Act 19:20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
Paul stayed in Asia continuing to preach the Word of God. Many were converted, many burned their evil books and changed their lives so that Christ was first and foremost. They believed in those books and the sorcery within them. The books were expensive unlike our paperback books we can get for a dime a dozen at a garage sale. They had no printing press back then. These books were valuable and they burned them signifying the change in their lives. The heart change.
Not all were willing to change... Read on...
Act 19:21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
Act 19:22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
Act 19:23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
Act 19:24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
Act 19:25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
Act 19:26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
Act 19:27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
Act 19:28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
Act 19:29 And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
Act 19:30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
Act 19:31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
Act 19:32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
Act 19:33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
Act 19:34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
Act 19:35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
Act 19:36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.
Act 19:37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
Act 19:38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.
Act 19:39 But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
Act 19:40 For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.
Act 19:41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
Act 20:1 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.
This whole city was filled with confusion. The merchants didn't want anyone preaching about the one true God who didn't need any shrines, idols, or any sort of images crafted; this was how they made their money off the worship of the goddess Diana. If the One true God were worshipped they'd lose their coveted livelihood and not even eternal life was worth that to them.
How would you react to a similar situation? Think about it. How do you make a living? How do you survive in our world? Where does your livelihood come from? What if you had to suddenly choose between your way of making a living and God. We want to be able to say we'd give up everything and anything for God but do we really mean it? Seriously, do we? Chances are your way of making a living won't interfere with your ability to worship God, but what if you found out it did? These men couldn't imagine anything worth taking away their livelihood and more than likely they perished without accepting the Lord as their Savior and they won't have eternal life. Are there things in our lives we cling to rather than give up for God? Maybe it's not as challenging as being asked to give up your entire way of life, but we really need to examine our lives and question whether or not we do anything that we wouldn't want to do with God. Salvation through Christ is a gift, an amazing, wondrous gift. Yet we know that God will have us have...NO other gods before Him. Back in the days of the Apostles people were convicted to give up the wrongs in their lives, to give up the evil that surrounded them, we are asked to give up no less. We might not worship the goddess Diane, we might not have books full of curious arts- sorcery, but we can be sure there are things today comparable to the evils of the past and we must surrender them just as they did long ago.
May God bless us and convict us of the evil in our lives so that we may give it up and live in Him fully. By His righteousness, in His grace through His mercy and love now and forever!
Amen.
6/29/11
Identifying fulfilled prophecy demands much study and obviously isn't something that is done quickly. We learn so much but we need to be careful that we aren't going too fast and overlooking things.
We've already learned some amazing facts about prophecy and our history and there are many more to learn.
Let's jump back to Daniel 8, something we touched on briefly.
Dan 8:1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
Dan 8:2 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.
Dan 8:3 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.
Dan 8:4 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.
Dan 8:5 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.
Dan 8:6 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.
Dan 8:7 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.
Dan 8:8 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.
Dan 8:9 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.
Dan 8:10 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.
Dan 8:11 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.
Dan 8:12 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.
Dan 8:13 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?
Dan 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
*
Dan 8:15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
Dan 8:16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
Dan 8:17 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.
Dan 8:18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
Dan 8:19 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.
Dan 8:20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
Dan 8:21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Dan 8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
Dan 8:23 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.
Dan 8:24 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.
Dan 8:25 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.
Dan 8:26 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.
Dan 8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
*******
This was a vision that Daniel was given an interpretation to and he only comprehended in part. Yet, the interpretation was given for a reason that we dare not ignore!
Daniel was told about the time he was currently living in- the Medes and Persians. Just as he'd been shown with the vision he'd been given when he was under the reign of Babylon's king, he was allowed to understand that the vision was a continuous identifying picture of what would come to pass, what would one day be history just as Babylon had succumbed to the Medes and Persians which was now part of Daniel's history.
Daniel was told outright that the next power would be Grecia. He wasn't living under the rule of Greece, but he knew that the angel revealing the vision to him was speaking truth. The Medes and Persians would NOT remain a ruling kingdom forever.
While Daniel didn't live to see the Medes and Persian's conquered by Greece he knew they would be, and they were.
Dan 8:21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Dan 8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
Greece under Alexander the Great conquered the Medes and Persians.
When Alexander died, four of his generals took over the land he'd conquered- none with power as he had.
Facts…undisputed!
Now it gets a bit less clear doesn't it? While the words- Medes/Persia, Grecia were actually clarified the next power wasn't so much. Also, we know for a fact that Rome - the next power never fully disappeared but rather the Roman Empire was split up and out of the pieces of Rome came up that little horn power- the Papacy. So it's no wonder that the next power would be soooooo diverse from all the others. Rome as an empire dominating disappeared but that little horn power that took out three of the ten powers splitting up the Roman Empire sits where today? Where? Rome. This isn't coincidence, this is prophecy fulfilled.
Let's delve into this more deeply and solely by the grace of God we will gain understanding through the Holy Spirit.
Dan 8:9 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.
Who did this? We know Rome did, we know the Roman empire conquered like NO other had. It conquered the south, the east, and the pleasant land- the middle east and Jerusalem. (((Do you remember the Roman Centurion coming to Jesus, that soldier had a sick servant and His GREAT FAITH in the word of Jesus was what Jesus saw and Jesus healed that servant. A ROMAN soldier.))) Rome ruled in great, great power.
Dan 8:10 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.
Dan 8:11 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.
Did the power that would come out of Rome, the Papacy as we've noted --
Dan 7:20 ... even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
Dan 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them
Dan 7:25 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.
THIS is the Papacy beyond any doubt.
Now… what's with this…'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.'
Where else in our Bible are stars cast to the ground?
Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Rev 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
When our Savior was born who ruled? We just talked about this… ROME. The child is our Savior being born! Satan didn't want Jesus to live! Didn't he have Herod try to kill him as soon as He was born?
Mat 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Mat 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Mat 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Mat 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
Mat 2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
Mat 2:6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Mat 2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
Mat 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
Mat 2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
Mat 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Mat 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Mat 2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Yes. Satan wanted the Savior to be devoured as soon as He was born. One third of the angels were cast out from heaven when Satan sealed His fate.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
And way back in Daniel we were told this…
Dan 8:10 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.
Even to the host of heaven.
Cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
In the time of Rome this happened, it came to pass, it is history, our history.
Dan 8:12 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.
Against the daily sacrifice…by reason of transgression… and it cast down the truth to the ground…and it practiced and prospered.
Was sacrifice was made daily?
We know the Jewish religion, the religion of the people of Israel given them by God was that of a sacrificial system. There was a daily sacrifice because of sin, our sins. That sacrificial service pointed where? To our SAVIOR who sacrificed Himself for us, to our Savior who died so we could be forgiven! Who cast the truth to the ground? Who?! ROME was the force behind the crucifixion. ROME carried out the crucifixion. ROME was used by the Pharisees who wanted Jesus dead. ROME fulfilled this. Rome practiced and prospered.
We can't deny this! We can't! It fits without being forced in any way whatsoever. It fits because God intended that it fit.
Dan 8:13 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?
Dan 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
How long would be the vision concerning-
-the daily sacrifice
-the transgression of desolation
-to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot?
2300 days - THEN - the shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Prophetically 2300 years? We'll have to see if it fits won't we.
The sanctuary services upon earth ended when our Savior died on the cross, yes? The veil was torn in two.
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent
We know that there is a heavenly sanctuary.
Psa 102:19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us
Knowing these fact- Biblical facts we have much to discern and by the grace of God we will as we continue to study His most holy word!
Enough for tonight, more tomorrow.
May we continue to understand His truth for us, we need it sooo desperately.
In his love!
Amen.
Identifying fulfilled prophecy demands much study and obviously isn't something that is done quickly. We learn so much but we need to be careful that we aren't going too fast and overlooking things.
We've already learned some amazing facts about prophecy and our history and there are many more to learn.
Let's jump back to Daniel 8, something we touched on briefly.
Dan 8:1 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.
Dan 8:2 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.
Dan 8:3 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.
Dan 8:4 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.
Dan 8:5 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.
Dan 8:6 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.
Dan 8:7 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.
Dan 8:8 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.
Dan 8:9 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.
Dan 8:10 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.
Dan 8:11 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.
Dan 8:12 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.
Dan 8:13 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?
Dan 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
*
Dan 8:15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, and sought for the meaning, then, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
Dan 8:16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
Dan 8:17 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.
Dan 8:18 Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.
Dan 8:19 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.
Dan 8:20 The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
Dan 8:21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Dan 8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
Dan 8:23 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.
Dan 8:24 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.
Dan 8:25 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.
Dan 8:26 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.
Dan 8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
*******
This was a vision that Daniel was given an interpretation to and he only comprehended in part. Yet, the interpretation was given for a reason that we dare not ignore!
Daniel was told about the time he was currently living in- the Medes and Persians. Just as he'd been shown with the vision he'd been given when he was under the reign of Babylon's king, he was allowed to understand that the vision was a continuous identifying picture of what would come to pass, what would one day be history just as Babylon had succumbed to the Medes and Persians which was now part of Daniel's history.
Daniel was told outright that the next power would be Grecia. He wasn't living under the rule of Greece, but he knew that the angel revealing the vision to him was speaking truth. The Medes and Persians would NOT remain a ruling kingdom forever.
While Daniel didn't live to see the Medes and Persian's conquered by Greece he knew they would be, and they were.
Dan 8:21 And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
Dan 8:22 Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.
Greece under Alexander the Great conquered the Medes and Persians.
When Alexander died, four of his generals took over the land he'd conquered- none with power as he had.
Facts…undisputed!
Now it gets a bit less clear doesn't it? While the words- Medes/Persia, Grecia were actually clarified the next power wasn't so much. Also, we know for a fact that Rome - the next power never fully disappeared but rather the Roman Empire was split up and out of the pieces of Rome came up that little horn power- the Papacy. So it's no wonder that the next power would be soooooo diverse from all the others. Rome as an empire dominating disappeared but that little horn power that took out three of the ten powers splitting up the Roman Empire sits where today? Where? Rome. This isn't coincidence, this is prophecy fulfilled.
Let's delve into this more deeply and solely by the grace of God we will gain understanding through the Holy Spirit.
Dan 8:9 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.
Who did this? We know Rome did, we know the Roman empire conquered like NO other had. It conquered the south, the east, and the pleasant land- the middle east and Jerusalem. (((Do you remember the Roman Centurion coming to Jesus, that soldier had a sick servant and His GREAT FAITH in the word of Jesus was what Jesus saw and Jesus healed that servant. A ROMAN soldier.))) Rome ruled in great, great power.
Dan 8:10 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.
Dan 8:11 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.
Did the power that would come out of Rome, the Papacy as we've noted --
Dan 7:20 ... even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.
Dan 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them
Dan 7:25 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.
THIS is the Papacy beyond any doubt.
Now… what's with this…'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.'
Where else in our Bible are stars cast to the ground?
Rev 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Rev 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
When our Savior was born who ruled? We just talked about this… ROME. The child is our Savior being born! Satan didn't want Jesus to live! Didn't he have Herod try to kill him as soon as He was born?
Mat 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Mat 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Mat 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Mat 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
Mat 2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
Mat 2:6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Mat 2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
Mat 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
Mat 2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
Mat 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Mat 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Mat 2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Yes. Satan wanted the Savior to be devoured as soon as He was born. One third of the angels were cast out from heaven when Satan sealed His fate.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
And way back in Daniel we were told this…
Dan 8:10 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.
Even to the host of heaven.
Cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.
In the time of Rome this happened, it came to pass, it is history, our history.
Dan 8:12 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.
Against the daily sacrifice…by reason of transgression… and it cast down the truth to the ground…and it practiced and prospered.
Was sacrifice was made daily?
We know the Jewish religion, the religion of the people of Israel given them by God was that of a sacrificial system. There was a daily sacrifice because of sin, our sins. That sacrificial service pointed where? To our SAVIOR who sacrificed Himself for us, to our Savior who died so we could be forgiven! Who cast the truth to the ground? Who?! ROME was the force behind the crucifixion. ROME carried out the crucifixion. ROME was used by the Pharisees who wanted Jesus dead. ROME fulfilled this. Rome practiced and prospered.
We can't deny this! We can't! It fits without being forced in any way whatsoever. It fits because God intended that it fit.
Dan 8:13 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?
Dan 8:14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
How long would be the vision concerning-
-the daily sacrifice
-the transgression of desolation
-to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden underfoot?
2300 days - THEN - the shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
Prophetically 2300 years? We'll have to see if it fits won't we.
The sanctuary services upon earth ended when our Savior died on the cross, yes? The veil was torn in two.
Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent
We know that there is a heavenly sanctuary.
Psa 102:19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us
Knowing these fact- Biblical facts we have much to discern and by the grace of God we will as we continue to study His most holy word!
Enough for tonight, more tomorrow.
May we continue to understand His truth for us, we need it sooo desperately.
In his love!
Amen.