Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Strange Fire
Jul 18th, 2010
Weekly CommentaryArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Exhortation

"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not.
And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD." Lev. 10:1

Moses had twice been alone with the Lord in the mountain, each time for 40 days and 40 nights. During that time God had given Moses detailed instructions as to how Israel should worship Him. The scripture says, “Moses was admonished of God when he was about  to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”

The Word of God is filled with a careful pattern as to how we are to worship God. The Old Testament gives us principles as to how we are to worship God, the principles apply to us today but the pattern applies only to those under the law. 1 COR 10:11 “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

In the New Testament we have the principles of worship for the Church. Those principles teach us that our worship is to be carried out separate from the world, the world has no place in our worship. 

Acts 5:13 says, “And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.”

 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”  2 Cor. 6:17

 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” 2 Cor. 6:14

The Laodicean Church of our day is offering strange fire on the altar of their worship. They program the world into the church to worship God with them. They preach easy-believism to bring the unsaved into their midst, then they entertain them to keep them coming back. They bring in the world’s music, the world’s methods, and they change the worship from being Christ centred to being man centred.

I suggest that God is no less angry with the Laodicean church today than He was with Nadab and Abihu 3500 years ago. In fact we read about that anger in Revelation 3:16, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."  A study of these verses reveals  the Laodicean church to be thoroughly man centred instead of Christ centred, God hates that and will judge it severely.

Revelation 17:18
Jul 18th, 2010
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Prophecy;Book Study

 “And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” Revelation 17:18

The woman is the harlot church and the great city is Rome, both are referred to as Babylon.

The first Babylon was on the Euphrates River in Iraq.  The second Babylon is the city of Rome.  Babylon is not just a city, but a system; a religious political system, government and religion united to make:

1. An earthly Utopia (without God) by human effort,
2. A religion to reach heaven by human effort.    Its goal is to unite the world in this effort.

The destruction of the city of Babylon – (not the system) by the Medo-Persians (539 BC) Jeremiah 51:11.  This was prophesied for the immediate future, not 2500 years later.  “And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment and a hissing, without an inhabitant," Jeremiah 51:35-37.

J. Vernon McGhee: “Note that this utter desolation is to follow not some future overthrow, but the sack of the city resulting from the turning aside of the waters of the river. The Euphrates which flowed directly through Babylon was diverted from its course, which left an entryway at each end for warriors of the enemy to enter under the walls in the dry riverbed, by this maneuver they were able to appear suddenly in the streets and take the city by surprise.

The destruction was to be complete – Jeremiah 51:29, 37, 43. “Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses; cast her up in heaps, and destroy her utterly: Let nothing be left of her,” Jeremiah 50:26.

J. Vernon McGhee: “You can look at Babylon today; it is a heap of ruins. It was utterly destroyed!"

Smith’s Bible Dictionary (page 31): “Babel, Babylon (Gate of God). Capital on the plain of Shinar, Gen10:10. Built, 2600 B.C., on both sides of the River Euphrates, a vast square, 56 miles in circuit. About 5 miles above Hillah, on the east bank of the river, are a great many artificial mounds of enormous size in three groups. Scarcely a trace of these walls can be found now, except it may be a few mounds which are supposed to mark some of the gates.” (page 219) “330 B.C. Alexander found the great temple of Belus in so ruined a condition that it would have required the labour of 10,000 men for two months even to clear away the rubbish with which it was encumbered. His designs for the restoration of the temple and general embellishment of the city were frustrated by his untimely death, and the removal of the seat of the empire to Antioch under the Seleucide gave the finishing blow to the prosperity of the place.”

Since then, Babylon has been a quarry from which all the tribes in the vicinity have perpetually derived the bricks with which they have built their cities. The “great city,” “the beauty of the Chaldee’s excellency”, has thus emphatically “become heaps” (Jer.51:37) She is truly “an astonishment and a hissing, without inhabitant.” Her walls have altogether disappeared – they have “fallen”, (Jer. 51:44) been ”thrown down”, (50:15) been ”broken utterly”, (51:58) A “drought has been upon her waters” (50:38), for the system of irrigation, on which Babylonia fertility altogether depends has long been laid aside; ”her cities” are everywhere “a desolation” (51:43) her “land a wilderness;” wild beasts of the desert: (jackals) “lie there”, and the “owls dwell there”. The natives regard the whole site as haunted, and neither will the “Arab pitch tent, nor the shepherd fold sheep there.” (Isaiah 13:20).

The destruction was to be final (never to be restored again – Jer. 50:39, 51:44, 62, 64,   Isaiah 13:20,21   Isaiah 13: 19  The reference to the overthrow of Sodom & Gomorrah may be a prophetic reference to Rev. 17:16, which refers to the yet future destruction of the second (Eschatological) Babylon. This is not an uncommon device in the prophetic scriptures.   For example Isaiah 9:6,7 is a prophetic reference to two separate events at least 2000 years apart with no explanation given.  Also Isaiah 61:2 is a prophetic reference to two separate events at least 2000 years apart with no explanation.

The Second (Eschatological) BABYLON is not literal historical Babylon - Excerpts from Feinberg (page 329) ”The reason is that the Apostle John is not speaking of literal, historical Babylon. First - he uses the word “mystery” with reference to Babylon. This conveys the force of a mystical Babylon. Second – The book of Revelation uses proper nouns figuratively: 1- Jezebel (2:20); 2- The key of David (3:7); 3- Jerusalem (The new) comes down out of heaven (21:2, 10); 4- Sodom and Egypt (11:8); 5- Gog and Magog (20:8); not the same geographical areas of Ezek. 38 and 39.  6- Babylon in chapters  Rev.17-18 is not the city of Mesopotamia, which was situated on a plain, (see 17:9,18)”

The chief references to Babylon are in Genesis, the Prophetic Books and Revelation. The references indicate that the city of old signified spiritual confusion (Gen. 11). The apostle John states that the idolatry of ancient times will come to a head in an ecclesiastical and political colossus with many commercial ramifications (Rev. 17-18). It will encompass all anti-God systems (cults and religions) concentrated in a vast ecclesiastical system. “Rome alone answers to the description given," H.A. Ironside.

Excerpts from Ironsides- (page 297)”The federation of the future will be utterly godless and God-defiant. When that league is formed it will be but natural that a confederacy of all religious systems will be wrought out, and this too will be satanic in character. It will be a union of Christless professors, inheriting all the human and demonical mysteries of Babylon. In other words all sects will be swallowed up in one distinctively Babylonian system that has ever maintained the cult of the mother and the child. This system will for the first part of the tribulation period dominate the civil power. Thus the woman will be in the saddle again and ride the beast. He who has eyes to see and a heart to understand can readily discern the preparations now in progress, with this very end in view.

Identification of Eschatological Religious Babylon - We see six identifying marks:

Fornication with the kings of the earth, (Rev.17:2, 18:3). There is no other city in the world which can claim a special relationship with global, political leaders, yet being in nature itself strictly religious. Over many centuries the Roman Catholic Church has committed spiritual fornication because it claims to be the church of Christ and yet it has entered into union with Anti-God political entities.

Wealth and splendour of the Church of Rome - (Rev. 17:4). The Roman Catholic Church is the wealthiest organization in the world. Much of that wealth came from the sale of salvation (indulgences).  

• “arrayed in purple and scarlet color and clothed and decked with gold and precious stones”. If you have seen Roman Catholic ritual, you will recognize this verse.
• “having a golden cup in her hand”. There are many thousands of gold chalices in Catholic Churches around the world.

The immorality of the Church of Rome - (Rev.17:4), “Full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication” The unnatural vow of celibacy has filled the Catholic Priesthood with sexual fornication for a thousand years.

Mystery Babylon - Rome’s new catechism explains that liturgy aims “to initiate souls into the mystery of Christ." Mystery is at the very heart of Catholicism.

The Martyrs of Jesus – (Rev. 17:5)  There is no city in the world where the blood of the martyrs of Jesus was shed more than in Rome. Only Rome qualifies, not historical Babylon.

The Seven Hills – (Rev. 17:9) from verse 18, we learn that the woman was a city or identified with a city on seven hills. Rome is the city that sits on seven hills.

Is there not cause for judgment?  With whom does God have a controversy? Ancient Babylon which has not existed for 2300 years, or Religious Babylon who has martyred millions of God’s dear children over the last 1500 years, and who will martyr multiplied millions more, in the tribulation period.

With whom does God have a controversy? The ancient city of Babylon which has not been populated for 2300 years, and did not even exist to reign over the kings of the earth. Or with Religious Babylon who has committed spiritual fornication with the kings of earth for 1500 years and will do so with Antichrist and his kingdom in the future.

How does this apply today?  The last days apostasy of the Laodicean/Evangelical church are now upon us. A part of that apostasy is a widespread ecumenical movement among evangelicals. It has swept through the Evangelical Church bringing evangelicals and Catholics together. I believe the future of the ecumenical movement is in a union with the Harlot Church which Antichrist will use. The infrastructure for the World Church and the World Government has now been laid and awaits the signal to take over the world. The trumpet is soon to sound! 

Matthew 3: 13-17
Jul 18th, 2010
Weekly Bible StudyArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Inspirational;Book Study

 The Confirmation of the Messiah

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Matthew 3: 13-17

The Baptism of John is not the same as the baptism in the name of Jesus after Pentecost. John’s baptism was solely a sign of repentance. Although the Jews had never practiced baptism to this point, it was easily related to the ceremonial washings of Judaism. It was easily seen as repentance and the ceremonial washing of sin.

Christian baptism was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost. It is not at all similar to John’s baptism. It is an outward sign of the fact that salvation has taken place in the life of a new Christian. It is an outward testimony, it has no saving merit if it’s self. It is a command of Christ and therefore not optional. The baptism of John was neither of the above.

The baptism of Jesus was not a baptism to repentance because Christ had no sin to repent of. And it was not Christian baptism because Christ had not yet been crucified, buried and raised to new life. I believe that the baptism of Jesus was a sign of the purpose for which He came into the world. It was an introduction to the meaning of Christian baptism. It was a picture of His coming death, burial and resurrection.

1 - The Confirmation of the Baptism.

A - It was purposed by Christ. Verse 13, “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.” In the midst of John’s ministry, Jesus comes to John for the purpose of being baptized by John. After 30 years of preparation in obscurity, Jesus appears at the Jordan River, somewhere between Jericho and the Dead Sea. Jesus deliberately decided that this event would precede and launch His ministry.

B - It was opposed by John. Verse 14, “But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” John said in effect, “Lord I think I have misunderstood you.”  “Lord I know who you are!  You are the Messiah!  You are the sinless Lamb of God.  I can’t baptize you for repentance, you have no sin!” John adds, “I have need to be baptized of thee.” John implies, “Lord I am a sinner, I should be baptized by you! But you can’t be baptized by me.”

C – The waving of a principle to teach a truth. Verse 15, “And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.” Jesus was saying in effect, “Your right John,”  “I have no sin to be repented of,” “I know it doesn’t make sense to you John,” But Jesus said to John, “Suffer it to be so.”  “Allow it to happen even though it is incongruous with you are teaching by your baptism.”

John I have a something else to teach by my baptism.  Jesus was in effect saying to John, I have a higher lesson to teach than you are teaching. So John allows it to happen!  “For thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”  This is not a phrase that is easily understood. “Becometh” = It is fitting = It distinguishes us. I believe Jesus was saying, John this act of my baptism has a special purpose. It is going to distinguish me. It is going to be a picture at the very start of my ministry of what my ministry really is about.

“To fulfill all righteousness.”  My purpose is to bring righteousness upon all people. To make righteousness available to all people.  This baptism is a picture of how I am going to do that.

D – The truths taught by Jesus baptism.

A – It pictures Christ identifying with sinners. In being baptized by John along with thousands of sinners, Jesus was identifying with sinners. We have an example of this in Leviticus 16:21, “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:”  The ministry of Christ was to be a scapegoat.  Verse 22, “And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities.”  Jesus baptism prefigured the major purpose of His coming, to bear away the sins of others, the whole world.

B – It pictures Christ’s death. Christ going down into the water pictured His coming death. Telling before His ministry began what His true purpose would be. Those follows of John doubtless did not grasp the full significance of this event. The unfolding  gospel and the Epistles to the churches would reveal the full significance of the baptism that would follow Pentecost.

Romans 6:3,4a,  “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death....”  Jesus in His coming baptism pictured His coming death.  1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

C – It pictures Christ’s resurrection from the dead.  Romans 6:4a,5, ....“that  like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” Also Romans 6:8,9,  “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”

We are partakers of both His death and His resurrection, the one bears away our sins and the other gives victory over sin in our daily lives.

2 – The confirmation of the Holy Spirit.  Verse 16, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:”

A – The dove is not a symbol of the Holy Spirit ... “and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove.” In no other place in scripture is the Holy Spirit related to a dove. In no place in Jewish tradition is the Holy Spirit related to a dove. The Spirits descending  at Pentecost is not related to a dove.

B – The significance of the dove to the Jews of John’s day.  Every single Jew of that day knew the significance of the dove.  Leviticus 5:6,7, “And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin. And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.”  Those could not bring a Lamb could bring two doves. Most of those in John’s congregation would be in that category.

There was a long list of things that would cause men and women to be defiled or unclean.  For example; a running sore, birth of a baby, failure to perform an oath, touching the dead or touching anything unclean, beside all of the moral sins. The sacrifice for cleansing was two doves. The dove was by far the most common sacrifice for sin in Israel. Every Israelite had offered a sacrifice for sin, no doubt many had offered hundreds of doves.

The dove that descended on Jesus after His baptism is not a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is not a symbol of peace. It is a symbol of sacrifice for sin! The dove that rested on Jesus in the form of a dove was clearly saying, Christ is the sacrifice for sin. John called Him the sacrificial Lamb. The Holy Spirit called Him the sacrificial dove. John Said, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world."  The Holy Spirit is saying, "Behold the dove of God that taketh the sin of the world."

3 – The confirmation by the Father  Verse 17, "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

A – A voice from heaven  "And lo a voice from heaven", the only previous voice from heaven was the voice that came from Mt. Sinai that preceded the giving of the law. Now the second voice from heaven precedes the age of grace, again the ministry of Jesus is pictured.

B – The Fathers approval  "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."  Under the law the Lamb had to be perfect, without spot or blemish. It had to be carefully examined by the priest and pronounced worthy. Here we see the Fathers pronouncement of the worthiness of the Lamb. The chorus will later be picked up in heaven, "Worthy is the Lamb." No Old Testament sacrifice had ever been pleasing to God, they were only a type. Hebrews 10:4, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."

The sacrifice of Christ for sin was pleasing to God. "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."

Christ and only Christ can take away sin and only for those who come to Him in repentance and faith. Have done that, that is your only hope of escape from hell and entrance into heaven.