All the dead are said to rise at the Great White Throne Judgment. There is one obscure verse Ecclesiastes 3:21 shows how the soul of an animal goes down; while a man goes upward at death (where acording to Heb. 9:27 we are immediately judged).
That could likely be when we see animals rise again.
The Millennial Kingdom is likely the creatures that survive the Tribulation. It is unclear what percent of them die in that time; although one of the vial judgments kills ALL the life in the sea (hence there IS no more sea in the new earth). As with the replenishing of the Dead Sea (see end of Ezekiel); I would surmise that there is a fresh water stock of fish that multiply; although God could do something else (it appears fresh water and some fish already are entering underground in that area but only in certain sections; scripture shows how the reeds along the edge remain salt water areas).
It also appears that horses at be present at the Second Coming; as they will come down with the saints and with Christ Himself; if that is to be taken literally. It is conceivable that Resurrected bodies of humans will be able to jump into the earth's gravity and not be destroyed; these creatures therefore would have to be either horses that live in heaven or perhaps resurrected for that event which is just speculative.
Of course there are the extinct prehistoric dinosaurs and other creatures as well as many living under the sea and in the earth we are probably not familiar with today. There are also angelic beings that look like creatures (Cherubim) but are spirit beings.
I would surmise also that whatever the original ancestors looked like will be seen as well; it would be likely that reproduction as with resurrected men would halt after animals are Resurrected. I would also hazard a guess that the animals would be in their original role as well as being docile enough for us to hang around; like an outdoor pet.
Not a subject to nix fellowship over differing views...
Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. ... the lion shall eat straw like the ox... plenty of animals there.
I want to thank God for his word on today it was for me and how I was feeling at this time. It's good to know that the spirit of the Lord knows our heart and He knows what to give us when we are in need. I want to take this time just to tell the Lord thank you for all he has done for me. For the breath in my body and the blood that's running warm in my veins he is so wonderful regardless how I feel he is a HEALER OF ALL THINGS.
We as the people of God must keep praying for all things In Jesus Name
I agree, and concur with you, and totally with the scripture directed at "living in obediance" and worshipping God in the Spirit! I also agree, many can be conversant in the scripture - but NOT OBEY the scripture. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the scripture and God's Commands. If we have God's Holy Spirit in us; He will NOT let us disobey His Comands, I have found this out the hard way too, and believe me, when Jesus says to sin no more - or something worse will happen to you - it will! If we really have the Spirit in us we will obey all of His Commands.
Example: Hebrews 5:9 "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;"
Please note: That obey Him, That obey Him, That obey Him, That obey Him
Pual isn't telling us that we get the salvation for free - as many of todays modern christains believe. Paul states in the scripture above: only those that obey God recieve eternal salvation!!!
And Jesus tells us plainly: Luke 9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
Once we begin to deny ourselves and we pick up our cross, then and only then - can we begin to follow Jesus in the manner that He wants. If we are living for the worldly things..we are serving satan!
It is very painful to die to ourselves, so to picking up our cross daily can be extremely painful, but nowhere near as painful as what Christ endured for us!
Jesus tells us: Luke 9:24 "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."
Is Jesus telling us that we must give up our worldly lives? Yes. Why is it so hard for us to understand this? Christains may not like to hear this scripture - but we simply can't ignore it!
Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock{the LORD Jesus Christ}I will build my church{the Eternal Church, All True Believers throughout history, the ISRAEL OF GOD}; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mark 4:34 But without a PARABLE spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
The historical events that God records in the Bible are absolutely accurate in their historical account. But God did not record these events in the first instance to give us a history lesson. They are recorded to teach us some aspect of the Gospel which is God's Judgment and Salvation program for Mankind and this World.
And the Book of Jeremiah, like the entire Bible, is exactly that.
Ephesians 3:1-15 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the MYSTERY; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the MYSTERY of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be FELLOWHEIRS{of the New Heavens and New Earth}, and of the SAME BODY{the Israel of God}, and PARTAKERS OF HIS PROMISE in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the FELLOWSHIP, OF THE MYSTERY which from the FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD HATH BEEN HID IN GOD, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the CHURCH {All True Believers throughout history} the manifold wisdom of God, According to the ETERNAL PURPOSE which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH{All True Believers throughout history}is named,
Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the CHURCH{All True Believers throughout history}by Christ Jesus throughout ALL AGES, world without end{the New Heavens and New Earth}. Amen.
There is ONE SALVATION, ONE INHERITANCE for all True Believers throughout history, i.e. the ISRAEL OF GOD.
Certainly, I can provide some insight into the subject for God-fearing people who are concerned about their loving pets during the rapture, drawing from the verse Adam reply - mentioned, Revelation 5:13.
The verse he quoted is part of the biblical book of Revelation, a book that contains visions and prophecies about the end times and the return of Jesus Christ. In this particular verse, John, the author of Revelation, describes a vision of worship in heaven. Every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea is heard praising God and the Lamb (Jesus Christ) with blessings, honour, glory, and power.
While the Bible does not explicitly address the fate of pets during the rapture or in heaven, some theologians and religious scholars have explored this topic with different perspectives.
1. No Direct Scriptural Mention: As you noted, the verse in Revelation 5:13 refers to creatures in general, but it does not specifically mention animals or pets. This absence of direct scriptural mention makes it difficult to provide a definitive answer. The Bible primarily focuses on humanity's relationship with God and the salvation of souls.
2. God's Love and Care: Many God-fearing individuals believe in God's love and care for all of His creations. Since God cares for His creation, it is not unreasonable to think that He would also care for animals, including our beloved pets.
3. Theological Speculation: Some theologians speculate that since pets are part of God's creation and bring joy and companionship to people, they might have a place in God's eternal plan. They suggest that animals may be part of the new heaven and new earth mentioned in Revelation 21:1, where God will make all things new.
4. Symbolic Representation: In some interpretations, animals are seen as symbolic representations of God's goodness, beauty, and creativity. They are considered a reflection of His attributes, and in that sense, their presence in heaven is understood metaphorically.
Concerning.....The Axe laid to the Root of the old Corrupt Tree
Meaning- the True knowledge of God conforms us to the Divine Nature, Rom 8:291John 4:17
Walking & living in the Spirit, Gal 5:22,23, Ephesians 5:9, They're truly born again of the Incorruptible Seed & sin not 1John 3:9 & those that are not led or have the Spirit are none of His. Rom 8:9
False knowledge does not destroy the works to the devil, but leaves the corrupt Tree standing, meaning the old Adamic nature, the man of sin, because his seed (Satan) remains in him, thus one continues in sin, though he or she is ever so conversant in the letter of the Scriptures.
The Axe laid to the Root of the Corrupt Tree ( 2 Peter 1:4)
THAT the true faith (the faith of the gospel, the faith of the elect, the faith which saves the sinner from sin, and makes him more than a conqueror over sin and the powers of darkness) is a belief in the nature of God; which belief giveth entrance into, fixeth in and causeth an abiding in that nature. Unbelief entereth into death, and fixeth in the death: faith giveth entrance into, and fixeth in the life. Faith is an ingrafting into the vine, a partaking of the nature of the vine, a sucking of the juice of life from the vine; which nothing is able to do but the faith, but the belief in the nature. And nothing can believe in the nature, but what is one with the nature. So then faith is not a believing the history of the scripture, or a believing and applying the promises, or a believing that Christ died for sinners in general, or for me in particular; for all this may be done by the unbelieving nature (like the Jew); but a uniting to the nature of God in Christ, which the unbeliever starts from, in the midst of his believing of these
Yet I do not deny that all these things are to be believed, and are believed with the true faith: but this I affirm, that they also may be believed without the true faith; and that such a belief of these doth not determine a man to be a believer in the sight of God, but only the union with the nature of that life from whence all these sprang, and in which alone they have their true value.
That the true faith springs from the true knowledge, or comes with the true knowledge of the true nature of God in Christ, which it believes in. He can never believe in the nature of God, who hath not first the nature of God revealed to him. If a man search the Scriptures all his days, hear all that can be said by men concerning God, Christ, faith, justification, &c., be able to dispute about them, and think he can make his tenets good against all the world; yet, if he hath not received the true knowledge of the nature of these things, all his professed faith in them cannot be true.
That the true knowledge is only to be had by the immediate revelation of Christ in the soul. No man knows the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the son reveals him. The dead shall hear the voice of the son of God, and they that hear shall live. There is no raising of a dead soul to life, but by the immediate voice of Christ. Outward preaching, reading the Scriptures, &c. may direct and encourage men to hearken after and wait for the voice; but it is the immediate voice of Christ in the soul, which alone can quicken the soul to God: and till the light of life shine immediately from Christ in the heart, the true knowledge is never given. 2 Cor 4:6
When did the Old Testament stop being apart of the Bible we nolonger have to obey so then I guess it's ok to sin no we are still to give a 10th are 10% stop telling people lies honor the word are shut up show me in the Bible we're it says we are no longer to give tithes then I'll stop but you won't find that because it's not in there
I want to invite you to listen to the message from the ministry that I attend. It's called City Refuge in Hephzibah Georgia. We have a channel on YouTube called the true word channel. We are live every Wednesday night and every Sunday morning.
So I read first Peter 315 and there again that's no excuse for us to compromise. It's just telling us to be ready to give an answer meanie have a heart to Mom's for parrots to preach the gospel to minister to them to tell them the full truth if I was to come into the presence of a Catholic and then give their life to the Lord and next thing, I'm gonna tell them is that you need to go to a Ministry that's filled with the word, and no compromise because
If not, they could possibly pull back into Catholicism and that's not what we want. We want them to to be delivered from darkness and into the truth so we tell them the truth.
In some aspects I understand what your saying but a Christian can never compromise with another believer whether they be a babe in Christ or one who has known of the word are the Scriptures for a long time the best thing that we can do for those that say they believe in for those that are coming to the knowledge of the truth is just to give them plain truth even if it means that they're in a Catholic ministry it's best that we tell them that they need to leave the ministry and get in the Bible field ministry, so they can be preached the truth, but not compromise with them. You give them the truth right off the bat and let the Lord do the rest.
Then you say they my be very young in the way so because of that, it sounds like you feel you should compromise with them because of that but no, you speak the truth and leave it up to them to make the decision what they're gonna do but never compromise never back down off the gospel
And you said basically the church they attend is it not so that those who are in Christ are the church so tell me how your speaking truth if your not speaking correct so again if it's not based on facts then then it's not truth
You said my judgment toward your post was not correct but again I stand in truth to say it was you said that to fellow ship with those in darkness no we are to minister to them and yes the verse I gave was not correct so let me fix that 2corinthians6:14 we are just as men of old are to preach and minister the Gospel to them but when you say fellowship I say your wrong fellowship means to associate with tho who share the same interests so believe the same so the disciples didn't go out to those that would not believe us to fellowship with them. They went to them to minister the gospel to them in hopes to win them to Christ.
Hello Star1964. As Jema as shared, the theme of this chapter is in the first verse of the chapter. Yet the chapter is clouded in metaphors; the people could understand it if they were conversant with the Scriptures, but to others it seemed as just another story spoken by a prophet. In this portion of Ezekiel, the prophet is not prophesying any new thing, rather, he is recounting what had taken place & why their princes (& themselves) were in this predicament.
The prophet Ezekiel was ministering to the southern kingdom, Judah, & Ezekiel himself was one of the many captives taken to Babylon. So he was re-telling the story of their downfall & their present suffering. If you understand these metaphors, then the picture of this chapter will become clearer.
Verse 2, 'mother, a lioness': is the Kingdom of Judah; 'the lions, whelps': are the kings of Judah. When Judah "brought up one of her whelps, it became a young lion" (v3): referring to King Jehoahaz - for he was taken as a prisoner to Egypt (v4) by Pharaoh-Necho (see 2 Kings 23:31-34 for this account).
Verses 5-9: when Judah waited too long for Jehoahaz to return & all hope was gone, she took "another of her whelps" (Jehoiachin) & made him king. But when Babylon attacked Judah & Jerusalem & took captives, Jehoiachin was also taken with them (v9; also 2 Kings 24:15). Then in verses 10-14, "the mother" Judah is seen as a vine, plucked up in fury by Nebuchadnezzar, because of the rebellion of King Zedekiah ( 2 Kings 24:17-20; Jeremiah 52:3) against Babylon. Verses 11-14: even though Judah was strong, exalted, & stood out as a sceptre, she was soon removed & the branches of the vine were broken off & the vine withered. Therefore, she is in Babylon (as one now planted in the wilderness) & her greatness & that of her kings were now absolutely nothing. So Ezekiel weeps over such devastation of a great kingdom & will forever remain in the minds of the people. But God would give them hope ( Ezekiel 20:33-44).
And by the way, the difference between a preface and prologue is that a preface is an introduction, and a prologue is like a book within a book. When you read the first 18 verses of John's gospel, that is a prologue, not a preface. So, this is a preface. This is an introduction, Verses 1 through 4.
CHAPTER 1:5 THROUGH 2:52: The Pregnancies of Elizabeth and Mary.
CHAPTER 3:1-4:13: The Preparation for the Ministry of both Yochanan ha-Matbil, that is John the Baptist, and Yeshua, for Jesus.
CHAPTER 4:14-9:50: The Preaching of Jesus in Galilee
CHAPTER 9:51-19:27: The Prompting of Jesus toward Jerusalem.
One of my favorite verses is Luke 9:51. When it came time to for Jesus to go to Jerusalem, it says He set His face towards Jerusalem, and that many villages rejected Him because His face was set towards Jerusalem.
As believers, we have to ask ourselves, what is our Jerusalem? What does God want us to do? What are we here for? When you find out what God wants you to do, set your face toward Jerusalem. Don't stop. Don't go to the left or to the right.
And you'll find that people will reject you because you're just passing through. You've got something God wants you to do and you are doing it. Very, very important section! It is almost 10 chapters of people rejecting Jesus because He had His face set towards Jerusalem.
CHAPTER 19:28-21:38: The Preaching of Jesus in Jerusalem. That final week, Passover week.
CHAPTER 22:1-23:56: The Particulars of the Crucifixion of Jesus, His suffering, the different trials, and the actual crucifixion itself.
CHAPTER 24:1-53, THE ENTIRE CHAPTER 24 OF LUKE: The Promise of the Resurrection of Jesus.
That is the Introduction to Luke's Gospel. I will share with you the introduction to the Gospel of John soon, Lord willing!
The theme of Luke's gospel is found in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost." He came to seek us, not us Him!
V. RELATION TO OTHER BOOKS:
Many believe it was the third gospel written of the three Synoptics. Luke follows the formation of Matthew and Mark. As a matter of fact, with Matthew, you will find some differences as far as chronological order in these three gospels goes. Luke is the only one that claims to be in the correct sequential order.
Matthew didn't write his gospel as far as the order of events goes. He wrote his gospel according to topics. And so, you find some scenes that are out of place with the other gospels. That is because the other gospels used various incidents to back up the very theme that they were trying to present.
But Luke, his is in exact chronological order as it happened. Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasize the Galilean ministry up north, away from Jerusalem about 60 to 70 miles. That is where Jesus started out. He was baptized and He stayed up there. He came to Jerusalem for some of the feasts that were mandatory, but He didn't spend time in Jerusalem until the last week of His life, when He came to celebrate Passover.
John emphasizes the Judean ministry. And please remember that Judea is that middle part just before you get into Jerusalem from Galilee up north. And Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasize the Galilean ministry, His three years, or two and half years up north. But John emphasizes the Judean ministry.
And it could be that Theophilus, being in the Roman government (a Roman guard maybe), but in the Roman government. But it could be that he was putting together something for Paul because Paul was waiting to have his appeal to Caesar brought about, and he needed an official document of his life, and what he is charged with, and what his response is, even before he sees Caesar.
Many scholars believe that Theophilus was putting this together for Paul, and that Luke was doing it because Theophilus knew Luke, and he knew Luke had been with Paul, and Theophilus was now saved, so the three of them knew each other.
So, when Theophilus comes to Paul and says we got to put some documents together, Paul says, you know, Dr. Luke used to travel with me. Theophilus says "No way, I know him. He is a brother. Yes, contact him. We need something written up." And so many people believe that these two documents actually traveled to Rome originally as court documents, documenting the life and ministry of Christ and Paul.
Now I find this very humorous. I had to mention that first because you might not get it just by reading it. But there are two things by way of characteristics of the gospel that support the trial document view. It is because the way Luke wrote about all the uprisings, all the riots, and that all the trouble was caused by the Jewish leaders. They did it all!
But the second thing he did in his gospel, the centurion soldiers were the good guys. So that makes it look pretty good. So, you are appealing to somebody who is not Jewish when you do this. Interesting note!
The gospel of Luke has the highest level of Greek in the New Testament. Not only that, but many scholars hold that Luke is the highest quality of Greek in all ancient literature. That is pretty high! There are 312 Greek words in Luke that are not in the rest of the New Testament. There are 478 Greek words in Acts that are not in the rest of the New Testament.
So that is 790 words that are only found in Luke's writings. Remember, he is a physician, and he is very educated. You can see why, not only because of his medical skills, but also to be a historian for us.
Now in Luke, there are 20 miracles. Six of the 20 miracles are not found in any other gospel. In Luke, there are 23 parables. Of the 23 parables, 18 are not found in any other gospel. That is a lot of new material.
NOW HERE'S AN INTERESTING NOTE:
Sir William Ramsay was a nonbeliever that set out to disprove the scriptures. And he chose the gospel of Luke because it was recommended to him as being the best writing in the New Testament. After investigating Luke, he said that every historical account was correct and that there was not one inaccuracy in it. This is from a nonbeliever. And because of Luke's gospel, he was converted. So, we had a nonbeliever who could research, with a high education, he could search out all of Luke's presentation and find out there was not one inaccuracy in the whole gospel!
Some think that Luke and Acts are trial documents. This is what I meant about the reason why they would travel together as Volumes 1 and 2. If you appealed to Caesar, you had to send explanatory documents of your appeal to Caesar before you get there.
Luke is written specifically to Theophilus, but in general to all Gentiles. Theophilus means "lover of God," THEOS for God, PHILEO for love. It's either a name or title. It was a common name at the time. Many parents named their children Theophilus hoping their kids would love God. It was also used as a title and may have been used in order to hide his identity.
In Luke, he's not just called Theophilus, but "most excellent Theophilus" which means that he was either in the Roman military or Roman government, and he's getting the gospel about Jesus Christ. So, Theophilus could be a title or a code name for someone so that their real identity is not revealed.
His title "Most excellent" is one Greek word. It's found to be a title of an officer in the Roman military and also found as a title for an official in the Roman government. Both are called "most excellent" or "most honorable." The title is used three times in Acts. In Acts 23:26, we see "most excellent governor Felix."
These are all governors of Rome. Acts 24:3, "most noble Felix," and Acts 26:25 "most noble Festus," same word. They held these titles in the Roman military and in the Roman government. He was either a government official or in the military. Tradition says he was from Antioch of Syria. Apparently, Luke and Theophilus knew each other.
Acts was written to Theophilus. Acts 1:1 says, the former treaties (that would be the gospel of Luke), the former treaties that I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. So, the book of Acts would be to the same person. And what he's saying is that Luke (the first Volume I gave you), was what Jesus began to do and teach. Now here's what He continues to do and teach, and that would be the book of Acts.
It's also interesting that Acts 1:1-11 is a summary statement of Luke Chapter 24. So, they overlap. He goes back and summarizes Luke 24 in Acts Chapter 1:1-11.
Luke is a Greek name, not Jewish. Many believe that he was a Gentile. In fact, we can be pretty certain that he was. Luke was the only Gentile to be used to write a book of the bible. The best evidence of him being a Gentile is in Colossians 4:11-14. This is where Paul is listing the groups of people, and in Verse 11, he lists those of the circumcision. And so those would be the Jews. But when it gets down to Verse 14, he mentions the Gentiles, and Luke is mentioned in amongst the Gentiles. So that is pretty good proof that Luke was a Gentile.
In Luke's writings, all the way through the gospel of Luke, and all the way up through Acts Chapter 16 Verse 9, he uses the Third Person Plural "they" in his writings. But starting at Acts Chapter 16 Verse 10, he then changes it to "we" (First Person Plural). So, at Acts 16:10, he joins up with Paul at that point and becomes a constant companion with Paul.
Luke joined Paul at Troas. He was probably converted in Troas by Paul, and he becomes Paul's personal physician. What is interesting is that in Acts Chapter 27, in that famous shipwreck that we read about and study and hear about, Luke also was on board that ship.
And it is interesting because you can't have guests accompany you, especially when you're a prisoner on your way to Rome. So, it is believed that Luke went along as a slave. You can have your slave, but you can't have your friends. But Luke was with him all the way. He joined up with him in Troas, doctored him, and was with him during a lot of the things that happened in Paul's ministry and life.
Luke wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. They originally traveled together as Volume 1 and Volume 2. And Luke goes as far back as you can go in the beginning of the Lord's life and ministry. And he'll take us all the way up to, or right at the death of Paul. That is a lot of space. Luke is our historian. Luke was a very educated man, and he likes to deal in detail because he wants the Gentile world, that is you and I, to have the facts of the details about the life and ministry of Christ.
Luke, along with Acts, was written to the Gentiles. It was written to present Jesus as the Son of Man and ends with the promise of the Holy Spirit. And you will notice that both with Luke and John, they end off with the event that introduces their sequel that comes secondly. For Luke it will be the book of Acts. He ends Luke with the promise of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts starts out with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
I. AUTHOR
Luke is the author. Luke is only mentioned three times in the New Testament. None of his letters contain his name. Luke wrote both Luke and Acts. And as mentioned before, Luke and Acts traveled together as Volume 1 and Volume 2. And I will share with you in a moment some pretty good evidence as to why it happened that way.
Colossians 4:14 says that Luke was a physician. Paul called him a physician, a doctor. He was a doctor from Antioch of Syria. We know from historical records that Luke was schooled in Alexandria, Egypt. He became very proficient in the Greek language, as the Greek language was spoken there.
This is the same city where they made the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). Luke became an expert in Greek. God chose an educated man to do a very, very detailed investigation. Keep in mind that Luke is an investigator, not an eyewitness.
Verse 1 , a lamentation for the princes of Israel . There's your clue to this chapter . Who were captives in Egypt ? Who were captured and taken to Babylon ? I'm sure you understand now :) .
That could likely be when we see animals rise again.
The Millennial Kingdom is likely the creatures that survive the Tribulation. It is unclear what percent of them die in that time; although one of the vial judgments kills ALL the life in the sea (hence there IS no more sea in the new earth). As with the replenishing of the Dead Sea (see end of Ezekiel); I would surmise that there is a fresh water stock of fish that multiply; although God could do something else (it appears fresh water and some fish already are entering underground in that area but only in certain sections; scripture shows how the reeds along the edge remain salt water areas).
It also appears that horses at be present at the Second Coming; as they will come down with the saints and with Christ Himself; if that is to be taken literally. It is conceivable that Resurrected bodies of humans will be able to jump into the earth's gravity and not be destroyed; these creatures therefore would have to be either horses that live in heaven or perhaps resurrected for that event which is just speculative.
Of course there are the extinct prehistoric dinosaurs and other creatures as well as many living under the sea and in the earth we are probably not familiar with today. There are also angelic beings that look like creatures (Cherubim) but are spirit beings.
I would surmise also that whatever the original ancestors looked like will be seen as well; it would be likely that reproduction as with resurrected men would halt after animals are Resurrected. I would also hazard a guess that the animals would be in their original role as well as being docile enough for us to hang around; like an outdoor pet.
Not a subject to nix fellowship over differing views...
I want to thank God for his word on today it was for me and how I was feeling at this time. It's good to know that the spirit of the Lord knows our heart and He knows what to give us when we are in need. I want to take this time just to tell the Lord thank you for all he has done for me. For the breath in my body and the blood that's running warm in my veins he is so wonderful regardless how I feel he is a HEALER OF ALL THINGS.
We as the people of God must keep praying for all things In Jesus Name
I agree, and concur with you, and totally with the scripture directed at "living in obediance" and worshipping God in the Spirit! I also agree, many can be conversant in the scripture - but NOT OBEY the scripture. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the scripture and God's Commands. If we have God's Holy Spirit in us; He will NOT let us disobey His Comands, I have found this out the hard way too, and believe me, when Jesus says to sin no more - or something worse will happen to you - it will! If we really have the Spirit in us we will obey all of His Commands.
Example: Hebrews 5:9 "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;"
Please note: That obey Him, That obey Him, That obey Him, That obey Him
Pual isn't telling us that we get the salvation for free - as many of todays modern christains believe. Paul states in the scripture above: only those that obey God recieve eternal salvation!!!
And Jesus tells us plainly: Luke 9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
Once we begin to deny ourselves and we pick up our cross, then and only then - can we begin to follow Jesus in the manner that He wants. If we are living for the worldly things..we are serving satan!
It is very painful to die to ourselves, so to picking up our cross daily can be extremely painful, but nowhere near as painful as what Christ endured for us!
Jesus tells us: Luke 9:24 "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it."
Is Jesus telling us that we must give up our worldly lives? Yes. Why is it so hard for us to understand this? Christains may not like to hear this scripture - but we simply can't ignore it!
Read and Believe!
Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock{the LORD Jesus Christ}I will build my church{the Eternal Church, All True Believers throughout history, the ISRAEL OF GOD}; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mark 4:34 But without a PARABLE spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
The historical events that God records in the Bible are absolutely accurate in their historical account. But God did not record these events in the first instance to give us a history lesson. They are recorded to teach us some aspect of the Gospel which is God's Judgment and Salvation program for Mankind and this World.
And the Book of Jeremiah, like the entire Bible, is exactly that.
Ephesians 3:1-15 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the MYSTERY; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the MYSTERY of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be FELLOWHEIRS{of the New Heavens and New Earth}, and of the SAME BODY{the Israel of God}, and PARTAKERS OF HIS PROMISE in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the FELLOWSHIP, OF THE MYSTERY which from the FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD HATH BEEN HID IN GOD, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the CHURCH {All True Believers throughout history} the manifold wisdom of God, According to the ETERNAL PURPOSE which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH{All True Believers throughout history}is named,
Ephesians 3:21 Unto him be glory in the CHURCH{All True Believers throughout history}by Christ Jesus throughout ALL AGES, world without end{the New Heavens and New Earth}. Amen.
There is ONE SALVATION, ONE INHERITANCE for all True Believers throughout history, i.e. the ISRAEL OF GOD.
The verse he quoted is part of the biblical book of Revelation, a book that contains visions and prophecies about the end times and the return of Jesus Christ. In this particular verse, John, the author of Revelation, describes a vision of worship in heaven. Every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea is heard praising God and the Lamb (Jesus Christ) with blessings, honour, glory, and power.
While the Bible does not explicitly address the fate of pets during the rapture or in heaven, some theologians and religious scholars have explored this topic with different perspectives.
1. No Direct Scriptural Mention: As you noted, the verse in Revelation 5:13 refers to creatures in general, but it does not specifically mention animals or pets. This absence of direct scriptural mention makes it difficult to provide a definitive answer. The Bible primarily focuses on humanity's relationship with God and the salvation of souls.
2. God's Love and Care: Many God-fearing individuals believe in God's love and care for all of His creations. Since God cares for His creation, it is not unreasonable to think that He would also care for animals, including our beloved pets.
3. Theological Speculation: Some theologians speculate that since pets are part of God's creation and bring joy and companionship to people, they might have a place in God's eternal plan. They suggest that animals may be part of the new heaven and new earth mentioned in Revelation 21:1, where God will make all things new.
4. Symbolic Representation: In some interpretations, animals are seen as symbolic representations of God's goodness, beauty, and creativity. They are considered a reflection of His attributes, and in that sense, their presence in heaven is understood metaphorically.
Meaning- the True knowledge of God conforms us to the Divine Nature, Rom 8:29 1John 4:17
Walking & living in the Spirit, Gal 5:22,23, Ephesians 5:9, They're truly born again of the Incorruptible Seed & sin not 1John 3:9 & those that are not led or have the Spirit are none of His. Rom 8:9
False knowledge does not destroy the works to the devil, but leaves the corrupt Tree standing, meaning the old Adamic nature, the man of sin, because his seed (Satan) remains in him, thus one continues in sin, though he or she is ever so conversant in the letter of the Scriptures.
In love & truth
The Axe laid to the Root of the Corrupt Tree ( 2 Peter 1:4)
THAT the true faith (the faith of the gospel, the faith of the elect, the faith which saves the sinner from sin, and makes him more than a conqueror over sin and the powers of darkness) is a belief in the nature of God; which belief giveth entrance into, fixeth in and causeth an abiding in that nature. Unbelief entereth into death, and fixeth in the death: faith giveth entrance into, and fixeth in the life. Faith is an ingrafting into the vine, a partaking of the nature of the vine, a sucking of the juice of life from the vine; which nothing is able to do but the faith, but the belief in the nature. And nothing can believe in the nature, but what is one with the nature. So then faith is not a believing the history of the scripture, or a believing and applying the promises, or a believing that Christ died for sinners in general, or for me in particular; for all this may be done by the unbelieving nature (like the Jew); but a uniting to the nature of God in Christ, which the unbeliever starts from, in the midst of his believing of these
Yet I do not deny that all these things are to be believed, and are believed with the true faith: but this I affirm, that they also may be believed without the true faith; and that such a belief of these doth not determine a man to be a believer in the sight of God, but only the union with the nature of that life from whence all these sprang, and in which alone they have their true value.
That the true faith springs from the true knowledge, or comes with the true knowledge of the true nature of God in Christ, which it believes in. He can never believe in the nature of God, who hath not first the nature of God revealed to him. If a man search the Scriptures all his days, hear all that can be said by men concerning God, Christ, faith, justification, &c., be able to dispute about them, and think he can make his tenets good against all the world; yet, if he hath not received the true knowledge of the nature of these things, all his professed faith in them cannot be true.
That the true knowledge is only to be had by the immediate revelation of Christ in the soul. No man knows the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the son reveals him. The dead shall hear the voice of the son of God, and they that hear shall live. There is no raising of a dead soul to life, but by the immediate voice of Christ. Outward preaching, reading the Scriptures, &c. may direct and encourage men to hearken after and wait for the voice; but it is the immediate voice of Christ in the soul, which alone can quicken the soul to God: and till the light of life shine immediately from Christ in the heart, the true knowledge is never given. 2 Cor 4:6
Issac Penington
If not, they could possibly pull back into Catholicism and that's not what we want. We want them to to be delivered from darkness and into the truth so we tell them the truth.
The prophet Ezekiel was ministering to the southern kingdom, Judah, & Ezekiel himself was one of the many captives taken to Babylon. So he was re-telling the story of their downfall & their present suffering. If you understand these metaphors, then the picture of this chapter will become clearer.
Verse 2, 'mother, a lioness': is the Kingdom of Judah; 'the lions, whelps': are the kings of Judah. When Judah "brought up one of her whelps, it became a young lion" (v3): referring to King Jehoahaz - for he was taken as a prisoner to Egypt (v4) by Pharaoh-Necho (see 2 Kings 23:31-34 for this account).
Verses 5-9: when Judah waited too long for Jehoahaz to return & all hope was gone, she took "another of her whelps" (Jehoiachin) & made him king. But when Babylon attacked Judah & Jerusalem & took captives, Jehoiachin was also taken with them (v9; also 2 Kings 24:15). Then in verses 10-14, "the mother" Judah is seen as a vine, plucked up in fury by Nebuchadnezzar, because of the rebellion of King Zedekiah ( 2 Kings 24:17-20; Jeremiah 52:3) against Babylon. Verses 11-14: even though Judah was strong, exalted, & stood out as a sceptre, she was soon removed & the branches of the vine were broken off & the vine withered. Therefore, she is in Babylon (as one now planted in the wilderness) & her greatness & that of her kings were now absolutely nothing. So Ezekiel weeps over such devastation of a great kingdom & will forever remain in the minds of the people. But God would give them hope ( Ezekiel 20:33-44).
VI. SECTION OUTLINE OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE:
CHAPTER 1:1-4: The Preface.
And by the way, the difference between a preface and prologue is that a preface is an introduction, and a prologue is like a book within a book. When you read the first 18 verses of John's gospel, that is a prologue, not a preface. So, this is a preface. This is an introduction, Verses 1 through 4.
CHAPTER 1:5 THROUGH 2:52: The Pregnancies of Elizabeth and Mary.
CHAPTER 3:1-4:13: The Preparation for the Ministry of both Yochanan ha-Matbil, that is John the Baptist, and Yeshua, for Jesus.
CHAPTER 4:14-9:50: The Preaching of Jesus in Galilee
CHAPTER 9:51-19:27: The Prompting of Jesus toward Jerusalem.
One of my favorite verses is Luke 9:51. When it came time to for Jesus to go to Jerusalem, it says He set His face towards Jerusalem, and that many villages rejected Him because His face was set towards Jerusalem.
As believers, we have to ask ourselves, what is our Jerusalem? What does God want us to do? What are we here for? When you find out what God wants you to do, set your face toward Jerusalem. Don't stop. Don't go to the left or to the right.
And you'll find that people will reject you because you're just passing through. You've got something God wants you to do and you are doing it. Very, very important section! It is almost 10 chapters of people rejecting Jesus because He had His face set towards Jerusalem.
CHAPTER 19:28-21:38: The Preaching of Jesus in Jerusalem. That final week, Passover week.
CHAPTER 22:1-23:56: The Particulars of the Crucifixion of Jesus, His suffering, the different trials, and the actual crucifixion itself.
CHAPTER 24:1-53, THE ENTIRE CHAPTER 24 OF LUKE: The Promise of the Resurrection of Jesus.
That is the Introduction to Luke's Gospel. I will share with you the introduction to the Gospel of John soon, Lord willing!
God Bless!!!
IV. THE THEME OF LUKE
The theme of Luke's gospel is found in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost." He came to seek us, not us Him!
V. RELATION TO OTHER BOOKS:
Many believe it was the third gospel written of the three Synoptics. Luke follows the formation of Matthew and Mark. As a matter of fact, with Matthew, you will find some differences as far as chronological order in these three gospels goes. Luke is the only one that claims to be in the correct sequential order.
Matthew didn't write his gospel as far as the order of events goes. He wrote his gospel according to topics. And so, you find some scenes that are out of place with the other gospels. That is because the other gospels used various incidents to back up the very theme that they were trying to present.
But Luke, his is in exact chronological order as it happened. Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasize the Galilean ministry up north, away from Jerusalem about 60 to 70 miles. That is where Jesus started out. He was baptized and He stayed up there. He came to Jerusalem for some of the feasts that were mandatory, but He didn't spend time in Jerusalem until the last week of His life, when He came to celebrate Passover.
John emphasizes the Judean ministry. And please remember that Judea is that middle part just before you get into Jerusalem from Galilee up north. And Matthew, Mark and Luke emphasize the Galilean ministry, His three years, or two and half years up north. But John emphasizes the Judean ministry.
And it could be that Theophilus, being in the Roman government (a Roman guard maybe), but in the Roman government. But it could be that he was putting together something for Paul because Paul was waiting to have his appeal to Caesar brought about, and he needed an official document of his life, and what he is charged with, and what his response is, even before he sees Caesar.
Many scholars believe that Theophilus was putting this together for Paul, and that Luke was doing it because Theophilus knew Luke, and he knew Luke had been with Paul, and Theophilus was now saved, so the three of them knew each other.
So, when Theophilus comes to Paul and says we got to put some documents together, Paul says, you know, Dr. Luke used to travel with me. Theophilus says "No way, I know him. He is a brother. Yes, contact him. We need something written up." And so many people believe that these two documents actually traveled to Rome originally as court documents, documenting the life and ministry of Christ and Paul.
Now I find this very humorous. I had to mention that first because you might not get it just by reading it. But there are two things by way of characteristics of the gospel that support the trial document view. It is because the way Luke wrote about all the uprisings, all the riots, and that all the trouble was caused by the Jewish leaders. They did it all!
But the second thing he did in his gospel, the centurion soldiers were the good guys. So that makes it look pretty good. So, you are appealing to somebody who is not Jewish when you do this. Interesting note!
III. ABOUT THE GOSPEL:
The gospel of Luke has the highest level of Greek in the New Testament. Not only that, but many scholars hold that Luke is the highest quality of Greek in all ancient literature. That is pretty high! There are 312 Greek words in Luke that are not in the rest of the New Testament. There are 478 Greek words in Acts that are not in the rest of the New Testament.
So that is 790 words that are only found in Luke's writings. Remember, he is a physician, and he is very educated. You can see why, not only because of his medical skills, but also to be a historian for us.
Now in Luke, there are 20 miracles. Six of the 20 miracles are not found in any other gospel. In Luke, there are 23 parables. Of the 23 parables, 18 are not found in any other gospel. That is a lot of new material.
NOW HERE'S AN INTERESTING NOTE:
Sir William Ramsay was a nonbeliever that set out to disprove the scriptures. And he chose the gospel of Luke because it was recommended to him as being the best writing in the New Testament. After investigating Luke, he said that every historical account was correct and that there was not one inaccuracy in it. This is from a nonbeliever. And because of Luke's gospel, he was converted. So, we had a nonbeliever who could research, with a high education, he could search out all of Luke's presentation and find out there was not one inaccuracy in the whole gospel!
Some think that Luke and Acts are trial documents. This is what I meant about the reason why they would travel together as Volumes 1 and 2. If you appealed to Caesar, you had to send explanatory documents of your appeal to Caesar before you get there.
II. ABOUT THE RECIPIENT:
Luke is written specifically to Theophilus, but in general to all Gentiles. Theophilus means "lover of God," THEOS for God, PHILEO for love. It's either a name or title. It was a common name at the time. Many parents named their children Theophilus hoping their kids would love God. It was also used as a title and may have been used in order to hide his identity.
In Luke, he's not just called Theophilus, but "most excellent Theophilus" which means that he was either in the Roman military or Roman government, and he's getting the gospel about Jesus Christ. So, Theophilus could be a title or a code name for someone so that their real identity is not revealed.
His title "Most excellent" is one Greek word. It's found to be a title of an officer in the Roman military and also found as a title for an official in the Roman government. Both are called "most excellent" or "most honorable." The title is used three times in Acts. In Acts 23:26, we see "most excellent governor Felix."
These are all governors of Rome. Acts 24:3, "most noble Felix," and Acts 26:25 "most noble Festus," same word. They held these titles in the Roman military and in the Roman government. He was either a government official or in the military. Tradition says he was from Antioch of Syria. Apparently, Luke and Theophilus knew each other.
Acts was written to Theophilus. Acts 1:1 says, the former treaties (that would be the gospel of Luke), the former treaties that I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach. So, the book of Acts would be to the same person. And what he's saying is that Luke (the first Volume I gave you), was what Jesus began to do and teach. Now here's what He continues to do and teach, and that would be the book of Acts.
It's also interesting that Acts 1:1-11 is a summary statement of Luke Chapter 24. So, they overlap. He goes back and summarizes Luke 24 in Acts Chapter 1:1-11.
Luke is a Greek name, not Jewish. Many believe that he was a Gentile. In fact, we can be pretty certain that he was. Luke was the only Gentile to be used to write a book of the bible. The best evidence of him being a Gentile is in Colossians 4:11-14. This is where Paul is listing the groups of people, and in Verse 11, he lists those of the circumcision. And so those would be the Jews. But when it gets down to Verse 14, he mentions the Gentiles, and Luke is mentioned in amongst the Gentiles. So that is pretty good proof that Luke was a Gentile.
In Luke's writings, all the way through the gospel of Luke, and all the way up through Acts Chapter 16 Verse 9, he uses the Third Person Plural "they" in his writings. But starting at Acts Chapter 16 Verse 10, he then changes it to "we" (First Person Plural). So, at Acts 16:10, he joins up with Paul at that point and becomes a constant companion with Paul.
Luke joined Paul at Troas. He was probably converted in Troas by Paul, and he becomes Paul's personal physician. What is interesting is that in Acts Chapter 27, in that famous shipwreck that we read about and study and hear about, Luke also was on board that ship.
And it is interesting because you can't have guests accompany you, especially when you're a prisoner on your way to Rome. So, it is believed that Luke went along as a slave. You can have your slave, but you can't have your friends. But Luke was with him all the way. He joined up with him in Troas, doctored him, and was with him during a lot of the things that happened in Paul's ministry and life.
Luke wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. They originally traveled together as Volume 1 and Volume 2. And Luke goes as far back as you can go in the beginning of the Lord's life and ministry. And he'll take us all the way up to, or right at the death of Paul. That is a lot of space. Luke is our historian. Luke was a very educated man, and he likes to deal in detail because he wants the Gentile world, that is you and I, to have the facts of the details about the life and ministry of Christ.
Luke, along with Acts, was written to the Gentiles. It was written to present Jesus as the Son of Man and ends with the promise of the Holy Spirit. And you will notice that both with Luke and John, they end off with the event that introduces their sequel that comes secondly. For Luke it will be the book of Acts. He ends Luke with the promise of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts starts out with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
I. AUTHOR
Luke is the author. Luke is only mentioned three times in the New Testament. None of his letters contain his name. Luke wrote both Luke and Acts. And as mentioned before, Luke and Acts traveled together as Volume 1 and Volume 2. And I will share with you in a moment some pretty good evidence as to why it happened that way.
Colossians 4:14 says that Luke was a physician. Paul called him a physician, a doctor. He was a doctor from Antioch of Syria. We know from historical records that Luke was schooled in Alexandria, Egypt. He became very proficient in the Greek language, as the Greek language was spoken there.
This is the same city where they made the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). Luke became an expert in Greek. God chose an educated man to do a very, very detailed investigation. Keep in mind that Luke is an investigator, not an eyewitness.