Like a chestnut tree

If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let’s follow other gods (whom you have not known) and let’s serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken falsely against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to drive you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall eliminate the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 13:1-10)

False prophets and false teachers/leaders have one thing in common. They reject God who brought us out of Egypt and redeemed us from the house of slavery. In my dream, I saw an enormous white cruise ship. I was told that they were going to Egypt, the land of the dead. Many Christians are going back to slavery. It travels with pomp and pride, but it is just a white-washed wall.

False prophets speak lies about God. In the OT, many false prophets spoke of peace and prosperity when God’s wrath was imminent. People have sold themselves to the devil. So, they speak what the devil speaks.

Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him pain, but you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way to keep him alive. (v.22)

I consider that 1 Kings 22 (and also Jeremiah 28) is a very interesting chapter that shows the difference between the false prophet and the true one.

Then the messenger who went to summon Micaiah spoke to him saying, “Behold now, the words of the prophets are unanimously favorable to the king. Please let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord says to me, I shall speak it.”

When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” And he said, “Go up and succeed, for the Lord will hand it over to the king!” Then the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear that you will tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” So he said,

“I saw all Israel
Scattered on the mountains,
Like sheep that have no shepherd.
And the Lord said,
‘These people have no master.
Each of them is to return to his house in peace.’”

Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy anything good regarding me, but only bad?”

And Micaiah said, “Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the angels of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one spirit said this, while another said that. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘How?’ And he said, ‘I will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ Then He said, ‘You shall entice him, and you will also prevail. Go and do so.’ Now then, behold, the Lord has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours; and the Lord has declared disaster against you.”

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah approached and struck Micaiah on the cheek; and he said, “How did the Spirit of the Lord pass from me to speak to you?” And Micaiah said, “Behold, you are going to see how on that day when you go from one inner room to another trying to hide yourself.” Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son; and say, ‘This is what the king says: “Put this man in prison, and feed him enough bread and water to survive until I return safely.”’” But Micaiah said, “If you actually return safely, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Listen, all you people!” (1 Kings 22:13-28)

The false prophet(s) is loved by the king and people. He speaks what people want to hear. Yet, he prevents people from turning away from their sins by persuading them with sweet talks. The false prophets remind me of Arius, who was loved by the Roman emperor and Christians. Arius appeared to be very pious. Yet, he spoke lies about God.

The chapter 1 Kings 22 may appear that God accepts and encourages lying. But if we read it carefully, God lets the false prophets speak lies and tells Ahab that they are lying by the words of the  prophet, Micaiah. Yet, Ahab’s hardened heart did not accept the words of the true prophet, and he went as he was destined to go.

By two reasons God is not responsible for the death of the reprobate. One is that God is the Law, and He can do whatever He wants to do as the only Creator as we read in Romans 9. The other is that Adam and his descendants trust in their own wisdom, ignore warnings from God, and cause their own demise. All reprobate people have no excuse on the Judgement Day.

Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will no longer be a delay, (Revelation 10:5-6)

When the same prophecies are repeated over a long period of time, people think the prophecies are nothing to do with them.

But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk; then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, and he will cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24:48-51)

In Ezekiel 12, God made Ezekiel demonstrate the people in Jerusalem to show the exiles that the fall of Jerusalem was imminent. But people did not believe.

“Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’ Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,”’” declares the Lord God. (Ezekiel 12:27-28)

The reason why God hates false teachers, prophets, and leaders is because they mislead others by telling them lies. The Book of Jeremiah is helpful in understanding what happened in Jerusalem when Ezekiel was in Babylon. Jeremiah 28 shows that the false prophet Hananiah misled people in Jerusalem.

Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord. (Jeremiah 28:15-16)

As I mentioned before, the devil hates all men, especially the chosen people of God. The reprobate trust the devil, not God, because they are blind. They bear either no fruit or bad fruit. They follow idols. They follow false images of God. They distort truths of God. And some of these people take leadership in churches.

The distinct feature of a false minister, theologian, or leader is that they have crooked understanding of God’s words. They do not encourage people to read the Bible and meditate on God’s words day and night. They fear that people may understand God’s words by the Holy Spirit and turn against them. They do not have the Holy Spirit in them and make others rely on false hopes and promises like Hananiah.

We are living in a very prosperous age. Not many people in the developed countries die of hunger. But such prosperity has blinded many people. They now deny the existence of God and serve idols (more precisely themselves). And churches are full of people who think they will continue to live in prosperity because they are chosen. Yet, they are not interested in reading God’s words. They serve idols that give them a false sense of security. The Bible tells us that there is no peace for the idolaters. Any minister who does not emphasize on the importance of reading the Bible at the pulpit every Sunday is false. Anyone who does not love God’s words is false.

Even if the fig tree does not blossom,

And there is no fruit on the vines,

If the yield of the olive fails,

And the fields produce no food,

Even if the flock disappears from the fold,

And there are no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will triumph in the LORD,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh, … (Philippians 3:2-3)

This chapter warns those in leadership within churches. I am not saying all church leaders are like those mentioned in this chapter. But it is true that false leaders hate saints within churches. False leaders think they are important and are loved by the majority. They think they are the center of the universe. But God tells them they are nothing. God knows what they have done to His people within churches.

They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot, and we are the meat in it. (v.3)

Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind. You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead. “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot, but I will drive you out of it. (v.5-7)

False leaders think that they suffer from various things because they are disciples of God. The truth is that they suffer because of their evil deeds. God uses civil governments to punish them but they say that the governments are evil. The people they killed are the ones God care about.

It is not because of false leaders that God punishes the world. Those who follow false leaders are also to be punished. Yet, the world goes on as it has been until the coming of our Lord. When He comes, false Christians and unbelievers will mourn.

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. (Revelation 1:7)

Although visible churches are destroyed and the church leaders become silent, the invisible church remains strong because the Lord is with His people. In the OT era and even now, people think that God stays in a specific geographical location. Whether it is the city Jerusalem, Israel nation, a church building, etc. people want to believe that God is in a certain location. That is the idea of a pagan religion. Our God does not live in a certain location. God is always with His people.

Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Though I had removed them far away among the nations, and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary for them for a little while in the countries where they had gone.”’ Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”’ (v. 16-17)

And it is not by men’s will that we are saved. God bring His remnant people to His Kingdom and gives them the new heart by giving His Spirit. His people are His Kingdom.

When they come there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it. And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, so that they may walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. But as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down on their heads,” declares the Lord God. (v.18-21)

As you read the second letter of Peter and the Book of Revelation, you will understand that the writings of Ezekiel are connected to the last days. Saints will go into exile. We may already be in exile. But God is with us (Immanuel).

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

The prophecies in the OT are about both the end of Israel nation and the last days, and this chapter tells us what will happen soon. God will abandon His seven churches and burn them. It is because the shadow has failed to reflect the real Kingdom.

The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city. (v.2)

When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel. (v.6)

In the OT, there were 12 tribes (in fact, there were 13 including the Levite tribe). And there are seven churches in the NT. When God made the world, He created everything over six days and rested on the seventh day. The Lord is the Lord of Sabbath. Paul talked about three heavens. And what I saw in my dream is how the world is structured. The earth is in the middle and there are three floors up and three floors down. Since God revealed Himself to the whole world in the NT era, seven indicates the whole creation system. And this system will be destroyed, and the Kingdom will come. Heaven and Earth will pass away. It may take many years for the end to come. Still, it does not change the fact the Kingdom is coming soon.

This chapter illustrates the appearances of the four living creatures again as in chapter 1. The Spirit is in the wheels and decides where they should go. They do not turn left or right. They go straight ahead without resistance.

Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh. (1 Samuel 6:12)

Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. (Joshua 1:7)

I know that many Christians accuse those who speak of Sola Gratia of being libertines. It is because they do not have the Spirit and therefore, do not know the work of the Spirit. God hates both antinomianism and legalism. And the Apostles spent many hours to educate people. Because visible churches have both the elect and the reprobate, ministers and theologians still spend hours on discussing how one is saved. Saints do not get involved in meaningless discussions. We do not turn left or right. We go straight ahead as the Spirit leads us. People believe that they are saved because there are many who follow the same ideas in their churches. It is not surprising that they have abandoned Sola Gratia because they follow people, not God. Ministers also follow people and love to receive praises from them. Sola Gratia is welcomed by few who are chosen by God. Therefore, ministers choose to desert the sound doctrines. God judges them according to what they say. Since they say they are saved by their works, God will judge them by their works.

And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; but when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you. (Exodus 12:22-23)

And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads. (Revelation 7:2-3)

And the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and make a mark on the foreheads of the people who groan and sigh over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” But to the others He said in my presence, “Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. Utterly kill old men, young men, female virgins, little children, and women, but do not touch any person on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary.” So they started with the elders who were before the temple. (Ezekiel 9:4-6)

Just before God sent the last plague to Egyptians, He gave the Israelites the Law concerning Passover in Exodus 12 and 13. The Passover in the OT is the shadow of the real Passover on the Judgement Day of the Lord. Whoever receives the seal from God will escape the second death. These people are the chosen people of God whose sins are forgiven by the blood of Christ. They are the ones who have received the Holy Spirit by grace. The feature of those who escape the second death is that they groan and sigh over all the abominations happening within churches. The Holy Spirit within them show them the abominable acts done within churches.

Those who call themselves Christians often criticize their civil governments and try to set up a political leader who appears to hold Christian traditions and values. I consider this is the result of the corruption started in the 17th century England by the Puritans. They think they are clean, and others are not. But they often fail to look at themselves. They do not know how corrupt they are before God. As I’ve mentioned before, those who do not understand God and deny Sola Gratia are corrupt because their depraved minds love evil ways. They do worse things than unbelievers because they are good at covering up their sins with white paint. They lure and slaughter people within churches. Therefore, Christ warns us that we must not be like the Pharisees who fill up their dough with leaven. Even though they cover up their sins, God knows what is in their hearts. I am not saying that the Pharisees are the bad people, and the rest are good. The Pharisees were the religious leaders. It is the same today. Many of those who hold leadership in churches are the most dangerous. Those who teach students at seminaries are the most dangerous. It is because any earthly system is bound to fail. Saints must discern and know what they are trying to teach.

I am not saying all leaders and all ministers are bad. I know a minister who is chosen by God. He was the first one who taught me about God’s redemptive history through the Book of Judges. He has family and health issues. But he risked his life to teach orthodox theology to people who live in a country where Christianity is under threat. God showed me in my dream that he was His instrument. I saw a little bamboo piece that catches water from a mountain and directs water to a certain place. Every leader should not consider themselves more important than a little bamboo piece. Anyone who love people’s praises or praises himself/herself is false.

In this chapter, Ezekiel is visited by the elders of Judah and God shows Ezekiel the abominable acts done by the people of Judah. God gives four different evidences. This chapter is linked to Jeremiah 44 where “the queen of heaven” is mentioned. We understand from reading the OT that the Israelites served many different gods and rebelled against God. While their abominable acts were done both publicly and secretly, they thought they were chosen and protected by God. They did not understand that they were mere shadows of the real elect people of God, the eternal Kingdom. Because they knew neither God nor His words, they did whatever they wanted to do. God sent many prophets, but they mocked and killed them because they could not understand them. It is the same today. There are not many Christians who really understand God’s words. Yet, they think they are chosen and will be saved. False teachers and leaders in the corrupted church systems give people vain hope. This was rebuked by Christ.

But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut the kingdom of heaven in front of people; for you do not enter it yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13)

God lets them do whatever they want to do. Yet, God accumulates evidences against them for the last judgement.

For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:30-31)

The prophetic books in the OT show us that the Israel nation (both the Northern Israel and the kingdom of Judah) is judged first. And then other nations that serve other gods are judged. I believe that the last days will be the same. Churches will be judged first. And those who believe in other gods will be judged.

It was God’s will that many people join the ceremonial baptism and join a visible church. Like in the OT times, people of the new Israel nation in the NT have been blessed in many ways. Yet, they serve “mother nature”. This “mother nature” is another “queen of heaven”. I am NOT saying that everyone should receive the ceremonial baptism and convert to Christianity. Joining a visible church does not make one a true chosen child of God. No one can stop a person from serving other gods. It is because God’s wisdom is hidden from many.

If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. (Isaiah 1:9)

If we confess that it is only by grace that we are saved, then we know that we are chosen. Yet, some who confessed it now say that they need to work for salvation. They are false Christians.

This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. (Galatians 2:4-5)

I’ve heard of two prominent Reformed theologians who changed their idea of justification later in their lives. They used to preach “justification by faith alone and grace alone” and later they changed their mind. They had much reputation and wrote many books. They had many followers. For a true elect child of God, it is better that he/she does not receive many praises from others. It is because they can be swayed by people, and the true elect people are scarce in this age as in the OT time. Once they taste of the sweetness of praises from people, they change their mind. Their focus moves from God to people. However, it is important to understand that they changed because they were not God’s children from the beginning. They pretended to be elect people by reciting what their early education had taught them from youth at their churches. We conclude that they were given the authority to preach to be the blind guides to the (spiritually) blind.

Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit. (Matthew 15:14)

As we age, we become weak physically yet, the Spirit in us becomes strong. Idols come into our lives in many shapes and forms. Only by the Holy Spirit, we discern.

Little children, guard yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)

The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land! (v.2)

It is easy to think that the land indicates the land of the kingdom of Judah. But the word, “land” also indicates the Earth. It is the word that appears in Genesis 1:1 where it says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The chapter tells us not only about the end of the Israel nation but also the end of the earth. Regarding the end times, Zechariah 14 and Zephaniah 1 explain them further. Zechariah was a prophet to those who had returned to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity. He talked about the Day of the Lord. His prophecies are not different from other prophets who lived before or around the time of the fall of Jerusalem. Concerning the earthquake mentioned in Zechariah 14:5, Amos saw the vision concerning Israel two years before the earthquake. The Book of Amos is a great book to understand the end times. Ezekiel is also talking about the Day of the Lord here.

I know that social justice has been discussed a lot in Christianity in recent years. And some ministers have been interpreting the OT prophecies with that in mind. God was indeed angry because of injustice happening within the kingdom of Northern Israel and that of Judah. But social injustice is not the focus. All evil deeds come from the heart of men. Since Adam and Eve corrupted themselves by believing in the devil’s words, all men are born without faith in God. Unless God gives one the Spirit, there is no regeneration.

 Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus responded and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you people do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, except He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him. (John 3:3-15)

In this passage, Christ is not mocking Nicodemus by saying “You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?”. Christ was not teaching a new thing to him. He was talking what the OT already explained. Although Nicodemus had learnt theology in their systematized institution and was a teacher, he did not understand the Scriptures. It is important to understand the OT with the understanding of the NT. The Israel nation was built as a shadow of the visible church in NT era. Therefore, ceremonial baptism is a mere replacement of circumcision done on the body. Christ links His coming to the world to making His people be born of the Spirit. Unless the Spirit comes in and changes one’s heart, he/she keeps on followings idols (more precisely believing in oneself) and keeping on doing evil.

God’ wrath is severe and final on the Day of the Lord (Romans 9:28). God does not forgive those who are not His people. They receive the full wrath of God. And when they are resurrected, they will face the second death (John 5:29). God has already blocked their ears and eyes so that they could turn back from their evil ways (Isaiah 6:9-10). It is because the world was made as a training ground for His people. By living in a mortal flesh with people who hate God, we saints learn our helpless situations, the free gift of God’s grace, the ways of God and His characters with much suffering and persecutions. Despite much suffering, the Spirit assures us that God is with us till the end.

… behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

In this chapter, God makes Ezekiel prophesy against high places where illegal worships are done. In the OT era, the Tabernacles was where legal worships were done because the ark of God was there. However, people set up other places to worship God although He did not allow them to do it. Therefore, the high places became a symbol of illegal worships. To know more about these high places, I’d recommend you read 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles.

Those who set up an idol (while they said they served God of their ancestors) and worshipped at high places are not a small number of people. As we read the OT, we find that the kings and the priests promoted idolatrous worships. The whole nation was worshipping idols.

It is not different today. When the Reformation happened in the 16 th century, the Protestant people emphasized on the lawful worship. Some say that the Reformation is the reformation of worship. Initially, the people of Judah were taught of the lawful worship. King Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and placed the ark of God inside the temple. But soon he and his people started to worship other gods. To be honest, I believe the idolatries never went away because of their corrupt nature. Many in the kingdom of Judah were confident that God would be with them forever because of Jerusalem and the temple. But we will soon read that God abandons Jerusalem because of what He has decided to do with her. As I read the prophetic books of the OT, I get astonished by the similarities that the kingdom of Judah and the Protestant churches (and also the Roman Catholic church and the Northern Israel) share.

While God appointed a certain place for us to worship Him in the OT, it was not His eternal dwelling place. The tabernacle was only a shadow of the real Kingdom. Regarding the only legal and true worship, Christ said in John 4.

The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship.” Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, that a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, because salvation is from the Jews.  But a time is coming, and even now has arrived, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:19-24)

Here, “spirit” and “truth” are Spirit and Truth (Word, Christ). Most of us can easily get a Bible. It is also free to everyone online. Yet, there is no true understanding of the words of God unless the Spirit gives wisdom. Therefore, God accepts worships from saints only. And that is the Kingdom. However, everyone is welcomed to join a visible church. Joining a church does not mean that everyone can worship God lawfully. Many ignorant Christians including ministers, priests, and theologians promote illegal worships by speaking and preaching lies. However, God protects His saints in each church. As their knowledge of God grows, it becomes difficult for saints to remain in churches that speak lies and promote illegal worships. They are often persecuted and hated by false Christians because they speak truths and are not like them.

But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Read Revelation 2-3)

I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives. (Jeremiah 19:9)

The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down; a nation whose language you will not understand, a nation with a defiant attitude, who will have no respect for the old, nor show favor to the young. Furthermore, it will eat the offspring of your herd and the produce of your ground until you are destroyed; a nation that will leave you no grain, new wine, or oil, nor the newborn of your cattle or the young of your flock, until they have eliminated you. And it will besiege you in all your towns until your high and fortified walls in which you trusted come down throughout your land, and it will besiege you in all your towns throughout your land which the LORD your God has given you. Then you will eat the offspring of your own body, the flesh of your sons and of your daughters whom the LORD your God has given you, during the siege and the hardship by which your enemy will oppress you. The man who is refined and very delicate among you will be hostile toward his brother, toward the wife he cherishes, and toward the rest of his children who are left, so that he will not give even one of them any of the flesh of his children which he will eat, since he has nothing else left, during the siege and the hardship by which your enemy will oppress you in all your towns. The refined and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her delicateness and tenderness, will be hostile toward the husband she cherishes and toward her son and daughter, and toward her afterbirth that comes from between her legs, and toward her children to whom she gives birth, because she will eat them secretly for lack of anything else, during the siege and the hardship with which your enemy will oppress you in your towns. (Deuteronomy 28:49-57)

Ezekiel’s prophecies and their fulfillment are written in the Book of Jeremiah. They were saints but still had to suffer along with their unbelieving people of Israel. Christ also suffered because of His people. We also suffer until Christ comes back.

All prophetic books talk about the idolatries of the Israelites. The Book of Deuteronomy tells us that God gave the Israelites both blessing and cursing depending on how they act. It is always the heart that determines one’s actions. Because God did not give the heart of flesh to the Israelites (except a few), they quickly turned away from God. And they ended up receiving only curses. In this, God is not responsible for their demise because Adam chose to rebel against God. God sent His prophets many times, but they did not listen. It would have been wise of them if they admitted their stupidity. But they stayed blind because they claimed that they could see (John 9:41). It is still the same today. That is why the Book of Revelation is not entirely a new revelation. It is rather the repetition of the old prophecies. It is not a strange book as some theologians claim.

People want the world to be their own. Most people do not want God who punishes. They want to believe the world can be changed and shaped into what they like. And the pandemic came. I saw in a dream that the post-pandemic era would be extremely immoral.

You will read in the Book of Ezekiel that God repeatedly says, “Then they will know that I am the Lord.” While most people say, “I do not like the Christian god. I want to do whatever I want to do. I am my own god.” They pretend that they are fun, clever, and reasonable in the eyes of the world. They fool themselves and others. They say, “Look what we have achieved together.” But that is what the king of Babylon said in Daniel 4:30-32:

The king began speaking and was saying, ‘Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’ While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the animals of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’

Christmas, Halloween, Artemis, etc. all require materials that God created for people to enjoy and achieve their plans. Yet, people refuse to recognize the existence of God. As we read in Genesis 11:1-9, God lets them do whatever stupid things they have planned.

Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As people moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinarand settled there.They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:1-9)

Christmas is not about celebrating the birth of the Savior, Christ. People made their own image of Christ. They say, “I love Jesus.” But they do not have any understanding of God. And Christmas became all about santa. They sing about magical Christmas. What has God got to do with magic? What about the Halloweens? What does God say about those who follow sorceries and spirits in the Bible? What about Artemis? Acts 19 talks about people who follow Artemis and how those followers persecuted God’s prophets.

The tower of Babel, Babylon in the OT, and the Babylon in Revelation are all connected. I am not saying that we need to stop people from celebrating Christmas, Halloween, Artemis, etc. God still lets people do whatever they want to do. God does not need to convince or persuade people because He knows who are His people. The destiny of the rest who belong to the other group is already set. We do not ask for a civil government who will forcefully stop people from celebrating Christmas, Halloweens, Artemis, etc. Christians often think idolatries are serving a different god. But the idolatry is about a man serving himself.

When the pandemic came, many ministers wrote and preached on the four horsemen written in Revelation 6. I also saw the white horse being ready in 2019. Many people know that the pandemic is the first seal. Yet, they do not repent. This is God’s will. There is nothing we saints can do. All we do is speaking truths of God.

Then the kings of the earth and the eminent people, and the commanders and the wealthy and the strong, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the [m]sight of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17)

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands so as not to worship demons and the idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders, nor of their witchcraft, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21)

God makes it sure that the reprobates hear of their sins before sentencing them. False Christians who pretend to be pious and yet, deny Sola Gratia will face God’s wrath because they led others astray. God wants His people to be like salt that suppresses leaven and accentuates the taste of food, which God created.

Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have been more unruly than the nations around you and have not followed my decrees or kept my laws. You have not even conformed to the standards of the nations around you. “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself am against you, Jerusalem, and I will inflict punishment on you in the sight of the nations. Because of all your detestable idols, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again. Therefore in your midst parents will eat their children, and children will eat their parents. I will inflict punishment on you and will scatter all your survivors to the winds. (Ezekiel 5:8-10)

Some may say that God should have allowed Ezekiel to speak and rebuke the Israelites in Babylon. They say that if He had, they would have repented. Some might say that God is merciless because He did not allow the Israelites to be rebuked. They speak like fools. Repentance is always the result of the work of the Holy Spirit. The Israelites would not have repented even if Ezekiel could speak and rebuke them. Ezekiel became mute because God had determined to destroy Jerusalem. The false shadow must be destroyed. Jeremiah was living in Jerusalem at that time and warned the Israelites in Jerusalem including the kings. However, he was mocked and disregarded. Other prophets were also mocked and killed. Their words will be the evidence at God’s court on the day of His judgement. People say they have wisdom and understand God and yet, have refused to listen to God’s prophets.

The Book of Ezekiel speaks similar prophecies like other prophets. But Ezekiel is given a special task. In this chapter, we read that God made Ezekiel bear the sins of both the Northern Israel and the kingdom of Judah.

Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. (v.4)

After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. (v.6)

The Northern Israel was destroyed in 721 B.C. Historians believe Ezekiel became a prophet around 593 B.C. And Jerusalem fell in 587 B.C. Although the Northern Israel was long gone, Ezekiel had to bear their sins as well as the sins of the kingdom of Judah. Ezekiel, as the son of man, was a shadow of Christ. Christ came and bore the sins of His chosen people of the past, present, and future, with much suffering.

In this chapter, we can read that Ezekiel has been trying to keep the Law and has never eaten defiled food.

Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.” (v.14)

And God allowed cow dung to be used instead of human dung. This is contrasted to what Apostle Peter was told.

But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” Again, a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” (Acts 10:14-15)

Many interpret that Peter was allowed to eat unclean animals because Christ has ended the sin issue. It is true. But I think God gave the Law and taught the Israelites regarding clean and unclean animals/food so that they would know that they could not keep the Law perfectly. (Those who follow the active obedience of Christ (AOC) doctrine say that Christ came to keep the Law perfectly. But it is a misunderstanding. It is not the Law that gives righteousness. It is the righteousness of God in a person that enables keeping of the Law. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no keeping of the Law.)

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. (Galatians 5:18)

God did not promote sinning when He told Ezekiel to use human dung. But because of Ezekiel’s conscience, God allowed cow dung to be used instead. Verse 13 may appear that God promote sinning, but we understand the reason in verse 16 and 17.

The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them. (v.13)

He then said to me: “Son of man, I am about to cut off the food supply in Jerusalem. The people will eat rationed food in anxiety and drink rationed water in despair, for food and water will be scarce. They will be appalled at the sight of each other and will waste away because of their sin. (v.16-17)

The Israelites were made to eat defiled food as they were taken to other nations as captives. They were appalled at each other because God brought them low. They thought they were clean by what they do. They thought they were keeping the Law. They thought they were different from other nations. But they were rebellious. All the calamities were brought due to their corrupt heart. God did not expect them to keep the Law perfectly from the beginning. If He had expected it, it means He changed His plan along the way. From the beginning, obedience is not the way to be saved. Why was the Law given? Can anyone become holy by keeping the Law? What does God want us to know through the Law written in the OT?

The Lord of armies says this: ‘Now ask the priests for a ruling:If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or touches cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.” Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these things, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.” Then Haggai responded and said, “‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. (Haggai 2:11-14)

By giving the Israelites the Law, God taught them that sinning is not about doing or not doing but is from within. Sinning is not from works. But sinful works are the result of the corrupt heart.

It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person. (Matthew 15:11)

That is why the new covenant promises the heart of flesh. However, those who are not given the knowledge of God, are condemned by the Law because they say they can achieve holiness by keeping the Law. They do not want Christ. While they say they love God and keep His commandments, they reject Christ. They only want a savior who can free them from other nations. Therefore, they set up an idol. Therefore, those who say Christ kept the Law to gain righteousness have no understanding of God. They merely put Christ into their theories so that they would look legitimate. In their mind, there is no Christ.

Was God going to be satisfied if the Israelites kept the Law? The answer is no. They were bound to sin against God because their heart was not clean. Adam (and Eve) corrupted themselves by listening to the devil. They did not have wisdom to overcome temptation. They were not one with God through the Spirit. They were given the command (or a Law as some theologians claim) because they had the potential to rebel against God. And they rebelled. Sacrifices were needed to atone their sins. But, because of their corruption, all sacrifices done by human hands are unclean.

You have not desired sacrifice and meal offering;

You have opened my ears;

You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.

Then I said, “Behold, I have come;

It is written of me in the scroll of the book.

“I delight to do Your will, my God;

Your Law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:6-8)

Did God change His mind? He gave all the Laws regarding sacrifices. And now He says He has never wanted them!

God gave the Law so that we would know that numerous sacrifices are only shadows of the real one. Whatever we offer with our hands are detestable to God. The Law was given to teach us that.  

Therefore, anyone who says that our own hands can please God and Christ is only a helper who fills whatever is lacking in our works, is condemned. Yes, I am talking about those who follow Pelagianism (Arminianism) or semi-Pelagianism. Churches are full of teachers who follow false teachings. The Bible also condemns those who think Adam could achieve eternal life by works (obedience). There is no place for the Covenant Theology or the AOC in the Kingdom. It is not the obedience that changes the status of a person. It is the Spirit that produces obedience. One must change inside to produce good fruit. And that change is done by God alone.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life. (John 6:63)

And this Spirit is a gift from God. By the Spirit, we become one with the Father and the Son. We share the Son’s glory and suffering.