Category: prophecy

I Will Love Them Freely #2

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him” (Hosea 14:4 KJV).

Behold, the LORD God’s free love for the nation Israel!

Start at verse 1: “O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.” This appeal to “return unto the LORD” loops back to the opening of the Book: “The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD” (Hosea 1:2). “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;…” (Isaiah 53:6). Having departed from JEHOVAH God to worship and serve idols, committing a most iniquitous (“not right”) deed, Israel is now exhorted to return to Him (Hosea 14:1).

Verse 2 now: “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.” Here is the formula or pattern of words Israel’s believing remnant is to speak in faith. They confess their sins as per the Law of Moses (Leviticus 26:40), then seek the LORD’S deliverance from those very sins. It is their desire to be in fellowship with God again, that He accept them “graciously” (they do not deserve such favor). Instead of animal sacrifices, they offer the words of their lips! “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:15,16).

Going to Hosea 14:3: “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.” “Asshur” is Assyria, a Gentile nation northeast of the Land of Palestine. Israel sees her help is not in military might or heathen idols, but in “Our Father which art in heaven….”

I Will Love Them Freely #1

Monday, June 2, 2025

“I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him” (Hosea 14:4 KJV).

Behold, the LORD God’s free love for the nation Israel!

Hosea is a Book of opposites and extremes. In its 14 chapters, we read about both boundless sin and righteousness, man’s wretchedness and God’s goodness. On one hand, there is wrath and curses; on the other, there is grace and blessings. As we see, the final chapter of Hosea is an example of the Book as a whole.

Read today’s Scripture in context: “[1] O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. [2] 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. [3] 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.

“[4] I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. [5] I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. [6] His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. [7] They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

“[8] 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. [9] 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.”

Let us devote a period to expositing these words of the Holy Spirit through Hosea, so as to see “time past” and “the ages to come” as this Prophet narrates them….

Reaping and Sowing #9

Thursday, May 29, 2025

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7 KJV).

Let us not be ignorant brethren concerning the concept of “reaping and sowing!”

Again, the old farmers’ words of wisdom are, “We reap what we sow, we reap more than we sow, and we reap later than we sow.” Our works lead to specific ends, those ends are more multiplied than we originally supposed, and those results might not arise for a long time. This third point will be most evident at one of two judgments in the ages to come.

The first judgment on the Bible timeline will be the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:9-15; 2 Corinthians 5:9,10). At that time, the earthly service of the members of the Church the Body of Christ will be evaluated. What was the sort (quality, type) of the doctrine we put into our inner man? Was it gold, silver, precious stones—rightly divided Scripture? Or, was it wood, hay, stubble—empiricism/scientific method, church tradition, intuition? What men found “scholarly,” impressive, or “godly” on earth might be worth nothing at the Judgment Seat of Christ! If it was not grace teaching and grace living, it will indeed be burned up! Based on our maturity level, Christ will determine what governmental ranks we will fill in Heaven as individuals.

The other judgment is the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). At that time, all the lost souls of the ages stand before Jesus Christ—the very Christ they refused—to be sentenced to the Lake of Fire. Doubtless, there will be degrees of punishment, the severity of their penalty dependent on two factors—how much spiritual light the individual rejected (Matthew 10:15; Matthew 11:22,24; Mark 6:11; Luke 10:12,14) and how much influence that person had in the world (Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:46,47; James 3:1).

In the natural realm, seeds planted in the ground might take many years to sprout (and this is because environmental conditions have to be just right to maximize survival). Likewise, the outcomes of our stupid choices are not readily apparent—it might take days, weeks, months, decades, or centuries. Above all, they will be fully realized either at the Judgment Seat of Christ (believers) or the Great White Throne Judgment (unbelievers)….

Out of the Depths!

Sunday, May 18, 2025

“Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications” (Psalm 130:1,2 KJV).

The Psalmist has cried out, and the LORD will hear!

Psalm 130 is known as the “Out of the Depths” Psalm. The Psalmist feels extreme pain in upsetting circumstances. He thus wails in prayer: “[A Song of degrees.] Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications” (today’s Scripture).

In verses 3 and 4, he keeps praying: “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” If the LORD took time to pay close attention to and point out “iniquities” (injustices, evils, sins, crookedness), He would strike everyone down. No one would be left to continue! Thankfully, however, with Him, there is “forgiveness” (pardon, a sending away of the sin debt). He should therefore be feared—respected, honored, reverenced.

By the time of verses 5 and 6, the Psalmist reveals his optimism, the grounds that the LORD will hear his prayer: “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” He is a man of faith, expecting the LORD to keep His word, just as in Psalm 119:81: “My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.” Waiting for the Lord here is like someone eagerly anticipating sunrise after suffering a long, unpleasant night.

The Psalmist exhorts Israel to follow his pattern in the final two verses, verses 7 and 8: “Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.” As in Psalm 131:3, Israel should put their hope in the LORD, where are “mercy” (pity, compassion, lovingkindness) and “plenteous redemption” (abundant buying back from sin). The LORD will redeem Israel from all iniquities at Christ’s Second Coming and the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Acts 3:19-21; Romans 11:25-27), to which the Psalmist ultimately looks.

The “Terrible” God #7

Thursday, May 8, 2025

“Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible” (Deuteronomy 7:21 KJV).

The Authorized Version features eight references to the LORD God being “terrible.” Why?

“Terrible” in today’s Scripture means “inspiring reverence, godly fear, or awe.” The LORD God’s character and actions should prompt respect and add solemnity! When writing to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul advised in 2 Corinthians 5:11: “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.” This word “terror” is, obviously, etymologically related to “terrible.” Two events terrified the Apostle.

Firstly, Paul feared for Christians (such as the Corinthians!) going to the Judgment Seat of Christ to face a loss of reward for building into their inner man an edifice of junk doctrine instead of sound Bible doctrine (verses 9,10; cf. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15). Secondly, the Apostle shuddered to think of non-Christians winding up at the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. These unbelievers, lacking God’s righteousness in Christ, would be destined for the Lake of Fire, where God would deal with their sin by sacrificing their very souls in endless torment!

Whether Christians losing reward of the Judgment Seat of Christ and thereby suffering limited reign in Heaven’s government, or non-Christians losing their souls to the Lake of Fire at the Great White Throne Judgment, Paul kept both classes of people in mind as he conducted his ministry to “persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:11). Like God Himself, he wanted every non-Christian to believe his Gospel of Grace (“Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and he rose again the third day;” 1 Corinthians 15:3,4)—thereby avoiding Hell and the Lake of Fire altogether. As God Himself wished, Paul desired every Christian to believe sound Bible doctrine, the principles of grace, Pauline revelation, the Word of God “rightly divided” (2 Timothy 2:15)—thus having a reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

This two-fold mission of our Apostle Paul agrees with God’s will of this current dispensation: “Who will have all men to be saved [unbelievers made believers], and to come unto the knowledge of the truth [believers maturing in sound Bible doctrine]” (1 Timothy 2:4).

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The “Terrible” God #4

Monday, May 5, 2025

“Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible” (Deuteronomy 7:21 KJV).

The Authorized Version features eight references to the LORD God being “terrible.” Why?

Go to Psalm 47:1-4: “[To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah] O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.” The Psalmist writes about the world rejoicing as God’s literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic, Israeli kingdom is founded. King Jesus Christ reigns victoriously as the “terrible” “LORD most high!”

Now, Psalm 68:32-35: “Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the LORD; Selah: To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice. Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds. O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.” This is Christ’s Second Coming leading up to that earthly kingdom of God. Again, the LORD is labeled as “terrible.”

Finally, Jeremiah 20:11-13: “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. But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.” Unbelievers have abused the Prophet Jeremiah. Holding a pity party, he cries out for justice to the LORD “a mighty terrible one!”

Let us review what we have studied up to this point….

A Prayer According to God’s Will

Thursday, May 1, 2025

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;” (1 Timothy 2:1-3 KJV).

On this United States’ National Day of Prayer, we pray you pray according to the Lord Jesus Christ’s will for today!

Today, religious people—the general public, clergy, and government officials—will assemble nationwide, like they do every year, and pray for spiritual and moral revival of the “Christian” (?) United States of America. We commend their noble efforts, but God’s Word says there will be no godly revival of any of the world’s Gentile nations until Jesus Christ returns to earth at His Second Coming (Isaiah 11:9; Isaiah 59:20–60:3; Zechariah 8:20-23; Revelation 11:15; et cetera).

The LORD’s words to King Solomon are often quoted on this day: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Friends, this is certainly God’s Word, but has nothing to do with Gentiles in the United States in the Dispensation of Grace. This verse has a context often overlooked—the nation Israel under the Mosaic Law, praying in relation to God’s Temple in Jerusalem (verses 15,16). Actually, that Temple was destroyed over 19 centuries ago! Unlike Israel, the United States was never a divinely-founded nation. The American people as a whole are not God’s people like Israel was.

Rather than praying 2 Chronicles 7:14, remember today’s Scripture (God’s Word to us Gentiles). The verse following today’s Scripture says, “[God] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Pray for those in authority, that they would trust Jesus Christ alone as their personal Saviour, and then grow in His Word to them so they can make wise decisions on behalf of the people they govern.

The Seventy Weeks of Daniel #8

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

“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 prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24 KJV).

What precisely are these seventy weeks of Daniel? How do they form the backbone of prophecy?

The purpose of Daniel’s seventy weeks of years is to prepare Israel to serve as God’s earthly kingdom of priests. During the last of these weeks of years, the Antichrist will reign, commencing the final phase of eliminating unbelievers that have contaminated the nation for centuries. The Antichrist is God’s method of exposing the tares (spiritual weeds) or unbelievers in Israel (Matthew 13:1-51), for they will worship the Antichrist, his image, and receive his mark (Revelation 14:9-11). They are the idolaters whose Law-breaking ancestors caused the fifth course of chastisement in the first place (Babylonian Captivity 600 years before Christ).

Again, Daniel’s seventy weeks cleanse the Jewish people of idolatry just as the 70-year Babylonian Captivity purified the land of Canaan of idolatry: Satan’s influence will be addressed and reversed. The Lord Jesus Christ’s Second Coming terminates Daniel’s 70th Week and brings God’s literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic, Israeli kingdom. Once more, we have absolutely no reason whatsoever to place us the Church the Body of Christ into any of Daniel’s seventy weeks. Today’s Scripture indicates those 490 years are for Israel’s sake alone, not us. If we fail to “study… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15)—like (!) many (!) do (!)—we will combine Daniel and Paul, law and grace, prophecy and mystery, Israel and the Body of Christ, Earth and Heaven. Nothing but unanswerable confusion will result.

Prophecy is quite interesting. Since it is God’s inspired Word, we can, should, and do study it. Yet, because it is not God’s Word to us or about us, many prophetic verses are unclear to us. This should not bother us in the least, for to whom and about whom they are written these passages will make complete sense in due time. Doubtless, this we know: our victorious Christian living in this the Dispensation of the Grace of God is found exclusively in Paul’s epistles, Romans through Philemon.

The Seventy Weeks of Daniel #7

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

“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 prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24 KJV).

What precisely are these seventy weeks of Daniel? How do they form the backbone of prophecy?

Daniel 9:25-27: “…the Messiah the Prince… 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 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….” Two “princes” are in Daniel’s seventy weeks. One is “Messiah the Prince… Messiah,” Jesus. The other is “the prince that shall come,” the Antichrist, who will sign a seven-year peace treaty with Israel (Daniel’s 70th Week). Basically, he flatters lost Israel with lies and rebuilds their Jerusalem Temple (see Daniel 8:13,14) that the Romans destroyed in A.D. 70. Animal sacrifices under the Law will resume… temporarily.

Remember, Daniel’s 70th Week is divided “in the midst” (verse 27)—42 months and 42 months, or 1260 days and 1260 days, or 3½ years and 3½ years. Why? Midway through those seven years, the Antichrist “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” (Daniel 9:27). For this “abomination of desolation,” and the Antichrist’s military betrayal of Israel/Jerusalem, see Matthew 24:15-21, Mark 13:14-19, and Luke 21:20-24.

That final week is halved because the Antichrist is assassinated (Zechariah 11:15-17; Revelation 13:1-18), “the man of sin” (first half) transforming into “the son of perdition” (second half) (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4). An evil spirit reanimates his corpse—a counterfeit resurrection (!). The Antichrist now claims to be God Himself (really a fake messiah!), and continues reigning for the remainder of Daniel’s 70th Week with more worshipping him or being executed for refusal. Ultimately, the true Messiah (Jesus) returns in power and great glory to end it all and save redeemed Israel (Zechariah 14:1-4; Matthew 24:29-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 19:11-21)!

Let us summarize and conclude this devotionals arc….

The Seventy Weeks of Daniel #6

Monday, April 28, 2025

“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 prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy” (Daniel 9:24 KJV).

What precisely are these seventy weeks of Daniel? How do they form the backbone of prophecy?

Let us repeat. In Daniel 9:16-23, God sent Gabriel to instruct Daniel because the Prophet sought clarification regarding Israel’s redemption and Jerusalem’s restoration from the Babylonian Captivity. A series of prophecies during seventy weeks of years (490 years) will lead up to Christ’s Second Coming and Israel’s subsequent kingdom glory. Today’s Scripture reveals six purposes or goals of these seventy weeks of Daniel.

Firstly, to “finish the transgression.” Israel’s “transgression”—all her “stepping across the boundaries,” or her national sin—will be done away. Redeemed Israel stops crossing the borders of righteousness God has erected. She will cease rejecting the LORD’S words and finally accept her Messiah (see Matthew 23:31-39; Luke 11:46-52; Acts 7:51,52).

Secondly, to “make an end of sins.” Israel quits wallowing in her unbelief and disobedience to God. Thirdly, to “make reconciliation for iniquity.” On the national Day of Atonement at Christ’s Second Coming, God forgives Israel’s sins via the New Covenant based on Christ’s shed blood (Acts 3:19,20; Romans 11:26-28; cf. Leviticus chapter 16; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Jeremiah 33:7,8; Hebrews chapters 8–10). Remember, Christ’s blood was shed when Messiah was “cut off” (killed) in Daniel 9:26.

Fourthly, to “bring in everlasting righteousness.” God’s literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic, Israeli kingdom is founded (Jeremiah 23:5,6; Hebrews 1:8,9; Revelation 20:4-6). Fifthly, to “seal up the vision and prophecy.” All of God’s promises to Israel are ultimately fulfilled. Lastly, to “anoint the most Holy.” The sanctuary will be cleansed and the Shekinah glory (God’s presence) returns to the newly-rebuilt Millennial Jerusalem Temple (Daniel 8:14; cf. Malachi 3:1; Matthew 23:38–24:1; cf. Ezekiel 43:1-6).

At Christ’s Second Coming in Revelation chapter 19 to conclude Daniel’s 70th Week, God remembers His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—exactly as He promised in Leviticus 26:42,45. He makes the Promised Land His land and Israel His people in that literal, physical, visible, earthly, Davidic, Israeli kingdom of Revelation chapter 20.…