Newsletter 19: Prepare to Meet Thy God By Ron Wyatt
I believe that the greatest and last of God’s messages to the inhabitants of our world is outlined in the texts below:
Humankind was created by a Being of such power and ability that we can not understand His ways or His means:
JOB 11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? 8; It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
ISA 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
PSA 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him. 5; For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6; Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
The first man, Adam, allowed a fallen angel (Lucifer) to convince him that God was a liar.
GEN 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
2PE 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
GEN 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
GEN 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5; For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6; And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
God was not willing that mankind should perish, so together with His Son He devised a way for the members of the human family (who would cooperate with Him) to be saved.
JOH 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Satan had decided to try to overthrow his Creator and take over the universe:
REV 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8; And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 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.
EZE 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15; Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16; By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17; Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. 18; Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19; All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
Despite Satan’s lies to the contrary, none of us have immortality:
EZE 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
1TI 6:14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15; Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; 16; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
Immortality is one of the rewards God gives to the righteous at the end.
1CO 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55; O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
God allotted a period of time; (probably six thousand earth years) for the results of breaking His perfect law to be demonstrated:
1CO 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.
After this demonstration God will destroy every trace of sin and rebellion and then restore the universe to a sinless state:
REV 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5; And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
God prepared a lake of fire in which to destroy the devil and his angel followers. God will also destroy the human followers of Satan in this lake of fire:
MAT 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42; For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44; Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45; Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46; And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
The rewards of God are everlasting life for the righteous: and everlasting death for the wicked.
OBA 1:16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.
ROM 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: …15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
By the free gift of His Son, Who gave Himself as our ransom, provision was made for our redemption (restoration). So that the results of breaking the perfect law of God would not be forgotten (BEFORE Christ came to earth and died for us), God instituted the sacrificial system. This system simply stated was that every sinner had to kill an innocent lamb, bullock or dove, and give it as a burnt offering to God.
Satan and his followers point to this blood sacrifice system with disdain and contempt; but they have always carried out bloody torture of both human and animal victims.
God’s plan was laid so deep and well that those of the human family that will cooperate with Him will be saved, and sin and sinners will be totally eradicated, and sin will never be found again.
OBA 1:16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.
NAH 1:9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.
God gives every one a measure of faith, and then tries them to see whether they will obey Him or not.
ROM 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
EXO 20:20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
From Adam until the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, the Son of The Living God, mankind received forgiveness through the blood sacrifice system in faith, believing that the Son of the Living God- Who was represented by the sacrificial animals- would die for sins in their stead.
From the death of Jesus Christ, the Son of The Living God, until probation is closed we must ask The Living God (our Heavenly Father) for forgiveness and cleansing in and through the Name and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of The Living God, and confess and forsake our sins.
As the blood of the bullock (for the high priest) and the goat (for the people) was sprinkled upon the mercy seat of the ark of the Covenant on the Day of Atonement, so the Blood of Jesus Christ The Son of The living God, fell upon the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant at His death.
Then, there was an earthquake at the death of The Lamb of God.
MAT 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 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;
A large crack opened a passage from the left side of the foot of the cross into the chamber twenty feet below where the Ark of the Covenant, covered by the mercy seat, had been placed by the direction of God the Father in 586/7 B.C. When the Roman centurion pierced the left side of The Lamb of God, His blood platelets, and serum (Blood and water) gushed out and fell upon the mercy seat. These events ratified both the old and new covenants.
Just before Christ’s resurrection, an earthquake closed the passage from the cross to the mercy seat, effectively protecting it from pollution from the surface:
MAT 28:1 In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2; And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3; His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
As proof of the Father’s acceptance of His Son’s sacrifice, many who had died under the old covenant rose from the dead when The Christ did!
MAT 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53; And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54; Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
From that time until now, the gospel has been preached throughout the world. All those who were to pass through the grave were held accountable only for what they knew to be right.
ACT 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31; Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
But, you and I, dear friend, may meet the Lamb of God face to face! We must be like Him or perish in our sins.
1JO 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3; And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure…. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil….15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Our Heavenly Father has spread the gospel throughout the earth through His servants- but to this last generation He is filling the earth with the complete revelation of His last and greatest gospel message.
REV 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2; And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3; For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4; And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5; For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6; Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
To the inhabitants of the earth is being revealed the Father’s own proof that His Son died for us.
1JO 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8; And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9; If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10; He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11; And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12; He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
We have all seen too many court trials on t.v. in the last few years. However from these trials we have learned that a WITNESS gives TESTIMONY and that this becomes EVIDENCE/PROOF. In 1 John 5:9. The Holy Spirit through John tells us that The Dried Blood and Serum (water) on the mercy seat of the Covenant “in the earth”,presented through the power of The Holy Spirit is The Fathers TESTIMONY/PROOF that His Son died to redeem us. This is repeated in:
1TI 2:5: For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 5 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be TESTIFIED* in due time. (*PROOF GIVEN.)
The last time this “proof” is referred to is in Revelation:
REV 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament*: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail. *
In our language, this informs us that God, the Father, will reveal to the inhabitants of heaven and earth the ark containing His proof of God, the Son’s death for us. This is the earthly throne of God, the Father and Son upon which the dried Blood and serum of the Son (Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world) rests.
When the inhabitants of the earth either accept or reject this last message of mercy- the revelation of the heavenly Father’s love as demonstrated through the Sacrificial Blood of His Son-, everyone is fixed in their condition, and all receive their reward:
REV 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 12; And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13; I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14; Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15; For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
(*The “lightnings, voices, and thunderings, earthquake and great hail.” is descriptive of the seventh plague- see Rev. 11:19 above. Then, note verse 18 in the below verses.)
REV 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18; And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19; And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20; And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21; And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
The righteous will survive this plague.
PSA 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Any wicked that survive the plagues will be destroyed by the brightness of Christ’s coming:
2TH 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9; Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10; And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11; And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12; That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
ACT 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
We must ALL be careful as this time nears, for MANY are going to be deceived. All those who believe that MIRACLES prove Divine Truth will be deceived, for Satan and his followers will use miracles to deceive the world:
REV 13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14; And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
What would be the results of the sacrifice of A RED HEIFER by the worlds’ religious leaders if, after an impassioned and eloquent prayer by one or more of these leaders, Satan made fire to fall out of heaven and burn the offering?
ISA 66:1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog’s neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine’s blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. 4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. 5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed.
Satan has made fire come down from heaven before, and it was proclaimed to be “of God”:
JOB 1:16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Even though Job’s servant termed the fire that burned everything up “the fire of God”, it was actually Satan who brought down the fire, as we read just a few verses earlier where God gave Satan permission to deprive Job of his possessions :
JOB 1:12 And the LORD said unto Satan. Behold all that he [Job] hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand….)
What will be the results when Satan and his angels impersonate deceased family members and loved ones, and in their form remind us of things that were only shared with the real persons when they were alive, and in this guise tell us that God’s law has been changed? In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus we are informed that God will not send raised dead to warn the living.
MAT 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
LUK 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;…27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: 28; For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29; Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30; And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31; And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
What will happen when Satan impersonates Jesus Christ, and in the form of an “angel of light” tells us that God’s law has been changed? We will see all these deceptions. WE MUST REMEMBER:
GAL 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
2CO 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
PSA 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
EXO 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
ISA 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
REV 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
EZE 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
When God has presented His final proof of His and His Son’s love and sacrifice for us, He will then ask the question:
ISA 5:3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. 4; What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? 5; And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
The saddest statements of scripture will apply to those who refuse to accept Gods last testimony.
MAT 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
JER 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
HEB 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
MAT 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares (wicked), and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat (righteous) into my barn.
ACT 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
MAT 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees….12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
The Pharisees and the Sadducees were the church leaders of Christ’s day; this advice applies to the church leaders of today as well:
2TI 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
MAT 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Dear friends, the redeemed of the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God- God has opened the windows of heaven and poured us out a blessing of infallible proofs of the accuracy of His Word. If we receive it and share it, we will be blessed and be a blessing, and one day soon will hear God say:
MAT 25:21 …Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Our duty is:
ECC 12:13 … Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
MAT 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
(And always read prayerfully the King James Version of His Word.) Remember- Scripture and history has shown that the “religious majority” is always wrong.
ROM 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
“Lord, help us to learn, remember and share in a humble, caring manner, everything you wish us to share with those your Son died for. In Jesus’ name, and by His Blood,… AMEN.”
JOH 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
The events of the Exodus and Mt. Sinai were part of the unfolding plan that was decided in Heaven, the plan of salvation for down-fallen man. God was intervening to prepare the people He had chosen to preserve the knowledge of Him and take that knowledge to the world.
Soon after arriving at Mt. Sinai, before the Lord came down upon the mountain in the sight of the people, Moses was instructed to tell the people to wash their clothes and refrain from worldly labor and care, for He was about to approach nigh unto them and speak with His Own lips. Bounds were erected around the border of the holy mountain to keep the people from touching it on pain of death. The holiness of God was to be deeply impressed upon the minds of the people; they were to possess a profound veneration for Him.
EXO 19:17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
No man could see God and live. His Presence veiled in the clouds and smoke, He descended to the earth, upon the mountain of Sinai. And there, He spoke the ten precepts of His Law with His Own mouth, and it was to be the last time He personally spoke to the multitude. The Ten Commandments, His great Law, was the constitution of His government – unchangeable and universal.
EXO 19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
God then called Moses up into the mountain, and gave him “judgements” and “statutes”, which Moses carefully wrote down. God had organized His people into a nation that was to be governed by Himself, personally. He gave them “judgments” and “statutes” which were specific policies to uphold equal justice in the community. Statutes are framed to deal with individual situations where it may not be clear as to how to deal with a particular law. But these statutes always fall within the confines of the constitution. For example, once there were no laws dealing with speed limits for we had no automobiles. Later, laws dealing with speed limits were made. This is an example of the statutes God gave to Moses:
EXO 21:33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein; 34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.
The “statutes” of the ceremonial law were given, along with the precise directions for the building of the tabernacle and its furnishings.
HEB 8:4-5 (This) “law… served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as 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 showed to the in the mount.
Through the ordinances of the sacrificial system was made clear the future works of the Messiah. In every sacrifice, His death was shown. In every cloud of incense, His righteousness alone ascended. This was the “law” which would cease when the Messiah came in the flesh and died as the True Sacrifice. This was the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us,…”, that Christ “took… out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” (COL 2:14)
After giving Moses the “statutes and judgments”, God ended His conversation with His promise to deliver the people into Canaan and all the blessings of prosperity, IF they obeyed His commands- and this was ALWAYS stipulated.
He had proposed a contract with the children of Israel. Moses, as the mediator between God and the people, was to present the terms of the contract to the people:
EXO 24:3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
Moses constructed an altar as God had instructed:
EXO 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me,… 25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone:…
This was the altar He has so graciously allowed us to see.
When this was completed, Moses then erected “twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.”
EXO 24:4 He then “sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.” (v. 5,6)
When the sacrifices were made, Moses again “took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.” (v. 7,8)
The contract between God and the children of Israel was now ratified. God had presented His absolute demands and what He offered in return. The people signified their acceptance and agreement to the terms.
The 12 pillars, one for each of the 12 tribes, commemorated the agreement. From Abraham down through the ages, this practice continued. In 1886, the Apache warrior Geronimo surrendered to the U. S. Army after reaching an agreement that he and his warriors would be allowed to live with their families. When the agreement was made with General Miles, Geronimo set up a large stone on a blanket as a witness. When the treaty was broken by General Miles, Geronimo stated that their treaty was to have been in effect until the stone crumbled.
The significance of the events at Mt. Sinai are continually unfolding to our understanding. God chose the “children of Israel” NOT because they were righteous, but because of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob:
DEU 9:5 Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…
By their covenant with God, they were to be a witness to all nations:
DEU 4:5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments,… 6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
The children of Israel were not the only people at Mt. Sinai:
EXO 12:38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them;..
Provisions were made for the “stranger” to be accepted among the nation if they were faithful to the God of Abraham:
EXO 12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. 49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
The nation of Israel was to be the “light” to the heathen. Through them was the knowledge of the True God to radiate throughout the world. The invitation to “come to Him” was open to all mankind, not just to Jews :
ISA 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. 6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 8 The Lord GOD, which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
God had allowed the children of Israel to experience being in bondage to the Egyptians so that they would have a special regard for the “stranger” who was not one of them:
LEV 19:34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Finally, the Messiah who was foreshadowed in the ceremonial system, came to the House of Israel as prophesied. His 3 ½ year ministry on earth was directed to the Jewish nation alone. When He called His twelve disciples, He told them not to go “into the way of the Gentiles”, “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. (MAT 10:6) He was preparing the children of Israel to take the Gospel to the world.
JOH 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
The leaders of the Jewish nation rejected the Messiah and had Him crucified, but the faithful followers of Christ took the Gospel to the “house of Israel”. After 3 ½ years, though many accepted salvation through Christ, the nation of Israel rejected it.
ACT 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
The Gospel was taken from them and given to those who would faithfully go forth with it. There has been much prejudice down through the ages against the Jewish people by those who say they crucified Christ. But we must remember that the apostles and all those who first took the Gospel to the world with such power were all Jews. It was the leadership that brought about the nation’s downfall, and those who followed them were held accountable:
ISA 9:16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
Did this mean every Jew was “cast off”?
ROM 11:11 …Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Just as salvation had been available to the “stranger” during the days of the Old Testament, so too was it still available to the Jew as well as the Gentile
ROM 11:23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
There is no partiality shown by God:
GAL 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jw nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
It was as if the dawning of a revelation when Peter spoke:
ACT 10:34 …Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. Yet Moses had told them long before:
DEU 10:17…the Lord your God is God of gods, …which regardeth not persons,…
The Old Testament is our heritage just as is the New. The Messiah that Christians know is the same Redeemer that spoke to ancient Israel:
ISA 48:16 …I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me. 17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
In talking about the events of the Exodus, Paul stated:
1CO 10:11…they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
How can they apply to us? Consider how the people of Israel were on the brink of entering the promised land, but because of unbelief were condemned to wander for 40 years. Then, of the hundreds of thousands who left Egypt, only two finally entered – Joshua and Caleb. Today, we too, are on the brink of the Promised land – but this time, the heavenly one. Will we enter?
REV 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Netlace
March 22, 2017 @ 11:17 pm
Ron was not aware of the error that lives on in ONLY the KJV and NKJV, in 1John 5:7. It is referred to as the Comma Johanneum. I realize this may be a transcript of his words but perhaps you can still change or add a footnote. It should read…. “1 John 5:7. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one.” please research the “Comma Johanneum” the Father and Son and Spirit are three separate beings. I do know Ron knew this to be true.
Edited because of error and duplicated words. Please delete the first comment.