The Return Of Jesus Christ And The Great Falling Away From The Faith
(See my Bible study called Evildoers In The House Of God for more revelation.)
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 – The revealing of the “man of lawlessness”, the “man of sin”, the “son of destruction” (see the Bible study The Son Of Destruction). These are the “evildoers” within the church who have cast off the requirements of the holy covenant of Jesus Christ (see the Bible study Evildoers In The House Of God). They “took pleasure in wickedness” instead, glorifying themselves as God. They fall away from the truth, who is Christ (John 14:6), exalting themselves as God (i.e. self-exaltation), seating themselves on His throne within their hearts, to their own destruction.
1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together [“a complete collection, a gathering together in one place”] to Him,
2 that you may not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy [“defection from truth, a falling away”] comes first, and the man of lawlessness [“the condition of without law”] is revealed [“to uncover, to make manifest”], the son of destruction [“ruin or loss”],
4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. [Zech. 5:5-11- “This is wickedness…a temple in Shinar (Babylon)…she will be set there on her own pedestal…” – self-glorification]
5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?
6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he may be revealed.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.
8 And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false,
12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.
(NAS)
Matthew 13:40-43 – At the end of this age, angels, or “messengers,” will be sent by Jesus to gather all the evildoers, those who commit lawlessness, out from HIS KINGDOM, or HIS HOUSE. All the pastors and teachers who promote doctrines that allow God’s people to walk in sin with no consequence of them being removed from the Lord’s house (specifically, the “once saved, always saved” doctrine of demons) will be the first to be bundled up and thrown into the fire. We are now watching as the Lord exposes them, giving them one last chance to repent or be removed from His kingdom. It will allow the righteous, faithful followers of Christ to shine brightly (see the Bible study Wholly Illumined No Dark Part).
40 "Therefore just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.
41 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks [NIV- “everything that causes sin”], and those who commit lawlessness [“NIV- “all who do evil”],
42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43 "Then the righteous will shine forth [“to be resplendent”, they will gain the Lord’s glory! See the Bible study Glorified) as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
(NAS)
Jude 1:6-7 – Like the angels, those who leave their beginning/origin in Christ to indulge the flesh in sin, giving themselves over through their actions, refusing to repent, will suffer the punishment of eternal fire. It is said that Luther despised this book because it went against his belief of “once saved always saved.”
6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain [“beginning, origin”], but left their own abode [“a dwelling place, a habitation”], He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
(NKJ)
Why Mount Zion?
Psalm 132:13-16 – It is the place chosen by the Lord where He will dwell, meeting the needs of His people. (See the article Shelley’s Dream. In the third part of a dream that came over the period of about a year, each dream picking up where the last one ended, she arrives at the place in the Lord where all needs were met.)
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation.
14 "This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 "I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needy with bread.
16 "Her priests also I will clothe with salvation; and her godly ones will sing aloud for joy.
(NAS)
“Zion is established as the place of God’s throne, as well as the place of His temple… David may die, but his greater Son and His many brethren will rule and reign forever on his throne… He must have a people in whom He can dwell in the fullness of priestly fellowship and communion, and through whom He can reveal Himself to the nations in kingly authority and power… As we cultivate priestly ministry we come into a place of communion with God. In kingly ministry we have power with men. That is why we must concentrate on priestly ministry. And that is why God always establishes a priesthood on the earth before he establishes a kingdom. Man would always reverse this order, and in so doing he brings chaos and devastation into the midst of God’s heritage. Oh that God would eradicate that inherent lust for power and authority from the hearts of His people, and especially from the hearts of those in ministry!” [I believe the Lord is doing this right now, exposing numerous ministries that have strayed far from Him, pridefully exalting themselves over Him.]
(“From Tent To Temple” by George H. Warnock, p.59, 63)
Psalm 2:1-6 – I believe this passage refers to the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth when the devil is released for a short period of time. He incites the unregenerate people of the earth to rise up against the Lord and His servants who are ruling with Him from Mount Zion. They will quickly be destroyed. It’s an interesting thought to wonder how these people that still have within them, at least to some degree, the fallen nature that the devil can incite, made it through the wrath of God on the nations at the end of the age, right before the establishment of the kingdom age (i.e. the millenium)?
1 Why are the nations in an uproar, and the peoples devising a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed:
3 "Let us tear their fetters apart, and cast away their cords from us!"
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury:
6 "But as for me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain."
(NAS)
Psalm 48:1-2, 8 – Mount Zion will be established as the city of the great King forever. (See the section Why Mount Zion in the Bible study The Lavish Banquet Of The Lord.)
1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, His holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion in the far north, the city of the great King.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish her forever. Selah.
(NAS)
The Controversy That Led To James Statement About The Tent Of David
Acts 15:1-31 – The whole discussion which led up to James’ statement concerning the tent of David in verse 15 came from the question of whether or not a door of faith had been opened to the Gentiles.
1 And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
(NAS)
“James told the council that they ought not try to make Jews out of Gentiles according to the old law, because God promised even in the Scriptures that the Tabernacle of David would be rebuilt, and in that new order God would receive the Gentiles as His very own, and place His name upon them… He was rather quoting from the prophet Amos so as to clearly show the council that this age old prophecy was now in the process of fulfillment (Christ first, then His Body)… For here in the Tabernacle of David we have an institution that had no relation to temple, and temple ritual, and nothing to do with brazen altars and lavers and altars of incense…
To the apostle James it was quite evident that the reference of Amos to the Tabernacle of David related to the spiritual restoration of the glory of David’s kingdom… We do hear a lot about a beautiful temple something like Solomon’s that is supposed to be built there in Jerusalem some day. And yet, the only promise in the New Testament that refers to the rebuilding of the house of David is the one concerning the ‘Tent of David,’ which every one recognizes as a spiritual ‘tent,’ and not a flimsy piece of cloth like the one that David erected there in the beginning…
A restoration to temples, and altars, and candlesticks, and the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a red heifer? No, this would be the greatest of abominations! But this restoration must be something greater, something grander, something far and beyond what we have yet known in the church and it will come about by the resurrection life of the Lord Jesus, moving in this ‘one new man’ that God made of Jew and Gentile when He tore down the wall of partition.”
(“From Tent To Temple” by George H. Warnock, p.68-69, 72)
Restoring The Fallen Tent Of David; Restoring The Fallen Nature Of Adam
2 Corinthians 5:1-5 – See the note below.
1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down [2647], we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven;
3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked.
4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.
5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
(NAS) [See the Bible study The Seal Of The Holy Spirit.]
2647 kataluo (kat-al-oo'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from 2596 and 3089; to loosen down (disintegrate), i.e. (by implication) to demolish (literally or figuratively); specially [compare 2646] to halt for the night, to dissolve, to disunite
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
a) (what has been joined together), to destroy, to demolish
b) metaphorically, to overthrow, that is, to render vain, to deprive of success, to bring to naught, to subvert, to overthrow; used of institutions, forms of government, laws, etc. to deprive of force, to annul, to abrogate, to discard
c) used of travelers, to halt on a journey, to put up, to lodge (the figurative expression originating in the circumstance that, to put up for the night, the straps and packs of the beasts of burden are unbound and taken off; or, more correctly from the fact that the traveler's garments, tied up when he is on the journey, are unloosed at it end)
Paul speaks of our fallen (“torn down”) earthly tent, and the prepared building from God, not made with human hands like some say is going to be rebuilt in Jerusalem, but rather an eternal one “in the heavens.” He speaks of being “clothed with our dwelling from heaven.” I believe this refers to the “new Jerusalem” referred to in Revelation 21:2-5;
“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them, and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’”
The “new Jerusalem” is a “new dwelling” prepared for us by God for our “fallen tent.” Jesus said in John 14:2-3;
“In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Jesus dwelt in an earthly tent that fell and was raised new. We who are His Body will do likewise, fulfilling the promise of a resurrected, glorified body just like Jesus (see the Bible study Glorified).
2 Peter 1:10-14 – When I “put off my tent,” I will either be clothed in Christ or be found “naked” in His sight.
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.
13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,
14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.
(NKJ)
“Many people saw Jesus every day, and most thought of Him as just another man. But inside that man lived the glory of God. God’s presence in its fullness dwelt behind the veil of his flesh, just inside that simple tent that Mary had given Him at birth… He was the fulfillment of David’s tabernacle. But He laid that perfect life down. The tent was fallen, as the prophet Amos had said. But the promise is that the tabernacle of David will be raised up again in the last days. Some now boast that they are walking in the fulfillment of that promise, but their lives do not witness to this. There will be a fulfillment of this promise. There will be a people raised up in the last days who will once again, in simple human bodies (in tents if you please), manifest the image of a living God… it is God who shall be glorified, and creation shall be set free from the corruption of death and decay.”
(“Tent To Temple” by Bill Britton, p.12-13)
Isaiah’s Revelation Of Zion And the Tent Of David
Isaiah 2:1-4 – Isaiah prophecies in this passage about Mount Zion, the mountain of the Lord (see my Bible study called The Mountain Of The Lord’s Temple). God’s righteous judgments have already taken place on the face of the earth. What the Scriptures refer to as “the day of the Lord” has occurred. Isaiah 26:9 says, “when the earth experiences Thy judgments the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.” Those among the Gentiles who are left will then seek His ways from the capital city of the world, Jerusalem, which has become the seat of His government. After the Lord’s enemies have been destroyed, Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, will be established as the place of God’s throne. His peace will then reign on the face of the earth. Never again will there be armies training for war. Hallelujah!
1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream [5102- “to flow, assemble”] to it.
3 And many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths." For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.
(NAS)
Micah 4:1-8 – This is a parallel passage to Isaiah 2. It also speaks of the “former dominion”, or government of God returning to “the daughter of Jerusalem.” (See the Bible study The Dominion Mandate.)
1 And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it.
2 And many nations will come and say, "Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths." For from Zion will go forth the law, even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
3 And He will judge between many peoples and render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war.
4 And each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to make them afraid, for the mouth of the LORD of hosts has spoken.
5 Though all the peoples walk each in the name of his god, as for us, we will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever.
6 "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will assemble the lame, and gather the outcasts, even those whom I have afflicted.
7 "I will make the lame a remnant, and the outcasts a strong nation, and the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on and forever.
8 "And as for you, tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come-- even the former dominion [“rule, government”] will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.
(NAS)
8 As for you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem."
(NIV)
Zechariah 8:1-23 – The Lord’s promise that He will return to Zion, establishing the chosen seat of His government. This whole chapter speaks of the coming peace of Zion. The nations will come seeking the Lord and His favor in Jerusalem. This speaks of the rebuilding of the fallen tent of David, the place of the kingly/priestly ministry of the Lord through His servants.
1 Then the word of the LORD of hosts came saying,
2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'I am exceedingly jealous for Zion, yes, with great wrath I am jealous for her.'
3 "Thus says the LORD, 'I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts will be called the Holy Mountain.'
20 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities.
21 'And the inhabitants of one will go to another saying, "Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts; I will also go."
22 'So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.'
23 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'"
(NAS)
Isaiah 4:1-6 – See the note right below.
1 For seven women will take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach!"
2 In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel.
3 And it will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy-- everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.
4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment [4941- “a verdict pronounced judicially”] and the spirit of burning [1197- “to kindle, consume, to burn, Jehovah’s wrath”],
5 then the LORD will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy [2646].
6 And there will be a shelter [5521- KJV- “tabernacle”] to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.
(NAS)
2646 chuppah (khoop-paw')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from 2645 [see def. below]; a canopy
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
a chamber, a room, a canopy, a closet
a) a canopy
b) a chamber
c) a divine protection (figurative)
2645 chaphah (khaw-faw')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root (compare 2644, 2653); to cover; by implication, to veil, to encase, protect,
to overlay, wainscotted, covered with boards or paneling
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
a) (Qal) to cover
b) (Niphal) to be covered
c) (Piel) to cover, to overlay
5521 cukkah (sook-kaw')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
fem of 5520; a hut or lair:
KJV-- booth, cottage, covert, pavilion, tabernacle, tent.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
a thicket, a covert, a booth
a) a thicket
b) a booth (a crude or temporary shelter)
The “canopy” (tabernacle or tent), or covering of the Lord over the whole area of Mount Zion is described as a place of “refuge and protection” (see the Bible study entitled The Righteous Covering). First though, the judgment of the Lord takes place. One day when I was questioning the Lord concerning the coming judgment of America that He was revealing to me, I asked Him how, or what it would look like. He led me to the end of verse 4 which says “by a spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning.” I think it’s interesting that a word taken from the Greek for “burning” means “brutishness, stupidity.” Webster’s Dictionary defines brutish as “of or like a brute; savage, gross, stupid, sensual, irrational.” A brute is defined as “lacking the ability to reason, having no consciousness or feelings, like an animal.” This sounds like those who have been given over to their sin in Romans, chapter one, who are said to have a “seared conscience.” We now see these people more and more within our society in America. This is a sign that we are now under the judgment of God who has passed His verdict over us. Like a brute beast, these people are irrational, and illogical. You cannot talk to them with any type of moral rational. Because of God’s judgment upon their minds, it simply does not compute. They are those Paul described in Romans 1:28-31 who have been given over to a “depraved” or “reprobate mind” (see the Bible study Reprobate).
Revelation 7:13-17 – “John speaks of “He who sits on the throne” spreading His “tent” over those who have “come out of the great tribulation.” They have “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes-- who are they, and where did they come from?"
14 I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water [see John 4:7-24; Jesus and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well]. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." [See Revelation 21, and the Bible study The Lavish Banquet Of The Lord.]
(NIV)
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