The Prince of Life:

The Prophets

By Larus Thorhallsson

Copyright © 2015 by Larus Thorhallsson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN 978-9935-9286-1-0

Contents:

15. Isaiah

15.1: Human Error

15.2: The Messiah

15.3: Old and New

15.4: The Knowledge of God

15.5: The Heathens

16. Jeremiah

16.1: The Prophet

16.2: False Worship

16.3: The Captivity

17. Ezekiel

17.1: The Messenger

17.2: Spiritual Whoredom

17.3: Lost and Found

18. Daniel

18.1: Daniel’s Life

18.2: Four Empires

18.3: The Horns

18.4: North and South

19. The Minor Prophets

19.1: The Fallen Believer

19.2: Repentance

19.3: Revival

15. Isaiah

15.1: Human Error

In the Book of Deuteronomy it is written: ‘The Lord thy God will raise unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; According to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. And the Lord said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it from him.’

That to be prophet was not only bound to that in predicting the future, but it was much more important to speak the truth and give a good counsel to the people. The prophet would be a person chosen by God, deemed to be trustworthy and responsible, when it came to receive His words and forward them to everyone else. It is about guiding the people in the greater matters, whether to help the person as an individual or the society in whole, so it could be solved issues and prevented further problems. It can be mentioned the saying ‘Haste makes waste’, when people are very eager and work hard for goals that do no make any sense, and will only lead to a failure. The day of Sabbath is not only about resting after many days of hard work, but it is also about stopping and inquiring after God’s will, what should be done with our life. The man does need to ponder about that what he is doing, whether his goals are deemed to be sensible, how it should be approached the matter and made a proper execution. The human race will otherwise waste their time upon foolish undertakings, where most people will work like slaves for the rich and powerful, and get little in return. This is why we need to take a break from our daily matters, cares, and problems, so that God can guide us into the right direction and help us make the best of situation. It should be born no burden on the Sabbath day, where it should not be brought anything in or out from our ‘house’, and do no work at all. It is also meant to apply to our internal activity, where we should put aside all our desires and thoughts, put all our burdens upon the Lord and forget all about our problems, while we are following His directions. For we must be fully devoted to God and show Him undivided attention, if we are going to listen to His message and understand what it means to our life. But we should never think about something else, never be distracted in our mind, never be occupied with our desires and fears, vanities and problems, at the same time. The individual and the society must first change from within, to set its own affairs in order, before it can be prepared to deal with external challenges and crisis.

The Books of the Prophets might seem hard to read, and even wearisome to many. At that time the Israel people had rejected God and everything His goodness stood for, so that God was of course angry with them and spoke of divine punishments to come. The wrath of God had nothing to do about malice, spite, bias, or racism on His behalf, but He was rather indignant about everything, as what Isaiah mentions in chapter 30. And yet these divine punishments were more like a last resort, after everything else had failed, since God had spent countless years in trying to save the same stubborn nation. It should be taken into consideration that God is not harsh toward the humble sinner, the person who commits sins through ignorance and still possess a degree of decency. And a similar thing could apply to a society that is founded upon moral values, like compassion, understanding, and tolerance, so that crimes tend to be the exception. But the wrath of God did reach to individuals and society that were utterly amoral, when lawlessness prevailed among men and wickedness had reached its zenith. All kinds of errors were practiced in open daylight for all men to see, and yet nobody seemed to care, and nobody bothered to intervene in order help a person in distress. There was no longer any compassion and mercy to be found, but most people tended to be false, spiteful, covetous, lustful, self-centred, self-absorbed, indifferent, and cruel. This can correspond to our times, how sick and deranged out society can become, especially when all kinds of horrid things are committed, promoted, or concealed. So that God is not angry at anyone for showing human frailty, revealing a sign of weakness, or committing a mistake, as if that would be immediately punished by Him. The person can commit faults in small matters, while being scrupulous in the greater matters, and that person would have done the right thing if it would only know the truth. But God is rather angry at the proud, stubborn, and hypocritical people, which deliberately disregard the truth, resist all human decency, and seek to persecute innocent persons. At that time the Israel people knew about God, but they did still not do anything about it, so they would either way refuse to heed the truth after it was revealed. The Israel people were the only nation in the world to know about the only true God, and yet they proved to be the most impious of them all, much worse than the heathens. It was a great irony, that the heathen nations were pious and devoted to their false gods, while the Israel people were what most insolent and ungrateful to the true God. If the heathen nations had known about God then they would have honoured Him, believed His testimony, obeyed His principles, and regarded all His signs. This is why Jesus Christ would later condemn many cities in Israel, because the Lord would have received better reception from the heathens for doing the same things. Sin is the same thing as unbelief toward God, and unbelief does then lead to iniquity. God does condemn the Israel people for their unbelief, for failing to heed His guidance and rejecting the help He offered to them, every time. The Israel people did not believe that it was possible, that they could cease to be selfish and be redeemed by God. Therefore would the Israel people never change from within, or rather never to the better, since they gave up on God even before making any attempt. The people did not give God a chance to prove His power in their lives, so it could be experienced the difference. First the Israel people rejected God, then His words, then His prophets, then the Messiah when He finally appeared to them, and at last they rejected His followers. God already knew from the beginning that the Israel people would not heed His prophets, and yet He continued to send the prophets to them, as a matter of principle. This means that God would be consistent with His goodness, when it came to do the right thing and give the Israel people a chance to repent at any time. But the Israel people were already full of themselves, closed in advance, and determined in rejecting the prophets of God, even before the latter had actually said anything. It is thereby a fact that God continued to do good things toward unworthy and ungrateful people, even that they would never appreciate anything and slight Him all the same. Nobody would be in position to blame God when a disaster befell, but the people only had themselves to blame for having acted contrary to His instructions, each and every time. It is not like God came up with incomprehensible speeches and gesture, when God told the people what was the right thing or the wrong thing to do, but the fault lay entirely in the people’s assumptions and reactions, after having heard the truth. God knows everything, but that does not mean that the believer can know so as well, whether his preaching can obtain reception among the people and convert them.  This is not something that we can calculate in advance, but we can only continue to do the right thing on our behalf, speak the truth, and seek to help those we come across. God will determine what happens within the individual, whether he will repent and turn to God, or whether the individual will harden his heart further and resume his hostility. The man of God can only plant the seed and irrigate it, while it is God alone who can make it grow, so that some choices can only made by the individual from within.

In chapter 1 it is written: ‘Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. A sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is not soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment… Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.’ In the Book of Jeremiah it is written: ‘For I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. For thus saith the Lord, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is griveous. There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines. All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased. Why criest thou for thine affliction? Thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.’ In the Book of Hosea it is written: ‘When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.’

Animals are tamed so they can offer service to the human owner, mostly to produce food, work in the field, and help them travel. The animals can still show a degree of affection and loyalty toward their human owners, even that the latter have not been that kind and generous. God had chosen Israel to become His people, where He had loved them as His own children, shared His blessings with them, and sought to serve their continual wellbeing. And yet the Israel people proved to be ungrateful and treacherous, where God could expect less from them than the human people could expect from tamed animals. It is implied that divine punishments proved ineffectual in leading the people to repentance, for they would only become more stubborn and rebel even more against God, as if everything was His fault. The man would disregard the words of God, desire after selfish things, and then fall into troubles, but he would still blame God for having allowed it to happen. In either case the man would refuse to turn to God, before making the selfish choice and after it made him worse off, since the man was too proud to acknowledge that he could be wrong. A fear of punishment and greed for rewards does never solve anything, since the man does still not understand the actual choice, according to its own premises. The man would still be out in the dark, not knowing what does motivate himself, why God wants him to obey the principle in question, or what is the spirit behind it. God does rather want to draw us with cords of a man, and bands of love, that we should come to love God through Jesus Christ, because of that what He undertook and suffered on our behalf. Jesus Christ would live among us like He was our equal, and He would then persuade us to believe in God, rather than by demanding obedience from above and rely upon brute force. The whole head was sick, meaning that every intention and undertaking proved to be selfish in its nature, for what and whom it was done. It would be for someone else than the Lord, and something else than His words, where the man made himself into the selfish leader of his life, and thereby served the Enemy from within himself. And the whole heart was faint, weak, cowardly, and unstable, where it did no longer possess determination to do the right thing, a strength to act upon that which was known. Every part of the human soul had been corrupted, distorted, and infected, so there was no longer any truth and human decency to be found, in the man’s speech and deeds. If God had not left us small remnant then we should have been like Sodom and Gomorrah. This means that all of us would have become completely wicked in the end, if God had not previously intervened to forgive us our sins, purified and healed our soul, given us new heart and spirit, and offered us further chances to repent and heed His words. If the man does not have God in his life then he will only get worse with the time, where his corruption and problems continue to escalate, until there will no longer be any redeemable quality left, something not insincere and selfish. All of us are in need of spiritual rebirth, to become a new and better person, which is the same thing as if God had given us descendants, replacing our former self and sins. The worldly Jerusalem is like Sodom and Gomorrah, the exact opposite of the heavenly Jerusalem. It does involve exactly the same mindset, in both the rulers and the people, with the minor exception that the Jews knew how to call God by the right name.

It is written: ‘To what purpose of is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? Saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. How is the faithful city become an harlot! It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers… Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the wisdom come unto them.’ In the Book of Amos it is written: ‘I hate, I despire your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts... but let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is The God of hosts.’

God did not care about animal sacrifices, what was considered to be pure outside the man. But God was more concerned that Israel people could become pure from within and have pure dealings with one another, as to make peace with their own conscience. A true fasting is about abstaining from selfish desires and distractions from the world, that we should repent and turn away from our current path, cease to hold selfish things in esteem, and no longer pursue after them. It should instead be loved the fellow man with a pure and sincere heart, shown compassion and understanding toward his position, offered guidance and help to those that are most in need of it. It should be sought to understand the value of the choice, discerned the difference between right and wrong, and acted upon that knowledge, so we must remain steadfast upon the right path and never digress away from it, not for anyone or anything. It does not matter how corrupt and afflicted we can become, as if there was no longer anything good about our life, and we are unable to rise up from our personal problems. For that God can make set everything right in our life, undo the effects from all our wrong choices and make us better than ever, so we will have no regrets in leaving our former life behind. God will reward us while we are doing the right thing, and He will not reward us while we are doing the wrong thing. The matter in question is not about that what God can or cannot do, but rather whether we are following Him or not. God can forgive all our sins, purify us of any corruption, and heal us of any malady. But we do not have any excuse for our unbelief, when we do not believe it to be possible, since it has already been given up on God before approaching Him in the first place. The faithful city had become a harlot, referring to that when the believer was once pure of heart and perfect before God, but his fall from God marked the end of his resolve. It was lost away all the human progress from previous victories, which had been worked so hard for, established and expanded further. The fallen believer had now become utterly unprincipled and shameless, like a harlot or mercenary for hire, willing to sell his conviction to the highest bidder and degrade himself for a petty gain.

In chapter 45 it is written: ‘Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makes thou? Or thy work, He hath no hands? Woe unto him the saith unto his father, What begettest thou? Or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?  Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and His Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.’

Should a child wish that its parents had never existed, or complain that the parents failed to attend to its needs, when the child is already alive and doing well for itself? The man does complain and blame God for everything, after God hade made the man able to have existence in the first place. The man accuses God of being cruel and unfair, and yet the man is able to do so in free speech, repeatedly, without being immediately destroyed by the Being which is supposed to be so bad. First the man neglected to heed God, then rejected Him, and then finally lived in the most selfish way, so it would lead to all kinds of troubles and maladies. And yet God is somehow supposed to be at fault, for having allowed such things to come to pass, when the man did never follow Him in the first place and made wrong decisions by his own free will, without being controlled or forced to do anything. It is a testimony to the treachery and hypocrisy of mankind, that it is denying its Benefactor at that very same time it is receiving benefits as free gifts from Him. It can happen that the man is dissatisfied with his physicals body, its looks and capability, while he does utterly neglect the spiritual, moral, and intellectual aspects. God is able to shape our heart into any form which pleases Him, to the better or worse, depending upon that whether we have already accepted God into our life or not. The man should not become angry at God for his own selfishness, foolishness, incompetence, and failures, when he is unable to fulfil his selfish desires and get what he wants, since it was originated in and encouraged by his own self-will, during God’s absence. So the man never sought for God, never opened his heart to Him, never let God near to him, and never allowed God to become part of his life, as if the man was too good for God. And yet nothing good came out from it, except further troubles and shame. God is constantly hearing to our grumbling, ingratitude, accusations, and slander, and yet He continues to tolerate us with longsuffering, to do good things toward us, and give us further chances to repent, consecutively, during our whole lifetime.

In chapter 5 it is written: ‘And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?  And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.’ In chapter 26 it is written: ‘Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.’

The selfish man presumes that everything needs to become perfect around him, while he refuses to change from within and still holds fast to the same presumptions in the mind. It is not like everyone else should first become perfect before one can finally become so as well, or that one will only be ready to change to the better if everyone else will do so at the same time. But we must be ready to change now, at this very moment, and this very day, and that can only happen if we do first believe in a perfect God and choose the perfect thing. God could grant all kinds of external prosperity to the Israel people, but to no avail, since that nothing good was ever aroused in them, in their selfish and barren hearts. It is not enough to receive benefits, but there must also be good sense and virtues in the human recipient, so that he can appreciate that which is being done for him. God was altogether blameless on His behalf, having already done everything in His power to guide and help the Israel people, both from within and all around them. God could encourage the Israel people to do the right thing and remind them of the truth, and yet they still never acted upon that which they knew but remained just as selfish. It did not matter whether God would give the Israel people a new blessing, or a new chance to repent, since they would also squander that as well, as they had hitherto done. Only truth can lead to truth, and only goodness can lead to goodness, but it has nothing to do about external prosperity and benefits, whether it can be obtained or lost away. God can only convert us through His goodness, after having spoken the truth and helped us. So God must first be good to us before we can be ready to become good, to treat ourselves and other people in the same way as God has been treating us. But it was never through any threats or bribes, adversity or prosperity. So these things alone are inefficient by themselves, unable to instil in us the need to become good, in wanting to be so, to be both willing and able to follow God. This is why God could just as well deprive the Israel people of every prosperity and benefit, and make them undergo all kinds of adversity and loss at the same time, since they would either way not approach God and could not redeem themselves by own effort. When God punished the Israel people then it was not meant to lead them into repentance, but it was more like the consequence after God had given up on them, so their suffering and troubles would be disregarded, as if they were no longer His problem. This does especially apply to the fall of the Northern Kingdom, when the Israel people were led into captivity by the heathens, since they would never again be attended by God and remain in foreign lands.

In chapter 3 it is written: ‘For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water, The mighty man, and the man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counseller, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator. And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall ruler over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable. When a man take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand: In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.’ In chapter 9 it is written: ‘Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day. The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is an hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.’ In chapter 10 it is written: ‘Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from afar? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory? Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.’

Idolatry is not only bound to religious idols or false gods, but it can apply to any sinful ideas and pursuits which the human people put before God. A false prophet is not only bound to religion and prophecies, but he can signify a leading person in the society, someone that encourages selfish pursuits, promises continual success, and even ridicules all warnings. There have been many false prophets prior to economical crisis, moral decline in the society, and unjustified wars. But most people failed to recognize this until it was too late, after the harm was already done and all of them were dragged down by it. The ancient and honourable can apply to a politician, a selfish leader of a selfish people, who appeals to their selfishness in order to further his own selfish ends. Selfish people deserve a selfish leader, whom will only lead them to needless troubles, since they had previously persecuted those that spoke the truth and excluded them. All of them are hypocrites and evildoers, quick to judge other persons for something which they are no better at, but they are much worse in comparison. Nobody would have fared differently in the same position, since that everyone think and behave in the same way, are guilty of similar corruption and favouritism in own matters. The people can seek to change their words, while everything else remains the same, so the capability will not match their words and they will surely fail like the ones before them. A false prophet is more like a demagogue on the bottom, someone that appeals to the people’s superstition and need for signs. The people might presume that they are able control their own fate, but it is really the prophet that is controlling them, by fabricating prophecies that point the masses into a direction of his choosing. The false prophet did first desire after a selfish advantage/outcome, and then next he invented prophecy that seemed to encourage it, to self-justify means to that end. God would not have any mercy upon the fatherless and the widows, among the Israel people at that time. It is because they were guilty of similar corruption and evil dealings as they had suffered by the hands of other men. The poor might be discriminated and oppressed by those with the most power, but they were in turn discriminating and oppressing those even poorer than themselves. This is why nobody was really innocent, deserving of justice and mercy from God, since they would have committed exactly the same crimes under similar conditions. God would not save the hypocrites in their hour of need, whether poor or rich, since that everyone was accomplice in the same corruption, whether openly or in secret. This is altogether their problem, for being so false and selfish, proud and stubborn, so that God will not reward them for being so, not throw His pearls before the swine. It is not like the man of God should become troubled on behalf of such people, as if he was supposed to become their political leader and solve everything in the society. For the people are still clinging to their evil ways, denying Jesus Christ and looking for alternate means for prosperity, as if they could practice the same old selfishness in new clothes, as if it could be separated bad consequences from wrong choices.

In chapter 3 it is written: ‘Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:… In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon… And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.’ In chapter 65 it is written: ‘Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.’

God is not really speaking about the women of Israel, but He is rather referring to religious hypocrites, as when the Pharisees were quick to judge and slander other people, to admire and praise their own life. So that God is likening religious hypocrites to women, since there was nothing manly about their qualities, nothing besides their empty thoughts and words. The Pharisees were full of themselves, proud, self-conceited, superficial, and vain, so it involved the same attitude as when a beautiful woman has proud looks and haughty spirit. God does predict the fall of the religious hypocrites, even as when a selfish and foolish woman would loose her beauty, so there would no longer be anything special about her life and she had nothing to be proud over. The external beauty had hitherto seemed to conceal or make up for her lack in everything else, but without that beauty then nobody would heed her selfish demands and foolish opinions. A similar thing would apply to the religious hypocrites, after God had deprived them of all good sense, virtues, and benefits, making them into blind leaders of the blind. The religious hypocrites had hitherto concealed their ulterior motives and corrupt dealings, so that other people had not suspected them to be selfish and foolish. But God would reveal everything and make it become transparent to everyone, that He has hitherto not favoured religious hypocrites and will neither do so in the future. If the man was truly holy then there would not emit a stink from his soul, which is a sign of corruption. And if the man truly had a righteous cause then he would not fail in his undertakings, which is a sign of God’s displeasure, in not giving His approval for it. It could thereby be read between the lines, when it was looked upon the lives of the religious hypocrites, how restricted they proved to be in intellects, morality, and capability. The religious hypocrites would be easily deceived, manipulated, and made fools of, since they were already selfish and ignorant from within, receptive toward temptations. A beautiful woman would stink and become bald, even as when religious hypocrites became mean-spirited and petty minded, in contrast to nobility of soul. Religious hypocrites tend to ‘decorate’ themselves with empty titles and honours, but they do still prove to be equally worthless as before, altogether distant from God’s truth and justice. It would correspond to that if an unattractive woman would make use of beautiful dress and expensive jewellery, but it would still fail to solve the nature of the problem, why other men do not desire after her. So God would not consider the religious hypocrites, regardless of their reputation in the world, since it they failed to meet His requirements, what truly mattered and defined the essence of the faith. The self-righteous men pretend to be holier than everyone else, and always right about everything, so they treat the humble sinners with arrogance and indifference. But the self-righteous men are actually more sinful than other people, for having shown more unbelief toward God, transgressed against the manner of worship, taken His name in vain and worshipped golden calf, committing blasphemy and sacrilege. It does remind of that when the three friends of Job spoke foolishly about God, by ascribing selfish qualities to God and explaining His reasons as self-centred, even that they did not blaspheme God directly (through the use of insults and mockeries). It was exactly the same thing with the Pharisees, the enemies of Jesus Christ, since they treated God like a selfish being and acted like God wanted them to be selfish.

In chapter 44 it is written: ‘He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and it is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree? He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?’

This does not only apply to an idol shaped by the man’s hands, but it can also signify a spiritual idol, which is shaped by the man’s mind. The man does rely upon his own thoughts and imaginations, what God is supposed to be like and want from him, so the man begins to prefer his subjective image above the real one, as if it could replace God. It does however not make any sense that the man should rely so much upon the mind, by giving credit to religious delusions and allow them to control his life. For the man has hitherto been making wrong choices through the influence of the mind, whether it involved his personal conviction, morality, goals, human relations, and work, so it would be a foolish thing to expect different results from religious thoughts. The man has been wrong about so many things, originated in his favouritism, presumptions, prejudices, fantasies, whims, avarice, envy, and bitterness. And now the man repeats exactly the same approach, means, and expectations, unless he is now mentioning the name of God and trying to guess everything about Him. The religious delusions are like leftovers from the man’s mind, after he has already spent most of his time and effort upon other fields, private matters and worldly ones. The man would burn a part of the matter in fire, and with a part thereof eat a flesh, before making an idol out from the rest. A similar thing applies when the man is burning up with unnatural desires, thinking and doing something to the detriment of his spiritual health, as if he was feeding upon his own flesh. The selfish man is dictated by selfish desires in his heart, selfish thoughts in his mind, and impulses in the flesh, which only makes his life worse off and never better. And yet that selfish man does rely upon the very same things in his religious beliefs, as if selfish desires and selfish thoughts would be more likely to make him pious, to become more eager in serving the divinity if there is some kind of selfish repayment, and that he would be able to obtain favour with a selfish god, by being just as selfish as him. But the spiritual idol is unable to redeem the man’s soul and save him from troubles, even as when the man is unable to save himself, the inventor of the same idol. So the man cannot accomplish anything in his own self-will, human might and effort, let alone that spiritual idol, which can never be greater than the creator never exceed his capability. The man is vanity and also everything that he can invent, so it would not make any sense to rely upon someone above God or something above His words. The man is nothing in either case, whether he does exist for real or is imaginary, as if he can at most become self-aware that he knows nothing and cannot do anything.

In chapter 28 it is written: ‘Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!... But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.’ In chapter 29 it is written: ‘Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.’

Self-righteousness is a spiritual drunkenness, when it is sought to do good things through selfish reasons, when it is relied upon evil means for the sake of good outcome, when the remedy proves to be far worse and more insane than the actual malady. It is thereby pretended to believe in God and agree with everything, while it is listened to the Enemy and received his help, as if the Enemy knew better than God and would deliver better results. It has thereby been betrayed God in all but name, where only the concept of God remains while everything else belongs to the evil nature. It might be listened to God’s words, but it is assumed something wrong about it, and responded in an improper way. Drunkenness is an extreme state, where the man does first experience his mood too high and then later too low, unlike the usual sobriety, equanimity, and inner stability. It is exactly the same thing with the two extremes, which are namely selfishness and self-righteousness, when fanatics go too far and make own additions to the faith, until nothing resembles the divine will and they are no longer serving the same god. So the fanatics will do too much, which leads to the same result as when too little is involved, since neither the self-righteous people nor the selfish one are serving God. It is spoken about tables full of vomit and filthiness, which does signify spite and avarice in the self-righteous men, when they are dictated by a love for dishonest gain, to derive some kind of selfish advantage, profit, or pleasure. So the self-righteous men can be full of spite and persecute persons that are better than them, because they are otherwise afraid of loosing their standing among the people and influence over them. It does thereby become a dishonest gain, when it is made at the expense of someone else, as if it had been stolen honours and rewards from a worthier person. The self-righteous men do first desire after power and prestige among the people, and then next they seek to exploit the people’s credulity and make a profit out of them. It does lead to wealth, which can then be invested in luxuries, pleasures, and material possessions. This is why the self-righteous men ‘sought’ for God in the first place, to further their self-interest and get ahead in the world, as if His name was merely a tool. The self-righteous men are utterly incapable of discerning the truth, what defines the truth and when it does apply, and what does separate the truth from lies. It is because the self-righteous men are blinded by such extreme, where they always listen to the mind above the heart, and only see and hear that which they want to see and hear. So the self-righteous men can neither know God nor understand His will, because it does involve unfavourable conditions in their hearts, like a barren soil would be. The self-righteous men are not looking for understanding, but rather a confirmation for their presumptions and prejudices, that everyone should agree with them. It can thereby apply that the self-righteous men pretend to love God, but they will immediately hate God when He does not agree with them and consider Him their enemy. The Pharisees would only seem to be pious and reverent while God was distant, but they would turn against God the moment He arrived, and hate everything about Him.

In chapter 29 it is later written: ‘Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.  Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? And who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had not understanding?’ In the Book of Jeremiah it is written: ‘Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord. How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?’

It is not enough to imitate after specific words and outward gesture, while it is not consistent with one’s heart, or the heart does not follow after it at the same time. The speech and the gesture is meant to reflect one’s heart, what one does really feel at that moment, what kind of personal conviction is had and really wanted from God. The speech and the gesture is the consequence, while the internal activity is the cause, but it cannot be forced it to happen, as if the external behaviour could change the attitude. Let’s say that a specific man would believe the promises of God and do the right thing, so that he would feel better from within, become grateful toward God and praise Him. But that same man should not teach other people to praise God in the same way, since they have not been doing and experiencing the same things, prior to the words in question. So that other people could repeat after such praise, while feeling nothing from within, since that praise did only belong to that man alone and was only bound to that single incident. The self-righteous man does pretend to be perfect, as if he was someone else, hiding behind beautiful words and promises, as if that could cloak his ulterior motives. It is come up with temporary speech and gesture, as if that was meant to guarantee hearing and reception from God, in regard to completely different matters. For an example then the man can seek to flatter God, pretend to agree with everything and be concerned about other people, only so that God could help him obtain profit and pleasures. But man does not really mean anything that he says, and has no faith in its value. The Israel people were taught to fear God by the precept of men, as if God had no will of His own and would automatically respond like a machine, as if God would find Himself compelled to heed their appeals and grant them everything wished for. It was treated God in a superficial way, as if He was ignorant of their true motives, easily deceived and manipulated, but the people only ended upon excluding themselves from God. For that God could already discern their insincerity and hypocrisy at the outset, so He was not really around during the people’s appeals and would not even listen. The wisdom of the world is foolishness in the eyes of God, something that makes the human people worse off than by knowing nothing and confessing their ignorance. It has been created religious doctrines and customs as if could bestow some kind of control, that the man would be more likely to get his way with God or to trick God into following him, as when it was hoped for rain from heaven or victory in a war. But it is merely an illusion, a self-deception which the foolish man keeps telling himself, while he will continue to remain incompetent and fail in his undertakings. It can thereby be excluded all these human inventions, like religious doctrines, clever or beautiful speeches, customs, formalities, methods, and tricks, as something that offers no advantage and is irrelevant to the approach toward God. It is only sufficient to be sincere and truthful, to approach God as the person we really are, what we really feel and want to say, what we really need and wish from Him. We should thereby confess our current state and true stance, no matter how wrong and frail it is, since that is at least the truth about us, deep down in our heart. It is about having the right endeavour on our behalf, to acknowledge our faults and ask God to help us, so that we can both be willing and able to change to the better. It would correspond to that if we were naked, where we would not use anything to cloak, beautify, or defend ourselves with, but we would only rely upon our heart.

In chapter 2 it is written: ‘Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?’ In chapter 5 it is written: ‘Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!’ In chapter 32 it is written: ‘The vile person shall no more be called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful. For the vile person shall speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.’ In chapter 44 it is written: ‘They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing? Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed: and the workmen, they are of men: let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.’

We should never rely upon someone above God, and never give anyone an equal place in our heart. It should thereby never be preferred human ideas and inventions above the words of God, and never allowed such transient things to function alongside it. For that every man is vanity, thinking and uttering vain things, claiming that vanity can exist and that vanity can work out in our life, while denying the potential of God. Many ridicule the faith in God and the testimony of the Scripture, while they admire actors and musicians, and are credulous to foolish advices regarding fashion and health. This world is indeed foolish and hypocritical, because it does seek directly for the consequences while it does deny the actual source. People presume that they first need to imitate after the external behaviour, before it can be aroused good effects from within. Let’s say that a specific person does believe in God and is thereby happy from within, but other people presume that it is because of the food which that person is eating, what is has been thinking and saying at that moment, and moving with its body. So that everyone attempt to imitate after the superficial issues, as if that could make them happy as well, but none of these advices can ever make up for the absence of God. It is exactly the same thing with human ideology, teachings, doctrines, methods, and tricks, when such things are meant to replace the role of God and His morality. The man can create his own human system, whether ideological, political, or religious, which is supposed to create the ideal human society and deliver the best results, as if everyone was supposed to become enlightened and virtuous enough to co-exist. But all such human systems fail to deliver, whether in the past, present, or the future. For that all the good things are originated from God, where He alone can lead us into the truth and make us virtuous, whether as individuals or a group in whole (society). It is not like the man can invent ‘perfect’ lies and propaganda, which could brainwash people into becoming perfect, as some kind of masterminds or super-soldiers. The man is unable to create a human system that can rival the faith in Jesus Christ, and the man cannot even become enlightened and virtuous in his own life. And yet that man does preach such system to other people and is willing to promise anything. This is what is meant to with hypocritical lawgivers, those that create laws and ruler for other people to live after, while failing to apply the same standard to themselves. It would have been more prudent if the man had first applied such system to his own life, before it could be determined its true value, advantages and disadvantages, whether the new system could surpass the existing one and last in the long run. The Scripture does condemn both extremes, when it is headed too much to the right and too much to the left. At our times then it is sought to self-justify errors in all forms, to fight for and tolerate something which God has spoken against, so it is like there does exist a self-interest group for every vice and weakness. Nothing good will come out from it but it will only lead to further problems, alienating people from God and His words, as what applies to every selfish pursuit. It should of course be shown compassion and understanding to the person, but not excused its wrong choices and encouraged it further. People tend to protest all kinds of things that are obviously wrong and foolish, but they can at most agree about it while failing to change anything out in the world. People are quick to defend selfishness and weaknesses, as if it was only human to do so or it made them human, while it is never spoken about human decency in the same way. This is why the human society tends to be hypocritical, having a double standard, since that nobody bothers to seek for the goodness upon its own terms, in all its purity.

In chapter 7 it is written: ‘If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.’ In chapter 26 it is written: ‘Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.’ In chapter 30 it is written: ‘For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy one of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quiteness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.’ In chapter 32 it is written: ‘Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest… And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwelling, and in quit resting places…’ In the Book of Habakkuk it is written: ‘Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.’

It should first be believed the testimony of God, that He is to be trusted, that He will do as what He has promised, and that the choice in question will be able to affect us to the better or worse. It is then begun to apply it to our life, to make the necessary changes in our attitude and choices, so we can uphold God’s moral standard to the best of our knowledge. And then finally we can be at peace, remain calm and confident about everything, so we will no longed need to think about our problems, not dwell further upon them. For the problem is already solved, concerning our former enmity toward God and complicity with corruption, so that we will not be punished with the world, not share the same fate as His enemies. This is why God claims that in returning and rest shall we be saved, where quietness and confidence shall be our strength. For that we do not need to do anything, except to trust God, that He is the only deciding factor and able to take care of everything in our life. It is not like we need to think about everything back and forth, be afraid about our self-preservation and attempt to save ourselves directly, become troubled over all kinds of matters outside our control, and attempt to predict and plan for everything in advance. This is what it meant with Israel people fleeing upon horses, and riding upon the swift. For the man relies upon his mind above the Spirit of God in his heart, where he tries to be at advantage through subjective arguments and tricks, as if the man could lie himself through everything, escape from any problems, avoid all guilt and repercussions. Psychology would be the best example of such attitude and mindset, when the man relies upon someone else than God, and something else than His words, as if that could lead to redemption, be able to change the man’s heart, attitude, and capability. But God claims that the Israel people would also be pursued by the swift, which does refer to the subjective influence of devils, when they are constantly interfering with the man’s mind, harassing, distracting, and disrupting him in every thought. The man will be unable to control his own mind, let alone anything on the outside, as if his own human remedies and devices had only made him worse off than before. Therefore is God able to equalize everything, so the man will be back into the very same position, that he cannot accomplish anything without believing in Jesus Christ. The man is given a choice, whether he will believe God or not, accept Him or not. So the man can either follow God and be redeemed, or not follow God and fall into troubles, but there does not exist anything in between, and no alternate paths can work out.

In chapter 19 it is written: ‘And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards… The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused the Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.’ In chapter 31 it is written: ‘Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!... Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they fall shall fail together.’

The spirit of Egypt does refer to the human mind, when the man relies upon the mind in order to overcome problems and tries to create his own subjective reality. The best example would be psychology, when it invented all kinds of subjective arguments, remedies, tricks, and methods, as if the man could lie and cheat himself through everything. It does correspond to the role of charmers and wizards, when they only said that what people wanted to hear and invented something to steal people’s attention from God. But the Lord would mingle a perverse spirit in the midst thereof, by giving the man over to a depraved mind. Then the man will be unable to control his thoughts and imagination, where he is unable to think clearly and tends to neglect his surroundings, since he is too occupied with subjective problems, in trying to defend and save himself from it. So the mind would never solve any problems, but the mind would on the contrary become the main problem, making the man worse off than before. For the mind would constantly create new subjective problems and psychical symptoms, as when the man would cut off one head of the hydra and two more heads would emerge. It is like the man does always find himself in the same position, where none of his effort has made any difference and the mind will even equalize his willpower, so that as the man struggles the harder the more difficult the hindrance will become. The root of the problem does consist in this: that the man had already rejected Jesus Christ as his Saviour, and rejected the Scripture as the testimony of God. So the man did neither believe that God could help him, nor that His way could lead to benefits, but the man did instead rely upon the mind in order to become prosperous and happy, as if the mind could replace the role of God and promote benefits in his life. God is not being unfair and unreasonable on His behalf, when he does give the man over to a depraved mind, rather than by blessing the man’s reliance upon the mind. It is not like the man can presume that all these subjective argument and tricks would have worked out, if God had not worked against it or not allowed it to become successful. God has given us existence and He does sustain everything in our life, like sanity, healthy, and capability. Therefore can God do whatever He wishes with our life, and even take everything back, if He deems us to be unworthy. We had previously wanted to become successful without God and have nothing more to do with Him, but we would then only exclude ourselves from God and all His blessings. The Egyptians are only men, and their horses only flesh, as what applies to devils and their advices. The devils prove to be just as foolish and weak like the human people, and their advices prove to be vain and transient in their nature. It is a mere play with words, where it is only arranged the words in a different way, while the actual meaning continues to be lifeless, spiritless, short-sighted, and powerless. Only the words of God can have constructive effects upon our soul, bestow spirit and life into us, benefit our inner condition, change us to the better, and make us more capable. Both the helper and the helped would fall together, which does refer to false prophets and their followers, even as when psychologists are highly esteemed at our times.

In chapter 30 it is written: ‘Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion… They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be an help nor profit, but a shame, and also a reproach. The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of troubles and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them. For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still. Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophecy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophecy deceits: Get out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.’ In the Book of Ezekiel it is written: ‘Speak and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales. And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers: thou shalt all upon open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered: I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.’

The Enemy is the pharaoh, and Egypt is the human mind, so that everything that takes place in the mind belongs to and is originated from him. It is like the man would be constantly thinking about everything, trying to predict and guess everything, coming up with all kinds of schemes in order to be prepared for everything, as if the man could have everything under his control and outsmart any person. But the mind will only make the man self-centred and self-absorbed, as if he was only listening to himself speak, while he utterly neglects everything and everyone else. Let’s say that the man would rebel against God and be given over to a depraved mind, so the man is constantly being harassed and afflicted by delusions and psychical symptoms. This does not mean that the devils are too powerful and overwhelming, but both the man and the devil are being punished by God, and experiencing similar troubles, so the devils are also unable to control their own mind and feeling utterly helpless. The devils only happened to be present at the same time and place, while the man was being punished by God, so that God is really the only one that should be feared. It is true that the man can hear the devils speak to him in the mind, but they can only come up with empty words, while all the disruptions and bad effects are caused by God. When the man is sick then everything does seem hard to bear, like noise from the environment or when the man does exert his body. It is not really the external things that are impossible or too difficult to handle, but it has all to do about the man’s internal condition, how it does affect his personal experience of everything. So the devils happened to speak while the man was being burdened by his depraved mind, dehydrated and burning up in his soul, which made every moment seem unbearable. The man was only able to hear the devils speak to him, but he never noticed their internal condition, that the devils were also of depraved mind and faring no better. The strength of Egypt is to sit still, because the devils can at most come up with empty thoughts and words, unable to change anything in reality, and irrelevant to actual capability. It is only God who is a force of change, who can make anything come out from our aspirations and undertakings, while the devils are useless like statues. Jesus Christ came unto this world to destroy the work of the Enemy, and to offer Himself as a ransom for His people, whom were being held hostage by the Enemy. Therefore would the Enemy and the devils become like fishes upon a dry land, since that Jesus Christ has already deprived them of power, claims, and existence in our life. The Enemy cannot use anything against us, and he will either way never succeed in anything, while we continue to believe in Jesus Christ and live under His grace. The Israel people refused to heed God, His humble truth, His hard truth, since it did not seem to suit their self-interest, what kind of illusions they had about their own importance. So the Israel people told the prophets to remain silent, to speak no more to them, but they rather sought for confirmation of their own presumptions and prejudices.

In chapter 22 it is written: ‘And in that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die. And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts.’

At our times then it has been mistaken this saying as positive, as if the man was trying to enjoy every moment and get the most from the life before he would die. The man can reap all kinds of problems and maladies from his selfish path, and yet he does still not believe that God can save him from it, that he can still be redeemed. But the man does turn to pleasures and entertainments, so that he can turn his eyes from the problems, pretend that they do not exist, and forget himself during the revelry. This is a sign of unbelief, when the man presumes that there is nothing else besides this human existence, that there is no God and there is no life after death. So the man does try to enjoy as many pleasures as possible before he will fall, loose everything, or perish, since he has already despaired of his life and given up all hope. The selfish man does only gaze upon the consequences of his wrong choices, its symptoms or after-effects, while he does never deal with the actual cause, to prevent it. The problems continue to exist and afflict the man all the same, so that he is not actually doing anything to solve it, but he constantly delays everything and remains stagnant. This means that the man is still selfish, weak, foolish, and cowardly, where it is like he has not learned anything all this time and he will only end up with nothing, as nothing. It is true that debauchery is wrong, but it is otherwise nothing wrong with creativity and hobbies, when it is only wanted to enjoy the moment, lift up one’s spirit, and obtain relief from a hard labour. A pleasure and entertainment is neither good nor bad, but it rather us who can have good or bad intentions, so it will affect our approach and use of it. Drunkenness and fornication is obviously a wrong choice, but so would every other pleasure if done immoderately and without self-restraint. Therefore is God condemning the wrong attitude behind the pleasures, when the man prefers pleasures above God, spends too much time upon them, and neglects everything else. This iniquity would not be purged from us until we would die, which means that our self must be first die and be forgotten, before we can begin to live in God. We must be willing to abandon everything and become dead to this world, begin a new life upon new basis, and follow God to any place, instead of repeating the same mistakes. It should not be tried to fix or improve something that is wrong in its foundation, by lessening the selfishness or transfer it between locations, even as when the man pretends to be believe in God while he is still coveting after pleasures and loves them. The selfish man presumes that Paradise is full of carnal pleasures, luxuries, and comforts, as if it would be revelled all day long and done nothing else. It does thereby involve a contradiction, when the man pretends to be pious and austere in this world, while he does still think exactly like the sensual people and wishes for the same things (since he wants revel like them and forget all about God after arriving to Paradise). The man must cease to be selfish and no longer be greedy after rewards, since he will otherwise never approach God in the right way, never know how to serve Him. Only a selfless man can interpret the Scripture in a selfless way, notice the truth as it really is, keep to the original meaning, and know what to expect from God, without allowing love of pleasures to distract him from it, to create a bias and distort his vision.

In chapter 50 it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? Or which of my creditors is it whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.’

Our current spiritual man is an offspring, which came to pass when our former man made a covenant with God or rebelled against Him, so that we are now experiencing the consequences. Our former man was like a mother, a woman which had originally married the Lord, so it was at least done with a good conscience at that moment. If we are now faring well then it is because our mother remained faithful to God and begat lawful offspring’s, which we are supposed to be. But if we are now faring bad then it is because our mother committed adultery and begat bastard. That to be bastard is to lack the Spirit of Christ, where our life is not founded upon faith, love, and truth, but we prove to be self-centred and self-absorbed in our nature. The former covenant would be nullified and a new one would be needed, even as when a man had to divorce an adulterous wife before he could marry again. It was not God that betrayed us and was the first one to abandon us, but we did so needlessly by our own initiative, so that our troubles are wholly of our own doing. The Israel people were willing to heed advices from devils and receive their help, so the people could get ahead in the world, fulfil their selfish desires and obtain success with selfish pursuits. But by doing so the Israel people fell under the influence of devils and gave the devils power over their will, since they continued to listen to devils and do their biddings. It does correspond to that when a credulous man is being deceived, manipulated, and blackmailed by criminals, where he does not dare to resist them and is afraid of the consequences, that something could happen to inflict pain, shame, and loss to his life. The faithless man is willing to betray and sacrifice moral principles in return for material profit and pleasures, something used outside the body and that can only affect the body temporarily, but it is always to the detriment of his spiritual health. So the Israel people sold themselves for their iniquities, where they preferred sinful things above their own spiritual condition and capability, until they had become empty. There was no longer anything good to be found in the Israel people, where there was no redeemable quality in them, no endeavour and potential for human decency. The Israel people had lost their innocence, freedom, and dignity, so there was no difference between them and the enemies of God, and nothing to resemble His people.

In chapter 59 it is written: ‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity… Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doeth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.’

It is our iniquities that separate between us and God, because we are no longer heeding that which belongs to God, what defines Him and makes us able to know Him. We can speak about good outcome or consequences, as if it could be at most be agreed with it, while it is never actually understood its meaning and requirements, since the words of God are no longer part of our heart and we are empty from within. All men have been guilty of ignorance, weaknesses, faults, negligence, and mistakes, often unintentionally, so it was failed to foresee it and not even realized it until afterwards. It is still not what God is referring to, when it is sinned against God and failed to uphold His worship. It is rather spoken about unbelief, when the man does not approach God in the right way, when his heart is not in the right place (or God does not have place in his heart), when the man is insincere and full of ulterior motives, greedy and fearful at the same time. This does not mean that we have become too sinful to be saved by God, but rather that our false appeal will not be heard by Him. God knows when we prove to be false, treacherous, and hypocritical, since we do not mean that which we speak of and promise, and are unwilling to act upon it. So it would either way not have made any difference, whether God would have heard us or not. Why should God receive those that are not ready and turn their backs upon Him, whom do not want to receive His help and do not want to change to the better, whom have no reason to follow Him and would either way not have done anything for Him? The fault does not lie in God but rather in us, when we presume ourselves obligated to approach God and pretend to be perfect, only because we are afraid of Him. The faithless man does never confess anything about himself and his intentions, but he does instead seek to defend himself and self-justify his selfish choices, as if there was something good about it and that it had been done through good reasons. It does never involve a genuine conviction, a belief in the rightful choice and its value, that the goodness should be done for its own sake, as its own reward, as an end in itself. It cannot be followed God without His Spirit, if we do something contrary to His voice in our heart, so it is not consistent with His truth and justice. The hypocritical man does neither call for justice nor pleads for truth, but he is only concerned about his self-gratification, motivated by vanity, envy, avarice, and revengefulness. The hypocritical man does approach God with deceitful tongue and bloody hands, while he is still transgressing against the fellow man and has no intention to stop doing so. The man should at least have tried to abstain from selfish desires, selfish thoughts, and selfish practices, as some kind of endeavour or gesture on his behalf, before he would approach God and ask for help to become a righteous person. It is not like the man would first need to become perfect before approaching God for help, but he can at least repent in his heart and confess that it is wrong to think in such way. It can only be approached God through faith, where our life must be founded upon Jesus Christ, what He taught and accomplished on our behalf, which is the same things as love for God and the fellow man, to believe in the Truth and live for it. It would however never work out if we approached God through other means, by having different motives and reasons, to expect different things and live for them. The hypocritical man prefers lifeless things over the living ones, like his own mind (spiritually dead) above the Spirit of God, and material possessions above human beings.

In chapter 58 it is written: ‘Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that cast out to thy house? When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?’ In chapter 66 it is written: ‘He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.’ In the Book of Joel it is written: ‘Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?’ In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, an when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? Should ye not hear the words which the Lord hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain? Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Exectue true judgment, and shew mercy and compassion every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts: But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate.’ It is written: ‘These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your heart against his neighbour; and love no false oaths: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.’

The Israel people sought daily for God and delighted to know His way, through all the wrong reasons, wrong approach and means. The people might speak about God and His will, while everything else belonged to the mind, what kind of essence, context, and assumptions lay behind the form. It was approached God through the vain thoughts and imaginations of the mind, where the people implicated God to their own desires, delusions/presumptions, whims, fantasies, and impulses, so it made the people actually more distant from God in the beginning. But the Israel people did never heed the voice of God in their hearts, which does manifest itself in a good sense, silent perception, or spontaneous inspiration, so it was like the people sought to separate God from His own voice and then attach Him to their self-will. Only the name of God remained, while everything else had been changed about the people’s vision of Him, so the people were no longer referring to the same person. The Israel people sought to fit God with their whims and fantasies, rather than by forgoing such vanities in order to adapt to God, whom the faith was supposed to be all about. It does correspond to that in making the feet fit the shoes, rather than the shoes the feet, as if the man would cut off a part of his heel or toes for the sake of the shoes. The Israel people did not care about God as a person, how He felt and what He wanted, but it was rather like they honoured the material objects which the ‘person’ had touched. God did not regard the fasting of the Israel people, when they did merely abstain from drink and food, while their attitude and choices remained exactly the same. The Israel people still desired after selfish things, thought about selfish things, and dwelt upon selfish problems and personal revenge. The people did still have selfish ambition, were envious of one another and quarrelsome, wishing for other persons to fail and rejoicing over their misfortune. The Israel people were still despising the fellow man in their hearts, discriminating and excluding him from their company, and exalting themselves at the expense of other persons. The people still loved selfish pleasures, where they worked hard for rewards and then these rewards would be invested in pleasures, so the people were really living for them. And even the fasting itself proved to be self-centred, but not through any concern for God, since the Israel people expected selfish advantage or repayment from Him. That to torment oneself is not a good deed in itself and really not helping anyone, but it is rather sought to obtain self-gratificaiton, through self-righteous reasons. The Israel people were mainly fasting for their own sake, but not for God, so God never encouraged them to fast in such way and would neither reward them for it. The fasting became pointless while it was neglected the most important aspect about it, which does consist in sincere love for God and the fellow man, that to have a pure heart and pure intentions, to show compassion and understanding to one another, and we should be willing to give good advice and assistance to those in need. The Israel people only sought to imitate after the outward appearance during fasting, by changing their looks, facial expressions, speech, gesture, and bodily movements. But the people were still guilty of shutting their hearts toward the poor and weak, by treating them with indifference and contempt, by exploiting their weaknesses and mocking it, revealing their shame openly and slandering it, contrary to God’s sense of decency. The Israel people could sacrifice an animal to God, offer oblation, and burn incense, but they did it with exactly the same attitude as when it was committed murder and worshipped idols. For the Israel people were full of hatred, greedy of dishonest gain, preferring pleasures and debauchery over spiritual matters, and they never seemed to take morality into consideration, just as what applied to the heathens and their barbaric way of life. God is however telling us repent and change our attitude, since that our attitude controls our deeds, but our deeds do not control our attitude. We should no longer look upon our fellow man with insincere eyes, and no longer think evil against him, but we should show him respect in our heart and only wish him well. It should not even be considered evil possibilities against our fellow man, but we should rather honour all mention of him and treat him like our equal in everything.

15.2: The Messiah

In chapter 6 it is written: ‘In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory… Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts... Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here I am; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.’

No man is able to see the Heavenly Father and live, while he is still in this world. This is what God Himself told to Moses, as what is written in the Book of Exodus. Isaiah did not see the Heavenly Father, but rather the Lord, whom is also one with God. It can be said the same thing about Ezekiel and Daniel, who managed to the see the Lord and live. This confirms that the divinity does consist of more than one person. Why it is otherwise often written ‘The Lord thy God, rather than ‘thy Lord’ or ‘thy God’? This indicates that the divinity refers to the Father and the Son, where the Lord is the Son of God. It is first spoken about the Lord, then God, as if the Son of God was the only way to the Heavenly Father, since that every man must first go through the Lord. Isaiah was able to the see the Lord, but not the Heavenly Father. The Messiah would turn out to be the Lord, and the human people would be able to see Him as well. The Father sent the Son to us so the Son could represent Him among us, as if the Father Himself was on the scene and giving the best possible example. The Prophets were meant to repeat that which God had spoken to them, and put into their mouth, while the Messiah would feel and sense like God, speak and act like God in all matters. If we have seen the Son then we have also seen the Heavenly Father, for they are exactly the same person, with the same heart and spirit, and capable of the same things. A difference in outward appearance does not matter, if everything else is identical, as if a human soul would be put into a different bodies and then act exactly the same. Seraphim took a live coal, and put it upon Isaiah’s mouth, so his iniquity was taken away and his sin purged. God was able to purify Isaiah’s heart and spirit, so he would only have pure and good intentions, and then Isaiah was able to speak in a pure way. Isaiah had previously been frail and unable to become a prophet on his own, so God did first need to appear into his life, intervene and reshape Isaiah from within. Isaiah was very eager to become a prophet of God, and he did not seem to have any regrets over the matter, even that he would need to forsake everything and everyone. God had already foreseen that they Israel people would remain blind and deaf in their understanding, so it would not matter what God could say to them and do for them. The people would either way be unprepared to hear God’s words, and unfit to receive them, even as when a selfish man is unable to comprehend what it is to be selfless. This is why the Israel people did first need to reach the bottom, endure a total defeat in their spiritual life, before they could become humble enough to confess the truth. The man must first admit his unconditional surrender, before he can begin to serve God with his whole heart, and allow God to reshape him into a completely new person. It must be humbled the man’s pride, dispelled his self-conceit, and deprived him of all excuses, until the man has become naked before God, as the person that he truly is.

In chapter 7 it is written: ‘Moreover the Lord spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse evil, and choose the good. For before the child shall know to refuse evil, to choose the good, the land that thou abhorest shall be forsaken of both her kings.’

The man can tend to be overly concerned about the opinions of other people, where he wants to please those that mean nothing to him and never do anything for him in return. The man can be eager to be convinced by the arguments of other people and to obey those with higher authority, as if he was obligated to do so or under social pressure. But the man does act in exactly opposite way in regard to God, the most important person in the universe, which cares most for the man and is able to help him what most. It is like God does need to repeat the same message countless times, to no effect, since the man does not believe anything which He can say and refuses to obey. So the man does tend to follow hypocritical people that want nothing to do with him, while that same man wants nothing to do with God, whom is the truest friend to be had. The Israel people rejected the prophets, not because the latter lacked words or failed to reason with them, as if God needed to produce more and better arguments. But the Israel people were unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices, to forgo a selfish advantage, profit, and pleasure, which they had hitherto coveted after and cherished. So the prophets did encourage the people to become selfless, which they were not prepared to do, and thereby did the people look for pretences to reject the message. The man might agree with the truth, what is deemed to be right or wrong, but he fails to act upon it, when it comes to apply changes and adapt to the situation. The Israel people found themselves unwilling to live according to God’s moral standard, and then next they invented an excuse and blamed His message for being wrong, as if God was being unreasonable, uttering foolishness, or unable to fulfil His promises. It is of special note when it is said ‘the Lord himself shall give you a sign’, rather than by saying ‘the Lord shall give you a sign’. The Messiah would turn out to be the Lord himself, and His presence upon the earth would be His great sign. The Messiah would be conceived by a virgin, or so it has been translated in the King James Version, but it has been disputed that claim. The original word in the Hebrew text refers to an unmarried, betrothed, or a newly wed woman. This does however reach the same conclusion as when a virgin would be involved. In the Scripture then God speaks against premarital sex, fornication, and adultery. The Levite priest would not be allowed to marry a divorced woman or a widow. Jesus Christ would later speak against divorce and remarriage, applying to everyone. The mother of the Messiah would be found pure in God’s sight, having fulfilled His conditions in the Scripture, so it can thereby be excluded all the other options. A virgin would become pregnant with the Messiah, before she would be married. This would happen without premarital sex, and the Messiah would be born shortly after the marriage, before nine months had passed (or what is deemed to be a minimal time). It must thereby refer to extraordinary circumstances, where the Messiah would turn out to be an extraordinary person, capable of extraordinary things. Mary the virgin became pregnant with the Messiah, while she was still betrothed to Joseph, and he would not know her until after she had delivered a child. Why would the Scripture otherwise speak of an unmarried, betrothed, or a newly wed woman, unless there was something to separate her from other women, which underwent the usual process?

In chapter 9 it is written: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.’ In chapter 11 it is written: ‘And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath if his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.’

The Messiah would be known for His good sense and virtues, justice and peace, which could be called spiritual achievements. It is something to be attained by the individual, and he would then be able to help other individuals to attain the same progress. But it is never stated that the Messiah would be a political leader, or that His accomplishments would be carnal in their nature, bound to worldly power, wealth, and objects. Everything does begin inside the individual, what He has already chosen from within, so the influence from the world can merely appeal to that which does already exist in him. This is why the Messiah would not seek to advertise Himself to the world, to become superficial leader of superficial people, speaking vanity and hoping for vanity. But the Messiah would make the greatest accomplishments from within Himself, and even keep it to Himself, by being modest and discreet about His true merit. The Messiah would only reveal Himself to His followers, those that did already believe in Him, were willing to confess the truth, and approach Him in humility. But the Messiah did not reveal Himself to the hypocritical world, or those that were already proud and hostile, constantly looking for pretences to reject God. The Messiah would not judge according to the sight of His eyes, or the hearing of His ears. But the Messiah would rather judge according to the Spirit of God in His heart, when it came to sense the truth and discern what really lay behind every matter. The Messiah would not need to rely upon that what other people said about each other, when it came to determine which person was supposed to be decent or not, but the Messiah could very well sense it with Himself, when He finally met with the person. And the Messiah would not be fooled by misleading signs in the environment, when it seemed like sinful paths could lead to benefits, and that selfish people were doing well. For the Messiah would always have faith in God, where He would hope for things which were still invisible to Him, or too distant to be seen and heard with His body, and yet these things did exist for real and only needed to be revealed by God. The Messiah did thereby have faith in the truth, that the truth was out there and only needed to be discovered, so it would dispel all temptations and illusions belonging to the world.

In chapter 59 it is written: ‘And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.’ In chapter 63 it is written: ‘Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save… For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.’ In the Book of Habakkuk it is written: ‘Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.’

The Lord noticed that there was nobody worthy among the human people, someone that could act as an intercessor between man and God, since there was always something lacking in each person, which made it selfish, weak, cowardly, or foolish. Therefore was nobody perfect in the world, noble and wise in every aspect, willing to forgo every selfish advantage and suffer any opposition, in the name of the good cause. But the Lord needed to take matters into His own hands, where He would personally come down to the earth and fulfil the role of the Messiah, through His perfect life. So that nobody would be able to become the Messiah, except the Lord Himself. Jesus Christ is the right hand of God, where He became the righteousness of God upon the earth, manifesting the Heavenly Father and in what way He would live among us. The Father has put His seal upon the Son, that everyone should come to the Father through the Son, since Jesus Christ’s testimony of God is the only rightful version. Every man that believes in Jesus Christ will become righteous as well, since the faith in Him is the supreme means in following God, and the only way to receive the Holy Spirit. The faith in Jesus Christ does not only involve beautiful words, but also the ability to do so, after the Lord has forgiven our sins, purified our soul, and made us reborn in His Spirit. Righteousness is like a breastplate, because it is never revealed any weakness and selfish sign, which could otherwise be noticed by the enemies and used against us. Salvation is like a helmet, when it is relied upon the grace of God to instil confidence in us, where we will ever be hopeful and good spirit, regardless of any adversity and lack. Therefore will we never become troubled, unstable, afraid, or desperate over anything, since God is able to make things right, make it up to us, and bring relief in time. The Spirit of God would be upon the Messiah, and God would put His words into His mouth, but it would never depart from the Messiah and those born from His spiritual seed. The true believer will be under divine grace permanently, where the Holy Spirit will always be part of his life, able to guide and help him at any time and place. The law of God will be written in his heart, so that knowledge of the truth and virtues come naturally to him. Jesus Christ is the only sinless man has ever existed, and He is the only true hero, so that all the glory should be given to the Lord, and God does only give glory to His own name. The Lord would personally take the matters into His own hands, to punish all His enemies, both devils and wicked men, but He would not rely upon someone else to do it. So only the Lord would redeem His people and conquer His enemies, once and for all, and both of these accomplishments required the very same thing, a sinless life. The Lord needed to prove Himself in this world, under similar conditions as the human people, that He was indeed better than the persons He could save or punish. The soul is not upright in the man who lifts himself up, since that pride, vanity, and self-conceit is not originated from God’s presence. Where there is the Lord there is also humility, moderation, and self-control, so that His children shall be known by it as well, since they have been heeding His voice. The Pharisees pretended to be God’s servants, and yet all of them were proud and arrogant, which could only have happened through the Enemy’s influence, over them.

In chapter 62 it is written: ‘For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name…I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence. And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth… Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The Holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.’

The Lord would not hold His peace or rest, until He would fulfil His role as the Messiah, establishing an everlasting covenant for His people and to punish all His enemies. The victory of Jesus Christ would guarantee divine salvation for the humble sinners, while all the devils would be condemned for their wickedness, as if two problems could be solved with the same measure. So the sacrifice upon the cross could mean two different thing, salvation for the true believers and condemnation to the wicked beings, even as when the Law of Moses could be to life or to death. For those that obey the law of God will live in it, while those that sin/rebel against God will live in it. It could even be claimed that the Lord will not be contented until the believer has the best life possible, after becoming pure of heart and unlocking all the blessings of God, since then would the love of God be made perfect, in only wishing us all the best. It has nothing to do about perfectionism, fear of punishments or greed for rewards, but God wants us to obey Him in everything and overcome any temptations, for our own good. Then will we no longer be troubled by anything, and nobody will manipulate our life, but we will only experience good things from within, good health, happiness, and peace. The true believers would be given a new name, for that name is meant to reflect who we are, what we have become, what we have received and accomplished. We were once unbelievers, sinful, and rebellious, so we came short of the glory of God. But Jesus Christ has transformed us into a completely different person, with better sense and capability, so God can of course give us a new name, of spiritual nature. That name might be unknown to us, but God does continue to call us by it in heaven.

In chapter 42 it is written: ‘Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. Sing unto the Lord a new song…’

The Messiah would first help the Israel people, and then the Israel people were meant to help the Gentiles, as He had helped them. But the Messiah would still be involved when the Israel people were sent to convert the Gentiles, since His Spirit would work in them and through them. The Messiah did first appear in His own person, and then next He would leave and travel into the believer, so the believer could live in Him. The Messiah is like a hero who appeals to the best side in us all, and raises our spirit back to hope, so that His cause becomes our cause and He lives on in our hearts. The believer might look different, but he would still be capable of speaking and acting like the Messiah had. The Son had represented the Heavenly Father, and the believer is meant to represent the Son, as if God Himself was on the scene and He would have done the same thing. The Messiah would never advertise Himself to the world, where He would never seek to boast about Himself, never exalt Himself above other men, and never show off before the masses. So the Messiah would not follow the same path as the hypocritical leaders of the world, whom are like flatterers and slaves to the people, or clowns craving for applause. But the Messiah would remain humble, modest, and discreet, only attending to those already deemed to be sincere and faithful, willing to accept His guidance and help. This is why the Messiah would not break a bruised reed, signifying those bruised and broken in their heart, in a weakened state and in desperate need for aid. And the Messiah would not quench the smoking flax, signifying the proud and superficial men, which despise weakness in other people and pretended to be perfect. The Heavenly Father is a Lord to the Son, and the Son is a Lord to everyone else. So that God would hold the Messiah’s hands and give Him for a covenant to the people, for a light of the Gentiles, so His works would be able to reach to everyone. The Messiah would heal those that were sick and disabled, both in their body and soul, since the sinners were unable to see past their personal problems and surpass their own restrictions. The Messiah would share His Spirit with the people and feed them with bread from God, so they would come into the knowledge of God and be made free in spirit. The Messiah would open our eyes, make us able to recognize the truth and understand it, and He would deliver us from the spiritual prison, which our mind is. For that we were once locked inside our own mind and unable to get out by our own effort, where it is like we were resisting within a quagmire and only sinking deeper, since we relied upon selfish measures in order to overcome selfish problems, to no avail. The Lord would not give His glory to another, neither His praise to graven images. So the Messiah would turn out to be the Lord Himself, but not some ordinary man, since the Lord could only be praised for accomplishment which He made in His own person. Jesus Christ is our only leader, and we are meant to wait for His return, as our rightful king. Nobody is in position to become our leader on the Lord’s behalf, or approach the Lord on our behalf, but all of us are equals. We are all equals in our human frailty, ignorance and weaknesses, and all of us are nothing before God, a mere vanity. This is why it can be excluded all those religious leaders, who are nothing more than pretenders and usurpers, claiming something which they are in no position to receive or give. Only God should be worshipped, revered, and bowed down to, in our heart and body, since only God is perfect and worthy enough to rule over everyone.

In chapter 61 it is written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting to the Lord, that he might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations… But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them. For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.’

It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but rather the sick and disabled, even as when sinners are more in need of aid than the righteous. The Messiah would help those that were sick and heavy in their soul, imprisoned within their own mind and unable to get out by their own effort, since they were overcome by guilt and sadness, having lost hope and given up on themselves. The humble sinner is he that does believe that God does exist and that He is right, but that person does however not believe itself capable of obeying His will. So the humble sinner believes that God is righteous, but not that he can become righteous in own life, since it is not approached the matter through faith and thereby not known what to do. This is why the Messiah would be sent to the humble sinners, so they could know God personally, what to be expect from Him, and ‘how’ it could be served Him. Therefore could the humble sinners both possess the will and ability to follow God, where their spirit would be raised back to hope and made cheerful again, since the faith can unlock any blessings from God and overcome any troubles in their lives. The Messiah would fulfil His role in a personal way, by attending to humble sinners as individuals, so that He would spend a time to know them and be known by them. The Israel people did however expect that the Messiah would become an impersonal leader, as when a tyrant is served by countless slaves but nobody really knows him. A tyrant’s image among the people is only a fabrication and propaganda, where he does pretend to be lively on the outside but remains empty on the inside, does not love anyone, does not trust anyone, and does not know how to be a good leader. The Messiah would on the contrary attend to the weak and lowly, as if He was a humble servant and promoting their wellbeing, caring more about others than His own image. This would of course upset the proud and hypocritical people, and become a scandal in the society, that the Messiah Himself would spend time upon ‘unimportant’ persons. It would be rebuilt the old wastes, raised up the former desolations, and repaired the waste cities. The Messiah would help the humble sinner to rebuild his spiritual life, to begin a life upon new basis, to become a new person, to learn from previous mistakes and do better next time, so that he could follow God from now on. The humble sinners would receive double blessings, for they whom are forgiven much will love much, thereby showing more gratitude and loyalty to their Benefactor. The love of God is boundless, and His goodness is greater than our own sins, so it can thereby be said that ‘but where sin abounded, grace did much more abound’.

In chapter 49 it is written: ‘Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished staff; in his quiver hath he hid me. And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pasture shall be in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them… Behold, these shall come from far; and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.’

Every individual is like an island, one island of many, all in the same sea. It is confirmed that the Messiah will be called from the womb, and have a human mother. But it is never claimed that the Messiah would have human father, a father other than God. It is foreseen that the Messiah would not gather the Israel people as a nation, since the Messiah would be rejected by the majority, the uncircumcised in their heart. And yet the Messiah would be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, where He would be able to fulfil His role and complete the works of God, once and for all. The Messiah would lay a firm foundation, and prepare the way for all the Gentiles, that they might also become the people of God, partakers of His Spirit and reshaped in His image. The Messiah would be despised and abhorred by the very same people He had been sent to save, referring to the Israel people, since they did not comprehend what the faith was all about. God would no longer seek to convert the Israel people as a nation, but He would rather attend to individuals, by appealing to their sense of decency, beginning from the inside. So that God would prepare the heart of the individual, by making it sincere and humble, and then next God would send the Messiah to him, or drag him to the Messiah. The Messiah would be sent to the outcasts, to redeem the humble sinner for good, so the Messiah would ask him to reveal himself, to come out from spiritual darkness. Then the humble sinner would rise up from his personal problems, put them on hold or forget all about it, so that he could approach the Messiah and receive His help. The Messiah would become part of his heart and be made accessible at any time in his life, so the humble sinner could be comforted and everything be solved on his behalf.

In chapter 50 it is written: ‘The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to that them that plucked off the hair: I hide not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know how that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? Let us stand together: who is mine adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they all shall vax old a garment; the moth shall eat them up. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.’ In chapter 52 it is written: ‘Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astounded at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.’

The Messiah would neither have His way through violence, nor encourage His followers to do the same. It can thereby be excluded all empire-making, wars, and rebellions, unlike that what the Israel people expected from the Messiah. The Messiah did not sacrifice His own followers in order to get ahead in the world, but He did on the contrary sacrifice His life alone in order to save everyone else. The Messiah did rebel against the selfish ways of the world, but He did not need to overthrow one human authority for another. The Romans would otherwise have been replaced by someone else, probably much worse in comparison, and so forth. Daniel the prophet speaks of four empires, beginning with gold and ending with iron, so that human empires tended to get worse with the time, and never better. The Messiah would not repay evil with evil, but He would on the contrary suffer undeservedly, even that He had done good to His enemies and not wished harm to anyone. The Messiah would be persecuted for speaking the truth and doing the right thing, and yet He was willing to endure anything and defy anyone. It would not consist in that of coming up with insults and mistreating human enemies, but the Messiah would stand firm upon His conviction and refuse to abandon His post. The Messiah would never give enemies power over His will, and never obey any unrightful claims, even that the enemies could resort to threats and violence against Him. So the Messiah could endure verbal abuse and beating, and yet He continued to be free in spirit and courageous, just as determined in doing the will of God. The Messiah might offer the other cheek to His enemies, but it was still never done through any fear or cowardice, since the Messiah only experienced boldness and inner peace during that time. It did not matter whether the Messiah would seem to give a wrong impression, if other people would misunderstand His gesture, doubt His true motives, and presume something different about Him. It was only sufficient that God would know the truth about the Messiah, what were His real motives, and why He had acted in the way He did. The Messiah did not take matters into His own hands, by resorting to personal revenge, but He would rather put everything in God’s hands, to judge everything and everyone. The Messiah would continue to speak the truth and do the right thing, while God would take care of everything else from His end, regarding opposition and enemies. Something would happen to solve the matter, to end the enmity for some reason, so that some enemies could repent and make peace, while others could be punished. It was only a matter of time until a solution would arrive from an alternate source, where different means could lead to the same final destination, justice and peace. The Messiah was ever of stoical mind and giving the best example for others to follow after, where it was all about the attitude at all times, to become truly free from within.

The Messiah would be known for His greatness, which does come from great accomplishments, after experiencing difficult circumstances and opposition from the world. It is not like the Messiah would be given special privileges, excluded from that what everyone else needed to go through in their lives, that everything would be too easy for Him in the world, or that He would immediately receive everything from the world. And the Messiah would never abuse His divine power in order to make everything too easy, to cheat Himself through challenges and force other people to comply. It can thereby be excluded the notion that the Messiah would be a political leader, make compromises with the world, and seek to manipulate those under His power. It would be a much greater challenge if the Messiah would willingly forgo all the desirable things in the world, like power, wealth, fame, popularity, luxury, and pleasures, since such attachments and cares will only burden the soul, and distract the attention. The Messiah would rather choose to remain humble and poor, sober and focused, so that He could be able to follow God to any spiritual place, progress, and victory. The Messiah came to this world in the form of a servant, so that He could guide and help other people, but He did not need help from anyone in order to become great. It would be much more challenging task if the Messiah concealed His true identity, that He would not reveal Himself to the whole world, and not be received by most people. So the Messiah would be the best person in everything, the wisest and most capable, and yet He was not given the honour and recognition which He truly deserved. The world would instead honour those that were unworthy, that did not deserve to be leaders, while the Messiah Himself would be disregarded, neglected, and scorned. The Messiah was like a prince in disguise, so that He could live among His human subjects and share their hardship, and come to know what they really felt about Him. Everyone would pretend to honour the Messiah if He came down from heaven, but people would reveal their true colours if the Messiah seemed to be one of them. It would be a much greater challenge if the Messiah was to be rejected and opposed by everyone, which the people did of their own free will, what truly dwelt in their hearts. It would not make any sense if everyone was afraid of the Messiah like slaves, and making decisions under self-constraint, since the people would not be themselves. Many would be astounded at the Messiah; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. It is foretold that the Messiah would be mistreated by the human people, where He would suffer for being perfect before God, so they persecuted the Messiah for not being corrupt and hypocritical like them. It is not like wicked people reward the righteous person for doing the right thing, or that the righteous people do persecute a wrong person by accident. But the Messiah would be persecuted by people that did not belong to God in their hearts and knew Him not, since they were being dictated by selfish desires and thoughts, originated from the Enemy.

In chapter 53 it is written: ‘Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.’

It had already been foretold that the Messiah would be rejected by the Israel people, persecuted and mistreated for doing the right thing. This prophecy does explain why God sent the Messiah to the world, what purpose and role He was meant to fulfil, what kind of significance it would have for everyone. So the Messiah would bear the sins of the human people, take upon Himself our guilt and punishment. It is however not come up with further details about the course of event, like when high priest plotted against the Messiah and the Romans executed the sentence. The Messiah offered His life as a ransom and traded places with us, so that His righteousness would become ours and we would become partakers in all His blessings. Therefore would we experience all the good things which the Messiah had achieved and deserved, while He would experience all the bad things from our sinful life. The Messiah would be judged guilty and we would be acquitted, where He would suffer and we would be healed, and He would die and we would be resurrected. This does not only reach toward our physical body, or when God will create a new world, but this does also apply to our spiritual matters, now at this very moment. For the Messiah can purify us from within, silence the mind, remove the burdens from our soul, heal us of disruptions and psychical symptoms, and give us a new heart and spirit. The Messiah can heal us of spiritual blindness, deafness, and lameness, so we can again discern the truth, understand its meaning, and become capable enough to act upon it. It is thereby a fact that the Messiah would be judged guilty by the human people, and He would suffer for crimes that He did not commit. This would come to pass through the human authority, that of the Israel people or the foreign nation that ruled over them, which in this case would be the Romans, encouraged by the Israel people. This would happen openly and be a common knowledge among the people, when the Messiah would be apprehended by the human authority, accused, trialled, and punished. At that time then most men presumed that the Messiah suffered for His own sins against God, for that no miracle happened in order to save Him from the adversity, so the Messiah seemed to be like any other man, insignificant and limited in his reach. But it would only be the chosen few that knew the truth, that the Messiah had been resurrected by God and He had actually proven victorious in the end. The death of Christ sealed a new covenant with God, and His grace would also become accessible to the Gentiles. It can be ridiculed that when the Jews claims to be the Suffering Servant, as if the Jewish nation could take upon itself the sins of the whole world, that they had always been perfect before God or that they did not deserve any of the evil things. In the Law of Moses then God did only require perfect and unblemished animals for sacrifices, but He would otherwise not consider anything of inferior quality. How are the Israel people supposed to be the Suffering Servant, if they are already unable to become holy by their own effort, remaining barren in their hearts? How is a selfish person supposed to accomplish selfless deeds, or how is a foolish person supposed to produce wise sayings, as if the deeds could surpass its hearts? A selfish and foolish person will continue to remain so, in its thoughts, words, and deeds, since that everything begins with the heart and finally ends in the deeds.

It is written: ‘He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.’

The Messiah could have defended Himself if He wanted, but He did still not choose to do so, amidst His adversaries. The Messiah would remain silent while the human enemies accused Him, while they mistreated Him, and while they were slandering Him openly before other people. But the Messiah was really a master of His own fate, where He wanted to be condemned for crimes that He did not commit, and suffer undeservedly for doing the will of God. For that was part of God’s higher purpose, that the Messiah should carry the sins of the human people and sacrifice Himself for them, so it could have reverse effects. It is foretold that the Messiah would die, and even make His grave with the wicked, since the Messiah was punished like He had been wicked and died among criminals. It is also confirmed that the Messiah had never relied upon deceit and violence, not even once, so it can be excluded His involvement in rebellions and wars. The truth is the first one to suffer in wars, when both sides resort to propaganda and slander. For it is invented pretences and ‘beautiful’ reasons in order to self-justify their own cause, while it is sought to dehumanize the enemy and ascribe bad qualities to him. It is merely a play of words, while the human motivations and facts remain the same, since that people tend to fight for selfish reasons and there is nothing good about it. The Messiah would not become a great hero for doing the easy and cowardly thing, like when a selfish man is so afraid of adversity that he wants to be the first one to inflict it upon other people, before they can do so toward him, like pain, shame, and death. But the Messiah would on the contrary become great hero for doing the hard and noble thing, by being willing to endure any pain, slander, shame, loss, and death. It is much more difficult to receive pain than to be the one to inflict it upon other person. The Messiah would become great by suffering all kinds of adversity in the world, where He was willing to confront and endure anything, from within and around Himself. Nothing would ever change the Messiah to the worse, His personal conviction and capability, but the Messiah would ever remain just as determined and altruistic. The Messiah could have overcome His human adversaries through force, if He had wanted, but to the Messiah it was much more manly to spare those weaker than Him, in contrast to the cowardly ways of this world, when it is kicked a man on the ground. So the Messiah was truly the greatest hero, deserving of the greatest title and power, even that He did not resort to deceit and violence in order to overcome enemies. The Messiah would see His seed, which does refer to His spiritual seed. The Jews claim that Jesus Christ could not have been the Messiah, because He did not know any woman and had no children, unlike this particular description about the Messiah. It should however be looked upon the First Epistle of John, stating that everyone that loves his brother and practices righteousness is born of Jesus Christ, where it does involve a spiritual birth, that to become the child of God in heart and spirit. So Jesus Christ died childless in regard to the flesh, while He would have countless children in spirit. The true believer is namely he that approaches God through faith, is humble enough to repent and confess the truth, loves his fellow man and shows him understanding, so it is both known who God is and what belongs to His goodness.

In the Book of Daniel it is written: ‘And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophesy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself…’

One might be tempted to take the easy way, and approach the prophecy from the other end, by beginning the count from the death of Jesus Christ and the go backward about 490 years. Jesus Christ was supposed to have been crucified in 32 AD, and if we go 490 years back then we will get the date 457 BC. It does however not seem to fit, based on historical evidences and our concept of the time. When should we begin to count the seventy weeks, based upon what royal edict from what king, based upon what event in the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its walls, and based upon what system in defining the years? The rebuilding of Jerusalem would take many years, where the people would differ in their zeal toward God, and further royal edicts were needed from the Persian king. One does not want to be put into the position in making guesses, to pretend to know something that cannot be known with any certainty. It was not enough to rebuild this or that in Jerusalem, but there were other conditions which needed to be fulfilled, determined by God alone. God would know when the Israel people would be ready, before making Jerusalem ready, and then all these years would need to pass in the meantime, until Jesus Christ would finish the works of God upon the cross and seal everlasting covenant for His people. Seven weeks would pass between the royal edict to restore Jerusalem, until it would be ‘deemed’ finished, even that the city had not been completed in every aspect. The streets would need to be rebuilt, and also the walls, before Jerusalem could be deemed finished, however troublesome the times could be. But there were many royal edicts involved, and many things were happening in Jerusalem. Jerusalem would be rebuilt for the Messiah, who would appear after 62 weeks and then be cut off. No specific dates will be mentioned in this work, but it is better to rephrase what we do already know.  The Scripture does first mention 70 weeks, and later 7 weeks and 62 weeks, but it is never said 69 weeks or 490 days directly. There must be a good and valid reason why the Scripture approach the matter in such way, by counting the time in weeks, and by giving two separate figures. It must be relevant to the sabbatical year, and jubilee, which makes the seventh sabbatical year (49th year) significant. It could be rephrased the prophecy, by saying that there would be 70 sabbatical years, or 7 and 62 sabbatical years. There would not pass 490 or 483 years before the coming of Christ, but rather 70 or 69 sabbatical years, or about 10 jubilees’. The Jews would need to uphold the sabbatical years in the temple of Jerusalem, according to the Law of Moses, so it would count as the weeks in question. The Jews could be persecuted in the meantime, and their religious customs be prohibited, so that many years would not count. For an example then it can be mentioned Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the ruler of the Seleucid Empire. Antiochus would loot the temple in Jerusalem, occupy the city, and seek to Hellenize it. So that Antiochus would prohibit the Jews from giving sacrifices, and he profaned the Sabbath and the feast days. Therefore would pass more than 490 years in the meantime, if it is excluded the profaned/neglected sabbatical years, even jubilee. The first 49 years (1 jubilee) would be valid, when it was rebuilt Jerusalem during the reign of the Persian Empire. But many sabbatical years would be lost in the period belonging to 434 years (or 8 jubilees), precisely when the seventh year or jubilee was happening. The Messiah would be cut off, but not for himself. Nobody managed to outsmart Jesus Christ and force Him into an unfavourable position which He did not expect, but the Lord did willingly choose to be captured, condemned, and sentenced to death. It was meant to serve God’s higher purpose, which tends to be the complete opposite to the ways of the world, when it is looked upon the spiritual and moral aspect. Defeat in the flesh would be transformed into victory in spirit, for that Christ maintained His innocence and dignity to the very end, and sacrificed Himself in a noble way, so that His suffering would guarantee blessings for us.

In the Book of Malachi it is written: ‘Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerer, and the against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hirelings in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.’ It is written (4): ‘Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statues and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.’

It should be remembered mount Horeb, when the Israel people did not want to hear again the voice of God, and they did also not want to see the great fire any more, since they were afraid of dying. Therefore would God raise up a prophet among the people, and God would put His words into the mouth of that person, so the people were meant to heed God through His representative. It can thereby be said that the Israel people were first meant to obey the Messiah through His messenger, Elijah reborn. And next they were meant to obey God through the Messiah, so it was a matter of faith, to believe God’s witnesses. The Messiah would not appeal to everyone at the same time, but everyone would need to choose between Him and the world. There did not exist anything between, but the people were either deemed honest or selfish, faithful or hypocritical, humble or proud, so that one group would follow the Messiah while the other group would seek to oppose Him. The messenger would prepare the way before the Lord, so it is implies that the Messiah would turn out to be the Lord Himself, in human form. Solomon claimed that there is no man who has not committed sin, but the Lord is God and no man (Hosea), so the Lord would be the only sinless ‘man’ to have ever lived. God would send Elijah back to the Israel people, and it is a question by what means? Elijah did not come down from heaven, but he would be reborn into this world, grow up and live among the human people, until the time was right for Elijah to begin his role. We do not know whether Elijah would have exactly the same human body as what belonged to his old life, or whether he would look different. But Elijah’s soul must have been the same, unless it would be like a blank paper upon birth, so he would need to learn everything again. A similar thing would apply to the Messiah, if the Lord would come into this world in human form. A woman would become pregnant with the Messiah, and yet He would have no human father, since the Lord needed to retain His divine origins. The Messiah would have a human body from His mother’s side, but the spiritual body from God’s side. This is why the seed must come from God, and the woman would become pregnant with the Holy Spirit, although it was otherwise a spiritually pure act, and not a sexual one. The Messiah would look like a human being on the outside, while His soul, heart, spirit, and mind was of divine origins, always superior to the law of sin in the flesh. The Lord would need to learn everything from the scratch and overcome temptations like the human people, if He was going to become more spiritually mature and reach His full potential. It is not like the Lord would already be all-knowing and all-powerful upon His birth, but He needed to endure human restrictions and share the same hardship as us, so the Lord could overcome everything from our side, from below. The matter was not about that in relying upon brute force against temptations, but rather what could be accomplished in our position, under the same conditions, so the Lord needed to rely upon good sense and moral principles in order to do so.

It was not the messenger who was supposed to so important and terrible, but the description does rather apply to the Messiah, since the person who sends the messenger is greater than him. The messenger would prepare the people’s hearts for the coming of the Messiah, by encouraging the people to repent and have the right endeavour in serving God. But only the Messiah could transform the people’s repentance into righteousness, and their endeavour into knowledge of God and capability. The people could otherwise only possess the will, but not the ability to become righteous. It is not the messenger who is supposed to redeem everyone, but he does merely point the people into the right direction, and gives all the glory to the Messiah. The right endeavour consists in this, that the people should acknowledge the Messiah when He finally arrived to them, be willing to heed His words and receive Him, that they should be willing to approach the Messiah, and allow the Messiah to approach them. And the people must believe that the Messiah is able to teach them, to help them, to forgive them, to purify them, to heal them, to redeem them, and change them. The people could only have faith in the Messiah and approach Him, while everything else would be depended upon Him, what He could accomplish in their spiritual lives. So that if the people would return to the Lord then He would return to them, if their intentions were pure and sincere, if everything was done in a good conscience. The storehouse could signify the people’s hearts, which must be filled with loyalty and devotion toward God, willingness to serve Him and with a right understanding. God would condemn the sorcerer, the adulterer, false swearer, and the oppressor, namely all those false prophets and false believers, which worshipped a golden calf and took His name in vain. The Israel people had been robbing God, for they denied Him the honour which He deserved, even for everything which He did for them. It would correspond to that if we would slight our Benefactor and rather thank the unworthy, so that we have deprived our Benefactor of gratitude, from within ourselves.

In the Book of Micah it is written: ‘But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though they be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.’ In the Book of Hosea it is written: ‘When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.’ In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. As for thee also, be the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.’

The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but it is never written that He would be brought up in Bethlehem, or that the Messiah would first reveal Himself in Bethlehem. So the mother of the Messiah would arrive to Bethlehem shortly before giving birth, and there the Messiah would come into the world. But they would soon leave Bethlehem after the birth, so that Bethlehem would no longer be relevant to the Messiah. They would go to another place, live in another place, and the Messiah would reveal Himself in another place. Joseph and Mary would next go to Egypt, and stay there while it was too dangerous to live Judea at that time. It can of course be understood why the Jews do not consider this to be relevant to the Messiah, since God called the Israel people out from Egypt, and called them His son. However God would still send the Messiah into Egypt and then later call Him back from Egypt, as a symbolic gesture. For the Messiah was supposed to liberate God’s people from spiritual slavery, make new covenant with them, and become their lawgiver. It might seem resemble Moses’ role to some extant, but the Messiah would surpass him in every aspect, and now make everything perfect for His people. Jesus Christ would be brought up in Nazareth, in Galilee, a small and insignificant place, or it had at least never been important in the history of the Israel people. It would fit the role of the Messiah, who was supposed to be so humble and meek, and God had sent Him to the world in order to help the poor, weak, lowly, and humble. The Messiah would later enter Jerusalem, riding upon an ass, which was also meant to signify his humility, since there was nothing luxurious and ceremonial about it. It was the complete opposite to the kings of the earth, who were so proud, richly dressed, riding upon a the best steed, escorted by magnificent retinue, at the sound of trumpets. The Messiah did not come to heal the healthy, to lead the righteous into repentance, but He rather came to heal the sick, to redeem those that were afflicted by their sins. In the Book of Numbers it is spoken about Nazirites, those that took a voluntary vow and dedicated themselves to God. They would abstain from wine, refrain from cutting their hairs, and not touch any deceased persons. Samson was a Nazirite, and his parents were one of the few persons that had been contacted by an angel of God, concerning the birth of their child and what kind of significance it had in God’s eyes. This is the only thing which could be implicated to Nazareth, although indirectly. The Pharisees did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, and one of that reasons was because no prophets had hitherto come out from Galilee, according to the Scripture. This was something which the Pharisees presumed, or they assumed so after reading the Scripture, even that it was never written directly in the actual Scripture. This is a common error in reasoning, when it is preferred an assumption about facts above the actual facts, so it has been implicated to completely different meaning.

In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. Then I cut asunder mine other staff, even Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.’ It is written (13): ‘Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.’ It is written (12): ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.’ In the Books of Psalms it is written: ‘Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.’ In the Book of Amos it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.’

The human people would esteem the Lord to be worth thirty pieces of silver, but it is still not described what kind of circumstances would be involved. But the Lord is the Messiah and this prophecy is thereby relevant in that regard. Something would come up during the life of Messiah, as if He would be purchased or sold for thirty pieces of silver. We do of course know that Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ for that sum of money, so that He would be captured in the process. The Messiah would be betrayed by one of His followers, whom had shared the same knowledge. The Messiah would be captured by His enemies, but He did not become a slave to anyone. So it can be asked the Jews: ‘Why was the Messiah captured, and what happened next?’ It is about deducting the rest, concerning hearing, trial, sentence, and punishment. The Messiah would be smitten and His followers would scatter, so it can both apply to the Messiah’s capture and His death, after being sentenced by the same enemies. Jesus Christ would become crucified, so that his hands and feet were thereby pierced by nails. And a Roman soldier would later pierce His side, although Christ was then already dead. The Lord describes this like the people would look upon him (‘me’), in His own person, so it is another example that the Messiah would turn out to be the Lord Himself. The guilty people would look upon the Messiah which they had pierced, and then mourn for Him, although it does not say directly that these stabs caused His death. So the Messiah would enter Jerusalem riding upon an ass, then be betrayed by a follower and sold to His enemies, them be killed and pierced in an undeserving way, and then the sun would go down at noon and the earth would be darkened in a clear day. The Saviour of mankind would be betrayed for nothing, and killed for no cause whatsoever. It is not something that happened at random, or by some coincidence, but it confirms the world’s rebellion against God, treacherous and hypocritical in its nature, since the world persecutes its own Benefactors and denies its own means of salvation. We are all to blame for that which happened to Jesus Christ, although we have done so unknowingly, since that all our sins have been at the expense of the Truth Itself. The death of the Messiah is likened to a mourning for an only son, a bitterness for a firstborn, since that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Living God. This would happen in Jerusalem, where the Messiah would die there and be mourned for. The enemies of Jesus Christ did not mourn for Him when He died, like the Pharisees and the Roman soldiers, since they would otherwise have repented and converted. But everyone will mourn for Jesus Christ, after they have been lead into the full truth. Then we will come to realize what kind of man He was, and how He lived. So that Jesus Christ is the only innocent man that has ever lived upon the earth, and He came to suffer all these things in an undeserved way, by the very same people He loved. Everything became dark after Jesus Christ died, which seemed to give the impression the forces of darkness had been victorious that day, and that all was lost for the human race. But the death of Christ would mark the beginning of bright times for the human race, for that we will continue to live through His death and become dead to this evil world. The Messiah would break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel, so the true believers would no longer belong to the Jews alone, but they would be found everywhere. It is implied only one-third of the Israel people were true believers, or possessed the potential to become so, and it could also apply to the human race in whole. Many of the Jews rejoiced over the death of Christ, but God would turn their feast into defeat, since these same Jews had rejected the Messiah and thereby denied themselves of salvation. The Jews were no longer given any privilege, but all nations would become equal before God, since that every individual would possess the same potential in Jesus Christ.

15.3: Old and New

In chapter 43 it is written: ‘But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.’ In chapter 46 it is written: ‘Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.’

God created Jacob while He did form Israel, but it is not really referring to the same thing. All of us are created by God in the womb of our mother, and we are descended from Adam and Eve, whom were originally created by God out from nothing. The name Jacob refers to that when the man is born as a Jew, in regard to his flesh and blood, but he has still not been circumcised in his heart, not approached God whole-heartedly. But God is able to form us into Israel, by reshaping us from within, to circumcise our heart, to give us new heart and spirit, so that we can become the children of God. Jacob became Israel after acknowledging that he was not worthy of God’s mercies. God is able to make any person into His child, whether that person has been born as a Jew or Gentile. It has all to do about the human heart, but not the outward appearance. Carnal matters are irrelevant to the spiritual ones, so we cannot use our mouth and hands to change our internal activity, but only the Spirit of God can accomplish it. God will gather the true believers from all the places in the world, no matter how distant, since the true believers are ever near to God in their hearts and spirit. The question is not really about our origins or location, but rather whether we are near to truth and justice or distant from it, whether we know God or remain self-conceited. God will always be with us, and help us pass through waters, rivers, and fire, so that we can indeed undergo such things in the world, but it will still not affect us in any way. For that a divine luck is over us, where there are only good effects and no bad effects, when it is looked upon our heart and spirit, what is happening from within us.

In chapter 43 it is written: ‘Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth… Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert… This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast no brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense… but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy trangressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in rememberance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified. Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.’ In chapter 44 it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen… Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee… Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof.’

The Messiah would make a new covenant with a people of His choosing, which would fulfil and replace the Law of Moses, and avoid the mistakes of the past. The Israel people were not able to self-justify themselves before God, where they had hitherto been unable to do so through the Law of Moses and would neither in the future. All these human teachings, interpretations, sacrifices, and customs had meant nothing, so it could just as well be forgotten everything and moved on to a new foundation. Our first father can also signify our former man, old self or mindset, before our first conversion. We had never been able to become righteous through our own merit and human effort, but it was wholly thanks to the Lord that we could change to the better. It should thereby be remembered how we once were, and how we would still be at this very moment, if it had not been for the intervention of Jesus Christ. Our current man should not be taken too much for granted, when we are able to have good sense, good qualities, and benefits, since we were once like a barren wasteland. God has formed us for Himself, reshaped our heart, spirit, mind, and soul, so that He is able to make us into His children in spirit, as if it could happen at any time and any place. This would make the Jews become obsolete as God’s chosen people, since God could accomplish such feats without carnal birth, flesh, blood, and ancestry. The name ‘Jacob’ does refer to the Israel people, who are still uncircumcised in their hearts and distant from God, as when Jacob went his own way and wasted his effort upon unworthy leader (Laban). But the name Israel does refer to the true believers, the children of the faith, who have confessed that they are nothing and they do not deserve the grace of God. So the children of the faith rely upon God’s kindness and generosity toward them, but not their own worth, unlike the Israel people that continue to hold fast to their illusions. The wisdom of the world is foolishness before God, and its mighty men are weaklings before Him, since they rely upon lies and vanities in order exalt their own worth. It is exactly the same thing when the Israel people attempt to become justified by the Law of Moses, as if their human teachings and customs could offer some kind of advantage, but it has only made them more distant from God and worse off from within.

In chapter 10 it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.’ In chapter 63 it is written: ‘Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? Are they restrained? Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer; thy name is from everlasting. O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. We are thine: thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by the name.’ In chapter 65 it is written: ‘I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was no good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels…’ In the Book of Hosea it is written: ‘Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.’ It is written: ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I wil say to them which were not my people, Thou art me people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.’

The remnant of Israel would escape from the house of Jacob, which indicates that there would be few true believers among the Jews. So it is like the outcasts were escaping from their own nation, as not to become false and hypocritical like everyone else. The true believers would be considered outcasts among their own people, where they would separate themselves from the majority, or be either way excluded by the majority, so it would lead to exactly the same destination, whether willingly or unwillingly. The Messiah would first attend to the outcasts among the Israel people, and then He would reach to all the Gentiles, although the Messiah had already gone back to heaven at that point. It was Jesus Christ that had the initiative in coming over to the outcasts and help them, even that the outcasts had previously not known about Him, and not expected deliverance. Jesus Christ would later send His followers to the Gentiles, which were living under similar conditions, and yet He was ever present inside His followers and working through them. Many of the Israel people were constantly thinking and speaking about God, while their hearts was ever distant, so they would either way not receive anything from Him. The outcasts did on the contrary remain silent in their mind and with their mouth, and yet their hearts were open toward God and ready to bring spiritual fruit, since the outcast would become grateful and loyal for everything, however little it might seem. But the rest of the Israel people were like spoiled children, where they took everything too much for granted, were never contented with anything, were ever looking for pretences to reject their Benefactor, and refused to do anything for Him in return. The outcasts were found among the Israel people, and yet the outcasts were not one of them, did not belong to that which the people were thinking and practicing. God was near to the Israel people, and yet they were distant from Him, as when selfish people exclude a specific person from their company and constantly shun its presence. God would thereby treat most of the Israel people in exactly the same way, as if He would no longer take any notice of them and not care what could happen to them. But God would rather keep company with the outcast, which shared a similar position, since the Israel people had neglected, rejected, and excluded God from within. God would not have anything to do with vain, superficial, and hypocritical people, which only seemed to give God attention when they needed something from Him, and they would surely seek to throw God away like a junk, after having ‘used’ Him. This is why God did not hear the people’s appeals in the first place, and would either way not grant them anything, since He could already discern their true colours before the actual betrayal. God would rather look for true friends, which actually cared for Him as a person, which received God as the person He is, and cherished His company most of everything. The Israel people sacrificed in gardens, burned incense upon altars of bricks, remained among the graves, lodged in the monuments, ate swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things in their vessels. It does signify the mindset of the Israel people, where it is like they yielded to every temptation that could take place in their mind, no matter how wicked and perverted it might be, completely devoid of decency. For the Israel people dwelt upon lustful and violent thoughts, where they wished for wicked things to happen, so they could mistreat innocent persons for own pleasure. So the Israel people pretended to believe in God, by thinking and speaking about Him, while they were at the same time denying His sense of decency in every intention.

In chapter 54 it is written: ‘For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.’ In chapter 57 it is written: ‘For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I always be wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.’

The Lord has already claimed to be our Redeemer, and the Messiah is supposed to be our redeemer, so he can only be the Lord Himself. It is not like there can exist two separate redeemers, two separate Messiah’s, who would contradict one another, take their turns in helping the human people, or divide the human people between themselves, into two separate spheres of influence. The wisdom of God is exceeds our understanding, as is the depth of His love for us. The goodness of God is more powerful than our human frailty and sins, where nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is manifested in Jesus Christ. We are freed from all fears about our life, that to think something wrong and implicate it to ourselves, as if it had made us sinful and we needed to make up for it in some way. But we have instead come to rely upon God’s kindness for us, that He loves us more than anything, is willing to overlook all our faults, and appeal to the best side in us, so that God does receive us as we are and we can be the person we truly are. This is why what the rainbow is meant to signify, after the flood of Noah, that God will continue to tolerate us with longsuffering and not hold anything against us, even for our human frailty. It is not like we would be immediately punished every time we think and do something wrong, which would otherwise make us afraid of our own shadow. But the Lord does offer us consolation, where it is only important what He does feel and think about us. This is why we should neither receive anything too personally, nor become troubled over our frailty, as if we were quick to judge ourselves and loose faith in our potential. For the Lord will continue to have faith in us and pardon everything, so that we should see ourselves through His eyes and love ourselves as well, with nothing held back.

In chapter 49 it is written: ‘Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and they prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.’ In chapter 51 it is written: ‘Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation. Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?... I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who are thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?’

The Lord speaks about lawful captives being delivered, which does refer to those under the Law of Moses. For we had hitherto been unable to become righteous through its means, so we had become slaves to devils in our heart and mind, until Jesus Christ came into our life and changed everything on the inside. The devils are constantly plotting against us and trying to ambush us, while they fail to regard their own position, that God is ambushing them at the same time, having already guaranteed their utter overthrow and demise. This is why we should never become afraid of the enemies of God and what they can intend to do, since God is ever active at the same time and part of the equation. The wicked man feeds upon his own flesh, and is drunk with his own blood. The wicked man wished for all kinds of evil things to befall innocent persons, where he planned for it to happen and resorted to evil measures in order to promote it, but everything would be reflected back upon his soul alone, while these persons remain unharmed. In the Book of Revelation it is spoken about the two witnesses, prophesying in the world, but if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. A similar thing applies to when the wicked men judge other people harshly, slander and accuse them, assert about their person and capability in a bad way. For the wicked man will only end up pronouncing his own harsh verdict, become guilty of contradiction and reveal his hypocrisy, in being far worse than everyone else. Wickedness is like cannibalism, always at the expense of another person, where it is tried to feed upon living beings, exploit them, and rob everything which they own. This is why it is spoken about defiled food, the flesh of swine, meat which is dedicated to idols, and so forth, since that ill will and lust is directed against the person. Nobody is able to harm the children of God, regarding their soul, spiritual body and purity, so that not even one hair will perish, when everything is accounted for. The true believer should never be afraid of other people, what they can think, say, and do, since God will always have the final word, determining what is truly possible in our lives. The proud people are nothing more than empty words, facial expression, and gesture, while they remain empty from within, incapable of doing anything of lasting value. So we should not trouble ourselves about the world, what other people can do, as if we would first need to convince them, change them, or prove ourselves before them. It is only required that we should continue to do the right thing on our behalf, which does consist in that of believing in Jesus Christ and love one another, in free spirit.

In chapter 64 it is written: ‘When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence! For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him… But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.’ In chapter 66 it is written: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed… Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? Saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? Saith thy God.’

A marvellous thing would come to pass, which had hitherto not been heard nor seen from the beginning of the world. It is a reference to this sinful world, after the rebellion Adam and Eve, which separated the man from God and Paradise. For the Lord Himself would come down and live among the human people, so they could again have a relationship with God and be able to enter Paradise. The Messiah would accomplish something so the human people could become the children of God, where they would be reshaped in His image and everything would be made possible. So the true believers can become anything and accomplish anything in the world, because the Spirit of God is working inside them and creating opportunities around them. But everyone would fail to recognize this, true identity of the Messiah and what He would accomplish on our behalf, unless He personally choose to reveal Himself to us. The Messiah would be rejected and persecuted by the Israel people, so that His followers would undergo the very same things. The true believer could be hated by his own family, repudiated and banished way, but it would still not be a loss to him. It is true that the believer can loose their friendship of other people and be excluded from the society, but God is still able to make everything up to him. The believer can become happier and more prosperous than the people that had turned against him, so that he is ever cheerful and at peace, while they are heavy in spirit and restless. It is foretold that the virgin Mary would give birth to Jesus Christ before she travailed, before any pain came. So the virgin Mary would have the easiest time in giving birth, as if there was nothing bad about such experience and no need for her to complain. This does otherwise correspond to chapter 12 in the Book of Revelation, when a woman clothed with the sun gave a birth to a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. The woman does signify the church, the community of the true believers, but they were only to be found among the Israel people at that time. The tribe of Judah and the line of David was destined to bear the seed of Christ, but the virgin Mary was also pure of heart, fitting to become the mother of Christ. Zion can also signify the community of believers, or rather the common home of them all, since the Kingdom of God is our true fatherland, but not this world. Zion is likened to a woman that gives birth to a children, where a whole nation is born at once, in one day. It is the God’s chosen people, which would also include the Gentiles, since the victory of Jesus Christ would immediately open the Kingdom of God to everyone. It was like one moment everyone was sinful and distant from God, but it happened the next moment that everyone could be redeemed by God and inherit everlasting salvation. The new spiritual birth would be without troubles and pain, for there are only good things to be found in Jesus Christ, and everything will come naturally to the believer.

In chapter 54 it is written: ‘Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.’

The Israel people were the married woman, while the Gentiles were the desolate one. And yet the Israel people did not act like a married woman, behind the title, since that genuine love was absent on her behalf, even while the vows had been made. The Israel people were proud and treacherous, like a woman that neglected and slighted her husband, and did not care for his love, until the marriage had become dead in all but name. The Gentiles were like a woman of poorer sort, which had at first failed to meet God’s high demands and was overlooked by Him. And yet that woman was truly sincere and devoted in her love for God, worthy to become His new wife and stay that way, since it was all about the right attitude. The spiritual children would be more than the carnal children, which does refer to the true believers among the Gentiles, above the Jewish nation in whole. The humble sinner was once spiritually barren, where he did not know God and ‘how’ to do His will, or he did either way lack strength to act upon such knowledge. So the humble sinner could not rise up from his personal problems and become a new person, but he did still the same have the right endeavour in wanting to serve God. God wanted to help the humble sinners, whether among the Israel people or the Gentiles, but such salvation could not come out from nothing, in contrast to His own law. This is why the Messiah needed to lay a foundation for a new covenant which could include the Gentiles, as to reward every individual for his faith in God, regardless of his origins.  The spiritual seed of Jesus Christ could be sown into the Gentiles, and He would fill the humble sinners with inner life, whom were once empty and afflicted in their soul. The Messiah would break forth on the right hand and on to the left, where He would both be able redeem those that were self-righteous and selfish, however extreme. The humble sinner would no longer remember the shame of his old life, when he had once rebelled against the Lord and committed spiritual whoredom with the world. The bride of Christ is the Church, and the church is the community of the true believers. Jesus Christ would not only redeem people during His time, but He would also be able to save ones that died in the past and those that were yet to exist in the future. Therefore could the numbers seem countless, much greater in comparison to the Israel people.

In the Book of Jeremiah it is written: ‘Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.’ It is written (31): ‘Thus saith the Lord, A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for children, because they were not. Thus saith the Lord; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy.’ It is written: ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’ It is written (32): ‘And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.’ In the Book of Joel it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.’

It is first mentioned the children of Israel, who were led out of Egypt, and then next the seed of the house of Israel, both brought up and led by the Lord. It is thereby first spoken about the Jews, who are descended from Jacob and the twelve tribes. But the latter applies to the children of the faith, who are born from the spiritual seed of Christ and brought up by the Holy Spirit, so they belong to God in their hearts and spirit. That kind of spiritual rebirth can happen at any time and any place. It does not matter wherefrom the person is originated, how the person once was or what it did, since the faith in Jesus Christ will either lead to the same destination. Jesus Christ would gather all the humble sinners and faithful Gentiles, make them one with Himself, so they would surely become partakers in the Kingdom of God. It is spoken about gathering the true believers from the north country, probably because the followers of Christ were first sent northward to preach the Gospel, in the Roman provinces alongside the Mediterranean Sea (then most of the known world). But the Holy Spirit forbade the apostles to preach the Gospel in Asia, after they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia. At that time there was little known about Africa south of the Sahara desert, and the Americas had still not been discovered. Christianity would thereby spread most out in Europe, North-Africa, and Middle-East. But it would have the strongest support in Europe throughout the ages, so that European nations would be influenced by Christianity and Roman heritage. The European people later would migrate to the Americas, and even to Australia. So the term north country could still apply, when referring to similar people and culture. This is why it makes sense to speak about the north country, and it was no coincidence that the Messiah would manifest Himself during the time of the Roman Empire, after the Romans had united most of the known world and established universal peace. God would comfort His people after the massacre in Ramah, by promising that all the slain children would return from the land of the enemy. The humble sinner should not mourn over his loss of innocence and spiritual death, for that Jesus Christ will surely reclaim his soul from the Enemy and set everything right. So the humble sinner will regain his innocence and again feel alive, since that he has become the child of God, filled with inner life, a meaningful existence, and sense of purpose. The Lord would make a new covenant with people of His own choosing, which would fulfil and replace the previous covenant, the Law of Moses with the Jews. The Israel people had constantly demanded signs in the desert and never learned anything from it. And the new generations would offend the Lord in new ways, as when self-righteous men took His name in vain and served their own foolish inventions. All these errors might seem different from one another, but they were still originated from the same unbelief, which resulted in negligence of God and His principles. Therefore would the Lord not repeat the same mistakes, not seek to convince and change the same people. But the Lord would resort to a different approach and means, so it would lead to different results, a different reception among different people. Moses had once remarked this, that he hoped that God would allow all the Lord’s people to become prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them. The new covenant would involve that kind of consequences for all the true believers, so their hearts and spirit could be renewed, but no longer remain selfish and barren. The true believers would personally experience the fear of the Lord, really ‘feel’ and know what it is like to be humble and hate evil.

15.4: The Knowledge of God

In chapter 43 it is written: ‘Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servants whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?’ In chapter 45 it is written: ‘I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me… I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.’ In chapter 48 it is written: ‘Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.’ In the Book of Jeremiah it is written: ‘Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.’

God is the only God, and He has always been God, so there has been none before Him, and no one will ever succeed Him. The concept of time has been a mystery to the human people, what it is, how it came to be, and how it does function, since it is able to affect and change everything. It is true that God has created us, and we are subjected to His laws, which does also include the time itself. We will grow older, need to live with our decisions, and we cannot revert the process (health, youth, innocence), not by our effort alone. But it does still not mean that God is put under the same restrictions as us, as if God had been created by someone else or there did exist something else before Him. God has created the universe and He is the universe, driving forth everything about it, including the time itself, so that God is the true force of change. It is not like God came to exist here or there in the universe, or that He has a beginning and an end, since both the universe and the time is part of God, one aspect of Him. So there was no universe before God, but it was God that created the universe, and His presence might seem like the time itself to us, when He controls everything. It is thereby a fact that we cannot see what God looks like and when He is doing something, but everything in our existence does manifest His involvement and works. God forms the light, and creates darkness, and He makes peace, and creates evil. An evil is not the same thing as wickedness, but evil can also signify troubles and suffering. The devils are wicked, evildoers that seek to oppose that which is good, and commit evil against innocent persons. But the devils are ever troubled and tormented in their soul, receiving endless evils, since God has punished the devils for their wickedness and caused them real ‘evil’. It is not the devils that are supposed to be tough and dangerous, but it is rather God himself that is the true hero, the true nemesis, the most dreadful being in the universe. The devils and wicked men are like cowards that pretend to be tough, while they are attacking the weak and defenceless, without expecting any resistance and repercussions. The worst thing in the universe is to be permanently forsaken by God, when His presence is completely absent from our life, for that is hell itself, a living hell to our soul. It was not without reason when Jesus Christ told us not to be afraid of men, but rather of God, whom is both able to cast our body and soul to hell, where the fire will not quench and the worms do not die. It does involve overwhelming torment, chaos, and madness, as if our very awareness was only suffering, so it is like every moment would last forever, and there is nothing which we can do to obtain the slightest relief. God is caring and tough at the same time, kind to the humble and tough to the proud, so that He is Saviour to His people and a Terror to all the wicked beings. The goodness of God should never be taken too much for granted, because the human race does find itself in the middle, between the war of good and evil. God’s goodness and longsuffering is meant to lead us to repentance, so that we will bring spiritual fruit and confirm that we are still worth saving.

In chapter 45 it is written: ‘I have not spoken in secret, in a darkness of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, See ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right… who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? And there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me… I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knees shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.’

God does declare things which are right, where He does speak righteousness, and righteousness and strength is originated from Him. It must thereby be traced ourselves from the consequences to the cause, where we must speak the truth and do the right thing before we can come to know God, since we had previously been heeding His voice and receiving from His source. Nothing does happen at random, as a coincidence, or out of nowhere, but every truth is originated from the voice of God, a living being that does possess the will to help us and the ability to speak. And that same truth is meant to promote goodness, that we should treat one another with kindness, since God is good and already kind toward us. God has not spoken in secret, in a darkness of the earth, but He has come up with a comprehensible speech, made us capable of understanding what He wants from us, whether it does involve the testimony of the Scripture or His voice in our heart. It is not like God would be speaking different language and we could not understand Him, but all of us can understand the voice God, sense the truth and feel what is right. It is true that we can neither see God with our eyes, nor hear any noise from His speech, but we are still able to discern His truth and know when God appeals to our human decency. This is why God still continues to be caring and helpful to exactly the same effects, since He works from within us all, and His invisible hand can touch our invisible soul. It was not something that we could have discovered by ourselves, our frail soul and body, but a discernment of spiritual matters can only come through the intervention of God. We have hitherto proven to be a selfish and foolish person, and yet we are able to listen to noble and wise sayings from within, as if we were out of character. Surely it is not spoken by us, but there must be another person involved, whom is better and wiser than us, capable of sharing from its abundance to the destitute. All those that are incensed against God shall be ashamed, for that He had always spoken the truth, encouraged them to do the right thing, and sought to benefit their life. God has hitherto been right about everything and everyone, and done everything in His power to guide and help us, by treating us better than we deserve. This is why we are never in position to blame God for anything, especially our own faults, since we refused to act upon that which we knew and did not bother to make the attempt.

In chapter 55 it is written: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’

All thoughts prove to be insincere and self-centred in their nature, in one way or another. For it makes the man too concerned about his self-image, self-interest, and self-preservation, while he fails to notice God and the fellow man. The goodness of God is greater than our understanding of it, surpassing our best expectations and imaginations, and works in complete opposite way to the selfish ways of this world. God is always better person than we give Him credit for and capable of more things, so we cannot actually describe and predict someone that is superior to us in everything. God is noble in His soul, altruistic, wise, powerful, generous, and merciful, where everything is pure and perfect in Him, and what He can achieve. But we tend to be short-sighted and petty minded, so full of ourselves and occupied with personal problems, so that we fail to notice what is actually going on in our life. There is a fundamental difference between the Spirit of God and our mind, between love and selfishness, truth and self-deception, human decency and avarice for profit, so we cannot know something which is outside our personal experience and abilities. If the human mind proves false and selfish in its nature then it cannot be originated from God, so He does never speak to us in our mind and we should never claim so. It is not enough to think about God and His will, to imagine what He is like and try to guess what He wants from us, since these very same thoughts belong to the selfish nature. The human people tend to ascribe their foolish opinions and selfish qualities to God, as if God would prove to be just like them and under the same restrictions, so they only see themselves in God and want to shape Him in their own image. This is self-righteousness, when it is relied upon imperfect things in order to promote perfect things, and consulted with a corrupt source to know the pure one. It would have been better if we had headed directly to God and consulted with Him alone, since that God should know Himself most of everyone and what He truly wants. It can never be undermined or corrupted the truth, and the evilness can never defeat the love of God, but the man can at most neglect or disregard its potential in his own life. God is superior to everyone else and His words are superior to everything else, so that His words will always continue to be as equally valid and have their effects upon us. If the man fails to uphold the words of God then they will no longer have room in his heart, so the words can go fully intact back to God, as if that would only be the man’s loss. And yet the words of God will continue to testify about the man’s choices, where he will be rewarded for doing the right thing and reprimanded for doing the wrong things, regardless of that whether the man will recognize it or not, wants so or not. The words of God will not return to Him until they have accomplished what He wants, so that God will always have the final word and shape everything to suit His purpose. God can help or punish any man He wants, at any time, in any way and in any place, but He does not need approval from anyone and nothing can change His mind, except God Himself. Therefore is nobody able to get in the way and prevent it from happening, but the man can at most repent and acknowledge his defeat before God, and then it is entirely God’s decision what He will make out from it and respond to him.

In chapter 40 it is written: ‘The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever… Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even then the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.’ In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him… In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.’

Everything in this world is frail, transient, and incomplete, except the will of God. The human race can neither support itself, nor the earth which they stand upon, but it is ultimately depended upon God in making everything function as the way it is. The man does merely receive the good things from God, which makes him able to live, to possess good health, good sense, good qualities, benefits, stability, and capability. And the man will later need to return everything to God, as if had merely been loaned to him in the meantime, so the man did never create or own any of these things. Our body will perish, and this world as well, as if it had never been important to begin with. There is only one thing necessary, and that is to do the will of God, since the words of God are eternal and it will also make anyone eternal that keeps it in his heart. Jesus Christ is the Word of God, where His life does manifest the will of God to us. God can renew our strength at any time, so that we will always be vigorous and never faint. It should be looked upon this in context with our inner condition and capability, when it comes to be lively, determined, courageous, calm, sober, patient, steadfast, and industrious, so we will never slacken our resolve, never yield to evil, and never give up. God can make a hero out of any person, however base or weak it might seem to be, even that the person has a long history of being bullied and humiliated. And nobody will be able to question God’s decision, when they see what the person is now capable of. It was God that made Samson into the strongest man to have ever lived, and it was God that made King David so courageous when fighting against the greater odds. God can both help us through the physical and the spiritual aspects, so that we can overcome our enemies from all possible sides, from within them and all around them. The enemies of God are already defeated from within, overcome by their own fears and weaknesses, so they only need to be pushed by someone and then they will collapse. It is not us that are supposed to be so courageous and powerful, but it is rather God that is able to accomplish anything from within us and within our enemies.

In chapter 40 it is written: ‘Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counseller hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?... All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.’ In chapter 41 it is written: ‘Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? And beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? Yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words. The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings. For I beheld, and there as no man; even among them, and there was no counseller, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word. Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.’

A similar thing is asked in the Book of Proverbs, namely who has gathered the winds in his fists, who has bound the waters in a garment, and who has established all the ends of the earth? God is of course wiser and more powerful than everyone else, as the Creator is superior to His creations, even before all of them had been created in the first place. It would be ridiculous if we presumed to teach God something which He did not already know, what should rather have been done in the situation, for better results. For we do already prove to be weak and short-sighted in our own matters, and even more so when we judge other people, so we are in no position to meddle with God’s jurisdiction. If we are so wise and powerful then why have we not already become saviours to this world, and why have we not surpassed other people in various fields? So it does not make any sense to question God’s decisions, in what way He does rule the universe, since God possesses the best overview of everything and everyone. The human race is vain beings, which have shaped the world into their own image, so the world is thereby one great vanity before God, combining the vanity of us all. The human people seek to convince one another about their own delusions, and as more people come together then the society becomes the more alienated from the reality. It is not the man that is able to create or discover the goodness out from nothing, as if he could claim to be the author of truthful knowledge and moral principles. But the man can at most receive the good things from God, and then forward it to other people, even as when the prophets merely repeated the sayings of God. No man would be able to become wise and righteous by his own effort alone, but it is something that can only be made possible through God’s intervention and presence. Let it thereby be duly noted, that we would never have become different from other people and fared no differently in our affairs, unless God had first chosen to help us. It is the Spirit of God that is working inside us, every time we experience something good, when we aspire for noble and beautiful things, feel joy and peace in our heart.

In the Book of Jeremiah it is written: ‘Who is the wise man, that may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?... Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercice lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’ It is written (10): ‘Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.’ It is written: ‘O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.’ It is written (17): ‘Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’

It should not be gazed upon wisdom, might, or riches, alone by itself, as if it would be implicated personally to us, before we have actually experienced circumstances, been tested and made choices. It is rather about being the right man in the right place at the right time, and it is only God that can make it come to pass, after having positioned us and the event in question. We would otherwise fail to adapt to the challenges upon arrival, after having wasted our resources upon wrong goal, object, or person, since we did not take something into consideration and it ruined all our calculations. And it might even seem like we have done everything right on our behalf, except that nothing good was aroused from it, since we can at most plant and irrigate while it is God that gives growth. It is ultimately God that chooses to bless our undertakings or not, but our beautiful words and human effort would otherwise have failed to accomplish anything by itself. We can at most wish for something to happen and attempt to do something in order to make it come true, while God does determine the actual context and causality. God can arrange everything from within us and all around us, to suit His purpose. This is why it can be ridiculed every man that does pretend to be wise and powerful, and boasts about it, even that he is supposed to be highly esteemed by the world, for having accomplished something wonderful which seemed to make all the difference. For that God can choose a specific person to serve His purpose, and it is He that is working inside it, when the person does aspire for great things and manages to do so. So the axe should not boast itself against him whom holds it and uses it for some purpose, since the axe would otherwise never have lifted itself up, or developed no movement. It is exactly the same thing when ‘great’ persons manage to accomplish great things, for that God had already chosen that person and shared His blessings with it, so the accomplishment is merely the consequence from His grace. But God could otherwise throw that person away any time and replace it with someone else, to the very same effects, since the aspirations, the understanding, and the capability belongs to Him. God could just as well choose a different person and give it different gifts, which could be used at different time and different place, to make all the difference in the world. The heathens are dismayed at the sign of heaven, as if the heaven would decide their fate in advance, so there would be nothing which they could do to change it. It does signify that when the faithless men are afraid of their own shadow, what they could think and imagine to the worse, as if they could do no other than obey their mindset. And the faithless men are also afraid of the external matters, what could happen in the environment and what other people could do, as if the faithless men would be forced to be the first ones to betray and commit evil, before other people would do it to them. It has nothing to do about faith in the right cause and to be governed by a sense of decency, but the heathens do only attempt to make selfish calculations, as if the means would justify the end, that a wicked choice could lead to good outcome or most rewards. This is called ‘selfish consequentialism’, which is like a great idolatry before God, since it is chosen to follow the Enemy in order to promote or obtain something that belongs to God, even that evil only leads to evil.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name… Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord. We have been with a child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.’ In chapter 52 it is written: ‘Awake, awake; out on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean… For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.’

That to become virtuous is not of our own doing, and did not happen at random. But God had already made us so from within, before we began to speak and behave like that, so that our capability does merely reflect the current state of our heart. There have been other lords beside the Lord which have had dominion over us, like when we were once a slave to our mind and allowed other people to manipulate us. And yet we will only mention the name of the Lord, because He was only one among them that cared about us, which attended to us in our hour of need, and helped us rebuild our life. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd, the only rightful leader of our life, who does stick with us to the very end, while everyone else have proven to be phoney. In the Gospel of John then Jesus Christ does comfort His followers, by comparing their sorrow to the travail of a woman. For the believer is then undergoing a spiritual rebirth and can have difficulty leaving his old self behind, to resist all the influence from the world. However when the woman would be delivered of a child then she would no longer remember her anguish, even as when the believer is remade in the image of Christ, so it is like Jesus Christ has returned and set everything right in his life. We were once spiritually dead in our sins, feeling emptiness and helplessness from within, but we would live again in the Lord, rising together with His dead body. The Messiah would die and then be resurrected by God, as the firstborn of the resurrected, so the Messiah could then repeat it toward any man and fill him with inner life. The Lord would ordain peace for us, making it possible for us to make peace with God, to make peace with our conscience, and live in peace with one another. There would no longer enter any uncircumcised and unclean into Zion and Jerusalem. This means that the devils could no longer enter in the life of the believer, where they could no longer be part of him, and have nothing to claim, even that the believer had once been sinful and under the influence of these devils. The man had once sold himself for nothing, sacrificed his spiritual health for vain and foolish things, since that sins will only lead to further troubles and worse condition. The Lord would redeem His people, but without the usual worldly means, like money and lifeless objects. The Lord would accomplish it by sacrificing His life, to offer His life as ransom for His people, so the offering would turn out to be alive and otherworldly in itself. The life of the Lord would of course be of much more value than the human people, so that He was willing to offer a greater ‘object’ in order to purchase a lesser ‘object’.

In chapter 55 it is written: ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.’ In chapter 56 it is written: ‘Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.’

Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life, which will satisfy all our spiritual needs once and for all, so that we can come to know what it is to be alive, to be full of inner life. The Lord makes us able to become healthy, sound, happy, cheerful, stable, and at peace, as if we could obtain such benefits directly, without relying upon any human means. The Heavenly Father sent the Son to the world, so the Son could be shared with everyone, if the man would only receive Jesus Christ as a free gift when offered. Jesus Christ is the Life itself, the Tree of Life, the source of our wellbeing, and the Lord will freely give from the fountain of life, to the man which is thirsty in his soul. The human people spend money upon that which bestows no benefit to their lives, and labour for that which cannot fulfil their true needs, so it is like they merely walk in circles. The luxuries of the world are expensive, and yet they are superfluous vanity, offering only temporary sensation, something that comes and goes, leaving no trace. And next the man will find himself in the same position, where he will again feel empty and restless, become obsessive over new desires and thoughts, and look for another sensation, even that it had hitherto never worked out and will neither in the future. But the greatest blessings come for free, and are already given at the outset, even before the man became aware of it, before he did something or began to look for it. So the true believer can live without luxuries and pleasures, and yet he is ever glad in his heart, fulfilled and contented with everything. The true believer does not need to use anything on the outside, but the happiness began in his heart, is originated from within.  The house of the Lord would become a house of prayer for all people, even those who had previously been strangers, not one of the Israel people, and ignorant about the ways of God. It would only matter that the man’s heart would be right before the Lord, that he would truly love Him and be willing to serve Him, to become one of Israel in spirit. Jesus Christ is the house of God, the basis of prayer and thanksgiving for all people, for that only He can lead sinners into repentance, forgive them, purify them, and reshape them, so they can become true believers, feel, sense, speak and act like one. It is only the Lord that can prepare our spiritual soil, to make it favourable for His words and able to bring fruit, so we can fulfil all the requirements as the people of God. Therefore can we pray toward God at any time and place, without relying upon earthly temples, since our body contains the Spirit of God and we undergo everything together.

In chapter 27 it is written: ‘In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment: least any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Fury is not in me: who would set the briers and thorns against me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me; and he shall make peace with me.’ In chapter 28 it is written: ‘Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.’

This does correspond to the Parable of the Sower, where the ground does signify the man’s heart, whether the spiritual soil can bring forth fruit or not, after hearing the words of God. Jesus Christ is the vine, the believer is the branch, and God is the vinedresser. Only Jesus Christ can cast roots in Paradise, and we can only enter Paradise through Him, as if we were branches taken from other trees and attached to the Lord, if He allows it. The believer is now part of Jesus Christ, the Tree of Life, stationed in Paradise, so that God can thereby begin to work on his heart from the inside and transform everything. God is already keeping the vineyard, night and day, and watering it every moment. Nobody is allowed to enter our heart, and either way not able to do so, except God, so that all the devils are excluded from our spiritual life and they cannot harm us. No human adversary is able to withstand the Lord, to undo His verdicts and get the better of His children. But the man can at most fall down before the Lord and take hold of His robe, the end of it, as when the defeated made their supplications to the conqueror. God will only teach His knowledge to His children, whom have been reborn in His Spirit, whom are like a blank page and have to learn everything from the scratch. This time the man would be brought up by God Himself, as the supreme parent, where he will be given better treatment and teachings, so he can become a better person. Jesus Christ is the foundation of our life, so that God can build upon it, establish every success, and expand it further, since the foundation will never budge or collapse. God can thereby add knowledge upon knowledge, and moral principle upon principle, little by little, until we have become perfect and pure of heart like His Son. The law of God is meant to be the norm, while the world is abnormal. It is God that does speak the truth and is always right about everything, while the world is the one telling lies and is always wrong about everything. It should be obeyed the law of God in an unconditional way, where we should be accustomed to that in being sincere and honest, as if that was the only option. But selfishness is meant to be something unheard of, a rare thing, or a minor exception at most, in trivial matters. Human frailty is something that happens temporarily and will immediately be undone by God, so that we are both forgiven and made capable of doing better from now on. It would never work out if the man still clung to his self, already accustomed to the ways of the world, fully mature in corruption and knowledge of evil possibilities, so that he has always known himself as a selfish person, part of selfish surroundings. The man would otherwise build upon a transient foundation, which his self is, so it would only be a matter of time until it would collapse and take everything down with it. For an example then the man can attempt to obtain knowledge and good qualities, but it does only reach toward a small part of his life and has limited effects. The man is still selfish in his nature, doing things through selfish reasons, and to further his selfish ends, so that same selfishness will undermine all progress in the long run. It can thereby happen that the man is going back and forth, where he fails to obtain knowledge and good qualities, or he will either way fail to maintain it for long, so that nothing is able to stand firm in its place, without being undermined by selfish intentions. God would then add knowledge upon knowledge, and moral principles upon principle, which the faithless man is unable to grasp and attain, since he lacks Jesus Christ in his life. So the faithless man is already condemned in advance, where he will never be able to heed God and follow Him in anything, while holding fast to his self.

In chapter 2 it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountains of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.’ Almost the same thing is written in the Book of Micah (chapter 4), whatever the reason. In chapter 4 it is written: ‘And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.’ In chapter 30 it is written: ‘For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers. And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold; thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.’

The mountain of the Lord can signify the Lord Himself, for that Jesus Christ is the rock of our life, the only true foundation that can last. In the Psalms it is spoken about God’s tabernacle, holy hill, and holy place, which does refer to a spiritual place, when the man is pure of heart, free from all desires. Only the faith in Jesus Christ can make us perfect, pure of heart, noble and altruistic, so that we can obey God in everything and overcome any temptations. The human people will no longer make war against one another, but they will instead spend their time and effort upon constructive goals, discoveries, creativity, and progress. It is something used for a peaceful purpose, to benefit the welfare of the whole, so the human people can have an easier time to sustain themselves and become happy. God would not remove our teachers into a corner any more, which does refer to the Holy Spirit, and perhaps also angels. It is true that we can be prone to error of judgment and be guilty of faults, but God will still continue to remind us the truth, and encourage us to do the right thing. For an example then we can think something wrong and intend to do something wrong, but at that moment the Holy Spirit will intervene and make us able to know better, so we will reconsider and turn away from that course in time. It is not only bound to that in knowing what is right, but the Holy Spirit can also help us aspiring for it, so it does automatically cancel the will to sin, freeing us from the selfish need to do so. The Holy Spirit will point the way to God, which does consist in the life of Jesus Christ, when it comes feel, sense, think, speak, and behave just like He did and would do in our position. The faith in Jesus Christ does free us from both extremes, which are selfishness and self-righteousness, when it is either held oneself too much back or gone ahead of oneself, done too little or too much, as either too cold or too hot. But we will instead keep the moderate middle course, the only path to self-knowledge and virtues, making us able to confront, overcome, endure, and adapt to anything, since we have already done so from within and only need to confirm it out in the world.

In chapter 11 it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt… And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth… And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.’ In chapter 19 it is written: ‘In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it. And the Lord shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the Lord, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.’ In chapter 27 it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.’

The Egyptians were once the adversaries of the Israel people, which enslaved and oppressed them for hundreds of years. This was before the Israel people came to know God, when God had still not made a covenant with Israel as a nation. The Assyrians would also become adversaries to the Israel people, but it happened afterwards, when the Israel people had already fallen from God and His ways. The Egyptians signify our human enemies before we were first converted to Jesus Christ, when we were once selfish and ignorant just like everyone else in the world. But the Assyrians signify our human enemies after we rejected Jesus Christ as our Saviour, when we sought for alternate means to become righteous or become worse than everyone else. Betrayal is something that happens after God had trusted us and shared something with us, but it would otherwise not have happened if we were strangers to Him. Jesus Christ able to convert our old and new enemies to Himself, to become one of His children, virtuous and blessed, so they will share an equal place with us. It is not like we are supposed to be so special, better than other people and to be exalted above our human enemies, as what the Israel people presumed about themselves. But Jesus Christ is telling us that He can make any person special, any time it pleases Him, so that person will be able to know God and surpass other people in virtue. It is true that we did once have enemies and we were enemies to other persons, whether we were better than them or they were better than us, so that we were either persecuted or the ones to persecute. But God is able to convert all of us to His cause, so we will have the same leader and belong to the same side, working together for the same goal in sight, even as friends. The outcasts of Israel would be found among the Assyrians and Egyptians, which does refer to the humble sinners, who have truly repented and wish to serve God. At first might seem like the humble sinners are just like other people, and practicing the same things, unless their attitude is different. For the humble sinners do not wish to be like that or resume their errors, where their hearts do not follow the behaviour, and they do not find themselves among the selfish people. Egypt and Assyria were originally meant to be part of the Promised Land, which God promised to Abraham, reaching from the river Nile to the river of Euphrates. It is thereby possible that all these foreign nations were meant to be converted to God, and incorporated among the Jewish people, as what had applies to the harlot Rahab. The seven godless nations in Canaan would be the only exception, as what God had commanded to Moses and Joshua. But everyone else was given an adequate treatment, as strangers, like the Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, and the Egyptians. The Israel people would have come across all these foreign nations, to test their stance and reactions, whether they would reveal goodwill and peace, or hostility. The Israel people would have offered peaceful terms before engaging in war, and at most make the foreign nations into their tributaries, so it would involve mild conditions. It should be looked upon this in context with the true believer as an individual, when he does come across people in his lifetime and shares experience with them. For the true believer is meant to bless and convert everyone to God, both friends and enemies, by continuing to do good tings to them and prove the power of God, so the same people will also want to be capable of virtue and be blessed in their lives.

In chapter 11 it is written: ‘The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim... And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.’

When God will create a new earth then all the animals will live in peace with one another, but this does also signify the Kingdom of God, when truth and justice prevails from within us. God is able to lead any man to repentance, forgive and cleanse him of all sins, to give the man a new heart and spirit, so he can become innocent again like a child. The man was once wicked, full of anger and violent in his ways, willing to harm innocent people and make a profit out from it, even as when predatory animals seek to kill for food. But God is able to convert all kinds of people and promote harmony among them, so the strong will live peacefully with the weak and even former oppressors with the oppressed. The Lord would set His hand a second time to recover the remnants of his people, which indicates a new covenant with God, as after Moses had led the Israel people from Egypt. It is not spoken about the whole Israel people, but rather the remnant, the outcasts of Israel. The true believers would be dispersed among the heathens, not only as remnants of the Israel people, but also as one of the heathens, belonging to Israel in spirit. The true believers would also be found among the heathens, namely those that are circumcised in their hearts, sincere and humble before God, and willing to serve Him. The Lord would utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea, by conquering the law of sin in the flesh, including the seven fundamental sins of the evil nature. The man can only be justified by his faith in Jesus Christ, and that will become his righteousness before God, when the Spirit of Christ is in him and replacing the old man. The Spirit of God will condemn the law of sin in our flesh, so the tempting voices will be silenced, the evil influence nullified, and all the devils will be banished for good. Therefore will the believer be able to pass through any temptations, no longer be aware of such evil possibilities, and he will no longer remind himself of the past. This is why it is spoken about seven streams being dried upon, so that men could pass over it. For the believer will no longer be afraid and troubled over temptations, since God will make him wise and determined enough to confront and overcome all of them.

In the Book of Ezekiel it is written: ‘And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredoms, nor by the carcase of their kings in their high places. In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.’ It is written (44): ‘Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the Lord unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.’ It is written: ‘And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. Thus saith the Lord God; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.’

Only the faith in Jesus Christ can make us into a living temple, a moving one, which is pure and holy enough to contain God, His Spirit in our heart. If we have received the Son then we will also receive the Father in His name, and become partakers in the Holy Spirit, which does remind us of the truth and glorifies God. Therefore has God already mad His abode in us, from henceforth, forever. It is true that we have neither seen what God looks like nor heard what the tone of His voice does sound like, but God does otherwise continue to guide and help us to exactly the same effect. It was Jesus Christ and Him alone that broke the wall between us and God, where He took away our sins and iniquity, and He purified our heart and eyes, so we could see and experience everything in a clear way. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd, the Door of the sheep, so that we can enter therein and be filled with inner life. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So that we must do things according to the Truth, if we are going to find the Way to God and become spiritually ‘Alive’, but we can never accomplish anything against the truth. We had originally shown unbelief in God, and then next we began to consider temptations and yield to corruption, so we would see our own corruption in everything and derive selfish meaning from it. A treacherous man does suspect other people of conspiracy, where he ascribes his own treacherous qualities to them and blames them for his own treacherous choices, even that the people are truthful and honest on their part. It is because of this why God had previously not wanted to live among us, to make His habitat from within us, since we were like the old generations led by Moses in the desert. We would either way have proven to be selfish, insincere, ungrateful, treacherous, whiny, quarrelsome, and stubborn, every time we would have been tested and experienced temptations, so it explains why God had not wanted to be part of our uncircumcised heart. But it is wholly thanks to Jesus Christ that we are able to become righteous before God, by truly feeling, sensing, thinking, speaking, and behaving like a virtuous person. It is not like the old times, regarding our former self and life, when we only pretended to be honest on the outside, while remaining selfish on the inside. So that we are no longer spiritual harlot and mercenaries for hire, who covet after dishonest gain, but we are now innocent like a child, pure like a virgin, and a true friend. The children of the faith are spiritually free and live in truth, so their love and devotion toward God is genuine, something which they really feel in their hearts. It is not so with those that seek to become justified by their own worth, as if they could deserve everything from God, but they are spiritual slaves, phoney and useless. Ezekiel’s vision of the temple does seem to resemble the body of Jesus Christ, crucified. The temple has four sides, and there is one gate one each side, but only the Lord would be allowed to enter the gate from the east, and no one else. Jesus Christ is the head of everyone, and the Heavenly Father is the head of Christ, which the east gate does signify. But the other three gates are for the believers, so they can access Jesus Christ through His right hand, through His left hand, or through His feet. Jesus Christ is able to redeem those that were once selfish (to the left), self-righteous (to the right), or wicked (on the bottom), so they can all travel upward His body to the head. That is the path to heaven, the Kingdom of God, where God’s truth and justice prevails.

15.5: The Heathens

The prophets do often speak against the heathens, like Assyria, Babylon, Tyre, Sidon, Edom, Ammon, and Moab, so it does both include the heathens as nations and their lands. But why would God only mention the kingdoms and empires at that time, while He has not mentioned those that came later, like during medieval times or modern period? Why should the Egyptians or the Babylonians be considered so bad in God’s eyes, and so deserving of punishments, when younger empires have committed far greater crimes? God does mention these nations and empires because they are like the prototypes or archetypes of all empires, concerning their mindset and practices, even that the outward appearance might seem different, concerning the material objects and technology used. These are the first empires, while all later empires are like its spiritual successors. All empires are guilty of selfish policy, greed for wealth and love of pleasures, so they have been willing to subdue and oppress everyone else in the area. History does tend to repeat itself, and new empires can resemble those in the past, when it is looked upon the spiritual aspect, what was happening in the greater matters. The Babylonians and the Persians were very influential in the Middle-East and Asia, even as what would later apply to the Arab Muslims, the Mongols, and the Turks. Then came the Greeks and the Macedonians, with their Hellenistic kingdoms, and they would later be replaced by the Romans. It does remind of the Western civilization during Modern area, when Europe came to possess the supremacy in the world, until it was lost over to the United States of America, inhabited by similar people. That kind of explanation would fit the Book of Daniel, concerning the four empires. It is however different when it is read the works of the great prophets, like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. God is not really speaking about ordinary men, in ordinary kingdoms or empires, as if frail men could hold so much significance in His eyes. But God is rather condemning the Enemy and all the devils, the Beast and the Great Harlot of Babylon, the wicked men and fallen believers that bear the sign of Anti-Christ, all those false prophets and false believers that seek to deceive the human people. For that Satan and the devils continue to be the enemies of God, at any period in the human history, so they are considered to be far worse in comparison to the human people. And there are wicked men and fallen believers everywhere in the world, where they continue to be equally guilty before God, whether it is today or tomorrow. This is why it makes sense that God should be prophesising against the worst of the worst, rather than by being so harsh toward ordinary sinners, people that commit sins by ignorance, do not know their right hand from the left, and are only being frail. It is true that the human people have created empires and become guilty of corruption, but that could be expected from any empire, from any nation in the world. People continue to be people, where the people in one place would have done the same thing as people in another place, if given the same possibilities and temptations. Most of us would have fared no differently, but we would also have been guilty of ignorance and weaknesses like other people, when finding ourselves in the same position. This is why it would not make any sense to hate and blame one empire for everything, as if the Romans were supposed to be more evil than Persians or Greeks, or that the Jews could have expected better terms if the history had turned out differently. Nobody is better or worse than another, but all empires have their good side and bad side. All empires are selfish in their nature, and it will happen in one way or another.

In chapter 10 it is written: ‘O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. I will send him against an hypocritical nation… Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doeth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few… For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent; and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man… Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Or shall the saw magnify against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.’ In chapter 14 it is written: ‘The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?... Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.’

God did originally use the Assyrians to punish the Israel people and other godless nations, for all the crimes which they had practiced and tolerated among themselves, so that divine punishment would need to come from the outside, through the conquests of foreigners. The Israel people had discriminated and oppressed the righteous within their own society, so they would in turn be discriminated and oppressed by someone else. God can send devils to afflict the wicked man from within, just as when the Assyrians were used to afflict the Israel people, but the Assyrians were never virtuous in their own right. The wicked would afflict the wicked, and deserve the company of each other, but it was never because God had favoured one above the other or been pleased with them. God can raise human adversaries in order to rebuke and punish His erring children, to humble their pride and lead them to repentance, so they can begin a new life upon His terms. The Assyrians did however grow arrogant and wished to exceed their role, as if they could destroy nations and never allow anyone to rise back up from the ground. Such is the attitude of devils, as if they could endlessly enslave and trouble the sinner, even that the sinner has already repented and wants to turn back to God. The Assyrians were sent against the Kingdom of Israel, the Northern Kingdom in Samaria, while the Babylonians were sent against the Kingdom of Judah. Both the Israel people in Samaria and the ones in Judah were led into captivity, but only the latter were able to return to the land, after God had delivered them from their captors. So God sent the Assyrians against the Israel people in Samaria, not to rebuke them and lead them into repentance, but rather to punish them permanently, after God had given up on them and wanted nothing to do with them anymore. Therefore is God not concerned about the Israel people that were captive in Assyria, but it would rather apply to other nations which the Assyrians sought to destroy. The repentant man should no longer suffer for the past, and the new generations should not suffer for the crimes of their predecessors, as what applies to parents and their children, so the sin does only belong to that person which committed it. It is true that God can punish the devils on behalf of His people, after His people have repented and turned back to Him, so they devils do no longer serve any purpose. It does still not mean that the wicked men should rejoice and expect the same things, since they are still being condemned by God and they will even be punished with the devils. This explains the reference to Palestina, for the wickedness will only escalate in the wicked and their next punishment will exceed the previous one, on their road to perdition.

In chapter 34 it is written: ‘Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.’ In chapter 41 it is written: ‘Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.’ In the Book of Habakkuk it is written: ‘And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.’ In the Book of Zephaniah it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.’

The devils are nothing and unable to accomplish anything, but they can at most pretend to be wise and powerful, in order to deceive the ignorant and weak. The devils can come up with suggestions and advices that might seem to be clever, but it does always prove to be short-sighted in its nature and can never work out in the long run. There is always something lacking in its reasoning and means, a loose end that leads to new troubles, revealing a vulnerability that can be used against it. The man can presume that his mind is clever, when he does think and speak about something in advance, before he has attended to the circumstances and had dealings with other people. It will however always fail in practice, where the man is unable to adapt to demands of the circumstances and confirm his personal conviction in deeds. God has on the other hand thought everything through, regarding morality and causality, how the man’s choice will affect himself in one way or another, what will happen after the execution, and what will happen after the consequence, and so forth. The devils are unable to predict anything, to foresee the future and plan for it, since they would otherwise never have rebelled against God in the first place, and lost everything. The devils can at most come up with deception, like if they were able to know what other people are thinking, what other people intend to do in their mind, before the people have begun to execute in such manner and it would make news to everyone. This has everything to do about the present time, and nothing to do about the future, as when the man does know his own mind and what he is about to do, so it does not really matter whether other people can guess it or not, by reading his current mind. God is both able to speak of something and act upon it, to make it come true in a concrete way, so it is only a matter of time until God will fulfil His promise in one way or another. It is not like the man can assert that God failed to deliver His promise, that He is unable to do, or that it is a sign of weakness when God seems to be delaying everything. For the prophecy is still in full effect, where it will surely come to pass, but nobody knows ‘how’ or ‘when’ it will take place, except God Himself. It does thereby not matter what the man can presume and assert about the prophecies, since he does either not know anything and cannot control anything, as if he was altogether irrelevant. It would correspond to that if a slave would pretend to guess the decisions of the leaders, even that he is never allowed to come near them and he has no saying in it. It is true that God can delay the prophecy, for the sake of those that have repented and still live, so that the righteous men will not suffer with the wicked when it finally happens. It is still not the same thing as if God had forgotten all about the wicked men, or self-justified them for the sake of the righteous men, but His wrath is still hanging over them. An abomination is he that chooses devils, who relies upon the evilness and its lies, since the devils cannot even save themselves from God, let alone their human followers. The true believers would inherit the Kingdom of God, become blessed and happy, and that could only happen if they believed God in advance, His promises and warnings.

In chapter 2 it is written: ‘Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon everyone that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low... And the idols he shall utterly abolish… And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth…’ In chapter 8 it is written: ‘Associate yourselves, O people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to naught; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us... Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.’ In chapter 12 it is written: ‘And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou hast comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust in, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.’

The devils will seek to hide in rocks and caves, rather than out in the open, upon plain fields, as when a worthless man resorts to lies and attempts to hide from the truth. Jesus Christ has compared His people to sheep’s, and His enemies to goats. For that goats tend to eat everything and leave nothing behind, keep to rocky and inaccessible areas, remain stubborn, and even allow strangers to pet them. A similar thing can apply to the wicked man, who is devoid of all spiritual and moral discernment. For the wicked man does immediately yield to every temptation and craves after every dishonest gain, no matter how harmful and disgusting it can be. His ways are not self-supportive, something that is able to last in the long run, but the wicked man seeks to fulfil his desires at the expense of other people or the environment. The wicked man does not tread the straight path, by having honest work and earn honest rewards, or by competing for victory upon equal terms. But he does rather look for alternate paths, by resorting to cheating and crimes, to feed upon someone else like a parasite and get all the rewards without any effort. There is nothing glorious about it, when the wicked man remains lazy and only seeks for the easy way, since he has no real talents and contributes nothing. The wicked man is ever stubborn, where he does not want to be led by God and follow His instructions, but he is only concerned about his own self-gratification. The wicked man allows devils to approach and touch him, as to tolerate their corruptive influence and suggestions, so that he considers wicked possibilities and is reminded of it. The enemies of God will experience trouble upon trouble, and be ever vexed in their spirit, where their hopes will be dashed and confidence shattered, every time they seek to rise up from the ground and rebuild. The man should fear God more than his enemies, even as when soldiers were meant to be more afraid of their general than the enemy army. The soldier would need to stand his ground, continue to obey the given orders and fight the enemy in front of him, if he was ever going to be victorious and save his own life as well. But it would not make any sense to rebel against the general, and flee before the enemies, since the enemies could only be defeated while fighting from his side. It would not matter how many men could make an alliance against God and plot against Him, since it is ultimately depended upon God whether something can succeed or not, stand or fall. The Messiah would become a stumbling block to those that rejected Him, since the selfish people have chosen to rely upon something or someone else than the Lord. It is spoken about the day when the Messiah would fulfil His role, and complete the works of God once and for all. Then the Lord would no longer be angry with the man, but His anger would be turned away and He would comfort the man, so that he would praise the Lord with all his heart. It is implied that the Messiah would be the Lord Himself, for why should it otherwise be praised the Lord for His accomplishments, and declared His doings among the people? The Lord would first need to be born into the world, in a human body, live among the human people, share their hardship and undertake similar challenges. So the Lord would do something upon the earth, which would turn away His anger from the sinner, and then that person could be comforted and reconciled with God.

In chapter 13 it is written: ‘The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the Lord of hosts mustereth the hosts of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity: and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger… Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.’

There will be a final battle between good and evil, but men tend to differ in their interpretation, in what way such battle would manifest itself and when it will happen. The most common interpretation does consist in this: that the Anti-Christ will deceive most of the human race, create some kind of empire or unite the whole world, and then there will be a final battle somewhere, between an earthly army and divine one. But the ‘ultimate’ battle can also signify the victory of Jesus Christ upon the cross, which became the basis of everlasting salvation for every man, so it can reach toward every matter in our human existence and be put into effect at any time. The Lamb of God would overcome the world, and cause the fallen angels to be thrown down from heaven, so the devils are already defeated, condemned, and deprived of everything. A spiritual victory is much more important than any carnal victory, so the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is of greater value than anything to be gained or lost away in warfare. It should be looked beyond the senseless massacre and explosions in wars, and rather discerned the premises behind it, why wars are being waged, for what or whom. Jesus Christ always did the sensible thing and obtained success in a peaceable way, while carnal wars tend to be motivated by selfish reasons, short-sightedness, and hypocrisy. The Book of Revelation speaks of kings of the earth, great men, rich men, chief captains, and mighty men, hiding themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. These men ask the mountains and the rocks to fall on them, to hide them from the face of God, and from the wrath of the Lamb, which no man will be able to stand. This must surely signify the devils, after Jesus Christ had died for our sins, since the devils would be deprived of all excuses and jurisdiction to afflict the sinner. The devils were no longer in position to rationalize their rebellion against God, for the Lord Himself came down to the earth and proved them wrong, having obeyed God in all things. This will mark the end of the world, the end of its evil influence in our spiritual life, so that we will no longer be subjected to selfish desires, delusions, and impulses. This world will of course perish in the end, and God will make a new world for His people, but in the meantime Jesus Christ can overcome the world from within us all. The day of the Lord will be terrible to all the sinners, or namely those that are proud and self-conceited, having previously boasted about themselves, mocked the Lord and His ways, and treated the poor with arrogance. The sun and the moon will cease to shin, and the stars will give no light. It indicates that the proud people will be deprived of all prosperity, benefits, and inner stability, even as when the earth is deprived of heat and rain, or the seasons are out of place. Their human body will cease to function as it should, and there is always something which disrupts its activity, resulting in torment, chaos, madness, and maladies.

In chapter 28 it is written: ‘Wherefore hear the words of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste… And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowering scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.’ In chapter 29 it is written: ‘And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek shall also increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off...’

The worldly Jerusalem is not the same thing as the Heavenly Jerusalem, for the former is like Sodom and Gomorrah in the eyes of God, inhabited by religious hypocrites, ruled by devils. The devils presumed to make a covenant with death and hell, as if they could cause the sinner to die and end in hell, while the devils would avoid the same fate. For the Enemy did possess the power of death, and hell is a spiritual place where there is only torment and chaos, so it might seem like the evilness would not use own weapons against itself. The devils were constantly tempting the human race, but there was nobody tempting the devils in the same way, as unfair and one-sided it might seem to be. And the devils presumed that they could lie through every matter, as to avoid all guilt for their crimes and convince themselves to be happy about their dishonest gain. But Jesus Christ was both able to redeem all His people and condemn all His enemies, for all eternity. The devils were no masters of their own fate, as if they could receive special privileges or exceptions for themselves, but they would also be judged for their own wickedness, and even more so. Therefore would the devils experience spiritual death, where they would become depraved beings and their soul turned into hell, without obtaining any relief from God. A similar thing can apply to those that believe in the evilness and worship devils, who attempt to obtain some kind of advantage over God or other people. But the devils are utterly worthless and useless, devoid of all understanding and capability, as if it would be worshipped a stone or idol. And the devils are like a carcass that will only spread out diseases upon touch, so the wicked men will surely fail in their expectations, make a fool out of themselves, and become worse off in the process.

In chapter 34 it is written: ‘Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter… And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their hosts shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment… For it is the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.’ In chapter 66 it is written: ‘For as the new heaven and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and our name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.’ In the Gospel of Matthew it is written: ‘And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.’

God does speak against that in worshipping the whole host of heaven, which must surely be the fallen angels, since the angels of God would not want such idolatry to happen. This does not refer to the final battle upon the earth, some time in the future, before this world will come to an end. This particular battle has already come to pass, when Michael and the angels of God fought against the Red Dragon and the fallen angels, so that all the devils would no longer have place in heaven. Jesus Christ claimed that He saw Satan thrown down from heaven, like a lightning, while the Lord was still doing His ministry upon the earth. So the war in heaven was concluded at that time, while it must have begun after Jesus Christ’s baptism and temptations in the desert, when He had already prove His sinless life. This war in heaven would be the day of Lord’s vengeance, for the controversy of Zion. The Lord would no longer tolerate the presence of fallen angels in heaven, as if they could get away with their rebellion, as if they could still experience good health, gladness, inner stability, and peace. And the Lord would no longer tolerate the presence of religious hypocrites and self-righteous men, whom claimed to be His people, deserving of His divine grace, better than other people, as if they were in position to judge and persecute outcasts. But the Lord would set things right, where He would claim the outcast for Himself, and punish all His enemies, so there would no longer remain anything uncertain about the issue. The Enemy is the prince of the power of the air, where the devils are the rulers of the darkness of this world, and it does involve spiritual wickedness in high places. The devils are now stuck upon the earth, and the carnal heaven is part of this sinful world. The streams would be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. The devils would no longer experience benefits in their soul, but their soul would become a living hell, so that kind of state would follow them from within, at any time and place. It can thereby be said that the devils are already condemned and being punished in the worst possible way, so we do not really need to trouble ourselves about the existence of devils, now or later. The final battle upon the earth has more to do about the human people than the devils, since they are still being given opportunities to repent and turn back to God, while the devils have already squandered all their opportunities and will never return to God. The Lord has already slaughtered the devils from within, by turning them into living carcasses, utterly depraved, which is far worse punishment than any permanent death. Death is like another term for sleep, except the person will not wake up from it. The description does otherwise remain the same, where the deceased person does not have any consciousness at all, neither feeling anything good or bad. But the devils are constantly tormented from within, as if they would live forever in the worst possible condition, so that would of course be far worse than any violent death by human hands.

In chapter 13 it is written: ‘And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there… And the wild beasts of the island shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.’ In chapter 17 it is written: ‘At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.’ In chapter 21 it is written: ‘For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth… And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.’

The spiritual place of wickedness will never again be inhabited, for the Lord has freed the believer from its influence, the sick and deranged mindset that once prevailed in him. So the believer will never again return to his old life, never again by governed by his self, and never again consider selfish possibilities in the mind. The believer has already left Babylon and he will not share her fate, unlike those that still cling to the selfish ways of the world. Jesus Christ has already overcome the Enemy, the evilness and all its inventions, so the spiritual Babylon is already condemned in advance, now and in the future. The wicked men will continue to stay in Babylon, but they will surely fall soon or later. That kind of process can repeat itself many times in the human history, whether the wicked men fall as individuals or when a corrupt society will be utterly overthrown. It can happen that the wicked men obtain success for a brief time, while other people are selfish and cowardly, so that nobody dares to resist them. But it will not last for long, when people will cease to fear the wicked men and rather concentrate upon that in defeating them. The goodness is always superior to the evilness, even as how the Lord is superior to the Enemy in all things, so that victory is already guaranteed in advance, always in the long run. The man will one day prefer God above worldly religions, and he will consult with God Himself as the best source about His will, instead of human intercessors. So the man will no longer rely upon human inventions, systems, ideas, and doctrines, but he will rather believe God’s own testimony, as what is written in the Scripture. God was right all along and He gave us such a simple tasks to live in the best possible way, since we only needed to believe His words and apply it to our life. The faith is all about trusting God, that He knows what He is doing and only wishes us the best, so that we can just as well head for God Himself and consult with Him directly.

In chapter 14 it is written: ‘That thou take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! The golden city ceased! The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing. Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the ceders of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no fellers is come up against us. Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up form their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet.’ In the Book of Habakkuk it is written: ‘Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.’

The Anti-Christ will pretend to rival God, and seek to become worshipped by the human people. The Anti-Christ will hold the world hostage, so that many people will be oppressed, live in fear, and be unable to escape from his power. And the Anti-Christ will make the world into a wilderness and destroy cities. Therefore will the Anti-Christ become tyrant, and seek to get his way through force, although warfare would not be the only way to do so. It is spoken about Anti-Christ as an abominable branch, the exact opposite of the Messiah, the Branch from the root of Jesse. The Anti-Christ is the Enemy’s son, and they are exactly the same. This is why the prophecy can both apply to the Enemy and the Anti-Christ, what belongs to the spiritual realm of the Enemy, which will then function behind the earthly realm of Anti-Christ. The Enemy is the king of the spiritual Babylon, found from within the man, when lies and wickedness does prevail in his heart and mindset. The world was given over to the Enemy, because the rebellion of the human race, since they had preferred selfishness above the ways of God, the Enemy above Him. The Enemy ruled over the nations, by influencing both the leaders and their followers. For the heathens tended to have a selfish policy, tried to get their way through violence, despised the weak, and esteemed debauchery to be the supreme good. The Enemy sought to oppress the whole human race, and persecute the children of God, but the Lord would persecute him at the same time and have the final word. Nobody would be able to hinder the Lord, and nothing would be able to save the Enemy. The Lord does judge those that have been judging other people, and He will threat those in contempt whom have been treating other people in contempt, so the Lord is the most powerful being, able to overcome the mighty who overcame the weak. When it is predicted the fall of Lucifer then it is not only bound to the last days, when there will be a great battle between the army of God and the army of Anti-Christ. This does also refer to the victory of Jesus Christ upon the cross, where the spiritual aspect is much more important than the material aspect. It is about proving that the goodness is superior to the evilness, spiritually, intellectually, morally, and physically, to deprive the evilness of all power and claims, as if the evilness could do nothing against it. Jesus Christ has already been victorious over the evilness itself, once and for all, so the Enemy and all the devils are already condemned in advance, doomed to perdition. The final battle between good and evil is about confirming that victory, when Jesus Christ will return to the world as the rightful king and punish all His enemies. The army of Anti-Christ will be like leftovers, to be mopped up by the army of God. But why has this not already happened, after Jesus Christ became victorious on the cross? Why are the Enemy and the devils still plaguing the world, tempting the human race? The Enemy and the devils are already overwhelmed by torment in their soul, where they have lost all their power and cannot accomplish anything against God. But now the question is about the human people, the rebellious nature of this world, so the man is still being tested by God and tempted by devils, to reveal his true colours, his true allegiance.

The Enemy sought to corrupt and destroy the human people from within, so they would become spiritually dead and end in hell. The Enemy sought to claim sinners as his own property, that they did now belong to him and could never be released. The Enemy is the founder of the evilness, with all its lies, craftiness, and tricks, where he seeks to oppose the ways of God and promote exactly the opposite effects. It is explained the reason why the Enemy rebelled against God, for he wanted to become like God, where he could get his way with everything and make everyone obey him. The Enemy could never become his own god through the truth, for the truth does confirm that God is the only one worthy to be God and He is always right about everything. Therefore would the Enemy resort to lies and injustice, to make it seem like he was something else than he truly was, to pretend like he was wise and great. The Enemy would seek to create his own subjective reality, like a man that keeps telling himself the same lies again and again, and tries to convince everyone else about his merit. But that man does fail to convince himself about it and knows how worthless he is. There is nothing truthful and good in the Enemy, but he only seeks to lie and commit evil, to persecute innocent persons and reward the worthless people for being worthless. So the Enemy was constantly seeking to do evil things toward the human people, but nobody seemed to be doing the same thing toward him, as if the Enemy could get away with everything and never come to know what it is like to be persecuted unjustly. It was like the evilness would seek to commit evil against everyone except itself, as if the Enemy and the devils would not be affected by death and hell, since the Enemy did possess the power of the death, and hell was related to death. But Jesus Christ would prove the Enemy wrong about everything and turn his realm upside down, so the Enemy would loose everything and become worse off than everyone else. The Enemy would be judged for his own wickedness and it would affect him as well, so that he would also become spiritually dead and end in hell. Therefore would the Enemy became just as insignificant and helpless as any ‘sinner’, where he would no longer have any control of his life, receive no exception or privileges. The Enemy and the devils lost their original appearance, and have now become like monsters to behold, reflecting their wickedness, how ugly they are from within. That is the true form of devils, when all illusions are dispelled in the minds of the human people, so they are distorted, diseased and worm-infested, like a living carcass.

In chapter 47 it is written: ‘Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate… Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man… Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms. I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke. And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember latter end of it. Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come uponb thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me. Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know. Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.’ In the Book of Jeremiah it is written: ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the Lord. In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.’

The true believers are made from the seed of man, the Son of Man, which does signify Jesus Christ. But the wicked men are made from the seed of beast, the image of the Beast, which does signify Anti-Christ. The wicked men are like monsters from within, in what way they think and act, often in secret. So that other people do often not suspect anything, what the wicked men are truly like underneath, what is their true intentions and what they are truly capable of. The true believers are like the bride of Christ, a virgin that has not known any other man than Him, since the true believers do only keep to His truth and moral principles, and reject all ‘strangers’. But the wicked men are like spiritual harlots, which the Great Harlot of Babylon does signify, where they are utterly faithless and have committed fornication with every devil, since the wicked men have yielded to influence belonging to every devil. The true believers are only loyal to God and seek to do goodness for its own sake, while the wicked men are only loyal to the Enemy and seek to do evilness for its own sake. The true believers have rejected the world and refused to bow down to its evil ways, so they are unable to become successful in the world and will surely be persecuted. But the wicked men have chosen to bow down to the Enemy in their attitude and behaviour, in return for success in the world, like power, wealth, fame, popularity, and luxuries, which is attained by compromises, complicity in corruption and crimes. It can thereby happen that the wicked men are able to become powerful, rich, and famous in the world, where everyone seem to respect them, crave for their company and favours, and follow their advices, as if the wicked men had become idols to them. This will however not last forever, but it is only a matter of time until the truth will come out, that these successful men are guilty of all kinds of corruption and crimes, that they cheated their way to power and proved more worthless than everyone. So the wicked men will surely fall to the bottom, loose everything, live in shame and reproach, ruin their health and sanity, become unhappy and empty from within. The wicked men had hitherto considered themselves to be so important, wise, and powerful, as if they could rely upon own willpower and cleverness to get their way, as if they had become the masters of their own fate and could shape their own reality. But nothing would be able to save the wicked men from the punishments of God, no matter what they could intend to think and do about it, concerning problems from within and around them. For that God has already deprived the wicked men of all sense, as if they were blind, deaf, dumb, and lame in their understanding and capability, so they will always be wrong about everything and can never accomplish anything. Babylon would never again by inhabited, which means that the wicked men will never again bring spiritual fruit, never experience anything good at regular interval or in specific factors, but their soul would become like a barren wasteland. God can deliver the fallen believer into the hands of the wicked, whether devils or men, so it can be rebuked and punished the fallen believer for his ingratitude and treachery. Then the fallen believer would find himself worse off, controlled and manipulated by unworthy leaders, enslaved and unhappy, and wasting all his effort upon nothing. It had never been like that while the man believed in God and obeyed Him, since God had been ever kind and generous to him, treating the man better than he deserved. So the wicked men can become prosperous and afflict the fallen believers, while the latter remain rebellious and stubborn, still refusing to turn back to God. However if the fallen believers repent and turn back to God then it will change everything, so that God will turn against the wicked men and punish them for all their crimes. The daughter of Babylon would both loose her husband and children in the same day, which can signify the Anti-Christ and the new spiritual body, made in his image.

In chapter 23 it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot… And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.’

The Phoenicians were considered great sailors and merchants, where the modern alphabet is originated from them, where they were like intercessors between cultures and made them interconnected. The city of Tyre can signify the prevailing culture in the world, what kind of human inventions are being used by everyone, so it can both reach toward human ideas and products, popular mindset and practices. A good example would have been the Greco-Roman culture, and now the Western one, built upon that foundation and expanded further, so the modern culture is its ‘spiritual successor’. It does not mean that the Western culture would be worse than other cultures, but it has surpassed everyone in its reach and scale, so it is like the whole world has needed to adapt to its ‘supply and demand’. It is spoken about Tyre committing fornication with all the kingdoms of the world. The prevailing empire does tend to have the prevailing culture, as what applied to the Hellenistic kingdoms, the Romans, the Arab Muslims, European Colonial powers, and the United States of America at our times. The prevailing empire does consort with everyone, makes compromises with the world and its corrupt leaders, so it can establish alliances against a common foe, or divide and conquer lesser powers. The prevailing culture becomes the melting pot of all other cultures, uniting their erroneous ideas, customs, and weaknesses, while separating truth and justice from the equation. It is like the prevailing culture does not have any unique identity, but it does merely imitate after other cultures, as what the Romans did in regard to their enemies. Seventy years can signify the lifespan of the prevailing culture, until it will fall and another culture will rise up from ashes, still being influenced by previous one to some degree. Empires would rise and fall, cultures would emerge and decline, so the next empire or culture would become like a hybrid of the ones before it, and so forth. Therefore can the same empire survive for many centuries, unless it has underwent many phases from within, when new people emerge with new values and change the society.

In the Book of Ezekiel it is written: ‘Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the sea, wilt thou yet sat before him that slayeth thee, I am God? But thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.’ It is written (31): ‘To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God.’ It is written (32): ‘Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit. Whom dost thou pass in beauty? Go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised... The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: they are gone down, they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword... There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude: her graves are round about him: all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living. And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, thought they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.’

The Enemy was originally a cherub, an angel of God, but he later rebelled against God and fell. God did not create the Enemy as an evil being, but the Enemy became evil by his own choice. The Enemy did not exist in the beginning, as some kind of equal force to God, but the Enemy is merely a creation, someone that cannot support himself. The Enemy does no longer belong to God, and he can never again become an angel of God. Fallen angels were never in the same position as the human people, but they did already know the truth, were already holy and perfect beings. Nobody was tempting the angels from unequal position or making their choices seem difficult, but the angels decided to act against their best knowledge. Their rebellion against God was altogether unjustified, without any cause, originated in their own lies and hypocrisy, as if a wicked child would turn against its perfect parents. It is confirmed that the Enemy wanted to become a god, his own god, or god to everyone else, and the Enemy even presumed that he could get away with his rebellion, since to him it seemed impossible that any man could become sinless in this world. In the Book of Genesis is claimed that the serpent was more subtil than any beasts of the field. For the Enemy relies upon lies, deceit, craftiness, methodology, and tricks, where he is like a master in psychological warfare, when it comes to attack the person’s mind, to undermine its inner stability, to arouse reactions and manipulate them. God claims that the Enemy had much wisdom and understanding, which might seem a paradox, since that understanding and wisdom are good things, originated from God. And yet craftiness is not the same thing as wisdom, but more like the exact opposite, since that craftiness relies upon the ignorance, gullibility and weaknesses of others. Craftiness does otherwise not have any impression upon those that do already know the truth, who are already selfless, and that do not trust the treacherous enemy. The crafty man can deceive other people, but he is still foolish in his own matters, since he is unable to discover any solutions, to replace all the wrong things. And the crafty man can still be uncertain about the expression of other people, as if he would never know when somebody was telling the truth or not, so that he can fall into similar traps. Craftiness is an understanding and wisdom according to the ways of this sinful word, but it is really not an understanding and wisdom in its own right (that of God’s). The wisdom of the world is foolishness in the eyes of God, and His foolishness is wiser than men, as what is written in the First Epistle to Corinthians. It might seem to be clever logic to the human people, but it is more like a superficial vision of our human existence, what other people might think and presume, when it is come up with wrong impression and mistaken one thing for another thing. A good example would be Pavlov’s classical conditioning, for that we can experience opposition in our mind and bad signs in our flesh, while we are trying to do the right thing, so that our body is actually lying to us and trying to make us presume that it is wrong. This is why we should never trust fleeting sensations, and never make our decisions centred upon our life or physical body, even that such misleading signs might seem logical, in regard to the timing.  But we must make decisions according to truth and moral principles, what is deemed to be right in general, which reaches beyond our life and functions outside our self. Egypt does signify the Enemy’s kingdom, the pharaoh signifies the Enemy, and the multitude of Egypt signifies the devils, who were once a terror in the land of the living. All of them are now in the pit, in the nether parts of the earth, experiencing their own personal hell, since they have already lost everything and they can never get better.

It is spoken about the Enemy’s riches, trafficking, and multitude of merchandize. It can signify everything that belongs to the evilness, what the Enemy has lied about and invented, what kind of ideas and sensual things seem to hold power over men’s minds. The Enemy could not make use of any truth and goodness, for that God is truth and goodness. The truth does testify about glory of God and confirms His goodness, so it can never be used the truth against God, and never be found any fault with His goodness. This is why the Enemy would resort to lies in order to self-justify his rebellion against God, as if the Enemy could do better than God and the evilness could work out in practice. The Enemy had been inventing countless lies and crafty tricks for many thousands years, and yet nothing was able to work successfully against Jesus Christ, not even once. The Enemy tried to tempt Jesus Christ from ‘within’ (it might seem like that, although the Enemy was never part of Jesus Christ, so the Enemy was always tempting Christ outside His body), through other people, and through the world. And yet it never managed to obtain power over the Lord’s will, never managed to affect Him to the worse, and never managed to control anything about His choices, so the Lord would never agree with it, never submit to it, and never restrict Himself for it. God would bring strangers upon the Enemy, the terrible of the nations: and they would draw their swords against the beauty of his wisdom, and they would defile his brightness. Jesus Christ has already testified that the Enemy will not work against himself, as when the Lord made an example about internal strife and discord. It would not make any sense if the Enemy would be punished by other devils, for that all of them are as equally guilty before God, where they will share the same fate, and they are already being punished by God. It can thereby be raised the question who these ‘strangers’ are meant to signify, other than the devils, other than sinful men, and other than the angels of God. Or could this be a reference to the true believers, who have been converted to Jesus Christ in every part of the world, whether they had once been heathens or Gentiles? The true believers are able to banish the Enemy from other people, speak against all his lies and disprove them, and nullify all effects from sin, as if the Enemy was nothing. Therefore will the Enemy be made to nought from within the individual, where he will never again be able to control that person’s life and feed upon its soul, but the Enemy will be cast away for good, obtain no relief from his spiritual death and torment. The true believers are able to overcome the Enemy from within themselves, and they can overcome the Enemy from within other people, through the victory of Jesus Christ. The Enemy would be brought down to the pit, where he would die the death of the uncircumcised, of them that are slain in the midst of the sea, and everyone that knew the Enemy would become astonished at the sight, that he was no more. Jesus Christ has utterly vanquished the Enemy and everything which he stands for, so the Enemy has become nothing, worse than nothing, worse off than everyone else. The Enemy is now just as insignificant and helpless as a wicked man would be, where the Enemy has lost everything which he had once worked for and gathered, so the Enemy has fallen to the bottom and he will never be able to rise up from it. The Enemy is still leader of devils and wicked men, but it is like a title without any power and influence, except to rule over worthless slaves, false and hypocritical people, those that have already been rejected and abandoned by God. But the Enemy cannot accomplish anything against God and His people, while the persons involved believe in Jesus Christ, are under His grace, and following Him. The Enemy has no privileges, and he will receive no exemption from God, but the Enemy will be punished for his wickedness and the effect of sin will also reach to his soul. The Enemy has been deprived of health, sanity, and inner stability, so there is only torment, madness, and chaos, making every moment unbearable to him. A sick and deranged man cannot enjoy anything in his life, even that he could own everything and have everything perfect around him. This is why everything is so meaningless about the Enemy, and it does no longer matter what he might attempt to accomplish for himself, since he is already lifeless and nothing good can be aroused in him.

It is written (29): ‘Yet thus saith the Lord God; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered: And I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and I will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation; and they shall be there a base kingdom. It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.’

The Egyptians would never again become powerful, and never build another empire, not on the scale as they had once been. Ptolemaic Egypt was a powerful kingdom, but it did never expand like a true empire. There would be a civil war between Octavian and Mark Antony, between the western and the eastern part of the Roman Empire, which had Egypt in the centre of the conflict. And yet Egypt did not seem to make any difference, in regard to its military capability and soldiers, but the conflict was ultimately between Romans, a Roman civil war. Egypt would again become powerful during medieval times, which began with Saladin and the Ayyubid dynasty, and would later be replaced by the Mamlukes. Egypt even managed to keep the Mongols at bay, which seemed incredible at that time. And yet Egypt was never a true empire, not in comparison to the Mongols or the Turks. Egypt has a long history in being conquered by someone else, and ruled by another empire. Egypt could be ruled by another nation, and that same foreign nation would provide most of the soldiers, while the natives continued to be insignificant servants for most part. This is why Egypt could become a powerful kingdom without the actual Egyptians, as when the elite consisted of Macedonians and Greeks, or later of foreign Muslims and Christians (Mamluks). The Enemy and the devils would never again become powerful, where they would never again be able to exalt themselves at the expense of God’s people, as if the devils were in position to judge and punish them for their sins. But the Enemy and the devils have only turned out to be liars and hypocrites, altogether worthless and expendable, as if the devils would pass into utter oblivion and nobody would seem to care. So the devils can come and go, and the man will actually be better off without them, since the devils have never done anything good, never contributed anything of lasting value. The devils rely upon the human people, their merit and hard work, but the devils would otherwise never have accomplished anything through their own life, alone by itself. The devils are like a weak and cowardly tyrant, making use of strong and courageous soldiers, so the latter’s success and victories does not exalt that tyrant in any way. The devils are worthless, trying to manipulate those that have some worth, to commit worthless things for a worthless cause, as to become worthless like the devils. God does not tolerate the devils, but He does tolerate the human people, so the devils are trying to use those that can still be redeemed. The devils would otherwise have been immediately punished for doing wicked things upon the earth, if they could do things in a palpable way. But it is different with the human people, since God treats them with longsuffering, great kindness and patience. It can thereby happen that the man sins against God and he is guilty of punishments, but God is still concerned about him as a person, continual wellbeing and redemption, so that God will allow the man to live longer and give him further chances to repent. It might seem unfair to other people, that nothing bad seems to happen to the guilty man, but the matter is really about the spiritual aspect, whether the man will allow God to save his soul, for all eternity.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master… The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left… From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness. Woe unto me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously… Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and for like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.’

Selfish people deserve selfish leaders, where the leaders merely reflect what the majority is thinking and doing. So it should not be blamed the leaders for everything, and contemplated upon that what could otherwise have happened. For the root of the problem begin from below, what kind of attitude and mindset prevails in the people, influencing their choices. The people tend to elect leaders that are just like themselves, which seem to agree with everything and only say that what the people want to hear. It can happen that the man is elected leader, given a title and office, but he is burdened with endless obligations, is unable to go against the flow, and he must not upset any of his backers. It is not the politicians that rule the world, but is rather the world which rules over them, since they are forced to bow down to its image and cannot refuse anything. It is merely an illusion of power, while the Enemy controls the men from within. This world proves to be superficial, vain hypocritical, and treacherous, so that we should never expect anything different from it or treat the world other than it is. It is not like we should become surprised and wonder why the world does hate us, that it does tend to exalt the worthless men, but slight those that are more deserving. It would correspond to that if we did not expect bad things from bad people, that a known traitor would not betray us, or that the devils would not lie to us, so we do only have ourselves to blame for consorting with this selfish world and its selfish people. It is foreseen the last days of this world, when the human race will rebel against God and follow the leadership of Anti-Christ. It could be likened the person to a moral wasteland, and the state of the earth will reflect their spiritual conditions, since that everything will be contaminated and in ruin, as what wickedness does to the soul. The wicked man will flee from one danger into another, where he will fall into misfortune from one source or the other, as new troubles would constantly replace the previous ones. Therefore can the man flee from pain to shame, from shame to loss, and then from loss to pain, as if he could only choose between misfortunes at different timing. There has already been waged war in heaven, where Michael the archangel and the angels of God fought against the Red Dragon and the fallen angels, so that all the enemies of God were cast down from heaven and none of them will be able to return. So the Enemy and the devils are now stuck upon the earth, and the final battle will be waged there, unless in this case the Enemy will lead the human people against God. But the human people will of course fail as well, as what the devils did before them, so it is like God will only mop up the leftovers from the previous victory in heaven. This world would of course need to end at some date, where the Lord would return to collect His people and punish all His enemies, both the devils and the wicked men. There will otherwise be nothing special about Anti-Christ or striking about his human army. For the Anti-Christ will be the exact opposite of Christ, completely worthless in everything, and served by worthless followers, too foolish and weak to notice it.

In chapter 1 it is written: ‘And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen. For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water. And the strong shall be as tow, and the makers of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.’ In chapter 66 it is written: ‘For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many. They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord. For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.’

It is condemned those that do sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst. It does signify those that seek to defend and self-justify themselves, as if they could hide behind empty words and meaningless deeds, pretend to be perfect and blameless. God does know their thoughts and works, what is their real attitude and intentions, so they did never come up with any good deeds, and never really helped anyone. It is not about that what other people can think about the act, but rather what the doer had been thinking. For the hypocritical man had only pretended to be good while other people were watching, and he only pretended to be helpful while expecting something in return. These men did first covet after something selfish and wished for it to happen, and then next they invented reasons (pretences) in order to self-justify it, to make it seem rational. It has deliberately been rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, while it has instead been relied upon transient things, like their own mind, selfish people, and human inventions, as if someone or something else could substitute the role of God. It can be mentioned vanity which is common at our times, which many people seem to fall into. It can happen that the man is either selfish or faithless, where he wants to become like other people in the world and does not expect anything good from God. The man does live for pleasures and lifeless things, participates in debauchery and craves after fornication, and tries to collect as many material objects as possible. That path will only make the man depressed, where he does loose a sense of purpose, fails to see anything meaningful about his life and what he has hitherto been doing. However that man does neither confess the truth, nor turns to Jesus Christ for salvation. But the man does instead seek to accomplish these or those deeds, to help these or those persons, as if that could make him feel better about himself and solve all his problems. Some people do even travel around the world and try to participate in ‘humanitarian’ works, which would be praiseworthy in itself, if done through genuine reasons. It does still never change anything from within the man, like his soul, heart, mind, and spirit, since the man will continue to be of poor spirit, feel unhappy, and empty. There are many men that seek to advertise themselves in the media, for having experienced or accomplished something,, as if that could give some kind of value to their life. It is however only bound to that what other people could think about them, while the men fail to convince themselves of the same thing, feel no different and obtain no redemption.

In the Book of Joel it is written: ‘Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decisions: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.’ In the Book of Job it is written: ‘Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?’ In the Book of Ezekiel it is written: ‘And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. Thus shall ye be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God. And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.’ In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.’

It must be consulted with the Book of Revelation in order to know which battle is what, and when it happens. The descriptions of the fowls and the beasts of the field belong to the chapter regarding Gog and Magog, but it is separate prophecies referring to different events. Here it is referred to the battle between God and the army of Anti-Christ, which takes place before that of Gog and Magog. And yet this could be called the final battle between good and evil, when it is looked upon its scale, how many men will fight and how great the tools of war can become. Prophecies should not always be taken literally, but it is rather about that what it resembles in the greater matters, what kind of corresponding essence can lay behind it. The same event can be rephrased in many ways, what is happening in general, but not in regard to the minor details. It might involve different names and outward appearance, but the same human nature and behaviour, what does motivate the man from within and in what way he does live. It is highly unlikely that all the armies of the world be gathered together in one small place, so they would become overcrowded and an easy target for one big strike. At our times then armies make use of ranged weapons and they need to spread out, unlike the battles in antiquity, when soldiers fought in melee and needed to stand side by side. The valley of Jehoshaphat can signify something on a larger scale, when it is looked upon the world in whole, although it is still identical to the historical site in question. The world of Noah was drowned in flood, and this earth will be destroyed by fire in the end, at the Day of the Lord, His coming. So there has been extreme water/sea-water and extreme hot, which leaves extreme cold, a great hail. Perhaps God will use great hail against the army of Anti-Christ, or punish the world in such way, although it could belong to one phase of many, and is meant to affect one aspect of many. The Lord had at that time already gathered all the true believers, which is another term for the righteous, so there will only be wicked men upon the earth during the final battle. The sickle and the harvest does represent this, that the earth will only be tolerated while it does produce righteous men, but no longer after it has ceased to apply. Therefore will the Lord come and take away His people, sometime before the final battle, so they can be with Him in heaven and not share the fate of the world. It is however a question how long time will pass in the meantime, until the final battle will be waged.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.’ In chapter 51 it is written: ‘Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old, Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?

In the Psalms it is stated that the Leviathan had many heads, which the Lord broke and gave as food for the creatures of the wilderness. It does seem to resemble the mythical monster ‘Hydra’ to some extant. The Red Dragon is supposed to have many heads, and also the Beast which came from the sea, as what is described in the Book of Revelation. The Red Dragon has seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. The Beast does have seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns. The Red Dragon has crowns upon his heads, while the Beast has crowns upon his horns. The Enemy is the Red Dragon, while the Beast is rather the Anti-Christ, although the Beast does both refer to spiritual empire and that one person. The Lord would punish Leviathan, but slay the dragon that is in the sea, so that Leviathan and the dragon is not necessarily the same creature. This is consistent with the Book of Revelation, when it is prophesised the final battle between the Lord and the Anti-Christ. For the beast and the false prophet were taken, and cast alive into a lake of fire. But an angel of heaven would lay hold on the dragon, the Enemy, and bound him a thousand years. The Enemy would be cast into the bottomless pit, shut up, and seal set upon him, so he would deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And after that the Enemy would be taken for the last time and cast into the lake of fire. This might seem misleading, because it is referred to the Enemy as the dragon, that old serpent, as if he was the dragon supposed to be slain by the Lord. But it is stated in the Book of Isaiah ‘the dragon that is in the sea’, which can only be the Beast, since the he came from the sea and looks almost identical to the Red Dragon. The Enemy has already been condemned and punished by Jesus Christ, after His victory over the world, so the Enemy would no longer have any place in heaven. The Lord would cut Rahab, the Great Harlot of Babylon, and wound the dragon, one of the heads belonging to the Beast.

In the Book of Ezekiel it is written: ‘Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords...’ It is written: ‘Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto God, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.’ It is written: (39) ‘And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel...’ In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of the tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.’

In the Book of Revelation it is also spoken about Gog and Magog, which are supposed to be nations in the four quarters of the earth. This will not happen before the time of Anti-Christ, or during His time, but rather after his time, one thousand years later. Jesus Christ had already come back to the earth, overcome the Beast and his army. Some of the believers would live and reign with Jesus Christ upon the earth, for one thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until after that time was finished. This is called the first resurrection, which the second death has no power. The Enemy would be taken, chained, and cast away into the bottomless pit, for one thousand years. After that time the Enemy would be released for a little time, to deceive the nations for the last time. This is when Gog and Magog become relevant, and after that battle the Enemy will be cast into the lake of fire. Then finally will the earth, this world, come to an end and be destroyed. God will create new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem for His people, and He will live with them forever. This is why it cannot be implicated Gog and Magog to anything which has already existed in the human history, like empires and wars, up to this very moment. It would not make any sense if we would attempt to predict anything about Gog and Magog, for they have still not come to exist, and we have no material in our hands. What then, should the Romans have predicted the discovery of the Americas, the industrial revolution, the World Wars, the science and technology of our times? It would be exactly the same thing if we would attempt to predict the future, the future of the future, the consequence, and the consequence of the consequence, through our narrow and limited understanding. The science fiction of our times is not really about the future, but it is like the mere reflection of the present time, what has already been discovered and created by the human people. Science fiction does merely exaggerate the material objects of our times, by making the futuristic objects look bigger, flashier, and more powerful in comparison. It is still used ships and guns, unless they are now ‘space ships’ and ‘laser-guns’. The medieval people could just as well have imagined mechanical horses and fire-swords, even as how the people of our times do merely see themselves in future visions. This could also apply to human misgivings about extra terrestrial life (‘aliens’), as if God had created different physical beings and put them on another planet, and they could perhaps later invade the earth or fight against the human race in space. We have hitherto imagined ‘aliens’ to look different from us, to resemble animals or insects to some extant, while the aliens are still supposed to think and behave exactly like the human people, in the fundamental aspect, for most part. We should not pretend to be wise and attempt to guess the right answer, but the only wise thing would be to confess that we do not know the answer, that we do not know anything.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little ones shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.’ In chapter 65 it is written: ‘For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But ye be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying… They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands… And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer: and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.’

The true believer will no longer need the sun during the day, and the moon during the night, in order to see and move. It does signify that when the human people take their turns in experiencing prosperity and adversity, when God does both bless them and allows the Enemy to tempt them. So the human people can be optimistic and feel a good mood on one day, while they become pessimistic and feel bad mood on another day, as if there would always happen something to equalize their life, whether they want it or not, seem to deserve it or not. But God promises to walk among us, to become our light at any time and place, so that we will only be blessed and never be tempted by the Enemy, where we will only hear the voice of God, always be optimistic and always have a good mood. Violence will no longer be heard in the land, as when evil possibilities do follow the presence of devils, and when it wished for evil things to happen to other people. But there will only be goodwill and peace, that to wish other people all the best. The little ones will become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation, as if childish innocence and sincerity would prevail, continue to spread out and affect all factors. God will create a new earth and a new heaven, which can signify a new body and mind, heart and spirit, which will be perfect and surpass the former creation in everything. This work does tend to come up with moral and spiritual interpretation of God’s words, to discern a deeper meaning, a symbolic one, corresponding to our inner activity. This does not mean that one is denying the original words, for it should both be taken God’s testimony literally and symbolically, where both of them will surely come to pass, what is happening on the outside and in the human soul. The former things will no longer be remembered, not even cross our mind, so we will no longer be aware that evil possibilities do exist and not remind ourselves of our old life. It cannot exactly be said that we have outgrown our self, but it is rather like we choose to forsake everything for God’s sake, before He would give us a new heart and spirit. God would create everything anew in us and reshape us in the image of His Son, so we can build our life upon new basis and turn out in a completely different way. Therefore will we no longer need to look back and implicate the bad past our life, what kind of faults and suffering belonged to that time, since it is like it never came to pass. For we do now inhabit a new body, with a new heart, mind, and spirit, after God had purified our soul and wiped out all traces which belonged to our old life. So God can reshape the reality and rewrite our history, as if our past belonged to another person. The children of God will no longer need to serve selfish and unworthy leaders, and they will no longer need to be reminded of their sins and somehow make up for it. But God will become gracious to His children in advance, even before they have actually said or done anything, as if His kindness and generosity would become the norm. It will thereby involve an automatic process, where the children of God will continue to be helped by the Holy Spirit and only receive good things, where truth and justice will be written in their hearts and come naturally to them, so there will no longer exist the will to sin and nothing is made into a problem.

16. Jeremiah

16.1: The Prophet

The Book of Jeremiah gives a valuable insight into that what it was like to be the prophet of God, what kind of responsibilities and troubles it would involve, what other people would think about the prophet and treat him. The preaching could be perfect, and yet it would obtain no reception from imperfect people, so that to be prophet was no easy task, not something which would feel rewarding within their presence. Isaiah had been enthusiastic into becoming the prophet of God, as if he had nothing to loose and would have no regrets. Jeremiah did on the other hand lament his role as a prophet, for that he would be forced to forsake his own people and they would turn against him. Prophets were highly sought for and honoured among the heathens, elsewhere in the world. But the Israel people were the only ones to persecute the prophets, like a starving man that rejects food, or a sick man that cuts away the remaining healthy parts. It was like Jeremiah had been born into this world for the only purpose of being hated and excluded, since he could see everything but he was still unable to touch any of it. Jeremiah would not participate in the same things as other people, not experience the same things, and not enjoy the same things. It was like Jeremiah was not human, not of this world, not one of the people and a complete stranger to them. Jeremiah was chosen by God and separated from the ways of the world, so that Jeremiah would not become one of the world, not think and behave like other people. Jeremiah had once attempted to forget God and stop preaching in His name, but Jeremiah could not find it in himself and he only became restless. It was thereby like Jeremiah could not prevent or delay the inevitable, that the words of God should come up to the surface, namely to testify about the value of every choice and reveal thing as they truly are. The will of God will continue to run its course, and it is like we only have an illusion of a choice, by either doing the will of God willingly or unwillingly. So that we can either play along or be dragged to the destination, at the same speed and within the same time, as if it would not matter from which end is begun or what is done in which order. God was constantly sending prophets to the Israel people, for the purpose of convincing the people of their erroneous ways and to warn them of oncoming dangers. It would surely come to pass if the people resumed their current course, as they had hitherto done. So the problems would only escalate with the time and be harder to reverse, unless the people returned to God and would obey Him from now on. The prophets rose up in the early morning and preached to the people at first available opportunity, consecutively. God always did everything in His power to help the Israel people, so they would never be in any position to blame God for their own problems, how things would turn out to the worse, how the people would fare in the end. If God had sent His prophets to foreign nations then they would surely have been received, where their words of wisdom would be heeded and their supernatural signs given credit, since it was something that had never before happened to them. At that time the Israel people were the only nation upon the earth which did not believe in its own God, and would switch one god for another, a true God for a false one. The heathens were at least reverent and loyal toward their gods, even that their gods were false, so they would also have been reverent and loyal toward the God of Israel, if they had only known about Him and received the same opportunities. King Jehoiakim destroyed a roll which contained the prophecies of Jeremiah, but it did still never prevent the real events which the words were meant to reflect. Jeremiah was able to make another roll, containing exactly the same words as before, since the Holy Spirit can recreate and re-accomplish everything, out from nothing. The Holy Spirit would remain the same and know the same things, from within Jeremiah, so it would be capable of the same things in the past, present, and future.

In chapter 1 it is written: ‘Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou cames forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant… Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them. For, Behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.’

God has already known us from the very outset, even before we had actually said and done anything, and even before it would be known what became of us in the world. God does understand us more than we do understand ourselves, where we do not really need to explain ourselves or prove anything, since there was never any need for it. It can namely happen that one person tries to excuse itself before another person, even that the latter had never been angry, and never demanded any explanation. So that we do not really need to do anything except to love and be loved, to continue to be free in spirit and receive one another as the person we are, to enjoy the company while it does last and to make the best out of this moment. God has already chosen us as His people, and adopted us as His own children, so that His unconditional love will stand and nothing will be able to dissuade Him. It is not like we can say this or that, and do this or that, which would make God cease to love us, as if God would change His mind or that we would be able to change Him. We can pretend to be bad and pretend like we are not worth saving. But we cannot fool God, since we do not really find it in our heart, and our heart does not follow after it. We should not be afraid of men, what they can think about us and what they could say, in what way they will look upon us and treat us like. For an example then we can be afraid of that in giving a wrong impression, that other people will misunderstand us and doubt our true motives, so they will thereby treat us like we were something else, too stupid and unworthy to deserve their attention. And we can be afraid of people’s facial expression, when they give us an evil eye and look down upon us, when they come up with phoney smile, unable to conceal their contempt for us and treachery. We are not really afraid of other people, but rather our own thoughts about them, since the mind creates all kinds of scenery that makes such experience seem hard to bear. But thoughts, facial expression, and gesture is altogether irrelevant to the matters at hand, that to speak the truth and be right, to stand up for the right cause, to reason together and produce the better argument, as what is morally right, in general. It is not like we need to calculate everything in advance, to say this or that if in order to get favourable response from other people, to predict and control what they can think. It is all about believing in that we are doing, to convince ourselves about the right course and apply it to our life, before we can begin to convert other people in similar way. Our determination and resolve should be self-supportive, regardless of that what will be the reception of other people, so that we will either way do the will of God. The question is not about that whether we can convince and change the whole world, but rather whether we will continue to fulfil the humble role which God has assigned to us. If everyone would belong to Jesus Christ then the world would become perfect, so it does call for the combined effort of all individuals. But it is not like one man is supposed to do everything on behalf of everyone, to become responsible for all the problems in the world, to be best in everything and meddle in everything. It is true that God set Jeremiah over nations and over kingdoms, to tear down everything which was deemed wrong and rebuild everything which was deemed right. Such is the power of the speech, and that of the pen, in persuading other people of the truth. Jeremiah would not become a political leader, advisor or reformer during his time, but His writings would be preserved for posterity and continue to influence many people. The prophet of God is meant to help the people to make right decisions, in regard to the greater matters, what is deemed to be important to their wellbeing. The spirit of prophecy is meant to replace the need for human leaders and politics, for God can very well bless the people without any means, create luck and prosperity out from nothing.

In chapter 9 it is written: ‘Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? Their tongue is an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.’ In chapter 12 it is written: ‘But thou, O Lord, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter... If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.’

It is warned us of phoney and hypocritical people, which pretend to be friendly and helpful on the outside, while they hold us in contempt and look for opportunities to exploit us in some way. Nobody is being valiant for the sake of the truth, to fight and suffer for the right cause. But the people do only seem to be bold in slandering others behind their backs, and in attacking those that are unprepared for it, as when it is kicked those down on the ground. The society has become the gathering place of pretentious people and flatterers, where people only say that what they think others want to hear and pretend to agree with everything, just so they can be accepted into the group and obtain false friends. Everyone are being so self-centred and self-absorbed that they do not really know what is going on, all around them, how other people are truly like and what is about to happen in the society, since they are unable to look beyond their own mind or self. For an example then the man can have success in tempting other people and in using them, but the man does not discern it in someone else and falls into the same trap. The man is constantly flattering himself from within, and gazing upon his own reflection, so the flatteries of other people do merely confirm that what he has already been doing. At first it might seem like everyone are being honest and reliable during prosperity, until a temptation will present itself, an adversity, unexpected changes or opportunities. Then the people will turn against each other, where every person seeks to exalt itself at the expense of someone else, exploit weakness or vulnerable position, so it can be obtained some kind of selfish advantage and replaced those with the most influence. It is thereby a good sign that we should never have sought for such people in the first place, where we did not really need them and we could do well without them. Jeremiah asked God to destroy all his enemies, as when the disciplines of Christ asked Him whether they should ask the heaven to rain fire upon a village that rejected them. That to become angry and revengeful is a sign of weakness, revealing that we are still being sensitive and selfish, receiving everything too personally and allowing it to affect our temper of the worse, as if our enemies had been right and victorious over us. It should thereby neither be hated our enemies nor asked God to destroy them on our behalf, but we should rather overcome our own weaknesses and see things in a clear way, without any personal involvement, as if our own life was irrelevant to the decision. If the man is decent then he is decent, and if the man is wicked then he is wicked, but the man does need to have been good or bad to us in order to become so in general. If Jeremiah was unable to endure ordinary people then he would neither endure the great ones, for the ordinary people were only able to think and speak of evil things, while the latter did also possess resources to back up their schemes and threats.

In chapter 15 it is written: ‘Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent to usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me… O Lord, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then I will bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.’ In chapter 20 it is written: ‘For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.’ In chapter 16 it is written: ‘The word of the Lord came also unto me, saying, Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place. For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bare them, and concerning the fathers that begat them in this land; They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. For thus saith the Lord, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the Lord, even lovingkindness and mercies… Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting, to sit with them to eat and to drink. For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.’

The prophet must be able to sojourn with God to any people in any place at any time, without taking any loans, without being fettered to material possessions. The prophet should never demand anything for himself, never expect favours from other people, and never be indebted to them. So the prophet does not need the people, has no need for anything which they can own and offer, since it would otherwise lead to improper loyalty and obligations. The prophet is meant to be an outcast, someone that gets everyone up against himself, who is fighting against the whole world, since the world hates him and he does hate everything about the world. The prophet is meant to be a loner, someone that does not find himself among other people, and does not belong to that what they are doing, since he is unwilling to become superficial and phoney, slanderous and hypocritical, to end up like them. It is never envied the prosperity of the selfish people, and never rejoiced with them, but the prophet is rather indignant over their dishonest means to that end, when the selfish people persecute their betters and kick those that are down on the ground. The prophet should never seek for the company of the selfish people, where he should never have the initiative in coming over to them and be the first one to speak (unless God has sent the prophet to speak to them), since he must never crave after their attention, whatever the matter or problem might be. But the prophet should rather stay firm and keep to his side of the line, waiting until the selfish people will repent and have the initiative in coming over to him. The people are meant to adapt to God and His ways, rather than it would work the other way around. So the prophet should never look back to his old life, and never associate himself with the people he once knew, whom had proven to be false friends and turned against him, since that would be to admit defeat and pretend like they had been right. The prophet should not have wife and children, when the times are evil and constantly getting worse, since it would either way never have worked out in the long run. Why should the prophet have wife and children, only so the world can attack him through them, seek to blackmail him, seek to corrupt his family, and even turn them against him? It would be a selfish decision to have children at such evil times, that a pure and innocent soul should be sent into a wicked world and experience many evils, while nothing good would come out from it, concerning the child’s wellbeing and ultimate fate. It would thereby have been more prudent have no family in the first place, when all things are considered. It should be looked to the end of things, whether prosperity can really be maintained for long, or whether everything will later be lost away and never regained. So the prophet should not make a family, but he should rather attend to those that do already exist in the world, whom are like forsaken orphans that need to be adopted. It should not be overreached oneself, as when it is spent shallow effort upon too many things at the same time. But it should rather be established that which is already within our reach and control, as if it would be spent full effort upon few fields at the same time. The prophet should neither be glad or sad with the selfish people, as when they revel among themselves or lament over the consequences of their selfish decisions. Their joy or sadness is not originated from the Spirit of God, but it does rather belong to selfishness and self-righteousness, when it is swung from one extreme to another. It is always through self-centred reasons, but never through genuine love and repentances, so the selfish people have still not learned anything and will repeat the same mistakes. It is not like the prophet should show sympathy when the selfish people are self-pitying themselves, or be also glad when they rejoice over dishonest gain, since the reasons behind it are not sincere and good, not done with the right attitude.

In chapter 13 it is written: ‘But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.’ In chapter 20 it is written: ‘Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed. Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. And let that man be as the cities which the Lord overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grace, and her womb to be always great with me. Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?’ In chapter 22 it is written: ‘Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.’

Jesus Christ only wept twice during His ministry upon the earth, because of the death of Lazarus, and the would-be fate of the people in Jerusalem, after having rejected their Saviour. The Lord is never shaken and does never weep for the sake of His own life, but He does rather do so over the man’s loss of innocence, his spiritual death, after the man has already wasted all his chances to repent and lost everything in the end. Jeremiah must have loved himself as a person, but he hated his life or lot in this world, since it is like he had been born for the sole purpose to suffer and endure reproach. This confirms why the prophet should not have any wife and children, for he does not want them to experience the same suffering, discrimination, and exclusion as himself, when other people treat the prophet like he does not exist and deny him a normal life. It should not be lamented over those that are already dead and in God’s hands, but rather over those that are still alive, experiencing suffering at this very moment. That to be alive in this world can be worse than death, so it would not make any sense if the man sought to live longer, only so that he can prolong his slavery and misery. It would correspond to that if a man would be kept alive and healed by his enemies, only so it can be repeated tortures and shameful treatment, attacked his body and mentality. It is exactly the same thing when selfish people are being enslaved by devils, when it might seem like the people are given small respite in between, when the devils halt their attacks and do nothing, and might even come up with ‘positive’ thoughts. It can thereby happen that the selfish people feel miserable most of the time, but it does not seem to become too much for them. So they will still refuse to turn to God, as if their life was still acceptable to them or it might still become better in the future. It should be wept for those that go away, the godless people led captive by the devils, since they will never return to their former innocence and freedom, not by their own effort. The native country can signify the kingdom of God, even our youth, when everything seemed to be perfect in the beginning and we had full health, where we were sincere and honest children, experiencing many blessings and benefits for free. The godless people only got worse with the time, but never any better, which proves that their selfish ways were never self-supportive, could never work out in the long run. They had been squandering away something that belonged to God, which He had created and loaned them temporarily, namely health and sanity. So the godless people would permanently ruin their potential, make fool out of themselves and degrade themselves for nothing, feel emptiness, and become unhappy slaves to harsh masters.

In chapter 26 it is written: ‘Then spake Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God; and the Lord will repent him of the evil that he hath pronounced against you. As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you. But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof: for of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.’ In chapter 39 it is written: ‘Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee... so he dwelt among the people.’ In chapter 40 it is written: ‘And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place... And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: Behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.’ In chapter 51 it is written: ‘So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon. And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words: Then shalt thou say, O Lord, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever. And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates: And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary.’

Everyone hated Jeremiah and wished to harm him, but nobody dared to be the one which would lay hands upon him, since that same person would surely be punished by God, now or later. It would correspond to that if one hundred weaklings would gather around a single hero, but every one of them would prove too cowardly to step forward and get within his reach. It is true that the weaklings are more numerous than their enemy in question, but they are still afraid of that in being beaten up by him, to experience pain to their own body. This is why numerical superiority might seem irrelevant to every individual by himself, for it will neither shield him from any pain nor increase his own capability. These weaklings do only seem to be bold and aggressive if their enemy is already afraid and hesitant, if it would involve an easy and effortless victory, without any resistance (but they will otherwise never dare to do anything if he is ready to fight back). This is why nobody dared to be the one to harm or kill Jeremiah, as if that person’s own selfishness worked against itself, through selfish fear of punishment and loss. The Israel people would be defeated by the Babylonians and led into captivity, while Jeremiah was given good treatment by the Babylonians, even a freedom of choice. This confirms that Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians were more virtuous than their enemies, more deserving of victory and prosperity than the defeated. God raised up the Babylonians and sent them against godless people, to claim their lands and possession for their own, as when the spiritual soil of wicked men is inhabited and fed upon by devils. But the true believers did not have anything to fear from the Babylonians, as when the lions would not harm Daniel the prophet. The true believers and the selfish people can undergo the same challenges, and experience the same possibilities, unless they respond in a completely different way and they will fare differently. It can thereby happen that the devils make their presence known to both the true believer and the selfish people, but God will not allow the devils to harm His own, since the true believers were the ones to uphold His law and they are acquitted by Him. But the selfish people are like criminals that are sharing prison with the devils, whom are even more wicked, so the devils will oppress and abuse them within the ‘prison’. Jeremiah would write down all the evils that would befall Babylon, but it was something that belonged to the future, when the new generations would become spoiled and wicked. It was something that would be common to all empires, whereto the empires would be headed, in what way they would turn out and be guilty of, as if the empires were not in control of themselves, could not prevent or delay it for long. God did not punish the Babylonians while Nebuchadnezzar lived, but it was something that happened afterwards, when new people had replaced the ones before them. Jeremiah was no traitor or collaborator, before and after Israel’s defeat to the Babylonians, but he did rather choose to stay in Judah and guide the remnant of his people.

In chapter 24 it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place unto the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again unto to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the Lord, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt. And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all place whither I shall drive them. And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.’

God does separate the true believer from the selfish people, and He can do so through any means, whether the true believers wants it or not, has expected it or not, looked for it or not. This does include that in being despised and discriminated by the selfish people, neglected and shunned, persecuted and opposed. So the true believer is never welcomed among them, never given chance to become one of them, and never shown respect. It does still lead to exactly the same destination, that to be free from their evil influence, to get rid of their evil company, to not become one of them, and not be guilty of the same things. It does not matter by what cause or means this came to pass, whether the true believer was the first one to reject the selfish people or that they rejected him, since it is either way for his own good, so that he can aspire for greater things. The true believer would otherwise lead a repetitive life and remain stagnant, as when many people become stuck at needless obligations and material possessions. Let’s say that the man would born into a place where everyone are insincere and selfish, as if there would be sinful influence and distractions all around him. The man might presume that he needs to become like other people, and pursue for the same things, as to obtain many friends, to participate in parties, and be respected in the community. However when the man fails to obtain the desirable things then he can allow it to affect his life to the worse, only because he expected such things to make him happy. But the man fails to notice that the selfish people are able to obtain these desirable things, and yet they are ever unhappy and never contented with anything in their lives. The problem does not consist in the external things, whether the man can obtain it or not, but it does rather consist in his expectations, personal attachments to illusions. The true believer is already happy and at peace with himself, even that he is all alone and does not seem to own anything, since God’s favour is the only thing that matters. It is a good thing in a bad thing, luck in a bad luck, or the loss will become a good thing, so the adversity would transform into a source of prosperity in it own right. So the true believer does not need such selfish people to begin with, their approval and company, since they would only drag him down with them and his true potential. It is a good thing when the man is unable to obtain success in selfish pursuits, and is unable to appease his selfish desires, since it would otherwise have lead to troubles. Therefore is God actually doing the man a favour, by not allowing such things to happen, since the man would otherwise become more corrupt with the time. The selfish people might seem to obtain success in the world, but it will only make them even more senseless and unrestrained, until they have wholly corrupted themselves. God does rebuke and discipline those whom He loves and wants to help, while He does not choose to intervene in regard to spiritual bastards, harlots, and hypocrites.  We are unable to obtain success in the world, not because God hates us or that He has taken a stand against us, but rather so that God could preserve us for Himself. God is actually saving us from the world, saving us from all the phoney and hypocritical people, and saving us from ourselves, the presumptions we had about everything. This is why we should never become angry or unhappy about our current lot, since the goodness of God does work in exactly the opposite way to our human expectations. It should be looked upon this context with the prophets of God, why they were hated and persecuted by the world, rather than honoured for doing the right thing. This is world is hostile toward God, and the human people are rebellious to His ways, so we should not expect any different treatment for taking a side with God against the world. God was not angry at the Israel people for showing human frailty, to be ignorant of the truth and commit mistakes by accident, as when something is done intentionally. God was rather angry at that in what way the people responded after finally hearing the truth, for they would remain indifferent and apply no changes to their life, take no precautions for the future, and pretend like they had not heard anything. The people would deliberately seek to attack and undermine the truth, slander and mock it among themselves, as if they could provoke God without any repercussions. The selfish people attack that which they do no understand, as if a fool would mock education or an illiterate man would claim that all books are worthless. God had also likened the Israel people to a girdle which was useless to Him, after it had been hid under a rock for many days. It is because the Israel people sought to hide their evil intentions away from God, avoid His jurisdiction and escape from all responsibility. The people were never being honest to themselves, never confessing what was already obvious, so they were utterly incapable of doing anything good and lasting.

God advised the Israel people and all the surroundings nations to subject themselves to the Babylonian Empire, if they were ever going to make the best of it and have a decent life. It might of course seem dubious that any kingdom or nation should be so quick to surrender to the enemy, without first trying to fight for their own freedom, even survival. But Nebuchadnezzar was not any king, and Babylonia was not any empire, since God had already chosen him and the Babylonians to govern everyone in the area. Nebuchadnezzar would become the first ruler of the first empire, which would signify golden head of the great image, as what Daniel the prophet saw in a vision. Cyrus the Great and the Persians would on the other hand signify silver breast and arms, as if both the man and the empire would be of inferior quality, in regard to human merit. This means that Nebuchadnezzar was probably more noble than Cyrus the Great, more generous and merciful, so that he proved to be a better ruler than other kings at that time. This is why God was not being unfair to the Israel people, by encouraging them to submit to Nebuchadnezzar, since that his government would surpass their own in justice. Nebuchadnezzar led all the inhabitants of Jerusalem into captivity, except the poor which had nothing. Nebuchadnezzar left the poor people in Judah, and he even gave them vineyards and fields, so the defeat did actually benefit their lives. It should not matter whether the ruler is supposed to be a native or foreigner, wherefrom the type of government is originated, so long as it is considered decent and capable enough. It should be measured everything according to truth and justice, while the outward appearance is superfluous, since God is the true judge from within us all. This does not mean that we are meant to submit to any aggressive nation or empire, especially if the leader and the followers prove to be wicked, worse men than us. Empires come to exist through the lawlessness and weakness of surroundings countries, as if the people involved did not know how to be free and live in harmony with one another, so they have only promoted needless chaos, troubles, and destruction.  These small countries are already weakened and defeated from within, even before a foreign conqueror has arrived to the scene, so they would either way have lost. The empire in question is able to subdue all the small countries in the neighbourhood, and it will continue to expand until it does meet an equal in power, far away. The Babylonian Empire was not overthrown by Israel’s neighbours, and the Egyptians were not able to regain their former status as a great empire. But the Babylonians were instead overthrown by the Medes and the Persians, which were like new players in that part of the world. The Persian Empire was not overthrown by the one of its own provinces, like Lydia or Syria, which had been ruled for so long. But the ultimate fall would rather come to pass through the Greeks and Macedonians, a completely different people and culture, outside the boundaries of the Persian Empire. The Hellenistic Kingdoms would in turn be replaced by the Roman Republic, as if it had come from another continent, or the Mediterranean Sea was like a great gulf in between. At first the conquerors are a better people than the defeated, surpassing them in civic virtue and manner of government, so the war could not have ended in any other way. However when some time has passed then the conquerors will become soft and weak like the defeated, after having forgotten their former resolve and succumbed to luxuries, so they will in turn be conquered by someone else, whom resembles their old ways. It can thereby be reached the following conclusion, that God allows empires to exist and prevail, while the enemies are found wanting in His sight, as amoral lovers of pleasures. It could be claimed that the defeated deserved to be ruled by better men, which had still not been corrupted by prosperity and possess a degree of decency. God promised deliverance to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, for having saved Jeremiah’s life. This means that God is still able save individuals, at any time and any place, even that everyone else would be punished and fall into misfortune, a whole nation. For that God can touch the enemies from within and arouse goodwill in them, so they will look kindly upon that individual and do him no harm, him alone of all people. God can arouse a powerful adversary in order to punish all the ‘great’ men, where it like a big fish will swallow a medium fish that is trying to swallow a small fish.  Therefore can a new bully arrive at the scene, who will only bully other bullies, while he does not seem to notice the small and weak (the bullied), and he leaves them alone. It is the ordinary people that persecute the weak and poor, and they often seem to get away with it, since that other ordinary people don’t seem to care and do nothing about it. There would no justice come from within the society, so God would arouse foreign enemies, somewhere else, and they would punish most of the ordinary people. The ordinary people would not be punished according to human laws, but they would instead be mistreated after defeat in war, as if it would involve justice from another source.

16.2: False Worship

In chapter 2 it is written: ‘How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? See thy way in the valley, know that thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways... Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us. But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.’ In chapter 3 it is written: ‘And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.’ In chapter 4 it is written: ‘For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I Beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void: and the heavens, and they had no light... I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled... For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end... And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.’ In chapter 5 it is written: ‘How shall I pardon thee for this? Thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses... Go ye upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements, for they are not the Lord’s. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith the Lord. They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.’ In the Book of Hosea it is written: ‘And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.’

The Israel people turned their backs upon God, but not their face. This means that the people’s conviction and deeds was not consistent with their speech, facial expression, and gesture. It does correspond to that when politicians think and behave in exactly the same way, unless they seek to change their words, in what way they phrase the speech. At first it might seem like politicians come up with beautiful words and promises, but it is like they have merely rearranged words to form the same meaning, to recycle the same old ideas and put them into new clothes, so it can deceive the audience. It was exactly the same thing with the Israel people, their real attitude toward God, for they were constantly inventing new beautiful words and promises for the purpose of fooling Him, as if they could use God and get what they wanted from Him. The Israel people had already turned their back upon everything which belonged to God, but they were too afraid to do so openly, mostly because of the uncertainty about death. So the Israel people continued to be selfish for most part, but spent minimum effort upon God, leftovers from their time, as if the religious customs could guarantee afterlife for them. The Israel treated stone like it had brought them forth, which can signify stony religious doctrines, which are devoid of life and spirit, devoid of meaning and benefits. Judah had as many gods as their number of cities, which means that every good quality had been neglected, abused, or distorted into a vice, so the people were full of weaknesses, too soft to resist anything for long, and easily manipulated by the devils. God beheld that the earth was without form, and there was no light in the heavens. This can signify the spiritual aspect of the Israel people, their spiritual soil and body, which had become like a shadow, something in utter chaos, as if nothing would be able to stand firm in it place. The Israel people had become the shadow of their former life, never having conviction about anything and never acting upon that which they knew. But it is like the people ran back and forth in their mind, were constantly lying and changing their mind, so they would become guilty of every contradiction. The Israel people used battlements which were not of the Lord’s, meaning that they resorted to lies and vices against problems, if they could armour themselves up with self-deception and use subjective tricks as weapons, as what applies to psychology. All these descriptions of the Israel people seem to indicate this, that none of them were true friends to God. The people never attempted to open their eyes and notice God as the person He is, never attempted to stop and listen to that what He had to say, never attempted to love God and be concerned about that what He wanted. But the Israel people were like fair-weather friends, which only wanted to get favours from God and ‘feed’ upon His prosperity, while they never showed any gratitude and were never willing to do something for Him in return. Fair-weather friends are the first ones to show us interest after we become prosperous, and they are the first ones to abandon us after we have lost away our prosperity. And fair-weather friends are the first ones to turn against us when we experience adversity, if our enemies are more powerful than us and seem to have more to offer. The Israel people would immediately forget about God during their prosperity, prefer their prosperity above Him, look down upon God and presume that He was no longer needed, as if their prosperity would last forever and they already had everything they wanted. However if the Israel people experienced adversity or fell into troubles then they would immediately ask God for help, only so they could betray Him when the dangers had passed, so the people would either way not learn anything from it. The man can squander his health upon debauchery, drunkenness, gluttony, and fornication, and then next he seeks for cure, so that he can become healthy enough to repeat it all over again.

In chapter 5 it is written: ‘Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. And thou they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely. O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.’ In chapter 6 it is written: ‘To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised , and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days... For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.’

The worldly Jerusalem can signify all the people that have obtained success in the world, who are considered to be wise, powerful, rich, and famous according to its standard, so many presume that they are really being blessed by God and like His favourites. But the successful persons are no better than other people, not any different from them, what they have hitherto thought and done, before and after the success. These persons do still covet after selfish things, and they resort to lies and dishonest means in order to get their way, by using other people and then throw them away. The person might have discovered, invented, or accomplished something of note, but it is still guilty of selfish ambition, accompanied by lies, greed, adultery, rivalry, and revengefulness. It is like the man can accomplish something of note, while he remains a worthless person. For the blessings of God were an exception to the man’s life, something he was good at without having deserved it. Nobody seeks for the truth, nobody cares about the difference between good and evil, but it is only resorted to selfish logic and calculation, centred upon profit and pleasures. For an example then the man can invent a ‘clever’ and ‘funny’ speech in order to seduce a beautiful woman, so he can gratify his selfish desires, avarice and lust. Now that ‘clever’ and ‘funny’ speech could never have been originated from God, since God does speak against selfish desires, avarice and lust, fornication and adultery. It was thereby not God that was encouraging it to happen, or helping the man to invent such speech, but it could only have been originated from and promoted by the Enemy. The man did thereby allow the Enemy to speak through him at that moment, by pretending to be friendly, clever, and funny, while remaining false and insincere in his heart. Such is the nature of the world, where it does explain why selfish people are able to obtain success in it, and why it does really have nothing to do with divine favouritism. That to obtain success in the world is not a good thing in every case, but it is rather depended upon the means to that end. It is not a sign of our superior intellects and merit, but it could rather confirm and reflect our worthlessness, since that we only became successful by deceiving foolish people and by making them believe us to be important. It can be ridiculed the concept that only the fittest survive, which has been interpreted from Darwin’s theory of natural selection. It might apply to animals, but not to the human people. The worthless people gang up on those that are better than them, until there is nobody left who is special and more capable. For an example then the best person is overthrown and the second best person replaces it, and then everyone will gang upon that person, until the third best person replaces it. That kind of process will continue to repeat itself, until the most worthless person is left standing. Everyone are attempting to become rich and famous, by stepping upon other people in order to be the first one in the line, as if the prize would be given to the most insolent among them. Everyone is poor and yet everyone wants to become rich by any means, so the poor people prove to be just as envious and greedy as the ones at the top. People are willing to degrade themselves for any advantage, and sacrifice others in order to save their own skin, every time they are forced to make a hard choice. The poor are constantly accusing and blaming the rich people for everything, and yet they want to become just like them, proud and arrogant toward those of lower position. This is why nobody is truly innocent, after being put into the same position and tested of the same things, but every man would surely do the same thing as other people.

In chapter 7 it is written: ‘Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, are these... Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord... Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all of your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.’ It is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.’

Earthly temples do not seem to make any sense, for they are made by the same materials as other houses, except they are given a different name. It could just as well be shaped something out from dung, and then called it ‘supernatural’, but it does not mean that the title is consistent with the object and its true value. An earthly temple is made from earthly things, like stones and wood, which are lifeless and devoid of spirit. But an earthly temple is not made from spiritual things, whether it could be called an essence from God, His presence, holiness, wisdom, or virtues. An earthly temple is built by men who are not holy and do not know God, and yet the earthly temple is somehow meant to accomplish it on behalf of the people, to make the people nearer to God. Earthly things are only bound to earthly things, while spiritual things are bound to spiritual things, so the former can never lead to the latter. This is why it can be claimed that earthly temples are altogether irrelevant to God, that to know what kind of person He is and what His goodness is capable of in our lives, that to understand His words in the Scripture and possess the ability to do so. It is not like a religious building can replace the role of God, as if it could offer us some kind of redemption, pardon all our faults, help us become better person and more capable. The Israel people had already rejected God in their hearts, since they did not believe that His ways could work out in their lives. They did not deem it possible to follow God, as if His promises and warnings would not come true, that truth and justice would not lead to true happiness. And yet the Israel people attended to earthly temples and came up with a lip-service, as if that could self-justify their selfish ways and allow them to get away with everything. It would correspond to that if a sick man would reject the physician and all his remedies, while he would rather seek to touch the physician’s clothes or kiss the ground which he stood upon, as if that was supposed to set everything right in his life. It can also be mentioned the error during our times, when ordinary objects are highly esteemed and sold for much profit, only because celebrities happened to own them. But these objects are of course completely irrelevant to the actual person, why the celebrities managed to become successful and famous, what made them different from others. The Israel people would merely pretend to be reverent toward God inside the earthly temple, but would immediately resume their selfish ways after leaving it, so the people were still being selfish most of the time, for most part, in most matters. God does not want animal sacrifices, but He does rather want us to obey His voice in our heart, to sense the truth, to have a sense of decency, and make decisions according to morality. It is not enough to invoke God by the right name, but we must also know His true nature, what is originated from Him, what does belong to Him, and what He does seek to promote, to discern the difference between His goodness and our own ways. There was never any sincerity in that which the people could say, seem to do and offer, but it was merely pretence, something which they invented to suit their self-interest.

In chapter 11 it is written: ‘Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.’ In chapter 15 it is written: ‘Then said the Lord unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth. And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? Then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the Lord; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity. And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the Lord: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.’ In chapter 18 it is written: ‘Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.’ In the Book of Amos it is written: ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.’

It has already been claimed that the Israel people acted like a fair-weather friend, which only demands favours from God, while he is never willing to do anything for Him, so it could never be relied upon that man for anything. If people do not stand by us in our time of adversity then they do not deserve any share in our time of prosperity, before and after the adversity, so we should never have become friends to them in the first place. If we are willing to suffer with Jesus Christ then we will reign with Him. For we have not taken part in the world’s rebellion against God, neither acknowledged its unjustified claims nor followed any impostors, but we have eagerly awaited the return of our King. It should not be expected any rewards from God while we are committing adultery with the world, consorting with selfish people and participating in debauchery, as if we were having a good time while our brothers are enslaved and suffering. The faithless people can be given over to death, sword, famine, captivity, or even pestilence, so they will experience one thing or the other and end up in the same way. Death does signify spiritual death, when we feel lifeless and empty from within, so that nothing is able to make us feel any better, and nothing we do can make any difference. Sword does signify that when devils are constantly attacking us mentally, as when subjective problems and our bad past seem to haunt us, ‘grab’ our mind, and affect our stability. There is nothing which we can do to prevent it or make it bearable to us, since that we will always automatically respond in a weak way, feel shaken and helpless. Famine does signify a complete lack of God’s words, an absence of truth, good sense, understanding, determination, certainty, benefits, and inner stability. Therefore will the person always be of poor spirit, where it will never be able to discover any right answers and solutions, where it lacks inner strength to act upon that which is known and be spiritually free, feels helpless and unable to control anything in its life. Captivity does signify that in being given over to depraved mind, where the person will constantly be distracted in its mind and unable to maintain attention for long, since the person is always thinking about something else and it becomes absent to everyone. The person has no control of that what it is can think about and respond to, but the devils are constantly inserting their own thoughts and imaginations into its mind, as if they were controlling in what way the person should think about everything. Pestilence can signify any pain, chaos, and disruption from within the person, when the person feels dehydrated in its soul, burning up, stretched thin and torn up, so that every moment is made unbearable and it is unable to obtain any relief. The Israel people were already being afflicted by such spiritual curses, and yet they refused to repent and turn back to God, as if their sorry state could neither be healed by God nor removed. So the Israel people lost all hope and continued with their selfish mindset, as if repentance and faith in God would either way not make any difference. It was thereby asserted about everything in advance before arriving to the circumstances, and already given up before making the attempt. So the Israel people were ever quick to invent new excuses to reject God, and to self-justify the same errors.

In chapter 23 it is written: ‘Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! Saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they back lacking, saith the Lord.’ It is written: ‘I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: and I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the Lord... How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophecy lies? Yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart... Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbour... Behold, I am against them that prophecy false dreams, saith the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.’ In chapter 32 it is written: ‘For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the Lord... But they set their abomination in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it.’

That kind of description can apply to any religious leader within Judaism and Christianity, which can be found in any community, organization, church, or cult, since it does involve same kind of people that seek for the same things in the same way. In what way can be recognized such unworthy leaders, or what are they actually doing wrong, which does scatter the believers and drives them away, never to return again? It is because these religious leaders give up the worst example, in what way they live and treat other people, when it is read between the lines of their expression and behaviour. These religious leaders have invented their own manner of teachings, come up with their own congregation, and sought to obtain followers for themselves. It is not because these religious leaders are devoted to God, only wishing to give Him all the glory, and genuinely concerned about helping other people to know Him. But these religious leaders are only concerned about their own selfish ambition, what they can do in order to obtain more followers and stronger support, as if politicians were looking for alternate means to success. This is why these religious leaders do never speak through personal conviction, but they do rather seek to bullshit themselves through everything, to improvise and make things up according to the immediate demand of the audience. The audience did first want something from their leader, to only hear that what they wanted to hear, and then afterwards the leader made everything up to please them. The leader does not believe in that what he does say, and understands not what he is doing. But he does rather pretend to be that what other people want him to be, as if to calculate what other people are thinking and then attempt to anticipate it. The false prophets were never chosen by God, where He never encouraged or told them to do anything, so they have never experienced anything for certainty about His ways. And yet the false prophets pretend like God is speaking through their mind, that they are merely repeating after His ‘voices’ (devils), and trying to become the person He wants them to be. It would have been better if a selfish man would confess that he is selfish and live like that openly, rather than by pretending to be something else than he is. He would at least not be deceiving other people and dragging them down with him. Nobody forced the false prophet to make himself into a golden calf, to commit blasphemy, to take the name of God in vain, to undermine His ways from the inside, to alienate everyone from the faith in God, and discredit His reputation in the eyes of other people. This is the most senseless thing which the man can ever do during his existence, to make God into his worst enemy for no reason whatsoever, as if out of the blue. The false prophet could just as well have spoken and behaved like everyone else, which are carnally minded and live for pleasures, without any religious pretensions (so long as he would not attempt do anything directly against God, as provocation). Why should the man participate in something against his better judgment, and receive wages for it, but then attempt to complain about it from that position? Is not the man guilty of the same thing as his co-workers, and in no position to preach to them about anything! The man should rather have stayed out from it in the first place, and then spoken against it. The false prophet should never have become so in the first place, and then pretend to suggest reforms in the society, while he is no better than everyone else. The false believers presume to be so important, too important to give attention to the poor and weak, since it does not seem to offer any advantage to them, to further their selfish ambition. Let’s say that a specific person would attend to that religious community, led by such leader, so that person could learn about God and belong somewhere. It does however happen that nobody does seem to give that person any attention, where it is treated with indifference, discriminated, and excluded by the members. It is like the religious members consider themselves too good for that person, too holy to allow the person to get near them, or that it was ‘impure’ to them, likely to spread ‘impurity’. This could happen to the outcasts in the society, humble sinners, and novices in the faith, so that kind of experience would in many cases not strengthen their resolve. But the outcasts could on the contrary blame the faith, give up, and return to their own ways. It is however a good thing in a ‘bad’ thing to be rejected by false believers, as if it fulfilled God’s higher purpose, since we will thereby not become one of them, not stuck upon the same hindrances. The followers of false prophets will only get worse with the time, but never better, which does prove that their teachings and influence is not working out as it should. The followers will become even more senseless, deranged, and alienated from the reality, where they believe all kinds of superstitions and are easily fooled by false predictions. At our times there exist many religious bigots, which show no compassion to other people and do never attempt to understand their position, but they do on the contrary judge everyone in harshest way and wish them to suffer for their sins. These are the Pharisees of our times, to be found in all Christian religions, but they will only pronounce their own verdicts and exclude themselves from God.

In the Book of Ezekiel it is written (34): ‘Son of man, prophecy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock: Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.’

These religious leaders only care about their own self-image, self-interest, and self-preservation, what the followers are meant to do for them and provide. But the religious leaders are never willing to guide and help anyone for its own sake, free of charge, since that would be a bad ‘business’ for them, contrary to good marketing. For an example then the religious leader wants to monopolize specific knowledge and religious service, as if that was his trademark, something only he was allowed to ‘sell’ to other people, so they would become ‘his’ followers, his clients. But that religious leader is full of bullshit, offering useless advices and remedies to his followers. And yet the people continue to be depended upon their religious leader, where they wait for him to offer more remedies, as if the next one would finally work out. The false prophet thinks like a salesman, where he sells junk to the people which will not function for long, until the people will yet again need to buy another junk. But in both cases the false prophet is making profit and the people are exploited. A true prophet would have offered permanent benefit to the people, so they could become healthy and sane again, wise and virtuous, once and for all. Then the people would no longer need further remedies, and no longer need the prophet, since that all the problems would be already solved and they could now finally move on. We are meant to preach the faith in Jesus Christ, where He alone is supposed to help the individual from within, as if a living power source would sustain him at all times. The Lord is meant to be our one and only leader, and the Holy Spirit is meant to be our teacher, reminding us about the Word of God, encouraging us to do the same, and edifying our spiritual man, adding good things and removing the bad ones. The faith in Jesus Christ is meant to replace everything, so we will no longer rely upon the world, neither resort to worldly means nor make ourselves depended upon human intercessors. The true believer should preach the Gospel of Christ and seek to convert individuals to Him, and then move on with his life, as if he was no longer needed in the situation. We are meant to guide and help other people, so they can be redeemed by Jesus Christ, but we are otherwise all equals, where all of us should give the glory to the Lord. This is something which all of us should be able to accomplish through our individual effort, without pretending to be leaders, without creating our own cults, without advertising someone or something else, without trying to serve our own selfish ambition. But the false prophets are hunting souls for themselves, where they try to exalt their own role and cult in one way or another, and to monopolize the lives of other people, as when an abusive husband does not allow his wife to contact anyone else. At our times there exist many false prophets, self-righteous preachers, and religious hypocrites, which advertise themselves through ‘Christian’ television stations/channels, as what it is happening in North-America and spreading to other countries. These false prophets pretend to offer some kind of service in return for money, which proves that they cannot belong to God, since He always does goodness for free.

It is written: ‘For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment. And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? And to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.’

The false prophets lead the false believers, and all of them are like swine’s and goats, trying to step upon someone in order get further in the line, and lay their greedy hands upon everything. In the society there are many people that are weak, sick, poor, and isolated, so they are in need of help, calling for help, and seeking for help. The people know that there is something wrong with their life, but they do not know what to do, after having tried many things and failed to obtain any relief. Some people believe in God but they do not know how to discern His voice from within, as to ‘how’ and ‘when’ God makes Himself known, to notice the difference between right and wrong, and what belongs to either nature. So the people are still being troubled by religious delusions, uncertainty, guilt, and fears, as if nothing would lead anywhere, and not do them any good. But the false prophets attempt to exploit the people’s plight, misery, and desperation, by promising them deliverance and healing, always in return for money. So the people will trust the false prophet, allow themselves to be deceived and used by him, while getting nothing in return, except to be thrown away in the end like a junk. This is why the false prophets are the worst of the worst, for they target people that are too sick and distant to know otherwise, already distracted by something else. This would never have happened if the person was already healthy and sober, if it would look around and come to see what the false prophets were really doing, rather than by being too occupied with its own problems, cares, desires, and worries. The poor and the weak head from one false prophet to another, and from one cult to another, as if it would be taken many short-sighted paths, which always lead to a dead end. The humble sinners attend to a cult, where all the false believers pretend to be holy and blessed by God, as if to fool all outsiders, whom do not really know them. And the false believers treat the humble sinners with arrogance and indifference, as if the false believers were too good for them and God would feel the same thing about them. This is what is meant with scattered sheep, when the humble sinners find themselves rejected, shunned, and discriminated by the false believers, as if they could not be saved by God, that their sins were too great and many. The humble sinners can presume that the false believers are the representatives of God and that they can expect no help from God. It gives the wrong impression that the faith in God does not work out, at least not for them. The false prophets kill the sheep which are fed, and they do not feed the lean sheep. The false prophets lead the false believers, and all of them gang up on the true believers, those that do already know God and have already found favour in His sight. The false believers persecute those that are better than them, not participating in the same corruption, as if nobody would be allowed to become righteous and happy but them. The false prophets have trodden down the good pasture, and fouled the residue of deep waters with their feet, and then the sheep would need to eat and drink after them. The false prophets have sought to corrupt the faith from within, where they have distorted the interpretation of God’s words and encouraged compromises with the world, only so they could hold unto their selfish and ignorant followers. The false believers are themselves unable to enter the Kingdom of God, and yet they attempt to hinder everyone else from entering therein, like in the story about the dog in the manger. Many people are too simple and credulous to suspect the truth, but they try to follow the instructions of false prophets and it only makes things worse for them. That path is like one great digression, a red herring, which needlessly complicates everything about the faith and restricts the person from within. It creates needless hindrances, burdens, and rules, so it will become impossible for the person to follow God.

It is written: ‘And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up from a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.’

The Lord promises to judge the fat cattle, the false prophets that have gotten rich and powerful by preying upon the weak, so they will surely loose everything for nothing, their health and sanity for useless objects. It is not like the false prophets do first need to be punished by external incidents, as to make fool out of themselves, loose their wealth, and be sent to prison, before that we can finally be contented with the matter, that justice has been done. For that God is able to punish the false prophets from within, by depriving them of everything which is good, so they will be afflicted in their soul and cannot enjoy anything. That kind of punishment can happen all of sudden, as if it came out from nothing, even that everything might seem the same on the outside, all around the false prophet. The Lord promises to take matters into His own hands, and save all the scattered sheep, so they can again have a good pasture and live up in the mountains. There would no longer be many shepherds, temporary leaders that have come and gone, but there would only be one shepherd, and he would remain our shepherd for all eternity. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd, able to redeem anyone, whenever He wants, so the humble sinner can become pure of heart and unlock all of God’s blessings. The Lord promises to lead us into a perfect land, which is the Kingdom of God, so that we will always experience Paradise from within while we live in this world. This mean that we will always feel well, know what it is like to be happy and at peace with ourselves, where we will enjoy every moment and be contented with everything in our life. For that a good luck and prosperity is following us to any place at any time, regardless of that what is happening around us and what other people can do. So we will remain blessed in either case, since God has already justified us in advance, through the righteousness of Christ. And we do not really need to do anything, except to continue to have faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, to remain free-spirited and love one another as equals. The Heavenly Father and the Son have already made Their home within the true believer, where They are now part of his heart, soul, spirit, and mind, speaking to the believer and helping him in an invisible way. We will experience the Kingdom of God from within while we live in this world, but we will also experience the Kingdom of God from without after we have died and left this world. For God will create a perfect environment, a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem, which is meant for God and His people, to live together in. This is why we do no longer need to follow anyone anymore, except Jesus Christ, since that only He can lead us into Paradise, and create Paradise from within us. It should not be looked for solutions upon the worldly basis, as if false prophets could create the ideal environment or the ideal society for their followers, since the problem consists in the human people themselves, in the rebellious nature of this world.

In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. Thus saith the Lord my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; Whose possessor slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. For I will not more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour’s hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them. And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock. Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then  said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another. And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people. And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that waited upon me knew that it was the word of the Lord.’ It is written: ‘And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd. For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arms shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.’

The false prophets will oppress their followers, which are also false believers. Selfish people deserve selfish leaders, which think and behave just like them, so that nobody is really innocent, and everyone has done something deserve adversity. The followers would have done no differently if they were the leaders, but they would also abuse their position and seek to use the ignorant people which follow them. It is not like God would fail to deliver the true believers, or do nothing to help them, since the true believers are not to be found among the false prophets and their followers. The true believers would never have sought for false prophets in the first place, since God has already touched their hearts and freed them from selfish needs. The false believer rebelled against God at some point in his life, where he refused to repent, refused to confess the truth, and refuse to approach God in humility. And the false believer does not even believe that Jesus Christ is the centre of the faith, but he is still trying to be justified by his own merit and ‘good’ deeds. The false believer may not confess it openly, but he does surely believe so from within himself, since the false believer does still respond like he is trying to save himself from sins, or fate in hell. The false believer had already despised Jesus Christ in his heart, as if His kindness and humility was supposed to be a sign of weakness, and could be used against Him. This is why the Lord would forsake the false believers, and deliver them up to unworthy leaders, whom are also spiteful, proud, arrogant, unfair, and superficial. Jesus Christ would condemn the Pharisees for being blind leaders of the blind, so that both the leader and the followers would end in a pit. The Pharisees could not accomplish anything in their own lives, and yet they would pretend to be in position to guide and help other people, so the people could become exactly like the Pharisees. A blind man would attempt to teach other people to see, and a lame man would attempt to teach other people to walk, even that they had been disabled from their birth. We should never pass verdicts about something which we know nothing about, if other people need to go through something which is beyond our personal experience. The Pharisees lacked willingness, understanding, and ability to become virtuous, but they only knew how to get in the way of someone else, who had the potential. This is why the Pharisees would become self-condemned, and have their conscience burned with red hot iron, since they wanted other people to also become worthless.

16.3: The Captivity

In chapter 34 it is written: ‘And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name: But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids... behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.’

King Zedekiah had previously made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem, that they should set their Hebrew slaves at liberty, but afterwards the people changed their mind and reclaimed the slaves for themselves. The Hebrew slaves can signify the outcasts in the society, the poor and the weak, the humble sinners, or those that are considered to be different, which the ordinary people has hitherto been discriminating in their hearts, persecuting and excluding from their company. The Israel people were meant to set the slaves to liberty, no longer hold anything against them, and rather treat them as equals. But the Israel people reclaimed the slaves, so the latter could be oppressed again. It is exactly the same thing when the many gang up on the few, pick on them and deny them the chance of a normal life, as if the same ‘bad reputation’ would always stick to the victims. God will surely punish all the bullies, unless they repent and cease to persecute innocent person. It is not only about abstaining from evil speech and deeds, but we must also look upon all persons with sincerity and goodwill, be free from all spite and bias in our heart, so we truly wish them all the best and rejoice with their good lot. The Israel people did first do a good act, and then next they undid the good act, as if they had never done anything good in the first place. Therefore would the Israel people be back in the same position, and the same punishments would hang over them. It would correspond to that if a swimmer would be half-way to the destination ahead, so that he could either use the remaining energy to go forward or back. If the swimmer would return back then it is like all the previous effort had been for nought, so that he could just as well have abandoned the idea in swimming in the first place. A half-hearted effort is the same thing as no effort at all, where there does not exist anything which could be called ‘limited repentance’ or ‘limited love’, since the man is either decent or selfish, either heeding the voice of God or the voice of the Enemy. This particular incident happened for a reason, as to make the matter clear to everyone. Nobody is able to fool God, by pretending to be good one moment but later turn out to be evil, by pretending to be good in the meantime but not during the actual choice, or by pretending to be good in trivial matters but prove to be evil in the greater matters. God will reward us while we are doing the right thing, but if we cease to do the right thing then God will also cease to reward us as well. It can even be raised the question whether God would reward us in the first place, if He knew what would later happen, as if we would on this day not be rewarded for something that we will undo the next day. For the good act is still taking place, has still not been finished and led to beneficial effects, but we should rather be rewarded after having followed it through to the end.

In chapter 35 it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? Saith the Lord. The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me... And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandments of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.’

For the brave few words are as good as many, because they are already brave and the speech of their general proves to be superfluous in arousing it forth. The Rechabites were already faithful and honest, so they would immediately obey the instructions of their father, at the very outset, and continue to do so in the long run. No further arguments were required in order to convince the Rechabites to remain obedient, for they had already convinced themselves from within, or they had already allowed God to convince themselves from within, before they would act in such way. The Rechabites did already feel the need and longing to obey their father, so their subsequent deeds did merely reflect their heart, and confirmed their attitude. The Rechabites remained loyal to their mortal father, an imperfect man with limited understanding and limited capability, and they upheld a little commandment with great reverence. It was exactly the opposite thing with the Israel people, for that God was constantly sending prophets to them, and repeating the same message over and over again, but it never led to any reception and nothing good was ever aroused in them. If a foolish person will not be convinced after one truthful remark then it would neither matter if one would produce thousand additional arguments, since that person is already closed in advance, having already decided to reject the truth after hearing it. The Israel people were already false and selfish, so it did not matter what God could change all around them, speak of and accomplish through His prophets. The prophet could say this and do that, but it would ultimately need to go through the ears and eyes of the people, then to their attitude and understanding, as to ‘process’ that information. The prophet came up with a perfect message and gesture, as if he was offering a healthy food to the people, but the problem did ultimately consist in their sick and disabled organs, since the people could not digest the food, not understand anything. The Israel people did either misunderstand the message, or they found themselves unwilling to act upon it, since they would otherwise forgo dishonest gain and pleasures. The people remained disobedient and stubborn, even that God Himself would attend to them, even that God would seek to convince them from all possible sides. It can thereby be said that the Israel people acted like spoiled and ungrateful children, which took everything too much for granted and squandered everything they had. The heathen nations would surely have appreciated the smallest favour from God, like a word of wisdom, miracle, or sign, and then attempt to hold fast unto Him from henceforth. The Israel people could not find it in themselves to uphold anything for God, as if such words of wisdom and moral principles were useless to them. So the people would deliberately disregard the most important commandments, concerning personal loyalty to God, compassion and mercy among themselves, let alone the small ones.

In chapter 43 it is written: ‘And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the Lord their God, for which the Lord their God had sent him to them, even all these words, Then Spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Jonanan the son of Kareh, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou spekest falsely: the Lord our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there: But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon... So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.’

These men were already proud, where they had already decided to go to Egypt and nothing would be able to convince them otherwise. The people would only listen to Jeremiah if he agreed with them, if he confirmed their presumptions, if God would adapt to their selfish desires and expectations. That kind of attitude does of course prove to be counterproductive, where it does beat the purpose in having a prophet in the first place, in consulting with God. Why should the people pretend to believe in God, and pretend to care about His spokesman, if they will either way make one-sided decisions and go their own ways in the end? The people would not listen to Jeremiah, where they would not bother to understand His message further, why God had made such decision, what it was meant to accomplish, and et cetera. But the people did instead slander and accuse Jeremiah of being a traitor, by putting their own words into his mouth and suspect him of being corrupt like them. It did never rationalize why the journey to Egypt was supposed to be a better option, as when politicians tend to attack their opponents and criticize everything about their policy, while having themselves nothing to offer, no merit of their own. The people rejected the representative of God, and did not care about that what God could say through him, while they still pretended to be reverent toward God, as if Jeremiah should be given all the blame and that he had somehow failed to fulfil his role. It could be likened to that if we pretended to care for a specific person, while we would never listen to that what it has to say, and pretend like that person is not being itself, so that we have actually denied everything about the person except its appearance. The Israel people wanted to return to Egypt, to their former ignorance and corruption, as if they had never been redeemed by God and had learned nothing all this time. It does correspond to that when the fallen believers wants to become again the person he once was, to think of and desire after, pursuit for and practice the same things, before he had originally been saved by Jesus Christ and changed to the better. But the Israel people would merely transfer the same problem between locations, where they would still find themselves in the same position and equally threatened by enemies. The Israel people failed to assume responsibility of their rebellion against God, but they did instead seek to escape from everything, to seek for refuge elsewhere. The Babylonians would come over to Egypt and overcome the Israel people again, since that an alternate location would not change anything about their guilt, what kind of the divine curses were hanging over them or following them from within. It does thereby no matter whether we pretend to be like another person and practice different things, for the external matters will not change anything about our internal condition, so that we will neither feel better nor be able to overcome our problems. The fallen believer will surely be overcome by the devils, at any time in any place, since that God is already absent from his life and He will no longer help him. It is God that is the real cause, where it is He that causes everything in our life, to the better or worse. Therefore must we first make peace with God, before making further decisions and participating in anything, so that God will no longer be our enemy.

The Israel people presumed that the cause of their misfortune consisted in their negligence in worshipping the queen of heaven, as if one minor detail in the past could have changed everything. It was however failed to look upon the fundamental aspect, in the long term, what the people had hitherto been thinking and doing all this time, for most part, in most matters, most of the time. The people had been selfish all this time, and they were now reaping the bad consequences of their bad choices, as the latter part of the path. It would correspond to withdrawal symptoms after the abuse of alcohol and drugs, where it cannot be separated it from the intoxication which was experienced prior to it. Where there is one there is also the other, even as what applies to selfish mindset and choices, which will surely lead to various troubles and maladies sooner or later. It is not like we can look back and gaze upon the debauchery alone, when we were squandering our money and wasting away our health, as if it could be separated from the maladies that are now befalling us, along with poverty and heavy debts to the world. The people had been worshipping the queen of heaven all this time, so the problem did not consist in that of doing more or less, as if to make minor fixes to their selfishness. But the people should rather have turned to God and obeyed His instructions, which belonged to completely different foundation. That would have been the only prudent option, to compare completely different things to each other, how it would affect the practitioner and turn out in the long run. However the people did never obey God in the first place, and they were now also refusing to do so, so they did really never know the difference of their own accord. But it is like the people compared corruption to corruption, impure objects to impure ones, so they were still stationed upon the same basis, still not thinking outside the box.

In chapter 1 it is written: ‘And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north. Then the Lord said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of land. For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah. And I will utter my judgment against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.’ In chapter 13 it is written: ‘Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! Wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be?’

Almost all empires have come from the north, situated somewhere north of Jerusalem, to the west and east. It is about the latitude and longitude, when it is looked upon the world in whole. It can be mentioned the Chinese, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks and the Macedonians, the Romans, the Mongols, the Turks, the European Colonial Powers (Spanish, French, British, German, and Russian), and North-Americans. The only exception would be the Egyptians, the Arabs, Indians, and the Native Americans, but of these then only the Arabs have fulfilled the requirements of a great empire, since they would come to influence vast territories in Asia and North-Africa. The most influential empires have had it in common in conquering the city of Jerusalem, so that an empire cannot be called great unless it had managed to fulfil that requirement. All these northern empires have managed to conquer Jerusalem and rule over it, although many of the European nations have not accomplished it in the truest sense of the word. The Israel state of our times came to exist through the United Nations, and the United Nations came to exist through the United States of America. The Israel state was founded during the supremacy of United States of America, and Israel is under its protection, as when a client-state is involved. History does tend to repeat itself, as when the Crusader kingdoms were like a drop in an ocean of enemies, so they could never exist for long, not without support from countries far away. The British Empire ruled over Jerusalem during the European Colonial Period, and the French Empire also had territories in that part of the world. There were many Europeans that fought for Jerusalem during the Crusades, so they did at least arrive to that place, even that they were unable to take it, or did not hold it for long. The French fought in the First Crusade, the English in the Third Crusade, and the Germans managed to negotiate for Jerusalem during the Sixth Crusade, but there were still many European nationalities fighting alongside them, whether as allies or part of their armies. The Spanish Empire had territories in the Americans, and not in the Middle-East, but it does still not exclude the Spaniards that took part in the crusades, long before that time. God would call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, to conquer and rule over Jerusalem. It does not mean that all the countries would rule over Jerusalem, as if the small countries would be able to accomplish the same thing as the large ones, both in Europe and Asia. It is rather spoken about races and nations from the north, like the Greeks, the Latins, the Germans, the Celts, and the Slavs, so that one country can conquer Jerusalem on behalf of other countries, if they share similar ancestry and blood. A similar thing could apply to the nations in Middle-East, when there have been formed various alliances and coalitions, so the smaller countries have fought alongside the larger ones or under their leadership. God is prophesying that everyone in Middle-East and Europe would be able to conquer Jerusalem and rule over it, as to prove the city’s inferiority to them. The worldly Jerusalem has been conquered and ruled by everyone, like an insignificant man which is constantly being bullied by those stronger and wiser than him. But the Israel people have never had an empire of their own, although it is not a bad thing in itself, since empires tend to be oppressive and self-destructive in their nature. God has allowed this to happen, which does thereby confirm His true stance toward the worldly Jerusalem, as if there was nothing special about the people in that city. A similar thing can apply to the false believers, the self-righteous, religious hypocrites, where they are always inferior to the intellects and accomplishment of other people, so it proves that God neither took their side nor exalted them in any way. Religious hypocrites have hitherto been unable to self-justify themselves, to forgive and purify their own soul, and heal their own flesh of maladies, so they will neither be able to accomplish it in the future. The worldly Jerusalem has hitherto failed to become holy and virtuous, and it will neither accomplish it in the future, since that Jerusalem is already unholy and evil, ruled by the Enemy.

In chapter 21 it is written: ‘And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey.’ In chapter 29 it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon. Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons... that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.’ In chapter 31 it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest. The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.’

Death by sword, famine, and pestilence would await those whom dwelt in the ‘city’, but if the Israel people went out and fell to the Babylonians then they would be spared. The city of Jerusalem does signify that when we attempt to become justified by our own merit, when we pretend to deserve everything and defend ourselves before God, when we attempt to save ourselves directly and escape from all responsibility of our choices. But we should rather confess that we have sinned against God, assume responsibility of our wrong choices, and be willing to endure any punishments in the long run. The Babylonians can signify devils that are besieging our heart, mind, soul, and flesh. It does still not mean that we should surrender to devils and serve them, but we should rather cease to defend ourselves, remain silent, and allow everything to pass over us with stoical mind, for as long time as it would please God. Who knows, perhaps God will forget His anger, look kindly upon us, and deliver us from our distress? It is not something that we have been calculating and pretend to be in control of, but it is ultimately depended upon God alone whether He will choose to save us or not, so the only thing that we can do is to wait and see whether it can come to pass. God encouraged the captives to make themselves comfortable in the Babylonian kingdom, to rebuild their lives, to have families and increase with the time, and seek the peace of the city where they dwelt. This means that the repentant sinner should forget everything about the past and rebuild his life from the scratch, as to be governed by new personal experience and values. And the repentant sinner should seek to make peace with everyone, even the enemies from his past that might still hate him. So that he has at least not been committing any more mistakes, not sought to revive or escalate the old feuds.

In chapter 9 it is written: ‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised; Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.’ In chapter 17 it is written: ‘The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars... The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.’ In chapter 12 it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The Lord liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people. But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the Lord.’

That to be uncircumcised in heart is to be, proud, self-conceited, and stubborn, as if our life was supposed to be important and make all the difference. It can be presumed that everything is important which we seek for and do, or it ‘would become’ important through our personal involvement. And it can be considered our life more important the other people, so their personal involvement is not supposed to be our concern. And yet we are unable to discover any solutions, unable to accomplish anything of note, and unable to surpass other people, as if there was nothing special about our life. Everyone is nothing, and yet everyone continue to cling desperately to their ego, to flatter themselves and dwell upon self-pity, as if they would deserve everything. It can be ridiculed the people of our own times, who are dressed in such beautiful clothes, own luxurious objects, and make use of highly advanced technology, and yet they are so self-centred and self-absorbed, gazing upon their own reflection every day. For many it is not important what they are doing with their life and contributing, but rather what they can own and what other people can think about them. All these people are praising each other, and yet nobody is doing anything meaningful at the same time, so that all these praises mean nothing, from one idle person to another. If the man does presume that he is important then he is really nothing, but if the man acknowledges that he is nothing then he will become something. The man should be happy over that in being nothing, to humble himself before God and acknowledge that he is nothing without Him, so that he can finally begin to learn and improve. Then the man can possess good sense, become virtuous and capable, after he came to recognize that all the good things are originated from God. So it is ultimately God that chooses to share it with us, and the only thing we can do is to receive His gifts. God would return and give the sinners another chance to inhabit the land, but if they would rebel once again against Him then God would utterly destroy them as a nation. This can correspond to that when the believer falls away from God, for whatever reasons that might be, so that he will experience overwhelming troubles in his life. But God can still return and help the fallen believer to rebuild his life, to become prosperous again, as if God would either way have done so, regardless of the prelude. Jesus Christ came up with a parable about a fig tree that would not bear any fruit, so the dresser of the vineyard promised to give it special care one year, as to see whether it would finally make any difference, but the fig tree would otherwise be cut down. So the fallen believer can experience prosperity again as a gift from God, as if to check whether he will finally repent and give the glory to God, or remain stubborn as before. The fallen believer would never have repented and turned back to God on his own accord, but it could only happen within the presence of God, after God had appeared into his life and touched his heart, as to check for his reception. It is not us that managed to discover God somewhere and then choose Him as our leader, but it is rather God that found us and chose us to become His followers. God does first come over to us and then gives us a chance to come over to Him, so that we would only need to take a few step forward as a sign of our gesture, in wanting to be saved. But it is never us that managed to dictate the terms and decide what God could do, as if He could only come into our life or go away when it would suit us.

In chapter 29 it is written: ‘For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.’ In chapter 30 it is written: ‘Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for prey. For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.’ In chapter 31 it is written: ‘I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning to himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.’ In the Book of Hosea it is written: ‘How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; The Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.’ It is written: ‘O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him... Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.’

It is true that God can become angry over our wickedness, when we refuse to repent and remain stubborn, as if we had no sense of decency. We should of course confess the truth and attempt to do the honest thing, as when we should yield the first place to those that are better than us and deserve the reward. But we should not cheat our way through things, as if we were pretending to be important and more capable than others, and trying to make them believe the same lies about us. This does still not mean that God will look upon us with malice, spite, or even hatred, but He is rather indignant over everything, disgusted over our hypocrisy. God does not punish us as if it were an end in itself, only so that we can suffer. But God is rather trying to correct and discipline us, humble our pride and arrogance, so that we can learn something from our misfortune and become more self-aware. God does look upon us as if we were still a child, a child that does not know what it is doing, so that God will of course try to watch over us and keep us from dangers. We can be like a child that is constantly disregarding warnings and playing with dangers, so that God does need to do something in order to avert it, to make us cease to do so. The measures of God might seem harsh to us, who are accustomed to easy life and comforts, but they are not so in general, when everything is accounted for. God is rebuking and disciplining us because He does still care for us, where He does still have faith in us, that we can be reasoned with and improve with the time. It is not like when some parents give up on their children, where they never bother to say and do anything on their behalf, since the parent do either way presume that it makes no difference. It can thereby be said that God can be angry at us and punish us for our sins, but it is more like a ‘tough love’ on His behalf, another side of the same goodwill. God would visit the Israel people seventy years after their captivity to Babylon, so they could return to their own land and rebuild it. Therefore would the new generations inherit the land, while the old generations would pass away during the captivity, similar to that what happened in the desert, when Moses lead the Israel people. It does signify that when the fallen believer is able to return to Jesus Christ, to become again the person which had been reborn in His Spirit and edified by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ had previously taken back His life and no longer offered it as a ransom to the fallen believer, so the fallen believer reverted to his former self, old man and life. The Spirit of Christ was never destroyed, but rather taken back and preserved by God, until the fallen believer would repent and turn back to Him. And then he could again receive the Spirit of Christ, and take up the thread where it was last left. It is not like the fallen believer can never again be forgiven and redeemed by God, but he will never again be forgiven and redeemed IF he does not turn back to Jesus Christ. The fallen believer would never have accomplished redemption by himself, by resorting to his own human means, but it is only Jesus Christ that can save him.

In the Lamentations of Jeremiah it is written: ‘How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! How is she become as a widow! She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary! She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies. Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.’ In chapter 1 it is written: ‘The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.’ It is written: ‘The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. I called for my lovers, but they deceived me...’

The Israel people were like a fair-weather friend to God, while everyone else was fair-weather friends to them, so the Israel people were in no position to accuse others of treachery and ingratitude. Israel people had once been considered wise and virtuous, during the time of King David and Solomon, so the heathens would court them and show them honour. This would however only last while the Israel people were wise and virtuous, experiencing prosperity in their lives, but never after they ceased to be so and became like everyone else. The heathen had once seemed to give the Israel people their attention and flatter them, but only while there were some kind of advantages and favours to be received in return. The true believer is blessed by God, experiencing good sense, virtues, benefits, and creativity, as if he had never before become so happy and contented with his life. It can however happen that the devils are courting for his attention at the same time, trying to flatter the true believer, impress him with their devices, and offering bribes. It is manifested in that what takes place in the mind, where we can experience thoughts which appeal to our ego and vanity, which tempt us with the thought of pleasure and what advantage we could get in the world, if we would only forget our zeal for God. This will however only turn out to be an illusion, where the devils have everything to gain by it and we have everything to loose, if we choose to abandon God for their ‘friendship’.  For we only seemed to be special while we were following God, but there is really nothing special about us, alone by ourselves, if we do not have God in our life. It does all come down to this, whether God is from within us or not, sharing His blessings with us or not. It does remind of a Greek fable, when a donkey was carrying an idol on his back, and misunderstanding the people’s reverence for the idol, as if they were revering him. The devils only pretend to be friendly while they have something to gain from us, where they have been trying to use us all along, and drag us down with them. However after we have forsaken God and been forsaken by Him then the devils will reveal their true colours, where they will never be friendly to us again or seek to flatter us, but the devils will instead seek to oppress us and treat us like we are slaves to them. The devils are like thieves, only coming to steal, and to kill, and destroy, so they seek to deprive us of inner life and spiritual benefits, until we have become empty. This can only come to pass after we have betrayed God and invited the devils into our heart, as if they could become part of our spiritual life and be consulted with in everything. It can thereby happen that we are at the top in our spiritual life, and possess all kinds of good things, which the devils are coveting after and seeking to rob. We are never able to stay at the top after having betrayed God, for that God will surely throw us down from the top, and even give the devils a permission to rob us of everything. It is not like the devils are able to rob anything from God, blessings that belong to Him, but the devils are rather robbing us of life-energy, feeding upon our health.

In chapter 3 it is written: ‘He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked... And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.’ It is written: ‘It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled with reproach. For the Lord will not cast off for ever; But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search together and try our ways, and turn again the Lord. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.’

That to be hedged about is to be imprisoned within the mind, where obsessive thoughts can be like invisible walls that are boxing us in, so that we cannot think about anything except the same problems, the same insatiable desires. It is like we are stuck in a spiritually dark place, feeling forsaken and helpless, since that we are unable to do anything about it, unable to feel better and obtain relief. It does not matter whether we seem to overcome temptations in our mind, for there will always appear new thoughts instead, delusions, impulses, and maladies, so that we are back where we started, chained to our corruption and guilt, perplexed and afflicted. It is like we are fighting against the mythical monster ‘Hydra’, where every solved problem will immediately revive and appear in different form, twice as difficult, so it is like our adversity is always one step ahead of us and grows alongside our effort. It is true that we can suffer for our sins, after we rebelled against God and forsaken Him, but it does still not mean that all hope is lost, that we will always suffer. For that we are still alive, as when a pain does remind us of that our body is still working, so that everything is made possible while we can still breathe and make choices. It could have been much worse, if the punishment of God had been according to all our crimes, since we would then be punished once and for all, and never rise up again. Our suffering might of course seem overwhelming at times, impossible and hopeless, but we are at least able to get better in the long run, to recover and rebuild our life. It should be acknowledged that we have nothing under our control, where we cannot make this adversity cease according to our convenience, or decide to feel better when we want, but it is only the Lord that can save us and change our inner condition. We do not need to do anything, where we do not need to struggle against the problems in our mind, as if the problems could finally vanish this time, once and for all. But we should rather put our hope in the Lord, remain silent and wait quietly for Him, for as long time as possible, even that we possess no certainty and we cannot predict anything. It happens when it happens, where the Lord will return when He will return, whenever He will decide it with Himself, all in it due time and when it does suit Him. It is not like we are supposed to wait for the Lord one day and forget about Him the next day, by being sometimes repentant and sometimes selfish, as if it would only be a matter of time until we would fall and repeat the mistakes of the past. But we must wait for the Lord at all times, be ever awake and ready for His coming, as if we could do so endlessly, for its own sake and as an end in itself, of more importance than our own life. It is all about being repentant in the long run, where we are truly willing to live for the greater cause and deny us everything that could contradict with it. So we would either way have done the right thing, regardless of our ultimate fate. We should not longer attempt to defend ourselves and save our own life, but we should rather endure everything willingly and allow the Lord to treat us in any way He sees fit. So there might still be a hope for us, that the Lord will hear our cause and look kindly upon us, since it is in the nature of the Lord to help the repentant and the humble. Why should we be allowed to enter Paradise, to deserve something so great, only because we said this or that, and did this or that, for a limited time during our whole lifetime? For that we have been selfish most of the time, in most matters, and in the greater matters, and yet we attempt to hide behind specific excuses and pretend to be perfect. Only Jesus Christ can save us, and we can only approach the Lord through faith, so that we should cease to struggle against the transparent truth and confess our need for Him. This does not mean that nobody will inherit eternal life, and never enter Paradise, unless the person has known about Jesus Christ and believed in Him directly. But the fallen believer can never obtain redemption and salvation, without Jesus Christ.

In chapter 4 it is written: ‘For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hand stayed on her... They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.’ It is written: ‘For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her… Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us is the wilderness. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.’

Fire and brimstone rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah, so the inhabitants were immediately killed, as if pain had come and gone. However the Israel people were not given instant death, a release from their suffering and shame, but they would continue to endure it consecutively, for a long time. It would correspond to that if a prisoner of war would be kept alive and given medical treatment, only so that he could be tortured and put to shame all over again. This is why the sword is better than a famine, for the dead cannot experience anything at all. But the living persons are still in this evil world, which does belong to the Enemy. That to preserve one’s life in this world is to prolong its troubles and cares, for this world has nothing to offer except temptations and opposition. The world seeks to deprive us of our innocence and spiritual purity, freedom and dignity, love and hope. God is able to preserve us from the world, so that we will not become one of the world, but we if we forsake God for the world then we will expose ourselves to all its evils. We are meant to deprive us of everything that belongs to the world, so that we can become partakers in everything that belongs to God, given and shared by Him. But if we forsake God for the world then we will obtain neither, where God will deprive us of everything and the world will deny us everything. So that we would see everything but we could not touch it, as if our desires or hopes were ever outside our reach. It can thereby become like a hell to us, when we are both forsaken by God and the world. So that we are constantly rejected, neglected, shunned, discriminated, and excluded, as if everyone was able to obtain success except us, who are nothing and own nothing. The devils are our persecutors, swifter than the eagles of heaven, which does refer to the activity of our mind, when thoughts and imaginations emerge so swiftly. It does not matter what the fallen believer can attempt to think and imagine against the devils, for they will immediately arouse new thoughts in him, which anticipate everything and manage to outsmart him, so the devils always seem to have the final word. For an example then the devils can immediately heckle over the fallen believer, quibble and distort his meaning, as if the devils could manipulate his assumptions and reactions, so there is always digressed to a ‘red herring’ and reached a wrong conclusion. The fallen believer can attempt to be positive and hopeful, but then the devils will immediately cast him down in the mind and ruin the prospect, so that he will continue to be of poor spirit, heavy and downcast. The devils are besieging the man’s sanity, and trying to undermine the remaining qualities and knowledge, which are like defensive walls to his soul. This will continue to happen until the fallen believer will no longer feel certainty about anything, but he will succumb to utter chaos and desperation.

17. Ezekiel

17.1: The Messenger

In chapter 1 it is written: ‘And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every had had four wings... and they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every straight forward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.’

All good qualities are combined in God, while partially revealed in every being upon the earth. There were four faces, and each one of them does represent different strengths and qualities. It can be mentioned morality, physical power, resolve, and intellects, which are like many aspects belonging to the same body. The face of a man does signify empathy, compassion, and mercy, which does separate the man from beasts. The face of a lion does signify courage, strength, and generosity, since that a true king should be known for his noble soul. The face of an ox does signify patience and fortitude, when it comes endure something in the long run, to outlast adversity and uncertainty. The face of an eagle does signify prudence and wisdom, when everything is seen from a higher vantage point and discerned from a distance. These divine beings would never turn, but they went every one straight forward. God is able to solve any matter from all sides, and overcome His enemies in any way, since that His virtues are superior to everything, as what light is to darkness. It is like we can choose to approach the same problem in different ways, if we continue to believe in that possibility and be consistent with it, so it is about choosing one thing and stick to it in the long run, without changing our mind. It can thereby be overcome our enemies by being better than them (man), stronger than them (lion), more patient than them (ox), and wiser than them (eagle). It can be experienced a specific challenge or problem in our life, and we can only solve it by loving the person involved, by being determined and patient enough, or by discovering a right answer. So the means can differ from each other, but it will still lead to the same victory.

In chapter 2 it is written: ‘And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. And when I looked, behold, and hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein. And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.’ In chapter 3 it is written: ‘And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.’

God already knew it in advance that the Israel people would neither heed His voice, nor receive the prophets which God sent in His name. And yet God continued to send prophets to the Israel people, as if it was not for their sake, but rather for His own sake, since God would remain consistent with His goodness. God would continue to do the right thing on His behalf, and give the Israel people further chances to repent, as a matter of principle, to confirm that He fulfilled His part. It can happen that our preaching will obtain no reception among the people, and yet we are not meant to become troubled over it, not receive it too personally. It should not be gazed upon the quantity alone, how many people we could convert to the faith in God, as if that was the only thing which motivated us in preaching the word. The matter was not only about the reception, to convince and change other people, but it was also about setting a good example, to prove that virtuous life was possible. The prophets would continue to follow their personal conviction and make right decisions in their own life, regardless of that what everyone else was doing. So it could indeed be accomplished, without the approval or recognition of other people. This is why nobody would be in position to excuse himself, by pointing to other people and claim that they would not do the same thing, since it was either way irrelevant. It is not like God needed to convince and change everyone at the same time, as if this rebellious world could be saved and last forever. It was rather about converting individuals, to separate the few from the many, so they could inherit a new and better world. The Israel people would not heed the prophets, because they did already disregard the voice of God from within, what could be felt, sensed, and perceived. It did thereby not matter what the prophets could speak of with their mouth, and the people listen to with their ears, since that information would need to go through their hearts/mindset, to be processed and analyzed by something that was selfish and deceitful. God is pure and His message is pure, but selfish people seek to attack and distort its meaning, as if to invent an excuse so it will seem easier for them to reject it. God is able to comprehend us and we are able to comprehend Him, whether God does speak through the mouth of prophets or from within our heart, so we will in either case understand what it is all about, when God appeals to our sense of decency. This is why nobody is in position to blame God, as if God had failed to reveal the truth to him, since all of us are able to discern moral principles that belong to Him. It is not like we do first need to see God come down from heaven and listen to His ‘thunderous’ voice, but we can very well sense His presence and voice, without a form. God does remind us of the humble truth in a moderate and discreet way, where it is all about convincing us through the use of reason, but not through brute force and signs.

In chapter 3 it is written: ‘And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked ways, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked ways, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.’

The wicked man would surely perish if he continued down that path. There is otherwise nothing ultimate about our fate, as if it could never have been prevented or it could only have happened in one way. The man should be warned while he is doing something wrong, and it will surely lead to bad consequences. The prophet should stand up for the right cause, encourage the man to make right choices, and seek to discourage the man from making wrong choices. This is nothing personal, as if we had something against the person or were taking its side. It can rather be said that we are taking side with the right cause, against the wrong cause, since the right cause is more important than our own life. It is about living for a higher cause, where it bestows us with a sense of purpose and makes our existence meaningful, but our life would otherwise be nothing without it, like a shadow of its former self. It should not be sought to save our life through any means, but we should rather be willing to serve the right cause in every instance, however it will seem to affect us. It is not our personal involvement that determines the success or failure of our choices, but it is rather our choices that determine our success or failure as a person. We are able to obtain success while we are doing the right thing, and we will tend to fail while we are doing the wrong thing. Every choice belongs to its own time, where we have already reaped as we have sown, once in the past, and now in the present. The prophet tried to do the right thing, by offering guidance and help to other people, so he could at least make peace with his own conscience and have no regrets about it. But the prophet cannot control what is happening from within the people, what is their current attitude, understanding, and willingness, which determines their reception. That is something that belongs to the people alone, what kind of choices they make for themselves, so the prophet should not trouble himself over their responsibility. And God is working from within every person, where He tries to lead the person into repentance, reminds it of the truth, and encourages the person to confess it. It is God that prepares the spiritual soil in the individual, by making his heart ready to hear the preaching of His prophet, and humble enough to follow it through. Nothing happens by coincidence or at random, but the man has already believed God from within, before the man is willing to listen to His prophets and receive them. People reject the prophets, because they have already rejected God from within, since they are ever proud about themselves and they only try to be consistent with their self-conceit. God is the cause and the prophets are merely the consequence, so the reception of the prophets does merely reflect the heart and mindset of the people. It does confirm that which has already been decided from within, but the person would otherwise never reject the prophets openly, if it was obeying God in secret.

In chapter 3 it is written: ‘Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house. But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them: And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they are a rebellious house. But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.’ In chapter 12 it is written: ‘Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be that they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.’

Ezekiel was both mentally and physically healthy, so that he could feel, sense, and think clearly with himself. There was nothing wrong with Ezekiel’s attitude, understanding, capability, and internal condition, when he was all alone by himself and needed to do something for himself. But Ezekiel was unable to have ordinary relations with other people, to speak about something and participate in topics, unless when God commanded him to preach. It is like Ezekiel did not feel the need to say anything, where he could not sense and think of anything to speak of, within the presence of other people, even that he had wanted to. The spirit can be willing, possess the right endeavour toward the external things, but the body does still refuse to comply, and denies us the proper means to that end. It can be sensed a wise meaning, and known what it is all about, but it is had a hard time putting it into words, to explain it with the mouth. Ezekiel was no fool, but he could seem foolish while other people were watching, so the people would then presume so and begin to treat Ezekiel like he was a fool. But why should the prophet be troubled over the opinions of other people, what they could feel and think about him, if the people prove to be so superficial in their verdicts, quick to exploit weaknesses, to judge and slander? Why should the prophet attempt to befriend those that are false, spiteful, and covetous, since they will either way betray him sooner or later, and treat him like a target? It would have been better if the prophet had never sought for it in the first place, not desired to be like such people and participate in the same things as them, since they would either way deny him normal life, gang up on him, and treat him with no respect. It does thereby make sense that God should deny us the ability to fit in with the group, as when a wise man does pretend to be foolish in order to test the reaction of other people, before it can be determined whom are trustworthy or false, humble or arrogant. It does not matter whether we pretend to be foolish or really become so within the presence of other people, whether we have wanted it or not, sought for it to happen or not, since it will in either case lead to the same destination, for our own good. Ezekiel would make his home somewhere else, as if the Israel people were no longer his own people, where he did not want to become like them, wanted nothing to do with them, that they were not his problem, and that he would not share their fate. The Israel people had a healthy physical body and the sense organs were fully functional, when it came to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, and touch. But the Israel people had a stony heart, as if it was lifeless, spiritless, apathetic, unfeeling, lukewarm, unresponsive, stiff, stale, and dull. The people were already dead from within, and yet their physical body continued to survive, so they presumed themselves to be still alive. The people could still see beautiful scenery, listen to music, taste food, smell incense, and touch another person, but it became meaningless to them and aroused nothing good from within, as if the people were walking corpses, statues, or shadows. The Israel people were already closed in advance, where they would easily become upset and offended, regardless of that how the truth would be presented to them. The prophet would have put that meaning into different words, but to the same effect, since the people were hostile toward that what the truth called for and would involve. The prophet was not given chance to explain the matter further, that there were many good and valid reasons behind it, but the people would take one part out of context with the rest. Ezekiel could not speak successfully through the mind, but only through the heart, when he would experience a spontaneous inspiration from God, an urgent need to speak. The prophet can be a good writer, but a bad speaker. The writings are a message from God to the prophet, where the prophet is in this case convincing himself of the truth, so everything works as it should, concerning the recipient, which is entrusted for the knowledge.

In chapter 4 it is written: ‘Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the numbers of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year... Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the numbers of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof... And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.’

The Israel people in Samaria went to the left, while the people in Judah went to the right. It does signify the two extremes, selfishness and self-righteousness, when it is either done too little or too much. The people in Samaria must have been selfish, while the people in Judah were self-righteous, as when God spoke about both kingdoms as two sisters in the Book of Jeremiah. The people in Samaria openly rejected God, while the people in Judah did so ‘feignedly’, by pretending to believe with their mouth while turning their back on God. It might at first be presumed that self-righteousness is to the left and selfishness is to the right, a when it is spoken about politics and where a party can be situated. For an example then it can be mentioned Communism vs. Capitalism, when ideologists struggled against the old ways, but they only made things worse for the people. But it seems like the world has it upside down, what is supposed to belong to the right or to the left. The selfish man does want to forget all about God, while the self-righteous man is too afraid to do so, so the name of God does still have some meaning to him, however insincere and inconsistent he can be. Self-righteousness does attempt to do the right thing, but fails miserably in its approach. This is why selfishness should be to the left, while self-righteousness should be to the right, since that people have self-righteous vision of that what is deemed righteous. The ideological concepts remain the same, what defines them and makes them different, but the right-aligned should be called left-aligned and the left-aligned should be called right-aligned. The people in Samaria sinned against God for 390 years, while those in Judah did so for 40 years. The Israel people were enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, and that amount of time needed to pass in the meantime, until the sin of the Amorites would be full. It indicates that it takes the human society about 400 years to go from the top to the bottom, until every fabric of the society has been corrupted and undermined from all sides, so it will no longer produce righteous men, to be found here or there. The people in Samaria sinned against God almost ten times longer than the people in Judah, so God would treat them like the seven godless nations and never again seek to redeem them. However the people in Judah found grace before God, even that they were also lead into captivity, since it would turn out in a complete different way for them. The unfaithful believer can be punished in the same way as the unbelievers, and yet he is somehow able to recover from it and get better with the time, unlike the unbelievers. God would make the Israel people eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, which refers to a deceitful knowledge, erroneous ideas and doctrines, originated from devils. The words of God are like bread to us, which tastes like honey and spreads nourishment to our spiritual body, so that we can become a better person, feel better, and do better. A food needs to be chewed with our mouth, swallowed, and then digested in our stomach, before giving nourishment. It should be received the words of God with a good heart and sought to understand them, before we can begin to apply it to our life and make it become part of us. But the words of devils are like dung to us, which tastes like dung and disrupts our body, so that we will become a worse person, feel worse, and do worse. The devils are so ‘full of bullshit’, foolish and mad propaganda, boastful bigotry and ideology, which can never work out in practice.

In chapter 6 it is written: ‘Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations when ye shall be scattered throughout the countries. And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captive, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.’ In chapter 20 it is written: ‘And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.’ In chapter 36 it is written: ‘But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes… Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.’

This confirms that the grace of God has everything to do about His goodness, while it has nothing to do about our merit, so that we can never do anything to deserve His grace, now or later. It can rather be said that God is being consistent with His generous and merciful nature, toward those that are unworthy, which all of us are in His eyes. God would have redeemed His people either way, regardless of that what they had been doing, prior to it. God could have stood aside and done nothing to save us, and nobody would have been in position to blame Him. But God did still choose to redeem us, where He did so for His own sake, so that He could derive pleasure from that in being good, regardless of that who the recipients would turn out to be. This is nothing personal, as if we were supposed to be better than other people, but it is rather God who is better than us, and He treats us better than we deserve. All of us failed to meet God’s high moral standards, and we only made things worse, by taking His name in vain. This is why God sent Jesus Christ to the world, for the purpose of accomplishing everything on our behalf, once and for all. Then the Father would become glorified in the Son, and the Son would become glorified in the Father. Our faith is centred upon Jesus Christ, His life, His accomplishments, His sacrifice, and His intervention in heaven. We can only be justified by His righteousness, since the Lord was ever righteous, from the beginning to the very end. Jesus Christ has already finished the works of God upon the earth, and nothing more is required, so that our human frailty cannot undo or corrupt His ultimate sacrifice. Jesus Christ possesses the power to give His life for our sake, and He possesses the power to take His life back. The Israel people had hitherto given God a bad name in the eyes of the heathens, for they had pretended to believe in God openly while they rejected Him in practice. The Israel people became more senseless and wicked than the heathens, so the latter presumed that the faith in God was to be blamed, that God could not help anyone, or He only made things worse. This is why God would redeem the Israel people for His own sake, as when He does lead the fallen believer into repentance and helps rebuild his life. For that God will then silence everyone that had been speaking against Him, confirm His power and prove that His ways can work out, that it is superior to everything in the world. Wickedness is ugly and distorted in itself, disgusting and repulsive, even as what applies to its branches and fruits, like ill will, spite, avarice, and lust, directed against another person. The wicked man will become burdened by a guilty conscience and its effects upon his soul, deranged and sick as it is. The wicked man will be disgusted with himself and unable to live with himself, since that to commit evil is the real evil, degrading and unbecoming him as a human being. It can apply that the man that lives in darkness does not know anything else but the darkness, since he has never seen the light and is unable to discern the difference. This means that the wicked man does not understand that he is wicked and that what he is doing is wicked, so that he sees nothing wrong about it and has no guilt. God is able to redeem the fallen believer, so he can again become virtuous and holy, know what it means to be sincere and love another person, to be innocent and beautiful from within, to make decisions according to good faith, human decency, and dignity. This is why the man will become disgusted over his old life, how wicked, insolent, and cruel he had once been, since that to love no one is spiritual death, the most despicable thing there is. God redeemed the fallen believer for His name’s sake, but not for that person’s sake, since there was no longer any redeemable quality left in it. It can thereby be said that God did goodness for its own sake, as to be consistent with His generous and merciful nature, so He would have redeemed the fallen believer either way.

In chapter 11 it is written: ’And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord God! Wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel? Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the man of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the Lord: unto us is this land given in possession. Therefore, thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statues, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God.’ In chapter 36 it is written: ‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.’

The inhabitants of Jerusalem showed no compassion to their brethren, which had been led into captivity and were now scattered among the heathens. The inhabitants of Jerusalem signify the self-righteous Pharisees, the religious hypocrites, who pretend to be more important than other people and more deserving of salvation, even that there is nothing special about them and what they are contributing. The religious hypocrites despise those that live in weakness, discriminate and exclude them in their hearts, as if the outcasts deserved to suffer for their sins. The Messiah would turn out to be the Lord Himself, where His life has become our one and only sanctuary, wherever we might be, whatever we might have done in our life. It does also include the current condition of our soul, our mindset and feelings, cares and burdens, so the Lord can help us through it and even alter our personal experience. It is only sufficient to turn toward Jesus Christ, to confess His name and ask Him to come into our life, so we can be redeemed by Him and become a new person. The Messiah would attend to the outcasts and help those that live in weakness, so that He could come over to the outcasts or allow them to approach Him. But Jesus Christ would not attend to the Pharisees, and not even show them any attention, as if they were nothing in the eyes of God and not deserving of anything. This did not mean that Jesus Christ was being unfair and arrogant, but it was rather the Pharisees that had pronounced their own harsh verdict, since they had already judged everyone else according to a superficial standard. The Lord would shun the Pharisees just like they had been shunning those worse off than themselves, although He did not so through malice or pride, but rather through indignation and hatred of hypocrisy. Only God can give us a new heart and a new spirit, where only He can change us to the better, so that God does first become a part of our heart and then His influence does spread out to all other parts. Only God can forgive our sins, purify our soul, heal us of maladies, and transform us, but it is not something we can accomplish through our human effort and deeds. God does first need to sprinkle water upon us and cleanse away our corruption, before God can give us a new heart and spirit, and make us partakers in the Holy Spirit. This is what the baptism is all about, that what we should repent of our evil ways, have the right endeavour, and be willing to serve God with good conscience from now on. It would otherwise never work out if we were still being selfish, false, proud, covetous, and stubborn, ready to betray every trust and abuse every opportunity. Jesus Christ is like the water to us, the only One that is capable of forgiving our sins and purify our soul, before we can approach the Heavenly father in innocence. We would otherwise never be able to cross the gulf in between, never alone by ourselves, but Jesus Christ is like a Living Bridge to us, whom we need to go through. The flaming sword prevented Adam and Eve from returning to Paradise, even as when we cannot achieve anything through our righteousness, our self-will and effort. We will come to hate all the wickedness that belonged to our old life, where we will separate ourselves from all it desires, thoughts, and impulses, no longer consider evil possibilities, no longer remind ourselves of it, and no longer dwell upon it. God will make us capable of returning to the land of innocence, as before we rebelled against Him, and then we will abstain from everything resembling our former corruption.

In chapter 37 it is written: ‘The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones. And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covereth them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves. And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.’

God is able to create anything out from nothing, and He can take something and reshape it into different form. It does not matter whether the person has recently died or not, in what manner the person died, and whether it has the whole body intact or not, since it is as equally easy for God to resurrect the person, to make everything new again. John the Baptist said that God could raise children unto Abraham, out from stones, so it could just as well apply to thin air, to create a person out from no material. The actual human body is irrelevant, if it is already dead and unable to sustain itself, so God could just as well create a new body, without being related to the old one. It would either way take the same amount of time and effort, as if did not matter whether God would do it in one way or another, since that His power has no limits. But this incident in the valley has more spiritual significance than a carnal one, where it is really about God resurrecting those that are already spiritually dead in their sins, which have already lost their innocence, lost to the enemies of God, lost themselves, and lost everything. It is like everything has been corrupted from within the sinner, where there are no redeemable qualities left, and he cannot get better by his own effort. And yet God is able to resurrect everything from the scratch, like good sense, good qualities, and benefits, so the man can get better in every aspect of his spiritual life. It does include the man’s internal condition, understanding, and capability, in what way we he does experience everything, and is able to respond to the same. It does not matter what the man has hitherto experienced and done in his life, for that his old life becomes irrelevant to the new one, as what the past is to the present time. It is not like the man should look back and wish that had he done things differently, since God would either way have blessed him in the same way, to the same effect. God has already replaced everything from within the man, and improved his capability, so the man is able to surpass everything which belonged to his former life. Why should the man troubles himself about the past, what wrong things he had once done, if the man has already learned from his mistakes, and done better from now on? Why should the man trouble himself about the past, when he had once been weak and unaccustomed to exercises, if he has now become one of the best athletes in the world? The bones were dry, as when the man does have a stony heart, so the man does not have any spark left in his spirit, where he has nothing to look forward to in his life. The Lord would open up the graves and cause His people to come out of them. It does signify that when we hear the voice of Jesus Christ, as if He was knocking on our heart, calling upon us to reach out to Him, to take His hand and be pulled out of spiritual darkness. It should be ceased to do that what we have hitherto been doing, and left it behind, so that we can follow Jesus Christ to any spiritual place, victory and progress. We were once afflicted in our sins, where we had given up on everything and lived in uncertainty about everything, as if nothing was able to make us feel better in our heart. But then Jesus Christ came and raised us up from the ground, where He filled us with inner life and light, so that we could again feel youthful, as His children in spirit. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Life, the Life itself, and we continue to live in Him.

17.2: Spiritual Whoredom

The faith in God could be likened to a marriage between a man and a woman, where the relationship must be founded upon spiritual values, so the relationship can be maintained for long, be made to last. These spiritual values consist in mutual love, sincerity, truthfulness, understanding, good faith (or trust), loyalty, patience, and longsuffering. It is only important that the man and the woman have each other, what they feel about each other, and are willing to do for each other. Nobody is allowed to come between the married couple, where it is never made an exception for anyone, but the man and the woman must be single-minded in their devotion. The man does not need to convince the whole world that he does love the woman, but he does only need to convince her alone. And yet the man has nothing to offer the woman, except his unconditional love, an undying one, which will continue to remain after everything else has collapsed. That kind of attitude is meant to drive forth and motivate everything, like a firm basis that can hold everything together, so it can lead to everything else with the time, overcome any uncertainty and problem. All these spiritual values must be consistent with one another, work in unity and harmony, for the same goal, so the man and the woman can be like one in all things. It can happen that the man and the woman are distant from each other, where they cannot see what the other is doing at the same time. And yet the man and the woman are meant to trust each other, that their heart remains devoted and loyal to the partner, even that everything can change around them and they can be tempted by everyone. It is exactly the same thing with our relationship with God, when it is looked upon our attitude toward God, what we are willing to for Him, and endure in the meantime. It does not only reach to that in invoking God by the right name, and by pretending to agree with everything. But we must also abide by that which belongs to God, by receiving His words, understand them, keep them in our heart, and act upon them. This is the difference between the true believers and religious hypocrites. For the latter are like mercenaries which sell their conviction to the highest bidder, in return for profit, so they are willing to betray any principle and distort any truth when it suits them. The faith in God is meant to test our resolve, whether we are truly reliable during prosperity and adversity, whether we truly prefer God above everything else in our life, so it is only important that we can stay true in our heart, that our love remains the same. God is not asking us for expensive presents or great accomplishments, but He is only concerned about our heart, whether we truly love Him and remain loyal to His cause.

In chapter 8 it is written: ‘Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry. He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? Even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth there, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations. And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about. And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? For they say, The Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth. He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.’ In chapter 14 it is written: ‘Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquities before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophets; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.’

This was a society where everything seemed to be right and normal on the surface, in what way people spoke to each other and seemed to practice openly. But beyond the formalities then everyone was guilty of the most wicked desires, violent and lustful thoughts, perverted imaginations, in wishing for wicked things to happen to other people. Everyone pretended to be friendly, but they were full of spite, envy, bitterness, and hypocrisy, as if they could never rejoice with anyone and nobody was allowed to become happy. Everyone was doing evil things in secret, whether they were guilty in their intentions or committing wicked deeds behind closed doors, often with accomplices. For an example then it can be mentioned mental-, physical-, and sexual abuse. Then the wicked men prey upon the weak and the defenceless, or exploit their vulnerable position, as when persons are too young to do anything about it, or poor and desperate for money. That to yield to ill will, avarice, and lust is to bow down before the Enemy in our heart, as if we were doing reverence to wickedness and rejoicing over dishonest gain. The question is not about that whether it is imaginary or real, but rather whether we possess the will to sin, and whether God can trust us now at this moment. These ancient men of the house of Israel presumed that God had forsaken the earth, and would thereby no see what they were doing. It is indeed a foolish and mad thing, when the man is only concerned about hiding his crimes from other people, while he fails to take God into consideration, the very person that will judge him for everything. These men wanted to give up and participate in many wicked acts, before they would die, as if there was nothing more to this existence. They had previously pretended to believe in God, through greed for rewards and fear of punishments, but never because they believed in the goodness or understood its value. It has everything to do about fear of death, and uncertainty about the afterlife, but nobody is being sincere toward God, or genuinely concerned about truth and justice. God can see everything that takes place in our life, and even discern our real intentions, so we are only in position to confess that which is already obvious to Him. God can both save us from temptations and punish us for submitting to them completely, so that He is the only person that we need to convince, to help us through everything. It does otherwise not make any sense to rely upon other people, as if we needed to convince everyone else in the world and prove our innocence to them. For the human people cannot replace the role of God, and cannot change our internal condition. It is thereby more important to be understood by God than by other people, for that God is actually capable of doing something about it, unlike their empty words and gesture. Finally there were men who turned their backs on the temple of the Lord, while their face turned to the east, and they worshipped the sun. It does signify that when the man does worship his own prosperity, where he lives for luxuries and pleasures, as if that was the only good thing in his life, and he would no longer need God. A spiritual idol does manifest itself in selfish desires, selfish thoughts, and impulses, when the man allows such evil influence to control himself and does not resist it any more. This will lead to the same destination as when it is worshipped material idols, for it is preferred someone or something above God and His ways, so the man will digress from God, forget all about Him, and neglect to uphold His principles.

In chapter 9 it is written: ‘And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house... And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! Wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, the Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seeth not. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.’ In the Book of Amos it is written: ‘Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time; for it is an evil time.’ In the Book of Micah it is written: ‘Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?’

God would spare those that were indignant about all the wickedness which was taking place, and wanted nothing to do with it. These were evil times, where most people had lost their innocence and there was no longer anything special about them, but all of them were like empty vessels. This was all about the attitude, whether the man had the heart in the right place, was sincerely concerned about God and His ways, and tried to set things right in his life. It is only required the man should confess the humble truth and approach God like the person he really is, without pretending to be important, without pretending to be perfect. The man is justified by his faith in Jesus Christ, for being loyal to Him in his heart, so the man does already have the right attitude, regardless of his merit and deeds. It is not like the man does first need to do these or those deeds, before God will finally redeem him. The man does not need to prove anything before God or himself, but it is only sufficient to love God in sincerity, in good conscience, to the best of our knowledge. It should be kept God’s words in our heart, and abided to His moral principles, so that our heart can bring spiritual fruit. It is about aspiring for the right things, to understand what God requires from us and why, and to be willing do as what God asks, as if all of this would belong to the same conviction or integrity. It is something that we must feel in our heart, that to be compassionate toward another person and be willing for forgive it, and then we will always behave in such way. It must first be acted upon that what we already know about God’s words, and then next we can become more determined, stronger, wiser, and more capable. God will then entrust us for more of His words and unlock further blessings, so that we are constantly building upon previous success, belonging to the same basis. The goodness of God does exceed our own goodness, so that He would always have surpassed us in everything, both in the scale of the good act and how long it would last. This means that God is always kinder, more understanding, more generous, more tolerant, more patient and longsuffering, than we can ever hope to become. God does still have faith in the person, long after everyone else had given up on it, even after the person had given up on itself and behaved like it did not want to be saved. God is the best person there is, and that gives us the greatest hope and comfort. God is the First and the Last, the first one that loved us from the very beginning, and He will stick with us to the very end, as the last person, which decides our fate. But not even God would show the Israel people further pity and patience, which is a testimony to their shame, since that nobody else had been willing to save them. That to have wife and children does not make oneself into a virtuous person, since that is something which any man can do, regardless of his current attitude and choices. Wicked people tend to corrupt, abuse, or neglect their own children, so the children can have a hard time in learning moral values on their own and fall into a vicious cycle. It is not like all children are supposed to be sincere and innocent in every case, especially as they get older and more learned in the evil ways of the world. It should be looked upon our own times, and what has been happening within few decades. The new generations have come to surpass the older ones in rebellion and wickedness, and the possibilities have increased in what manner it can be persecuted innocent persons. The many gang up on the few and pick on them, in the most extreme way, without any compassion, as when sensitive information is publicized about the victim and it is attacked from every direction. Children can become capable of murders and sexual abuse like adults, especially in the spiritual aspect, when it is destroyed the victim’s reputation and ruined its chances to begin a new life elsewhere. That to hate our fellow man is the same thing as murder, and that to lust after a woman is the same thing as adultery, even that it has not been committed crimes directly. This is not something which previous generations would have thought of and expected, but our world is becoming wicked and godless like what applied during the Biblical times. The last few centuries have been like an exception of the rule, when Western civilization managed to prevail over barbarism, as to promote education and moral values. The world has otherwise always been ignorant and barbaric, where our times resemble the true image of this world, what it has always been throughout the history.

In chapter 16 it is described the spiritual whoredom of Jerusalem, which implies that Jerusalem is the Great Harlot of Babylon, after having fallen away from God. Jerusalem was nothing before the Lord found her, and it was He that made her into something, but Jerusalem would otherwise have remained nothing and obtained nothing. Jerusalem committed whoredom with the Egyptians, and the Assyrians. Egypt was to the left of Israel, and Assyria was to the right, as if to signify the two extremes. The inhabitants of Jerusalem first became selfish, then self-righteous, so their selfishness took on new forms. It was no longer rejected God openly and participated in debauchery all day long. But the inhabitants would now pretend to be honest, through selfish reasons, while they were still devoid of compassion and mercy. The self-righteous man is in position to deceive and corrupt other people, while they presume him to be wise and honest. But the selfish man does revel openly, without attempting to hide his faults from other people, so that other people do at least know where he stands. That to commit evil is to degrade oneself, as if to have no self-respect, no love for oneself. Selfish people commit evil in return for profit, if they get something in return. But the fallen believer is committing evil for its own sake, as if to degrade himself for nothing, as if he was looking directly for shame, needlessly, without any cause. The fallen believer was first admired by the selfish people, as if there was something special about him, as if he had something to offer, which they did not seem to possess. But the fallen believer would become too selfish, as if there was no longer anything logical about it, so that he would alienate himself from other people, and no longer be accepted by them. Selfish people want to hold unto illusions that they are special, that what they are doing is important, and they can accomplish more than others. But the selfish people will not have company those that are obviously insane, senseless, foolish, and base, since it would otherwise make them look bad in the eyes of others. This is why the fallen believer is unable to obtain success in the world, where he will find himself abandoned by both God and men, despised and slighted. It is like the fallen believer can no longer get any reception, where nobody will ever trust him again and be willing to further his schemes, since bad reputation precedes him. Jerusalem became more wicked than Samaria and Sodom, so it was like the other two sisters were ‘righteous’ in comparison, in having at least held something back and not gone all the way. Jerusalem is guilty of more wickedness than the seven godless nations, so she is the greatest harlot in the world, far worse than everyone else. It can thereby be excluded great empires and their great cities, like Nineveh, Babylon, Persepolis, Alexandria, and Rome. It is true that these foreign people could corrupt themselves, but that is to be expected from all empires, with their great power, wealth, and luxuries. The inhabitants of these cities could become guilty of sins and iniquity, but not more so in comparison to other people, if the latter had experienced the same position and possibilities. Selfish people commit selfish things, but it does still not involve deliberate malice, as when the fallen believer seeks to provoke God and oppose everything He stands for. Worldly empires are only bound to worldly things, while Jerusalem is like a religious impostor, someone that attempts to rival God and replace His words. The Great Harlot signifies a spiritual threat, something that has exited throughout the ages, alongside the worldly empires, to deceive and corrupt everyone from within. Jerusalem signifies the fallen believers, false believers, heretics, the false prophets, the self-righteous hypocrites. All of them are full of religious pretensions, claiming to offer spiritual guidance to the world, but they do really prove to be more wicked and carnally minded than everyone else. The man was selfish before he was converted to God, as if he had not known what he was doing. But everything would change after the believer fell from God, for that he would now be full of malice and deceit, trying to drag as many people down with him. The false believer has now become reshaped in the image of the Beast, otherwise called the spirit of Anti-Christ, as the exact opposite thing to his conversion to Jesus Christ. This is why the false believer is able to surpass everyone else in wickedness, the selfish people, ordinary people, the non-believers, and those that ignorantly belong to a wrong religion. It is about that what the fallen believer already knows and is capable of doing, which makes his rebellion against God even more senseless and unjustified, as if his conscience was branded with red-hot iron.

In chapter 16 it is written: ‘Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. Then thou shalt remember thy ways, and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger: and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant. And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.’

God would make a new covenant with Jerusalem, an everlasting one, and yet Jerusalem had contributed nothing, not deserved anything from Him. Jesus Christ was condemned to death and crucified in Jerusalem, but it would give the glory to God, and seal His new covenant on behalf of all the believers. This was no thanks to Jerusalem, what the enemies of Christ had planned and done on their behalf, so that Jerusalem could not claim any credit for the Lord’s achievement. The birth of Christianity was originated in Jerusalem, and yet Jerusalem was not Christian, so it became destroyed by the Romans. It was as if Jerusalem had already served its purpose, outlived its usefulness, and would no longer be relevant to God’s people. Jerusalem would become the mother of Samaria and Sodom, after all of them had been redeemed by God. God would be able to redeem sinners, which were like Samaria or Sodom in their mindset, and He would be able to do the same thing toward the fallen believers, even for their wickedness. God is able to redeem anyone, whether they have fallen from Him or not, since that His goodness is more powerful than our sins.

In chapter 12 it is written: ‘And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverbs to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the words that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God.’ In chapter 13 it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!... They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, the Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, the Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken?... Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, other daubed it with untempered morter... So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it.’ In chapter 14 it is written: ‘And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him…’

Selfish people become offended and upset when God speaks against their selfish ways, so they decide to reject God and make their own golden calf. It could be called a ‘chocolate god’, where it is supposed to agree with the people in everything, self-justify all their selfish choices, and allow them to get away with everything. It is like the imaginary god would be ‘too good’ to do anything about it, too afraid to object and upset the people, so there would be no responsibility involved, no consequences for them. The selfish people want to make their own golden calf, own false prophets, and own false predictions, so they can forget all about their guilt and resume their selfish ways. The selfish people want to do something selfish, and then next they invent an excuse, which is supposed to agree with it and confirm their desires. The false prediction might be phrased in one way or another, but the actual words are merely pretence, just to make the assumption seem rational. It is first begun from the end, what kind of assumption is wanted, and then next it is invented these or those words, sweet or clever, which would either way have led to the same destination. So the false prophet did first want to flatter the people, say something to obtain their favour and be rewarded, and then next he invented predictions promising ‘peace’. It is come up with imaginary defences against real problems, as if empty words could make all problems go away, or help the people to forget all about them. And the selfish people seek for refuge in transient inventions, as if they could hide behind specific excuses, defend and self-justify themselves, see something good about evil choices, blame someone else for everything, and not be held accountable for anything. This is why it is spoken about a wall, daubed with untempered mortar, which will break down. It does resemble that in building a house upon sand, for it is relied upon lies against lies, selfish remedies against selfish problems, and only made things worse, so that nothing will be able to stand firm in its place and it will surely collapse. At that time the people had begun to belittle the prophecies of God, as if they had waited too long and it would never come to pass, or that God could not do as what He had promised. God had hitherto delayed the calamity in order to save as many persons as possible, but the Israel people mistook it for a sign of weakness on His part. Therefore would God silence all boastful claims and humble their pride, by allowing these bad consequences to come true during their lifetime, even all at the same time. The false prophets deceive the selfish people, while the Lord is deceiving the false prophets from within. God will no longer restrain the proud and haughty, even as when He will no longer speak the truth to false prophets, whom are pleased with corruption and love dishonest gain. But false prophets are given over to delusions and hallucinations, which seem to confirm the lies which they have already told themselves. So the false prophets can presume that lies are truth and truth is lies, that wrong is right and right is wrong. At our times there exist many religions that have been founded by false prophets, and in some cases it might even seem like they had been sincere toward God and only wished well. But these men had already rejected Jesus Christ before they became false prophets, where they sought to create a new religion against their best knowledge, so they were never innocent at the outset, never obeying the original words of God. This is why it cannot be excused that what happened later, when false prophets seemed to experience genuine visions about God and receive new instructions. The false prophet has already rejected Jesus Christ in his heart, and he appeals to those that have already rejected Jesus Christ in their hearts. So the people in question will seek for that false prophet, listen to him, honour him, and give him rewards, since they are just like him. The false prophets and their followers are equally guilty in the eyes of God, when they seek for the company of each other and convince each other about their lies, since they had already rejected the Lord long before it and are now living with the consequence.

In chapter 13 it is written: ‘Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophecy out of their own heart; and prophecy thou against them, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you? And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies? Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly. Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life: Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.’ In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? For the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’

The faithless people presume that psychics can consult with deceased persons, and predict the future, regarding the personal life of the client. But the devils pretend to be deceased persons, and pretend to foresee the future, when they are merely guessing and imitating after something which has happened in the past, what is already happening in the life of the client, and what he is thinking about doing in the future. The devils are already spiritually dead, completely devoid of inner life and spirit, so they cannot sustain themselves, cannot experience anything good of their own accord. This is why devils are like cannibals, since they attempt to feed upon the life-energy of the human people. But it only offers the devils a temporary relief, until they will need to feed upon someone else, whom is still spiritually alive. The wicked men are already spiritually dead and empty, so it is like the wicked men have already outlived their usefulness and nothing more is to be gained from them. The psychics are really helping the devils to feed upon the souls of their clients. For the clients will tolerate the presence of devils, listen to their lies and give the devils power over their will, so the devils can begin to undermine their sanity, health, and stability. The devils are nothing more than wicked liars, enemies to God and everything which He stands for, so it is in their nature to oppose the truth and the goodness. Therefore will the devils always favour the wicked men, by speaking about them in a positive way and promise them success. But the devils do always speak against the honest men, as if there was something wrong about them and something bad would happen to them in the future. So the devils treat the wicked men like they are not wicked, and the devils treat the honest men like they are not honest, as if wickedness would be rewarded by the fates and nothing good would come out from honesty. That kind of false prediction will encourage the wicked men to resume their wicked ways, while the honest men become afraid of their own shadow and attempt to save themselves from imaginary dangers. Therefore will the honest men digress from their current path, no longer follow their personal conviction and forget all about integrity.

It can also be spoken against the need in consulting with the dead, when people think too much about death and the afterlife, and those that are no longer there. Deceased persons do not replace the role of God, as if the deceased persons were supposed to become our guardian angels, to follow us everywhere and serve all our needs. All of us are as equally frail and helpless in God’s eyes, whether we are alive or dead. So it would be foolish to treat deceased person as some kind of superhero, who is supposed to know everything and be capable of everything.  It should be recognized that the deceased person rests in God’s good hands, for its own good, rather than by presuming that the deceased should become a ghost for our sake, centred upon us. Why should we feel guilt or become angry over the past, as if we were in position to know everything and judge everyone? We should rather submit to God and allow Him to do His work, since God knows what He is doing, what is best for us all. All of us have our restrictions, and it is often like we cannot do anything about it, even for all our intentions. But it is God that decides everything, what is made possible for us to accomplish or not, so the past could not have turned out differently. That to think about something or someone tends to be selfish in its nature, if it is referred to oneself in the sentence (like the words: ‘I’, ‘My’, ‘Me’, or ‘Mine’). For it is personally implicated to us, meant to affect us in one way or another, and satisfy some needs. We do not become troubled over that when strangers fall into accidents, but only if ‘WE’ know that person, or if ‘WE’ were the ones which caused that accident to a stranger. This has nothing to do about a genuine concern for the person, a charity that should function outside our self, but such worries tend to be self-centred in its nature. That to think about the deceased person is not really about that person, but it has everything to do about us, our self-gratification, needs, attachments, cares, and guilt, so that we think about the person while it is supposed to do something for us in return. Love can only exist between two persons, when both are present, within the presence of each other, and while the human relations do last. And it can only be done a good deed to a living person, but there does not exist anything in between. This is why it does not make any sense to think too much about the deceased person, while we are all alone. For that we are not really helping anyone, but only tormenting ourselves in the name of that person, even that the person had never wanted us to be troubled and unhappy on its behalf. Everything should be done through pure and sincere love, in what way we are meant to treat one another, as we have been treating ourselves from within, with God’s help. We should care for each other and enjoy the moment together, while it does last. It would however not make any sense to neglect those that are still alive, while we are occupied with our own problems, distracted and worried over someone else. It is not like we should ruin the moment together, while we are speaking about our problems, our selfish needs, our guilt over the past and what should rather have been done. We are rather meant to forget all about ourselves, as if our life was not important, as if our problems did no longer matter, and our desires would either way have made no difference. It is only important that we should care about our beloved ones, seek to have ‘healthy’ relationship with them and speak of ‘healthy’ things, as if we would be ever awake and focused, able to discern and respond to the matters at hand. If we truly love the person with all our heart then we will not think about anything, for it is like we are already contented with everything and nothing more is required. It is about feeling love from the bottom of our heart and just be glad about it, with a meek and quiet spirit, while we are looking ahead and silence prevails in our mind.

In chapter 22 it is written: ‘Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them... And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.’ In chapter 33 it is written: ‘Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.’

The priests made no discernment between that what was right or wrong, true or false, charitable or spiteful, pure or covetous, spiritual or carnal. For the priests agreed with every selfish desire, selfish thought, and impulse, where they yielded to everything from within, however contradictory it might be. That kind of path will lead to self-righteousness, when the man does attempt to choose both right and wrong at the same time, and seeks to do good things through selfish reasons, so it cannot be good. And the man always expect repayment for everything, as if his service to God was conditional, something to be bargained for, as when mercenaries are for hire. The man does never look outside the box, beyond his own self, when it comes to see the goodness in all its purity, upon its own basis, terms, and premises. But the man allows his desires, fears, and avarice to blind his vision, as if the goodness was centred upon him and meant to serve his selfish ends, so the man cannot look upon one thing without implicating it personally to himself. The Israel people might seem to serve God with their mouth, outwardly, while everything else belonged to the Enemy, what the people really desired after in their hearts, what they were thinking of and experiencing in their flesh, all at the same time. Everything was irrelevant which the people pretended to do for God’s sake, when they thought and spoke about something in the meantime, before and after the events. The personal conviction was found lacking, what the people really thought about everything and everyone. So they would respond in exactly the same way as before, as if the words of God could not work out in real life, in comparison to their selfish ways. The coward does come up with boatful claims while all dangers are absent, but he will still respond in a cowardly way upon the very scene, when dangers will finally happen, since that he is already cowardly from within, controlled by his fears. It is exactly the same thing with selfish people, when they are unwilling to become virtuous and do the selfless thing, since they are controlled by their selfish desires. Good deeds do not happen at random, but they are merely the consequence of the man’s personal conviction, what kind of possibility he has already believed in and is willing to do, and he possesses the inner strength in acting upon it, to follow it through. The Israel people were incapable of good deeds, because they severed away the connection, which must exist between their heart and deeds, conviction and choices. God looked for a faithful man who could plead the case of everyone, as what Abraham tried to do for Sodom, and Moses succeeded in doing for the Israel people. For that God was angry with the Israel people, and about to destroy the land, but God still wanted someone to act as intercessor, as what He would have done in our position. It is not like Abraham or Moses was a better person than God, more understanding and tolerant. But they were rather speaking through the Holy Spirit, as if God was reasoning with Himself, after creating circumstances which suited His purpose. It would otherwise never have been recorded in the Scripture, what Abraham or Moses had said on behalf of all these people, if God had kept all these opinions to Himself.

In chapter 5 it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her. And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more then the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that around about her: for they have refused to my judgments and statutes, they have not walked in them. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you; Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold. I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgment in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations. And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all thine abominations... Wherefore, as I live, saith the Lord God; Surely, because thou hast defiled my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminsh thee; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity... So shall it be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the Lord have spoken it.’ In the Book of Jeremiah it is written: ‘The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.’

The Israel people became more wicked then than the heathen nations, and Jerusalem became more wicked than any other city in Samaria and Judah, so that Jerusalem was like the worst among the worst. God had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and God helped the Israel people to destroy the seven godless nations in Canaan, since they had become altogether wicked and irredeemable. But these heathens had never been offered the same possibilities as the Israel people, whom had experienced the presence of God through many signs and miracles, been taught His knowledge and principles, and been constantly attended by His prophets. This is why the Israel people would receive the greater condemnation, for having practiced the same wickedness as the seven godless nations, since their circumstances were completely different, wherefrom they had fallen from God. The heathen nations became wicked through ignorance of God and His ways, while the Israel people became wicked in a deliberate way, even that they should have known better. It should not be blamed a swine for having always remained a swine, for having never known to be other than a swine, since it is natural for a swine to act like a swine. It should rather be blamed a saint for falling from God, even that he did already seem to know everything and be capable of everything. For an example then the saint could experience courage, an inner strength to do the right thing, but he would still the same refuse to do it, while remaining stubborn, lazy, and, negligent, needlessly. The ordinary sinner would on the contrary lack the ability to do the right thing, where he would experience overwhelming fear and helplessness, as if paralyzed. The saint does both experience the will and ability to do the right thing, while the ordinary sinner can possess the will but lack the ability, the means to that end. This is why God was not being unfair and unreasonable toward the Israel people, when they were given harsher treatment in comparison to everyone else, heathens or Gentiles. God had already been much kinder to the Israel people than to other nations, where He had constantly repaid their evil with good and treated them better than they deserved. This would however never lead to anything good, but the Israel people would only show further ingratitude, demand more from God and do less for Him in return. It was thereby only fair that God would equalize everything, after the Israel people had wasted all their chances to repent. So God did now choose to become their greatest enemy, a true nemesis, which was bent on that in causing them only evils, continually. It should not be shown pity to the wicked men while they are being punished, after having squandered all their chances to repent. But we should also consider the prelude, what the wicked had been thinking and doing all this time, in the long run. It should not be taken one passing moment out of context with the whole, but it is rather like the consequence of something else. So that we can make a specific choice, while we are unable to control how the choice will affect us.

In chapter 7 it is written: ‘The time is come, the day draweth near; let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life... The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine from within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him... They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads. They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.’

Nobody can save us except God, and nobody can save us from God, if we have provoked God into becoming our enemy. God would punish everyone for living upon wrong and transient foundation, which proved to be non-good in most matters, for most part, in the greater matters. It does not matter whether the people pretend to be scrupulous in small matters, as if they could change this or that, fix or improve something on the surface, since they still continued to be selfish, false, proud, covetous, hypocritical, and stubborn. Everyone had a guilty conscience, and shared equal blame in everything which has gone wrong in the society, so they would share the same condemnation and punishments. It is not like the people could look back and seek to blame someone for everything, or dwell upon that what they could have done differently in few matters. For it was like one aspect of many, not the real cause but rather the consequence of something else, so the people were now reaping what they had previously sown and nurtured. The problems in the society does merely reflect the corrupt mindset of the people, what every individual has been participating in and contributing to make things worse, so it would be a foolish thing to blame the outcome when it finally happens. The sword would kill those that went out, while famine and pestilence would kill those from within. The Israel people could at most choose by what means they would suffer, as if it were an illusion of a choice, which still led to the same destination. It does not matter whether the wicked man will go out and be among other people, or whether he will stay inside his home and isolate himself from everything. For that troubles will continue to hunt him down, where the wicked man will be opposed and mistreated by human enemies on the outside, but by devils from within. It could be likened to that if the wicked man was suffocating on the inside and gradually drained of inner life, as when a city is besieged by army and cannot sustain itself. The wicked man can no longer experience any benefits in his life, where he cannot derive benefits from anything which he can do or receive from another person, so the only nourishment is gotten from his own health, when the body cannibalizes itself. The Israel people would gird themselves with sackcloth and shave their own heads, but it was not a true repentance, as if they were concerned about truth and justice. For it was self-pity, when a selfish person laments over selfish things, like unfulfilled desires, loss of pleasures and comforts, which it can no longer experience in its life. The people lamented over their misfortune but they still remained selfish, so they would either way learn nothing from it and repeat the same mistakes all over again. Silver and gold would never be able to deliver the Israel people from the day of reckoning, so it did defeat the purpose of seeking for and collecting such things in the first place. The selfish man loves material profit and pleasures, and prefers it above God, but these things will prove useless to the wellbeing of his soul and its ultimate fate. The selfish people are willing to lie and cheat, resort to violence and oppression, all for the sake of dishonest gain, which can then be spent upon pleasures and material possessions. But it is like the selfish people have been doing all these things for nothing, since their loss of innocence will ensure permanent loss of health, sanity, and happiness.

The selfish people show no self-restraint, but they agree with every selfish desire, selfish thought, and impulse, as if they could not say ‘no’ to anything in their mind. The people were originally guilty of many selfish choices, as if it could make them prosperous and happy, but it only made them worse off, depressed and of poor spirit. But should we show compassion when the selfish people are depressed, when it can be seen it in their facial expressions and manner of speech, lack of activity, goals, and purpose? Why is God not already rewarding the people, if they are really doing good things? Why has God allowed them to become depressed, without doing anything to help them? It is because the selfish people are now reaping as what they have sown, where they had previously participated in debauchery and seemed to enjoy themselves all that time, but they are now experiencing the hangover, as the latter part of that path. We might feel inclined to show pity and attempt to help those that are depressed, but that to be depressed is not the same thing as to be so from good intentions, and it does not make us into a better person. It should be inquired into the actual causes, the circumstances behind the depression, which is always originated in unbelief, selfishness, lack of charity, and love of pleasure. God is able to save the man from depression, if the man would only receive His help and allow God to help him, but the man has hitherto rejected that possibility. This is why our compassion and helpfulness will prove useless to the depressed man, while he continues to cling to his selfish ways and expects them to save him. A selfish man only pretends to be friendly and helpful to another person while he feels depressed, but if the man feels better then he will immediately cease to do so, as if that person was no longer useful to him and could be thrown away like a junk. We can show pity and attempt to help the selfish man while he is feeling down, and yet that man will not remember it after he has gotten better, and never do the same thing toward us in similar position, but the man will again become proud and superficial. God does have good and valid reasons behind His decisions, including that why He has hitherto not helped those that are already false, selfish, ungrateful, and treacherous. It should be looked to the end of things, whether something good will come out from it or not, before we can begin to consider the square one, what is to be done at the outset. The selfish people are utterly incapable of doing anything good, since that good intentions are always absent. Everything is being done through self-centred reasons, so the people can obtain self-gratification in one way or another. The people only pretend to be helping other persons, but they are really trying to help themselves in some way. It cannot be done good deed without God, by acting contrary to the Holy Spirit, since it is then thrown pearls before the swine or it will lead to fruitless results. Only Jesus Christ can change us from within and make us into a righteous person, but it is not something which the helpfulness of other people can accomplish. What does it profit us to convince the whole world to show us understanding, to show us less prejudices, to pretend to agree with and flatter us in everything, if it is unable to make us into a decent person, if nothing good is ever aroused in us? At our times then more and more people have come to reject Jesus Christ and belittle the Scripture, as if was something foolish in their eyes and unable to profit them. And yet these same people have become depressed, where they are not happy and contented with their life as it is, since that nothing seems to arouse good things in them. And yet these people pretend to be doing something good in the name of someone else, to change the world to the better, by undertaking all kinds of irrelevant tasks. How are concerts supposed to save the earth from human greed and irresponsibility? Or how is jogging of one man supposed to benefit another man in the spiritual aspect? Even money proves to be irrelevant, to those that have incurable sickness or permanent disabilities. Only the faith in Jesus Christ does make sense, when it comes to change everything to the better and render true benefits.

It can happen that the selfish people pick on those that are different, where they treat the innocent victim like it is ugly, stupid, or unworthy to them. The outcast can begin to believe so about himself, and treat himself in the same way. So the outcast will no longer have any self-respect, but lives in a foolish and shameful way. The outcast can give up on himself, reach the bottom in his life, and live in the gutter, but the selfish people do not show the least compassion and mercy during that time. The selfish people did rather rejoice over the man’s fall, reveal his shame openly, mock his misfortune, and assert about him in a negative way, as if he was lost for good. But the situation can later reverse, where God does exalt the outcast and makes him prosperous, while God debases the selfish people and deprives them of prosperity. It can still be raised the question whether we should feel compassion for the selfish people, after we have become prosperous in our life? The selfish people would not feel that way if we were still in the gutter, but they would on the contrary want us to stay in the gutter. It was a good thing that we left such place, left such people, without ever looking back, without returning to them. We would otherwise never have changed to the better, never have developed a personal conviction, and never have risen up from our problems. For we would be constantly responding to the hostility of such people, trying to prove ourselves in their eyes, or restricting ourselves for them, as if we were only doing thing according to their premises. The selfish people might treat us in a different way while we seem to have it better than them, but they do otherwise continue to persecute other outcasts, whom are having it worse than them. Thereby are the selfish people repeating the same mistakes, unless it is against outcasts that are in a similar position, as we had once been in. The people are still being selfish, even for their guilt and regrets over the matter. The people would otherwise have looked beyond their self and loved us in sincerity, only wished us all the best and rejoiced with our prosperity, regardless of that how it would seem to affect them.

In chapter 24 it is written: ‘And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet; ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another… Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters, That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?’ In the Book of Amos it is written: ‘Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel: for the Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land... My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be not priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed of the Lord. Whoredom and wine and new win take away the heart... I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.’ In the Book of Micah it is written: ‘Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword. Thou shalt sow, but thou shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olives, but thou shalt not anoint thee with oil; and sweet wine, but shalt not drink wine.’

The old generations were condemned to walk forty years in the desert, as if they were going in circles, until everyone had wasted away. A similar thing applies when the man rejects God, and he then relies upon the worldly means in order to become happy. For that health and happiness is something that does follow the presence of God, but if the man does no longer have God in his life then he will gradually waste away. It is like the man’s spiritual health begins to cannibalize itself, and he will only get worse with the time, more tired, more depressed, and more distracted. The man was once able to experience pleasures while he had a good health, but it will no longer apply after his health is gone, since that nothing is ever aroused from within him. Pleasure was supposed to be the end, while debauchery and fornication was the means, but the man will no longer derive any pleasures from the means, so the means will become useless to him. It does not matter what can be changed around the man, and how often he can participate in sinful pleasures, since he is already spiritually dead, cold and lifeless. It might seem like debauchery and fornication can work out, when we only look to the young people, which are considered to be beautiful, strong, and healthy. It is however merely the beginning of the sinful path, which has everything to do about their youth as a free blessing from God, while the sinful pleasures are not the real blessings. But in what way will the same people look after ten to twenty years, when they have participated so often in debauchery and fornication, and lived in a selfish way? These people have now lost their beauty, strength, and health, so there is no longer anything admirable to be noticed in them, but they are like the shadow of their former self. The skin has become red, pale/grey, and wrinkled, and their spirit is now poor, heavy, and dull. It should thereby be looked to the end of things, the consequence of the sinful path, rather than by gazing only upon the execution. God condemned the Israel people for being amoral, for not caring about the truth, for not making decisions according to morality, and for not caring about their fellow man. But the Israel people did rather choose to live for pleasures, as if pleasures were the only good thing in life, and something to be attained at any cost. The people were willing to lie and cheat, to resort to dishonest and degrading means, so they would become successful in the world, and more likely to experience pleasures. Power, wealth, fame, and popularity was not sought for as an end in itself, but it was rather so the people could invest it upon pleasures and get other persons to please them. The godless people would no longer derive pleasures from anything in their lives, while the true believers would continue to derive pleasures when used moderately, as when it is noticed the difference between faithful marriage and harlotry. The people would sow but not reap anything, as if all their desires and undertakings were doomed to fail, whatever it might be. It would either way not profit the person, where it would not bestow any value to its life, no purpose, and no meaning, but everything would seem utterly pointless.

17.3: Lost and Found

In the Book of Jeremiah it is written: ‘Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.’ It is written (4): ‘If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then thou shalt not remove. And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take way the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: let my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings... O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?... Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart. It is written (6): ‘Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the way, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.’

Jesus Christ is merciful and He will not always be angry at us, if we will only return to Him, confess our sins, put away our abominations, and rely upon His righteousness, as the only way so we can become righteous. That to confess our sins is not only bound to evil deeds, and that to put away our abominations is not only bound to idols, something that can be seen and touched. For that our sins do also include that in being guilty of evil intentions, to covet after evil things and wish for them to happen. And our abominations are wicked imaginations, when we yield to hatred and lust, when we refuse to love the person and show no mercy, so that our ill will is indeed an ugly and despicable thing in itself. This is why all of us have transgressed against the Lord, even that we have not committed crimes directly, still not been apprehended and punished by the human authority. This would be proclaimed to the north, those that are supposed to be under the new covenant, but they stumbled for some reasons and now live in error. And the Lord does still consider Himself to be married to His erring children, as if they were still under His grace in the long run and would return sooner or later. Jesus Christ foretold that He would divide families and houses into two groups, those that side with Him and those that side against Him, those that belong to Him in their hearts and those that do not. And there would be two persons working in a field, where one of them would be taken away to God and the other one left in the world, so the latter would be punished with the world. It does correspond to that when the Lord speaks about taking us one of a city, and two of a family, and bring us to Zion.  This can apply to our times, when all these Christian nations have forgotten about Jesus Christ, neglected His ways, and rather relied upon something else for deliverance. The Christian nations are those in Europe, Northern and Southern America, and Australia. But most people have come to worship their own prosperity, prefer science and technology above the faith in God, even that intelligence does not equal wisdom and morality. Prosperity is not enough, to have access to all kinds of luxuries and material possessions, for that our soul needs spirit and life, which comes from the Word of God. This is what the Lord meant by that we should not sow among thorns, when it is relied too much upon material objects, lifeless things, pleasures, human inventions and products, since the world is unable to fulfil our true needs, which are spiritual in their nature. This is wickedness, when we hold fast to such thoughts about our own self-importance, when we truly believe in our heart that our human ways can replace the need for God, as if we could become our own gods and create anything in order to suit ourselves. It should be sought for the old paths, childish innocence and simple-minded honesty. For we were once sincere and humble about everything, free in spirit and friendly, as if everything would come naturally to us, rather than by trying to be what the world wants us to be. God has already blessed us from our birth, and taught us what it is to be human, when we lived in His Spirit and followed our heart, but not the ways of the world. It was not something that we or other people invented in our mind, as if clever tricks could produce good effects in us. But all these benefits were freely given by God, as if we were already blessed and did not really need to do anything.

It is written (8): ‘Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defenced cities, and let us be silent there: for the Lord our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.  We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!’ It is written (14): ‘O Lord, though our iniquites testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? Yet thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we called by the name; leave us not.’ It is written: ‘Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? Hath thy soul loathed Zion? Why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble! We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee. Do no abhor us, for thy name’s sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant with us. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Art not thou he, O Lord our God? Therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.’ It is written (51): ‘We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the Lord’s house.’ In the Book of Habakkuk it is written: ‘What profiteth the graven image that the maker thererof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies; that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.’

If we truly acknowledge our guilt then we do not need to speak further about it, since we do already know it with ourselves, it is already obvious to us, and there is nothing that we can do to excuse it. This is why we should remain silent, and allow the Lord to rebuke and discipline us, as if we waited until the Lord will no longer be angry at us and He chooses to overlook the matter. This does not reach toward ordinary ignorance and mistakes, but rather when we have become guilty of wicked intentions, dwelt upon wicked thoughts and even practiced it. It would otherwise not be a sign of repentance if we were constantly prattling about the matter, trying to defend and explain ourselves, to self-justify our faults and attempt to see something good about it, since our attitude would remain the same. And we must first remain silent before we can listen to that what the Lord will say to us, so that we can actually learn from our mistakes and do better from now on. But we would otherwise be so full of ourselves, only listening to ourselves speak in the mind, so that we would either way disregard the voice of God in our heart, His silent sense. The defenced cities can signify the words of God, knowledge of the truth and virtues. So that we should seek for refuge in them, as a proper endeavour and gesture to God, rather than by running back and forth in our mind, to say one thing and do another. Jesus Christ is in the midst of us, knocking on our heart on each day and trying to lead us into repentance, that we should trust Him and trust what He is doing for us. There is a good and valid reason behind that when we are unable to notice God in our life, unable to experience anything good from within ourselves, unable to know any better, unable to become a better person, unable to discover or accomplish anything. For that we have only spoken about God and His will, pretended to agree with everything. But we have utterly neglected the significance of Jesus Christ in our life and what He accomplished on our behalf, neglected His voice from within us, neglected His words in the Scripture, neglected His sense of decency and brotherly love. Therefore have strangers come into the sanctuaries of the Lord’s house, where we have invited devils into our spiritual life and tolerated their presence, received their thoughts and imaginations, reminded ourselves of their wicked possibilities and dwelt further upon it. The name of God was the only thing that remained, while everything else was originated from our self-will, what we imagined about God and ascribed to His will, what we rather preferred and wished that would happen, what we ‘rather’ thought was right. This is why we were still bound to our old man, our old self, or old life, as if we had merely attempted to fix or improve the same selfish foundation, but we had never come over to the Lord, never begun a new life in His Spirit, and never come to know God. Every man has proved to be a liar, and the whole world is guilty before God, so that nobody should seek to defend himself, as if he could excuse and self-justify his decisions. But everyone should remain silent and acknowledge that God has the right on His side. Only God is in position to acquit us or condemn us, so that He can choose to acquit us if He wants, or choose to condemn us if He wants, based upon the same facts. It is true that we can be guilty before God, but it does still not mean that God will condemn us, since it is in God’s power to show us mercy and give us another chance. So that everyone is guilty before God, and yet we are given hope in our human frailty, if we would only approach God in humility and rely upon His kindness toward us.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘Seek ye for the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ It is written (58): ‘If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then thou shalt delight thyself in the Lord…’

The Lord does knock upon our heart on each and every day, where He does remind us of His truth and appeals to our sense of decency, so it is something that we come to understand at that moment, sense with ourselves. This should never be taken for granted, when the Lord does honour us with His presence, when He does share His wisdom and good qualities with us, so that we can both know better and possess the inner strength to act upon it. It would otherwise be lacked self-awareness in everything, where we would not understand what we say and do, being altogether unable to discern the value of each choice, the difference between good and evil. There does not exist anything in between or something made out of both, but we either heed the voice of God or not, after God has made Himself known to us. So that we must follow the initiative of God and only do things according to His premises. The Heavenly Father does point to His Son, where Jesus Christ is our only means to God, so that only His presence and teachings can lead to divine salvation. It is not like we can delay everything to another time, only to invoke God for help when it is too late, when we are already at the end of the road. Let’s say that we would disregard God every time He makes Himself known to us, the truth and goodness which belongs to Him, until we feel empty from within and all alone. It has even been rejected Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, and sought for alternate means to serve God. It can then happen that we are given over to a depraved mind, where we will become deceived by the voices of devils, which pretend to be God in our mind. We will then become obsessive about God and controlled by religious delusions, but everything proves to be self-righteous in its nature and thereby irrelevant to God. It is thereby approached God according to the mind, but not according to His voice, so God will not come into our life and redeem us. God will not reward us for being treacherous and hypocritical, after we have rejected our Lord and Saviour, when our appeal lacks sincerity and we are carnally minded in everything. The wicked man should forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, so that we must both abstain from a wrong attitude and a wrong behaviour. All temptations are originated in the mind, and the will to sin does begin there, before it will begin to affect the man’s speech and deeds to the worse, as the consequences from it. The man should thereby cease to listen to the mind, abstain from selfish intentions and thoughts, neither covet after anything evil nor wish it to happen, and learn to put aside his desires and problems, while he seeks for God and wants to be redeemed.  The man must be willing to forsake everything that belongs to his self-will, which he had hitherto implicated to himself, claimed to be part of himself, as his ‘true’ character or way of life, with its desires, opinions, favouritism, hostility, and pleasures. The old things must make way for the new things, where cup must first be emptied before it can receive a new liquid, without overflowing or contaminating it in the process. It is exactly the same thing with the man’s self and the Spirit of God, where he must first be willing to listen to God before he can be taught new things, and receive help from God before the man can improve, so the capability can match his intentions. The man must acknowledge the leadership of the Lord, and always consult with Him in everything, when it comes to head in the right direction, to do things according to right premises, to be stationed upon a right basis, at the very outset. It is about believing in a person that is greater than us, in a cause that is greater than our desires, so we will be able to have a sense of purpose and meaningful existence. It is about living for truth and justice, where it should be kept to that which is right in general, as the morally right choice, while our life is neither important nor relevant. That to have pure and sincere intentions is more important than anything to be attained in the world, where we did at least attempt to do the right thing and were found innocent on our behalf, so it is about becoming victorious through the spiritual aspect.

It is written (33): ‘Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done; and, ye that are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.’ It is written (38): ‘O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me to live. Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.’ It is written (40): ‘Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortable to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.’ In the Gospel of Luke it is written: ‘And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.’

God is a consuming fire, and it might seem an incredible thing that the believer can contain His Spirit, since everyone else would have been immediately burned from the inside and perished. The Law of God is a blessing to those that do abide by it, while it becomes a curse to those that disregard it. A similar thing applies to the presence of God, where He can mean one thing to a specific person but a different thing to another, according to that what is the person’s attitude toward Him, conviction and choices. God is able to cast all our sins behind His back, as if He would choose to overlook and forget all about our past, never remind Himself about it, never implicate it to us, never mention it to us or anyone. The Israel people turned their backs toward God, and cast His words behind their backs, as if they would never consider anything which He could say and do. Jesus Christ often told the Enemy to get behind Himself, as if the Enemy would never be part of anything which He could intend to do, and have no bearing upon God’s plans. It is only looked forward to the path ahead, but never turned our head to the left or right, let alone to look back, since it is either way irrelevant to that what is required. God can free us from the past and undo its effects upon us, not only to free us from its guilt, but also so that we can focus upon the matters at hand, without any distractions. We would otherwise never be in position to learn anything new, to love and help one another, if we are already occupied with personal problems and vanished into our mind. The iniquity of Jerusalem would be pardoned, after having received double for her sins. It is because the fallen believer had been blessed with the Holy Spirit, which made him much more aware of that what was right or wrong, than what would apply to other people. The fallen believer had also possessed inner strength and good qualities, which made him able to act upon that which he knew, if he had only chosen to do so. And yet that man choose to rebel against God, to disregard everything which he knew, and forsake every moral principle, until he had become much worse than everyone else. It should thereby not only be looked upon the fault in question, but also considered the position of the person, what it was able to know and do about it, both from within and out in the world. If we truly repent in our heart then we should assume responsibility of our past choices, and allow the consequences to befall us, if God wants it to happen, for as long time as He wishes. If God wants to show us mercy then we should also treat ourselves in such tolerant way, as if we were not objecting and not dwelling further upon our faults. Punishment is not meant for those that repent and turn to God with their whole heart, but it is rather something that happens after it is no longer deemed possible, since the proud sinner would not have confessed anything in either case.

It is written (57): ‘The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.’ It is written (65): ‘Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servant´s sakes, that I may not destroy them all… But ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain… Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed. Behold, my servant shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit… That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.’

The death of the flesh is not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but it is rather depended upon the circumstances, in what way the man dies and why. It can happen that the virtuous men will be no more, not because of any fault on their behalf, but God is rather separating them from everyone else. God does not need to save the world in whole or everyone at the same time, but He only needs to keep the chosen few away from the evils to come. The virtues men can be transferred between locations, isolated, excluded, or even die in the flesh. And yet it is for their own good, so the virtuous men will not be among the selfish people when they will be punished, not come to know all the troubles and misery that will ensue. It can be mentioned calamities like wars, civil wars, hunger, pestilence, and poverty, when the new generations will corrupt themselves, become dissatisfied with everything, turn against each other, and ruin everything for the most trivial reasons. God is able to delay His punishment for the sake of His chosen few, as when the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah could have been spared if ten righteous men had been found. This does not mean that everyone else are being blessed and pardoned by God, but they only happened to be stationed in the same place as the righteous men, whom were being blessed by God and shown grace in everything. However as soon as the righteous men are gone then everything will be unleashed upon the selfish people, as if all their crimes had been stored up in a bank and there is now finally a day of reckoning. Then will all kinds of troubles and maladies befall them, at the same time. God had previously held Himself back and wanted to create a good environment for His chosen few, so they would experience prosperity and peace among the selfish people. The righteous men were so much blessed by God that their presence blessed everyone around them, as if to indicate that the selfish people would be nothing without them. It had nothing to do about that the selfish people had been thinking, saying, and doing at the same time, but the prosperity of that place was due to outside factors. The servants of God will be ever blessed, happy and contented with everything in their lives, while the selfish people will be ever vexed, burdened with guilt, and ashamed of all their wrong decisions. For an example then it can be mentioned crisis in the society or the world in whole, when the selfish people have believed in and invested in something that did not work out, as if it were a golden calf, a sinful way challenging the faith in God and His morality. That kind of spiritual idol will later fail and collapse, leaving the selfish people destitute, so they will become fettered to all kind of heavy obligations, restrictions, and demands. But the true believers did not participate in such errors in the first place, being already free from covetousness and vanity, so they would indeed become better off than everyone else. This does manifest the grace of God, how lucky His people can get in the long run, even that they did never know what was going to happen in the future.

In the Book of Ezekiel it is written: ‘Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord. If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate....Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God.’

The children will not suffer for the sins of their father, but every man will be punished for his own sins. God knows His own, who belong to Him, having remained loyal in their heart and only followed the dictates of their conscience. But the wicked men will not inherit the Kingdom of God, those that are dictated by spite and avarice, are guilty of idolatry in their heart, and act like spiritual harlots. It is true that the children will not suffer for that what their wicked father is doing, but the children can still be blessed for that what their faithful father is doing, at least while their father is still alive and God is blessing the children through him. God blessed the children of Job, even that we do not really know anything about them. God can also bless everyone in the family, which are related to the true believer, like his father, mother, brothers, sisters, wife, sons, and daughters. It can also apply to other people that he is living with or comes across, whether they are related to him or not. God can bless all these people if He wants, whether they are true believers or not, virtuous or ordinary, friendly or not, so long as they are not wicked, not godless reprobates. Rahab the harlot believed in God, and she took side with the Israel people against the inhabitants of Jericho, so that God would save Rahab and her father’s household. God did not only save Rahab the harlot, but also her father, mother, and all her brethren, as if to indicate that God can also save the people we love, through our faith, if He wants to. But it does not involve the same circumstances when God makes this speech to Ezekiel, that He would not have saved the relatives of Noah, Daniel, and Job. At that time everyone was wicked, so that God would never justify the wicked in any circumstances, even that the wicked had a righteous relative. God could otherwise have saved the relatives, so long as they possessed a sense of decency. It can still never be asserted about anything in advance, whether the indirect blessings will only be bound to the relatives’ lot in this world, or whether it will also reach to the afterlife. Only God can know such things, and only He can decide which person is written in the Book of Life. But it is not something which we can plan for, trick God into doing, or cheat our way to, whether we are the righteous person or related to it.

In chapter 18 it is written: ‘What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.’ It is written: ‘Yet ye say, Why? Doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.’

It is ultimately God that has created us all, sustained us, accompanied us through everything, given to us and taken it away, taught to us and restrained us, rebuked and punished us, so that everything in our human existence is related to God in one way or another. Our human parents were only able to intervene from the outside, by attempting to change something around us, in the environment. Our parents could speak to us with their mouth and do something with their limbs, but they could never control the way we felt about everything, in what way was understood it, and what we found ourselves willing to do. This is why God is our supreme parent, where He knows us best of everyone and He is in the best position to judge us. Our soul is not our own, let alone the souls of other people, but God rules over all. The man should not suffer for the sins of other people, because he did never control their internal activity, and he was never in position to make their choices for them. This is why we do not need to trouble ourselves over the responsibility of other people, especially when selfish people make selfish choices and reap selfish problems from it. And we do not need to excuse something to one person on behalf of another person, if the latter is rebellious and unrepentant, as if we were doing it against its consent. It should not be blamed our parents for that when we became a wicked person, as if our parents could have done something different in order to prevent it from happening. For we would either way have remained stubborn and acted contrary to our parent’s instructions, just like we had hitherto done in our life, and would do in the future. The cause was not to be found in these or those incidents, but it was merely the consequence, where our wicked ways reflected our wicked heart, how we truly were underneath. At that time we were tempted with something by someone, and then we immediately took the bait, since we were already a selfish person, always when it truly counted. It would otherwise be foolish to dwell upon that what could otherwise have happened, if we would never have been tempted by anyone, and never been tested in anything. It would not have mattered if we managed to avoid one temptation, for that we would be tempted with something else, sooner or later, and then fall in the same way. God does speak about three generations, a righteous father of a wicked son, and a wicked father of a righteous son, so the wicked man is in between. This does signify our old life versus our new life, our old self versus our spiritual rebirth in Christ. Our old man is like our father, and our new spiritual man is like our son, so that our new life should not suffer for that which belongs to our old life, since that we have now learned from our mistakes and done better from henceforth. We were originally innocent, next we fell from God, and then finally we repented and were redeemed by Him. We should no longer be rewarded for our old life, when we were once innocent children, if we have now become wicked and are no longer doing anything right. And we should no longer be punished for our old life, when we were once wicked, if we have now become righteous and are no longer doing anything wrong.

It is written: ‘But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? Saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? Are not your ways unequal?’ It is written: ‘Therefore will I judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.’ In the Book of Jeremiah it is written: ‘Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessels that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.’

God can create and reshape our spiritual body into any form which suits Him, including our soul, heart, mind, and spirit, so that everything has been changed on the inside, while our outward appearance might seem the same. It is thereby like there is another soul in our body, with completely different awareness, aspirations, understanding, and capability. Then we can accomplish completely different things, surpass the man which we once were, and even surpass the people that had previously seemed superior to us. It is only required that we should repent and turn back to Jesus Christ, that we should cease to repeat the same mistakes and attempt to do the right thing from now, so the Lord will repent of the evil things which He intended to befall us and change His mind. The man should be rewarded for as long time as he is doing the right thing, and he should be rebuked and punished for as long time as he is doing the wrong thing. It has all to do about the present time, this day and moment, whether we are doing the right thing or not, so we will be either rewarded or punished according to our choices. It should however neither be received everything too personally, nor lived in the past, especially if we have already repented, learned from our mistakes, and improved. So we do not need to remind ourselves about something that has already been solved, where we have nothing more to prove, and nothing more to add. A selfish man should not be rewarded for that in having been honest in the past, and an honest man should not be punished for that in having been selfish in the past, so everything does belong to its time and place, what we had once sown and reaped. God has already rewarded and punished us for everything, so that we are in no position to judge ourselves or other people, to the better or worse. It is not like we are supposed to be good or evil in every case, or that we will remain so permanently. But it is rather God that is always good and His words make us capable of doing good things. We can only receive the words of God, keep them in our heart, and live according to them, so that we will be blessed through His words. It is like a holy possession from within us, which illuminates and energizes everything, but if the words of God would be lost or taken away then we will again become nothing. It is not like we should envy those that are better than us, or hate those that are worse than us, as if God was taking a side with them against us or with us against them. We can also become prosperous if it is chosen to follow God and abide by His moral principles, and we can also become a failure if it is chosen to reject God and love dishonest gain. It is not our personal involvement which makes our choices right or wrong, but it is rather our choices that will affect our person to the better or worse. This has nothing to do about comparison to other people, but everything is determined by our relationship with God, what He gives to us or takes away. God did first decide something about us and our potential, and then next we began to behave according to His verdict, so that we would either improve further or get worse. God is able to purify and heal our soul, so that we can bring more spiritual fruit. There is nothing permanent about our internal condition, as if we would always feel like that. But we must first obey the words of God and then they will become part of us, so that our internal condition will be benefited as well. It is not like we can control this or that, attempt to change our internal condition directly, when we will feel better and get strong. For that our internal condition is merely the consequence, reflecting our moral choices.

In chapter 33 it is written: ‘Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will we die, O house of Israel? Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the rigtheous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn away from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.’

It is mentioned when the man trusts to his own righteousness and commits iniquity, so that he will be punished as a wicked man. For an example then the man can have innocent and sincere intentions, which makes him lively and rich in spirit, so that he is more likely to fulfil his goals, have a good time with other people, and obtain favourable reception. It is thereby like the man is blessed in everything, and the life itself is smiling upon him. It can however happen that the man begins to receive everything too personally, as if he would always be prosperous and happy, or that such blessings would always follow him, regardless of his actual choices. This is when the man begins to show a lack of self-control and slacken his resolve, as if he could afford to become selfish and ‘earn the right to commit mistakes’, to receive bribes and participate in sinful pleasures. The man does not become wicked overnight, but he is still getting gradually worse with the time, as if he was squandering away his spiritual treasure. Now the man is no longer scrupulous, and thereby no longer rewarded by God, but the man has become like all the selfish people, whom there is nothing special about. These people were once beautiful and lively, but they have now become pale and depressed, since their continual debauchery and fornication ruined their health. God takes no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but He wants everyone to be saved, that everyone can live in God, through Him, and for Him, now and always. God will not carry any grudge, not hold anything against us, if we are now capable of living in peace with other people, if we do now treat them well, in all decency. Therefore will God be able to know where we stand, and even trust us for a new and better world, where all the virtuous people will be gathered and live together. It would otherwise never work out if we were still being wicked, false, and covetous, if we sought to harm and abuse our fellow man, and ruin everything upon touch, openly or in secret. It should be looked upon our own times, for that our world is now being destroyed through needless greed, and the new generations will suffer for it in the future. The selfish people are persecuting and discriminating those that are better than them, as if they could falsely claim all the credit and steal all the rewards. And yet these same people do only make the world into a worse place, and create needless problems. It should not be blamed the earth for anything, but its current state does merely reflect that what the people are doing, in what way they have hitherto treated the earth and one another. If the people are perfect then the world will also become perfect, and if the people are virtuous then it can be entrusted a perfect earth into their care. It is not like God needs to save everyone at the same time, even the whole world, as if everyone would be put into the same hat, as if it could either be saved everyone as a group or nobody at all. But it is only sufficient for God to redeem the human people as individuals, to be found in any society, at any period in the human history, like a beautiful flowers here or there, at regular interval, surrounded by weeds (selfish majority).

18. Daniel

18.1: Daniel’s Life

In chapter 1 it is written: ‘But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself... And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? Then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. Then let our countenance be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenance appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat. Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.’

Daniel did not need to assert everything in advance, but he asked that a limited time should be given him, so that he could prove his claim in deeds. The faith in God is not only about words, but also authority and power, so that we are meant to give good example and prove that the faith in God can work out in our lives. The unbelievers would otherwise remain unconvinced, if we were trying to explain everything in advance, since it would seem like empty boasts and false promises to them. The believer does not need to do the same thing as the non-believers, if he is going to have a healthy body and be able to maintain it as such. People tend to contemplate much about food and physical exercise, as if that could guarantee a healthy and long life, and even prevent all diseases and maladies from happening. It would of course be preferable to consume healthy food above an unhealthy one, and exercised the body rather than by doing absolutely nothing. It is however not enough, alone by itself, but it is even more important to believe in God and abide by His words, so that we can both have a healthy soul and body. Healthy food and physical exercise is only bound to the physical body, but it does not reach to the soul, so that a physically fit person can still be under much strain, mentally. If the soul is healthy then the body will be healthy as well, but a healthy body does not equal a healthy soul. The soul is the cause, and the body is the consequence, so the soul does affect the body but the body cannot go back and affect the soul. The faith in God is meant to make us spiritually healthy, to free us from all cares and distractions, so that we can ever be focused, sober, calm, moderate, stable, and at peace. It could be said the same thing about spiritual freedom and happiness, where we do not need to rely upon the world and its means in order to attain it, but it is only sufficient to turn to God and pray directly for it, and then it shall be given unto us. The king’s meat can also signify the wisdom and knowledge of the world, like religious teachings, theology, philosophy, mysticism, astrology, political ideology, and psychology. Daniel did not need to be taught this and that, remember this and that, imitate after this and that, before he could finally become virtuous, wise, and a capable person. But Daniel could just as well consult with God, and allow God to teach him everything, without relying upon any human intercessors. It would involve pure truth, pure knowledge, pure understanding, and pure wisdom, unlike the teachings of the world. There have existed many men which were considered great and wise during their time, but none of their teachings and theories have managed to last in the long run. It does of course not apply to all men, for that some men have headed in the right direction, been considered the founders of educational fields, and been partially right or wrong. And yet such knowledge was never perfect at the outset, but the human race has needed to learn from its mistakes, filter out errors, add upon the knowledge and improve it. God is able to teach us everything from the scratch, and make us learned in the ways of heaven, which are always superior to the transient ways of this world. It does involve universal truth and morality, which does always apply in the situation, which can last throughout the times, and is able to benefit any person that will abide by it.

In chapter 3 it is written: ‘Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellers, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.’

That idol does signify the image of this world, which consists of every erroneous idea and sinful influence, invented by the human people. It is however originated from the Enemy and the devils, when they hold influence over the minds of the human people, and make them believe that such ideas are their own, even that it had long before been invented in the spiritual realm of devils. The world does attempt to cast everyone into the same mould, so that everyone will think and behave in the same way, covet after and wish for the same things. The world seeks to oppose God, to contradict everything which He does stand for, so the human people will digress from God and become stuck at imaginary hindrances. Nebuchadnezzar sent after all the influential people in the empire, which had obtained favour with him, acquired an important office, and took part in governing the subjects. These people were all meant to bow down to the golden image at the same time, if they were going to maintain their favour with Nebuchadnezzar and influential position. This does signify all those that have obtained success in the world by becoming one of the world, by making compromise with corruption, by consorting with corrupt people, by bowing down to the Enemy in their hearts and ‘kissing’ the prosperity of the wicked. Another term would be ‘sell-out’, when people sell their conviction to the highest bidder, in return for power, wealth, fame, popularity, luxuries, and material possessions. It is thereby like the selfish people are dancing to the idolatrous tune of the world, where they are willing to flatter those at the top and degrade themselves for any advantage, so they are like spiritual harlots or mercenaries that have no sense of honour. The music can signify ‘peer-pressure’, when every man presumes that other people excepts him to think and behave in a specific way, and then he considers himself obligated to do so, even that he does not really understand what he is doing. Every person is too self-centred and self-absorbed to look around and know what is really going on in the world. But the person does only make guesses in its mind, without realizing that other people are in the same position and do also not know anything for certainty. We can be afraid of the opinion of other people and attempt to anticipate it, as if we would treat ourselves in a superficial way and attempt to live up to an imaginary standard, even that it is impossible to please everyone at the same time. Everyone are attempting to be like other people, even that such concept is merely an illusion, since that everyone are being controlled by their thoughts of other people. It is really the mind which is controlling the people, by pretending to be the voice of the majority, so the people attempt to satisfy superficial prejudices of the mind.

It is written: ‘Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?... Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery fire furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.’ It is written: ‘And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellers, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellers, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.’

The three Jews did never boast or assert about anything in advance, as if God would surely make a miracle and save them. They never pretended to claim or deserve anything from God, as if God would be obligated to intervene and He would have no choice in the matter. But the three Jews did merely confess the humble truth, that God could save them if He wanted to do so, but they would otherwise die for that in staying true to their conviction. In any case they would neither seek to flatter Nebuchadnezzar, nor worship his great idol, since that was the right thing to do, regardless of that how it would affect their lives. God is more important than everyone else, and His ways are more important than everything else. So that we should never prefer anything above God, never make God come after other things, and never attempt to unite His ways with the world, but we should on the contrary be willing to abandon everything for His sake. This incident does not mean that God will always save us from all dangers, harm, or death in the world, especially when we are persecuted by other people. God can of course save us from everyone and everything, if He chooses to do so, but it is still not something that we can know in advance, as if we could decide so in our self-will. If God wants to save us then He will save us, but we should otherwise receive everything with a stoical mind, and be ready to suffer when it does finally happen. However God will always save our soul in all cases, where we will loose no hair on our spiritual body, and our virtuous ‘raiment’ cannot be burned, the good deeds which follow us. Nobody can prevent us from being virtuous, innocent, free, happy, and dignified, but it is something that we can choose to do and feel from within ourselves. God has already saved our soul, even that our physical body can perish in the world. If God has redeemed our soul then He can always create new body for us, but if our soul has not been redeemed by God then we will both loose our soul and body. It does not matter whether other people can kill us or not, but it is only important to live and die for the Lord, to glorify God with our manner of death. Martyrdom is about giving a good example, to confirm the power of God in our life, and prove that His ways can work out, as to convince other people in seeking also for Jesus Christ. Nebuchadnezzar attempted to make everyone adapt to him and his false god, but God would work through these three Jews, and turn everything upside down. Now it would be Nebuchadnezzar that adapted to God, because of these three Jews, and then next he would order everyone in the empire to respect the God of Israel most of all gods.

In chapter 4 it is written: ‘At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat a grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellers and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and the excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.’

Nebuchadnezzar was not really in control of anything in his life, but he was merely following the decreed of God, what God had already allowed to happen, so Nebuchadnezzar was like a tool that God used in His hand against other nations. It is not only bound to that what we can accomplish and obtain on the outside, but even our very sanity and health is a gift from God, which He can take away any time He wants. It is God that gives us understanding and reason, and it can then lead to everything else in our life, like power, honour, wealth, and loyal followers. Daniel had previously interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, that this incident would surely come to pass, and Daniel had warned him not to become puffed up with pride. And yet this did merely seem to delay the inevitable, as if the Nebuchadnezzar was merely pretending to humble for a brief time, until he would revert back to his former self, forget that what he had hitherto learned and become proud all over again. This was not something that could be accomplished by mere words, but Nebuchadnezzar needed to experience it personally, how it was like to be humbled by God, when everything would be deprived from him and he would become nothing. Nebuchadnezzar would then feel reverence toward God, deep down in his heart, and become grateful over God’s grace, that God had returned everything back to him. This does otherwise correspond to that when God creates a problem out from something, so the man can rely upon God and experience miracle in his life. That kind of experience will strengthen the man’s faith in God, and make him into a true believer, so the man could from henceforth rely upon God in regard to every matter in his life. Nebuchadnezzar was humbled for seven years, so that his faith in God could benefit him for the rest of his life, make everything else become easier to handle and endure. Everyone is nothing in God’s sight, and nobody can accuse God of achieving nothing. God did not exalt Nebuchadnezzar through any respect for him as a person, but it was rather because God looked kindly upon him, and wanted to do him good things.

In chapter 5 it is written: ‘Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.’ It is written: ‘Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour... And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.’

These heathens drank wine from the golden vessels which belonged to the Lord, and even the king’s concubines put their lips upon them, so they could all become drunk and praise idols. Jesus Christ told us neither to cast pearls before the swine, nor give holy things to dogs. It should not be entrusted God’s knowledge and principles to the carnally minded, those that are impulsive and incapable of making spiritual discernment, since they will surely seek to distort or abuse good things in order to suit their evil schemes. The spiritual swine’s tend to attack and mock that which they do not understand, where they tempt God and want Him to satisfy their selfish desires, and they do deliberately misinterpret the words of God in order to self-justify corruption and crimes. It is not enough to touch objects which are supposed to be holy, as if that would make us holy as well. But holiness is something that can only be accomplished by our personal faith in God, our understanding and moral choices, so that we must feel and act like a holy person. We must first believe in God and be blessed with His presence from within us, and then next we can approach His words in a proper way and make good use of them. It would otherwise never work out if God was absent from our life, if we were already selfish, false, spiteful, and covetous, since we would then see and experience everything in that way. This is why it would not have matted if the spiritual swine’s could have access to the Scripture, witness miracles and signs, be blessed and healed by God, since they are either way not ready from within and not fit to receive anything. Belshazzar did not shown any reverence to God and the holy things which belonged to Him, but he did instead seek to make these holy things adapt to his evil ways, as if  he was outside God’s jurisdiction and could do anything he wished. God had hitherto been willing to tolerate the Babylonian Empire for the sake of Nebuchadnezzar (whether he was Belshazzar’s real father or ancestor), but that was only bound to his life alone, while he lived. Nebuchadnezzar had humbled himself before God and believed in Him in sincerity, so it was like Nebuchadnezzar had been given a heart of flesh and be made into a virtuous person. God does not tolerate the man because of the empire, but He does rather tolerate the empire because of the man, if the ruler is deemed truthful and honest. But Belshazzar proved to be an unworthy ruler, impious and inconsiderate toward God, so that he would drag the Babylonian empire and everyone down with him. It is not lifeless institutions or human inventions that are precious in God’s sight, but He is rather concerned about the potential of living beings. Belshazzar had hitherto neglected to consult with Daniel regarding his rulership of the empire, and he was now finally promising to honour Daniel when it was too late. Wicked men tend to neglect all preventive measures during their time of prosperity, so they are never blameless when bad consequences will befall them. All this time had passed, and yet Belshazzar had never repented, and never learned anything. Daniel would not receive any rewards from Belshazzar, as if to indicate that the true believer should have no part in that what they wicked are doing and have to share. It should be rejected the prosperity of the wicked, as if it was something unnatural, since that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

In chapter 6 it is written: ‘Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.’ It is written: ‘Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lion’s mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was founded upon him, because believed in his God. Then the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pierces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.’

Daniel was first an advisor to the Babylonians, and then to the Persians, as if to indicate that wisdom and justice is always honoured by men on all sides. Empires would come and go, but there was always a demand for wise and capable men, so they could help the next ruler to govern the empire. The advisor would remain faithful to his master until the latter became unworthy or perished, and then that advisor would remain faithful to the next master. Daniel did keep himself from Belshazzar and only offered help when asked for it, if the matter in question was related to truth and justice, not involving evil schemes and complicity in crimes. It is not like Daniel was supposed to plan uprising, overthrow the unworthy ruler, and save the empire, as if that was meant to be Daniel’s role or responsibility. God would overthrow an unworthy ruler and replace him with a worthy ruler, but Daniel did not really need to do anything. Daniel was the wisest advisor at that time, and his heart was true toward the king. This is why Daniel was in the best position to guide and help the king, so the king would make right decisions, establish his rule over the subjects, and prolong his reign. Daniel would offer best service to the king, and benefit his wellbeing what most, so that Daniel was the best thing to happen to the king, and someone to be kept at all cost. Daniel cared for the king, and the king cared for Daniel, as what later events would confirm. These presidents and princes were not really concerned about the wellbeing of their king, as if they should make way for the person that could benefit the king what most, and that it was only important that their king could be well. But these men opposed Daniel through selfish reasons, only so they could exalt their own position and obtain more influence with the king, even that it would work against the king’s best interest. It could even be claimed that they were false and treacherous toward the king, where they wanted to isolate the king from everyone but themselves, as to make the king too much depended upon them, so they could control the king and his policy. This is why the enemies of Daniel came to a miserable end, without obtaining any mercy from either God or the king, since they had never been sincere and honest to begin with. The enemies of Daniel were unable to discover any weaknesses or vices in him, which they could otherwise have used against him and involved him in a scandal. But they did instead seek to attack Daniel’s faith in God, which was the source of his prosperity, his strongest quality, and the most honourable thing about his life. It was a great irony, because that same faith in God would only do Daniel further honours, so that his enemies were needlessly creating a favourable opportunity for his sake. It would correspond to that if a wicked man would demand justice from God, that God should judge between him and a righteous man, since it can only go one way. God would not suffer the lions to harm Daniel, but the lions would only harm his enemies. The enemies of Daniel would only pronounce their own harsh verdict, where they fell into the very same trap which they had intended for him, unexpected as it was. It does correspond to that when the Pharaoh and his army sought to destroy the Israel people, but they perished during the attempt. The Egyptians were drowned by the very same sea which God had made the Israel people able to cross over. And Haman plotted against Mordecai through trivial reasons, but Haman became hanged by the very same device which he had built and intended for Mordecai. The true believers and their enemies can experience similar circumstances, tests, and temptations, but they will respond in a different way, or it will turn out in a different way, to a different result. It is not something that happens at random, out of the blue, or by some coincidence, but God has already chosen which person will prevail and which one will fail. The lions do either signify God’s wrath that hangs over all wicked beings, or they signify devils, that have been given permission by God to torment the wicked men. The true believer is already blessed in advance, while the wicked man is already cursed in advance, so it is something that will follow their person to any place at any time. The true believer will experience good luck at crucial times, as if everything was happening at the right timing and creating unexpected opportunities, so it does seem to make everything easier for him to endure, and helps him through challenges. But the wicked man will experience bad luck at crucial times, as if everything was happening at the wrong time and ruining all his options, so it will make everything seem harder for him to bear, and he will loose that which he had worked for.

In chapter 10 it is written: ‘Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days... And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? And now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.’

The angels of God are stronger than the fallen angels, but we do not really know how they fight each other, through the spiritual aspect. The angels do not have physicals bodies, and they do not use earthly weapons, so that different principles apply in the spiritual realms, unlike the ones we are accustomed to. The angels of God can overcome the devils and nullify their power over the man, as when devils are banished and they can no longer interfere in the man’s life. It is not about killing the opponent, but it is rather about a battle of will, so the devils attempt to resist but they are ultimately forced to submit to the truth in Jesus Christ. The angel spoke of the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and the prince of Grecia. It indicates that the fallen angels can become stronger through the wickedness of the human people, as when the people believe in sinful ideas and are under their influence. The angel of Persia withstood the angel of God for twenty-one days, but that was before Jesus Christ became victorious on the cross, and deprived the fallen angels of all power. The fallen angels had once possessed authority over sinners, but it would no longer apply, if the same sinners believed in Jesus Christ and received the Holy Spirit. It would otherwise have been harder for the sinner to turn away from his evil ways, like when the sinner changes his mind in between and yields to some temptations, so that his resolve can be interrupted, slackened, or delayed. It is not like the devils could become stronger than then angels of God, and win the fight against them, but it is rather about that what kind of choices the man makes for himself, whether he will allow the angels of God to help him and save him from the devils. Our faith in God does not make His angels become more powerful, and our faithlessness does not make His angels become weaker, as if it could change the angels in some way. The angels of God are already powerful, regardless of our mindset, but it is a question of that whether we allow the angels to intervene in our life or not. The angels of God can banish the devils from our life, at any time and place, but they will not do so against our consent, if we reject God and want to remain slaves. The devils do never become powerful in general, not in comparison to the angels of God, but it is rather we that allow the devils to become influential in our life alone. Let’s say that we would decide to become a slave to somebody in this world, so that we are always willing to listen to that man and obey anything which he can think of. That man is already foolish and weak, but it is us that are treating that man like he is wise and powerful, so that we do only have ourselves to blame for being self-appointed slaves. It is exactly the same thing with devils, where we do not really make them into a powerful being, but it is rather us that are so foolish and weak, unwilling to turn to God. The angel of God will stand aside and do nothing, or he will simply leave and abandon us, if we refuse to believe in the power of God and seek to self-justify our defeat.

18.2: Four Empires

In chapter 2 it is written: ‘Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeath the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter... Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.’

God made Nebuchadnezzar experience a vision, so that Daniel could interpret the vision, and then Daniel would be honoured what most in the kingdom. God did not prevent Nebuchadnezzar from building a false god, so that God could save the three Jews from the burning oven, which would then result in Nebuchadnezzar’s reverence for Him. And Daniel would be thrown into a pit of lions, only to be saved by God, so the Persian king came to believe in God through him. It should be looked upon the result, so that we can understand why it happened, as when Joseph was sold into captivity and interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream. The vision was revealed to the two most important persons in the empire, which God came to favour and wanted to share His secrets with, but God would otherwise not have done it for just anyone. The apocalyptic writings in the Bible are probably the hardest part to interpret, and we would never be able to do so successfully without God’s intervention. Let’s say that we would never have read the Book of Daniel, and then we were meant to solve Nebuchadnezzar’s vision, concerning the great image. None of us would have been in position to solve the riddle during that time, not by ourselves, while many of the events had still not come to pass and there was nothing which could be referred to. It is not like we can think about everything in advance, run back and forth in our mind, make thousands guesses, and then hope all the best, that it can perhaps become true. Where there is self-deception there is also obsession and self-constraint, but the truth would otherwise bring us relief and peace. If God has already revealed the truth to us then we will feel confident about it, as if the interpretation would come naturally to us and we possess a good overview of everything that has happened. We would otherwise still live in uncertainty and doubt, as if we were only gazing upon one part of many, and dwelling upon petty issues above the whole picture. It can happen that we digress away from the source material, and we become stuck at our wrong assumptions about it, as if we were trying to invent clever answers to wrong questions. The human people have made countless interpretations and predictions, and yet most of them have gotten no nearer to the truth, as if all this effort had not made any difference. For an example then people presumed that Rome was the Great Harlot of Babylon, that the Roman Catholic Church was the Beast and nobody else would be involved, and that these or those Roman figures are supposed to be many anti-Christs. It was not Rome that persecuted Jesus Christ and condemned Him, but it was Jerusalem. The Roman Catholic Church can be one element of many which belongs to the Beast of Revelation, but we should otherwise not blame it for everything which has gone wrong in the world. And why should we accuse these or those Roman emperors for being anti-Christ’s, even that they could persecute Christians in some way?  They did so mostly through ignorance and misunderstanding, but probably not from any malice on their part. So they were otherwise ordinary, decent men that tried to do their best. Those that carry the mark of the Beast do think and act like a beast/monster, so it does involve deliberate evil, something that is considered to be inhuman and monstrous. Caligula and Nero were indeed mad and foolish, but it was still something that only happened in Rome, while it did not change people’s lives elsewhere in the Empire. It should rather be looked for historical figures that involved significant part of the world in destruction and misery, like Genghis Khan, Timur the Tamerlane, Hitler, and Stalin. It is like the people have already presumed something to be true, and then next they seek to make the prophecies and historical events fit with one another, rather than by approaching the prophecy upon its own terms. It should be adapted to the truth, but we should not seek to make the truth adapt to our personal bias. There are many men that claim to be Christians, and yet they do still treat the Jews as God’s chosen people, and take their side against everyone else in the world. These same men attempt to interpret the prophecies of Daniel to serve that end, as if God wanted the Israel people to become an empire and that He would help them against their ‘evil’ enemies. And yet the Jewish state is supported by the empire of our time, even that empires are supposed to be an unnatural creation. Is this not a contradiction, seeing that God condemns the rebellion of the Jews, for having rejected Jesus Christ as the Rock of their salvation? Is this meant to be something good, that an unnatural creation should support rebellious people?

It is written: ‘Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay… This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field, and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.’

The gold does signify the Babylonian Empire, the silver does signify the Medo-Persian Empire, the bronze does signify the Greek-Macedonian Empire, and the iron does signify the Roman Empire. But why are the Babylonians given the most precious metal, and the Roman Empire the least precious metal, even that the Roman Empire had most territories and lasted longest in comparison? It is because the metal does signify the quality of the empire, but not the quantity, like which rulers were considered more virtuous than others, and whether that type of government was able to benefit the human subjects more than others. Daniel and his Jewish pals were considered ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers in the kingdom. So the matter is about that which man had more spirit than other people, where the wisdom of one man can be more than the combined wisdom of many men. Human greatness does not consist in power over people, territories, wealth, and luxuries, but it does rather consist in civic virtue and just dealings. The material and technological aspect might be more advanced, but the spiritual and moral aspect would be more lacking. The Roman Empire might seem spectacular to behold, when it is looked upon the outward appearance and the material objects used. And yet there prevailed social injustice and unequal division of wealth, as never before. It could be claimed that Nebuchadnezzar was nobler than Cyrus the Great, and that Cyrus the Great was nobler than Alexander the Great, in what way they treated other people. The younger kings surpassed the older ones in the military aspect, but it does still not determine a greatness of soul, like altruism, self-control, generosity, and clemency. The Hellenistic kingdoms might have fielded better armies, but there were still endless wars between them. The Persian Empire had at least kept all the territories united under one king, and guaranteed stability from within. The Persian Empire became known for its silver coins, the Greeks for their bronze armour and weapons, and iron would replace bronze during the Roman Empire. The Babylonian empire was implicated to gold, probably because of the first ruler, since Nebuchadnezzar’s faith in God was genuine, like gold tried and purified in a fire. These four empires had it in common of having conquered Palestine and Jerusalem, so it is like an empire cannot be called empire unless it has fulfilled these requirements. God would otherwise not have mentioned these empires, if they were not relevant to His people, if these empires had not affected their daily lives or human lot. This is why God does not mention empires in other parts of the world, like India and China. The four empires were made of precious metals, which are also used to create idols. For this world is like a great idolatry in itself, something which does feel unnatural, when the human people become alienated from the reality, and from each other. The great image did resemble the human body, with a head, arms, breast, belly, thighs, legs, and feet. Every empire does think like the Babylonians (idolatry, superstition, temple prostitution), functions like the Persians (bureaucracy), digests and is fruitful like the Greeks (culture, education, customs), and moves like the Romans (military capability), so the empire can trample upon everyone on the ground, control, oppress, and restrict them. The world does tend to be like that in practice, while it tries to hide behind empty concepts and titles, so that a popular type of government can be like an illusion of a choice. The elite does still influence the most important aspects in the society, and there is still unequal division of wealth, as if nobody was able to change the status quo. It is merely put the same old things into new clothes, recycled the same old ideas and manner of life, so it does not really matter whether something can be called by a new name.

It is written: ‘And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter’s clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.’

There were two iron legs, even as when the Roman Empire became divided into two parts, the Western Roman Empire, and the Eastern Roman Empire. The western part would fall and become divided to many Germanic tribes, during the Migration Period, so the modern countries in Europe are originated from them. The Eastern part would become the Byzantine Empire, but it would soon loose many of its territories to the Arab Muslims, and never managed to recover them again. The papacy and the Roman Catholic Church would influence the lands in the west, while Islam would influence the lands in the east. Both of them would seek to corrupt people from within, and subdue ‘unbelievers’ on the outside. Islam began as a heresy to Christianity, but it would later become entirely new religion, a spiritual idolatry that challenges the faith in Jesus Christ. The Eastern Roman Empire had previously been Christian, but many people were still guilty of heresy before the arrival of the Muslims. The Roman Catholic Church is also guilty of heresy and idolatry, unless it has pretended to be genuine faith in order to deceive everyone, so it does remind of God’s description of Jerusalem as the Great Harlot. Many people presumed one side was supposed to be the good one, and the other side was supposed to be the bad one, so they would need to pick either one and then fight against the other. But the Roman Catholic Church and Islam are like two extremes that belong to the same Enemy, where its erroneous ideas are originated from and promoted by him. These two extremes do not have any independent existence, but they are merely meant to function as distractions, to mislead people away from the faith in Jesus Christ, so the people will digress to irrelevant issues, and neglect the truth in the Lord. Then there is the Eastern Orthodox Church, which prevailed in the Byzantine Empire and Eastern Europe. But Constantinople fell to the Turks, and the Byzantine legacy would live on in the Russian Orthodox Church. The Eastern Church is still not that influential in comparison to the papacy and Islam. The Roman Empire would fall, and all these territories would never again be united, even that there have been many attempts, both in Europe and the Middle-East. Some of the nations would be considered strong, while others would be considered weak. There are ten toes in total, or five on each foot. So there are supposed to be five main countries in the west, and five in the east. In the west the main countries would be England, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy. The Migration Period would mark a new beginning in Europe, when Germanic tribes overran Roman provinces and settled there permanently. In the east the main countries would be Greece, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, and Iraq. A significant part of Germany was outside the Roman Empire, and the Romans never managed to conquer the Parthian Empire (Persians). But Persia had already been part of the second (bear) and third empire (leopard), so it could still be counted among the ten toes. Greece would otherwise belong to the west, instead of Germany. North-Africa once belonged to the Roman Empire, but most of these territories were outside the reach of the Babylonians, the Persians, or the Greeks, with the exception of Egypt. So that North-Africa is perhaps not as significant in comparison to Europe and Asia. Napoleon and Hitler attempted to unite Europe under the same banner, but both of them failed. It can also be mentioned the European Union of our times, but the countries in Eastern Europe do not seem to fit in with the ones in Western Europe, through various reasons. The Arab Muslims managed to conquer the Middle-East and North-Africa, but their empire would shortly afterwards be divided into many parts. Next came the Mongols, then the Timurids, and then the Ottoman Turks, but only the Turks managed to unite all the lands which had belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire. And yet Western Europe was outside their reach, so the prophecy would still be valid. The current countries in the Middle-East came to exist after the break up of the Ottoman Empire. There are supposed to be five influential countries in the west, and five in the east, so that every one of them has been either strong or weak during various periods. The Greeks and the Italians had been the main players during the Classical times, but it would no longer apply in the modern period, at least not when making a comparison. Other countries would become powerful in the modern period, and they are even so now, like Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and United States of America. The strong and the weak countries would not cleave to each other, even as when the West and the East would not reconcile and put aside their differences. So there is a cultural gulf between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, between Europe/America and Middle-East.

It is written: ‘Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. It is written: ‘And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.’ In chapter 7 it is written: ‘I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame… I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.’

Jesus Christ does signify the stone, and He is the spiritual Rock of our life, the only basis which can stand firm and last throughout the times. The faith in Jesus Christ is superior to the ways of the world, where His words can apply to everything and anticipate everything, so it is through Him that we can become victorious over the world. The Scripture was never invented by the human people, as what would apply to other books, but the Scripture is of divine origin, something otherworldly, presented by the Holy Spirit. Every word in the Scripture has been spoken by God Himself, and He is always consistent with Himself, so the Scripture does never contradict itself in anything. It is not like that when the human people tend to lie and fabricate stories. For they cannot know everything in advance, cannot guess everything correctly, and they cannot make great discoveries at random, out from no material in their hands. The Scripture is perfect, originated from a perfect Being, so there are no errors here or there. Every book does merely reflect the attitude and understanding of the writer, so that if the man is selfish and biased then it can be noticed such signs in the text, while an honest and truthful writer is free of blame. Jesus Christ did always obey the Heavenly Father in everything, and He managed to overcome every temptation, so the world could not claim any part in Him. It is not like when the human people receive erroneous ideas from devils, and then present it to the world, but everything in Jesus Christ belonged to God, what He felt, sensed, said, and did. It is thereby like the Word of God is the only natural thing to have existed in the world, while everything else is an unnatural creation, invented and promoted by devils. It was not without good reason when Jesus Christ spoke about Himself as the Light of the World, since He is the Word of God, which came down from heaven and lived among us, so that all of us could receive the Word of God into us and live in Him. God is eternal and His will is eternal, while the man and his self-will prove to be transient. The world will pass way and all its desires, but the man that does the will of God abides forever, since the Word of God has become part of his soul, and they are now one. The great image is meant to signify the world, otherwise called the ‘image of the world’. The world consists of all lies and evil influence that has ever been conceived, invented, advertised, and promoted. We are able to overcome the world through the faith in Jesus Christ, since that Jesus Christ already managed to overcome the Enemy ‘from within’. All these lies and evil influence is originated from the Enemy, when he attacks our heart, mind, and flesh, so that if we can overcome the Enemy then we can also overcome the world. Jesus Christ has already established the Kingdom of God in our heart and spirit, where God’s truth and justice will always prevail, whenever and wherever we might be. This is why we are already victorious from within ourselves, even the world might seem the same, what is happening all around us and what other people are doing. That to believe in Jesus Christ does mark the end of the world from within us, so it will no longer hold power over our will. It is all about the spiritual aspect, that to have pure attitude and pure understanding, to be willing enough to follow God and aspire for good things. It is true that there still exist empires, and Jesus Christ has still not returned to the world, but it is still only bound to the outward appearance and the material aspect, which is least important. It is much more important to conquer all the devils and their temptations, since human empires are like different combinations from the same source. It does involve the same selfish ambition, pride, greed, lies, deception, bribes, and threats, whether we would talk about the Babylonian Empire or an empire at our times. It has the most priority to overcome the Enemy from within ourselves, in our personal conviction and moral choices, and then next will everything else follow on the outside. The rock would smite the feet of the image, which were of iron and clay. This means that Europe and Middle-East will continue to be divided, as it has been up till now, when Jesus Christ will finally return to the world and end the reign of Anti-Christ. It does at least indicate this, because the feet of the great image are the final part, and there are no more additions, so the Roman Empire cannot be recreated at any time. There have been bigger empires in other parts of the world, like the Mongol Empire and the British Empire, but it did still not affect God’s people in the same way. The Jews would no longer remain the God’s chosen people, but Christianity would spread out in the Roman Empire, from Middle-East to Europe, and from there to the whole world. The Mongol Empire did mostly reach to heathens and Muslims, as what would later apply to the British Empire, so they were not on equal footing with the Romans. It is true that the Mongols were a brutal foe, a terror to the world, leaving great destruction in their wake. But the proud and haughty would seek to resist the Mongols, while the humble and meek would surrender, so they would be given different treatment. What if the Mongols were meant to punish the enemies of God, ordinary people in rich countries that had hitherto persecuted His followers, the poor, and weak? What had been happening in Middle-East, before the coming of the Mongols? There must have been absence of compassion and mercy toward the unfortunate. The vanquished would experience similar treatment, when under similar conditions as their victims. The European crusaders did not need to defend God and punish blasphemers, for that God could very well do so Himself, by any means of His choosing.

In chapter 7 it is written: ‘Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.’

These four animals came up from the sea, which does signify the Sea of death, something which is sinful, extreme, and self-destructive in its nature. The image of the world is like a spiritual sea, something which no human being can live in, since it will become mad by drinking salty water, and die from lack of air. The sea is like the exact opposite to our salvation in Jesus Christ, for that He is our fountain of life, the only one that can give us living waters and sustain our life for eternity. The lion does signify the Babylonian Empire, or rather the first ruler, Nebuchadnezzar, who founded the empire. Nebuchadnezzar was once proud like a lion, and he had a selfish ambition like an eagle, until he humbled himself before God and became uncircumcised in his heart. So that Nebuchadnezzar became a true believer, and is accounted as one of God’s people. The Israel people were originally meant to carve out an empire between the river Nile and the Euphrates, as what God had promised to Abraham. But the Jews are no longer God’s chosen people, so that promise is no longer valid, not to them, anyway. It is still interesting fact that the Assyrian and the Babylonian Empire seemed to cover almost the same territory, which was supposed to belong to the Israel people. The Jew’s greatest enemies would claim these lands for themselves, and create their anti-version of it. This would not be a kingdom where God’s truth and justice would prevail, but rather where the Enemy’s lies and wickedness would rule over men’s mindset. This can only happen in those that have already rejected Jesus Christ and His ways, but the same people would otherwise have conquered the Enemy through Him. The Jews are the only ones that have still not become an empire, and it is uncertain whether it can change in the future. An empire does not spring out from nothing, as if it would happen at random, but it is always founded by a strong figure, someone that forces his will upon other people. Nebuchadnezzar founded the Babylonian Empire, Cyrus the Great founded the Persian Empire, and Alexander the Great founded the Hellenistic Empire. Scipio Africanus saved the Roman Republic from the Carthaginians, and Julius Caesar ended the Republic, but it was Augustus Caesar that laid the foundation for the Imperial Rome. There were three ribs in the mouth of the bear, which do probably refer to territories conquered by Cyrus the Great, which laid the foundation of the Persian Empire. The ribs could otherwise signify the existing infrastructure in Middle-East, being replaced by the Persians. The Persian Empire managed to expand far and rule over many nations, but its military capability was still sluggish and inefficient, in comparison to the Greeks. The Persian military was successful against weak and ignorant enemies. But it was not something that could work against the Greeks and the Macedonians, which fielded professional armies, based upon efficient military system, equipment, and tactics. The Persians tended to rely too much upon numerical superiority (brute force) in order to win fights, while the Macedonians emphasises more upon diversity of troops, mobility, coordination, and force concentration. It would correspond to a leopard, which is supposed to be swifter and attack more viciously, in comparison to a bigger bear. The leopard had four heads and four wings on its back. There were four countries which served in the coalition of Alexander the Great, when he attacked and defeated the Persian Empire. These four countries were Macedonia, Greece, Thessaly, and Thrace. And after Alexander the Great died then his empire became divided to many kingdoms. The four most powerful Hellenistic kingdoms would be Macedonia, Greece, the Seleucid Empire, and Ptolemaic Egypt, always in the long run. The heads on the four beasts signified countries, but not necessarily the nations within these same countries. For an example then it should be spoken about the Roman Empire, but not ‘the Romans’, since the people can change from within the empire. There were Greeks and Macedonians in Egypt, fighting for Egypt during the Hellenistic period. A similar thing can apply to the Roman Empire, when citizenship became more common in the Empire. The heads on the beast signify countries, while the horns can signify someone within them, a leader, organization, or nation.

It is written: ‘I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.’

An empire is always founded and maintained at the expense of someone else, as when predatory animals kill other animals for food. The imperial subjects become rich and prosperous, while everyone else are oppressed and deprived of their possessions. The human race cannot create energy out from nothing, and it hitherto been unable to create energy that can last forever. It is true that some technology can be better than another, but it is never perfect, without having some unforeseen repercussions. And the earth is contaminated in the process, after the human race has consumed resources and left human waste. So that nothing is ever perfect in this world, which the human race can discover and invent, but it like a temporary means that have limited effects, until it is resorted to new ones. It is exactly the same thing with all human empires, which always rely upon someone else than God, and upon something else than His ways. Empires are always coming up with new ideas and methods in order to sustain themselves, like when they seek to control other nations and rob their resources. But it does merely delay the same problem, until the empire needs to ‘feed’ again. Everything is imperfect and transient that belongs to the world, for it is received such ideas and evil influence from devils, which cannot either sustain themselves. It is all about being self-supportive, and that is only made possible through the Spirit of God. History does tend to repeat itself, so that new empires will become spiritual successors to the old ones. What nations or empires have conquered Jerusalem after the Roman Empire? Jerusalem would belong to the Byzantine Empire, then to Arab Muslims, then to European crusaders, then to foreigners in Egypt, then to the Ottoman Turks, and then to the British. The Mongols came close to that in conquering Jerusalem, but they failed. It might at first be presumed that the Arab Muslims were the spiritual successor of the Babylonian Empire, but it would not make any sense to liken Mohammed to Nebuchadnezzar. Who then, is the spiritual successor of Nebuchadnezzar? It must be someone that believed in God, or he did at least convert to God later in his life. Was it Justinian the Great (Byzantine Empire), Richard the Lionheart (English crusader), or perhaps Saladin (Egypt)? Saladin may have believed himself to be Muslim, but he did still behave more like a Christian, in regard to compassion, generosity and mercy. Who knows what was happening from within Saladin, what was his real conviction and allegiance, since that truth and justice is originated from God. Saladin did not become virtuous by reading the Koran, but because he obeyed the voice of God in his heart. It is true that Richard the Lion heart was courageous and valiant in warfare, like a ‘hero’ which does beat all odds, in comparison to other men. But Richard the Lionheart did still not excel other men in justice, unlike Saladin. Saladin knew how to rule over his kingdom, to benefit the human subjects and improve the kingdom from within, while Richard the Lionheart neglected his. Saladin was a Kurd, and he relied upon foreign troops to subdue Egypt. Egypt could become great again, so long as it was not through the Egyptians. The Mongol Empire and the Ottoman Empire resembles the Persian one what most, when it is looked upon its vastness, trade, roads, transport- and postal system. The European Colonial Powers resemble the Hellenistic Empire what most, like when France (Greece), Britain (Egypt), Russia (Seleucid Empire), and Germany (Macedonia) divided much of the world between themselves. These nations did also rely upon professional armies, advanced knowledge and technology. The Greeks could be considered a sea-power, and they founded many colonies in the Mediterranean Sea, even as when Western European nations sailed to other continents. It is true that Spain was once a great power in Europe and the Americas, but it was no longer so in the 19th and 20th century. Germany was the only great power which seemed to lack colonies, in other parts of the world, but they did instead conquer much of Europe, during both World Wars. It could be called the Great European Civil War, when people of similar origins and culture turned against each other, and ruined everything which they had hitherto built. Such is the way of all empires, guilty in God’s sight and deserving of punishments, in one way or another. It could never have been prevented, not while these European powers still had colonies and were oppressing foreign people, without reconsidering their ways. It was of course sad that it would come to this, that the World Wars would affect everyone, so the innocent would suffer with the guilty, and be dragged down with them. Pride goes before destruction, and haughty spirit before a fall, since the people refuse to repent, refuse to heed the truth, and refuse to humble themselves before God. The foolish rulers were willing to sacrifice everyone and make everyone suffer, for the sake of their selfish ambition, to appease their desires, whims, and fantasies.  The fourth beast would be slain, and its body destroyed, and given to the burning flames, BUT the first three beasts would have their lives prolonged for a season and a time. This indicates that the history would repeat itself concerning the Babylonian Empire (Egypt), the Persian Empire (Ottoman Turks), and the Hellenistic Empire (European Colonial Powers). But nobody would be considered a spiritual successor to the fourth beast, the Roman Empire. It will however be considered the possibility, and pointed to certain resemblances.

It is written: ‘After this I saw the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.’ It is written: ‘I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet… Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.’

The fourth beast has hitherto been interpreted as the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire existed during the Iron Age, and replaced the Hellenistic Empire. It inhabited most of the ‘known’ world at that time, around the Mediterranean Sea, in Europe, North-Africa, and Asia. Most empires tend to survive for about 150-300 years at most, while ordinary kingdoms tend to rise within the lifetime of the same man and fall the after him. But the Roman Empire was incredibly resilient, where it tended to take on new forms with the time, so it could adapt to changes in the world. This would especially apply to the Roman bureaucracy and military, but it became too expensive to uphold, so it was demanded too much from the Roman subjects. This is what was supposed to be so bad about the Roman Empire, that it made things worse for the ordinary man, needlessly complicated things, and restricted his options. Bureaucracy leads to parasitic committees and intercessors, as if the ordinary man would need to pay money in order to get permission for something which should be a common sense, and could be accomplished without the bureaucracy. It was not like that in the beginning of the world, when people enjoyed the fruit of their labour, without having anyone breathing down their neck and taking almost everything away. The Roman bureaucracy fed upon the tax-payers, and the cities fed upon the rural areas, so those that contributed the most received the least from the Empire. The Roman Republic lasted for five hundred years, then the Roman Empire lasted for additional five hundred years, and then the Byzantine Empire lasted for additional thousand years (although it became gradually reduced in size with the time). There have emerged empires which have claimed to be the successor of the Roman Empire, like the Ottoman Turks, and now the United States of America. It is because of the Greco-Roman heritage, that to be learned in the ways of the world and expand it further, so it is like the spirit of the fourth beast continues to endure in new forms. There can exist different aspects of the same image, what kind of sinful mindset and practices prevail in the world. It could be called ‘the spirit of the times’, what kind of ideas and practices were deemed popular, what people thought about themselves and evaluated what most. It is all originated from the same Greco-Roman heritage, which was in turn built upon the Babylonian-Persian heritage. The sinful ways of this world will escalate with the time, where the new times, the new generations, and the new inventions will surpass the wickedness of those before them. The world did originally reject God and rebel against His ways, and the world hitherto attempted to survive without God, as to prolong its self-deception, injustice, and misery. This is what makes empires unnatural, something that is utterly wrong in its basis. The fourth kingdom would devour the whole earth, so how can it be the Roman Empire? The Roman Empire was relevant to the Jews and the Christians, so it might have been enough to fulfil the requirements. Let’s look upon the four directions: North, South, West, and East. The Roman Empire got as far north in Europe as was deemed practical, so they stopped in Britain, and at the rivers Rhein and Danube, alongside the Germanic tribes. The Sahara desert was between North-Africa and the rest of the African continent. The Atlantic Sea was between the Roman Empire and the Americas. The Parthian Empire was between Asia and the Roman Empire in Middle-East. Remember that the Holy Spirit forbade Paul the Apostle to preach the Gospel in Asia. It seems like Eastern-Asia is not considered relevant to the four beasts in Daniel’s vision. But it is of course different when it is read the Book of Revelation, since the Beast does involve the whole world, and no continent is excluded from the equation.

What country or empire would be most identical to the Roman Empire, as the fourth beast? Rome is in Italy, and the Mediterranean Sea created a gulf between it and the ‘old world’. The Greeks would fight among themselves, and the Hellenistic kingdoms would later do the same thing, while Italy tended to stay outside that conflict. The Hellenistic kingdom would gradually get weaker with the time, while Rome increased in power. USA is in North-America, and the Atlantic sea created a gulf between it and the ‘old world’. The European nations would quarrel and fight amongst themselves, while United States of America kept outside the conflict and focused upon its own continent. USA would then intervene during the Two World Wars, to deliver Western Europe from the Germans, and also to prevent the Russians from claiming these lands for themselves. France was like Greece, Germany like Macedonia, Britain like Ptolemaic Egypt, and the Russians like the Seleucid Empire. France was inferior to the military capability of Germany, and was in need of assistance from other countries, like Britain and USA. Britain continued to secure its power-base (outside the mainland), and it was never conquered by the other European powers, just like what had applied to Egypt. The Russians had previously been taking territories from the Ottoman Empire, even as when the Seleucid Empire would annex the lands belonging to the Persians. Then there was Imperial Japan, to the west of USA, as what Carthage was to Rome. Rome became a superpower after the defeat of Carthage, like USA after the Second World War, as if USA had gotten the taste for it and would no longer hold back. But what was so bad about the Roman Empire? It should never be blamed the common people, but rather the elite, the few who have amassed most of the power and wealth for themselves, and control the imperial policy. Rome became a great empire, and yet did not seem to benefit most of the Romans. The Romans found themselves discriminated and excluded by Romans, and it was like they were no better off in comparison to other countries, subjugated by their empire. The Gracchi brothers tried to introduce social reforms and equal distribution of lands, but the senate had them killed and made it seem like a patriotic act. The elite would own more than all the rest combined, so the gap was constantly getting bigger between rich and poor. Then there would many civil wars in the Roman Republic, and many Romans would suffer for it. Was this really worth it, that some old senators would obtain more wealth, lands, and slaves, while the common people would pay for it with their blood? Should we be willing to sacrifice the younger generations for the sake of an empire, as if real estates were supposed to be more important, and other’s countries opinions about us? Would it not have been better if we never had an empire in the first place, which would either way only benefit the elite, those that do already have more than enough? This is nothing personal, but God does consider every empire to be an unnatural creation of men, regardless of the time and place, people or culture. The United States of America is the only superpower at our times, but it does not mean that USA should be blamed for everything that goes wrong in the world. USA does of course have its faults, and it can often be questioned its motives as the ‘world’s police’. At our times there are many people that hate USA and hope for its downfall, but these very same people are guilty of corruption, crimes, and terrorism, so they are actually worse than that which they hate so much. It is only fair to say that USA does act just like what any other country would do in the same position. And we should not at this moment condemn USA for faults which have still not happened or might happen in the future. It would be best to remain neutral, by neither flattering USA nor slandering it. The Scripture did never encourage hatred or rebellion against the Roman Empire, but the Roman Empire was just like any other empire and the Romans were just like any other people. The Romans were enlightened and tolerant enough, so that Christianity would establish itself within the empire and continue to spread out. The Christians could have experienced far worse adversaries, within other empires in the human history. The fourth beast does not equal the Beast in the Book of Revelation. The Beast of Revelation is made up from the four beasts, and it has thereby become a new beast, something more, greater in its reach than a single empire. It could be called the fifth beast, which would then involve the entire world, so that every empire would be like one head of many, functioning under global governance systems.

18.3: The Horns

In chapter 8 it is written: ‘And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.’ It is written: ‘And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be. The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.’

The two horns on the ram were supposed to signify kings of two kingdoms/nations, while the one horn on the goat was supposed to signify a king. And then that one horn would split into four horns, that would now signify kingdoms. It does thereby indicate that a horn can signify king, kingdom, or a nation, so it can help us interpret the fourth beast and the Beast of Revelation. In the Book of Revelation the ten horns would signify ten kings, which were supposed to make war against the followers of Jesus Christ and do harm to Jerusalem. The Beast of Revelation is made up of the four beasts of Daniel, where the ten horns on the fourth beast would be reborn in the Beast. But the fourth beast had previously existed before that time, along with the ten horns, which could signify something else. Alexander the Great fought against King Darius III, the ruler of the Persian Empire, and then against Bessus, an usurper in Bactria. But there were never two kings ruling the Persian Empire at the same time, a Persian king and a Median king. The angel told Daniel that two horns were the kings of Media and Persia, as if it did not refer to any real persons, but it was merely a figure of speech. So it would only be Media and Persia, which the Persian Empire was made of. Alexander the Great would carve out a great empire, but it would become divided after his death, so that four powerful kingdoms would establish themselves with the time. It can be mentioned the kingdom of Ptolemy I Soter (Egypt), the kingdom of Cassander (Macedonia), the kingdom of Seleucus I Nicator (Seleucid Empire), and the kingdom of Lysimachus (Thrace). These four united against Antigonus I Monophthalmus, and his kingdom would be divided between the victors. But Lysimachus would later loose his kingdom, so Greece could be called the fourth kingdom. The four most powerful Hellenistic kingdoms would be Macedonia, Greece, the Seleucid Empire, and Ptolemaic Egypt, always in the long run.  The goat did not touch the ground, as if he hovered or flew above it. It could signify the virtue of Alexander the Great, as if there were no weaknesses in him, at least before he conquered the Persian Empire. But Alexander the Great would later become proud and self-conceited. Alexander the Great does otherwise resemble Napoleon Bonaparte to some degree, which also had a military genius and conquered most of Europe at his time, but Europe was like the spiritual successor of the Hellenistic Empire. Germany and Russia would become powerful after the days of Napoleon, so there would now be four superpowers in Europe, along with France and Britain. The Ottoman Empire came to exist after the Mongol Empire, but Turks and Mongols did otherwise seem to resemble one another, as nomads that had come from the east. Therefore could the Mongols signify the Medes, and the Turks the Persians, since it was like the Ottoman Empire replaced the remains of the Mongol Empire, in Middle-East. Russia would begin to rival the Ottoman Empire in Eastern-Europe, but both of them claimed to be the successor of the Byzantine Empire (The Third Rome). Britain would later become influential in Middle-East, after the First World War, when the Ottoman Empire collapsed and left power vacuum.

In chapter 7 it is written: ‘I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.’ It is written: ‘And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.’

The fourth beast has ten horns, and also the Beast of the Revelation, but they do still not refer to the same things. Only the fourth beast had ten horns, and that aspect would be reborn in the Beast of the Revelation, which is actually made up from the four beasts in whole. The Book of Revelation explains that the ten horns signify ten kings, which are yet to receive their kingdom with the beast, that they will make war against the Lamb, and burn the Great Harlot. But the horns of Revelation would be of one mind, while Daniel speaks about three horns falling before one, so these ten horns cannot be the same. The Beast of the Revelation could be called the fifth beast, during the modern period, so it will come to exist long after the Roman Empire. There would appear forth ten kings, kingdoms, or nations, during the Roman Empire, but it seems like the little horn would appear last. It must have happened at the same time, because the little horn would subdue the first three horns. It could not apply if one king came after another during a long period, since the last king would then need to travel back in time and destroy the first three kings. It can thereby be excluded Roman consuls, generals, emperors and dynasties. It is never said that the little horn is the eleventh horn, but it did rather come up among the ten horns. The little horn would spring up from the same soil, in one of the territories belonging to the Roman Empire (Western). It can next be tested the theory that the ten horns signify ten nations or kingdoms, which will somehow become relevant to the Roman Empire. It has already been explained the ten toes on the great image, as if there would be five main kingdoms in the west, and five main kingdoms in the east, sometimes strong, sometimes weak. But why would the Scripture repeat the same things, through two different aspects, when one of them would have been enough to make that point? The ten horns on the fourth beast indicate that they were part of the empire, and that the empire would still exist during their appearance. Some people claim the ten horns refer to the Migration Period, when Germanic tribes/nations overran the Western Roman Empire, settled in the lands, and created their own kingdoms. This would mark the end of the Western Roman Empire and the Classical Antiquity, but the beginning of new Europe and the dark ages (medieval times). There would be ten Germanic tribes, inhabiting ten kingdoms in Western-Europe and even in North-Africa. But three of these tribes were supposed to be lost, as if plucked up from the roots, including Vandals and the Ostrogoths. Three kingdoms would fall before one, but who is supposed to be the little horn? The Byzantine Empire overcame the Vandals and the Ostrogoths, but only these two Germanic tribes. The angel never said that the little horn would destroy the three horns, but only that the last king will subdue three kings. Three kings will give their power to one king, as if to follow his leadership or supremacy, but their kingdoms will otherwise continue to exist, as part of his sphere of influence. In the Scripture it is sometimes mentioned horns, as if they would signify strength or power. Three kings would plucked up by the roots, as if their power was taken and given to someone else, so these kings would no longer be their own masters. The little horn can signify place in a kingdom, while the eyes in the horn can signify a person, religious authority, or an institution. It should be looked to the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne. Charlemagne managed to subdue the Lombard and the Saxons, but a third tribe is still lacking. But the empire of Charlemagne consisted of France, Germany, and Italy. It would dissolve into these three kingdoms after his death, and be inherited by his sons. It was Pepin, Charlemagne’s father, and himself who acknowledged the authority of the pope in Rome, defended and supported him, to become so ‘important’ and influential. It was the Carolingian dynasty which made the papacy into what is, as if European monarchs would need the protection of the Roman Catholic Church in all rights and privileges, and that it could challenge and replace the authority of the Byzantine emperor. The temporal authority was meant to follow the spiritual authority of the papacy. The European monarchs submitted to the pope, bowed their knees before him, without any struggle, even that no wars were involved, and nobody lost his kingdom. There were three kingdoms, France, Germany, and Italy, which became relevant to the founding of the papacy, the Roman Catholic church, and separation from the Byzantine Empire. The popes in Rome would claim that they were speaking and acting in God’s stead, that their will would equal the will of God, that everyone should show reverence to them, and that nobody could do anything without their permission. The pope was like the foremost king among his equals (fellows) and that treated them in haughty way (stout looks), as when it is spoken about putting someone in his place, or to keep everyone in check, which could pose a threat to his self-interest. Only the little horn would make war against the saints, but it is never claimed that the ten horns would do so. It was not the ten Germanic tribes that persecuted people for worshipping God, but the papacy would do so for more than thousand years and go to any length, however extreme. Most of the Christians would live in Western Europe, and all of them could become persecuted by the papacy, so this prophecy is indeed relevant to God’s chosen people.

It can be raised the question whether history will repeat itself, regarding the ten horns, and three horns falling before one. The fourth beast is the Roman Empire, and the spiritual successor the Roman Empire is the United States of America. The United States of America was founded 1776, before the European nations began to divide the world between themselves, in the 19th century. Therefore would these events be relevant to the history of USA, and what would later happen in the 20th century, regarding the ten horns. All of this was happening everywhere at the same time. It seemed like this process was complete, before the First World began in 1914. Almost all the world had been divided between European nations, except South America. There were ten European nations relevant at that time, where some of them would be strong and some would be weak. The strongest were Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. The weakest were Italy, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, and Belgium. It does seem to resemble the ten toes on the great figure, made of iron and clay. The First World War ruined Europe, where it drained many nations of manpower and left them in huge debts, but these nations still held their colonies after the war. Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire had not possessed colonies elsewhere in the world, and these two would cease to be powers after the war. The Second World War became even worse calamity for the European nations, so that Western Europe ceased to be Great Power and later lost most of their colonies. USA and the Soviet Union were the most powerful countries after the Second World War, and these two powers divided Europe into their separate sphere of influences. Here is the interesting part, resembling the prophecy of Daniel. The United States of America founded an alliance with Western-Europe, as a counter against the Soviet Union, which we know as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Original members were United States of America, Canada, Iceland, Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Portugal, Norway, and Denmark. These are twelve countries, but two of them belong to North-America. And Iceland is not really part of the mainland, but it is far away in the Atlantic Sea. Only Western Europe is relevant to the United States of America, as what applied to the ten Germanic tribes during the Migration Period. So there were nine European nations, where some of them were strong and some of them were weak. Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Portugal had previously possessed imperial ambition and obtained colonies in the world, at the expense of the native people. Germany was not one of the founding members, but it would later become part of NATO. And yet Germany (the western part) was under the United States of America at that time, since it had been defeated in the world war and needed to be re-established. This is why Germany could be included within that sphere of influence, as the tenth nation related to NATO. This involves the three European nations (France, Germany, and Italy) which belonged to the Frankish Empire of Charlemagne, and had submitted to the papacy. But Italy was otherwise not considered to be great power in the first place, so it was really not relevant at that time. It was rather Britain, France, and Germany which once been great powers, empires or superpowers, but they were now too weak to handle their own weight, and needed the support of USA against the Soviet Union. Britain, France, and Germany were now following the leadership of USA, its supremacy, as if they were giving their power over to USA (and were no longer their own masters). The United States of America is made up from various nationalities, where most of them came originally from Europe, even as when the little horn sprang up among the bigger horns, by drawing from their source. The United States of America became superpower after the demise of Britain, France, and Germany, three older empires, with older history. The Americans became an international empire, and filled the power vacuum in the world, left by the European Colonial powers. The Soviet Union did once consist of many nationalities like the Seleucid Empire, and was a mix of Western and Eastern culture. But both of them dissolved because of weak infrastructure and lost their status in the world, as if they were unable to keep up with the times.

It is written: ‘And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.’

There is ‘The Anti-Christ’, the incarnated son of Satan. And then there are anti-Christ’s’, the spiritual children of Satan, in their mindset and deeds. John the Apostle tells us that there are many anti-Christ’s among us, which were once true believers, but they fell from Jesus Christ and would from now on seek to oppose Him. It does involve deliberate lies and malice, even that these fallen believers know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that they have no rightful cause to oppose Him. It is because these men possess the spirit of Anti-Christ, an essence which belongs to Satan, so they have been reborn in the image of the Beast and become monsters from within. Jesus Christ would first finish the works of God upon the earth, die and be resurrected, and go back up to heaven, and then He would send the Holy Spirit to His followers. But it seems like the spirit of Anti-Christ will exist in the fallen believers, even before he has appeared in the world, during the last days, as the incarnated son of Satan. The Anti-Christ is called ‘the man of sin’, as if he would always show unbelief in God and His goodness, while he does always submit to the Enemy and his wickedness. The Anti-Christ does not really need to accomplish anything first, but it is like his spirit is shared to the worthless people, those that have rejected God in advance, which have given up and become His enemies even before testing out His promises. It is like the fallen believers are being controlled by empty words, groundless suspicions, fears, and doubts, even that all evidences and facts confirm God’s power. The papacy and the Roman Catholic Church are an anti-christical organization, known for that in trying to change times and laws. The popes presumed that that they could decide what was truth or a lie, right or wrong. So the popes could claim that a truth was lie and that a lie was truth, and that everyone must agree with it and do so, however mad and foolish it might be. But the popes would attempt to force their will upon those that disagreed, through threats and bans, so that people could be deprived of everything, excluded from the society, and even tortured to death. This is why the papacy and the Roman Catholic Church could be called the church of Satan, or the congregation of Satan, since it is being motivated and influenced by his spirit. There can exist many anti-Christ’s at the same time, as what would apply to Hitler and Stalin, with their totalitarian states and cruel policy. These men would seek to reshape the society in their own image, brainwash the people and be idolized by them, and persecute those that resisted, so that millions of innocent lives were lost. If this has already happened in the human history then it will happen again, and it will always become worse next time, more extreme and more inhuman. The Second World War is like a great warning to the world, what can happen from within a country in brief time, and what the human people can be capable of. It does not seem far-fetched the last days are near, that next time there will be no turning back, and the whole world can become deceived and corrupted by one person. It can of course not be predicted anything with certainty, but it is at least ‘possible’, that something like that could happen in the modern world. There will be no truth and human decency in the Anti-Christ, but he will always be led by lies and malice in everything, while pretending to be something else to the world. It is not like when ordinary people seem to have their good side and a bad side, to have accomplished both ‘good’ and bad things, and at least followed God in some aspects. This is why it would be unfair to claim that Anti-Christ has already appeared in the world, as if some human ruler was supposed to get all the blame, since the man can possess ‘good’ intentions but fail in his approach and means. Good intentions will always be absent in the Anti-Christ, so that he will have wicked intentions, wish for wicked things to happen, and resort to wicked means to that end. The papacy is the little horn on the fourth beast, so it cannot be the entire Beast of Revelation. The fourth beast would be destroyed, and the little horn with it, while the first three beasts would have their lives prolonged for a season and time. But the papacy does still exist at our times, although it is not as influential in comparison to the past. It implies that the papacy will still exist when the Anti-Christ will appear to the world, and the papacy will be part of his dominion, something that will support his authority. The evil things must be permanently destroyed, before the people of God can reign.

In chapter 8 it is written: ‘And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.’ It is written: ‘So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision… And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.’

The second beast and the ram refer to the Persian Empire, and the third beast and the goat refer to the Hellenistic Empire. This little horn is not the same as the one found on the fourth beast (the papacy), so it should be kept the interpretations separated from each other. The Hellenistic Empire included four powerful kingdoms, which were namely Greece, Macedonia, the Seleucid Empire, and Egypt. The Seleucid Empire would include Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran, so we have actually seven kingdoms to choose from us. The Anti-Christ, the incarnated son of Satan, will appear in one of these countries. Or perhaps it is referred to the spiritual successor of the Hellenistic Empire, which could include countries in Europe. This is no ordinary man, and he will be unlike all human rulers that existed before. Many people have presumed this to be Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the ruler of the Seleucid Empire, because he persecuted Jews and sought to turn them from God. That man might have been foolish and mad, but he was otherwise human, frail and ignorant. The Anti-Christ would cast down some of the host and of the stars. It can be interpreted in many ways. Jesus warned us of false christ’s (false messiah’s) but He implied that false miracles and signs cannot mislead the true believers, the God’s elect. Only the false believers will be deceived and they will follow the Anti-Christ, while the true believers will be persecuted and even suffer martyrdom. The true believer is already stationed in the Kingdom of God, where his soul does have place in the divine heaven, even while he is still alive in this world. The Anti-Christ cannot cause the souls of the true believers to be cast down from heaven, since he was never able to corrupt them in the first place. But the Anti-Christ can at most kill the true believers, and then mistreat their corpses and names (reputation), as if they had done something to deserve it. Anti-Christ cannot do anything against the angels of God, so they are not the ‘host’ mentioned. Satan and the fallen angels have already been cast down from the divine heaven, and they are now stuck upon the earth. But the fallen angels (devils) can still belong to the carnal heaven, part of this world. Why would Anti-Christ stamp upon the fallen angels, which are supposed to belong to his side? And why should it come as surprise that Anti-Christ will magnify himself against ‘the prince of the host’, since we do already know that he is an enemy to God? Jesus Christ is the Prince of princes, but the ‘prince of the host’ is without capital letter. It is because it is not really referred to God, but rather the father of Anti-Christ. Satan is the prince of the power of the air, and the carnal heaven does belong to him. Pure evilness is devoid of all love and loyalty, so that Anti-Christ will hate his own father, Satan, and seek to rival him, as if it was a patricide. The Anti-Christ will seek to surpass his own father in wickedness, to become more evil than Satan, but by doing so then he is exactly like his father, and actually doing the will of his father. Satan would have done exactly the same thing in his position, if Satan was the son and Anti-Christ the father. That to be Satan is to be the enemy of God, to create his own anti-versions and distort everything, so it will become exactly the opposite thing to God’s will. The wicked father will seek to corrupt his own son and transform him into monster, while the wicked son seeks to overthrow his father and obtain all the power for himself. The Anti-Christ would call fallen angels down from heaven, and mistreat them, as if to confirm that he hates everyone and would want to destroy everyone. Malice is pure evilness, neither done through selfish nor self-righteousness reasons, since the latter is more like ignorance and weaknesses. It is the human people that show weaknesses and allow devils to manipulate their lives, but the devils are doing so through malice. It is thereby possible that the Anti-Christ will not participate in selfish pleasures, like debauchery and fornication, but he will rather tempt others into doing it. It might thereby seem like the Anti-Christ has overcome temptations that belong to some devils, and yet he will always yield to temptations involving pure malice. Fallen angels can be like servants to Satan, which draw from his essence, but it does not necessarily mean that Satan is depended upon them. The Anti-Christ could mistreat the fallen angels literally, while he does possess the spirit of Satan, and he would not loose any power in the process. For an example then God is God, and the Holy Sprit belongs to Him, and the angels of God are partakers in His Holy Spirit. But the angels of God are otherwise creation like the human people, and God would remain the same without them. God has delivered the world to Satan, and loaned him power to accomplish supernatural things, so it could be fulfilled God’s will in the greater matters. Satan would otherwise be nothing, like the fallen angels, since all of them are a creation. Or all of this might be an act, as to deceive the human people that witness it. For the fallen angels can change their appearance and pretend to be like the angels of God, and the next they will pretend to be weak and easily beaten by Anti-Christ. To the human people it might seem like Anti-Christ is able to rival God, and is more powerful than Him, but he did really only stage illusion, and nobody belonged to God. The evilness can create two sides, where one of them is selfish (worldly) and the other one is self-righteous (religious), and they might seem to disagree and oppose one another. But both of them belong to the Enemy, like two extremes governed by pure malice.

The Anti-Christ will understand dark sentences, the will of Satan, which is pure evilness, true malice. The Anti-Christ will always play false, utter lies and do evil for its own sake, so that he can harm as many people as possible. It is not only bound to violence, like when a tyrant orders his followers to kill innocent people. But the Anti-Christ will rather seek to destroy everyone through the spiritual aspect, by corrupting the human people, to make them into spiritual slaves, which are willing to do shameful things and degrade themselves. The Anti-Christ will seek to attack everyone mentally, to undermine their sanity and inner stability, so that people will loose hope and give up, fall into complete desperation and chaos. The Anti-Christ will not give people quick and easy death, but he will rather want to keep everyone alive for as long time as possible, so that he can torment their body and soul. It might seem to give the impression of an impossible situation, but God will be able to deliver His people in any way He sees fit, to sustain their spirit and take them away. The Anti-Christ will mislead the human race to the point of making the harm irreparable, and the people irredeemable. There will no longer be any faith, charity, and mercy in the people, but they will all become cruel and despicable, hypocrites that love to lie and despise the truth for not being suitable for them. God will no longer forgive the people for anything, and no longer heal them of anything, so it is like their spiritual bodies will no longer function as it should and rotten away little by little. This is what is meant with the daily sacrifices taken away, where it does not really about an earthly temple and animal sacrifices, but it does refer to the intercession of Jesus Christ in heaven. The Anti-Christ will draw upon power that is not his own, and an host would be given him against the daily sacrifice. This means that Anti-Christ will be able to produce false miracles and supernatural signs openly, before the whole world, for all men to see. It will most likely prove to be illusionary in its nature, like something which might seem spectacular to behold to the human eye, while it does never benefit anyone. An evil spirit can come and go, or pretend to be exorcized, but nobody is ever healed directly or made into a better person. Fallen angels (devils) will probably reveal themselves to the human race, as if they were divine creatures coming down from heaven, to be shown reverence by everyone. It might seem like the fallen angels are trying to help the human race, so the people can rebel against God for the sake of ‘freedom’ (they might refer to God by a different name or concept, as if God was supposed to be the devil and the devil was supposed to be God). The human people were never innocent on their behalf, before the coming of the Anti-Christ, but they had already rejected Jesus Christ, continually, for a very long time. Nobody was willing to repent, to receive Jesus Christ and understand the Scripture, to change to the better and begin a new life, to love the fellow man and help those in distress. But everyone proved to be selfish, false, superficial, vain, proud, arrogant, indifferent, spiteful, cruel, lustful, greedy, ungrateful, stubborn, treacherous, and cowardly. Everyone had demanded supernatural signs from God, but nobody would listen to reason and be convinced by the truth, what was deemed to be decent and morally right. This is why the human people will deserve Anti-Christ, that he should come up with great show to gratify their senses and convince their carnal mind by that aspect alone. This will happen in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, so the human people had already committed every possible sin and betrayed every moral principle. The human people can invent countless means in order to gratify the same desires, like what the man can say and do in order obtain success in seduction, in what way is committed fornication, with whom or what. The road is wide which lead to perdition, since there can exist countless lies that oppose the same single truth. It would be better if some things were never known, never considered, and never reminded of, as unthinkable wickedness. The sanctuary would be cleansed after two thousand and three hundred days, or after more than six years. Jesus Christ was about thirty years old when He began His ministry upon the earth, and it would last for about three and a half year. It will probably apply to Anti-Christ as well, as if these events were the mirror-image of each other. The host does probably signify the true believers, who will find themselves persecuted by the world, for some time before the coming of Anti-Christ. The Anti-Christ will seek to flatter the human race and destroy many by peace, as when a person receives bribes and gives itself over to unrestrained pleasures. The human people will seek to become their own gods, do anything which pleases them, and invent anything to derive sensual pleasures, however unnatural and degrading it is, senseless and cruel, devoid of all decency. Craft will prosper in the land, where the human people will invent all kinds of things that can serve an evil purpose, so that technology will be abused and distorted. For that Anti-Christ will be preparing the human race for war against God, as if their earthly technology was supposed to be relevant, to harm spiritual matters. The main objective of Anti-Christ is not to conquer territories, to rule by force and be hated by everyone, but it is rather about corrupting everyone on the inside, to lead souls into perdition. But the Lord will destroy Anti-Christ through the spirit of His mouth, so that Anti-Christ will be broken without hand. No man will be able to harm Anti-Christ, but it is only Jesus Christ that can do so, when the right time will come for it to happen. It is not like the true believers can rely upon the world against the world, evil against evil, force against force, as if they could assassinate the Anti-Christ and save the human race. The human will already be lost at that point, not worth saving, so there is nobody to be saved from Anti-Christ. Something unexpected will happen to Anti-Christ and destroy him, as if it came all of a sudden out of the blue, in the blink of an eye. The Anti-Christ would not be able to survive on his own without God’s intervention, since that only God’s can make our body function as it should and possess the ability to regenerate itself. The Anti-Christ would be like a cold and lifeless corpse, which is held together and made to function through God’s power. But the Anti-Christ’s body will all fall to pieces in the end, when God ceases to uphold him.

In chapter 9 it is written: ‘O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee... O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquity of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.’ It is written: ‘And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.’ In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided into the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the woman ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.’

It is no coincidence that Daniel pleads to God for Jerusalem’s sake, as if its guilt could not be denied and he wanted to delay events that were bound to happen in the future. Daniel was doing so in relation to his previous visions, dreadful as they could be and hard to bear. All empires have had it in common of conquering and ruling over Jerusalem, and it will be not different when Anti-Christ appears and involves the city in his perdition. Jerusalem is the Great Harlot, which has pretended to offer religious guidance to the world, but she has really conspired with and served the agenda of all empires. It was Jerusalem that rejected Jesus Christ, refused to heed Him in everything, slandered and plotted against Him, took Him captive and condemned Him, so that Christ would endure suffering, shame, and death. It will be different when the Anti-Christ will arrive to Jerusalem, in what way the inhabitants will respond and be treated by Him. Jesus Christ was kind toward the Jews, but they doubted His motives and turned against Him. It is thereby possible that the Israel people will welcome the Anti-Christ, flatter him and follow him eagerly, seek to self-justify all his actions and do him service for free, so that he will experience every possible honour and pleasure from them. And yet the Anti-Christ will never appreciate anything which the Jews can do for him, but he will turn against the Jews and afflict them in every possible way. Jesus Christ suffered for everyone, but Anti-Christ will want everyone to suffer for him. It will be rebuilt the temple of Solomon, before or after the coming of Anti-Christ, and there he will make his seat and be worshipped by everyone. Such is the vanity of the world, that it will seek to create the ideal temple, which will look so beautiful and splendid, and it will then be dedicated to the worst being to have ever existed. Everything might look perfect on the outside, but it is altogether rotten on the inside. The Jews would not be persuaded in worshipping Jesus Christ, with their willing consent. But Anti-Christ will force the Jews to worship him, against their willing consent. God would gather all nations against Jerusalem for a battle, so the inhabitants would be forced to flee to the valley of the mountains. Jesus Christ spoke about the last days, and He advised His followers to flee immediately to the mountains and leave everything behind, as if they would only carry their own life. It is referred to Mount Olive, the very same place where Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, forty days after His resurrection. And the Lord will return to the world in the same manner, when the Israel people have finally acknowledged their defeat, that they have lived in error all this time and now confess the Jesus Christ is the Lord. For the Israel people had previously rejected Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and waited for someone else to redeem them, but nobody had accomplished anything of that sort. The Israel people will find themselves oppressed by the Anti-Christ, until they can no longer endure it, so they will need to approach God in a different way for different results. The Israel people will not see Jesus Christ from henceforth, until they will say ‘Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord’.

In the Book of Nahum it is written: ‘The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet... What do ye imagine against the Lord? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time... There is one come out of thee, that imagineth evil against the Lord, a wicked counseller... And the Lord hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile. Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.’ It is written (2): ‘He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face: keep the munition, watch the way, make thy loins strong, fortify thy power mightily.’ It is written: ‘Where is the dwelling of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions, where the lion, even the old lion, walked, and the lion’s whelp, and none made them afraid? The lion did tear in pieces enough for his whelps, and strangled for his lionesses, and filled his holes with prey, and his dens with ravin. Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will burn her chariots in the smoke, and the sword shall devour thy young lions: and I will cut off thy prey from the earth, and the voice of thy messengers shall no more be heard.’ It is written (3): ‘Woe to the bloody city! It is full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not... Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts. Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will shew the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame. And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazingstock. And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: who will bemoan her? Whence shall I seek comforters for thee?... Thou also shalt be drunken: thou shalt be hid, thou also shalt seek strength because of the enemy... Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of heaven: the cankerworm spoileth, and flieth away... There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous: all that hear the bruit of thee shall clap the hands over thee: for upon whom hath not thy wickedness passed continually?’ In the Book of Habakkuk it is written: ‘Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people: Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! How long? And to him that ladeth himself with thick clay! Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.’

This is not an ordinary prophecy about an ordinary city, as if the historical Nineveh was supposed to be so significant. But this prophecy applies to the Anti-Christ, and the main city of his empire, so that both he and that city will become guilty of the worst possible crimes in the human history. The Lord will give commandment concerning the Anti-Christ, that no more of his name would be sown, since the images will be cut off and his grave made. It refers to the image of the Beast, when wicked men are reborn in the spirit of Satan and reshaped as monsters. The Beast was, and is not, because Jesus Christ has already overcome every aspect of it. All these lies and temptations belong to the spirit of the Beast, but Jesus Christ was able to overcome everything from ‘within’ Himself, and all around Himself. The Anti-Christ cannot survive on his own, because there is no life in the Enemy. The Enemy and the devils are never able to become alive in this world, to have a healthy physical body like the human people and be capable of good things. It is God who will allow the Anti-Christ to be born into this world, and to function inside a healthy physical body, so the will of God can be fulfilled in the greater matters. When Jesus Christ lived in this world then He would become tempted by the Enemy from all sides, but the Lord did still obey the voice of God in every matter. What about the Anti-Christ? What will he actually experience from within himself? Will God remind the Anti-Christ of the truth, and encourage him to do good things, so it will become like a temptations in his eyes, which the Anti-Christ will resist every time? Or will God always be absent from Anti-Christ, as if nothing needed to be proved, since the Anti-Christ has been sent to mislead all the unworthy people? In the Book of Daniel it is prophesized that the Anti-Christ shall be broken without a hand. So that Jesus Christ will come and dash the Anti-Christ in pieces, through the word of His mouth, even that it might seem like nobody was near enough to harm him. The Lord will not acquit the wicked, and the Anti-Christ will be the most wicked person to have ever existed, so that nothing will be able to save the Anti-Christ. During the last days then Satan and his son will become a terror to the world, as if Anti-Christ could do anything he wished and he would always seem to get away with everything. The Anti-Christ will yield to every wicked desire and become insatiable, so that he will want to rule over everyone and everything. The Anti-Christ will never be contented with anything which he does already have, but he will always want to destroy more enemies, conquer more territories, and enslave more people. The Anti-Christ will always have a false claim, and lay his hands upon something which is not his, so that he is always unworthy of everything and stealing credit from other men. But Jesus Christ will return, and He will surely destroy the Beast and his army. In the Book of Revelation it is mentioned three unholy spirits, like frogs, that will come out from the mouth of the Dragon, the mouth of the Beast, and the mouth of the False Prophet. This means that spirits of devils will function inside the Anti-Christ, which will help him to lie and come up with false promises, false signs and wonders, so that he can deceive the world and gather armies against God. The False Prophet is the exact opposite of the Holy Spirit, while the three unholy spirits (frogs) are the exact opposite of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is what is meant with ‘the voice of thy messengers shall no longer be heard’.

18.4: North and South

Chapter 11 describes many events, which seem to take place over a long time. It is spoken about a mighty king, and that his kingdom shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven. The king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement, but she shall not retain her power, and she shall be given up. It is then mentioned one that shall stand up from the branch of her roots, and that the sons of the king of the south shall be stirred up. This does seem to prophecy the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, important persons and events in Europe during the 19th century, and the First World War. It is otherwise difficult to discern every aspect of it, as if there are many separate prophecies within the same chapter. The three great prophets tend to come up similar prophecies, when they are one moment speaking about ordinary events and then they do all of a sudden mention the Messiah, and then again ordinary events. And the great prophets would mention heathen kingdoms and cities, but it would symbolize completely different things. This is it why we should not take everything literally, but it is rather about that what resembles what, concerning the greater picture. Why would the Scripture bother to mention ordinary wars of ordinary kings, like between Ptolemaic Egypt and the Seleucid Empire? These two kingdoms were fighting over small territory in Palestine and Egypt, which often resulted in a stalemate, since both sides were guilty of incompetence in battles. What kind of significance would it hold for the world, and what kind of difference would it make? It should not only be looked upon these wars and their duration, but also what would happen after it, what kind of long-term effects it would have for the world. Europe was the spiritual successor of the Hellenistic Empire, especially during the Colonial Period in the 19th century, until the middle of the 20th. It is spoken about a kingdom in the north, and a kingdom in the south, but it is never mentioned the west or the east. North and south should be sufficient, if we look upon the whole world, with its longitude and latitude. Therefore can any country be to the north or south of another country, even that there is a great distance between them, to the west or to the east. For an example then Brazil is far to the west of Europe, but it is still south of Europe, when it is looked upon the latitude. But what if north and south and could mean any direction between A and B, up and down, or right and left, so that countries in the west and east are included? The terms ‘north’ and ‘south’ should not have the most priority in the prophecy, but it is rather the course of event, what we can identify with the human history. In the 20th century there were four powerful kingdoms in Europe, namely Britain, France, Germany, and Russia. The Ottoman Empire is the spiritual successor of the Persian Empire, so it would not count as Hellenistic kingdom, even that it was in Europe. Britain is to the north, and France is to the south, in comparison to Britain. Germany is to the west, and Russia is to the east, in comparison to Germany. Europe would change after the fall of the Napoleonic Empire, and the fall of Germany in the First World War, so that new countries would be created.

In chapter 11 it is written: ‘Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches, yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.’

Hitler and the Second World War was something that would affect the whole world and change everything. It should of course never be given attention to unworthy persons, to unworthy history, or to unworthy inventions, since the Nazi Empire only came to kill, to destroy, and to loot. But Hitler and the WW2 proves that the human people can be mislead by a single man, and induced to commit despicable things, even that they belong to a civilized country, in the most civilized part of the world. Education and technology can be abused and distorted, so the people will become mad enough to follow a mad leader. The victors of WW1 sought to cripple Germany’s economy, at the same time they were demanding considerable war reparations from it, so it became grievous to the Germans. Matthias Erzberger, was one the Germans that had signed the armistice, but he would later be assassinated by his own people. Hitler came from humble origins, and he was not known for much (no titles, no achievements), but he would not be considered vile person for that. It was rather because Hitler was a racist bigot, deceitful, crafty, and hypocritical, who did not really care about anyone and he sought to use everyone around him. Hitler would come peaceably and obtain the kingdom by flatteries, but he was not given such honour at the outset, since he did not belong to the German elite. Hitler tended to undermine his opponents in secret and attack them when they were what least prepared, but nobody was resorting to similar measures against him. For an example then Hitler would simply order his enemies killed, rather than by trying to reason with them, outwit them through political moves, or do things elegantly. It is has been claimed that Hitler could never have become powerful from his own effort alone, but it was rather the German elite that decided to make him powerful, since they hoped to outsmart Hitler and control him, like a puppet in their hands. But Hitler was merely pretending to be obedient until he had gotten enough power, and then he would turn against everyone that stood in his way, that threatened his position. Hitler would break the covenant, the armistice of WW1, and refuse to abide by it. It is spoken about a ‘league’, which makes ‘The League of Nations’ come to mind. The most powerful members in Europe were Britain and France, but the Soviet Union was not part of it. The British attempted to reason with Hitler and appease his demands, as if that could guarantee peace once and for all. But Hitler would break his promises and invade Czechoslovakia, so that nobody would be willing to trust him again. Hitler was already creating pretences in order to self-justify his aggressive policy, as if there was something reasonable about it, to deceive the audience. The Germans had only recently been united into one great country, in the 19th century, but the Holy Roman Empire had hitherto consisted of many small states. This could explain why the Germans are described as small people, although it is a ‘small-spirited’ thing to be bitter, prejudiced, and cruel to the fellow man. Hitler would seem to accomplish the impossible, which the Germans had failed to do in WW1. Hitler’s armies would overcome the combined military capability of Britain and France, inflict great loss upon and endure minimal loss themselves, in such a brief time. Germany would conquer most of Western Europe and Northern Europe, within months. These were like the fattest places in Europe, the most prosperous ones. The Germans relied upon ‘Blitzkrieg’ tactics, which was considered evolutionary at that time, so they would seek to bypass strongholds, and rather attack them from the flanks and/or the rear. The Germans would simply avoid the Maginot Line from the front, but it had hitherto been considered an impregnable defence, guarding the entrance to France.

There exist wicked people that admire Nazi Germany for conquering so many countries, and for inflicting so much casualty upon its enemies, as if had proved the superiority of Hitler and the Nazi ideology. But Nazi Germany tended to sucker-punch countries that were not prepared for war, and it obtained easy victories over incompetent enemies, as what had applied to the early stages of the war. Hitler was only successful while the leaders of other countries believed his lies, trusted him and were betrayed, but it would no longer apply when nobody trusted him any amore. It would rather be fair to evaluate the performance of Germany when it fought against enemies upon equal terms, when the enemy was prepared, had adapted and knew what he was doing. The Soviet Union would either way have won the war against Germany, even that USA and Britain had not invaded the mainland. The individual was already like this or that, talented or not, even before he knew about the Nazi ideology, so challenges in the war merely appealed to existing qualities. Germany possessed brilliant generals, who were not Nazis, and many successes in the war could be ascribed to their abilities as individuals. And Germany possessed brilliant inventors, who were not Nazis, and they invented many tools of war that were considered superior to those of their enemies. And yet Germany lost the war because of incompetence, that of Hitler and his Nazi ideology, since he tended to get in the way and blunder in the greater matters. What if Hitler and the Nazi ideology had taken place in another country, other than Germany? Then it would have been no different from Mussolini and his fascism ideology in Italy, which accomplished nothing in the war. Nazi Germany became so successful because of the Germans, with their military tradition, revolutionary tactics, and resources. The Nazi ideology was otherwise like a parasite, something that seeks to exalt itself through the merit and hard work of other men. (However, most of the Germans believed in Hitler and served his cause, so that non-Nazi soldiers would help Nazi soldiers to commit war-crimes and share the guilt). A similar thing could be claimed about Stalin and the Communist ideology. It was Stalin that purged the army of the best officers, and surrounded himself with incompetent flatters, so it explains all these terrible defeats in the early stages of the war. It was like all these beautiful clothes and machines meant absolutely nothing, while the actual persons did not possess the right spirit, were devoid of understanding and ability. It should rather be complimented those that lived, fought, and died in a noble way, who heeded the voice of God in their hearts and possessed a good sense. Stalin did listen to the good advices of other men and gave his approval, as if his involvement only required common sense. But Stalin was never brilliant in military matters, although the same could be said about the Allied leaders. Stalin was did at least know when to stand back and allow his generals to do their work, unlike Hitler. So much for human idols and their ideologies, which cannot accomplish anything in their own right, not by their own effort alone, but they are like incidental factors. The victory over the Germans was ultimately attained by the people of the Soviet Union. The Soviet people believed in victory and did not give up, so they proved determined and resilient in the face of overwhelming adversity. It is all about spiritual values, which possesses the greater will to fight and endure, whatever the odds. This is not something to be belittled, especially by the luxurious people of our times.

It is written: ‘And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. And both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper; for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the Gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.’

Hitler and Stalin made an alliance in the beginning of the WW2, but it was not meant to last. It could be claimed that both dictators were playing false, pretending to be friendly, while they were building up powerful armies and preparing for the future. Germany invaded the Soviet Union and seemed to be about to win the war, but the Russians managed to endure and rebuild their military. Stalin had purged his army before the war, killed the capable officers and replaced them with incompetent flatterers, that almost lost him the war. The eastern front was the centre of WW2, involving most troops and war tools, brutality and destruction. The Germans would kill and rob as much as they could, while destroying the rest. Hitler hated Stalin, and yet they were exactly the same, like monsters from within. Hitler and Stalin did never kill each other, but they rather ordered the deaths of people that were under the other. Most people were nothing like their wicked ruler, and had nothing to do about his decisions, and yet they suffered the most for it. The Germans would also fight in the south, namely in North-Africa against the British. But the ships of Chittim would come against Hitler, which does signify the United States of America, since they sent armaments and supplies across the sea to Britain. Hitler decided to destroy the Jews, while the Germans were winning the war against the Soviet Union, or when it became certain that the Germans would loose in the long run. Germans had persecuted the Jews before WW2, but ‘The Final Solution’, was decided in the middle of the war, so the Jews would be systematically killed in Europe, for many years (days). The Jews would be robbed of everything, gathered into concentration camps, shot, gassed, or starved to death, and then burned. Hitler would oppose the Holy Covenant, everything which the faith in God does stand for. Hitler would blame the Jews for everything, and he would conspire with wicked men, which had already rejected Jesus Christ. These Germans might pretend to be Christians openly, but they were never so in their hearts. The Nazi propaganda and works would be like an abomination before God, when people worshipped Hitler like a god, believed his lies and sought to please his wicked desires. The Jews would fall in WW2, but they would be holpen with the creation of an Israel state after it. It would however not purge the Israel people of their sins, and not make them holy, since they have still not acknowledged Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. It cannot be forced it to happen, as if it could be created the ideal Jewish kingdom, since that Jesus Christ is the centre of the faith, the essence which makes us holy.

It is written: ‘And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the Gods of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Lybians and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.’

It can be said that Hitler magnified himself above every god, for he wanted everyone to worship him directly, while Hitler did not seem to worship anyone. Hitler may perhaps not have spoken against Jesus Christ openly, through fear of loosing support from the people. But Hitler must have spoken in such way from within himself, while he was all alone with his thoughts and did not need to pretend anymore. Hitler was an Austrian, and Austria was supposed to be a Christian state. So that Hitler’s ancestors must have regarded God, the Biblical God, but not gods, hedonic ones. Hitler did not desire after women, even that he might pretend to do openly. Hitler might have formed relationships with women and had sexual intercourse, but he did still never ‘desire’ after women in his heart, never felt anything at all. The ‘God of forces’ must refer to Satan, even that the term does have capital letter. It is already written that Hitler rejected the God of gods, so the God of forces would be exactly the opposite thing, the god of this world, Satan who does exist for real. Hitler would worship Satan in his heart and mind, and perhaps in deeds behind closed doors. This is not far-fetched, because Hitler did already obey lies and wickedness that were originated from Satan, and belonged to his evilness. Hitler would promote the ways of Satan, so that devils would have influence over men’s minds and hearts. Many Germans obeyed Hitler, and Hitler obeyed Satan, so they were not really committing war-crimes for Hitler, but they did so in the name of Satan, indirectly. The Americans and the British would invade from the south, in North-Africa and Italy, and they would finally invade France, which we have come to know as D-Day. Hitler found himself fighting the war on two/three fronts, against the British and the Americans from the west and south, and against the Russians from the east. Germany would find itself outnumbered and outgunned, so that defeat would be inevitable. The Germans had once come close in conquering Egypt, during the North-African campaign, but the Germans had originally intervened in order to help their Italic allies. Libya and Ethiopia had been part of Mussolini’s empire, so they were relevant. It is mentioned Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon; countries in mainland Europe that Hitler did not conquer or were not a puppet-state, and the elite that fled to Britain. Tidings from the north and from the east would trouble Hitler, which does refer to the oncoming invasion of Normandy, and the Soviet offensive in the year 1944. Most of the Jews were killed in the latter years of WW2, for that Hitler attempted to do away with as many Jews as possible, before the Allies would liberate them. But Hitler would come to an end, and nobody would help him. Hitler was forced to commit suicide, after finding himself bereft of troops, allies, and territories. It was not only lost that which that had been obtained during the war, but also that which had previously been had, since that Germany would be destroyed and looted.

In chapter 12 it is written: ‘And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.’

The holocaust was the greatest calamity to befall a nation, and it was altogether unprecedented, in cruelty and beastliness. However if it has once happened then it can happen again, especially with the coming of the Anti-Christ, who will become even more wicked and beastly than Hitler. The future could become worse than the events which have hitherto taken place, so that we cannot know anything for certainty, when the prophecy mentions times of trouble. Daniel had this vision near the Hiddekel river, in the Tigris-Euphrates area, so it might be somehow relevant to Anti-Christ and the centre of the troubles. The time of Anti-Christ will last for three and a half year, so the Anti-Messiah will be given the same time as the real Messiah, to fulfil his role upon the earth. This three and a half year will be in three phases, where one period will last one year, the next two years, and the last period half year. This knowledge is meant to give us hope, when the great tribulation will finally happen, since it will ‘only’ last for three and a half year, rather than being for rest of our lifetime. It might of course seem to take forever, every moment and every day, if the believer has been captured by the enemies of God, and he will endure all kinds of suffering. But the believer can still endure, one moment at a time and one day at a time, since he knows that victory is possible, and that this tribulation will surely end one day. It would have been different if everything seemed to be uncertain and doubtful, as if the enemies of God were likely to obtain the final victory and always rule. Forty-two months equal three and a half year, or about 1290 days. It is the same number which is given the Beast in the Book of Revelation. But blessed would be he that endures for 1335 days, 45 days longer than the great tribulation, or after it has ended. Blessed are they that do not give up hope, do not collaborate with the enemy, and continue to fight to the very end, since the right cause is always superior in the long run. The Second World War lasted for about 6 years, so it does not seem to fit with the prophecy. Perhaps it is not about the war in whole, but only while the Germans were winning. The Second World War began in September 1939, and the Germans were defeated in the Battle of Stalingrad, in February 1943, almost three and a half year later. It is also spoken about Anti-Christ in chapter 8, and then it is mentioned 2300 days, which does equal 6 years and almost 4 months. The prophecies in the Scripture can be distributed here or there, in different places, but it is not gathered everything together into the same chapter. It is possible that the number 1290 is not only bound to the Anti-Christ alone, during the last days. It has been claimed that the papacy lasted for 1290 years, from its foundation until Napoleon Bonaparte ended it, and it was then re-established in the 20th century. It could be claimed similar thing about Islam, when the Arab Muslims conquered the Eastern Roman Empire, until the Jews were allowed to have their own state (1948). It is of course not precisely correct, but it is still somewhere around 1200 years. 45 days could equal 45 years, a time of prosperity after the terrible events which are prophesized, since the world would become civilized and enlightened for most part.

19. The Minor Prophets

19.1: The Fallen Believer

In the Book of Hosea it is written: ‘When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without. And they considered not in their heart that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face... They are all hot as oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me... Woe unto them! For they have fled from me: destruction unto them! Because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me... Though I bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me. They return, but not to the most High....’ In chapter 8 it is written: ‘Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin. I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the Lord accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt. For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities; and it shall devour the palaces thereof.’

The Israel people did not believe that God could save them from their sins, as if God could not make miracles in their spiritual life. But the Israel people did rather attempt to save themselves directly, as if their human remedies and deeds could cleanse their soul of sins, heal it, and improve them. The Israel people were constantly thinking this and that, and trying to invent this or that, as if something would be able to have good effects upon their internal condition and improve it. The remedy would never work when finally applied, and yet the people sought for further remedies, as if it would work next time and everything would be better in the future. The Enemy would tempt the Israel people in their mind, and then the people would immediately attempt to think something against it, to resist in their self-will, rather than by relying upon God against the Enemy, and allow Him to work inside them. The Israel people would lie against God and attempt to become righteous without Him, but they would only end up deceiving themselves and accomplish nothing. The people might speak this or that, and do this or that, but they would still remain stagnant in their spiritual life, never change to the better, and never become more capable. It is like the people would still be stuck upon square one, even after all this time which had passed, so they had really learned nothing and possessed no self-awareness. Their guilty conscience was a like a hot oven, for the people would continue to lie against God and pretend like His ways did not work out. The people were willing to rely upon everyone else than God, and everything else than His ways, no matter how foolish and insane it proved to be, so long as it would not involve God. God had been willing to heal the people all this time, if they had only turned to Him wholeheartedly and asked for it. But the people did never bother to consider the possibility, let alone make the attempt. Imagine if a man would live for hundred years and he would never turn to God all this time, not even once, even that three days would have been enough to redeem him. The people returned, but not to God, since they sought to become righteous in their own self-will, as if it would be all thanks to their human effort. This is why God would not accept the sacrifices of the Israel people, when they offered flesh and ate it, since it was originated in their self-will, conceived in their mind. God had originally redeemed the Israel people and made them into better persons, but they would make a golden calf and claim that everything had been thanks to him. The people would only get worse with the time, after they had forsaken God and rejected His words, so the previous progress would be lost and forgotten.

In the Book of Amos it is written: ‘Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities. Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath not prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? Can a bird fall in snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? Shall one take up snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?’ In chapter 7 it is written: ‘Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land.’

God only knew the Israel people of all the families of the earth, because He had made covenant with them alone and trusted them alone, so they were the only nation upon earth that betrayed God. Let’s say that a married man does commit adultery with another woman, and it would be revealed. Which one of them should receive the greater condemnation? The adulterous man is deserving of more blame, because he betrayed the woman he is married to. The adulterous woman did not betray anyone, but she merely appealed to the married man’s treachery. The married man would either way have committed adultery with someone, now or later, since he had already yielded to such lust from within. Is not a false friend worse than any honest enemy that opposes us openly? It was not our honest enemy that betrayed our trust or repaid our kindness with hostility, but it was rather that unworthy friend, which conspired with our enemies behind our back and revealed our secrets to them. Such was the relationship between God and the Israel people, so it does explain His indignation and why He punished the people so severely. The Israel people committed spiritual whoredom with the heathens, but it was not the heathens which had betrayed God, whom despised their Benefactor and esteemed Him too lightly. God would no longer trust the Israel people in whole, as a nation, but God would rather come to trust individuals, those that opened their heart to Him. The prophets had once been considered outcasts in the society, or they decided to become outcasts for God’s sake, and would not share in the guilt of the majority. The prophets separated themselves from the people, and did not participate in the same things as them, so the prophets would be innocent when the punishments finally happened. The prophets preached God’s message, and encouraged individuals to repent, so they could come over to God and keep themselves at His basis. Nothing happens by coincidence, at random, or out of the blue, but it had already been decided by the goodness and the evilness. God does possess the will to help us or to oppose us, and then next He does create opportunities and circumstances that will make it come to pass. The Enemy is nothing and he cannot accomplish anything against us, not while God is willing to help us, but our misfortune is always originated in God’s absence. It was God that chose to unleash devils upon the Israel people, because of their wickedness, but these devils would otherwise never have done it against His consent. God is the source of everything, the original cause, while everything else is the consequence, so that we can only receive that which God has already decided in heaven. It is not the man that chooses God, but it is God that chooses Him. It is not like we can all of a sudden decide to become a prophet and that God is obligated to speak to us, but it is ultimately God that decides everything, and He is in control of everything. Amos confessed that he was not born as a prophet, but he had on the contrary had a lowly profession, as if there was nothing special about him and what he did. But it was the Lord that chose Amos to become His prophet, so that he could become something greater than he was, aspire for greater things, and have a true calling.

In chapter 4 it is written: ‘And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned into me, saith the Lord. And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there was yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord... I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt; your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: ye have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.’ In chapter 7 it is written: ‘Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand. And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more: And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.’ In chapter 8 it is written: ‘Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me: and behold a basket of summer fruit. And he said, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A basket of summer fruit. Then said the Lord unto me, The end is come upon my people of Israel; I will not again pass by them any more.’

Neither blessings nor punishments would be able to convert the Israel people back to God, so it was like nothing seemed to work, no matter what God could change on the outside, all around them. The Israel people would show no self-restraint during prosperity and forget about God, but during adversity then they would become even more proud and stubborn about it. So the Israel people would either way remain hostile toward God, as if they could not interpret anything differently, and would invent any pretence to blame God. The root of the problem remained the same, as in the desert during the time of Moses. Remember that the old generations did never appreciate anything which God could do for them, what He had already accomplished in their lives and blessed them in, but the people would begin to murmur again, rebel against Moses, and demand more signs. It was because of the people’s unbelief in God, originated in their selfish and barren heart, so it would always distort their vision of everything that happened on the outside. This does explain why Jesus Christ needed to come to the world and finish the works of God, since that change must first begin from within us, namely in our attitude, understanding, and willingness. It is because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that we can be forgiven our sins, purified and healed, give new heart and spirit in His mage, and become guided by the Holy Spirit. Then and only then can we begin to love God and appreciate what He is doing for us. So it is about having a perfect attitude, not perfect environment, since that perfect attitude can endure any environment, however imperfect it can be. The Lord told the Israel people to be prepared to meet their God. It might seem easy for the human people to hold God in contempt and ridicule His ways, while they cannot see God in His own person and they presume that He is too distant to know it. Any coward can pretend to be bold while nobody is near to harm him, and any fool can pretend to be wise while nobody is near to correct him. But what if we would die and then all of a sudden find ourselves standing before God in all His glory, and we would then need to give an account of ourselves, when there will be the Last Judgment? What are we going to say to God? How are we going to hold fast to our foolish claims, defend ourselves, and convince God that He had been wrong all this time? For that God given us an entire lifetime to repent and confess the obvious truth, and yet we had neglected God all this time and pretended like His blessings were our own possessions. It could correspond to that when people seem to have an ordinary day, but they will then experience danger all of a sudden, which nobody had expected or been prepared for. A good example would be earthquake, or something beyond everyone’s control. The people will then automatically respond in panic, as if they were about to die and everything would be lost, so they will immediately forget their previous boldness and proud opinions. This could of course happen to anyone, including the man that writes this, and it should not be belittled any person for it. But here is attempted to make a point, how weak and helpless all of us are before God, and in no position to dictate the terms. The end had come, and the Lord would not again pass by the Israel people any more. The people had hitherto refused to repent after all this time, and all these opportunities, so they would neither do so in the future. It is not like we can ask: ‘What about next time?’ For the Israel people remained exactly the same from within, always in the fundamental aspect. There were no good deeds, because the heart was never ready to do so in the first place. God gave up on the Israel people, because they had already given up on themselves, so that nothing good would ever come out from the matter, in delaying it further. The Assyrians led the Israel people into captivity, and none of them would ever return to the land. God was not being unreasonable or overly harsh, but the old basis needed to be removed before a new basis could be established for the future.

In chapter 5 it is written: ‘Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is for you? The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?’ In chapter 9 it is written: ‘I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered. Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them: And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.’

It is described the day of the Lord like it is headed from one trouble to another, so the man cannot actually flee from anything, and he cannot delay anything. Nobody can flee from God, or nobody can flee from himself, since God accompanies him from within. Nobody can conceal his true intentions away from God or hide behind excuses, but God will surely dispel everything and confirm the truth. The same punishment will continue to befall the man, regardless of that what he can intend to do and think against it, so it will still continue to affect him to the worse. God has already sentenced the man to become foolish, deranged, weak, cowardly, unhappy, instable, restless, and sick, so the means can differ but all of them lead to the same end. The end of one path marks the beginning of another path, and God will either way create new problems to replace the old ones, so the man does find himself back in the same position. The description does otherwise seem to resemble the divine punishments in the Book of Revelation, namely the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven vials. This does apply the wicked man as an individual, after he fell from God, so that he would undergo many phases during his lifetime, which would trouble him in different ways, as to the prove that his wicked path was unable to make him happy. And yet the wicked man would continue to resist God and still cling to his pride, as if the next time would be different and he could finally get the better of God. The wicked man is bitter and revengeful, hates everyone and everything in his life, so that he wants to see enemies in other people, wants to create problems and live for them. The wicked man has dwelt upon cruel desires and thoughts, where he wishes to mistreat innocent people, but he will only succeed in destroying his own soul and body. These cruel thoughts would begin to undermine the man’s sanity, health, and stability, so that he would find himself distracted most of the time, tired, afflicted, and empty. The wicked man will become pale to look upon, since he does not live for the truth. And the wicked man will become cold upon touch, since he is devoid of charity. God does not receive any pleasure in the death of the sinner, so that we should neither do so. It is not like we should hope for the last days, the fall of the human race and the end of the world, as if everyone would need to suffer in order to make things easier for us. We should rather hope that will never come down to that, at least not in our times, that so many people should loose their innocence and become spiritually dead. It should of course be hoped that Jesus Christ will return to the world as soon as possible, and deliver His people, but we should not hope for the fall which happens prior to it. We should make decisions according to charity, genuine concern for the fellow man, instead of looking only to our life alone and what we could obtain from God.

In the Book of Jeremiah it is written: ‘My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, even the Lord, the hope of their fathers.’ It is written (25): ‘And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolation. And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the Lord had sent me... Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you. And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.’

The wicked men persecute other people as if they were doing God a service, as if they were punishing on God’s behalf and the victims deserved to be punished. The wicked men did first carry ill will toward the people of God, and then next they invented these or those reasons in order to make the persecution seem rational, as to deceive everyone else in the area and even get their support. And the wicked men waited until the people of God revealed a sign of weakness, made an error of judgment or mistake, and then wicked men immediately sought to exploit it against them. So the wicked men sought to attack their victims while they were unprepared, too occupied with their problems, or still recovering from the shock of their misfortune. But the wicked men fail to consider their own position, their own sins and iniquity, since they are actually worse than other people and deserve a greater condemnation. Therefore will God surely punish the wicked men for their hypocrisy, even make an example out of them for all men to see, so they will be unable to rise up again. The wicked men will never become prosperous again, and never feel any better, but they will surely loose everything, become unhappy slaves that live in shame and derision. The wicked men will drink from the cup of God’s wrath, become mad and turn against each other, until everyone has fallen in one way or another, sooner or later. The best example would be empires, as they have always turned out, when nations become prosperous by deceiving, oppressing, manipulating, and robbing other people. The empire in question does first oppress foreign nations, and gathers great treasure for itself, which the imperial subjects spend upon luxuries and to enrich their homes. But it is like the treasure is cursed, where it does corrupt and spoil the owners, so they will become full of pride, greed, and envy, possess a selfish ambition and seek to rival each other. It is only a matter of time until there will be a civil war within the empire, where everyone are fighting everyone for the sake of trivial reasons, until everything is ruined. So the imperial subjects will become worse off than ever before, where they can owe more money to creditors than they had ever stolen from other people. The Hellenistic Kingdoms turned on each other after the fall of Alexander the Great, and a similar thing would apply to European powers and the Two World Wars. The Romans could not prevent this from happening, after the murder of the Gracchi brothers and destruction of Carthage. There would be three civil wars in a row, between Sulla and Marius, Caesar and Pompey, and finally Octavius and Mark Antony. It is like everything was destroyed which had been built through dishonest gain, so the imperial subjects would need to begin from the scratch with scarce resources.

In the Book of Amos it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they carried away captive the whole captivity, to deliver them up to Edom… For three transgressions of Tyrus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they delivered up the whole captivity to Edom, and remembered not the brotherly covenant… For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever… For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border…’ In the Book of Obadiah it is written: ‘For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever. In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress. Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity; Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress. For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as through they had not been.’ In the Book of Ezekiel (chapter 25) it is also spoken against the Ammonites, the Moabites, and the Edomites, for rejoicing over the misfortune of Israel.

The prophet Amos does always mention seven transgressions in whole, as when there were seven godless nations in Canaan, and that there are seven things which God hates, that are an abomination unto Him. In can also be mentioned chapter 28 in the Book of Deuteronomy, where a Levite and the Israel people were meant to curse everyone that would commit wickedness. The worst wickedness is always directed against another person, when there is a total absence of love, compassion, understanding, and mercy, so the offender is willing mistreat and shame the victim a despicable way, because of malice. These nations would exploit the weaknesses and misery of other people, attack those that were down on the ground and unable to defend themselves, and treat them like garbage. This wicked men wish for evil things to befall innocent people, rejoice over their misfortune when it finally happens, seek to exalt themselves at the expense of the people, and attack them if the wicked men can seem to get away with it. This is why God will surely punish the wicked men and show them no mercy, since they sough to mistreat innocent people for no reason whatsoever, just because they could do so. It is true that God punished the Israel people for their sins, but that was something that was only between God and them. The Edomites had no right to interfere, as if they were punishing the Israel people on God’s behalf and making it worse for them. The Edomites were already wicked in God’s sight, and no better in comparison, so they were asking to be punished as well, according to the very same premises. There exist violent men that look for excuses to mistreat other people, if they have been guilty of faults or done something which is not according to the norm. These violent men presume that they are doing a good deed by punishing people for their sins, but they are nothing more than hypocrites that deserve to be punished what most. Nobody is in position to play God and get away with it, but it is like a recipe for disaster, since if we judge other people then we will be judged by the same standard. Let’s say that we persecute a wicked man for having persecuted innocent persons, so we treat the wicked man in exactly the same wicked way as he had done to his victims. But who is then going to punish us in turn, for having acted just like that wicked man? Why should we be allowed to have the final word, and get away with everything? This does especially apply to hypocritical people, which do still judge and persecute humble sinners for their bad past, even that the latter have already repented and improved.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! When thy shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.’ In the Lamentations of Jeremiah it is written: ‘Rejoice, and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. The punishment of thy iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.’ In the Book of Malachi it is written: ‘I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? Saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritages waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will thrown down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever. And your shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.’

This does not mean that the wicked man has repented, turned back to God, or ceased to commits evil through good reasons. It can rather be said that the wicked man had managed to get to the top, collect treasure, and defeat all enemies, so he would now want to enjoy the prosperity for himself. The wicked man has been deceiving, oppressing, and robbing people all his life, those that were not prepared for it and had done nothing to deserve such treatment. But that man will later find himself in exactly the same position, as if he would be unable to retire in peace and enjoy the spoils, where there would no longer be any friends left to help him, and there would be too many enemies for him to handle. The wicked man does always loose in the long run, when his evil reputation does follow him anywhere, so he can be betrayed, attacked, and overthrown at any moment. It is not something which the wicked man can always predict and have under his control, to be constantly worried about his survival and expect hidden dangers around the corner, so it is only a matter of time until he will make a mistake and fall. The Edomites would attempt to rebuild their lives, only to be cast down each and every time, since the Lord denied them prosperity and happiness. It might seem like the Edomites were about to become prosperous and happy, as if it was just within their reach, but there would always something happen to dash their hopes and ruin everything. The wicked man has hitherto persecuted innocent persons and denied them normal life, so that God will also deny him normal life, when he tries to fit in with the group and be like everyone else. This was not something that could have been prevented, if different decisions had been made at that time. God would either way have created problems and enemies, in one way or another, so it would lead to exactly the same effects. There would always be something, something that came instead, to make the wicked man feel miserable.

In the Book of Amos it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime… For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked: But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem. Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name: And lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god… And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel? Saith the Lord. But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, prophesy not. Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver himself: Neither shall he stand that handleth the bow; and he that is swift of foot shall not deliver himself: neither shall he that rideth the hose deliver himself. And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, saith the Lord.’

God would punish Moab for disrespecting the remains of the king of Edom, as if it did not matter whether the victim in question was righteous or wicked. It was still a despicable act in itself, as when barbarian kings would drink wine from the skulls of their enemies, or when something was made out from the remains. It is something which no human beings should ever consider, and never be capable of. The human people are meant to be greater than beasts, but not worse than beasts, since beasts are not capable of such despicable tings. Animals are forced to kill other animals in order to feed and survive, and they can attack human beings when they feel threatened and are afraid of coming to harm. But animals do otherwise not mistreat ‘human beings’ through malice and cruelty, needlessly. It is namely the human people which are their own worst enemy, and the human people treat each other worst of everyone, as if they were the real beasts upon the earth. And a father and a son would commit fornication with the same harlot, where it is something that could never have happened at random or by some coincidence, but it does testify that there was not the least sense of decency in any one of them. God would also punish the people of Judah for having despised His law and ‘not’ kept it. For an example then people of Judah did perhaps not commit evil deeds directly, so they did not mistreat the poor and the weak, unlike all the heathens. However the people of Judah did still neglect to do good deeds, since they did not show any compassion and mercy. But the people would just stand by and do nothing, or walk past the persons that were living in distress, as if these persons were of no concern to them. An absence of goodness is no better than evilness, for that evilness is merely an anti-goodness, which seeks to make everyone digress away from goodness or forget it.

In the Book of Joel it is written: ‘That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten. Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth. For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion.’ In chapter 2 it is written: ‘The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the house; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. They earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great, and very terrible; and who can abide it?’ In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and  I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.’

In the Book of Levictus and the Book of Deuteronomy it is spoken about sevenfold curses, which can be inflicted up to five times against the fallen believer, if he still refuses to repent and will not turn back to God, during or after each phase. So the fallen believer will be worse off each time, as he has become the more stubborn, until God will no longer seek to correct him and could give up on him for good. The Book of Deuteronomy speaks about delivering the fallen believer back to Egypt on ships, and there nobody would want to buy him as a slave, as if it were the worst possible insult. That would be the worse case scenario, after everything else had failed, although it is meant to signify captivity to devils and inner torment. It does otherwise correspond to the fall of the Northern Kingdom, the one in Samaria, so the Assyrians led the Israel people into captivity and none of them would return to the land. Let’s say that the man had hitherto believed in God and been blessed by Him in everything, so the man is now at the top of his life, what he can experience from within and possess in his life. But the man would then choose to fall from God, whatever that reason might be, so that he will gradually begin to loose the good things away from his life. During the first phase then the man would loose 90% of his good sense, virtues, and benefits, along with his prosperity in the world. And then during the next phase the man would loose 90% of the same things, then again 90% during the third phase, and finally 90% during the fourth phase. Therefore would the man begin at 100, then go to 10, then to 1, and finally to about 0,1 of his original capability. So the man has now become very foolish person, deranged, weak, cowardly, unhappy, restless, and sick. This is what is meant with palmerworm, locust, cankerworm, and caterpillar. But the faith in God can multiply our capability by 33, 66, or 100, again and again, so that we can both surpass our old life and other people, in just about every aspect. It is spoken about a nation that has the teeth and cheek of a lion, horsemen that will destroy everything on their path, and no weapon will seem to work against them. God would deliver the Israel people up to devils, and these devils would run back and forth from within them, to influence every part to the worse, to deprive them of every benefit, and ruin everything. Now the people would experience overwhelming desires, which their unrestrained heart could not handle, so the people found themselves compelled to submit. The people would know that such desires were senseless and wicked, but they would still the same lack the ability to resist, and have no control over such obsession. The people would now be given over to depraved mind, which was constantly creating new subjective problems and psychical symptoms, to afflict their sanity and stability. The people would now be given over to impulsive and sick flesh, as if they were burning up and drying up by insatiable desires, as if their soul were being stretched out or torn up from within, as if everything was about to collapse. In the Book of Revelation it is spoken about devils with similar appearance, after it has been blown the Fifth Trumpet and the Sixth Trumpet. Then would appear devils from the bottomless pit, which could resemble parts of man, woman, lion, scorpion, locust, and a serpent. The wicked men are punished with one divine curse after another, so they will experience many evils from within themselves, every individual by himself. Their soul is like a land that is being overrun by devils and destroyed, and it will only escalate with the time, if they will not repent and turn back to God. This does not mean the end of the world, or that the world will collapse, but it does rather apply to the man’s soul, his sanity and health, as if his life was about to end any moment.

In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white. Then said I, O my Lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be. And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they  whom the Lord hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth. And they answered the angel of the Lord that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.’

This does seem to resemble the first four seals in the Book of Revelation, concerning the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These are not real horses, but rather spirits that have been given specific roles by God, so their power will reach to specific fields and last for a specific time. It is true that these horses and riders are able to cause evils and suffering upon the world, but they are still not being controlled by the Enemy or working against the will of God. It can rather be said that God is punishing the human people for their wickedness. For they have refused to repent, refused to show compassion and mercy, and refused to receive God into their lives, even after God had tried to help them from all sides. These divine punishments are merely the consequence, something that happened after the human people rebelled against God for a long time, but it is not really the cause of their rebellion. It is not a light thing when the human people reject God, even after knowing who God is, and what His goodness is capable of in their lives. It is true that some people do not know about God, but they do still heed His voice in their heart, so they do indirectly believe in God, through the goodness which God stands for. But the human people are otherwise deliberately rebelling against God, even that they know the truth about God and their own life, what are their real motives and what they are really doing. That kind of path would only escalate with the time, making the people even more godless, selfish, amoral, and indifferent, as if they were cold, lifeless, and spiritless, where nothing had any meaning in their life and they would not derive value from anything they did. Nobody can come up with excuses and manage to self-justify himself before God, as if he did never know anything and should not be held accountable for his choices. God has been reminding every individual of the truth and encouraging him to do the right thing, which the individual can surely discern and experience from within. It is not like the individual can close his eyes and pretend like he does not know anything, as if he would never bother to reach for the right possibility, never make any attempt at all, even that everything is already transparent, what lies ahead and needs to be done.

In chapter 1 it is written: ‘Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem. And the Lord shewed me four carpenters. Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.’ In chapter 6 it is written: ‘And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; And in the third chariot white horses; and in the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. Then I answered and said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the angel answered and said unto me, These are four spirits of the heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth. The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south country. And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth. Then cried he upon me, and spake unto me, saying, Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country.’ In chapter 8 it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.’

The Book of Daniel had previously mentioned four horns, which are four kingdoms that belonged to the Hellenistic Empire. These were Greece, Macedonia, Egypt, and the Seleucid Empire, but the Seleucid Empire could include Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. These two mountains were of brass, another evidence to support the claim, when it is considered the Great Image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in a vision. But the Jews had already returned to Judah during the Persian Empire, to rebuild Jerusalem and live in that area. It is true that some kings attempted to force their Hellenistic culture upon the Jews, and they persecuted the Jews when the latter were unwilling to submit to such demands. This Hellenistic conversion was otherwise a failure, and really not that significant process. These four horns must signify something else, which is of spiritual nature, as when the Pharaoh could signify the Enemy and Babylon can signify a spiritual place. Let’s say that there have been four kinds of powers (horns) in the world, which have caused division and internal rivalry among the followers of Jesus Christ (Christians). That would be the Roman Catholic Church (including the papacy), Islam, the Greek Orthodox Church, and the Protestantism. The first three would come to exist during the Byzantine Empire (situated in Greece), and were thereby related to the Greco-Roman culture. But Protestantism has hitherto been part of the Western World, in the Modern period, based upon the Greco-Roman culture, so it could still fit in with the prophecy in question. The Roman Catholic Church did originally reach to Western and Southern Europe, but it does now also include Central-America and South America. Islam spread out in the territories of the Eastern Roman Empire, including North-Africa and the Middle-East. Islam was originally like a heresy, which then became transformed into its own religion. Islam would deceive and convert people that had previously been Christians, as if Islam was the newest addition to the Bible and that it still involved the same God. But Islam has come to oppose the faith in Jesus Christ, and transform heretics into enemies. The Greek Orthodox Church would still be influential in Eastern-Europe, including Russia. Then there is Protestantism, ‘comparatively best’ religion of these four (least bad), since it is acknowledged the grace of Jesus Christ and the complete validity of the Scripture. Protestantism does now reach to Central and Northern Europe, North-America, South-Africa, and Australia. Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation, but he was not without faults (like his hatred for Jews), so that he does not offer the best personal example. Protestantism did originally head into the right direction, but it has now degenerated into apathetic religion, which even the priests do not take seriously. Protestantism does exist in the richest countries in the world, where people have come to worship their own prosperity and prefer technology above the faith, so that most of the people might be registered as Christians but they are really not so in their hearts. The Protestant Reformation was instrumental in disproving the old basis belonging to the Roman Catholic Church, and it created new basis for the followers of Jesus Christ. A similar thing could repeat itself in the human history. God can choose someone to become a great teacher and reformer, to the point of revolutionizing people’s vision of the faith and convert them. And the great teachers would also be able to disprove all these counterfeit religions in the world, whether they are called Christian, heretical, or hedonic. The problem about Protestantism is that it does merely confirm the obvious truth, what is written in the Scripture and meant to be understood in a simple way, at the outset. The Roman Catholic Church had once gotten in the way, and sought to distort the people’s vision of the Scripture, so it would be derived completely different meaning. But it is no longer a threat at our times, when the Scripture has been translated into so many languages and made accessible to everyone, for a very cheap price. This is why we do not really need Protestantism as some kind of worldly intercessor or helping device. But we can just as well consult with the Scripture, and head directly for Jesus Christ, and then God will take care of the rest from within us. There is only one genuine faith, which Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher thereof, as the Word of God, so it is something which is pure and everlasting, received from heaven. We do not need to create our own Christian religion before we can become a true believer, but it is rather made possible by the Spirit of Christ, which God has poured into our heart. First we are reborn in the Spirit of Christ, and then next does the Holy Spirit seek to teach us everything, so that we can reach Christ’s spiritual maturity. We are meant to be lead into full knowledge of God and serve Him with a perfect heart, which does include our attitude, understanding, willingness, and capability. It is about being able to obey God in every matter and overcome any temptations, as if we would always aspire for good things and be ready for every good work.

In chapter 5 it is written: ‘Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. And he said unto me, What seest thou? And I answered, I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits. Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as one this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.’

There are divine curses going forth over the face of the whole earth, as what has been testified of in the Book of Revelation. Many people presume that all these divine curses will happen to everyone at the same time, like during the last days, and that it will only affect the human body or the earth. But the divine curses have already applied to the human race at any period, for they are meant for individuals and it will affect them in regard to the spiritual aspect. The wicked men will be punished by God, and it will especially happen from within them, regardless of time and place. This means that the wicked men’s internal condition and capability will get gradually worse with the time. That to suffer in the physical aspect is far worse than loosing external possessions, like when one person is being beaten, abused, or shamed by another person. And that to suffer in the spiritual aspect is far worse than the physical aspect, like when God deprived the devils of their sanity, health, and inner stability, so the devils do now experience overwhelming torment, each and every moment, for ever and ever. It can also be mentioned chapter 12 in the Book of Ecclesiastes. It seems to predict the man’s last moments before he dies, if he dies as a sinner, and has failed to become virtuous. It can involve unique personal experience, as if everything is about to collapse in the man’s life, and in his life alone, even that everything might seem ordinary to everyone else. The environment remains unchanged, but everything has changed from within the wicked man. The divine curses are meant for those that steal and swear falsely by God’s name. That to be thief is not only bound to that in stealing money and material objects, since such things are not really precious in themselves, at least not in God’s eyes. But a thief is someone that persecutes innocent people for being better than him, and he attempts to steal that which the people deserve through their merit and honest work. It is like the thief is depriving other people of justice, and stealing their rights from them, so it has been denied them survival, freedom, and happiness. And that to swear falsely is not only bound to oaths and promises, but it does rather apply to any man that is insincere and false toward God, treacherous and hypocritical. It applies to those that pretend to believe in God, while they are trying to reshape God in their own image, and ascribing their own foolish opinions to Him. The false believers are willing to lie all kinds of things about God and make false promises on His behalf, as if that would help to convert more people and serve God’s cause. However if it is relied upon the Enemy then it will only serve his cause, since that lies will lead to more lies and injustice to more injustice. Nothing good will come out from that in digressing from God, in neglecting His ways, or by coming up with counterfeits, whatever the reason. The spiritual dogs and swine’s shall not inherit the Kingdom of God: whomsoever loves to lie and is willing to use or abuse another person, as if he could cheat himself through any challenge, and sacrifice others in order to save his own skin.

19.2: Repentance

In the Book of Jonah it is written: ‘Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.’ It is written: ‘Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.’

Jonah was supposed to save an entire city, but he fled from God, as if he was willing to abandon all these people in order to save his own skin. It was probably because of Jonah’s fear in making an embarrassment of himself, if his preaching would fail to obtain reception, or if he did not perform it well enough. He must have imagined everything as too difficult, like when he would reveal himself to everyone, in what way other people would look upon him and think about him. However Jonah was first and foremost afraid of his own ‘thoughts about the task’, where it only seemed to be so difficult in his mind. But everything would be easy in practice, once Jonah arrived to Nineveh and made his first move in preaching the word. Jonah tried to flee from God and he took a ship, but by doing so then he was endangering everyone on the ship, since that he was the only among them that had betrayed God. The heathens would make promise to their gods and throw wares to the sea. Let’s say that the ordinary man does not believe in God and he is selfish for most part, but everything would change, if it seemed like the man would be about to die any moment. Then that man would feel inclined to invoke God for aid, even that he had never before considered the possibility that God does exist or who He is supposed to be. The man will come up with these or those promises, promising to become good in the future, to get rid of these or those faults, and even serve God for the rest of his life. But most men would not keep such promises after the danger is past, at least not in the long run. But the men would ascribe all the credit to luck, timely coincidences, or human skill, so they would still think and behave in the same way as before. If the prophet rebels against God then he will carry bad luck from within himself, which can affect everyone around him, so that prophet would be likely to drag everyone down with himself. It does involve a similar principle as when a wicked man or a false prophet is cursed by God. Nobody should be willing to invite them into their midst, to become part of the group, since these cursed individuals will always ruin the undertakings in one way or another, whether by their treachery, foolishness, incompetence or mistakes. A coward should not be allowed to fight with the army, because he will break his rank and flee, so the rest of his comrades will have a harder time in fighting against the enemy. The fallen believer is like bad news to everyone else, as if he was always falling into or creating troubles, playing with dangers, and getting people up against himself, needlessly in each and every case. It will not bode well for his friends, if the fallen believer has any, since that his troubles and enemies will spread out to them as well.

In chapter 2 it is written: ‘Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish´s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottom of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities fosake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited Jonah upon the dry land.’ In the Gospel of Matthew it is written: ‘But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’

The sea does signify the sea of death, where everything is extreme and chaotic, consisting of every possible sin and iniquity, conceived and committed by the human race. It is like the man does run back and forth in his mind, and his soul is torn between two different things, so that nothing seem to stand firm in its place. The man is constantly changing his mind and trying to save himself from problems, but when an end does seem to be in sight then the man will begin such process all over again.  It could otherwise signify the world, spiritual death or hell, a complete absence of truth and goodness, and it cannot be escaped from that place without God’s help. It has been compared the Enemy to a roaring lion that seeks to swallow the human people, so it could be related to the story about Jonah. Jesus Christ is the Life itself, and we can only live through Him and in Him. But what if the fallen believer is swallowed by the Enemy, and seeing things inside him? The fallen believer will only see death, abominations, and perversions, where he will experience the mindset of the Enemy in all its madness and wickedness. The great fish does perhaps signify overwhelming temptation (tribulation), which the true believer can overcome through the power of God, but never the fallen believer, not in his own might. Selfish people are always demanding signs from God, as if God would need to prove Himself in their eyes, appease their selfish desires, and become their clown. But God’s knows their falsity, treachery, and hypocrisy, that these people have no intent in repenting and following Him, even that God could make countless signs. For the people would always demand more signs, and invent more excuses, as if it could rationalize their selfish ways, and their unwillingness to make the necessary sacrifices. This explains why God did never do any signs and miracles for such people in the first place, where it has everything to do about their attitude, but not God’s lack of ability. The selfish people will only experience one sign in their lives, and that does consist in that of experiencing the absence of God, in being given over to a depraved mind. This will become a supernatural sign in itself, not because of that what the people could see on the outside, or what was supposed to happen all around them. But the people would come to know what it is like to experience nothing good in their lives, as if they would come to know the difference between God’s presence and absence, so it will indirectly prove His existence, when it is compared the present with the past. The people have neither seen God nor any angels, just as before their punishment, but they have still experienced the presence of devils, and been tormented by them. When the person is given over to a depraved mind then it can experience all kinds of delusions and half-visions, like that strange faces are watching it and doing something. Jonah would show genuine repentance and gratitude, so that Jonah would praise God and give all the glory to Him, regardless of that what would be God’s decision. This means that Jonah was willing to die, and already contented with God’s decision, whatever it might be, as if God could do anything which He liked with his life. But it is not like Jonah approached God like a fearful slave, who does crave for his life, is willing to degrade himself, to flatter the master and promise anything for mercy. That to be afraid is not the same thing as genuine repentance, or genuine humility, but it is more like another side of selfishness, still bound to love for our self.

In chapter 3 it is written: ‘And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three day’s journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For the word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.’

At that time Nineveh was the most wicked city in the world, even as when Manasseh the king of Judah had once been the most wicked man in the history of Israel. But the people of Nineveh repented and were redeemed in the process, as what had applied to Manasseh. This was nothing personal, but it had everything to do about moral choices, so it would either affect the person to the better or to the worse. Jonah predicted destructions that was sure to happen, if the people resumed their evil ways, but if the people ceased their evil ways then God would change His mind as well. Jonah had previously attempted to flee from God, as if he was the least prophet in Israel (or so it might seem, when compared to other men’s willingness to become a prophet). It is thereby like the least prophet would go to the most wicked city in the world, and he succeeded in convincing everyone to repent, within/after three days. This story is not only about Nineveh, but it is also about the Israel people at that time. The Israel people had all these prophets, great and many, and yet most of them would not repent. This story is meant to confirm how unworthy and ungrateful the Israel people were, even after everything which God had done for them, from all sides, all this time. But the people of Nineveh would receive a messenger from God, only one person, and then everyone would make the necessary changes, right away, in every aspect. The people of Nineveh would not even drink and eat during that time, as if to confirm that their lives were at stake, and it had the most priority to make peace with God. Our life is more important than food and drink, and God is more important than our life, since it is God that determines whether we will live or not, our ultimate fate. The heathens were more likely to honour God of Israel and His prophets, however little it might be, since they knew what the world was like without His intervention. But the Israel people were accustomed to God and took everything too much for granted, as if they were out of touch with the real world, on the outside. The people of Nineveh were willing to make radical to their lives and society, within such a short time, so the Israel people could have accomplished the same, if they had really wanted to. The problem did not consist in God and what He should ‘rather’ have done for the Israel people, but it did rather consist in their unwillingness, so the people were like spoiled children, too self-indulgent to make the attempt.

It is written: ‘But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me die than to live. Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry? So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd. But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered. And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live. And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death. Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?’

Jonah was only meant to be the messenger, to repeat that what he had been told, and obey the decision of someone greater than him. But Jonah became angry over the matter, that God had decided to spare the people of Nineveh, even that Jonah had already fulfilled the humble role assigned to him. Jonah was meant to warn the people of Nineveh and encourage them to repent, which they did, so there was no longer any problem, nothing which should call for a punishment. And yet Jonah did still want the city to be destroyed, as if the original warning had been more important than the people which the warning was meant for, or that the original instruction was more important than God, whom had given it to Jonah. The healing is more important than the remedy, and the body is more important than the healing, since the healing is for the sake of the body. But we should not grow too much attached to something that has become obsolete or superfluous. It does correspond to that when Jesus Christ said that ‘Sabbath was made for man, but not man for the Sabbath’. So it is about prioritizing everything, to discern what is most important in the situation, the difference between a main objective and a secondary objective, and why God had commanded something in the first place. God should always have the most priority in our lives, what He can decide in one way or another, so that we are either way meant to obey Him, however we feel about it. God can always come up with new instructions and create new things, which are meant to replace the old instructions and the old creations. God is a Living Being, where He will treat us according to our choices and respond according to the circumstances, so that God can be flexible in His decision and He can adapt to every change. The Israel people tended to neglect God Himself and what He could say to them in the present time, while they gazed too much upon that what God had said and done in the past. However if we have God in our life then He can always come up with more words of wisdom, and help us in new ways, so it will quickly surpass everything that we once knew. God had previously shown mercy to Jonah and saved him from the great fish, and now Jonah was complaining that God was showing mercy to people in similar position. Jonah was perhaps not guilty of the same things as the people of Nineveh, but he had still previously neglected God and that it something which everyone have in common. Our faults might differ from one another, but all of us have failed to obey God in every matter, so that none is better or worse than another, not in God’s eyes. None of us are in position to play God, as if we knew better than Him and could judge other people. We cannot even accomplish it in our own life, let alone in the lives of other people, since we have been making wrong decisions and neglecting our potential. Jonah wanted God to destroy people that he knew nothing about, and for something which he knew nothing about, but Jonah was like a distant spectator in the matter. God could be called the common Father of us all, because He has been watching over us all from our birth, and tried to help us in every aspect in our life. God knows what kind of person we are, and what we have been going through in our life time, what we really feel in our heart, what we dream about, and what we are truly capable of. This is why it would not make any sense if we asked God to destroy another person, someone that is in exactly the same position as us and not that different. Here is a human being that has cared for all these persons, made all these choices, and experienced all these moments, and it is then to vanish in a blink of an eye. Why should a human being be deprived of its life, and all these moments, only so that we can satisfy our stupid anger, something that is altogether vain and superfluous?

In the Book of Micah it is written: ‘But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto the Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? None evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.’ In chapter 7 it is written: ‘The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net. That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up. The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. Trust yet not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house. Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.’ For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.’

Nothing is what it seems in this world, but everything can be upside down, what is happening on the outside and what is happening on the inside. All these men pretended to be so religious, in what way they dressed, in what way they spoke about God, and practiced openly, but it was only to fool other people and to derive some kind of selfish repayment. These men would found their own congregations, and create their own titles, only so they might seem important and to receive honour from each other. It was not God that had appeared to these men and chosen them as His prophets, but these men decided to become so in their self-will, or they were elected as ‘prophets’ by the people. A similar thing applies to our times when the state and the church are one, so that priesthood becomes like any other job, and the priests want to receive wages for their service. It does however tend to degenerate into a self-interest group, where the priests are only concerned about that in holding their job and to receive further rewards. So the priests will pretend to do this or that for God’s sake, only so it can self-justify the existence of their priesthood, create need for their involvement (supply and demand), and do something for them. Nobody was being sincere toward God, when that person was all alone with its thoughts, but the person would disrespect God, disregard His voice, and esteem His ways too lightly. The religious hypocrite would seek to convince everyone else about his piety, except God Himself. But that hypocrite did not really believe that God’s ways could work out in the world, and he was unwilling to forgo any selfish opportunity that might present itself, since he wanted to become like everyone else. There was no good man among them, because there were no good intentions in them, but everything had been distorted by spite, envy, avarice, lust, and rivalry. This is why the true believer could not even trust his own family, friends, and relatives, since there was something very wrong about their attitude, what they felt about him, deep down in their hearts. It could happen that the relatives chose to resume relationship with the believer, by communicating with him at regular intervals and by inviting him to their homes, as if they were his friends. And yet the same people despised the believer in their hearts, doubted his true motives, slandered him, and presumed something negative about him, so that he could notice many signs of their disrespect. Everyone might seem to be friendly during a time of prosperity, but they would immediately turn against the believer during adversity, if he would find himself at a disadvantage. Everyone might seem to be honest in their speech and gesture, until something came up which tempted them and tested their initial reactions. Then everyone would reveal their true colours, how false and selfish they really are, since they were willing to exalt themselves at the believer’s expense, to sacrifice him in order to save their own skin. The people are already guilty of falsity and spite in their hearts, and it is only a matter of time until something will draw it out, if the believer’s life is disagreeable to them.

In chapter 4 it is written: ‘And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. Now why doest thou cry out aloud? Is there no king in thee? Is thy counseller perished? For pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the Lord shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.’ In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.’ In the Book of Zephaniah it is written: ‘And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham; And them that are turned back from the Lord; and those that have not sought the Lord, nor inquired for him. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in they day of the Lord’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.’

In the Book of Revelation it is spoken about a woman giving birth to Christ in the wilderness, and that the remnant of her seed will be persecuted by Satan. It has already been stated that everything is upside down in this world, concerning that what is done openly or in secret. It is not the religious people that know God most of everyone, those that attend to earthly temples and uphold ceremonies, which belong to specific churches and organizations, and advertise themselves as believers to any person they meet. But the true believers are rather to be found among the outcasts, those that the world has despised, rejected, discriminated, excluded, shunned, and persecuted. It is not God that does persecute persons for being sincere, innocent, and humble, but it is always the world which does so, motivated by the Enemy inside the selfish people. The world does persecute us for not belonging to the world, since we have rejected its offers and treated the world like we don’t need it. This is like a great insult to the world, that we can become so blessed and happy without it, without craving after or relying upon the same things as the selfish people. The ways of God are the exact opposite to the ways of the world, so that to be hated by the world is actually a compliment to us, for that we are not like our enemies. The religious people have separated themselves from the outcasts, and the outcasts have separated themselves from the religious people, because there is a fundamental difference between them. It is because of that what the person already is, and what it is not, so the outcasts cannot become one of the religious people and the religious people cannot become one of the outcasts. The religious people would otherwise cease to be false and hypocritical, and the outcasts would cease to be sincere and humble. It is not the religious people that are God’s chosen people, which should be called the daughter of Zion, but they are rather the congregation of Satan, the daughter of Babylon. It is because the religious people only know how to invoke God by the right name, while everything else does belong to the Enemy’s lies and evil ways. This is why the daughter of Zion would need to go out of Jerusalem, and deliver a child in the wilderness, out in the open. The outcast must separate himself from the selfish majority, and abandon all this superficiality and hypocrisy that prevails in the society. The outcast must instead live in seclusion, or among other outcasts, if he is going to become virtuous and be always devoted to God in his heart. It is about spiritual transformation, to grow up from the carnal ways of the world. This is not to be accomplished through the world, by relying upon those with the most power and influence in the society, which have gathered all these titles for themselves. It is rather to be accomplished through God’s power, His goodwill and grace, so that even the poorest person would be able to change everyone and everything. It is about the spiritual aspect, to convince other people through reason and honesty, so they will feel inclined to do the same thing and improve the society from within. God has prepared a banquet, and He has invited everyone to attend. The meal is actually the spiritual body of Jesus Christ, whose blood and flesh we must drink and eat. For the spiritual body of Christ is the true nourishment for our soul, heart, and spirit, so we can possess an inner life and regenerate everything back to full health. God would punish all those that are clothed with strange apparel, which signifies those that are proud and self-conceited, which do not approach Jesus Christ in humility, not with proper respect. It can signify the religious people in the society, the self-righteous Pharisees, since they have obtained success in the world at the expense of truth and justice.

In the Book of Hosea it is written: ‘Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? For your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. Therefore have I hewed them by the propheths; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth. For I desires mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.’ In chapter 10 it is written: ‘Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.’ In chapter 12 it is written: ‘Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually… And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.’ In the Book of Amos it is written: ‘For thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live... Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.’ In the Book of Zehpaniah it is written: ‘Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.’

Moses once asked the Pharaoh to let the Israel people go, so they could make a three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord their God, as He would command them. Jesus Christ became resurrected on the third day, as what He had predicted in Jerusalem, concerning the temple of His body, but not the actual earthly temple. This confirms that Jesus Christ only needs three days to resurrect our spiritual man, after we have called for Him, confessed His name, and wanted to receive Him into our life. After two days the Lord will revive us, and one the third day He will raise us, so that we will experience transformation from within, feel alive and pure again. Jesus Christ will forgive all our sins, purify our soul, give us new heart and a new spirit, and He will make His home inside us, so that we will never again have to be alone. We must wait on the Lord continually, as if we would remain determined, steadfast, and consistent with our conviction, no matter what can happen to us in the meantime. The goodness of the Israel people was like the morning cloud, and as the early dew, since they were never consistent with anything which they could say and intend to do. The Israel people would rely upon the selfish way of the world and then fall into troubles, but they would never remain repentant and sincere for long, in wanting to follow God. For an example then man might ask the Lord to come into his life and save him, but the man would not bother to wait for three consecutive days, until the Lord would arrive and change him from within. The man would change his mind on the first day or the second day, and then return to his selfish ways, like he had hitherto done. The people would pretend to be righteous, until a temptation would present itself, and then they would immediately covet after it and look for an excuse to submit. God desires mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. God does not want us to fall into the trap of perfectionism, when we become obsessive over our imperfection and attempt to get rid of these or those flaws. It is more important that we should love our fellow man and be willing to forgive him, so that we will never again consider anything evil against him, and not sin in our heart. And it is more important that we should love God and seek to know His ways, for the right thing is meant to replace the wrong things, and prevent the wrong things from happening. This could never be accomplished through perfectionism, when we get rid of one flaw and another flaw will grow instead, while we remain ignorant and selfish. The man shall reap as he has sown and will affect his life, so that selfish intentions will lead to selfish problems, while the words of God will lead to spiritual freedom. Our heart is like a spiritual soil, for that we need to heed the words of God, keep them in our heart, apply them to our life and make the necessary changes to our conduct. We must treat the words of God like the truth they are, before they can affect our life in the truth, so that our heart can become spiritually fertile and bring good fruit. It should be loved good and hated evil, where we choose one thing and reject the other things, so the right things are meant to replace all the wrong things. It must be made a spiritual discernment if we are going to follow God, but we cannot agree with both good and evil at the same time, or attempt to seek for them both. It is must be rejected wrong possibilities, abstained from them, and not even desired after them, before we can begin to obtain more understanding and wisdom from God. We must prove ourselves faithful in small matters before we can be entrusted with greater matters, so we must be willing to forgo dishonest gain and pleasures. Where there is righteousness there is also moderation, as if these two virtues were siblings, belonging to the same parent. If God is righteous then He must also be moderate and humble, since the good qualities are all part of the same whole, and they work to together for the same end. The man can speak the truth and have the right on his side, but he does still the same do so with moderate spirit, since that he is serving truth and justice in humility. However if the man lays a false claim and is wrong about something then he will also be proud and stubborn about it, since he is only trying to serve his self-interest.

In chapter 52 it is written: ‘How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth!... Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that beareth the vessels of the Lord. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your reward.’ In chapter 53 it is written: ‘And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the water to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.’

The Gospel of Christ is good tidings, proclaiming salvation to those that will receive Him, so they can make peace with God, and thereby make peace with their conscience. For that God is already among us, and the Kingdom of God is opened to everyone, after the Lord Himself took matters into His own hands and overcame this world on our behalf. The Messiah would tell to the true believers, ‘Thy God reigneth’, that God had become victorious over all His enemies and proven that His will could be obeyed each and every time. The Lord would go before His people, through His own personal example upon the earth, so they only needed to follow Him and do the same thing as Him. The true believer is meant to abandon the ways of the world, and even his own self, which is like the spiritual Babylon in the eyes of God, contrary to His truth and justice. It would not be done hastily or by flight, as if believer would be afraid of sins and temptations, but he would instead be ever calm and confident in fully rejecting everything. The followers of the Messiah will become men of peace, showing understanding to other people, treating them with fairness, and tolerating them as a person, where it is all done with goodwill, only wished other people well. The followers of the Messiah are meant to bless everyone and do good toward everyone, for that is found pleasing in God’s sight, whom is the common Father of us all. God has created everyone, where all human beings are equal in His sight and deserving of compassion, so we must look upon everyone in the same way, as His children. But the Israel people lacked such overview, where they sought to exalt themselves at the expense of other human beings, both outcasts and foreigners, as if it would make them more pious in God’s eyes, or that God had created ‘sinners’ as their victims. God would no longer gather enemies against His people, whether devils or heathens, since He would no longer need to test or rebuke them through the use of adversity. Jesus Christ has already completed the works of God, and nothing more is required, so the true believer can now enjoy the victory and all the rewards, shared by Him. The enemies of God can gather around His children, only to present themselves to speedy destruction. It is like the enemies of God had come all this way to become humiliated, enslaved, and spoiled, as if they were the first one to suggest it and look for it. It does not matter what the devils can conceive against the children of God, by resorting to all kinds of lies and crafty tricks in order to oppose them, since Jesus Christ has already deprived the devils of all claims, power, and excuses, once and for all.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the takes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken. But there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ships pass thereby. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us… And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell thereon shall be forgiven their iniquity.’ It is written (40): ‘The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.’

It should be consulted with chapter 12 in the Epistle to the Hebrews, and chapter 14 in the Book of Revelation, if we are going to understand the significance of Zion/Sion. The Kingdom of God is found from within the true believers, even as when Babylon is found from within the wicked men. It is about our soul, heart, mind, spirit, body, speech, and deeds, or namely our attitude and moral choices. However Babylon is the opposite of the Zion (mount Zion, the city of God), while hell is the opposite of the Kingdom of God. Zion is meant to signify the common home of the true believers, where God’s truth and justice does prevail, so that all the believers should head in that direction and seek for Zion as their final destination. All the true believers have their home in heaven, even that they might differ in their zeal for God. But Babylon is the common home of all the wicked men, where the Enemy’s lies and wickedness prevails. Zion will lead to the Kingdom of God, while Babylon will lead to hell. The Kingdom of God (Paradise) is like the beneficial effects following righteousness, consisting in good health, happiness, and peace. But hell is more like the harmful effects following wickedness, consisting in insanity, torment, and chaos. The heavenly Jerusalem is for the pure of heart, those that believe in Jesus Christ and follow Him wherever He goes, so it is thereby never shown unbelief and abstained from sinful desires. In the Scripture it is spoken about God’s holy mountain or holy hill, made accessible to those that approach God in perfect faith, and serve Him with perfect heart, so their attitude is found pure and innocent. Zion does equal the heavenly Jerusalem, so it does thereby consist of every truthful knowledge and moral principle. For God’s ways involve pure truth and pure goodness, always to be heeded and obeyed, without any exception. It is wholly thanks to Jesus Christ that the Kingdom of God has become accessible to us, so the Lord laid the basis and made it possible for us to travel there. Jesus Christ would set a tabernacle, where nothing would be removed or broken from it. It is because the Lord was able to follow God to any spiritual progress and victory, so it does involve a universal truth and principles that can work out in any situation. This is why the devils are unable to touch the new covenant and cannot undermine it, since the Lord did never yield to their evil influence, never gave them power over His will, and He never did something contrary to God’s instructions. It is spoken about that in clearing the way for the Lord, so that every valley will be exalted, and every mountain and hill be made low. The valley does signify the humble sinner, while hill and mountain does signify the proud people, so the Lord would equalize everything as it was really meant to be. All of us are meant to be brothers and equals, so that no man should exalt himself above others, neither should anyone degrade himself for the sake of others. The Lord would be able to overcome any problems and distractions on our behalf, so we would no longer be burdened with matters too difficult for us to comprehend and handle.

It is written (49): ‘But Zion said, the Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that the should not have compassion upon the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.’ It is written (63): ‘I will make mention of the lovingkindness of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindness. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie; so he was their Saviour. In all their affliction he was afflicted, an the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.’ In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me.’

It can happen that the man forgets about God, but God will never forget about him. God does always treat the man better than what the man is willing to do for God, and God will even treat the man better than in what way the man treats himself. We have become adopted by God as His own children, so it does of course follow that God wants to share everything with us, and all His promises are ours to inherit. This is why we should never become troubled over that in showing a human frailty, revealing a sign of weakness, to commit a mistake or be found lacking in something. God will continue to love us all the same, and overlook our faults, even as when good parents are only concerned about their child, its continual wellbeing and happiness. It is about cherishing the person most of everything else, and never prefer anything above it, since the person is more important than that which can come out from it. It should be looked upon the person in whole, after all factors are accounted for, but one weak factor or mistake should not become an assertion about the person in whole. It should be shown the person continual goodwill and understanding, not only in what way we treat each other, but also ourselves when we are alone with our thoughts. The Lord has graven us upon the palms of His hands, which can both be taken literally and symbolically, since the Lord does still carry the marks from His crucifixion. These are namely wounds of love, God’s everlasting love for us, the greatest achievement of the Lord, and the true victory of the goodness over the evilness. The Lord is now in heaven and praying for us, where He will never give up on us, so it is only required that we continue to believe in Him and never give up on ourselves. The enemies of God seek to harm His children, where the devils can never accomplish it directly, but they can at most work through the human people, use them as tools. God does love all men, so that He can show longsuffering toward our human enemies, since it is always possible that they can repent and be converted in the long run. God would otherwise immediately punish the devils, and keep them away from our life. So that human adversaries can persecute and harm us, but it does affect God more than it can affect us, since that God loves us more than we do love ourselves. This does not mean that God will be affected to the worse, as when the human people become dejected in spirit, desperate, restless, depressed, angry, bitter, or afraid of enemies. It can rather be said that God will experience an urgent need to help us, to comfort us, and deliver us from our enemies, much more so than human parents and friends. The love of God is too great and deep to be described, surpassing our imaginations and expectations. God can both remain eager and calm at the same time, while He is doing everything in His power to help us, even from all possible sides. For love encourages helpfulness while calmness is required during the approach, so that we must remain calm when looking for solutions, and while applying the proper means.

19.3: Revival

In the Book of Haggai it is written: ‘Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, It is time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little, and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? Saith the Lord of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon me, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.’ In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips: In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow… And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.’

It is indeed a ridiculous thing when the man does reject the Lord, since he is thereby rejecting all the good things which are in Him and to be given by Him. So it can happen that the man rejects the goodness, with its truth, virtues, and benefits, and then next the man wonders why he does not experience good things in his life. For the man has put his own self above God, and selfish desires above His will, since he believes that the selfish path is the best way to become prosperous and happy. So the man does reject the Lord and neglects everything which belongs to Him, while the man does rather spend all his time upon private matters, work, hobbies, and friends. But the man will approach such undertakings in a foolish way and fail to obtain success, or the man will never become special and talented in anything, not that different from others. We should not work hard for something which is vain, transient, and useless to us. Everyone is pursuing for the same thing, practicing the same things, and using the same things, and yet everyone is unhappy and not contented with their life as it is. Everyone is trying to be like everyone else, and yet everyone is nothing, when it is looked upon every individual by himself. People are following into the footsteps of their parents, by buying all these worthless things and fill their homes with it, but its value will be no different this time. It should rather be sought for permanent blessings, something that will always follow us from within, whenever, and wherever we might be. It can be mentioned blessings like good luck, good health, happiness, peace, and contentment, and that can only happen if we follow the leadership of Jesus Christ and possess the Holy Spirit. That kind of benefits is merely the consequence, while God’s presence is the source. The faith in God is also about making us better, stronger, wiser, and more capable, so that we can confront anything in our life and know how to respond to it. It is a foolish thing to rely upon the world above God, and upon carnal means above spiritual means, since that our flesh proves to be just as transient as the things in question. We can drink and eat, and yet we will become thirty and hungry all over again. It is exactly the same thing with carnal pleasures, entertainments, and luxuries, when we rely upon something to gratify our senses, the lusts of our eyes, mind, and flesh. It will only last temporarily, something that will come and go, and yet we are in the same position. For that we are still weak, distracted, unhappy, restless, and instable, where we are still not contented with our life, and we feel like nothing has changed. The Israel people were willing to build houses for themselves and go their own ways, while the temple of God lay in waste. Everything might seem possible when our selfishness is involved, while we make everything seem impossible in regard to God. The Israel people were willing to go at much length in fulfilling their selfish desires, while they did not care about God’s truth and justice, the value of morality. But all these selfish desires and selfish undertakings would only fail, where the people would merely waste their time upon nothing, and never improve their lot in any way. It is a good sign that the people should never have pursued for it in the first place, if they knew that it was only going to fail, and it would never do them any good from within. Why should we constantly repeat the same selfish approach, and the same means, and then hope that the next time will be any different, in making us finally happy? If it has hitherto not worked out in our life then it will neither do so in the future. It is all about a right prioritization, what must come first before everything else. God is the original source, where all the good things are originated from and belong to Him, so that God’s words are intertwined with our life, the survival of our soul and body. If we have God in our life then everything else will follow, so that we must keep God in our life at any cost, even that we would need to sacrifice everything else in the process.

In chapter 2 it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nations before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord: Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measure, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty. I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord. Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.’

Everything is depended upon our heart, in bestowing value to that which we offer to God, or by taking it away. If we have pure intentions then our offerings will become pure as well, but if we have impure intentions then our offerings will become impure as well. It can only reach as far as what we have already become, so that an imperfect person cannot offer perfect things, as if the consequence could exceed the cause. Selfish people have a selfish heart, where they are motivated by selfish desires, selfish thoughts, and impulses, so they tend to be greedy after selfish rewards and have a selfish fear of punishments. If the people have selfish intentions then it will make everything else seem selfish to them, what they can see, touch, and offer to God, so they are mainly doing for their own sake. Now even that the persons are holy then they can still not build a holy temple, because their holiness cannot spread out to other people or objects and make it holy as well. So that holy persons cannot make anything else become holy, but the holiness will affect their lives alone, based upon their faith in God, personal conviction, and virtues. God is holy and His words are holy. We can only become holy if we have God’s presence, and if we keep His words in our heart, since it will illuminate us from within. This does still not mean that our personal involvement will make everything become right, as if our opinions and choices would always be right, and always succeed. That is something that can only be determined by God and His words, so that we are merely following someone that is greater than us and capable of greater things. The Pharisees were self-righteous, and they never attained holiness in their own lives. And yet the Pharisees pretended to invent holy doctrines and holy customs, as if that could make other people holy. God is looking for a true friend, but He is not looking for a flatterer. God is looking for someone to become adopted as His child, but He is not looking for a slave. The question is not really about that what we can offer God on the outside, like when carnally minded people offer magnificent gifts and want everyone to blow a trumpet for them. It is rather about offering God our friendship, our allegiance, and our best intentions, so that God can trust us and rely upon us to do His will, to follow a greater calling. It is only required that we should love God with our whole heart, with a right understanding, and in a good conscience, as if we could already see God and treat Him as a person. We should no longer treat ourselves in a superficial way and live under imaginary standard, by dwelling upon that what we have hitherto not accomplished and obtained in the world, in comparison to other people. God does not look upon us in such way, but He is rather looking for someone to love, and that the person will also find it in itself to love Him in return. That is only important, even that we are otherwise poor and naked, weak and ignorant, since that to love and to be loved makes us happy, happy enough to forget all about our problems.

In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour. But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the Lord of hosts, and I repented not: So again have I thought in these days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not.’ In chapter 13 it is written: ‘In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive; But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’

God was once angry at us for being so false and hypocritical, so that we were called children of the wrath. We should not have judged other people so harshly, as if they were supposed to be so weak and foolish, inferior to us and less deserving of mercy. For that we were guilty of similar restrictions and faults, so we would have done no better than them and fared no better, under similar conditions. We should rather have acknowledged that all of us are as equally weak and foolish, where nobody is better or worse than another, not in the fundamental aspect. This is why God caused all kinds of troubles and enemies to emerge in our life, as if there was endless supply and demand, with or against our consent. For we would come to hate people that were just like us, and they would also hate us for the same thing, so that both sides would create problems out from nothing and suffer for the most trivial reasons. This was nothing personal at that time, but God hated our wicked thoughts and choices, which was caused by our unbelief in God and our inability to become righteous on our own. But we have now made peace with God through His only begotten Son, since Jesus Christ has removed the wall between us, the root of the problem. But why can’t we make peace with God through other means, other than that of His Son? It is because only Jesus Christ can change us from within, make us capable of having the right attitude, to know the right thing, and possess the strength to do so. It is not enough to repent of our sins, but our repentance must also bring spiritual fruit, concerning the assumptions and reactions. We would otherwise only repent in our facial expression, words, and gesture, while our heart would remain insincere and selfish, and we would still speak and behave in the same way. It should be remembered our old life, before we were redeemed by Jesus Christ. For we were constantly dwelling upon the past and having guilt over our misdeeds, and yet we did never seem to learn anything all this time, since we would repeat the same faults and transgress against more people in similar position. This is why we need Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on our behalf, since that we can only become righteous through Him, as to possess both will and ability to do so. It does correspond to the incident when Moses made a brass serpent in the desert. For that Jesus Christ is not only capable of forgiving us and removing our sins, but He can also prevent the same sins from happening, from henceforth. Let’s that we would still live under the Law of Moses, which only reached toward the external behaviour, while it is unable to change our heart, soul, mind, and spirit. Then we were supposed to offer animal sacrifices for these or those sins, but we would right away commit such sins all over again, and find ourselves exactly in the same position. It is because we are still desiring after such sins in our heart and thinking about them, so it is only a matter of time until we will look for such opportunities and participate in them.

God would cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and cause the prophets and unclean spirit to pass out of the land. It does signify selfish desires, delusions/presumptions, and impulses, where such evil influence will no longer motivate the man from within. The man will no longer be controlled by religious delusions, otherwise called self-righteous thoughts, when it is sought to follow God through self-centred reasons. The honest parents would be ready to kill their son for being a false prophet, even as we should be ready to destroy all our attachments to religious delusions, so that our new spiritual man should never cleave to anything contrary to God. Jesus Christ became crucified for our sake, so that His wounds are the faithful wounds of a friend. A suffering is not necessarily an evil thing in itself, but it is rather depended upon the circumstances, why it came to pass and what purpose it was meant to serve. Jesus Christ suffered because He wanted to suffer, and choose so willingly, since the Lord did so through love for us, and His good intentions made it into a good act. We are meant to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be, and that His way is the only which works, the only one which can lead to redemption and salvation. We were once like false prophets, when we sought to create our own system and advertised it to other people, as if that would yield better results than the faith in God. But Jesus Christ has led us into the truth and we do now acknowledge our folly, since we have come to know it by personal experience that His way is the best one.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne in his father’s house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring, and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken it.’ It is written (25): ‘O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth… And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that it spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.’ In the Book of Hosea it is written: ‘I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.’

It is Jesus Christ that possesses the key of David, as what is written in the Book of Revelation. The Lord can use that key any time He wants, to unlock more potential to the faithful man or to keep the treacherous man in the dark. Eliakim the son of Hizikiag was a financial minister for King Hezekiah, replacing Shebna. This does remind of that when the prophet Haggai speaks about Zerbabbel, where a specific name and title was meant to hold significance before God. But the role in question would only reveal or reflect a small part of Jesus Christ, one aspect of many, giving a glimpse of that was about to come, all combined in the Messiah. It is spoken about a nail fastened in a sure place, even as when Ezra prayed to God, that He had left a remnant to escape, and given them a nail in His holy place. All the good things are to be found in the Lord, knowledge of the truth, virtues, benefits, and divine power, and it can be made accessible to anyone that will believe in Him. Jesus Christ took upon Himself all the sins of world, and He became nailed to a cross, so that all our sins would be left upon the cross and no longer be remembered by God. This is why everything would be hanged upon the Eliakim, another name for Christ, since Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end of our faith, its author and finisher. The Lord will remove the veil that is spread over all nations, which does prevent them from knowing God and understanding His law, which makes them unable to experience devotion in their hearts. Jesus Christ does not only have the key to heaven, but He does also have the keys of hell and of death. It is written that for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. The Son of God died on our behalf so He could nullify the power of death, thereby freeing us from the fear of death and the spiritual slavery that accompanied it. It is thereby like we have cheated death, not in regard to our physical body and life in this world, but rather when it is looked upon the wellbeing of our soul, its innocence and purity. The Lord is ever able to take away our guilt, raise our spirit back to hope, and make us cheerful again, so that we will no longer be burdened by past evils. It will no longer matter what kind of evils we once suffered and committed, since the Lord can separate its effects from us (spiritual death) and wipe away all of its traces from our soul. The death would be swallowed up in the victory of Jesus Christ, as if it was the death which should be afraid of the Lord and not the other way around. It is like the death was nothing special and calling for no respect, but the death would need to obey the Lord like everyone else.

In the Book of Haggai it is written: ‘Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do ye see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.’ In chapter 2 it is written: ‘Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.’

Zerubbabel can be another name for Jesus Christ, and signify yet another aspect of His role. Let’s say that God would choose a specific man to supervise the rebuilding of the temple, to re-establish God’s covenant with the people, and restore the former kingdom. It should however be put such description into spiritual context, what Jesus Christ would accomplish from within us, and in what way it would affect our spiritual life. The life of Jesus Christ is like an eternal temple to us, a basis for us to pray to God and receive help from Him, regardless of that what we have hitherto done in our life. Jesus Christ would make a new covenant with us, which would surpass the old one in every aspect. For the power of God would also reach toward our internal condition, understanding, and capability, rather than by being only bound to the external behaviour, so that we would be able to feel, sense, and think like a holy person. And Jesus Christ restored our faith in God, and He made the Kingdom of God accessible to us, so that we are now like the citizens of heaven and its laws are written in our heart. This is of course much more important than the carnal aspect, what could happen on the outside, in the environment, all around us. It did never seem to help the Israel people, what they accomplished in the worldly aspect. There is a need to revive people’s faith in Jesus Christ, and to bring about a reformation, so that everyone can come to know God and belong to Him in their hearts. That is the purpose of this work, that it can be interpreted God’s words once and for all, so that people will no longer err in their understanding and digress from Him. Let’s all abandon these worldly religions, these religious leaders, these temples and cults, and all these religious systems and doctrines that belong to them. But we should rather head directly to Jesus Christ and consult with the Holy Spirit in everything, as what is written in the Scripture, and what is consistent with His teachings. We are all brothers and sisters, equal before God, and Jesus Christ is our only leader. It is only sufficient that we can believe in Jesus Christ and love on another, but we do not need to belong to any worldly religions, temples, cults, or organizations. God would shake the whole world and overthrow all His enemies, for that our knowledge of God equals power, and makes us capable of overcoming any opposition. All these devils will no longer have any power over our will, and all their crafty inventions will no longer work against us. For we have now come to see God as He is and know Him, so that we do only consult with Him and follow His directions.

In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garment, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith he Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellow that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.’ In chapter 6 it is written: ‘And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah; Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is THE BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord: Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. And the crowns shal be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the Lord. And they that are far off shall come and build in temple of the Lord, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.’

The clothes are meant to signify our personal conviction and moral choices, what we have hitherto dressed our soul in, or what has hitherto become stuck to our soul, since that we cannot separate our soul from it. Only God can forgive us all our sins and purify our soul of all corruption, as if He would wipe out all records of wrong beliefs and wrong choices, belonging to our old life. The man can have the right endeavour, in wanting good things to happen, but it is still like the means are far away from him, and he lacks the ability to make it come true. Joshua wanted to serve God, but that could not be accomplished according to his own righteousness. Joshua needed God to intervene on His behalf and make him righteous. Righteousness is a gift from God, when the righteous Spirit of Christ works inside us. Then we will want to do the right thing, know what the right thing is, and possess the strength to do so, so that we feel like a righteous person and we will act like one. Joshua was made into a righteous person so that he could obey the will of God, as to make Joshua zealous and competent enough in guiding and helping God’s people. It is all about the right endeavour, that we acknowledge God’s leadership in our life and we want to follow Him from now on, so only the choices in the present time will matter. Jesus Christ is the Tree of Life, and the true believers are like branches fastened to Him. It is not the believer that is supposed to be so wise and powerful, but he is merely receiving nourishment from Jesus Christ, whom is source of his wellbeing. We are capable of good things while we belong to Jesus Christ, but if we fall from Him then we will no longer be capable of good things, never in our own self-will. Jesus Christ is the root, while His emissary is a branch, whom is meant to serve the Tree of Life. But in the Book of Isaiah it is prophesied that there will come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. It is thereby referred to the Messiah as a Branch, so that Jesus Christ is the centre of this prophecy, but not some messenger in His name. There would be seven eyes upon one stone, which does signify the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are not necessarily about various types of miracles, but it is about wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and humility. God can choose a specific man to become a reformer (similar to that what applied to the Protestant Reformation), so it can be changed people’s vision of God and promoted a spiritual renewal. God can choose various persons at various periods and assigned such role to them, so that God’s truth can be unleashed upon the world, and everyone can be taught to know God. This could become much easier process at our times, in spreading out the word. Jesus Christ is the centre of our faith, and only He can remove the iniquity of the land in one day, so that any individual can be redeemed from any sins, at any time and place. We are only meant to spread the word to the world and give all the glory to Jesus Christ, but it is the Lord that does actually do all the work, from within every individual. This is our hope, that everyone will become equals in knowing everything about God.

In chapter 4 it is written: ‘Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.’

Where the Spirit of God is there is also truth and kindness, so that God wants to persuade us into believing in Him, willingly and with a right understanding. We are meant to approach other people in the same way as God has approached us from within, since He has tried to reason with us and appeal to our sense of decency. Everything else is beside the point, irrelevant or distracting, when it is resorted to bribes or threats, appealed to people’s greed for rewards or their fear of punishments. It is better to convert one man through the right means, rather than by converting thousand men through the wrong means. It is better to have one genuine believer, rather than thousand fake-believers, since that only he will remain so in the long run. We are meant to believe in the right choice and be sincere about our intentions, rather than by pretending to be something else in the eyes of God or other people. This is why we are meant to rely upon the Spirit of God in our heart, by speaking the humble truth and stand for that which is right, regardless of the actual results. It is not like we should rely upon might and power, by trying to force the faith upon everyone, since the carnal aspect is unable to reach to the spiritual aspect, inside each individual. The human soul needs truth and moral principles, just like the physical body needs air and water, so we must rely upon God’s words and unleash their full power. We need to invest enough time and effort upon each individual, so that he can understand what the faith is all about and become self-supportive in his devotion. It should not be spent shallow effort upon too many things at the same time, but it should rather be spent one hundred percent effort upon few things at the same time. We should not attempt to convert as many people as possible through ‘any’ means, what is considered to be the easiest path or what would take the least amount of time. But we are meant to establish our success, build upon it, and expand it further, so the old believers will remain believers and they will not be neglected for the new believers. It would otherwise be overreached oneself, as when false prophets are followed by countless people that know nothing, and none of them has ever repented in their heart. False prophets rely upon ‘clever’ arguments and tricks in order to deceive people, but by doing so then all of them remain just as selfish and have still not been converted to God. This is why it should never be relied upon the world and its short-term remedies, since it proves to be counter-productive and will never work out in the long run. This is work is meant to prove the faith in Jesus Christ for once and for all, so there will no longer remain any doubt about the Scripture, among the believers and the unbelievers. The great mountain can signify problems, deemed to be impossible or overwhelming. God would make Zerubabbel capable of overcoming any problem from within himself, and then next he would be able to teach everyone else to do the same thing. This work is meant to help everyone from within, so the human people can discern the voice of God in their heart and no longer be controlled by the mind. This is the basis, that everything can be approached through faith and the moral aspect, so it will no longer matter what problem can happen from within us or all around us. For that God is with us, and it is only important to do His will. All temptations are like digressions, needless problems that we do not need to struggle against, since we could either way discern the voice of God and obey Him. We can only choose between the goodness and the evilness, what is originated from and belongs to either force, but there does not exist anything in between. There are many things that can happen in this world and affect us, but it is like an illusion and vanity, excuse or pretence, only so it can be tested our allegiance toward God.

It is written: ‘Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.’

Joshua and Zerubbabel are meant to signify two offices, that of priest and that of king, so the Jews could rebuild Jerusalem through both spiritual and temporal aspects. There was Samuel the prophet and King David, and other such examples during the two kingdoms, although not as great in comparison. But Jesus Christ is the King of kings, and our high priest after the order of Melchisedec, so these two offices are combined in Him, having been appointed by God Himself. That to be kingly is all about noble qualities, like courage, generosity, and mercy. And that to be priestly is all about zeal for God, like inner purity, sobriety, and wisdom. Every truth and virtue is combined in Jesus Christ, and made accessible to us if we have His Spirit in our heart, so that we can become like kings and priests in spirit. It is not about needing the approval of other men, or to receive titles from the world, but it is rather God that has chosen us and already blessed us with good qualities. In the Book of Revelation it is spoken about Two Witnesses, where they are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. It is referred to this description in the Book of Zechariah, concerning Zerubbabel and Joshua. It could be theorized that there always two great representatives upon the earth, who are testifying about God’s power through both the temporal and the spiritual aspect. But how could it be possible, seeing that it would span about two thousand years after the sacrifice of Christ? It is because the same souls are reborn into new bodies, or their divine powers are passed on from one person to another, so they will share the same spirit, the same calling and role. A good example would be Elijah the prophet, who transferred his powers over to Elisha. And Elijah would later be reborn into the world, in a different body at different times. Therefore will there always be Two Witnesses upon the earth at the same time, since that one can be immediately replaced by another, going from the old to the young. Jesus Christ sent His disciples two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come. There must be a good and valid reason behind such arrangement, rather than if we would seek to accomplish everything alone. It should be looked upon the Gospel of John, chapter 8. It is written in the law that the testimony of two men is true, so that Jesus Christ could bear testimony about Himself, since that the Father which sent Him bears witness of the Son. If Jesus Christ judged, then His judgment would be true: for He is not alone, but He and the Father that sent Him. So the true believer is never really alone, since that God in him and with him. It can be raised the question whether these Two Witnesses are one and the same person. For that God has chosen one man to become His representative upon the earth, and that one man does have the Spirit of God inside himself, which is also a real person. But one would still be more inclined to believe that there will be two men involved, and not only one, since all men are equal before God and they should be equal among themselves. Better to have Two Witnesses, instead of one, so that they can verify each other.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: ‘Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, that blessed him, and increased him… Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.’

Abraham is considered to be the father of faith, and we are meant to approach God in the same way. The Israel people only made things worse with their religious teachings, contrary to God’s testimony in the Scripture, since it was either added or deducted from it. There would be a need to head back to simple beginning, when Abraham believed the voice of God in his heart, and sought to serve Him in a good conscience. Abraham was not educated in the ways of the world, what self-proclaimed rabbis have hitherto invented and taught in the history of the Jewish people. And yet Abraham was able to live according to the law of God, presented by the Holy Spirit. So the man is meant to look to the life of Abraham, but not seek to become like the Israel people, proud and self-conceited. Abraham could be considered more important figure than the descendants that came afterwards, or Abraham is more relevant to the true believers than the sons of Jacob. It is true that the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah, the line of David, but it had more to do about God’s intervention than the merit of the Jewish blood. The man can become a true believer like Abraham, without needing to undergo the same process as the Israel people, concerning their interpretations and customs.

In the Book of Malachi it is written: ‘A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? And if I be a master, where is my fear? Saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? Saith the Lord of hosts. And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? Saith the Lord of hosts. Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? Neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! And ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and of the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? Saith the Lord. But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.’ In the Book of Zechariah it is written: ‘The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers. Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? And they returned and said, Like as the Lord of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so that he dealth with us.’

The man is concerned about that what other people think about him, and he is afraid of displeasing them, even that such people have done him no good and mean nothing to his life. And yet the man does not care about God and shows Him disrespect, the most important person in the universe, whom has given the man existence and sustained him. God is more powerful than the devils, and the devils are more powerful than the human people, but the human people can overcome the devils through God’s power. The human people are being enslaved by devils, and all these devils are afraid of God, and yet the human people esteem God as nothing, the very Person that is capable of freeing them from the devils. The man only gives God the leftovers of his time and effort, after the man has first done everything else, since he considers his private goals to be more important. It is not like it would happen at random, or be some coincidence, when the Israel people offered God blind or lame animals, their worst possessions, the most expendable ones, which the people would either way have sold for nothing or gotten rid of. The people did already belittle God in their hearts, when they were alone with their thoughts, and could reveal their true intentions. The man does pretend to care and shows God respect while other people are watching, but never in secret, when it is seems like he can say anything and get away with anything. The people were already guilty in their attitude, for evaluating their material possessions more than God, and for holding it against God that they needed to offer anything. We are meant to be grateful for everything which God has done for us, and the offering is meant to reflect that, whatever that offering might be, so long as it is done in good conscience. God wants us to approach Him in sincerity, by having pure intentions and only wish well, so that we are really trying to serve God to the best our knowledge and ability. But why should we neglect God for sake of petty things, when God is the source of our prosperity and He can make us lucky any time He wants? God can create opportunities out of nothing and affect all our undertakings to the better. It is only fair that we can dedicate something precious to God, out of our abundance, as if we were giving a small part back to God, and asking Him to bless us further. The root of the problem consist in this, that we cannot see God like we can see other people, so that many of us presume that it does equal God’s absence. But God can see us and notice what we are doing, even that we cannot do so in regard to Him, so that our restrictions are irrelevant to God’s capability. Nobody is willing to show God gratitude while he is healthy, and everyone will become even more hostile to God while they are sick, as if it was all God’s fault. The people will in either case reject God, whether He does bless them or not, since they doubt God’s motives in everything, and interpret it as a personal affront to them. The man did not believe in God and fell into problem, and then next the man becomes bitter toward God that He has not solved the problem. But the man only pretended to believe for a short time, and soon looked for an excuse to give up. Or the man would either way have given up on God, as soon as God had made a miracle and healed him, since the man would no longer consider himself in need of Him.

In chapter 2 it is written: ‘And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. The law of truth was in his mouth, and  iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; yea, have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore have I also made your contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law. Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?’

It has been written elsewhere that the people despised the table of the Lord and offered polluted bread. It does signify that when the man despises God’s words in the Scripture, as if they were too simple, boring, foolish, or mad, so he does not bother to heed the words and apply them to his life. But the man does rather rely upon human intercessors and their religious interpretations, as if the Scripture does only have symbolic message and should never be taken literally. It is treated the Scripture like it is secondary and supplementary, as if it should adapt to the prevailing culture and education, rather than it would be the other way around. So the man despises God’s words in the Scripture and gives them no credit, while he does instead rely upon his own foolish opinions and inventions, to replace everything. These priests did not lay God words to their hearts, as if they did not take words seriously and did not expect anything from them. The priests would merely treat God’s words as yet another custom, something that should be repeated every year like a worn-out cliché. The priest is first meant to convince himself in believing in God and following Him to any progress, before he can begin to convince other people to do the same. The priest must first apply God’s moral principles to his life and become a better person, before he can prove the faith in deed to other people and show good example. The people must look to the priests and notice how confident he is, that the priest really knows what he is doing, as if everything was consistent with the same moral conviction. Then the people will feel reassured and also want to become firm like the priest, rather than by living always in doubt and be afflicted by self-centred problems. But these priests were no better than other people, for they merely pretended to agree with God’s words and repeated something which they did not understand. These priests were meant to guide the people from the other side, and that could only happen if the priests did not participate in the same errors and corruption as the people. But these priests had become like flatterers to the people, which craved to be one of the group and did not dare to do anything which could upset the people. The priests would share the people’s unbelief in the Scripture, where they would stand aside and say nothing while the people ridiculed God’s words, or take part in the joke and laugh with them. It was never travelled beyond the beginning, what might first be presumed about the faith, since the priests were still carnally minded and superficial. We must first be faithful in small things before God can begin to trust for the greater things, but it is not possible if we have still not bothered to make the attempt, not in the long run. It is not enough to read the Scripture again and again, but we must treat God’s words like truth, really believe that it is doable, and that it can really benefit our life. This is what is happening in Protestantism in our times, especially when church and state are united. For the priests look upon their priesthood as any other job, and they are too depended upon the support of the people, if the priests are going to keep their jobs.

It is written: ‘Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. The Lord will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hosts. And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at our hand. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and of the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.’

The wife of our youth does signify the Holy Spirit, as when Solomon does speak about the Lady of Wisdom. The youth signifies our childhood, with its innocence, inner beauty, free-spiritedness, sincerity, simple-minded honesty, and humility. Children are being led by the Holy Spirit, when they do that which feels natural to them, as if through inborn talents. It is about that what we can feel and sense in our heart, otherwise called an intuition, silent perception, or spontaneous inspiration. It was not the world that taught children to be children, for that children are already so. The Israel people did not know this, that the Spirit of God was in their heart and in what way His voice did manifest itself. But the Israel people were being misled by the Enemy in their mind, since they presumed that God was speaking to them through religious delusions, self-righteous thoughts. These inner voices would create superstition, needless fears, self-constraint, and perfectionism, so the people would forget all about God’s goodwill and grace. This is why the Israel people had dealt treacherously with the wife of their youth, and married the daughter of a strange god. The people knew God by the right name, and yet they were not really speaking about Him, not referring to God’s truth and justice. But the people spoke about God like He was frail and that His ways were corrupt, just like what was happening in their minds, when devils pretended to be God. It had already been betrayed God in all but name, since that self-deception and selfishness prevailed in the people, and all of this belonged to the Enemy, the evil nature. Nobody was in position to guide and help other people, since he was also being enslaved by his mind, living in darkness, too occupied with his own desires and problems. God is perfect and His ways are perfect, so that we must abide by His words, as what was originally written in the Scripture (before anyone sought to change their meaning). This is why it can be condemned both the master and the scholar, when religious teachers came up with their own system and doctrines, contrary to God’s words, as if it could replace the words or function alongside them as equals. It is all about the premises, why these religious teachers came up with these systems and doctrines, where it is originated from, and what was really motivating them. These religious ideas did not happen at random, or like they came out from nowhere, but these ideas were originated from the mind, and not from the Spirit of God. These ideas were presumptions/delusions, just like all other thoughts that can emerge in the mind. It cannot be separated temptations from the tempter, even as what applies to our mind. There exist no ‘good’ thoughts among all these evil thoughts, and we should not attempt to see anything good about them, as if it were from God. And these religious teachers were not really concerned about God in their hearts, as if they were following His leadership and sacrificing themselves for His sake. But these religious teachers were only trying to advertise themselves, to get rich and famous, since they were otherwise afraid of that in obtaining no success in the world. This is the original reason, what mainly motivated these masters and scholars, as if they could rival God’s leadership and sacrifice His ways for the sake of their selfish ambition. The true believer would have stood aside and made way for the Lord, thereby confirming that God’s words are already perfect and all the glory should be given to Him. The world has only made things worse and needlessly complicated that which should be simple, since all these religious ideas and inventions do only get in the way. As the world has taught us the more then the less we know, but as God has taught us the more about His ways then we will rely the less upon the world.

In chapter 2 it is written: ‘Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?’ In chapter 3 it is written: ‘Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept this ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.’ In chapter 4 it is written: ‘For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts. Remember ye the Law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.’ In the Book of Habakkuk it is written: ‘Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?’

The faith in God is always victorious in the long run, and always in the important matters. It is true that temporary setbacks can happen, and that we can be defeated in trivial matters, but it still like a digressions or distraction in the meantime, since we still have God and it is He that does determine everything. God can undo the effects from our previous defeats, and create new victories for us, so that we will either way be victorious in the end, when it is looked upon the whole picture. It is all about faith, to wait upon God with patience even for opposition in the meantime. It would otherwise not be faith, if God would immediately reward the believers for every right choice, or immediately punish the wicked men for every wrong choice. We trust that God is perfect, that He always speaks the truth and He is right about everything, so it is only a matter of time until God will intervene and do the right thing. God is good, where He does possess the will to love us and help us, so that we do only expect good things from God and that He wills surely be good to us. It does not matter what can change from within us, and what can change all around us, since that God remains the same person now as He has always been, and He will always be so. It is not like we can do this or that, or that this or that can happen, which is supposed to change God to the worse and create an excuse for us to give up on Him. We should not be deceived by our senses, what we can hear and see and touch in this world, but we should rather trust that God is Who He says He is and that His decree will stand. We are meant to base our decisions upon that what is morally right, regardless of the consequences, whether it will affect our life to the better or worse. It is not like we should only gaze upon the possible consequences, while neglecting the actual choice, so that we would be willing to receive bribes or yield to our enemies’ threats. This is not ‘Selfish Consequentialism’, where the end is meant to justify the means, as if evil means could lead to good outcome, or to better results than good means. Only good means can lead to good outcome, and bad means can only lead to bad outcome, since the good means belong to God and the bad means belong to the Enemy. Nothing good does come out from that in obeying the Enemy from within, or when the Enemy works inside our enemies, even that they can seek to threaten and blackmail us. If we choose to obey the Enemy then we will only make him more powerful in our lives, so that his evil will lead to more evil, further troubles and suffering. This is why we should be willing to confront and endure any opposition, as if it were the lesser evil in the situation, so that we can prevent the greater evil from happening. It is about depriving our enemies of all power over our will, so that we can maintain our innocence, freedom, and dignity, and become victories in regard to the spiritual aspect. It can be claimed that this world is like one great illusion, when it seems like the righteous men suffer and the wicked men prosper, that nobody is being rewarded for that in doing the right thing and nobody is being punished for doing the wrong thing. Even our human body is like an illusion and what other people can think about us, so that we should never betray God in order to save ourselves from something. All this prosperity and adversity in the world is irrelevant, for it does not change our position in God’s eyes, what He feels about us, and what will become of our souls. If we believe in God and obey His will then our soul will live forever, and that is the only important, while it does not matter what can happen our flesh in this world. If our soul will live forever then God can create new body for us, and create a new world for us to live in, while our life in this evil world is only transient, a mere vanity.