The New Jerusalem ...

 

If the New Jerusalem were a literal, physical city floating down from the sky—as many modern Christians believe—how is it that the first-century believers were already there?

Hebrews 12:22 - "But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem..."

They were already in it - not waiting for its future descent. This proves that the New Jerusalem is not a physical structure but a metaphorical and covenantal reality.

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 The Kingdom Cannot Be Observed

Luke 17:20 - *"The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed..."

Jesus made it clear: the Kingdom is not external, but internal and spiritual. What John saw in Revelation was spiritual symbolism of a fully inaugurated New Covenant as the Old was violently and completely dismantled.

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 The Bride = The City = The Church

Revelation 21:9–10 ... "Come, I will show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb... and showed me the holy city, the New Jerusalem."

The New Jerusalem is the Bride - and the Bride is the Church. These metaphors are interchangeable.

Matthew 5:14  - "You are a city set on a hill..."

1 Peter 2:5  - "You are living stones built into a spiritual temple..."

Isaiah 62:4  - "You will be called ‘The City of God’s Delight’ and ‘The Bride of God.’"

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 The Gates Are Always Open

Revelation 21:25–27 - "On no day will its gates ever be shut... nothing impure will enter it, but only those written in the Lamb’s book of life."

There is no darkness in this city - because He is the Light. And its gates are always open, inviting those outside to enter.

Revelation 22:15  - "Outside are the dogs... the immoral... the murderers... the idolaters..."

Even after the judgment, the world outside the city still experiences brokenness. This mirrors our present moment - where the Kingdom has come, yet the invitation remains.

Revelation 22:17 - "The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come..."

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 Evangelism Continues Post-Judgment

Evangelism and invitation did not cease after the judgment in Revelation 20. It continues. The gates stay open. The Spirit still calls. So does the Church.

John 12:31 - "Now is the judgment of this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out."

John 9:39 - "For judgment I have come into this world..."

These judgments occurred during Jesus’ earthly ministry and culminated in the destruction of the Old Covenant order.

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 God Dwells With Us - Now

Revelation 21:2–3 ... "I saw the holy city... and heard a voice say, ‘God’s dwelling place is now among the people... and He will dwell with them.’"

John 14:23  ... "We will come to them and make our home with them."

Jesus already rules and reigns from within His people. The Kingdom is here. The New Jerusalem is here. And we are its citizens.

So let me ask:

What would you do differently if you saw Him physically here today? In other words ... what are you waiting for?

Women in ministry ...

  

 

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WOMEN IN MINISTRY ...

Romans chapter 16 chapter starts by acknowledging a female deacon named Phoebe.

"I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me" (Romans 16:1-2).

Then Paul acknowledges Priscilla and Aquila in verses 3 and 4. Look closely, and you will see that he makes a statement that wouldn’t even be proper in modern times. Paul put the wife’s name first. Even in modern etiquette this is considered taboo. Yet, the apostle has no qualms about acknowledging Pricilla first and her husband second.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them (Romans 16:3-4).


Paul continues and acknowledges Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis.


[Mary served in ministry:] Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you (Romans 16:6).


Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord (Romans 16:12).


Considering the caution that Paul used regarding name recognition, it is a powerful statement that he named so many female co-workers in Romans 16. It is unfortunate that Paul has been given such a bad reputation of supposedly suppressing women. I believe that much of the church has misunderstood much of what Paul actually wrote regarding women.

FEMALE APOSTLES AND PROPHETS

By examining Romans 16, we can see that Paul was very much in favor of women in ministry, but as yet, we have not seen high positions of authority given to women in Scripture, so let’s continue our investigation.

And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:28).

We understand from this passage that apostles are the highest position of authority in the church. In fact, Ephesians 2:20 tells us that the apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church. Therefore, if a woman could be an apostle or a prophet, wouldn’t it stand to reason that she could be placed in lower positions of authority such as evangelist, teacher, or pastor? I would believe that stands to reason!

There were four women listed as "prophetesses" in the Bible, three in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament (Note: The title prophetess has no less authority than the male equivalent of prophet, because they come from the same root word.)

The FIRST was Miriam: ...Exodus 15:20 ..."Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing .."


The SECOND is Deborah, who was not only a prophetess but was the leader of Israel:

Judges 4:4 ... "Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time."


The THIRD is Huldah the prophetess:

2 Kings 22:14 ... "Hilkiah the priest…went to speak to the prophetess Huldah."


The FOURTH is our New Testament example, Anna:

Luke 2:36 ... "There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage."


From these four examples we can see that God has no problem having a woman as a prophet, the second highest level of authority in the church. If a woman can be a prophet, then she can be a lower position like a senior pastor, right? But what about an apostle, is there any evidence of a female apostle in the New Testament?


Yes! There is a clear example of a female apostle in the New Testament. In fact she and her husband are both listed together as apostles, and not just ordinary apostles, but they are called “outstanding among the apostles.”

Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was (Romans 16:7).

There is no scholarly rebuttal to the fact that Junias was a first century female name. Interestingly, the name Junias, is a derivative of the name Juno, the Roman goddess and wife of Jupiter. As the patroness of marriage, Juno was sought after for the dilation of the cervix for safe child delivery. Junias was without question a female name, so this passage of Scripture is proof of a female apostle.

Average Christianity argues over what position a woman can hold in ministry. Some will allow a woman to teach children, some will let them teach the youth group, some will say she can hold administrative roles, and sometimes maybe she can be an assistant pastor, but typically the role of senior pastor is out of the question.

The concept that a female cannot be in the sacred position of senior pastor is biblically hard to defend. When the word pastor is examined in Scripture there is a major flaw in the argument. If you were to look up the word pastor in a concordance, you would find that it is only used once in all of the New Testament (Eph. 4:11). Even in this one reference, there is no definition or instruction as to who can and cannot be a pastor. Yet culturally we have created definitions that restrict women from access to the most vague of all New Testament leadership gifts.

We have seen that women can reside in the highest places of authority in the church as apostles and prophets. Therefore they rightfully can hold any of the lower gifts or callings throughout the church. However, many churches have banned women from these positions because of three passages in the New Testament.

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1 Corinthians 14:34-35

As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church (1 Corinthians 14:34-35).


The first thing that must be understood about First Corinthians is that it is a response letter to the Corinthians. They wrote to Paul, and he is writing back, “Now for the matters you wrote about…” (1 Cor. 7:1). - This puts the situation into context.


As one would with any response letter, PAUL IS QUOTING FROM THE CORINTHIANS ORIGINAL LETTER. We are not able to see this in our modern English versions, but by looking closely at the original Greek, we can see that certain parts of 1 Corinthians were NOT written by Paul but were quotes from their first letter to him. This is key to explaining First Corinthians 14:34-35.


It is visible in the Greek that First Corinthians 14:34-35 is a quote from the original letter to Paul (New Endnote #5). If Paul taught that it is disgraceful for a woman to even speak in church, then why would he spend time teaching that women should have their heads covered when prophesying in church (see 1 Cor. 11:2-16)? Prophesying is more than speaking; it is speaking for God, so if it is a shame for a woman to speak, wouldn’t it be worse to claim that she is speaking for God?


In verses 26-33, Paul is teaching how a church service should be so that everyone can participate, then in verses 34-35 he quotes from the Corinthian’s letter to him regarding their philosophy of how to run a service. Paul immediately responds in verses 36-40 with a very harsh rebuke to the Corinthian leaders. Apparently he strongly disagreed with their thoughts expressed in verses 34-35.


There is a sensible flow to Paul’s response when we see the quoted section in the middle. Paul even uses the same language in both of his statements, “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace…everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way (1 Cor. 14:33,40) And of course Paul is not contradicting what he said earlier about how a woman should prophesy in church.


With these common misunderstandings, it is easy to understand how many Christian leaders have oppressed women from leadership. Most Christian leaders are just trying to follow the Word to the best of their understanding. If they have not been shown the errors in these teachings, then they are taking these verses at face value and trying to be obedient without malicious intention.

The terrible misconception is that the Bible is sexist. Unfortunately when the Bible is read with only a surface understanding, it appears to say some negative things about women. The reality is that the Bible strongly speaks of freedom and equality between the genders.

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The "Gap Theory" is Wrong .

 

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If there is a 2000+ year gap between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel (as modern Christians claim) why doesn't Daniel, or any other scriptures mention it ? THE WHOLE "GAP THEORY" IS BASED ON SPECULATION, NOT SCRIPTURE ... and yet entire denominations are built upon this assumption.

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Daniel was adamant that ALL of these things would take place during the 70 Weeks (490 year time frame) that he laid out, starting with the decree to rebuild the Temple. Yet modern Christians insist that the time frame extends 2,000 years (completely ignoring Daniel). This is called Dispensationalism.

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Daniel prophesied that in the "Last Days" Christ would be cut off after 62 weeks.

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Dan 9:26 ... "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off."

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The writer of HEBREWS confirmed the "Last Days" time frame had already arrived in Hebrews 1:2 ... "but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son."

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Referring to the "last days" ... God told Daniel to seal up the vision "for it is a LONG WAY OFF." (Daniel 12:4)

 

While writing the book of Revelation, God told John ... "Do not seal up the vision for it concerns things that must SHORTLY COME TO PASS." Rev 22:10

 

If a "Long way off" was 490 years (in Daniel) ... How can "SHORTLY COME TO PASS" be 2,000 years (in Revelation) ??   

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ANSWER >>>  IT CAN'T !!

John wrote the book of Revelation as a warning to the early church about the destruction that was "shortly to take place" ... and that destruction came in 70AD (the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem). The Book of Revelation was imminent for THEM not us.

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Daniel 9:26 ... "And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off.... And the people of the prince who is to come (Titus) shall destroy the city (Jersualem) and the sanctuary (Temple)... And till the end of THE WAR (Jewish/Roman war) desolations are determined.

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The Jewish rebellion against the Roman Empire began in 66 A.D. By the Spring of 67AD, NERO sent his general Vespasian to put down the rebellion.

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2 Thessalonians 2:4 ... "He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God."

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The Jewish Talmud says in Gittin 56b ...

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"Vespasian sent Titus who said, 'Where is their God, the rock in whom they trusted?' This was the wicked Titus who blasphemed and insulted Heaven. What did he do? He took a harlot by the hand and entered the Holy of Holies and spread out a scroll of the Law and committed a sin on it."

 

With this Jewish account, we can see how Titus exalted himself above God in the Holy of Holies - even if it was just a joke to garner a laugh from his friends.

 

                           

 

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“Loose the FOUR AGENTS bound at the great river EUPHRATES.” (Rev 9:14) - (Koine Greek Bible)

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"Loose the FOUR MESSENGERS who are bound at the great river Euphrates." (Rev 9:14) - (Young's Literal Translation)

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Titus’ army consisted of four legions:

 

Legio V Macedonica,

Legio X Fretensis,

Legio XII Fulminata,

Legio XV Apollinaris.

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According to the Jewish historian Josephus, all FOUR of these legions were stationed at the EUPHRATES in A.D. 63 during the Roman-Parthian War

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The book of Revelation confirms this. In Revelation 9:14 we see that at the time in which John saw his vision, the four agents/messengers were presently at the Euphrates. According to Josephus, the only year of Nero’s reign in which all four of Titus’ legions were stationed at the Euphrates was in A.D. 63 in response to the Parthian threat.

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Revelation 11:1-2 ... "I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample over the Holy City for 42 months." (3 and a half years).

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This passage has absolutely NOTHING to do with a FUTURE tribulation. It's ancient history.

The Jewish/Roman war began in 66 A.D.  ... 42 months later, in September of 70AD, Jerusalem fell to the Romans as they trampled the city and destroyed the temple. The Jewish/Roman war dragged on for seven years, ending at Masada in 74AD. (Therefore, this is not a future scenario).
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At the mid-point, after 1260 days (3.5yrs) the Roman armies entered Jerusalem. According to JOSEPHUS, this was God's wrath upon "apostate Israel." The Roman armies of Titus would "Exact God's wrath" upon the unbelieving Jews during this time ... as prophesied - the priesthood was slaughtered - and their fancy temple demolished.
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Daniel 12:11 ... “From the time that the DAILY SACRIFICE is abolished and the ABOMINATION THAT CAUSES DESOLATION is set up, there will be 1,290 days. “HOW BLESSED IS HE WHO ATTAINS TO THE 1,335 DAYS!”
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After 1,290 days the daily sacrifices ceased, and the Roman soldiers defiled the temple with their ensigns. There were EXACTLY 1,335 DAYS from the 9th of Av of A.D. 70 (when the Romans worshiped the ensigns at the Temple) to the 1st day of peace after the fall of Masada (15th of Nisan A.D. 74) when the war officially ended.
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The Jewish historian Josephus recorded in WARS - (book 6. chapt 9. section 3-4) that 3 million Jews were trapped in Jerusalem in 70AD ... and just over a million were killed, in exact FULFILLMENT of Revelation 9:18 ... - which said a "third" of men would be killed.
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Revelation 9:18 ... "by these three were the THIRD of men killed, from the FIRE, and from the SMOKE, and from the BRIMSTONE, that is proceeding out of their mouth."
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The Joseph Pattern

          

 

It is impossible to properly teach the biblical "Last Days" and "Second Coming," without first recognizing the recurring patterns of apcalyptic language from the Old Testament.

 

For example, in Isaiah 13:10, we read about the destruction of the ancient city of Babylon. It is described in terms of the SUN, MOON and STARS ceasing to function (does that sound familiar?).

 

 

 Isaiah 13:10 ...  "The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light."

 

This passage in Isaiah uses hyperbolic "apocalyptic language" (a common writing style in ancient Hebrew culture) to describe the judgment that was to come upon Babylon and its leaders.

 

That same "hyperbolic language" was used before judging ancient Egypt ...

                                     

   

 

In reading this chapter, we find that God used an opposing army to defeat Egypt.

 

Another example is in Amos 8:9. We find the same hyperbolic language where the Sun is darkened, and God uses the Assyrian army to defeat Samaria.

.

 

  

 

Then we come to Matthew 24 in which the same "apocalyptic language" is directed at Israel's leaders (the Levitical priesthood).

           

 

             

This time, God uses the Roman army to defeat apostate Israel.

All of these recurring references of the Sun, Moon, and Stars are dealing with the judgment coming upon a particular city or nation. This pattern started in Genesis 37 in Joseph's dream of the Sun, Moon, and Stars representing "Human Governing Powers." The pattern is also found in Matthew 24 ... this pertains to the Jewish leaders of Old Covenant Israel ... and those who continued to follow that covenant.

 

             

In recognizing these patterns over and over again, we begin to understand the meaning of the hyperbolic apocalyptic language.

 

 

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Let's look at all the Old Testament passages where God came "IN THE CLOUDS" to bring judgment ...

"Behold, the Lord rides on a SWIFT CLOUD, and will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst." (Isa 19:1)

In that passage, did the Lord PHYSICALLY come "IN THE CLOUDS" ?? Not that we can tell. Did the hearts of the Egyptians literally melt ? NO ... This is hyperbolic language used to describe the judgment brought by the Assyrian army. Again, we need to recognize the recurring pattern of hyperbolic language used in Hebrew culture.

Here's another example ... He was said to have come "IN THE CLOUDS" in Zephaniah 1:14-15: 

 

"The great day of the Lord is NEAR; It is NEAR and hastens QUICKLY. The noise of the DAY OF THE LORD is bitter; There the mighty men shall cry out. That day is a day of WRATH, A day of trouble and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A DAY OF CLOUDS and thick darkness."

Doesn't that sound familiar ? Yet this passage is describing the judgment of Judah through the Babylonian captivity of 585 BC.

In Matthew 24, we find the same hyperbolic language - which would have been very familiar to any Jew at the time. That whole chapter is about the judgment of Old Covenant Israel in 70 AD.

 

Matt. 24:30 ... “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man COMING ON THE CLOUDS of heaven, with power and great glory."

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Revelation 1:7 ... "Behold He comes with the clouds, and will see Him every eye indeed who Him pierced ...” (Young's Literal Translation).

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Zechariah 12:10 clearly identifies who "every eye" referred to:

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“I will pour out on the HOUSE OF DAVID and on THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM, the SPIRIT of grace and of supplication, so that *THEY* will LOOK ON ME whom *THEY* have pierced; and *THEY* will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and *THEY* will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn."

 

   IS THERE ANY PROOF THAT CHRIST ALREADY CAME BACK ??

 

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Tacitus (Roman historian & eye witness in 70AD) ...

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"In the sky appeared a vision of armies in conflict, of glittering armour. A sudden lightening flash from the clouds lit up the Temple. The doors of the holy place abruptly opened, a superhuman voice was heard to declare that God was leaving it, and in the same instant came the rushing tumult of departure." (Histories, Book 5, v. 13).

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Josephus (Jewish historian & eye witness in 70AD)...

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"I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities. Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner [court of the] temple, as their custom was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first place, they felt a quaking, and heard a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, "Let us remove hence" (Jewish Wars, VI-V-3).

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Eusebius (the earliest "Church" historian) ...

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"For before the setting of the sun chariots and armed troops were seen throughout the whole region in mid-air, wheeling through the clouds and encircling the cities" (Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, Book 3, Chapter 8}

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WHAT THESE PEOPLE SAW ... was obviously of a SPIRITUAL NATURE (as they were quickened)

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HEAVEN & EARTH

 

             

"Heaven and Earth" was a Hebrew idiom signifying the entirety of the Jewish religious, political, and societal system. It referred to the Temple and its covenantal structure—a sacred pattern uniting the divine and the earthly. The Temple was seen as the cosmic center—the "sun" around which the Jewish world revolved.

 

Deuteronomy 31:26–28 links the "Law" and the Temple system to "Heaven and Earth."

 

The tabernacle was designed as a microcosm of the cosmos—its structure and symbolism modeling "heaven, earth, and sea." The Jewish historian Josephus (Antiquities 3.7.7) confirms this:

"When Moses distinguished the tabernacle into three parts... he denoted the land and the sea... but he set apart the third division for God, because heaven is inaccessible to men."

• Outer Court = Sea (Gentile access)

• Inner Court = Earth (Israelite access)

• Holy of Holies = Heaven (God's domain)

Even Talmudic tradition speaks of the temple walls resembling the sea (b. Sukkah 51b), and Numbers Rabbah 13:19 describes the court as encircling the Temple like the sea around the world.

So in Revelation 21:1, when John says "there was no more sea", he is referencing the removal of the outer court—a prophetic picture of open access to God's presence. No more division between Jew and Gentile.

Galatians 3:28 — "There is neither Jew nor Greek... for you are all one in Christ."

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 The Destruction of the Old Heaven and Earth

Matthew 24:34–35 — "This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away."

2 Peter 3:10,12 — "The heavens shall pass away... the elements shall melt with fervent heat..."

These verses are often misunderstood as cosmic destruction. But Peter’s language is covenantal and temple-based. “Elements” translates from the Greek stoicheia, meaning:

• Traditions of men

• Religious rules

• Principles of the old teaching

(see Galatians 4:3,9, Colossians 2:8,20, Hebrews 5:12)

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 The Literal Earth Will Not Be Destroyed

Ecclesiastes 1:4 — "The earth abides forever."

 

Psalm 89:36–37 — "Established forever like the moon, like the faithful witness in the sky."

 

Psalm 78:69 — "The earth which He has established forever."

 

Psalm 148:4–6 — "He established them forever and ever..."

 

Psalm 119:90 — "You established the earth, and it abides."

These verses confirm the enduring nature of the physical world. What “passed away” in 70 AD was the covenantal system, not creation.

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NOW THINK ABOUT THIS ...

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HEB 9:8 "... the way into the Holy Place is not yet revealed as long as the OLD temple is still standing; WHICH IS A SYMBOL OF THE PRESENT AGE." (The age of the old covenant)

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In other words ... The OLD covenant "age" would not fully pass away until the OLD temple fell.

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Hebrews 8:13 "... and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear." (The age of the old covenant)

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So ... guess what happened in 70 AD ??

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As the OLD temple burned to the ground in judgment, a NEW Temple was RAISED UP. The "dead in Christ" were released from Sheol and ushered directly into Heaven ... The believers who were still alive and waiting were suddenly CHANGED in the "twinkling of an eye" when they received the SALVATION & RIGHTEOUSNESS they had been waiting for. They suddenly became the NEW dwelling place of God, the NEW Temple, the NEW creation. (This was 40 years after the cross) 70AD.

You are the New Temple. You are the New Heaven and Earth. You are the New Creation.

This is not a future fantasy. It is fulfilled reality.

 

 

          

 

 

 

WE CURRENTLY LIVE IN THE NEW HEAVENS & NEW EARTH ... IT'S  REFERRED TO AS THE NEW COVENANT ... BUT WESTERN CHRISTIANS ARE TRAINED TO READ THE SCRIPTURES IN LITERAL FASHION.

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THIS SHOULD BE A CLUE THAT SPURGEON WAS CORRECT ...

We are told that PHYSICAL DEATH still remains in the NEW Heaven and NEW Earth.

 

Isaiah 65:17-20

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17. “See, I will create NEW HEAVENS and a NEW EARTH.

20. "THE ONE WHO DIES AT A HUNDRED WILL BE THOUGHT A MERE CHILD; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

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For more on this topic, follow this link ...

 The NEW Jerusalem ...
            

E-mail :  chaletsmith@protonmail.com

The Law of the Spirit vs The Law of Moses

 

Galatians 5:14 ... "For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this ONE COMMAND: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

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But Jesus took that ONE COMMAND (which summarized the Law) to a whole new level by giving a NEW command in it's place ... creating a whole NEW standard.

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JOHN 13:34 ... "A new command I give to you. LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU."

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That's a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE difference, which requires a SUPERNATURAL manifestation of His Spirit on the inside of you, because there is no other way of actually keeping this new standard in your own strength.

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In doing this ... Jesus RAISED THE BAR much higher than the previous Law . This ONE command makes the Law of Moses look WEAK and USELESS (because it is).

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HEBREWS 7:18 ... "The former regulation (Law) was set aside because it was WEAK and USELESS."

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Remember the rich young ruler ? He bragged about following ALL the commandments since he was a boy ... but when Jesus instructed him to sell everything he owned and give it away ... THE RICH YOUNG RULER CHOKED ... HE COULDN'T DO IT ! (See the problem?) ... The Law was incapable of changing his heart and mind.

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Today, there are a lot of "good Christians" adhering to the old standard (the Law of Moses) ... but very few are able to love others in the same way JESUS loved us. This requires a supernatural baptism in the Spirit of God .

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Meanwhile, modern Christians are still trying to please God through the Law of Moses (like the rich young ruler), but this is completely missing the mark (the heart of God) ... It always has and always will .

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It is the WRONG STANDARD.

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WHEN DID THE STANDARD CHANGE ??

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Hebrews 7:12 ... "For when the priesthood is changed, the Law must be changed as well."

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When Jesus became our high priest, guess what happened ? THE LAW CHANGED !! - It went from the Law of Moses (weak & useless) to the Law of the Spirit in Christ Jesus (supernatural LOVE).

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Ephesians 2:15 ... "by ABOLISHING the LAW OF COMMANDMENTS expressed in ordinances, He created in Himself one new man in place of the two (Jew & Gentile), so making peace."

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The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Love) sets us free from the Law of sin and death” (the Law of Moses).

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The Kingdom of Heaven is not held together by Rules & Regulations (Laws), but by something much, much stronger ... L-O-V-E . - We need to understand the difference between the Law of Moses and the Law of the Spirit. - One requires supernatural LOVE ... the other doesn't.

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Galatians 6:2 ... "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

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The ‘debate’ between Law and Grace is the very difference between depression and joy. Sickness and health. Stress and peace. Condemnation and righteousness.

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But the idea of limitless Grace still makes most Christians uncomfortable ... so they try to hold on to a little bit of Law to appease their carnal religious mindset ... not realizing the Law actually arouses carnality (Rom 5:20).

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That is why I stress the importance of meditating on the following passages. - These are the scriptures that irritate a lot of "good Christians" living under the Law.

 

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Law increases sin. (Rom 5:20)

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“the power of sin is the Law.” (1 Cor 15:56)

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"For apart from the law SIN IS DEAD." (Rom 7:8)

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"Sin is NOT taken into account where there is no Law." (Rom 5:13)

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"And where there is no Law there is NO TRANSGRESSION." (Rom 4:15)

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By the way, if you give a presentation of the Gospel which never gets the Romans 6:1 objection, then I submit to you that you are probably not teaching the same Gospel Paul was.

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If, after teaching about grace, no one says to you, “So are you saying I can just sin all I want?” - then you probably have not taught what Paul taught. - I call that the "GRACE LITMUS TEST."

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For those asking the question “So can I just go sin all I want?” - this simply shows they do not fully understand the love of God, the grace of God, or even God Himself!

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It also reveals that they do not understand the devastating and destructive consequences of sin.

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Asking the question, “can I just sin all I want” reveals they don’t understand how painful sin can be.

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My question to that person is ...

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO SIN after receiving such unlimited Grace ?

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Encountering His Grace changes our desires ... and the more you encounter it, the more you CHANGE. - Whereas the Law of Moses was incapable of changing our hearts and minds.

 

E-mail :  chaletsmith@protonmail.com
 

What modern Christians have never realized about “Satan” ...

  

 

Did you know the Bible never originally spoke of “Satan” as a proper noun (a name) ?

 

 “Satan” was not originally thought of as a literal cosmic entity. It was simply a title, given to any adversary opposed to the will of God.

In Hebrew: ha-satan = an accuser, or opposer. 

 Religion has distorted the meaning ... turning this into an actual entity or fallen angel.

 

FOR EXAMPLE : Peter was called a “satan” when he opposed Jesus (Matt. 16:23).

 

In Isaiah 14:4, the “king of Babylon” is addressed in the same way - as a human ruler clothed in arrogance. Later in verse 12, this fallen ruler is poetically described as helel (“morning star”), a symbol of brilliance turned into inward pride (ego).

 

Centuries later, Jesus is also called the “morning star” (Revelation 22:16) - but with a very different essence. One symbol, two archetypes:

 

• Lucifer = false light, ego, self-exaltation.

• Christ = true light, love, self-giving.

   

Both reflect ways light can show up: distorted inward or radiant outward. The question is: which “star” do you follow?

 When the Scriptures were written in Koine Greek, the word became satanas - still meaning adversary. No capitalization, no devil with horns.

 

It wasn’t until later on that the Roman Catholic church hierarchy decided to change this in writing the Latin Vulgate, turning this term into a proper name with a capital "S" (Satan). Eventually, the English translations (such as the KJV) followed the same Latin manuscripts.

 

 Over time, this shift fed the idea of a single cosmic villain, rather than what the original writers meant: This led to the distortion of modern christianity.

 

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 I always encourage people to read the passages that refer to "satan" from the original KOINE GREEK. 

 

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE PASSAGES RIGHT NOW ...

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 Matthew 5:37

New King James:

“Let your ‘Yes’ be Yes and your ‘No’ be No. Anything beyond this comes from the EVIL ONE.”

Koine Greek:

“So let your word be Yes or No. Now the thing in excess of these is from out of the midst of the bad condition of mankind."

Notice: Instead of an “evil one” - the Koine Greek points to a condition or mindset that produces corruption and suffering.

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 Matthew 6:13

 New King James : “ And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the EVIL ONE. 

 

Koine Greek: “May You not carry us into an ordeal neither by trial, nor by temptation, but rescue us away from the bad situation.”

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 Matthew 13:19

King James :

“When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the WICKED ONE, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. 

 

Koine Greek :

“Concerning everyone constantly listening to the Word of the sovereign reign and activities, and yet continuing in not understanding: the worthless person or the disadvantageous circumstance is repeatedly coming and is snatching up what has been sown within his heart.

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  2 Thessalonians 3:3

New King James:  

        "But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from THE EVIL ONE.”

 

Koine Greek: 

         "But the Lord continuously faithful, who will progressively establish and keep you away from the malicious person." 

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 John 17:15

 New King James: “ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the EVIL ONE.

Koine Greek: “but rather that You would observe and protect, and keep them out of  the worthless or bad situation.”

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 1 John 5:19

 New King James:  "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the WICKED ONE."

Koine Greek: “We thus know that we are of God, yet the whole ordered System is lying outstretched within the gush of misery."

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 Ephesians 6:16

New King James :

"above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the WICKED ONE."

Koine Greek:

“taking up the large shield which is the Faithfulness within which you will continue having power and be able to extinguish all the fiery arrows of the worthless person.”

  

Notice: This sounds much more like toxic people, destructive attitudes, or oppressive systems than a red devil with a pitchfork.

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1 John 2:13-14

King James : I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the WICKED ONE. 

 Koine Greek : "I write to you, young men that you are constantly being made strong, so you may overcome the one bringing a gush of misery." 

 

    ^  This could be any toxic person with an ego-driven mindset that is adversarial toward God .

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 1 John 3:12   

King James :

"Not as Cain, who was of that WICKED ONE, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous."

^  This version suggests Cain was under the sway of a personal cosmic Satan.

 

 Koine Greek: 

“... not living like Cain. He was existing, and continued being, from out of the condition causing misery and hard labor. Because his works were gushed with misery and hard labor, but those of his brother were just.”

 

 ^ Notice how the Koine Greek broadens the meaning of the Greek word ponēros:

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The Koine Greek says nothing about an external entity controlling Cain, but rather an internal state of being - a mindset of envy, toil, resentment, and unprofitable striving.

 

What’s Happening Here ? Are you starting to "sense" that perhaps the ancient Latin church had an agenda ? 

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 The REAL "ha-satan" in scripture was always man's CARNAL NATURE  (ego) (the unrenewed mind) which was adversarial to the will of God ... Mark 7:21, says that evil comes from the HEART of man.  

I find it interesting that to this very day, the majority of Jews reject the "western" idea of an entity called "Satan"... and for a good reason... THE TORAH never used the word "satan" as a proper noun. In the Old Testament, the word "ha-satan" simply meant "adversary" to the ancient Hebrews - Therefore, there were many "satans" in the Bible. King Nebuchadnezzar was called a "satan" ... even Peter was called a "satan" by Christ Himself.

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It is not an outward enemy we war against ... but the false identity (ego) within our own minds.

Colossians 1:21 ..."You were once alienated from God and were enemies IN YOUR MINDS because of your evil behavior." 

In the Garden, Adam & Eve's carnal minds were described as a "talking snake"... This metaphoric adversary was opposed to the will of God. The Bible is full of allegory and metaphors like this - which modern Western Christians almost always interpret in LITERAL FASHION. - This "satan" that opposes the will of God, exist only in our minds.  The mind is the metaphoric "battlefield"-(Rom 7:23). All throughout scripture this adversarial "carnal mind"(ego) of man, became aroused by the Law. - 

Over the millennia, RELIGION has twisted the original meanings of these metaphors ... interpreting them as literal entities, and outward enemies.

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But here's the GOOD NEWS ...WE ALL DIED IN CHRIST WHETHER WE REALIZE IT OR NOT .

 2 Cor 5:14 ... "We are convinced that one died for ALL, and therefore ALL DIED." 

 

 The New Testament doesn’t picture this "Satan" as a future threat, his demise was imminent ... Notice how this was spoken directly to a 1st century audience.

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Romans 16:20 says, "The God of peace will SOON crush Satan under your feet." 
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John 12:31 ... Jesus said ... "*NOW* the prince of this world will be CAST OUT."
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John 16:11 ... "the ruler of this world HAS BEEN JUDGED."
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1 Cor 15:27 ... "FOR HE (GOD) HAS PUT EVERYTHING UNDER HIS FEET."
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1 Corinthians 15:26 ...“The last enemy to be destroyed is DEATH.”
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SO, WAS DEATH DESTROYED ??

2 Tim 1:10... "Christ Jesus, who HAS DESTROYED DEATH and has brought LIFE and IMMORTALITY to light through the gospel."
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QUESTION > If death was the last enemy to be destroyed, and Jesus destroyed DEATH ... then what does that mean for the devil ??
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LET'S CONTINUE ...
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HEB 2:14 ... "He too shared in their humanity so that by his death,  He might DESTROY him who holds the power of DEATH - that is the devil.”
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OK, (PAUSE) ... Since the devil held the "power of DEATH" ... what exactly was the power of DEATH ???
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ANSWER > 1 Corinthians 15:56 ... "The sting of DEATH is sin, and the power of sin is the Law.” ... (Also see Rom 7:10) - Death and the Law were always intertwined (one in the same). This is why the OLD Covenant was known as "the ministry of death" (See 2 Cor 3:6-11).
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The Law didn’t just reveal sin - it empowered it.
And where Law empowered sin, death reigned.

Therefore, the true “power of death” was a legal structure rooted in condemnation (the OLD Covenant sacrificial system of Law).

Christ didn’t just defeat this villain. He dismantled the entire architecture of separation.

 

Many of you are thinking ... "But people are still dying every day, so DEATH was not destroyed !"

Okay, so let's look at how Jesus used the word "DEATH" ...

John 8:51 ..."Anyone who obeys my teaching WILL NEVER DIE !"

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Obviously, Jesus was NOT referring to PHYSICAL DEATH because everyone eventually dies (physically).  

 

When Jesus said this in John 8:51 ...  He was speaking about "spiritual death" as in "separation from God." 

So if you mis-identify the nature of the "DEATH" that Jesus had in mind ... that will throw off your whole eschatology right there.

What does the Bible say about PHYSICAL death anyway ?

We are told that PHYSICAL DEATH still remains in the NEW Heaven and NEW Earth.

Isaiah 65:17-20
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17. “See, I will create NEW HEAVENS and a NEW EARTH.

 
20. "THE ONE WHO DIES AT A HUNDRED WILL BE THOUGHT A MERE CHILD; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.
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So physical death was NEVER the issue. When Jesus "DESTROYED DEATH" ... it was "Spiritual Death" (separation from God) ... The Law separated us. The Law was the power of sin and death. The only power that Satan had was the Law, and that power was taken from him and destroyed with him.

So ... If DEATH was the last enemy to be destroyed, and death was fueled by Law, and Law empowered the adversarial mind…then what does that mean for this so called "satan" ... and when was he defeated ?

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Revelation 20:14 ... "Then DEATH and SHEOL were thrown into the lake of fire."

 

The book of Revelation is full of hyperbolic, prophetic imagery describing the fire that destroyed "heaven & earth" (the old temple) and the city of Jerusalem in 70AD. This apocalyptic imagery is the violent END of the OLD Covenant Law-based system.

 

 The external structure of the OLD covenant had already expired at the cross, and was completely wiped out in 70 AD.

 

 The same literal fire which destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem, is the same fire in which DEATH was destroyed ... because Death & the Law were ALWAYS intertwined (one in the same).

That fire was a purging (a correction) pointing to mankind's redemption, and the FULL ARRIVAL of the NEW COVENANT.  

 

 

Romans 11:32 ... "He has shut ALL up in unbelief to show mercy on ALL."

 

Romans 3:3-4 ... "The unbelief of some will not nullify God's faithfulness."

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Once you understand this ... you become free to engage with your TRUE IDENTITY ... (spirit) ... as the FALSE IDENTITY (ego) gradually releases it's grip on your heart & mind.

 

 As I like to say, "These things do not appear from out of the blue, but they appear from out of you." 

  

 

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CHECK OUT THESE LINKS  

       (copy & paste them)

 

https://youtu.be/H2hCsFhu1qE 

 

 

https://youtu.be/Guo11wklnIU

 

E-mail :  chaletsmith@protonmail.com