Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 16:17-21
16:17. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"
16:18. And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.
16:19. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.
16:20. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
16:21. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
The seventh bowl of the wrath of God is poured out into the air. The consequence is that there are noises and thunderings and lightnings ; and there is a great earthquake, so Babylon (the great city, the great fornication, and the cities of the nations) is divided into three parts. Babylon must receive the cup of the wine of the fierceness of God's wrath.
The great Babylon just seals those who have no God's seal. That is why we must have the seal of the name of God. It starts from the true water baptism to protect us, so we are not marked by Babylon or the Antichrist. The earthquake that divides Babylon will truly happen, but now we learn about the spiritual meaning of the earthquake.
Babylon is divided into three parts because it controls the three important things in this world to destroy it as follows:
God blesses us.
Revelation 16:17-21
16:17. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"
16:18. And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.
16:19. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.
16:20. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
16:21. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
The seventh bowl of the wrath of God is poured out into the air. The consequence is that there are noises and thunderings and lightnings ; and there is a great earthquake, so Babylon (the great city, the great fornication, and the cities of the nations) is divided into three parts. Babylon must receive the cup of the wine of the fierceness of God's wrath.
The great Babylon just seals those who have no God's seal. That is why we must have the seal of the name of God. It starts from the true water baptism to protect us, so we are not marked by Babylon or the Antichrist. The earthquake that divides Babylon will truly happen, but now we learn about the spiritual meaning of the earthquake.
Babylon is divided into three parts because it controls the three important things in this world to destroy it as follows:
- The economies of the world. Now we can see that the economy has been really shocked. We are in the very difficult situation. The Antichrist controls the economy of the world. It increases day by day until he totally controls it, so people worship him. Those who want to live in this world must worship the Antichrist, including the sons of God who are left in this world.
John 6:48,63
6:48. "I am the bread of life.
6:63. "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Why does God allow the shock of the economy?- We as His church who have been redeemed by His blood can totally depend on Him (the bread of life). It means depending on God's word, namely the true teaching Word whose secret is revealed.
If we have heard and obeyed the true teaching Word, it will become the spirit and life in us. Holy Spirit will bring us to the righteousness and holiness. We are surely taken care of against anything and anyone including the Antichrist who will totally reigns over the world for three and a half years. We will not worship the Antichrist, but we keep worshipping God.
Facing the difficulties or being blessed on the last days is the right time to hear and obey the true teaching Word. We do not live by the world or the Antichrist, but the Word of God from now on until forever.
1 Timothy 4:8-10
4:8. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
4:9. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.
4:10. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. - The church of God who has been redeemed by God can depend on Him through the ministry to Him. We must labor and suffer reproach to be faithful and fervent in the ministry, challenge, and obstacle until we can worship God. In the ministry, we have double certainty of the life that now is and of that which is to come up to eternal life in heaven. We will never worship the Antichrist.
- We as His church who have been redeemed by His blood can totally depend on Him (the bread of life). It means depending on God's word, namely the true teaching Word whose secret is revealed.
- The politics of the world.
One of the meanings of politics is the business and action which are linked with the policy. It also means the tactics in the state government. The tactic means a trick to reach the goal. Unfortunately, at this time the politics of the world are brought into the church of God. It means as follows:- The son of God or the servant of God interferes; even they are involved in the politics of the world.
- The son of God puts the politics of the world into the church.
21:23. Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?"
21:24. But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:
21:25. "The baptism of John--where was it from? From heaven or from men?" And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
21:26. "But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."
21:27. So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know." And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The water baptism is the base that determines our life. Watch the base, the implementation, and the result of the true water baptism! The chief priests and the elders of the people used politic or tactic when Jesus asked them about the water baptism. The chief priests refer to those who have position. The elders refer to those who have experiences. The scribes refer to those who are educated and rich. Unfortunately, they have the hard heart and politics.
Those who do the tactics are showing that they are weak like the chief priests and the scribes who had no answer. They are afraid to be lost by Jesus' question, so they answer: "We do not know." They do not experience the power of renewal in the water baptism. They keep becoming the sinful flesh and blood man who just commits sins up to the peak. They are controlled by Satan, so they cannot inherit the heavenly kingdom but be destroyed forever.
On the contrary, Mary, Jesus' mother is still young. She has no experience, cleverness, position; even she has nothing. But she has a sincere heart. She lives without tactics and politics. She does not think the profit and loss, but she wants to obey God's will. Mary has the sincere heart, so she willingly conceives in her womb and brings forth a Son. It means that she experiences the new birth from the fleshly man to the spiritual one who is saved up to perfection like Jesus. Mary is used by God for the salvation of the world. - The son of God or the servant of God interferes; even they are involved in the politics of the world.
- The false religion.
The false prophet will be declared in this world with the great power, namely money to control the world. He will show the worldly strength.
Isaiah 1:2-3,21-23
1:2. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me;
1:3. The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master's crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider."
1:21. How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers.
1:22. Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water.
1:23. Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.
The false religion consists of the church or the servant of God who has followed God but becomes apostate and disobedient. It is the same as being against God. The Jerusalem (the son of God) becomes apostate, so it becomes the great Babylon. Be careful! Do not build something such as ministry, working, marriage and school with disobedience! It just brings us to the great Babylon.
Jeremiah 3:6-10
3:6. The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king: "Have you seen what backsliding Israelhas done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there played the harlot.
3:7. "And I said, after she had done all these things, 'Return to Me.' But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
3:8. "Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.
3:9. "So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.
3:10. "And yet for all this her treacheroussister Judahhas not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense," says the LORD.
The backsliding Israelites and Judah were leaving God and against the true teaching Word. It is the same as playing the harlot. If we are against God, there will be no more choice. We surely become Babylon or the harlot. Consequently, we are separated from God. We live in curse, namely weariness, heavy burdens, and tears.
It is hard to return to God when one has been against the true teaching Word. For example, the people who were invited to the feast of the king gave many reasons; even they killed the messenger who sent the invitation (living in hatred without a cause). One just pretends when he returns because his heart is not there. He does not experience the purification and renewal of life, so his entrails will be revealed by God like Judas Iscariot, and there is no forgiveness. Why can it happen? Because those who become apostate as well as leave the true teaching Word feel truer, wiser, and holier than those who hold fast the true teaching Word.
Jeremiah 3:11-13
3:11. Then the LORD said to me, "Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
3:12. "Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: 'Return, backsliding Israel,' says the LORD; 'I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful,' says the LORD; 'I will not remain angry forever.
3:13. Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the LORD your God, And have scattered your charms To alien deities under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,' says the LORD.
But, God still has a mercy. Do not keep hardening the heart! God still gives an opportunity to call the backsliding people to return to the true teaching Word by confessing all of mistakes and sins as well as confessing that the teaching Word from God is true. If one does not want to return, he will deny God forever.
Not only Isaiah and Jeremiah, but also Ezekiel prophesied the same thing. The passage of the book of Ezekiel 16:1-63 is about the unfaithfulness of Jerusalem. But at verse 1-20, God takes Jerusalem to become His wife.
Ezekiel 16:1-7
16:1. Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
16:2. "Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,
16:3. "and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: "Your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.
16:4. "As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths.
16:5. "No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born.
16:6. "And when I passed by you and saw you strugglingin your own blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' Yes, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!'
16:7. "I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. Your breasts were formed, your hair grew, but you were naked and bare.
Do not despise the water baptism! For example, one enters the water baptism because he wants to marry, et cetera.
The unfaithful Jerusalem is the same as the Gentiles who are taken by God. The birth of the Gentiles and the Jerusalem refers to the condition of the church of God as follows:- 'your navel cord was not cut, and it attaches to the placenta'. The placenta is the dirty thing that is thrown away. Thus, the navel cord that is not cut refers to one who is not separated from the old life. He keeps sinning and being dirty. It means that there is no repentance or the Altar of Burnt Offerings.
- 'nor were you washed in water to cleanse you' means that one is not reborn through the water baptism. It means that there is no Brazen Laver.
- 'struggling' means that one is unfaithful. He just kicks a shepherd even God. In pandemic, let us be faithful to God.
- 'you were naked and bare' means that one embarrasses God and makes His heart grieved.
- 'you were thrown out into the open field' means that one experiences spiritual dryness. He is not satisfied, so he grumbles, gossips, slanders, and blasphemies the true teaching Word. Such life will never be evacuated to the wilderness that is provided by God. He will never be lifted up on the glorious clouds but be destroyed forever.
16:8. "When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine," says the Lord GOD.
16:9. "Then I washed you in water; yes, I thoroughly washed off your blood, and I anointed you with oil.
16:10. "I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals of badger skin; I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk.
16:11. "I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your wrists, and a chain on your neck.
16:12. "And I put a jewel in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
16:13. "Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate pastry of fine flour, honey, and oil. You were exceedingly beautiful, and succeeded to royalty.
16:14. "Your fame went out among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through My splendor which I had bestowed on you," says the Lord GOD.
At that moment God showed His love and mercy, so He took us to be renewed through the process of new birth as follows:- 'I thoroughly washed off your blood, and the navel cord is cut' means repenting or being dead to sin (the Altar of Burnt Offering).
'I washed you in water' means the water baptism. We enter the true water baptism. We must be buried in the water with Jesus and come out or rise from water with Him, so the heavens are opened, and we receive new life or the heavenly one, namely the anointing oil of Holy Spirit. We can live in righteousness. - 'fine flour, honey, and oil' means that God takes care of us as His church in the shepherding, namely the Table of Showbread (fine flour), the Golden Candlestick (oil), and the Golden Altar of Incense (honey or God's love). We persevere in the three kinds of main service to God, so we grow to the spiritual maturity and holiness. We become beautiful spiritually.
God also gives cloth and ornaments. It refers to the ministry and Holy Spirit's gift, so we are blessed. Our life is made more beautiful by God until we become His bride.
Ezekiel 16:15-20
16:15. "But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it.
16:16. "You took some of your garments and adorned multicolored high places for yourself, and played the harlot on them. Such things should not happen, nor be.
16:17. "You have also taken your beautiful jewelry from My gold and My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images and played the harlot with them.
16:18. "You took your embroidered garments and covered them, and you set My oil and My incense before them.
16:19. "Also My food which I gave you--the pastry of fine flour, oil, and honey which I fed you--you set it before them as sweet incense; and so it was," says the Lord GOD.
16:20. "Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter, - Do not despise the water baptism and shepherding! The church of God often trusts in her own beauty and fame, so she becomes arrogant. She does not trust in God anymore.
James 4:4
4:4. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
The church of God that becomes the friend of the world is touched by the influences of the world, namely business, intelligence, riches, poverty, difficulty, suffering, et cetera. Consequently, he will be far away from God. He does not need God anymore. All of the influences of the world make us unfaithful to God and the ministry. It is the same as committing adultery spiritually that aims at the great Babylon to be destroyed forever.
The three times of the unfaithfulness of the church of God are prophesied by the three prophets. The number three refers to the perfect witness. We must make effort earnestly to become faithful to God.
The facts found in the church of God that becomes the friend of the world are as follows:- Looking for the worldly thing but rejecting the power of godliness or being against the true teaching Word, so one keeps the fleshly man who sins up to the peak.
2 Timothy 3:5
3:5. having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! - Being spiritual lukewarm.
Revelation 3:16-17
3:16. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
3:17. "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' --and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--
Not being cold means that one does not experience peace but lives in bitterness, envy, hatred without a cause, revenge, et cetera.
Not being hot means that one is unfaithful and unholy.
Consequently, he will be vomited by God. He has revolting life, so he will be thrown away. At last, he will surely join with the false prophet, politics, and economy in the world. He does not have fellowship but conspiracy with the false teaching, economy of the world (legalizing all ways), and politics (tactic).
Revelation 17:5-6
17:5. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
17:6. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
The great Babylon persecutes the church of God who is holy; even he makes war with the Lamb of God. He becomes apostate and unfaithful to God.
Zechariah 2:7-13
2:7. "Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon."
2:8. For thus says the LORD of hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.
2:9. "For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me.
2:10. "Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst," says the LORD.
2:11. "Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.
2:12. "And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.
2:13. "Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!"
We must escape from Babylon and go to Zion or the New Jerusalem. We must become the apple of God's eye. It means that we must experience the renewal of life from the fleshly men to the spiritual ones like Jesus. These days we must keep being silent (submitting as God's bride), doing the introspection in our life, and worshipping God. We stretch out our faithful and obedient hands to God. The more we are blessed, the more we do the introspection in our life.
The results are as follows:- God stretches out the hand of Holy Spirit to take care of and protect us in the midst of the difficulties of the word because of economy, politic, and false religion. We are even protected from the Antichrist who reigns over the world for three and a half years.
- God's merciful hands are able to give us the victory over the stronger enemies. God finishes all of impossible problems, including disease, future, et cetera.
- God's merciful hands are able to use us in the revival of the building of the perfect body of Christ. Do not have conspiracy with economy, politic, and the false religion!
- We are perfected when Jesus comes a second time. We can say: "Alleluia" to greet His second coming. We enter the New Jerusalem forever. We never go out from there.
- Looking for the worldly thing but rejecting the power of godliness or being against the true teaching Word, so one keeps the fleshly man who sins up to the peak.
- 'your navel cord was not cut, and it attaches to the placenta'. The placenta is the dirty thing that is thrown away. Thus, the navel cord that is not cut refers to one who is not separated from the old life. He keeps sinning and being dirty. It means that there is no repentance or the Altar of Burnt Offerings.
God blesses us.