A War in Heaven

Written by Michael Bradley


Continued from page 1

Satan will obviously know this when he is cast down ontorepparttar earth, andrepparttar 140800 Bible even says from this point on, he knows his time is short and that is why he becomes so furious. Satan will thus haverepparttar 140801 last three and half years to wreak as much havoc as he can throughrepparttar 140802 Antichrist and False Prophet before Jesus comes back and finally puts an end to his reign of terror.

I really feel that God is going to give all of us an incredible history lesson when we see what happens when Satan "merges" withrepparttar 140803 Antichrist and False Prophet to cause as much destruction as they possibly can forrepparttar 140804 last three and half years - especially ifrepparttar 140805 Church has already been raptured out before all of this begins to take place.

Without God and His Church inrepparttar 140806 "big picture," - man, in union with Satan and his fallen angels, will wreak nothing but pure havoc and destruction on a mass scale to a degree that no man would have ever thought was possible.

For all those who think that man is basically "good," and that we don’t need God in our lives, and that we are all capable of creating paradise on our earth through our own efforts - these people will be shown first hand what will happen whenrepparttar 140807 earth is left inrepparttar 140808 hands of humans underrepparttar 140809 influence of Satan and all of his demons. The result will end up being mass chaos and total destruction to a degree thatrepparttar 140810 world has never seen before and will never see again! Jesus Himself said that had these days not been shortened by Godrepparttar 140811 Father Himself, that no flesh would survive this horrible time of trouble.

The Scripture Verse

Here isrepparttar 140812 verse from Scripture that tells us exactly what will happen with this event.

"And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought againstrepparttar 140813 dragon; andrepparttar 140814 dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. Sorepparttar 140815 great dragon who was cast out, that serpent of old, calledrepparttar 140816 Devil and Satan, who deceivesrepparttar 140817 whole world; he was cast torepparttar 140818 earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, andrepparttar 140819 kingdom of God, andrepparttar 140820 power of His Christ have come, forrepparttar 140821 accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down ... Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!Woe torepparttar 140822 inhabitants ofrepparttar 140823 earth andrepparttar 140824 sea! Forrepparttar 140825 Devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.

Now whenrepparttar 140826 dragon saw that he had been cast torepparttar 140827 earth, he persecutedrepparttar 140828 woman who gave birth torepparttar 140829 male child. Butrepparttar 140830 woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly intorepparttar 140831 wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, fromrepparttar 140832 presence ofrepparttar 140833 serpent. Sorepparttar 140834 serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood afterrepparttar 140835 woman, that he might cause her to be carried away byrepparttar 140836 flood. Butrepparttar 140837 earth helpedrepparttar 140838 woman, andrepparttar 140839 earth opened its mouth and swallowed uprepparttar 140840 flood whichrepparttar 140841 dragon had spewed out of his mouth.

Andrepparttar 140842 dragon was enraged withrepparttar 140843 woman, and he went to make war withrepparttar 140844 rest of her offspring, who keeprepparttar 140845 commandments of God and haverepparttar 140846 testimony of Jesus Christ." (Revelations 12: 7-17)

The "woman" mentioned inrepparttar 140847 above verse is Israel. The "male child" thatrepparttar 140848 woman had given birth to is Jesus. Notice thatrepparttar 140849 "woman" Israel is given underrepparttar 140850 protection of a "great eagle" after Satan is cast down uponrepparttar 140851 earth. This protection is for a time and times and half of a time. We already know that this stands for three and half years fromrepparttar 140852 prophecy of Daniel already talked about in one of my earlier end time articles.

So we know that this is referring torepparttar 140853 last three and half years ofrepparttar 140854 Tribulation. As I stated in my article titled, "Basic Overview of Main End Time Event", some people think that this "great eagle" may berepparttar 140855 United States since we haverepparttar 140856 national symbol of an eagle. Our country is already on good terms with Israel and we obviously would berepparttar 140857 most natural choice to protect Israel if we are still considered a super power and not underrepparttar 140858 control ofrepparttar 140859 Antichrist at this time.

Now that Satan,repparttar 140860 Antichrist and False Prophet are given incredible authority and power to carry out this unholy reign of terror for three and half years, how does God go about getting anyone saved during these last days ifrepparttar 140861 Church and His main body of believers have already been raptured out?

For this answer, go torepparttar 140862 next article titled "God's 4 Avenues to Reachrepparttar 140863 Lost Duringrepparttar 140864 Tribulation. God will arrange for an incredible counterbalance to take place during this time of trouble in an effort to get as many people saved as He possibly can.

Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their website is a resource of Bible knowledge and teaching. If you do not want to wait for the next article, you can go to our end times section. Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All Rights Reserved.


Did Jesus Go To Hell?

Written by Stephen Kingery


Continued from page 1

The Old Testament laws concerning sacrifices were a forerunner torepparttar perfect sacrifice which Jesus was to make. In other words,repparttar 140697 sacrifices ofrepparttar 140698 Old Testament were a picture of or a representation ofrepparttar 140699 perfect sacrifice of Jesus. When God ordained these laws concerning sacrifices, He placed stipulations on them concerningrepparttar 140700 characteristics ofrepparttar 140701 animals which were to be used. Regardless ofrepparttar 140702 kind of animal to be used, there was always one specific characteristic that they were to have. That characteristic was, "without blemish." (See Leviticus 4:3; 4:28; Deuteronomy 15:21) The sacrifice was to be a perfect sacrifice, without blemish or defect.

The New Testament tells us that Jesus was a perfect sacrifice, "how much more shallrepparttar 140703 blood of Christ, who throughrepparttar 140704 eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God. . ." (Hebrews 9:14) Does this sound as if Jesus becamerepparttar 140705 despicable characterrepparttar 140706 Faith teachers claim He became onrepparttar 140707 cross? And how about this, "but withrepparttar 140708 precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:19) Again I say,repparttar 140709 picture here is one of Jesus being a perfect sacrifice. And one last comment on this aspect of our discussion, "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2) If Jesus had actually becamerepparttar 140710 demonrepparttar 140711 Faith teachers claim He became, then God's word would not describe Him as "a sweet-smelling aroma" for we know that God cannot tolerate sin.

The Faith teachers contend that in order for Jesus to have beenrepparttar 140712 sacrifice for our sins, He had to die spiritually. Or, to put it another way, His physical death onrepparttar 140713 cross was not sufficient. Inrepparttar 140714 first place, if God says thatrepparttar 140715 physical death of Jesus is sufficient, who dorepparttar 140716 Faith teachers think they are to contradict Him? The Scriptures (God's word) teaches thatrepparttar 140717 sacrifice Jesus made for us was His physical death onrepparttar 140718 cross. Consider these passages: "By that will we have been sanctified throughrepparttar 140719 offering ofrepparttar 140720 body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10); "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled inrepparttar 140721 body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight" (Colossians 1:21,22); and "who Himself bore our sins in His own body onrepparttar 140722 tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). [See also 1 Peter 3:18; 4:1] These Scriptures (and others) unmistakably show that it was throughrepparttar 140723 death of Jesus' physical body thatrepparttar 140724 sacrifice was made for our sins.

To further illustrate this point Jesus Himself gave usrepparttar 140725 Lord's Supper to remember His physical death, "And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' Likewise He also tookrepparttar 140726 cup after supper, saying, 'This cup isrepparttar 140727 new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.'" (Luke 22:19,20) Ifrepparttar 140728 sacrifice which Jesus was about to make was spiritual in nature and not physical, why did He give us a memorial that asks us to remember His physical death? The answer is clear,repparttar 140729 sacrifice He was going to make was giving of His physical life not His spiritual life.

And finally, let's considerrepparttar 140730 events which transpired as Jesus hung onrepparttar 140731 cross. As He hung there He said, ". . . Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. . ." (Luke 23:34) Does this sound like someone who is dying spiritually and becoming a demonic being? Not hardly! Rememberrepparttar 140732 thief who took up for Jesus asrepparttar 140733 other began to ridicule Him? Jesus told him, ". . . Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43) This statement from Jesus was significant or it would not be in Scripture. This tells us that Jesus' spirit went to paradise after it left His physical body. (See our monograph "Where Are The Dead.") And finally, as Jesus was just about to die He said, ". . .Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." (Luke 23:46) Notice that Jesus committed His spirit to His Father, not Satan or hell!

Did Jesus go to hell during those three days in which His physical body lay inrepparttar 140734 tomb? The answer is clearly no when you take into consideration allrepparttar 140735 applicable Scriptures. This teaching is a false teaching by those inrepparttar 140736 Faith movement. I am afraid that there are some dear saints who truly loverepparttar 140737 Lord and strive to live faithfully who have fallen for this lie. His death was a physical death not a spiritual death. He was just a much God as He ever was during those three days His body was inrepparttar 140738 tomb.

All Scriptures quoted are fromrepparttar 140739 New King James Version unless otherwise noted

Stephen Kingery is an author, preacher, teacher and founder of The Home Bible Study Institute.

Visit our site at http://www.james1-22.org

Permission to use is granted if attributed to author and his website.


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