Lessons on the Life and Reign of Solomon

BQ NO. 24 - WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE LIFE AND REIGN OF KING SOLOMON?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

Solomon was the second son of David by Bathsheba after the first son who was born out of his illicit affair with her died under God's judgment.

The Bible reveals that David later promised Bathsheba that Solomon would reign after him.

It appears that David kept this promise as a secret because as he grew old, succession battles rocked his palace as his sons jostled for the coveted seat.

Absalom, one of his favorite sons, mounted a palace coup which saw David briefly dethroned before he was later restored after Absalom died while fleeing from Joab, David's commander (2Sam.15-18).

Another son, Adonijah, later proclaimed himself king, forcing Bathsheba to remind David of his promise to her. David finally directs that Solomon be proclaimed king (1Kings 1:25-40).
This brought to a close the palace wars.

David abdicated the throne in an effort to quell the rising royal tension over his succession.

David also instructed Solomon to purge the wicked men who had brought disgrace to his administration. This saw the execution of Joab for the murder if Abner, Saul's former commander who had defected to David (2Sam 3:27; 1Kings 2:28-35).

Some scholars consider this as one of David's open weaknesses. He was not decisive in purging the wicked from among those close to him so that he finally delegated the responsibility to his son.

Many political leaders today behave in the same way. They do not have the guts to deal with those in their inner circle. This is most probably because these men are privy to the leader's secret excesses or weaknesses or that they may stage a revolt using the networks they have built.

Abiathar the priest was also defrocked for joining the Adonijah camp during the palace succession upheavals. Solomon spared Abiathar's life because he stood with his father David during his fugitive life under the reign of Saul (1Kings 2:26-27).

Surprisingly, Solomon fulfilled the prophecy concerning the final demise of house of Eli so that Eli's priesthood ended with the removal of Abiathar from priesthood.

Solomon finally consolidated his reign after purging all evil men and taming the royal rebellion.

When he ascended to the throne, God gave him an opportunity to place a request concerning what he desired of God. Solomon prayed for only one item: wisdom.

God graciously granted his prayer and exceeded his expectation. He gave him wealth and honor.

The passsage of 2Chronicles 1:7-12 is significant in revealing the moral character of Solomon.

He had just come from worshipping God at the tabernacle of Gibeon which Moses had built  in the desert. David used to worship there as well. David understood the religious responsibilities of his royal office and Solomon picked up the tradition from him.

What spiritual legacy shall we leave to our children when we depart this world?

Solomon had offered 1000 burnt offerings to God at this altar.

God was touched by Solomon's devotion and commitment to honor God and He appeared to him that night and said to him "Ask! What shall I give to you?"

By today's standards of hero worship in leadership, Solomon would perhaps have asked for billions of shillings or dollars but this young king chose wisdom only!

This reveals that Solomon kept the mandate of his royal office at a much higher scale compared to the cravings or fantasies of his youthful generation.

Solomon knew that he became king by God's grace just as David his father did. He recognized God's great mercy to his father David and God's promise to grant him a dynasty that will not end (2Chron.1:8-10).

The prayer for wisdom was an amazing request from this young king. God commended him saying "...you have not asked riches or wealth or honor, or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life - but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you, and I will give you riches and wealth and honor such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like" (2Chron. 11-13).

Let us focus on God's words above for a moment.

Here are some  powerful spiritual truths from the passage:

1) God expects us to approach Him with wisdom. He tested the moral substance of Solomon's life and He rewarded his diligence and prudence.

2) God's unseen hand influences the choices of His righteous leaders. David chose Solomon as king yet in effect it was God who superintended the process.

Nothing happens by default to God's people. When Mathias was elected to replace Judas, God endorsed it (Acts 1). If we prayerfully make choices, God's leading will accompany us.

3) The people who God places in our charge are fundamentally His.

Solomon refered to the people as "this people" but God saw them as "My people".

Citizens of a nation, whether in their ethnic or collective dimensions, are primarily God's people and not subjects of political leaders who often herd them together as political statistics.

In the same way, our church congregations belong to God so that pastors and elders are simply God's agents and stewards over the flock of God (1Peter 5:2).

4) God is gracious in that He exceeds the expectations of His faithful saints when He blesses us. We should never underestimate the power of His divine hand when we pray!

THE DECLINE OF SOLOMON

Moving on we now examine the decline of Solomon.

How could a man so blessed of God as Solomon descend into a steep spiritual decline?

At the height of his royal success, Solomon's heart departed from God. He became a demigod of sorts with the fame that arose from his vast wealth and his rare wisdom.

Kings from the world over heard of his great success and came to marvel at him.

Among these included the Queen of Sheba. (1Kings 10) who is believed to have ruled Abyssinia or parts present day Ethiopia and Libya.

Solomon begun to build his royal towers and ornamental architecture with the gold and large  tributes that subject kings such as Arab leaders brought to him during the great peacetime that he enjoyed, thanks to the conquests of his father David (1Kings 10:15).

So what brought down this great king after all the great achievements?

The writer of 1Kings outlines
Solomon's excesses as follows:

1) Like his father David, Solomon loved women exceedingly. He however took this passion to absurdity.
He married Pharaoh's daughter in violation of God's law (1Kings 3:1) and also married 700 wives and had 300 concubines, an unbeaten biblical record!

Unfortunately, his wives turned away his heart from the LORD (1Kings 11:3). This is probably because most of the influential among them were foreign women.

2) Solomon fell to idolatry including the worship of Ashtoreth the Sidonian goddess and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

He also built a high place for Chemosh the detested Moabite god, on the hill east of Jerusalem (probably present day Mt Olives) and for Molech of Ammon (1Kings 11:3-5).

Notice that Solomon gave himself fully to idolatry as he grew older suggesting that the impact of idol worship was incremental till it finally did the final blow.

Satan takes his time in wearing down our spiritual fortifications. If we not spiritually alert, we may fail to resist his evil manouvres.

Bible scholars believe that Solomon later returned to the LORD after years of spiritual and moral ruin and wrote the Book of Ecclessiastes where he viewed life from a reformed heart.

He saw life without God as vanity of vanities (Eccl. 12:8-14). Solomon learnt from his errors late in life. It is better late than never.

MORAL LESSONS ON SOLOMON

What moral lessons can we learn from the life of this great king?

1) We discover the folly of wanton or "wild living". One preacher once spoke of the "folly of the 3Gs" that often bring down godly men from grace to grass; from palace to prison. These are "Girls, Gold and Glory", an acronym that represents the unbriddled worldly pursuit of sexual pleasure, fame and riches without the fear of God. This is hedonism per excellence.

Another preacher referred to them as the "3Ws" "Wealth, Wine and "Women".

Some great world leaders including famous preachers who strayed into this path ended up losing their calĺing and landed themselves in disgrace.

Solomon focused on sensual pleasure and glorified himself and soon forgot the hand of God which had lifted him to the throne in the place of Adonijah, who was David's son by his eldest wife and rightfully the crown prince!

This is the same paradox that fell on David's choice in the place of his eldest brother Eliab who in all probability should have been crowned as the second king of Israel!

This should serve as a warning to us to be wary of personal "ivory towers" that distract our focus on God. We should never forget that God is the source of all things that are at our disposal.

Some worldly indulgences may initially appear harmless but the truth is that their impact will be perilous, if left unchecked.

2) The second lesson concerns our petitions for personal needs. What we crave before God determines the substance of our moral predisposition. We need a clear conscience before God, even as we pray.

If we love God, we should above all things allow him to have his way in our lives. It is better to have the least in life than to have the most only for it to destroy our destiny.

What is your overriding motive for the prayer lists that you often present to God? If the motive is ungodly, God will not grant the request 

Why is this so? Because they are inconsistent with His divine will.

James 4:1-3 (NKJV) laments, "you lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain...you ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. "

God looks at the intents of our hearts whenever we approach Him. He is touched by a heart that seeks to glorify Him.

3) Solomon started well with God but finished badly.

It is better to start badly and finish well but it is best that we be consistent with God and not allow the enemy any opportunity to interfere with our walk of faith lest he wrecks up our lives and destroys our fellowship with God.

4) Finally, lets remember that serving God in any capacity is a privilege that calls for humility and wisdom. God will judge every intent of our hearts and will certainly punish disobedience. (Jer.17:9).

CONCLUSION

As I conclude, someone may ask; if God knew that Solomon would abandon Him, why did He bless him with so much wealth and honor?

We must not forget that it was not necessarily the riches or wisdom that drew Solomon away from God but the foreign women he married who brought their heathen culture and religion to bear on him.

Of course there is evidence that the man had created a personality cult of some sort with his great wealth but scripture lays less emphasis on this source of ruin in Solomon's case.

Given the immense influence that women ordinarily wield on the powerful royal or political offices that their husbands hold, it would have been wise for Solomon to avoid Canaanite women and to limit their number to a sensible figure. In any case his father David married a few women and none was Canaanite.

Solomon's life story is a warning to believers to tread their choice of spouses with great care lest the enemy plants his agents on their lives [see my separate article on Jezebel].

Solomon's wives were probably "drop dead" beauties who were  irresistable but we must remember that external beauty can be deceptive!

God desires that we see the inner spiritual substance of a person. This must overide the external looks (1Peter 3:1-7).

Only in Queen Esther's case do we see both of these godly factors assymetrically matched in a woman!

Solomon did his best to manage his royal office but his personal excesses brought to bear on his leadership so that he miserably failed God and his people.

Every believer should prayerfully watch his excesses in this earthly life lest they digress from the narrow path and fall into disobedience and ultimately into ruin.

The Bible warns in 1 Corinthians 10:12 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."

Finally, we can learn that if Solomon was able to return to the Lord in his sunset years [as evidenced in his book of Ecclesiastes], no one indeed is beyond rescue.

It is easy to imagine that some people have gone too far in their depravity either because of their extreme pursuit of earthly pleasure or even in high occult but God's grace can still reach out and restore them.

Do you know of some specific peope who drew away from Christ to follow the pleasures of this passing world?

Do not give up on them but keep praying for them that they may return to the Lord while He may be found.

Our God can do exceedingly, abundantly above what we can think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).



© Ezekiel Kimosop 2018

For more articles by this writer, visit www.ezekielkimosop.blogspot.com

Lessons from the Life and Reign of David

BQ No.0016 - WHAT MORAL LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LIFE AND REIGN OF KING DAVID?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

The life and reign of David as the second king of Israel was both dramatic and captivating in equal measure. Here are some of the moral lessons that we can draw from the life and reign of this man of God.

1) THE FAVOR AND ELECTION OF GOD

David became a replacement king after Saul, a Benjamite, lost favor with God through his persistent acts of disobedience. There was however nothing special about the seven sons of Jesse family that could catch God's eye.

Prophet Samuel had hoped that God would settle for Eliab, Jesse's eldest son. He forgot to ask Jesse to assemble all the sons before God.  Jesse had perhaps thought the same way and that day sent David to tend the sheep even as his brothers queued for the coveted prize (1Samuel 16:1-13).

This story teaches us about the wonders of God's grace by which the least deserving are most rewarded. 

Is it any wonder that Jesus taught that the first shall be last and the last first?

2) THE IMMEASURABLE GRACE OF GOD

David's great grandmother Ruth, a Moabites, opened the paradox when she was graciously allowed by God to be crafted into Hebrew heritage, yet she belonged to one of the most despised Canaanite communities. The Moabites had been been excluded from the assembly of God's people under a divine decree.

This reminds us that we too who have been adopted into God's household were once enemies of God and were not part of the Abrahamic covenant. 

Ephesians 2:12 [NIV] says of us Gentiles, "remember that at that time [before Christ was revealed to us] you were separated from Christ,  excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world." 

Ephesians 2:13-22 goes on to illustrate the powerful change that Christ brought by uniting Gentiles and Jews through his atoning works of the cross.

3 THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S WAYS

Moving forward in the story of David, we learn that the little shepherd boy, was finally anointed king. This must have come as a great shock to the family but then God reminds us in Isaiah 55:8 that "your thoughts are not my thoughts, neither are your ways my ways..."

God's wisdom is pure and sharper than ours and this is the reason why we should not lean on our understanding but wholly submit to God's direction and leading. 

God knows the beginning from the end because He lives outside time (Rev.1:8).

4) THE POWER OF TRUE REPENTANCE AND BROKENNESS

David was no perfect man but he had a consuming love for God. He learnt to worship God in truth and to earnestly fear him and this touched the heart of God. When he fell in sin with Bathsheba and killed her husband, God judged him for his sin.

Unlike Saul who was stiffnecked,  David had a broken heart for his sinfulness. This is revealed in Psalm 51:3-4 where he confesses, "For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you,  you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight."  

God is primarily the object of offense even though where we trespass against others.  

David's brokenness is further captured in Psalm 51:7-11 where he sought cleansing and forgiveness from God.

David's story here reminds us of our sinfulness and disobedience; that only the blood of Christ can cleanse and the fact that we can never please God in our sinful nature. 

Only his grace justifies us by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).

5) THE LOVING KINDNESS OF GOD

Notice that God overlooked David's sinfulness and failings and proclaimed him as "a man after my own heart..." (Acts 13:22). 

This further reminds us that God does not repay us as our sins deserve.  He is compassionate and gracious to us, seeing the righteousness of Christ in us without which we have no legal standing in His holy presence.

Think about the fact that we did nothing to earn God's favor and that there is nothing intrinsic or innate in us that could have attracted God to us. 

Our salvation is purely by God's grace. This is the loving kindness of God.

Through David's lineage, God chose that the Messiah would come so that his kingdom attains perpetuity through Christ.

This was a great honor to a man who never deserved it. God did not change His divine plans just because David fell. He forgave him and still used him! 

Just think about how often we fail God by our disobedience yet God does not sever his relationship with us. He uses us as we are; deficient,  weak,  fallen and sinful and makes us agents of His divine grace.

Psalm 103:8-10 says, "the LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love....he does not treat us our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. "

6) SACRIFICE AND COVENANT LIVING

One other thing that strikes me about David is his value for personal sacrifice and covenant faithtulness.

When he sought an altar to offer a burnt sacrifice to God as the plague devoured Israel,  he refused to take the land for free.

He said to Araunah in 1Chronicles 21:24 "...I will not take for the LORD what is yours or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing".

At one time David dared his soldiers to fetch water behind enemy lines during the conquest of the Jebusites who occupied Jerusalem. His brave soldiers risked their lives by breaking into the enemy lines to fetch the water for their master. David never drunk the water but instead poured out the water before God. 

He acknowledged God's mercy in sparing the lives of these brave men.

David was a covenant man. He honored his vow with Jonathan after his death recorded in 1 Samuel 31 and showed kindness to his sons despite Saul's evil against him.

This reminds us that we need to sacrificially serve God by investing our time and resources in God's kingdom. Nothing we do in Christ is in vain.  God will always reward our faithfulness (Hebrews 6:10-12)

7) COURAGE AND FAITH IN GOD

David was a man of exceptional faith. He risked his life to  protect his father's sheep against bears. Later he singlehandedly  faced Goliath, the giant Philistine warrior who had defied and mocked Israel.

God honored his courageous act. God is looking for men and women with a warrior spirit. This is the same spirit that was evident in Caleb and Joshua.

8) DAVID'S FAILURES AND RETRIBUTION OF WICKED MEN 

David had glaring weaknesses too. He failed to manage his large family well. 

He also failed to handle his royal succession well in advance, leading to power struggles in his palace so that Absalom [one of his ambitious sons] overthrew him under a short palace coup but died as he fled from David.

David also failed to control the excesses of some of his senior officers. 

Joab his military commander took the innocent life of Abner, Saul's commander who defected to David's camp after Saul's death  (2 Samuel 3:22-39).

David delegated the responsibility for punishing Joab and other evil men in his administration to Solomon (1Kings 2:1-12).

David passed the buck to avoid exercising royal authority vested in him.

Many of us avoid decisive action where God expects us to do so because of fear of offending others. God will hold us to account for our failed stewardship.

Remember that we are stewards of God's grace (1Cor. 4:1).

Are you a ministry leader? Pray for the wisdom to act judiciously and do not pass the buck to others. 

We must "bite the bullet" instead and make our stewardship count.

Ministry leadership may not always make us popular but if we do the right thing, we have nothing to fear before God.

9) THE PERIL OF POLYGAMY

David loved and married many women and this was partly contributed to his family problems. He married two widows, Bathsheba and Abigail the wife of Nabal and had several other women and concubines. 

The love of many women is biblically projected as perilous. Samson fell to a wicked woman. 

Jacob's family went into turmoil because of polygamy and so did Abraham's.

The culture of many wives was identified with the patriarchs but this was certainly not God's idea nor was it divinely approveď.

God created one wife for Adam and approved the chasing away of Hagar, the "strange woman" so that Isaac, Abraham's son born of promise to Sarah could could be heir to Abraham's heritage.

Solomon took the polygamous practice of his father to absurdity by marrying hundreds of women. This too caused his spiritual and royal downfall.

God designed one woman for one man as his perfect model for us (Genesis 2:24-26). Polygamy or polyandry [woman having more than one husband] violates God's divine order.

There are endless lessons from the life of David and we cannot exhaust them here but one more lesson is so compelling that I should place it in the closing remarks.

10) DAVID THE PASSIONATE WORSHIPPER

David worshipped God intensely and loved to devote his heart to seek God's face. Nothing perhaps illustrates this truth more than his statements in Psalm103 and 104, among many other psalms that he wrote.

David loved the LORD from a sincere heart and "stole" God's heart. 

Notice that on one occasion, David danced before God till his clothes fell off and Michal, one of his wives who watched him from a window as he danced and leaped before God, despised him in her heart. 

She was struck with barrenness (2Sam 6). Never despise those who worship God! 

This teaches us that God desires the deepest yearnings of our hearts to be directed to him. 

Is your heart anchored in Christ? 

Do you worship God in truth?

© Ezekiel Kimosop Teaching Series 2015

For more articles by this author, visit www.ezekielkimosop.blogspot.com

The Peril of Another Gospel

THE PERIL OF ANOTHER GOSPEL

By Ezekiel Kimosop

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 says "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! (NKJV).

Paul wrote his second Letter to the Corinthians primarily to clear the air on his noble intentions that prompted him to write the first Letter, which carried a harsh tone.

Some among the Corinthians were taken aback by his powerful writing which appeared to be contradictory of his demeanor. 

During his previous visit to the Corinthians, Paul was gentle and forbearing, imploring them in the way of Christ.

Notice the feedback on his assessment by the Corinthians in 2 Cor. 10:10: "For his letters,” they say, “are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.”

The Corinthians rightly discerned that Paul was a gifted writer. They were not however impressed by his speech.

Bible scholars describe Apostle Paul as a seasoned theological scholar who was raised by Gamaliel, one of the finest theologians of the First Century (Acts 22:3).

He had a deep grasped of the Old Testament Scriptures and this stood out in his writings. The Corinthians had underestimated his prudence and stature. Paul was however not given to speech and was possibly lacking in charisma!

Paul never intended to be harsh towards the Corinthians but the developments in the church of Corinth left him with limited options. He was compelled to flex his apostolic muscle. 

He sought to stem the ungodly divisions in the church and to provide spiritual direction on a raft of other unpleasant issues affecting the church.

For this reason he chose to address the Corinthians in considerable detail in his First Letter, penning 16 chapters in all.

In our above passage which is drawn from his Second Letter, Paul warned the Corinthians not to give in to false teachers who presented a different gospel from the one he and his associates had delivered to them.

We learn from 2 Corinthians11:14 that false teachers masqueraded as true apostles of Christ and sought to mislead the Corinthians while contesting Paul's apostolic authority! These false teachers employed philosophical reasoning with the intention of corrupting the minds of their audience. 

Paul was deeply worried that his ministry among the Corinthians would be in vain if they ended up embracing a false gospel.

This concern is as legitimate today as it was during the New Testament church period..

The contemporary church today stands at the crossroads that divides biblical Christianity and counterfeit religion. We are daily bombarded by heresies propagated by self appointed latter day prophets who were never called by Christ into ministry. These are self-seeking false teachers who are after personal glory and materialism. 

We are faced with a growing onslaught of false teachings that countermand the purposes of the cross and that seek to dethrone Christ. Unless a believer is well founded in biblical truth, they are likely to fall for these enemies of the Faith (cf. Ephesians 4:14; 1 John 4:1-6; Jude 1; Rev. 2:12-17, 18-29). 

The cheap gospel of prosperity or health and wealth is ruling the airwaves and so do personality cults and apocalyptic doomsday sects. 

Where should the believer stand? What are the fundamentals of the true gospel?
There several teachings of Scripture that believers should pay close attention to. 

My view is that the biblical gospel stands on the following pillars, among many more that are revealed in the word of God:

1) THAT the finished works of the cross are the sole basis for our redemption in Christ. Salvation is received by the unmerited grace of Jesus Christ and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

No man comes to the Father except by Christ's sacrificial atonement at Calvary (John 14:6).

2) THAT church ministers are stewards of God's grace (1 Cor 4:1-2). They are accountable to God for the work of ministry which should glorify Christ, the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:2-4).

3) THAT a biblical Christian community should solely depend on the teachings of Scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit in order to live in obedience as we look forward to the soon return of Jesus Christ [1 Cor. 2 :6-12; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

4) THAT we should proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the sinful world and lead men to Christ by the message of hope and by our Christian living (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Peter 3:1-6).

5) THAT Christ will come for His Church at a time appointed by God and the Dead in Christ shall be raised by God while the living saints shall be transformed in the twinkling of an eye and the two sets of believers shall be caught up together and taken to heaven by Christ [1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Thess. 4:13-18).

6) Those who reject the gospel of Jesus Christ will face judgement before the white throne of God (Rev. 20:11-15). They will be condemned and eternally separated from God.

Any gospel that contradicts or misrepresents these fundamental truths of the word of God should be rejected. 

© Ezekiel Kimosop Teaching Series 2019. 

For more teaching articles by this author, please visit www.ezekielkimosop.blogspot.com

Who Wrote the Letter of Hebrews?

WHO WROTE THE LETTER OF HEBREWS?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

The Letter of Hebrews does not mention its author. Some Bible scholars say that Paul possibly wrote sections of the Letter. They claim that traces of Pauline writing styles are notable in the Letter. But why would Paul fail to identify himself in this Letter if indeed he was its author? That would be uncharacteristic of him. 

Another school of thought holds that the author may have deliberately chosen to conceal his identity owing to the persecutions against Jewish believers at the time of writing. They identify the mention of Christian suffering in the Letter as evidence of this fact. This claim is difficult to corroborate from Scripture. If this argument is admitted, then Paul's authorship will be discounted since the letter will inevitably fall into the early period of the New Testament Church during which a Pauline authorship would be out of question. Besides, a number of other Pauline Epistles reveal that Christian persecution was prevalent and that Paul himself suffered for his faith (cf. 2 Corinthians 12).

Some early church theologians such as Augustine of Hippo attributed the authorship of Hebrews to Paul. Other scholars have however expressed serious doubts on this postulation since it is not backed by internal evidence.

A section of modern scholars including Daniel Wallace have disputed Pauline authorship of Hebrews even as some such as R C Sproul insist that Paul wrote the Letter. There is therefore divided opinion on Pauline authorship.

We now turn to internal evidence.

Three times in Hebrews 13:23-24, the author speaks in the first person. He encourages the recipients to bear with his words of exhortation and discloses that he would shortly be visiting them in the company of Timothy who had reportedly been released or set free.

The author does not disclose the nature of confinement that Timothy had been subjected to. Barnes Commentary however suggests that Timothy was not confined in prison but had possibly been inconvenienced by heavy ministry diaries.

This passage suggests that the author was a close confidant of Timothy [unless of course another Timothy is contemplated in this context] and that the recipients were familiar with Timothy. Some scholars have cited this passage as pointing to a possible Pauline authorship.

Was Timothy, a Gentile Christian from Lystra and Derbe, familiar with traditional Jewish system of worship? Was he possibly part of Jewish synagogue community?

This is highly unlikely because Timothy was uncircumcised prior to joining Paul. His Greek lineage ruled out his involved in levitical priesthood in a local Jewish synagogue. 

Timothy served in Ephesus and was Paul's emissary to several churches including Corinth (cf. 1 Timothy 4:17, 16:10) and Philippi (Philippians 2:19). There is no evidence of his ministry in the Jerusalem Church or of his familiarity with Levitical priesthood. However, the influence of Timothy's Jewish maternal heritage cannot be entirely ignored. 

It is instructive that Paul wrote the Letter of Philemon from Rome and in the presence of Timothy but no mention is made of Timothy's confinement by Paul (see Philemon 1:1).

Is it possible then that Timothy may have been imprisoned by the Roman authorities  shortly after Paul's martyrdom? (cf. 2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Some scholars suggest that if Paul wrote the Letter of Hebrews, then the works may have been compiled by members of a Pauline school after his martyrdom.

Still other scholars identify the authorship with the early part of the New Testament period when the Jerusalem church was predominantly Jewish and was severely persecuted by Rome (cf. Acts 12:1-2). This rules out a Pauline authorship.

The mention of Timothy suggests that the Gentile ministry was already established by then and this rules out the Jerusalem dispersal period as a possible background of the writing.

Timothy was taken up by Paul during his missionary journey in Acts 16, shortly after his sharp disagreement with Barnabas concerning John Mark accompanying them in ministry. The two split up with Barnabas and Mark sailing to Cyprus, while Paul and Silas traveled to Syria and Cilicia (see Acts 15:36-41).

So who may have been the author of the Letter of Hebrews beside Paul?

Some scholars suggest that Barnabas may have been the author of this Letter since he was a close confidant of Paul and may have served with Timothy at some point in time. I am persuaded by this view for the following reasons:

1) Barnabas served with Paul and possibly linked up with Timothy during and after Paul's imprisonment and subsequent martyrdom.

There is evidence in Scripture that Barnabas visited the Colossians as Paul's emissary (see Colossians 4:10). Colossae was about 100 miles (160km) from the port city of Ephesus where Timothy served. It is therefore possible that both Barnabas and Timothy served together in Asia Minor during Paul's imprisonment.

2) Barnabas, who was a cousin to Mark, was Jewish and possibly a Levite by descent. If he is the same person described in Acts 4:36, then this could explain his mastery of Levitical ritual practices mentioned in the Book of Hebrews.

3) Barnabas was not an Apostle of Jesus Christ. He was a Christian missionary who served with Paul. If he was the author of Hebrews, then he may have subordinated his works to the glory of God and declined to identify himself as its author. 

4) If the Letter was written by more than one author as suggested by some scholars, then the multiple authorship may have been the reason for the silence on the author(s).

Again these arguments are largely informed by theological suppositions rather than internal evidence. The fact remains that it is impossible to precisely identify the author(s) of the Book of Hebrews. This issue should perhaps be left to divine resolution.

The canonicity of the Letter of Hebrews [or the basis for its inclusion among the Biblical Scriptures] is however not open to dispute. It is part of the inspired body of Biblical Scriptures whose message and theological faithfulness is sound.

© Ezekiel Kimosop 2019

For more articles by this author, visit www.ezekielkimosop.blogspot.com

The Truth that sets Free

WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

John 8:32 says "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (NKJV). Other translations say "... and the truth shall set you free."

Two questions are pertinent at this stage:

First, what truth did Jesus have in mind in this context and how can this truth set one free?

Secondly, how is it that a believer who has been set free from sin by Christ can still be predisposed to sin?

The statement in John 8:32 was made by Jesus while addressing a group of Jews who believed in Him after hearing him preach (John 8:31-36).

The Pharisees however kept interjecting, questioning His authority. They were not seeking to learn from Jesus but to impose their religious rules.

Earlier in John 8:13-20, Jesus defended His witness which was under attack by the religious leaders.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their lack of discernment. They stubbornly rejected His Messianic authority and even later sought to arrest Him and charge Him with blasphemy.

The Pharisees were spiritually blind to the truth. Their religious legalism stood in the way of the light that Christ brought.

Jesus went on to affirm His divine mission and works, and the authority He bore as God incarnate, the messenger of God to a sinful and alienated people who were far from God.

In John 8:21-30, Jesus spoke of His coming departure at the conclusion of His earthly ministry which would be realized through the way of the cross, a way that Jesus was determined to accomplish.

So what did Jesus mean by His statement in John 8:32 that those who will know the truth shall be set free?

To address this question, we need to appreciate the passage context in which this statement was made.

The statement of John 8:28-29 contains the gist of what Jesus meant. Jesus says here:
"....when you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

Jesus here alluded to His death at the cross.

Notice that at the conclusion of this address, more Jews believed Him (John 8:30).

The Jews were aware of ritual cleansing as the means of remission of sin. They knew that without this cleansing the transgression would not be atoned.

Truth, in the words of Jesus in this passage, is therefore the knowledge of the purpose of His incarnate coming and more so His atoning works of the cross. This was the perfect solution for sin.

This truth lies at the very foundation of the Christian faith.

Jesus came to reveal the Father to a sinful world and to draw men to the Father.

Without His sacrificial death, we would still be lost in our spiritual rebellion.

To accomplish this task, Jesus had to die on the cross as the perfect atonement that God provided for our redemption.

The Bible teaches in Revelation 5 that no one was found worthy to open the scrolls and Apostle John wept. However, God revealed that Jesus alone, who is the Lamb of God, slain from the foundations of the world, was worthy to open the scrolls. This was a comforting message to Apostle John and indeed to us who know Christ!

Jesus is indeed our Savior, our Messiah, our hope of glory (Titus 2:11-14).

Philippians 2:10-11 declares that "...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (NKJV)

Now here is the summary of the Truth that sets us free:

1) THAT "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24, NKJV).

2) THAT it is only in Christ, and in Him alone that we can find redemption (Ephesians 2:8-9). This is the truth that breaks the chains of sinful condemnation that fell upon us in Adam.

3) THAT it is by this Truth that the believing Jews to Christ, and which is at the gist of the gospel proclamation for every Bible believing Christian community.

4) THAT any gospel that does not have this Truth at its centre is a  counterfeit religion.


[I will separately address the second question touching on why a believer who has been set free from sin can still be predisposed to sin]



© Ezekiel Kimosop Teaching Series 2019.

For more teaching resources, please visit my blog at www.ezekielkimosop.blogspot.com

What is Baptism by Fire?

THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN JOHN'S BAPTISM AND CHRISTIAN BAPTISM

By Ezekiel Kimosop

What does it mean that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire?

This question partly informs the gist of this article.

I wish to refer the reader to my previous article touching on biblical qualifications for admission to the Lord's Table which appears in my teaching blog page.

I am not aware of any reference to Christian baptism by the Holy Spirit and by fire, other than in the context of Acts 2 and metaphorically in relation to the works of the cross.

My view is that John's words in Matthew 3:11 were symbolic of the efficacy of Jesus' works of the cross, including the coming of the Holy Spirit by means of tongues of fire (Acts 2:1-4).

Some Bible scholars consider the fire mentioned by John as symbolic of the judgment in Revelation 20, but such a conclusion, in my view, appears to be largely inconsistent with the context of Matthew 3.

Others say that the fire symbolizes purification and purging of sin within the context of Levitical ritual cleansing. This is discernible from Isaiah 6:1-8 where one of the cherubim took a coal of 🔥 from the altar and cleansed the prophet's lips.

I consider the second interpretation as tenable and biblically centred, giving regard to the works of Calvary.

It is instructive that Jesus never baptized anyone, not even His own disciples (see John 4:2). This therefore implies that the statement by John was metaphorical.

Interestingly, Jesus symbolically identified his crucifixion and atoning death on the cross with baptism (cf. Matthew 20:22-23; Mark 10:38-39, NKJV).

My view is that water baptism by immersion is consistent with the biblical method since Jesus was baptized in the Jordan.

John's baptism was therefore not contemplated by Jesus in His command in Matthew 28:19-20 which is the foundation of the Christian rite that is open to every person that believes in Jesus.

Baptism symbolizes the inner transformation of the follower. Contrary to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, Christian baptism is not the means to salvation in itself.

The Bible teaches that salvation is by grace through faith and not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

My view is that John's baptism was a traditional Jewish ritual cleansing ceremony which, in John's own words, signified repentance and preparation for Christ's coming. It was meant to prepare the Jews to receive Jesus as their Messiah, Sadly they rejected.

When Jesus was baptized by John, Scripture aptly captures its purpose in Matthew 3:14. He went to the Jordan "to fulfill all righteousness."

Jesus was simply identifying with His Jewish people, leading them by example in obedience.

John understood the stature of Christ, as the coming Messiah. This was by divine revelation.

 Matthew 3:13-15 says:

"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him."

Notice the words of John in Matthew 3:14! John was initially hesitant to baptize Jesus, knowing that Jesus was the perfect sinless man who never required to repent of any sin. He was the New Adam!

John dutifully humbled himself to the Jesus, his Messiah and Lord, whose coming reign he came to proclaim.



© Ezekiel Kimosop Teaching Series 2019 - www.ezekielkimosop.blogspot.com

Contending for the Faith

IN DEFENSE OF THEOLOGICAL TRAINING FOR CHURCH MINISTERS

By Ezekiel Kimosop

I have come across some teachers on social media who condemn or reject theological training of church ministers.

Biblical theology is an essential discipline for the articulation and advancement of biblical truth. There is nothing conspicuous about training a pastor and equipping them with skills for handing the Scriptures.

The greatest challenge with sections of the charismatic movements is their penchant for painting theological training in bad light in order to justify the narrative that biblical training is not required in the church.

I have come across some Bible teachers who reject theological training yet they covet heavy salutations such as "Bishop Dr X". Ironically these preachers have never been to an elementary Bible class and neither are they in possession of any academic qualifications at all!

Some of these preachers are responsible for the heretical teachings that have ruined the church today. They reject biblical correction for the errors they teach and insist that they are under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit!

It is also common to hear some leading charismatic teachers claim that biblical training is irrelevant to the Church on the pretext that it weakens spiritual discernment.

Nothing can be further from the truth! If anything, the opposite is always true.

Lack of biblical training causes a preacher to mishandle the Scriptures and to open the door for heresy and apostasy to creep into his congregation.

Theological training is a timeless discipline that should be embraced by every biblical Christian congregation/community. 

Apostle Paul himself was a trained theological scholar. He was raised by Gamaliel, a celebrated First Century Jewish theologian (see Acts 22:3).

Paul's training is discernible from the quality of his works and his theological prudence. He also founded the school of Tyrannus under which he raised ministers who took the gospel to Asia Minor (see Acts 19:9).

The Bible promotes biblical training for church ministers. We can identify this in several passages (cf. 2 Timothy 2:2,15).

The early church had its theologians such as Tertulian, Origen and Athanascius. These great men of God laid the foundation of the Church as we know it today.

They examined and bound together the canon of Scriptures that is available to us today. They also contended with several heresies such as Gnosticism and Modalism.

The Reformation had its set of theologians who gave way to modern biblical scholars who carry on the mandate of articulating biblical doctrine and defending the authority and sanctity of the Scriptures.

The Reformation scholars include Calvin, Martin Luther, Tyndale and many others who risked their lives in resisting Roman Catholic heresies. They gave birth to Protestantism.

It is therefore foolhardy to simply condemn theology in the manner some do, bereft of any substance.

The Coming of the Antichrist

THE REVELATION OF THE ANTICHRIST: LESSONS IN 2THESSALONIANS 2:3-12

By Ezekiel Kimosop

INTRODUCTION

In our previous study of 2Thessalonians 2:1-3, we noted that there will be two key prophetic events that shall precede the coming of Christ. These are, namely, the falling away or the great apostasy and the revelation of the Antichrist.

Other Bible translations refer to the falling away as the great revolt, indicating that the apostasy is a spiritual rebellion against Christ and His true followers.

Our study today will focus on the biblical description of the Antichrist, his attributes, ambition, deceptive works, his subsequent fall as well as his divine destiny.

We shall also examine a number theological opinions and general views  regarding what restrains the coming or revelation of the Antichrist.

We shall begin by examining some of the key attributes of this great enemy of Christ and His Church.

It is my hope that we shall be blessed together as we uncover the biblical truths hidden in the word of God.

THE NATURE AND ATTRIBUTES OF THE ANTICHRIST

2Thessalonians 2:3-4 says “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,  4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”

The above passage employs a number of adjectives to describe the Antichrist.

He is first described as the “man of sin”. Some Bible translations speak of the "man of lawlessness". Make no mistake here. This term does not  merely suggest that the Antichrist is an ordinary sinful mortal but rather that he is the perfect embodiment of all conceivable evil.

It also indicates his relationship with Satan under whose authority and inspiration he would operate (Revelation 13:4). This man will be totally given to depravity, wickedness and perversity. My view is that the Antichrist will be the Hitler type who have no regard for the sanctity of human life or the order of human civilization.

The second description of the Antichrist is that he is the “son of perdition”. Some translations such as the Young’s Literal Translation (YLT), New Living Translation (NLT) and the New Revised Standard (NRS) employ the phrase “son of destruction”. This description speaks of both his acts of violence and his ultimate demise.

According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE), the word “perdition” is used eighteen times in the Bible and in each case it denotes the final state of ruin and punishment which forms the opposite to the way of salvation.

This term is also used in relation to  Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus and whose destiny was eternally sealed (Acts 1:20). Judas, like the Antichrist, would share a common divine destiny with Satan in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-15).

The Bible quotes the prayer of Jesus in John 17:12 saying, “While I was with them [disciples] in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

Judas Iscariot was not only lost in physical death when he committed suicide but he will also, together with the Antichrist and all the disobedient, suffer spiritual separation from God and face eternal punishment. He was never a true follower of Jesus from the beginning.

THE FATAL AMBITION OF THE ANTICHRIST

The third and final description of the character of the Antichrist is found in 2Thessalonians 2:4 which speaks of him as one “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God”

This verse reveals that the ultimate objective of this man of lawlessness is to seek to overthrow God and to be worshipped as the God in Jerusalem in the place of Christ, who is the true Messiah.

This explains why he will gather a large army at the valley of Megiddo to wage battle against Israel (Rev 16:16).

Satan has always sought to subvert the divine authority that God has vested in Jesus Christ. He tried to get Jesus to worship him during His temptation in Matthew 4:1-11 in exchange for the kingdoms of the world that were temporarily under his wicked rule.

Jesus flatly rejected the offer, knowing that the only way to permanently humiliate Satan was through cross of Calvary. The Antichrist will always be a counterfeit messiah, an abomination to God’s people.

The God of Israel alone deserves to sit in His temple where He is exalted in majesty and is worthy of worship. Prophet Isaiah had a vision of God that fits this description.

Notice the picture of the divine majesty of God described in Isaiah 6:1 which says “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.”

Notice further that the evil ambition that will finally lead to the downfall of the Antichrist perfectly fits the description of Satan's fatal ambition that caused him to be thrown down from heaven.

The Bible reveals Satan’s thoughts in Isaiah 14:13-15 which says “For you [Lucifer] have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;  14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'  15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.”

Notice the destiny of Satan described in Isaiah 14:15. Satan will ultimately be brought down to Sheol or hell (KJV), the lowest depths of the earth which in Hebrew thought is where the burning will be most intense and there is no chance of escape from torment. Unfortunately, this fire will never be quenched. It will burn forever and ever and ever (Mark 9:44-48).

Satan will also be locked up in a bottomless pit during the millennial reign of Christ and His saints at Jerusalem (Rev 20:1-3).

This teaching demonstrates that the Antichrist will in all probability be Satan incarnate in the same way that Christ is God incarnate. Unlike Christ who was lifted to heaven in victory, Satan was thrown down from heaven and will ultimately be cast down into his eternal destiny in the lake of fire.

WHAT RESTRAINS THE COMING OF THE ANTICHRIST?

Let us now return to our passage of 2Thessalonians 2.

2 Thessalonians 2:5-7 says “Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?  6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.  7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.”

Paul now jogs the minds of the Thessalonians by reminding them of the teachings he had given them when he last visited Thessalonica with some of his ministry associates (see Acts 17).

This visit was fairly brief. It lasted only three Sabbaths, suggesting that they only spent about three weeks before hell broke loose! (Acts17:2-5).

Protests and violence ensued after radical Jews mobilized mobs to resist Paul’s ministry, forcing Paul and his associates to flee to Berea and later to Athens (Acts 17:5-34).

This could perhaps explain why the Thessalonians could not recall much of what was taught.

THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH

Paul reveals in 2Thess 2:7 that the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, only awaiting the revelation of the Antichrist. Nothing perhaps best explains this lawlessness than the severe persecution that the Thessalonian church was undergoing.

This confirms that the foundation of the Antichrist system started right after Calvary!

Jerusalem church was dispersed by the sword of Satan (Acts 12). We can therefore conclude that the persecutions suffered by the Thessalonians and indeed other believers in all the church ages are attributed to the wrath of Satan.

These persecutions on the church will definitely intensify as Christ's coming approaches.

Why is this so?

In Rev 12:12, John heard a loud voice from heaven saying "woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you having great wrath because he knows that he has a short time."

This warning comes after the seventh trumpet of God but before the harvest and the pouring of God's wrath.

Since the great harvest takes place in Rev 14, it is safe to assume that the church will be present during the events leading up to that period. It appears that the church will have been raptured by Revelation 15 because the saints are seen praising God in heaven (Rev 15:2-4).

My view is that even though the church will undergo persecution, it will nonetheless escape the seven bowls of the wrath of God which shall be poured upon for His enemies (Rev 16).

The Scarlet Woman and Scarlet Beast mentioned in Rev 17 most probably represents apostate religion or the idolatry embraced by the people of this evil world.

The church is next mentioned in Rev 19:7-10 during the Marriage Supper of the Lamb right after the fall of the great Babylon in Rev 18. The marriage celebration is preceded by a great rejoicing in heaven (Rev 19:1-6).

The beast and his armies are finally defeated (Rev 19:17-21) and Satan is bound for 1000 YEARS. The 1000 year reign of Christ on earth follows (Rev 20:1-6). Satan is temporarily released after the millennial reign but is finally destroyed together with the beast and the false prophet (Rev 20:7-10).

This is concluded by the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-14) where Satan and all the enemies of God are served with God's final wrath.

Let's now return to our passage of 2Thessalonians 2.

FOUR VIEWS ON WHAT RESTRAINS THE ANTICHRIST

2Thessalonians 2:6-7 speaks of a restraining force that stands in the way of the revelation of the Antichrist.

This statement has been the subject of several theological opinions and speculations on what is holding back the coming of the Antichrist.

We shall now critically examine four key theological views on this mystery.

1)  THE HOLY SPIRIT

Some Bible teachers say that the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth could be the restraining factor. This claim however is difficult to prove from the Bible because it appears that the church will still be on earth at the time that the man of lawlessness is revealed.

How can the Holy Spirit be removed before the church is taken away and why must be He be removed in the first place?

2) THE CHURCH

The second view held by some Bible scholars is that the presence of the church on earth is the reason that the Antichrist is yet to be revealed.

They argue that the Antichrist can only be revealed the moment the church is taken away or gathered to Christ upon his coming described in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Again this view does not find any conclusive evidence from Scripture. There is no evidence in the Bible to suggest that the Antichrist will only be revealed after the rapture of the church has taken place. If anything, such a conclusion contradicts the same passage we are studying!

We have already identified from the words of Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 that two key events must first take place BEFORE the coming of Christ, which is synonymous with the rapture.

These events are, namely, the falling away of the false church and the revelation of the Antichrist whose description the Bible reveals to us.

My view is that the church will witness the revelation of the Antichrist and thereafter will be taken away at a time appointed by God.

In fact the church will be persecuted by the Antichrist for a season of time.

3) THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL

The third speculation claims that the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20 must first be accomplished by the church before the son of perdition is revealed.

While it is biblical to argue that the church must accomplish it's divine mandate, we cannot say with certainty if the task of spreading the gospel is what restrains the coming of the man of sin.

We are aware that the message of the gospel is now available in online, reaching billions of people through the Internet and through international satellite TV and radio broadcasts.

In any case, there is biblical evidence that the Antichrist will find the church still on earth and carrying on its mandate! 

We do not know for sure how long it will be between the time of the revelation of the Antichrist and the rapture of the church. This is not revealed in the Bible.

Some have suggested that the three and a half years mentioned in Daniel 7:25 could coincide with this period but again this remains pure speculation.

4) THE DIVINE CALENDAR OF GOD

So who or what is it that restrains the coming of the Antichrist?

Irvin Baxter, a leading American Bible teacher on end time prophecy, believes that the only thing holding back the revelation of this evil man is God’s divine calendar.

He argues that just as Jesus was born at a time appointed by God, the Antichrist will be revealed when God’s appointed time is fulfilled.

This implies that God alone knows the time when this man will be ushered into the global scene.

Some scholars who associate this restraining force to a person do not agree with Irvine Baxter on the basis that the Bible appears to have a person in mind because of the mention of the third person male pronoun "He" in 2Thess 2:7.

Nevertheless, Baxter's opinion resonates with the Bible.

5) CONCLUSION

Since God has already revealed to the church the identity of the Antichrist and the kind of system that he will establish on earth, we can be certain that whatever holds him is not a salvation issue. We simply need to get spiritually ready for the revelation of this enemy of God by keeping our garments clean so that we can withstand him. 

However, there is absolutely no doubt that the Antichrist system has been fully laid down today and may in fact be in its final stages. The world is increasingly hostile to the authentic practice of the Christian faith and prefers the counterfeit instead.

The preaching of the gospel is now being outlawed in many Western countries and church halls have been turned into museums and clubhouses.

In the Muslim world, being found with a Bible could get one into jail or cost them their life. Communist China and other Buddhist countries have officially outlawed the practice of Christian faith.

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ANTICHRIST

2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 says “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.  9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,  10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,  12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

In this final section of our passage, the Bible reveals more details on the working of the Antichrist.

First, 2 Thess. 2:8 addresses the divine destiny of the Antichrist whose fate has been sealed by God. This Scripture teaches that this man of lawlessness will ultimately be destroyed by Christ upon His second coming.

This teaching agrees with other passages of the Bible that reveal that the Antichrist be defeated and captured during the battle of Armageddon and destroyed by Christ in the final judgment of the wicked (Rev. 16:16-21, 19:19-21).

Secondly, 2 Thess. 2:9 says that the coming of the man of lawlessness is according to the working of Satan. This statement is significant here because it agrees with the earlier description of the man which we saw in 2Thess. 2:3-4.

I will emphasize once again that the character of this man appears to be consistent with the very incarnation of Satan. His works closely resemble Satan’s works described elsewhere in the Bible.

The above Scripture says that the Antichrist will perform powerful signs and lying wonders and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish [those who are outside our covenant relationship with Christ].

This indicates that the man and his evil system will have a great following among non believers, including atheists and others who reject Christ. The Antichrist will cause them to falsely believe that he is the messiah.

Notice their exclamation in Revelation 13:4 which says “So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"

This scripture shows that the great masses of lost humanity will blindly follow this master of deception and his evil system, glorifying and exalting his false greatness. It also reveals that he is likely to command great military arsenal and unrivaled global political power.

The beast here is first revealed in Revelation 13:1-2 as a dominion that rises from among the sea [humanity]. This indicates that the Antichrist will possess a powerful political and economic base and owes his meteoric rise to the dragon which is the other name for Satan.

THE ANTICHRIST IN DANIEL’S PROPHECY

Many Bible scholars have identified the above scene with the revival of the Roman that will rise in the last days in accordance with the prophecy of Daniel 7:15-28.

Daniel 7:25-27 reveals startling truths about the Antichrist and his reign.

First, the Angel of God revealed to Daniel that the Antichrist will persecute the saints of the Most High for a season under God’s permissive will for three and a half years.

Some scholars identify these saints and those described in Matthew 24 with Palestine Jews and not the church but the validity of this argument is doubtful because the millennial reign of Christ includes the redeemed church who will reign with Christ (Zechariah 14, Rev 20:4-6).

This confirms that the church will probably be on earth for the first three and a half of the Antichrist coming to global prominence.

Those who insist that the church will be raptured before the tribulation period claim that the Antichrist will not be in a position to persecute the church. This claim appears to be inconsistent with the teachings of several passages of Scripture including Matthew 24.

My view is that the passage of Daniel 7 deals a serious blow to the pre-tribulation rapture theory which is largely held by Pentecostal and Charismatic Bible teachers. Evangelical theology largely leans towards the mid tribulation theory.

Secondly Daniel 7:26-27 reveals that the Antichrist will change times and laws. This could suggest that the man will have unfettered authority to make unusual laws.

Which laws could these be? They may refer to some international religious, civil or moral laws which are enacted to permit unusual things or to outlaw certain practices.

Just imagine if Easter and Christmas seasons are outlawed under a UN charter in the pretext that it gives advantage to certain religions!

Today many countries have liberalized laws to increase human freedoms but surprisingly many continue to make laws that ultimately restrict Christian religious freedoms!

Finally, Daniel reveals in Daniel 7:26-27 that the dominion of the Antichrist system will come to an abrupt end when God shall destroy it and hand it over to the saints.

This passage probably describes the coming millennial reign of Christ and His saints. This will only take place after the Antichrist system has been defeated and destroyed (Rev 19-20).

THE GREAT DECEPTION OF THE ANTICHRIST

Now back to Revelation 13:4.

The people who will be captivated by the beast will worship Satan because he will be the source of power for their powerful political global leader.

Today, devil worship is a growing reality which has mutated into many subtle names, apostate church denomination cults, secret societies and other global movements.

Some powerful global institutions and nations have today openly rejected and outlawed the teachings and practices of the Christian faith in public.

Interestingly, occult societies and other subtle movements are freely allowed to carry on their wicked works in the name of freedom of worship.

This is the Antichrist system by any other name.

What this passage is teaching is that God will shield his true followers from buying into this great deception.

How will this possibly happen?

My view is that true followers of Christ will be able to discern this man as a false leader using the spiritual truths that they have learnt from God’s word and the conviction of the Holy Spirit who dwells in them. This will explain his rage against the true church.

The Bible says in John 14:26  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

1 John 2:26-27 says “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.  27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”

Those who diligently walk with Christ will always discern ungodly people and their enticing false messages and evil ways and will keep away from them.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 commands us to “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” This will happen during the time of the Antichrist.

THE FINAL DESTINY OF THE ANTICHRIST

Finally, 2 Thess. 2:11-12 says that God will send a strong delusion on those who had rejected the Christ so that they will believe the lie of the Antichrist and that they may be condemned for taking pleasure in unrighteousness.

Notice here that the window of God’s mercy will have been closed at this point so that a clear demarcation is drawn between those who belong to Christ and those who had rejected Him and now follow the Antichrist and his agents.

These evil people will face the Great Day of Judgment and will be consigned to the lake of fire together with Satan, also described elsewhere as the great dragon, and the Antichrist.

This is a great warning to those who willfully resist God’s grace because the time will come when the window of God's grace will be permanently shut by God just in the same way that God shut up the door of Noah's Ark in Genesis 7:16.

These people will weep and gnash their teeth in pain but it will be too little too late. Isaiah 55:6 says “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.”

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

From our study the passage of 2Thessalonians 2:3-12, we have learnt the following truths:

1) The coming of Christ and the rapture of the church will not take place until the great apostasy arises and the Antichrist is revealed (2Thess 2:1-3).

2) The ultimate objective of the Antichrist is to overthrow God and destroy the church (2Thess 2:4).

3) The Antichrist will be revealed when God’s time is fulfilled (2Thess 2:6-7)

4) The system of the Antichrist is already at work in this world, only waiting for the revelation of the Antichrist who is also described as the man of sin/perdition/lawlessness (2Thess 2:7; 1John 4:1-7).

5) The Antichrist will be defeated by Christ upon His second coming [2Thess 2:8, Daniel 7:26-27)

6) The Antichrist will deceive millions of people who reject Christ and they will blindly follow him (2Thess 2:9-10).

7) God will finally judge Satan, also known as the Dragon, and the Beast [antichrist system] and the Antichrist and all their followers whose names shall not be found in the book of life. God will then cast them into the lake of fire where they will be tormented forever (Rev. 20:7-15).


Seven times in Revelation 2-3, Jesus concludes each address to the seven churches of Asia Minor by saying: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

If you have spiritual ears, you will definitely discern spiritual truths taught in the Bible and more shore the prophetic timeliness we are living in.

The 70th Week of Daniel

WHEN SHALL THE 70TH WEEK OF DANIEL COMMENCE?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

Most Bible prophecy scholars agree that once the final seven year Middle East peace agreement revealed in Daniel 9 is signed, then the final seven years of Daniel's 70th week will commence.

There is also general consensus among Bible prophecy experts that the church is now in the prophetic gap between the 69 weeks [483 years] which were fulfilled between the time that the decree to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem was issued and the death of Christ [when the Prince was cut off]. Read Daniel 9:25-27. The biblical numerology of 70 weeks translates to 490 years. To obtain the 69 weeks we simply deduct 7 years to arrive at 483 years.

The prophetic time clock was apparently suspended by God between the time that Christ died [approximately 27 AD] and the commencement of the final seven year period of the Antichrist treaty.

God foreknew that if the divine clock was not suspended, we would easily work out the figures on how much time is left!

God deliberately withheld the revelation or manifestation of the Antichrist until His appointed time is fulfilled.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-10 describes the events leading to the revelation of the Antichrist. The description is vividly awesome.

Here is the sequence...

First the falling away of the apostate church must take place. This does appear to have been largely fulfilled today. The false church is now more visible and has the fastest growing number of followers than the true church!

False prophets and their heretic message have taken the global center stage today and heresy is widely acclaimed at the expense of Bible truth!

This falling away or apostasy will be followed by the unveiling of the Antichrist and the rest of the events will follow the biblical script with surgical precision, leading to the conclusion of the final end time drama after the false treaty is signed by the Antichrist [Daniel 9:25-27). Once the final agreement is signed between the Antichrist and Israel, the world will fall into a false lull....but not for long.

This false treaty will usher in the final seven weeks (years) of Daniel.

What is apparently clear is that whatever time this event will unfold  remains a divine secret for which God alone holds the password.

I believe that believers and the church community who will be alive in the final 70th week will see the Antichrist and identify him. This is because the Bible elaborately describes his person, his works and his final destiny.

Could this then imply that the pre-tribulation rapture theory may fail? Or will the believers/Church see the Antichrist and be snatched away shortly before the tribulation period begins?

I am convinced that the mid tribulation theory is plausible and appears to better fit into the wider biblical frame of eschatology.

We may never be certain on this!

What is clear is that our security in Christ will never be lost either way!

Thankfully, Matthew 24 clearly confirms that even though we may not know the day or hour of His coming, we are definitely in the season of Christ's coming today. This is because most of the prophecies contained in Matthew 24 have already been fulfilled.

We should not fear the future because Christ is our hope of glory. He holds the future and no person who comes into saving faith in Him will be lost.

Shalom.

© Ezekiel Kimosop Teaching Series 2018

The Snare of the Bottle and the Jackpot

NOT ALL THINGS ARE BENEFICIAL OR EXPEDIENT FOR BELIEVERS

By Ezekiel Kimosop

Is it permissible for a believer to indulge in alcoholic beverages or gambling? I have repeatedly come across this question on Facebook.

We have also extensively discussed on this forum in the past about dangers of addictive substances and ungodly practices.

Gambling is definitely not listed in the Bible as sin. However we can discern from our study of Scripture that its practice is ungodly.

Those who chose to indulge in the practice are inviting Mammon, the god of money, to rule them.

God expects us to earn our living from the work of our hands. Someone said that the only place where success comes before work is in the English dictionary. How true!

Gambling is decidedly evil and every child of God should never even think about it!

Now turning to alcohol and narcotics...

My view is that the consumption of any addiction substances is ungodly. They ultimately destroy our bodies which God gifted us and which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:12-20).

I would classify alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics in the same range.

I know someone will quickly cite several passages of Scripture in an effort to defend alcoholic consumption but that would amount to proof texting.

The illustrations of drunken people in the Bible are nothing to be proud about.

Noah drunk wine and soon after he was unaware that he was naked! (Genesis 20:9-24). This was utterly shameful! The Bible says in in Proverbs 20:1 that "wine is a mocker,
Strong drink is a brawler,
And whoever is led astray by it is not wise."
The daughters of Lot used strong wine to get their father into a deep drunken stupor and we all know what followed after that (Genesis 19).

The Bible condemns the brewer of wine for the consequence of the business. It is a cursed trade. This condemnation extends to all ungodly businesses including sports companies that are daily luring young people into gambling addiction.

CONCLUSION

There are several practices we can observe from Scripture which we shall do well to avoid.

For instance, polygamy is commonly identified with key Bible characters including David.

Does this justify it's practice?

Of course not! God's idea of marriage is one man and one woman. Period. (Genesis 2).

The Bible admonishes us to judge all things and to cling to that which is good (1 Thess. 5:21).

Scripture also teaches that not all things are beneficial for our spiritual well-being. Paul chides the Corinthians, saying "Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food but God will destroy both" (1 Cor. 6:13).

We can therefore conclude that any substance or practice that results in addiction is evil. It does not matter how appealing it is. The Bible exhorts us to flee from every appearance of evil (cf. 1 Cor. 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:9-12; 2 Timothy 2:22).

Think again...

The Folly of Apocryphal Writings

BQ NO 83 -  WHY DOES THE ROMAN CATHOLIC BIBLE CONTAIN THE APOCRYPHA BOOKS? ARE THESE BOOKS INSPIRED BY GOD? 

By Ezekiel Kimosop 

INTRODUCTION 

The seven extra canonical books collectively referred to as the Apocrypha are Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, First Maccabees and Second Maccabees. 

Other Apocryphal additions include:

A) Additions to Esther (Vulgate Esther 10:4 - 16:24, see rather in NAB, a Catholic translation)

B) Additions to the Book of Daniel include: 

i) Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children (Daniel 3:24-90).

ii) Susanna (found in Daniel 13 under the Vulgate and the Septuagint prologue)

iii) Bell and the Dragon (Vulgate Daniel 14, Septuagint epilogue) 

These books have been the subject of considerable debate throughout the church ages which has pitted the Roman Catholic Church against the Protestant Church communities who resoundingly reject the additional books and accounts as uninspired, and therefore considered extra canonical literature which cannot be admitted into Scripture. 

The Bible canonization process took centuries to conclude. It started in the second century and was substantially concluded in the fourth century but not without heavy controversy. 

CANONIZATION PROCESS 

During the Councils of Hippo in 393 and Carthage in 397 AD, the Church Fathers took time to prayerfully scrutinize all religious literature at their disposal including the apocryphal books that were written during the 400 year gap between Malachi and Matthew. 

They unanimously arrived at the decision to consider these books as uninspired literature though some held them as mere wisdom books. 

They further determined that the apostolic writings and other New Testament literature should be added to the Old Testament Scripture to arrive at the the 66 Book canon of the Bible available to us today. 

The canonization process was not that simple. Sections of the early church theologians continued to question the inclusion of some of the Scripture books including the Book of Esther and the Letter of James while others held onto the Apocryphal books. 

Interestingly, the Book of Esther was questioned by some Reformation scholars on account of the absence of a single mention of God in the writings!

However its inclusion was defended on the basis that it revealed the working of God to preserve His people in Persia. The church fathers were not convinced that the criticism on Esther was legitimate. 

The Letter of James was also questioned by the Reformation scholars including Martin Luther who referred to it as a "canon destitute of straw".  

Luther insisted that the Letter of James taught salvation by works which contradicted Ephesians 2:8-9. Luther firmly believed in salvation by faith alone. 

This claim was however established to be without theological substance because James primarily taught that true faith should be evidenced by good deeds. 

Most of the early church theologians supported the decision of the Church Fathers on sealing the Scripture canonization process. 

Among leading early church theologians who rejected the Apocrypha are Jerome, Athanasius [who was an early church African theologian from North Africa], Cyril of Jerusalem, and others. 

Before the Council of Carthage, there was no unified canon apart from the Old Testament writings which were available in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament Scripture written in Alexandria. 

This canon was later translated into the Latin Vulgate by Jerome. 

The New Testament apostolic writings were available to the Church and were the key sources of early church doctrine. 

The Roman Catholic Church later returned the apocryphal books into their canon but they were not officially accepted as books of instruction until the Reformation period in the 16th Century when the Catholic Church insisted that the books were equally inspired. This declaration only added to widening division between the Catholic Church and the Protestants. 

Against all reason, the Roman Catholic Church have consistently rejected any attempt to question the inclusion of these books in their Catholic Bible despite the obvious flaws that they contain. 

They also introduced a series of unbiblical church traditions and practices into their liturgy and worship. 

This marked a radical departure from the position taken by the early church councils. The Roman Catholic Bible is therefore extra canonical to the extent that it includes the Apocryphal literature. 

GROUNDS ON WHICH THE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS ARE CONSIDERED UNINSPIRED AND EXTRA CANONICAL 

Let us now conclude by outlining some of the key grounds by which the Protestant community finds the apocrypha as extra biblical. 

1) The Church Fathers determined the period of their writing as falling into the "prophetic silence" era when there was no evidence that God sent any prophets among the Jews. It is theologically accepted by Protestant theologians that no prophet spoke the mind of God between Malachi and the coming of John the Baptist as predicted in Malachi. 

2) The apocryphal literature contain several controversial accounts, some of which cannot be corroborated by independent authors of their time. The authors of some of these books are largely obscure. 

3) The teachings of the Apocrypha are irreconcilable with the Old Testament Scripture concerning the revelation of God. There is no consistent correlation between the Apocrypha and the Old Testament writings. Some of the accounts found in the Apocryphal writings are inconsistent with biblical truth. 

4) Some of the characters and events described in the apocryphal writings cannot be authenticated, neither can their authors be independently acclaimed as speaking the mind of God. 

4) The apocrypha teach controversial doctrines such as the doctrine of Purgatory which is advanced by the Roman Catholic Church but which is totally and manifestly inconsistent with the biblical truth regarding the after life (see 2 Maccabees 12:41-46).

5) The apocrypha teach that God hears the prayers of the dead (Baruch 3:4) and lay claim to the pre-existence of human souls (Wisdom 8:19, 20). These are  false doctrines founded on heresy! 

6) The Book of Wisdom 11:17 rejects the biblical doctrine of creation Ex-nihilo, that proclaims that God created everything from nothing. To deny this truth is to completely misrepresent the revelation of God in Genesis 1-2.

7) It is instructive that the Jews have consistently rejected the apocrypha as Scripture and that Jesus never quoted from a single book of the apocrypha neither did He affirm any of their characters yet these writings were largely available during the time of His earthly ministry. 

Jesus mentioned several Old Testament characters such as Noah, Abraham, Solomon, Job, David, but made no single reference to any of the apocryphal characters and nor made mentioned of a single apocryphal book in His teachings. 

8) Finally, there is no evidence that the apocryphal books were taught among the Jews at the time of Christ. No writers have ever cited these literature as authority for their works and this weakens their scholarly and theological standing as reference materials for biblical scholars. 

The apocrypha must therefore be relegated to the periphery and be understood as ordinary religious literature which are not inspired by God and should not inform Christian instruction or church doctrine. 

© Ezekiel Kimosop Teaching Series 2018 

[key online reference sources: www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_395.cfm 

www.carm.org/early-church-fathers-canon]