Like a chestnut tree

God makes Ezekiel eat the scroll in this chapter. Now Ezekiel must prophesy according to what is written in the scroll. The Holy Spirit makes a person prophesy according to God’s will.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel— not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.” (v.3-9)

When the Israelites entered the land of Canaan by grace of God, they all swore to continue to follow God. And this is written in the Book of Joshua. But as we read in the Book of Judges, the Israelites quickly fell away and went astray after entering the promised land. Moses prophesied concerning this treachery before his death in Deuteronomy 31:14-22. The treachery of the Israelites is because most of them did not receive the understanding. Caleb and Joshua were different from them because they were given the Spirit.

But as for My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. (Numbers 14:24)

And the LORD said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. (Numbers 27:18)

Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear. (Deuteronomy 29:4)

The Book of Judges tells us the abominable actions of the Israelites and how God used other nations to discipline them. I hope I get the chance to go through it someday.

God sends prophets to those who claim to be His children. They say that they know God and keep His commandments. However, they do not know God and are evildoers. When they are rebuked by God’s prophets, they do not listen to them. Instead, they mock and kill them. This has been the pattern from the beginning. Cain killed Abel, who was his brother. Psalm 55 also speaks of God’s enemies in His house.

¹² If an enemy were insulting me,
    I could endure it;
if a foe were rising against me,
    I could hide.
¹³ But it is you, a man like myself,
    my companion, my close friend,
¹⁴ with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
    at the house of God,
as we walked about
    among the worshipers. (Psalm 55:12-14)

It is still the same today. Christians reject truths. They reject Sola Gratia. But this is God’s will. God from the beginning did not want to make all people become His Kingdom. Only the remnant are saved. And these remnant people are not those who went back to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity. The remnant people are chosen people of God, who receive the Holy Spirit. This is explained in Romans 9.

In Ezekiel 3, we read that God makes Ezekiel a watchman for the Israelites. Yet, Ezekiel cannot speak other than God’s words. He is given the task of warning people but cannot rebuke them.

I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people. But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people. (v. 26-27)

If indeed one’s true repentance was a result of men’s works, God would have made His prophets look attractive and speak well in the eye of the world. But the Bible repeatedly says that His prophets are far from those who receive praise from others. People love those who speak well with charming voices. I consider them as good actors/actresses. Moses admitted that he could speak. Jeremiah also did. Amos was a farmer, not a teacher. Christ was considered uneducated. This tells us a lot. Our present age is full of preachers who speak well in the eyes of the world. They get much training in speaking in front of people. Their speeches sound inspiring and passionate. Some even sound like they are about to cry. Yet, most of them do not speak truths of God. Ministers and theologians rely on people (more precisely money) for their living. Although it is God who feeds them, most of them do not believe this and rely on others. They spend much time persuading and convincing others that they are good teachers. However, God’s prophets are often considered unimportant and weak.

For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive and his speech contemptible. (2 Corinthians 10:10)

God’s prophets speak truths. But the truths displease most people. There are people who speak lies and yet, please others. Saints must be aware of those wolves who wear sheep skins.

Ezekiel stayed mute until Jerusalem fell as we read in Ezekiel 33:21-22. If Ezekiel had persuaded them day and night, some might have repented and turned. And Jerusalem might have been saved. But God did not allow it. Jerusalem who became an idol must fall. Similarly, Isaiah was given the same task as we read in Isaiah 6:8-13. Isaiah was sent to speak God’s words but not to persuade people.

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” ⁹ And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on listening, but do not understand;
And keep on looking, but do not gain knowledge.’
¹⁰ Make the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes blind,
So that they will not see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.”

¹¹ Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered,

“Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate,
¹² The Lord has completely removed people,
And there are many forsaken places in the midst of the land.
¹³ Yet there will still be a tenth portion in it,
And it will again be subject to burning,
Like a terebinth or an oak
Whose stump remains when it is cut down.
The holy seed is its stump.”

This was quoted in Matthew 13:15, John 12:40, and Acts 28:27. And Christ spoke in parables because of the same reason. God did not choose everyone to be saved. When people focus on salvation, God becomes unfair and unrighteous. But, does not the Creator have the right to do everything that He wants to do? Those false Christians say that God has no right. Many people reject Sola Gratia because their only interest is eternal life. They make a god (or gods) who says that all of them are saved. God made the world for a purpose, that is the Kingdom. The true and eternal Kingdom is built on the stump, the Holy Seed.

For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. (1 Peter 4:17)

I talked about the Spirit in the wheels in chapter 1. In this chapter, Ezekiel stands on his feet by the power of the Spirit.

Then He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” And as He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. (v.1-2)

Until the Spirit comes, we do not understand God’s words. All people are born lame. Only when the Spirit comes, we can stand on our feet and hear God’s words. Therefore, it is impossible to know God of His words before the Spirit comes. God knows whom He has chosen before creation. God knows each person before he/she is born. He gives the Spirit to His chosen people at an appointed time. Only then His saints can stand before God and hear His voice and understand His words. No one can make the Spirit come to them. The Spirit is not something earned by human works.

God sends Ezekiel to speak God’s messages to people of Judah. The Northern Israel was destroyed beforehand. However, God’s messages are to all Israelites who claim that they believe in God of their ancestors. Ezekiel speaks to all Christians especially those in the Protestant churches. The people of the kingdom of Judah was proud of their city, Jerusalem, where God’s temple and tabernacle were. They boasted that they worship God right and were children of God. They misunderstood the shadow as the eternal Kingdom. And they reshaped the shadow that did not reflect the reality. Judah is to be destroyed like the Northern Israel. And the Protestant churches will be rejected like the Roman Catholic church.

God, as the just judge, makes it sure that everyone hears of their sins before the judgement day. God sent many other prophets in the past, but people did not listen. It is the same today. In fact, the Book of Ezekiel, with other prophetic books of the Bible, speaks directly to churches at present. Judgment will start from the house of the Lord.

Even now, God sends His people to prophesy. I am not talking about new prophesies or talks about future events. True Christians speak truths in churches whether others listen to them or not.

So I am sending you to those who are impudent and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says:’ As for them, whether they listen or not—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. (v. 4-5)

By sending His prophets, God completely removes any excuses from the reprobate people. There is no one who can defend themselves on the judgement day of the Lord. Prophets do not persuade but simply speak truths. They understand what the Bible says by the power of the Spirit. Ezekiel is given the task of prophesying against Israelites (Christians) and people who follow other gods. He is not to persuade or rebuke them. And we will read later that God makes Ezekiel mute.

Those who think that we now live in the age of grace and can persuade others by their elaborate speeches should read the OT again. The Book of Ezekiel and Revelation have similarities because the OT is the direct reflection of the NT era. Ezekiel is given the scroll in chapter 2. And this scroll reappears in Revelation.

Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:1-5)

For God to end the world and to bring new heaven and new earth, His people must be redeemed first. And that is what Christ did on the earth. Because He was slain, He opens the scroll. Christ announces judgement on the whole world.

Revelation 10 also speaks that John is given a scroll to eat. And the scroll is related to prophesying.

I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it was bitter in my stomach. The seven thunders told me, “Again you must speak what God has revealed in front of many people, nations, languages, and kings. (Revelation 10:10-11)

Revelation tells us a lot about future. However, the book is not much different from other prophetic books in the OT. God does not change because He is not a man.

He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind. (1 Samuel 15:29)

The Book of Ezekiel is important in many ways and is relevant to the present age. Ezekiel is a shadow of Christ, and the book tells us about the coming Kingdom in detail. Apostle John also wrote about the end times and the Kingdom.

God called Ezekiel “son of man” repeatedly in the book. It was the same title that Christ used for Himself along with the Son of God. Ezekiel mentions “thirtieth year” in Eze 1:1 and Christ started His public ministry around 30 (Luke 3:23). According to Numbers chapter 4, the age 30 is when the Levites enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.

In the first twenty-four chapters, the book talks about judgement against Israel. The middle of the book talks about judgment against other nations. The last part is about the Kingdom. Unlike Jeremiah, the book is written chronologically, and it is relatively easy to follow.

Like all other prophets, Ezekiel received curses from God not because of his personal sins but because he was a prophet, a shadow of Christ. This tells a lot to us who are living in an age where church ministers preach on earthly prosperity and freedom from illnesses and sufferings. Many Christians believe sicknesses and poverty is punishment. Ezekiel suffers because of the sins of Israel.

The first chapter of Ezekiel talks about the vision of God in heaven. The same four creatures appear in Revelation 4. I think they symbolizes all the living creatures on the earth. The verses that I’d like to talk about are verse 20-21:

Wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go in that direction. And the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels. Whenever those went, they went; and whenever those stopped, they stopped. And whenever those rose from the earth, the wheels rose just as they did; for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.

Here “the spirit” refers to a spirit of a creature or the Holy Spirit. The important thing is that the spirit within the wheels determine where the creatures go. It is likely to be the Holy Spirit. Even if “the spirit” is a spirit of a creature, God controls every living creature. God controls everything.

The wheels remind me of the part in John 13 where Christ washed His disciples’ feet.

Then He poured water into the basin, and began washing the disciples’ feet and wiping them with the towel which He had tied around Himself. So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, You are washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not realize right now, but you will understand later.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no place with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!”Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; otherwise he is completely clean. And you are clean—but not all of you.”For He knew the one who was betraying Him; it was for this reason that He said, “Not all of you are clean. (John 13:5-11)

The Bible mentions feet a few times. Evil people use their feet to do evil. In other words, the feet take them to do evil. The feet represent the status of people.

a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil, (Proverbs 6:18)

Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake. (Isaiah 59:7)

Their feet are swift to shed blood. (Romans 3:15)

And there are people who have their legs cut off. I am not talking about the legs that we have as physical body parts. Those without legs do neither good nor evil. We must remember both no fruit or bad fruit is the feature of a reprobate.

Only when the Holy Spirit comes, we go and do the will of God. And I believe Christ prepared the feet of the disciples for the Holy Spirit. Physical cleansing does not mean anything. Judas did not receive the Holy Spirit because he was not Christ’s sheep from the beginning.

In the OT and the NT, God tells His prophets, “Go” when He gives them a certain task. Isaiah was told “Go” in Isaiah 6:9. And Philip is told to go to the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26. The Bible also mentions the word “walk” many times. The walking and the direction taken by a person is determined by one’s spirit. And whoever receives the Holy Spirit does God’s will and bear fruit inevitably.

Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Genesis 5:24)

Verse 2 of Ezekiel chapter 1 talks about number five. Five often indicates God’s grace. All numbers have a meaning or meanings although we do not know much about them.

In the first chapter, Ezekiel confesses that he is chosen by grace of God to see, know and understand the glory of God. He realizes that God is God of all creatures. And Ezekiel is about to be given important tasks according to God’s will. The Knowledge of God is given by the Holy Spirit. And that is the first sign of the Holy Spirit. Anyone who boasts of own works does not have such knowledge, and does not understand the work of the Holy Spirit.  

The next book that we will go through is the Book of Ezekiel. I started to have dreams concerning churches in 2016 and the dreams became more frequent in 2017. Along with the dreams, the knowledge of God came to me through the Holy Spirit. I learnt quickly about church history and the Reformation. And most of all, I became to like reading the Bible. Other books did not interest me because I found much pleasure in understanding God’s words.

It is important to know the history of Israel nation in order to understand the Book of Ezekiel. If you are not familiar with the history, I’d suggest that you read Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. If you know the story of Genesis and Exodus well, then re-read Deuteronomy because what happened at the end of the Israel nation had been foretold in Deuteronomy. It has much knowledge of God and is the summary of the Law. Christ quoted from this book when He was confronted by the devil in the wilderness.

I am not interested in going through each work, sentence or chapter in detail. There are many study aids out there. I use a study bible with references. If you can’t afford a study bible, there are other study aids available online for free. My focus is God’s plan and purpose of creation, the Kingdom, and the one and only covenant of God, the Covenant of Grace. God is concerned about His people not being fed because the two systems, the Roman Catholic and the Protestant, have failed.

You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

“‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Matthew 15:7-9, see also Isaiah 29:13)

Concerning the divine election, I struggled to understand God’s will in choosing some and destroying the rest for a few years. I think many ministers and theologians also struggle to understand this because their focus is salvation, not Kingdom. I’ve come to understand that God created the world to make the Kingdom and to train His chosen people. I believe the chosen people are proportionately small.

For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14)

But, we are also many.

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands. (Revelation 7:9)

People want to hear the news that the worst criminals became believers because then they may have better chance of being saved. People want to believe that everyone who repents at their death bed is saved. People also want to believe that everyone who died young or died suddenly gets a chance to be saved by going to Limbo. These ideas are vain thoughts because people focus on salvation and do not seek to understand God through His words. We simply do not know who are saved. But by the fruit we know who are saved. I am not talking about good deeds in the eyes of the world. I am talking about the knowledge of God. The trouble is that people grown up in a church get education and can pretend to be true believers. But if you listen to them carefully, their false ideas of God are revealed through their words. They promote men-made doctrines and ideas. They do not focus on the words of God. They like singing men-written songs for worship and hate singing God-written songs. They boast that they know the Bible but do not read or meditate on God’s words. They focus on external piety. They judge people by their standards. They kill God’s saints in their churches. Yet, they boast that they are saved and bring more people in to their churches to make them worse hypocrites than them.

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:9-18)

The prophet Jeremiah and Ezekiel lived at the time Jerusalem fell. The northern Israel was long gone by then. The Judah nation boasted that they were chosen by God, and Jerusalem was their pride. Both prophets were given the difficult tasks of speaking against the whole nation and prophesying the fall of Jerusalem.

It is not much different today. The so-called Christian nations were the ones who introduced pagan festivals and traditions to non-Christian nations. In August this year, I had a dream and woke up saying, “something will happen in October” And I told this to my family to warn. On 31 October, it came true. Many people died. Later I realized that 31 Oct is the day of the Reformation. Its glory was replaced by the Halloween a long time ago. However, Christians continue to rebel against God. They do not want God of His words. They want an idol. They say they love Jesus, but do not know God. They reject Truth.

I am not writing this to change the world or persecute a certain group of people. In fact, God showed me that no one would listen to me when I started this blog. Yet, that does not stop me from writing because it is God’s will.

The Book of Ezekiel is important in this age along with the Book of Jeremiah. The visions that Ezekiel saw are similar to those written in Revelation. Everything is connected. God talks about the same things repeatedly for our education. If we admit that we are nothing and foolish, God will show us mercy and make us understand what will happen soon.

Now that we have gone through the Book of Matthew, I will choose another book to continue to explain the eternal and only covenant of God – the Covenant of Grace.

Everything in the Bible and everything happening in our daily lives are connected. Everything is connected to one another. They are like puzzle pieces but only though the eyes of God that we can see the whole picture. For us to see it, we need the Holy Spirit and the Bible. Only then, everything that has happened in history and that is happening now can be understood. Sometimes the truth is right there in front of our eyes. But only when the Holy Spirit teaches us, we understand them.

Many Christians rely on their intellectual abilities and human logics to understand the Bible. Therefore, they welcome Thomism or other philosophy-based theology. It is important to notice that God did not give a perfect transcription of the Bible. And God never made us learn ancient Hebrew or Koine Greek to understand His words. There are many translations of the Bible and yet, those who need to understand the truths of God understand them by the power of the Holy Spirit. The elect people of God understand the Bible like children.

In many ways, Christians who are like children have better understanding of God than those who studied theology at universities or seminaries. In many ways, they are better than Aquinas, Luther, or Calvin who studied theology at university.

I once watched a video clip on a minister giving a lecture on Luther’s idea of justification at a church. He boasted that he read Luther’s writings on the justification a hundred times. But one of the audiences asked him a very important question on Adam and his limitation (or his immaturity). The minister did not understand the question. Stuck with men’s words, he could not explain or understand a very simple logic – why could Adam not overcome the temptation?

We believe that God started and orchestrated the Reformation. There is no doubt about it. But that does not mean everything that the Reformers wrote has inerrancy like the Bible. However, people spend much time learning the original language used in the Reformed confessions as if each word is from God.

The Creeds and the Reformed confessions do not have as high authority as the Bible. They can help us understand the truths of God. But if we focus on the doctrines rather than the actual words of God, we fail to advance in our knowledge. We become stale. We rot.

I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16)

Food is kept either in fridge or heated repeatedly to stop it from going bad. Bacteria (leaven) always grow in the food that is left at room temperature. If you eat rotten food, you need to spit it out to stop yourself from getting sick.

Regarding the inerrancy of the Bible, I’d like to mention one thing. We divide the Bible into two: the Old Testament and the New Testament. But it is one book. The OT and the NT speak the same things. Many unbelievers think the books of the Bible contradict to one another and therefore it is full of errors. It is simply not true. Everything is connected. The Bible speaks the same things again and again through history. God does not change because He is not a man.

Also the Glory of Israel will not lie nor change His mind; for He is not a man, that He would change His mind. (1 Samuel 15:29)

But many Christians think God changed His mind when Adam rebelled. That is what the Covenant theologians believe. God does not change His mind according to men’s actions. Faith did not come because works failed. Works were bound to fail to teach us that faith (in other words, the Holy Spirit) comes first.

Although the OT and the NT speak the same things, there is a difference between them. I consider that God gave His appointed people to interpret the OT and write the NT. Only those with the Holy Spirit and the authority from God were able to write the NT. It was the continuation of Christ’s works on the earth because He interpreted the OT and taught people with the authority from heaven.

for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:29)

The invisible church also has the authority because she is one with Christ. Yet, her understanding still grows. That does not mean what the Apostles wrote in the NT were inadequate. God foresaw the needs of saints and made them write the NT books in early stage of the Kingdom. Therefore, there is no need for new books of the Bible. If new epistles of the Apostles appear and speak new things, it means those who were born before did not know truths and therefore, all of them were not saints. One must be careful in distinguishing what is true or not. This cannot be done by ourselves but only by the Holy Spirit.

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! (Galatians 1:8)

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet. (Psalm 110:1)

Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” No one was able to offer Him a word in answer, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him any more questions. (Matthew 22:45-46)

Finally, we have reached to the last chapter of the Book of Matthew. I focused on explaining the eternal Covenant of Grace and the divine election. They cannot be understood without knowing the Trinity and Christ’s inseparable two natures. You may study various theology books and try to understand them through their understandings. But I think it is useless because theology has been tainted by men’s ideas of God. Thomism has engulfed both the Roman Catholic church and the Protestant churches. As a result, Sola Gratia, the divine election, and the Trinity are denied by people who call themselves Christians.

In this chapter, Christ rises from the dead and ascends to heaven.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:18 – 19)

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You have made them into a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.” And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever.” And the four living creatures were saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped. (Revelation 5:9-14)

Many theologians who focus on merits think that Christ had to meet some conditions to receive the rewards. Consequently, they emphasize on works of men instead of the new heart God gives to His chosen people for free. It may appear that the Father made a conditional covenant with the Son. But Christ denies that in John 5:19.

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in the same way. (John 5:19)

There are two kinds of wrong views of Christ. One sees that He was a mere man. The other view is that Christ is God, not a man. True understanding of Christ does not lean on either side. Christ is the Son of Man and the Son of God. This is beyond human ideas. Therefore, no one knows God until the knowledge is given. The Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son gives us the knowledge.

What the Father decided and planned before creation, the Son accepted and understood fully because the Son loves the Father unconditionally. What the Father planned is for the Son because the Father loves the Son unconditionally. The Son was given tasks on the earth to achieve the goal of the creation, the kingdom of God. And He was given all aids from the Father to do them. Yet, the Father gives the Son the glory because the Son’s glory is the Father’s and vice versa. And this glory is also given to His saints because we are one with the Son and the Father through the Holy Spirit. The Son enabled this union by becoming a man and doing everything that the Father willed. And love is the root of all. This is explained in John 17.

The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. “Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:22-26)

Those who focus on mere external piety and the written code do not consider the Law as love. Therefore, their idea of God stops at the same level as the Pharisees and the Scribes. They judge Christ by the written code (Law) and put Him to death. In many churches, Christ dies every Sunday. Those who truly love God by the power of the Holy Spirit hate immoralities. Sola Gratia does not lead to antinomianism. It is those who do not have the Holy Spirit worry that Sola Gratia will promote antinomianism. They often look pious and take a high position in their churches. But God sees them as evildoers. Losing Sola Gratia is antinomianism. Denying Sola Gratia will open doors to all heresies and lawlessness.

I’d like to talk about two things regarding this chapter. One is about repentance. The other is about the two groups of people.

In the beginning of the chapter, it speaks about what Judas did after Christ was arrested.

Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? You shall see to it yourself!” And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and left; and he went away and hanged himself. The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them in the temple treasury, since it is money paid for blood.” And they conferred together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers. For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the One whose price had been set by the sons of Israel; and they gave them for the Potter’s Field, just as the Lord directed me.” (v.3-10)

Here, it may appear Judas realized his sin and repented. But his confession of the sin was not accepted by God. It is because he was not one of God’s sheep from the beginning.

Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot; for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him. (John 6:70-71)

We do not know the psychology behind Judas’ actions. All we know is that Judas went to the chief priests to hand in Christ to them. Although Christ warned that the priests would put Him to death, Judas followed them.

From that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day. (Matthew 16:21)

This tells a lot to us. Many Christians follow false teachers who often have a lot of wealth and reputation in churches and in the world. They put trust in them, but what they are actually following is prosperity in the world. God sees everyone’s heart. The heart is what matters. It is the Holy Spirit that produces good fruit because God gives the heart of flesh through the Spirit.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)

The Holy Spirit teaches us what is true or untrue. Sometimes pride blinds our eyes, and we commit grievous sins like King David. Yet, David’s sin was forgiven.

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die. (2 Samuel 12:13)

Even though David did not ask God to forgive him, God forgave him. What are the differences between David and Judas? From the world’s point of view, they are the same sinful humans. But God judges them not as the world judges, but He sees the heart of a man. God knows whom He has chosen.

This separation was mentioned from the beginning in Genesis where it mentions Abel and Cain.

By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. (Hebrews 11:4)

And this separation is clearly seen in Matthew 27:38.

At that time two rebels were being crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. (Matt 27:38)

All four books – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – mention of these two men because they are linked to the blessings and the curses written in the Deuteronomy 11:29.

And it shall come about, when the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to possess it, that you shall place the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal (Deut 11:29)

Earlier, I mentioned that the name Jesus was from the name Joshua. In Joshua 8:30-35, Joshua stands before the two groups of people.

Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no one had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. And he wrote there on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses, which he had written, in the presence of the sons of Israel. And all Israel with their elders, officers, and their judges were standing on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as the native. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at first to bless the people of Israel. Then afterward he read all the words of the Law, the blessing and the curse, according to everything that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them. (Josh 8:30-35)

Many Christian theologians and ministers interpret this from a federal point of view. But as I repeatedly mentioned, the true meaning of the Law is love (agape) for God and for His people. Many can endeavour to achieve this but we cannot love without the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees and the Scribes who appeared to keep the Law perfectly on the outside were considered as sons of the devil by Christ. It is because God sees the heart, and the heart is where the actions come from. The Bible does not say that people were divided into groups by their deeds or ancestors. They were randomly divided. Likewise, the disciples did not talk about the backgrounds of these two rebels. They are both rebels. But one is forgiven, the other not forgiven. Therefore, saints do not boast of ourselves or our works.

Regarding this, Paul says that we as clay do not have the right to talk back to the potter in Romans 9.

Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object for honorable use, and another for common use? (Romans 9:21)

It is by God’s good will; He saves some and condemns the rest. Earlier, I mentioned this is how God trains His people on the earth to make the Kingdom. Saints are persecuted by the other group of people for telling the truths of God.

Even if I am not chosen to be saved, it does not change the truth that God is just, merciful, and faithful. God’s righteousness is absolute and unchangeable. It is the evil people who judge God according to His Law and condemns Him as if His righteousness depends on works.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. (Revelation 19:11)

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give water to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life, without cost. The one who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral persons, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:5-8)

It would take months to explain things written in this chapter. There are two things that I’d like to focus on. One is the woman who prepared for Christ’s burial. And the other is the Lord’s supper.

I already mentioned about Christ’ being anointed with precious oil by a woman (v. 6 – 13). She was the only one who understood the meaning of Christ’s death. Christ must die for the kingdom of God. While the disciples were daydreaming of becoming rulers of the world, this woman understood the meaning of the kingdom and why the King must die. The Holy Spirit gave her the understanding. Christ prophesied that people would talk about her and her deed. But many interpret this passage with wrong understandings. The woman symbolizes the kingdom (the invisible church). She knows she is sinful. She knows that people see her as a sinful woman. Yet, she knows that her Lord has forgiven her and many others who are included in the kingdom. And she knows that the King will pay for the sins of His church once for all and buy His people with the price of His blood. This reminds us of Hosea and his wife, Gomer.

So I purchased her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and a homer and a lethech of barley. (Hosea 3:2)

It is understood that what Hosea paid for his wife was about 30 shekels of silver. And Christ was sold for 30 pieces of silver by the betrayer, Judas.

Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:14-15)

In order to redeem her, Christ was sold for 30 pieces of silver on behalf of her. He paid with His own life. Therefore, anyone who denies that Christ died in substitution to His church must be considered unorthodox. Some say that Aquinas does not support the substitution doctrine. I am not surprised because he knew nothing about God when he was sitting as the teacher of the Roman Catholic church.

One may ask, “How is my sin forgiven? It is my sin. My sin must be paid by myself.” But that is not God’s way. The new covenant promises that our sins will not be remembered.

They will not teach again, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their wrongdoing, and their sin I will no longer remember.(Jeremiah 31:34)

Here we can see that the knowledge of God and the forgiveness of sins go together. And Christ did all. Sins of His people are forgiven and they are given the knowledge of God.

As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, For He will bear their wrongdoings. (Isaiah 53:11)

Even though we did not pay for our sins, the Father sees that our sins are paid and remembers no more of our sins. It is because Christ and His church are united. The Lord’s supper happens before Christ’s death, not after. It is significant because the church must die with Christ in order to resurrect with Him. Therefore, the church is reborn.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (Romans 6:8)

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. (Romans 7:4)

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.” (John 3:6-8)

One thing to remember regarding the Lord’s supper is that Judas was also invited to the supper and shared bread with Christ. The Lord’s supper is for the visible church but is ultimately only for the invisible church. Many are invited to the wedding but those who do not wear wedding clothes are thrown out. Those who refuse to bear fruit while being attached to the vine will be cut off. Any branch that is not one with the vine is useless.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:1-2)

Although the invisible church is the true kingdom of God, God was pleased to establish an earthly system to nurture His people. Therefore, the visible church system has the authority. However, only those who are chosen by God receive the Holy Spirit and therefore, are truly united with Christ. When the visible church fails to bear fruit, it is denied by God. Only those who receive the Holy Spirit are saved as Lot was saved by escaping Sodom and Gomorrah.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment; and did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example of what is coming for the ungodly; and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the perverted conduct of unscrupulous people (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority… (2 Peter 2:4-10)

Problems rise when a visible church thinks she has paid for her sins by her own hands. She loses the authority of God. She can no longer feed God’s people. God’s people then cry out because of hunger and thirst. And their prayers to God bring disasters to the world that denies God of His words. Those churches who are one with the world will not escape God’s wrath.

The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:4-5)

I mentioned earlier that it is the person that determines the works, not the other way around. The world judges people by their works because no human can see the heart of a person. But God sees the heart of a person. And He is the ultimate judge because He is the Creator. It may appear that God judges a person according to his or her works. But the Bible tells us that the works do not change until the person changes. That is the promise of the new covenant. This principle is explained again in this chapter.

Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. (v. 1-2)

The parable of ten virgins starts with describing their characters. Five of them are foolish and act foolishly. The other five are prudent and act wisely. The foolish do not suddenly become wise and act wisely against their nature. Where does wisdom come from? How does it come? Wisdom comes from God, and it is freely given. No one can say, “I will be wise from now.” Whoever says that is foolish because the wise know where wisdom comes from.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. (James 1: 5-6)

Can a reprobate ask for wisdom and receive it? James says it is impossible because one must have faith in God for his prayer to be accepted by God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (Ephesians 2:8)

It is important to notice that all ten virgins fell asleep. But only half of them were ready to receive the groom with their lamps burning. Those who have received wisdom from God act wisely.

The second parable of Matthew 25 is similar to the first one. Although the parable does not explain much about the character of each servant, we know that the third servant is worthless and lazy by his work.

But his master answered and said to him, ‘You worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed?Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore: take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ (v. 26-28)

The third servant blames his master for the result, but it is his laziness and foolishness that brings his demise. His master wisely gives him only one talent because he knows his character.  

To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. (v.15)

If the third servant knew of his own foolishness and sought mercy, he would have been considered wise. But he does not admit it and blames his master. It is the same in this world and churches. The reprobate do not have the ability to produce fruit. But they are given opportunity to produce it because God is merciful. They refuse to make fruit because they think they are wise, and the master is not. They blame their master for their evil works.

Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed.  And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours. (v.24-25)

The reprobate have a wrong understanding of God. Instead of blaming their foolishness, they blame God. They are afraid of God. But their own action shows that they do not revere God. They are loved by many people. They may appear to do good deeds, but they are not accepted by God. They consider themselves gods, but they are not. Their end is the second death.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (v.46)

This chapter speaks in detail about the end times. In fact, all book of the Bible talk about the end times. God did not create heaven and earth to last forever. They exist as a part of God’s plan. And the result of His plan is the Kingdom. In the Kingdom, God’s words dwell forever in His people. Only God’s words remain forever. Thus, people who are united with the Word live forever.

 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. (v. 35)

Earlier I mentioned that anyone who is united with Christ by the Holy Spirit is like Christ, and we do not follow those who claim themselves Christ. All saints understand God’s words through the Spirit and are not enticed by false teachings. Even if we get tempted and fall into a trap because of our stupidity and pride, God still saves His saints. We no longer live in the fear of being separated from God because Christ removed the issue of sin and death completely.

Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear. But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2)

The only way to prepare for the end is to read the Bible and to pray. It is impossible for saints not to bear fruit because the Holy Spirit dwells inside. We do not do good works because we fear of what others might think of us. Good works come naturally from the Spirit. He makes us endeavor to know God through His words.

People boast of their works then say, “Do you mean we should just sit and relax and don’t do any good works? What does the Book of James say?” They are often aware of what they have done and do in terms of good works. But saints often do not know what we have done well. We do not boast of our good works. We are ashamed when people praise us. It is because we know that our good works do not come from us but from the Holy Spirit. Only God receives praises from all His creatures. Yet, our merciful God lets us be glorified with Him.

Not to us, LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, because of Your truth. (Psalm 115:1)

the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and they will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (Revelation 4:10-11)

Another thing that I’d like to talk about is the four winds in Matthew 24:31. Ezekiel 37 and Revelation 7 also mention of the four winds. Wind is often considered as the Holy Spirit. Some may interpret that the four winds are the four corners of the earth, meaning the whole earth. It is different from the breath that God blew into Adam although breath can also be interpreted as the Holy Spirit. In Adam’s case, it is more logical to think that he did not receive the Holy Spirit because he could not overcome the temptation and did not have faith in God. What Adam received was a physical and spiritual life. When he committed the sin, he became dead to God.

Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living person. (Genesis 2:7)

of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died (Gen 7:22)

Ezekiel 37 describes that the dry bones are brought back to life by the breath from the four winds (v.9). And Revelation 7:1 tells us that the winds stop. This happens just before the sealing of the saints. The winds stop because the number of the saints are filled. In all this, there is nothing a man can do.

After sealing of the saints, the rest receive the mark of the beast. Many Christians think they would be saved if they do or don’t do certain things. For example, there has been much confusion and fear around the coronavirus vaccine. I think it should be left to everyone’s conscience. Most people do not understand the Bible and think their salvation depends on their actions. Dry bones are dead. There is nothing that dry bones can do. It is not those who do not receive the vaccine receive the seal of God. Some believe that the vaccine is the mark of the beast and we must not get it to be saved. But the Bible says the sealing of the saints comes first. The mark of the beast is about false teachings of the Bible, men-made doctrines. Anyone who believes the work-based salvation and refuses to accept Sola Gratia receives the mark of the beast. Saints anointed with the Holy Spirit do not receive the mark of the beast because we do not accept false teachings or false teachers. God makes us impossible to accept the mark of the beast.