this will take place,

78. { 52 }: "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the last trumpet call just immediately before the Rapture of Christ's Body of Believers takes place: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall be raised incorruptible [ imperishable . . . free and immune from decay ], and we shall be changed." [ "This trumpet sound will call us out from this earth up into Paradise of Heaven." ] And again Paul comforts those whom are sorrowing Saints with the words:

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79 . { V. 16 } Scripture: "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout , with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

80. { V. 17 }: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord, { 1- Thessalonians 4:16-17 },"

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81. These above two verses paraphrased,

82. { 16 } Scripture: "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout [ a loud cry of summons ], with the shout of the archangel 'Michael,' and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And, the dead [ bodies of those who have already departed this life as Christians in Christ shall rise first."

83. { 17 }: "Then we, [ Christians in the Body of Christ ] which are alive and are yet still on this earth shall simultaneously be caught up together with them . . . the resurrected dead Christians in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air': and so always" . . . "through the eternity of the eternity's shall we ever be with the Lord." Again referring to the Rapture, Paul declared . . .

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84. { V. 11 } Scripture: "For the grace of God that brings Salvation has appeared to all men.

85. { V. 12 }: Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in the present world [ Age ];

86. { V. 13 }: looking for that blessed hope [ the Rapture ], and the glorious appearing of our great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, [ in the Rapture ],

87. { V. 14 }: Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar [ i.e., protected ] people zealous of good works, { Titus 2:11-14 }."

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88. The above four verses paraphrased, { 11 }: "For the grace of God . . . His unmerited favor and blessing . . . has come forward [ appeared ] for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind.

89. { 12 }: It has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness, irreligious and worldly passionate desires, to live discreet, temperate, self-controlled, upright, devout and spiritually- whole lives in this present world,

90. { 13 }: Awaiting and looking for the fulfillment, the realization of our blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One,

91. { 14 }: Who gave Himself on our behalf that He might redeem us by purchasing our freedom from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people . . . to be peculiarly His Own. . . people who are eager and enthusiastic about living a life that is good and filled with beneficial deeds." See { Psalm 130:8; - Ezekiel 37:23; - & - Deuteronomy 14:2 }. The Apostle John said:

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92. { V. 2 } Scripture: "Beloved, now are we 'the Sons of God,' and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be 'like Him;' for we shall see Him as he is.

93. { V. 3 }: And every man that has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure, { 1- John 3:2-3 }."

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94. The above two verses paraphrased, { 2 }: "Beloved, we are even here and now God's Children; it is not yet disclosed [ made clear ] what we shall be in the hereafter, but we know that when He comes and appears to us we shall be God's Children, we shall resemble, and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He really is. { 3 }: And every one who has this hope resting on Jesus Christ cleanses and purifies himself just as Christ is pure . . . chaste, undefiled, and without guilt before the Trinitarian God." The Apostle Jude exclaimed . . .

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95. Scripture: ". . . Behold, the Lord [ will ] come with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment . . ., { Jude 14-15 }." [ This concerns the Second Advent - not the Rapture ] James admonishes . . .

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96. { V. 7 } Scripture: "Be patient therefore, brethren, [ as you wait ] unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman [ the farmer see how he ] waits for the precious [ harvest - the ] fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain, [ Second advent ].

97. { V. 8 }: Be you also patient; establish your hearts [ minds, strengthen and confirm them in the final certainty ]: for the coming of the Lord [ is ] drawing near, { James 5:7-8 }." [ Peter encourages God's servants with the promise of the Second advent and states . . .

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98. Scripture: "And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away, {1- Peter 5:4 }."

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99. Commentary . . . We might multiply Scriptures to show what a prominent place the Second Coming of Christ occupies in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. To climax it all, the last book of the Bible called the Revelation or unveiling of Jesus Christ, deals with the exception of the first three chapters, exclusively with the events following the Lord's advent in the Rapture for the Body of Christ.

100. From these few passages, among hundreds of others, we must conclude that the Holy Spirit considered the truth of the advent of Christ a most important subject. The question has been asked, "why do some ministers preach so much about the Rapture and the Second Coming?" Our answer is simply, "because God's Word says so much about it." We would like to ask many a preacher, "why don't you preach more often on this blessed truth, which is found all the way through the Bible?" It's definitely the message that should be taught for today. This is a closing message of our Bible. Scripture states in the last verses of the last passage of the Bible with a promise of, and a prayer for, the return of the Lord: [ John quotes this following warning from the Words of Christ . . .

101. Scripture: "He which [ affirms and ] testifies [ of ] these things says [ yes . . . it is true ], Surely I come quickly [ swiftly, speedily ]. Amen, [ so let it be!" Yes, and all people should pray ], "Even so, come, Lord Jesus! { Revelation 22:20 }."

102. Commentary . . . "In succeeding passages we shall study the many current signs of His coming and the indications that it must be very near. We have been occupied in the opening message primarily with the fact of Christ's return. We would like for you to believe first of all that the advent of Christ from Heaven is a guaranteed fact. How can one believe anything else in the Bible if they reject the fact of the literal, personal, and visible return of Jesus Christ. Don't reveal your ignorance of the Scriptures by saying it is not an important doctrine, or that it makes no difference what you believe concerning this matter.

103. Such statements are an accusation against the Holy Spirit Who has given such prominence in the Bible to this cardinal truth. Definitely, Jesus Christ is going to return again, and whether some folks believe it or not, they will someday have to face Him as their Saviour or their Judge. He may come at any moment, and so we repeat the warning of the Saviour Himself: [ The warning "Be on your guard! savourest [ think." ]

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104. Scripture: "Be you therefore ready also: for [ Jesus Christ ] the Son of man [ shall ] come at an hour [ and at a moment ] when you think not, [ 'when you are not even anticipating that great event' ] Even so, come, Lord Jesus], { Luke 12:40 }."

105. Commentary . . . Shortly before Jesus went to die on the Cross, He took His disciples aside and began to fully reveal to them the fact of His rejection by the people of Israel, and His impending death. This was a bitter disappointment to these disciples who firmly believed that Jesus their Master and Messiah was soon to declare Himself King, deliver Israel from the Roman Empire, and set up His glorious Millennial Kingdom which had been long and clearly foretold by all the prophets. No wonder they found it difficult to believe that Christ would go to the Cross instead. Thus, we can well understand Peter trying to correct the Lord and saying:

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106. { V. 22 } Scripture: "Then Peter took Him [ aside ], and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from You, Lord: this shall not be unto You,

107. { V. 23 }: But He [ Christ Jesus ] turned, and said to Peter, get yourself behind Me, Satan: you are an offense to Me: for you savourest [ i.e., you think ] not the things that be of God, but those [ things ] that be of men, { Matthew 16:22-23 }."

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108. The above two verses "paraphrased", { 22 }: "Then Peter took Jesus aside to speak to Him privately, and began to reprove and charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You!

109. { 23 }: But Jesus turned away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! you are in My way . . . an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men."

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110. Commentary . . . Peter is sharply and promptly rebuked for aligning himself with Satan's plan to deter Jesus from fulfilling His mission. The harshness of the rebuke stems from Christ's fierce realism about the principal purpose of His coming to earth, which was to die. [ An offense refers to a stumbling-block or "rock of offense" see { Romans 9:33 }. It is then that the Lord explains to His followers that He will definitely set up the promised earthly Millennial Kingdom. But, first He must go to the Cross - be put to death, and be resurrected from the dead to become the Saviour of the world.

111. Afterward He would deliver Israel and bring in the promised reign of peace on earth. Therefore, Jesus would return to Heaven, where He came from in the first place, and in the future at His Own appointed time, He will leave the abode of the Father to return to the place He was resurrected from here on earth. His feet will then land upon the Mount of Olives just as He had left it. This will fulfill the prophecy foretold by the two angels in { Acts 1:9-11 } and also fulfill { Zechariah 14:4 }.

112. Naturally in the minds of His Apostles this sounded like Christ would return in the very near future. After the Lord had explained to them that his death was to come very quickly, the one question in the minds of these disciples was: "When are you going to return again?" They believed what He promised them, but when? That was the main thing they wished to find out.. Thus, they inquired about His future plans, as He sat with them on the Mount of Olives. They accepted the fact of His return, but they wanted to know when this was going to take place! And again we repeat part of this next verse:

113. Scripture: ". . . Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world [ age ]? { Matthew 24:3 }." [ This question cannot be misunderstood. How can we know when you will return? What sign will You display to let us know? Jesus answered at length in { Matthew Ch. 24; - Mark Ch. 13; - & - Luke Ch. 21 }.

114. Commentary . . . The Apostles had asked for a sign. Jesus in turn presented to them many signs. Several of those signs have been present in every age since that time [ in type or shadow form ]. But, when all of those signs shall appear at approximately the same time, then His return will be very near, even at the doors. In the midst of those signs, He indicated that one sign would be displayed in particular to prove His return was imminent. This will be the sign of the antediluvian days of Noah. The Lord stated:

116. { V. 38 }: For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the Ark,

117. { V. 39 }: And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be { Matthew 24:37-39 }."

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118. Commentary . . . As the Bible student should be aware: much of the above was foretold of that which had taken place during the antediluvian Dispensation, which was a picture and a type, of what is to occur once again in a future period. And, those same troublesome times will again transpire during the coming Tribulation Period that is just around the corner in time! Therefore, as all the things mentioned above are rearing their heads presently, surely it can be understood that the Rapture for today's Saints is very imminent.

119. Christ Jesus stated, "If you wish to know the signs of My coming, study the days of Noah 'before' the Flood." When the conditions which existed "before the Flood are repeated in the future, then you can comprehend that My return is at hand." This leaves folks who have Bibles, without any excuse whatsoever. Everything we know about the days "previous to" the Flood is recorded in three chapters of the Bible { Genesis 4,5,6 }. These three chapters can be read in less than thirty minutes, and are the only authentic written account and reliable record of conditions on this earth, that existed in that period in the days before the Flood occurred. It has been stated by renowned scholars that secular history has not one word to say about those days. To understand the Lord's words concerning the sign of His return we need only to study the three chapters dealing with the subject.

120. Commentary . . . If there were records of those days, besides what the Bible records, it might be that it wouldn't be so confusing to many folks. Since all that is usually taught about the days to which the Lord referred to as the days of Noah, many are confused. Personally I must believe that no one should plead ignorance because the Lord gave us enough in His Word to give us a very good estimation concerning what took place in those days. To understand Christ's words concerning the sign of His return we need only to carefully study the three chapters we have mentioned above. Those chapters deal with the three aspects of society during that antediluvian period.

121. { Genesis Ch. 4 } gives us the economic picture, the society when Noah was alive. { Ch. 5 } teaches Jehovah's dispensational picture, at that time, and it was graphically described. { Ch. 4 } records the murder of Able, Adam's son, and we find the first mention of [ 1 ]: religious apostasy, [ 2 ]: travel, [ 3 ]: city building, [ 4 ]: polygamy, [ 5 ]: agriculture, [ 6 ]: music, [ 7 ]: metallurgy, and [ 8 ]: disrespect for authority. When we understand these eight things we can also understand how they are being repeated before our very eyes today. And, all of them are recorded in { Genesis Ch. 4 }. This is the future picture Christ portrayed about the very days to which we are living at the present time.

122. Commentary . . . The opening verses of { Genesis 4 } give us an account of the first modernist in history, as well as the first fundamentalist. Cain was a typical modernist-religionist but unsaved. His brother Able was a fundamentalist and was slain by his envious brother. These two boys were the first twins mentioned in the Scriptures, and this gives us the understanding of the fulfillment of the multiplied conception which was part of the curse upon the woman. Please don't misunderstand me in this statement. Never would we say that conception is a sin, otherwise my own mother sinned when she gave birth to me when I was born.

123. The way children have been born since our first parents sinned has brought on multiplied pain and suffering to mothers down through the centuries because of them inheriting this procedure of child bearing from mother Eve and her husband Adam. Eve, as you know, sinned first by eating from the tree of good and evil, and then enticing Adam to do the same thing. Had our first parents not sinned perhaps the Lord Jehovah would have brought forth children by taking other men's ribs to produce children as He had done to Adam when Eve was created. Had God formed children in this way, men would have lost all their ribs in a few years. As you know, Jacob fathered 12 sons who later became the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. Had 12 ribs been extracted from Jacob to bring forth these sons, Jacob would have ceased to become a whole man, and this would have caused much anguish in his family.

124. Scripture: "And the Lord God formed man [ out ] of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul, { Genesis 2:7 }." And again, Scripture: "All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again, { Ecclesiastes 3:20 }." And again, Scripture: "In the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, till you return unto the ground; for out of it were you taken: for dust you are, and unto dust shall you return, { Genesis 3:19 }."

125. Commentary . . . Man's body was formed from small particles of the earth the Hebrew words for man and earth are similar, see { 1- Corinthians 15:47 }, but his life came from the breath of God the Holy Spirit Who breathed life into Adam. And, Adam became a living soul. I.e., a living person. This phrase is also used of animals { Genesis 1:21, 24 }. Man is distinguished from animals by being created in the image of God. What this writer believes is this: had sin not been committed after mankind was created, I believe according to the above verses, people would have been created in the same way that Adam Himself was created. Does this make sense to you?

126. The question might have been asked, "If sin was not to be present on the earth in the first place, why would God even consider creating women, for the Lord would not have seen it necessary for people to have children as they are born at the present time since there would have been some other way for children to be produced?" To answer this question, it seems that Sarah, Abraham's wife, answers this question in her own way. The Lord told Abraham . . .

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127. { V. 10 } Scripture: "And He said, I [ i.e., Christ 'Yahweh' ] will certainly return unto you according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

128. { V. 11 }: Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

129. { V. 12 }: Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have "pleasure," my lord being old also? { Genesis 18:10-12 }."

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130. Commentary . . . We have stated several times that many verses have more than one interpretation, one meaning in this text is that Sarah thought herself to be too old to have the pleasure of bringing forth a son. The other meaning is that the sexual relationship between a man and his wife was to pleasure themselves in a love relationship during their married life together. Remember when Jehovah created Eve, it was before sin came into being because Eve and then Adam had not as yet sinned by the eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree in the garden. Therefore, even though there was no sin of people before they sinned, still God created Eve as a women for Adam the man in such a way, that the love match between them would be a natural pleasure for them and their human descendants that would follow.

131. Another question might be asked: "If the human race was created so they could pleasure themselves in sexual relationships between them, what would keep them from committing fornication or adultery in the future?" Answer: if there had been no sin after the human race was brought into being, the race would have been a pure sinless race. Satan, his wicked angels, and demonic influence would not have been present, therefore, no wicked sexual relationships would have taken place, and neither would there have been any other kind of sin in existence. But, it didn't work out that way did it? Because Adam and Eve did sin, God said . . .

132. Scripture: "Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you, { Genesis 3:16 }."

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133. The above verse paraphrased: "To the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your grief and your suffering in pregnancy and the pangs of child-bearing; with spasms of distress you shall bring forth children; yet your desire and craving shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."

134. Commentary . . . Because of the shortening of the life of Adam and Eve, conception and childbearing must advance more rapidly. If Adam and Eve had not sinned they would have continued to live indefinitely and God would have populated the earth with children in a much better way forever; therefore, there would have been no hurry to have children. But since death became imminent, the years of productivity became limited and life was uncertain, conception must now be more rapid and multiplied by cohabitation between the sexes. To emphasize this result of Adam's falling out of fellowship with the Lord and his subsequent death, the next account after the fall was the birth of these two boys, and it should be made clear that they were twins. This is strongly implied by what is stated in Scripture. Therefore, in these verses we have one conception, and two births:

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135. { V. 1 } Scripture: "And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord . . ." Immediately afterward we read . . .

136. {V. 2 }: "And she again [ i. e., a very few minutes later ] bare his brother Able. And Able was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground, { Genesis 4:1-2 }."

137. Commentary . . . The word 'knew ' here is a common substitute for sexual relations. In the Hebrew language, the words Cain [ or 'qayin' ] and I have gotten [ i.e., qaniti ] represents a play on words. The meaning of Cain is probably a "spear." Able means "breath" or vanity, reflecting perhaps Eve's understanding of the importance of the curse. After Adam sinned, the Lord was obliged to subject the creation to futility so that man in his sinful state might retain some measure of dominion over creation. Nature was involved for evil in man's fall from grace; nature will be made free from evil when man will finally receive the adoption of God the Father as children of God. See { Romans 8:23 }. Notice only one conception is mentioned, and two births are recorded. The days before the Flood began with a population explosion. Although these boys were twins, there all similarity ended, for Cain became a religious modernist while Able became a fundamentalist and a Believer with a capital B."

138. Commentary . . . Cain was not an atheist, he believed in God as much as Able did. But while Cain believed in the Lord, he failed to believe the Lord. Evidently both Cain and Able had been instructed by their parents in the matter of salvation and an acceptable sacrifice. Where else did these two boys get the knowledge about bringing an offering to Jehovah? This was no doubt taught to them by their parents who had been so dramatically clothed with the skins of the first sacrifice, { Genesis 3:21 }. We repeat, Cain was not an atheist, but instead was a religious, modern apostate who believed he could ignore God's plain plan of salvation and substitute for it a religion of good works, ethics, culture, and human righteousness."

139. Commentary . . . Now remember that Christ stated the above words! Today we are witnessing a revival of the religion of Cain. There is a tremendous upsurge of religious interest, but religion is one thing and Christianity is another. What some call a revival today we can easily see is the religion of Cain, an ecumenical compromising union of the various groups by sacrificing the fundamentals of the faith. There is on the one hand a great effort to unite all the religions of the world, while on the other hand there is a movement of separation among true fundamentalists.

140. Anyone who can read the paper, watch television or listen with their ears, must visualize these two lines of modern-day religious activity developing at break-neck speed. The lines are being drawn very tightly between those who would unite on a platform of tolerance and human effort while denying the blood that was shed on the Cross. That dwindling remnant, who like Able will not believe in a bloodless sacrifice like his brother Cain did, and are therefore being hated and persecuted throughout this world.

141. Remember Cain was not an atheist. He was just as much a Believer in Jehovah as his brother Able. Up until the murder of Able, Cain was evidently earnest, sincere, and very religious; for it was Cain, NOT Able, who first suggested bringing a sacrifice to the Lord. There is every reason to believe that the offering Cain brought was a beautiful offering. It consisted of the "fruit of the ground" { Genesis 4:3 }. It represented much toil and sweat to produce his offering. There was a curse upon the ground and it was only by hard work that Cain was able to produce the gift for his sacrifice of works.

142. Now contrast this with the offering of Able which was a lamb, a firstling of the flock. For it - he had done nothing. It was the gift of God. Able had nothing to do with the provision of this lamb. In these two offerings we have the only two religions in the world, which was a religion of works, and the religion of GRACE. Cain brought a far more beautiful offering to the natural eye - attractive fruits of the field, probably decorated with flowers and trimmings. In contrast, Abel's was a bleeding lamb, repulsive and unappealing.

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143. Commentary . . . Cain's offering, beautiful and appealing as it was, could not avail and was rejected by God because he ignored the blood. It was a religion of 'unbelief - modernism.' He failed to believe the Word of God in regard to the Lord's plan of salvation. In { Genesis 3:15 } Jehovah had shown His plan and redemption, we will delve deeper into this verse later in this message. God had taken an animal [ presumably a lamb ] and had slain it, poured out its blood and taken the skin for a covering for our first parents nakedness. Here was God's plan of salvation by "blood." Cain ignored the blood and brought a bloodless offering of works. He completely ignored the truth and plan of giving and ignored the blood that was to be associated with the sacrifice. He was obviously without any faith in the Lord's Word concerning the blood. But, Able had faith and brought his firstling of the flock, a bloody sacrifice unto the Lord." The writer of Hebrews commenting on this says:

144. Scripture: "By faith Able offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, . . . { Hebrews 11:4 }."

145. Commentary . . . By faith in the Lord's commandment for an acceptable sacrifice as portrayed in the bloody skins of { Genesis 3:21 }. Here then we have the rise of modernism and the decline of fundamentalism. Seemingly the modernist Cain prevailed over his fundamentalist brother Able, for he succeeded in murdering him. Now remember that all this was in the days: 'before the Flood.' And, Christ said, Scripture: ". . . as it was in the days before the flood, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be!"

146. Commentary . . . To this question Jesus obviously answered by saying . . . 'Study the record of the days before the Flood and you will find the answer, and when those conditions which existed before the Flood are repeated, then know that My coming is near.' The story of the conflict between Cain and Able is therefore a sign of Messiah's return as King. When the situation described in { Genesis 4 } between these two brothers is repeated, then Jesus states:

147. Scripture: "And when these things begin to come to pass then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption [ deliverance ] draws near, { Luke 21:28 }."

148. Commentary . . . Who can deny that the outstanding religious development of today is the conflict between the liberals and the truly evangelicals, between the integration of the modernists and the separated position of the fundamentalists. The line of demarcation is becoming more definite. We must take our stand with one or the other. Either we follow the way of Cain, the popular way, by compromising the fundamentals of the faith and join the parade of ecumenicism toward the great world body, of modern religionist or we take our stand with Able in a minority group, despised, opposed, and persecuted on every hand.

149. The gap between the two has widened until it is becoming impossible to ride the fence, and we must take a stand either with the religious descendants of Cain or the spiritual generation of Abel. Just as the wickedness of the pre-flood dispensation brought on the judgment of God, so shall it be repeated in these last days just after the Rapture of the Body of Christ. Therefore, after the Rapture, the Tribulation Period will transpire and after that 7 year period of trouble has expired, Jesus will appear at His return to the earth, and we repeat again what Jesus said:

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150. Scripture: "For as in the days that were before the flood, . . . so shall also the coming of the Son of man be, { Matthew 24:38-39 }." [ These words we must remind you again, were spoken in answer to the question of the disciples when t hey asked ]:

151. Scripture: ". . . Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world [ Hebrew age ]? { Matthew 24:3 }."

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152. Commentary . . . The signs of the times to which Jesus referred are unmistakable. In the remainder of our message we shall point out many modern-day movements whose actions and works are a repetition of the things referred to by Jesus as having existed "before the Flood." But, we feel that the sign of Cain and Able is one of the most significant and so, naturally we wish to deal with it in detail. The rise of a liberal theology, which under the guise of tolerance says that faith in the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the substitutionary atonement by blood, the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and His literal coming again are not essential.

153. It is also taught by the modernist that the Bible is not verbally inspired and the record of the first chapter of Genesis including the story of Cain and Able are not to be taken literally but are only an allegory. This rise of modernism theology, I say, is one of the foremost significant signs of the coming of Christ. The apparent victory of modernism in the way of Cain, and the apparent decline in the number of "true to the core" fundamentalists is a repeat of the story of Cain and Able.

154. Jude in his Epistle also teaches us that in the last days the religion of Cain will be revived. He says Scripture: "Woe unto them! for they have gone [ ran riotously ]" in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Co're, { Jude V. 11 }." The way of Cain I.e., is rejection of God's provision for acceptance with Himself { Genesis 4:1-12 }. Today, it is the rejection of God's offer of forgiveness through Christ, "the error of Balaam": Balaam hired himself out as a prophet and epitomizes deceit and covetousness, see { Numbers Ch. 22 through Ch. 24; - 2- Peter 2:15; - & - Revelation 2:14}. "The gainsaying of Core" refers to the sin of Core. The sin of Korah was rebellion against duly constituted authority { Numbers Ch. 16 }. It is the way of a popular religion of tolerance and individualism, the way of the natural man who believes in God and religion but rejects the necessity of the atoning blood of Christ for salvation.

155. For sure, Jesus is going to return again, and the separation of the tares of Cain and the wheat of Able will soon take place. See the parable spoken of in { Matthew 13:34-43 } and likewise the parable of the sheep and the goats in { Matthew 25: 31-46 } both of which can be seen as practically the same scope of what we have been referring to. Therefore all this becomes a personal matter of tremendous importance. As in the days before the Flood there are only two ways: the way of Cain and the way of Able. Cain's way by religion of one type or another from some denominational doctrine. The Lord's way is grace through faith; this is the Bible way! Cain's way is of works. God's way is of grace. Therefore, shall we go Cain's way with the sacrifice of the fruit of man's labor, or the Lord's way by the sacrifice of God's Lamb Jesus Christ? Which way will you take, the way of death or the way of life? The Lord said:

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156. Scripture: "Verily, verily, [ Surely, truly ], I say unto you, he that hears My Word, and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall not come unto condemnation; but is passed from death unto life, { John 5:24 }." See { Romans 8:1 }.

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157. The above verse paraphrased: "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words . . . who listens to My message . . . and believes and trusts in and clings to and relies on God the Father Who sent Me has [ now possessed and obtained ] eternal life with the Lord of glory in the heavenlies. And he does not now, and never will come into the eternal judgment of the damned, . . . he will never incur the sentence of judgment, he will never come under condemnation . . . but he has "already passed over out of death into eternal life."

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158. Commentary . . . The truth of Christ's return is the most truthful news that should be believed during this present age, it is more truthful than death itself, for when He comes there will be some who will never die. How we would like to know the exact time of His coming to Rapture us from this earth! But, when? This is a question which has intrigued and interested Children of God ever since the Rapture and shortly after His Second Coming was first predicted. As a result of this desire to know when Jesus would come again, all sorts of foolish, unscriptural guesses have been made and dates have been set, in fact, this writer has been guilty in the past of making this foolish mistake himself. But now I must admit that specific date setting is dishonoring to God and a reproach upon the cause of Christ. Many folks have twisted the Bible, misinterpreted prophecy, and perverted the plain teaching of Scripture, by setting dates, only to be proven wrong. The Bible definitely warns us against setting dates," Jesus Himself said:

159. Scripture: "But of that [ exact ] day and hour no man knows, no, not [ even ] the angels of heaven, but my father only, { Matthew 24:36 }."

160. Commentary . . . Naturally, when the Lord made that statement He was still alive and was present in the flesh with the Apostles here on the earth, and it seems that His return was even hid from Himself. We have explained all this in one of our other messages. On the other hand, now that Christ has been resurrected and is once again with the Father, in no way could He be blind to the time of His return for His Saints since He, being God the Son in His omniscience. 0f course He is all knowing, and is wise to the very second of His return. Because of the statement of Jesus in the above verse, and the foolish attempts of many to set dates, many folks may have lost all interest in the return of Christ, ignoring the fact that while we cannot see the exact time of Christ's return, we may know nevertheless the approximate time of His coming again. The Bible is replete with warnings to watch for the signs of the times, and the indications of the nearness of His return. Paul tells us definitely when he says . . .

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161. { V. 1 } Scripture: "But of the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you.

162. { V. 2 }: For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

163. { V. 3 }: For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction [ will ] come upon them, as travail [ birth-pang ] upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape, { 1- Thessalonians 5:1-3 }."

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164. The above three verses paraphrased: { 1 }: "But of the precise time of My return or even the particular season when it is to take place, brethren, you have no need that I write and tell you about it.

165. { 2 }: For yourselves know perfectly well that the 'day of the Lord' will take place in a short moment as unexpectedly and suddenly as the coming of a thief in the night.

166. { 3 }: For when various people shall say all is well, safe and secure, because there is presently, peace and safety over the earth; then sudden destruction, ruin and death will come upon them, it will happen suddenly just as labor pains comes upon a woman that is close to birthing a baby; and they shall by no means escape, for there will be no escape."

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167. Commentary . . . Christ's coming as a thief, of course applies to unbelievers, and especially to the Israelites who have continually rejected the fact that Jesus is their future Messiah. The words 'day of the Lord' in verse two above refers to an extended period of time, beginning with the Tribulation Period and including the events of the Second Coming of Christ and the millennial Kingdom on earth. It will begin unexpectedly with the Rapture and will take place unexpectedly as 'a thief in the night.' This is the way it will be to the earth's people when this prophecy is fulfilled. However, this is not true of the Children of God, for the Apostle Paul teaching about the Body of Christ of today continues with these significant words:

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168. { V. 4 } Scripture: "But you, brethren, are not in darkness that - that day should overtake you as a thief.

169. { V. 5 }: You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are NOT of the night, nor of darkness.

170. { V. 6 }: Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober, { 1- Thessalonians 5:4-6 }."

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171. The above three verses paraphrased . . .

172. { V. 4 } Scripture: "But you, brethren, are not in the power of darkness [ i.e., a figure of the unbelievers moral state and separation from God ], that - that day [ that the Rapture takes place ] should overtake you by surprise as a robber who comes as a thief.

173. { V. 5 }: You are all [ Christians ] the children of light [ knowledge and understanding of God's Word ], and the children of the day: we are 'NOT' of the night, nor of darkness.

174. { V. 6 }: Accordingly then, let us not sleep [ i.e., not referring to physical sleep as referred to in { Mark 13:36; - & - Ephesians 5:14 }, as do others [ that are morally sinful and are without salvation ]; but let us watch and be sober "alert , cautious and on our guard, and let us be calm, collected and circumspect."

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175. Commentary . . . This teaching is clear. While the people here on the earth cannot know the day or the hour of the Lord's coming, nevertheless they are to look for the signs of the approximate time of His advent. When certain signs appear, then folks that are still present on this earth are admonished to realize that - that day is near. Naturally the most important sign of the Second Coming will be the Rapture of the body of Christ from off this earth. We Christians understand that we are living in the closing days of this grace dispensation, and the next climatic event is the appearing of Christ in the earth's atmosphere to receive His Body of believing Saints to Himself as the Scripture has predicted, {1- Thessalonians 4:16-18; - & - 1- Corinthians 15: 51-55}. We must diligently take heed to our Lord's words when He said, and we repeat this verse . . .

176. Scripture: "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption [ is ] drawing near, { Luke 21: 28 }."

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177. Commentary . . . It isn't wrong to be deeply interested in the time of our Lord's return. It is wrong to set the exact date but it is equally wrong not to heed the indications of the nearness of His return. In { Matthew Ch. 24 } Christ's disciples [ followers ] expressed their deep concern over the time of our Lord's return. Right here we remind you again that all this is a picture of the last days when once again the lines will be inescapably drawn between world religion and personal faith in the Lord's Word. Remember, Jesus said that as it was before the Flood, so shall it be again in the last days.

178. Can anyone see the striking similarity of the last days of Cain and our modern religious trend? As it was then, so it will be today, there are only two beliefs "religion and Christianity," and the difference is becoming more apparent than ever before. Man has classified religion into many groups, and calls them sects, churches or denominations but all of this can be grouped under just two heads, the religion of Cain or the Sainthood of Able . . . 'works or grace.'

79. Never should Christianity have anything to do with ceremonies or rituals or ungodly forms of worship. Actually, the place of worship is really not important, the type of building, or names of officers. But, what is truly important is wherever the grace of God is preached, the Bible alone must be received as the Lord's revelation to man. And, the blood of Christ is to be proclaimed for the remission of sins by faith in the Almighty's promises. There you will find the Christianity of Able, probably ignored and reviled by many but acknowledged by God. And the reverse is true, wherever the blood atonement is denied, the inspiration of the Bible is rejected.

180. It is wrong to preach concerning the dignity of man and leave out the warning of man's depravity, because there is where you have a repetition of the religion of Cain. The fact is, anything that concerns Biblical facts and is not of Christianity or of Biblical truth is false doctrine and is strictly a religion unrelated to truth. Thus, no matter what folks may call themselves, if they teach a false doctrine they are going by the way of Cain because, this cannot be called Christianity. The Bible must be used as the Lord's text Book otherwise what is taught by religionists will consist of false, depraved doctrine.

181. Salvation can only be received through the shed blood of Christ. Wherever the Word of God is truthfully taught that makes clear about salvation being received through the Blood of Christ, and by accepting and believing the Bible that is being taught, redemption can be received. Salvation can only be received by faith, and there we find Christianity through the religion of Able, Noah, Abraham and his greater Son Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Whether it may be in a stately cathedral with soft music and meticulously dressed worshipers, or in a simple brush arbor without music or choir, it really doesn't matter. Neither does it matter where Jesus Christ the Son of God is preached as Saviour and Lord through faith in His blood. Wherever Christians and lost folks gather together in worship, there you will find that the Holy Spirit will also be in your midst. There also, you will find Abel's offering; but where these are lacking - we have Cain's religion which may be impressive but, in fact worthless.

182. Let us not be deceived, because Cain and Abel are in great opposition to each other. There can be no compromise, no cooperation, no integration of these two systems of belief. The modernism of Cain and the fundamentalism of Able will never mix, but can ultimately result only in a deadly ungodly conflict, presumably with victory for the modernist Cain. In the light of Christ's words, "As in the days that were before the Flood, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." One is not surprised to see the tremendous advances of an ecumenical, compromising attempt at integrating all religions into a one World super Denomination, and the political and religious murder of the remnant of those who will not sacrifice truth for a false peace, or faith in the blood for a man-made unity and peace.

183. The time is present when people must make a choice. And, when life gets to be intolerable during this Dispensation, think how depressing, pitiful and fearful it will be immediately after the Rapture of Christ's Body of Saints takes place. The differences between the followers of Cain and Able are becoming wider and wider, and people will eventually be forced into one camp or another. What we recognize today is a popular worldly crowd who loudly proclaim the universal Fatherhood of God and the universal Brotherhood of man. On the other side is that "called-out" company, that is a seemingly insignificant minority, who still believe that "no man can serve two masters," and who accept the words of Christ who said:

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184. Scripture: "Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily [ surely and truthfully ] I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, { John 3:3 }."

185. Verse 3 above paraphrased: "Jesus answered and said, I assure you, most solemnly, that unless a person in born again [ anew "spiritually speaking," from above ] he cannot ever see . . . know, or be acquainted with [ and experience ] the heavenly Kingdom of God."

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186. Commentary . . . Be born again. Literally., be born from above { as in V. 31; - & - 19:11 }, though the word also means 'again' { Galatians 4:9 }." ( Both ideas merged in John's Gospel and ) are combined in the translation 'be born anew.' The new birth or regeneration { Titus 3:5 } is the act of God which gives eternal life to the one who believes in Christ. As a result, he becomes a 'Member of God's Family ' { 1 Peter 1:23 }, with a new capacity and desire to please his heavenly Father { 2- Corinthians 5:17 }.

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187. Paul said, Scripture: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit, { Titus 3:5 }."

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188. Above verse Paraphrased: "He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we have accomplished, but because of Christ's Own pity and mercy, by the cleansing bath of the new birth [ regeneration ] and renewing of the Holy Spirit."

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189. Commentary . . . Not by works of righteousness . . . by the washing of regeneration. Personal salvation cannot be achieved through any type of good works but through the cleansing of the new birth. Renewing of the Holy Spirit means either the initial act of conversion or, more probably, continual renewing by the Spirit throughout the life of the Believer. In any case, salvation is the Lord's gracious work, not a reward for man's worth-while acts.

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190. And again, Scripture: "He that believes on Him [ Christ ] is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God, { John 3:18 }."

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191. The above { V. 18 } paraphrased in commentary form: "He who believes on Christ Jesus . . . who clings to, trusts in, and relies on Christ . . . is never to be judged as a lost sinner. For him there is not, or ever shall be any rejection by the Father. No, nor is there to be any condemnation to be laid at his door. But, he who does not believe [ nor cleave to, rely on, or trust in Christ ] is already judged. He has already been convicted, and has already received his sentence because he has never believed or trusted on, or in the name of the only begotten Son of God. He is condemned to an everlasting lake of fire for refusing to let his trust rest in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." Which will you believe? the words of man who say "it makes no difference what you believe" or the Word of God?

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192. Scripture: "He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself: he that believes not God has made Him a liar; because he believes not the record that God gave of His Son, { 1- John 5:10 }."

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193. The above { V. 10 } paraphrased: "He who believes in Jesus Christ the Son of God . . . who adheres to and trusts in and relies on Jesus Christ, possesses this Divine attestation . . . and has the testimony within himself. He who does not believe God in this way has made the Lord out to be, and has represented Him as a liar, because he has not believed . . . or put his faith in, or relied on the testimony of the evidence that God has given regarding His Son Jesus Christ."

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194. Commentary . . . This same conflict, has always been present among mankind since [ Noah's day ]. Thus, today it is progressing to a climax with the tremendous movement of a religious society to join all faiths [ so-called ] into a great One World religious Organization. It is believed that this can be accomplished by compromising on the great fundamentals of salvation. There certainly should be no compromising with the one worlders with things such as [ 1 ]: the infallible inspiration of the Scriptures, [ 2 ]: the 'SUPERNATURAL' conception and virgin birth of Christ, [ 3 ]: The Lord's eternal deity, [ 4 ]: His substitutionary death, [ 5 ]: redemption by the blood, [ 6 ]: Christ's bodily resurrection, and [ 7 ]: The Lord's eternal omniscience [ all knowing ], omnipresence [ all things are in His presence ], and His omnipotence [ God is immutable, unchangeable; unalterable; changeless ]. [ 8 ]: His literal coming again!

195. Our modernist new age friends are so gracious to say it is all right for you if you want to believe all this, but it makes no difference whether you do or don't. It really just doesn't matter. At the same time, there is a separation going on from the apostate, compromising system, and a calling out of a small company to a place without the camp with the Christ of the Scriptures. All this is plainly seen in the story of Cain and Able in which Jesus referred to about that which took place before the Flood."

196. Commentary . . . We come now to another highly significant sign of the last days found in { Genesis 4 }. In this chapter we have the first mention of travel. Cain became the first world traveler mentioned in the Bible. After he had murdered his brother Able, He left his homeland and became a wanderer in the earth. We read in the record:

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197. Scripture: "And Cain went out [ away ] from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt, in the land of Nod [ wandering throughout the land ], on the east of Eden, { Genesis 4:16 }."

198. Commentary . . . The land of Nod means literally 'the land of wandering.' Which implies traveling from place to place. Tradition relates that Cain went out to India and China and other remote lands [ from the international Bible Encyclopedia ]. This may be, and likely is, only conjecture, but the general interpretation is that Cain traveled some distance from home. It suggests a restlessness, uneasiness and a desire to explore and investigate. Since this is the first mention of wondering from place to place in the Bible, it suggests real significance in the light of Christ's words: "As in the days that were before the Flood . . . so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Remember, this was 'before' the Flood and therefore was certainly included in the Lord's Words as a sign of His return.

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199. Commentary . . . Daniel was in agreement when speaking of the end time. The Lord revealed to Daniel the future age, the times of the Gentiles, and then what would take place during the end times. This related prophetically to the time of tribulation that follows the end of this present Dispensation, and the rise of the Antichrist. And then: the glorious return of Messiah the King of Kings, when Christ portrayed as the stone cut without hands smites the image of Gentile world dominion and grinds it to powder. While the crushing stone itself becomes a great mountain, the interpretation is clear, for Daniel visualizes Messiah's return in glory, and he states . . .

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200. { V. 13 } Scripture: "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, 0ne like the Son of man [ Jesus Christ who ] came with the clouds of heaven, and came to '[ God the Father ] the Ancient of days,' and they brought Him [ Jesus ] near before Him [ the Father ].

201. { V. 14 }. . . [ 1 ]: And there was given Him [ Christ the Messiah ] dominion, [ 2 ]: and glory, [ 3 ]: and a kingdom, [ 4 ]: that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him, [ 5 ]: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, [ 6 ]: which shall not pass away, [ 7 ]: and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, { Daniel 7:13-14 }." See { Revelation 5:1-10 }.

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202. Commentary . . . Notice that the vision ended with 'one like the Son Of Man' coming before the Ancient of days to receive an eternal Kingdom with those of all nations in His service. Here, the Old Testament clearly presents the Father and the Son as two separate persons within the Trinitarian Godhead. The prophet understood that the prophecies he saw had to do with the latter days and the return of Messiah, but was not permitted to know the precise date of Christ's return. This was to remain a secret until his prophecies should come to pass. Only during these last days, are we able to understand the things Daniel inquired about. Until the last days of this grace period, the book of Daniel was a misunderstood challenge to comprehend, most of the prophetic eschatological events in the book were pretty much shadow events of the future. In chapter 12, Daniel was commanded to seal his prophecies.

203. Scripture: "But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to [ until ] the time of the end [ that is, 'until a short time just before the Tribulation Period begins, then ]:' many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased: '. . . [ "by searching anxiously through the book of Daniel, to obtain knowledge of God's purposes as revealed by His prophets. By this search, much knowledge shall be obtained and become great!, { Daniel 12:4 }." See { Revelation 22:10; - & - Amos 8:12 }.

204. Commentary . . . These two signs . . . 'many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased,' is most significant in the light of this 21st century. They could not be understood until just within the lifetime of most of us. Knowledge had to be increased enough to comprehend Daniel's Prophecies, this did not happen until the latter part of this grace Dispensation!"

205. Commentary . . . Today, however, the two signs mentioned above make perfectly clear what is meant by the phrase describing the last days, they characterize the end time preceding the setting up of the Millennial Kingdom upon this earth. It will be an age of speed, travel, and education. Comment seems almost unnecessary here, yet the passage has been overlooked by many. Some of us have witnessed the change from the horse and buggy to the jet age and space travel. Personally, when I was a young man there were many horses used to perform various uses of farm labor.

206. And, there were countless roads and highways that were gravel and dirt, most of them would get very muddy after it rained. Wagons pulled by horses were used in many cases for work projects even though there were several trucks on the highways, many of which had hard rubber tires and were tubeless. On up through the 1940's many horses were used, and some of them were used to pull milk wagons in early morning hours to deliver glass milk bottles of milk to the doors of residences. And yes, horses and mules were even used during the early 1950's and 60's in various places.

207. During the 1930's and 40's we witnessed the coming of blacktop roads and cement highways over practically all of the United States and most foreign countries. Only a small number of planes and zeppelins were seen when I was a child. But, now jet planes that travel faster than the speed of sound are an every day occurrence, and very seldom even noticed by the majority of people. Satellites orbiting the earth and spaceships are in use, there are radios, c.d. players, televisions, and personal computers in countless homes. Rockets traveling into outer space - to mars, the moon and other places have been used for several years now. Countless plans are being made to even populate other planets where mankind may dwell and work.

208. Man have really become travelers. In my early childhood days most folks seldom traveled more than a few miles from home, on foot, or by train, and perhaps by streetcar or city buses. Folks who had traveled abroad were considered as being in the upper wealthy class. People who traveled to far away places such as Florida or California from Mid America for pleasure were the envy of all, some traveled in cars but very few could afford to do so. On the other hand, traveling today, people are traveling on divided super highways as far as 70 or 80 miles in one hour and this is an everyday occurrence for countless people.

209. Things have really changed. We travel today on a weekend farther from home than most of our elders traveled in a lifetime. Thousands and thousands commute back and forth across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in a few hours. Surely this is the age of travel, which began with Cain in the days before the flood, when he began as the first wonderer in the land of Nod. And Jesus said, "as it was - so shall it once again be." Surely no one can fail to see the meaning of Daniel's words "many shall run to and fro," as an indication of the last days.