Gerald E. Weston

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

The Prophetic Future of Our World

Where is the ongoing war in the Middle East headed? Can Israel survive when it seems the whole world is lined up against it, and many chant “from the river to the sea”—meaning there can be no Israeli state—drive all the Jews out, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

In what way will events in the Middle East affect you and your family? Can you know? And what about Europe, where there is still a very real war being waged by Western nations against Russia and its allies: China, North Korea, and Iran? Is it possible to know the future, and if so, how? And what should we watch for in 2024?

At the beginning of each year, we here at Tomorrow’s World give you trends to watch in the coming year and beyond. Our predictions come from an ancient source that has proven to be accurate and reliable, and that source is the Bible, where God makes this bold statement to the skeptic in Isaiah 46:9–10:

I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9–10).

That is a bold statement. Is it true? On today’s program you may be shocked at how precise and accurate Bible prophecy is regarding what you are seeing right now in the Middle East. And the Bible shows that events in that part of the world will affect the rest of the world.

Four Prophetic Trends

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World. On today’s program I’ll be giving you five trends to watch in 2024 and beyond—especially in the Middle East. Thousands of years ago, the Bible foretold what you see in living color in today’s news.

None of us here at Tomorrow’s World are prophets, but we can read what the biblical prophets, under inspiration from God, foretold. How can we be so certain about the Bible as a reliable source for future events?

Answer: no human could so accurately tell what would happen thousands of years in advance. Do you doubt that? Well tell me this: What will happen 2,000 years from now, in the year 4024? Pick any nation, any city, any people and make your prediction. And what about 3,700 years from now? Where will the Jews be then? Will they have a country they call their own? What about Germany or the United States? What about cities such as New York, London, Berlin, or Jerusalem? Give it your best shot and see if you can match God for precision and accuracy—not that you will be alive in the flesh to know what happens, but I think you get the point. Making predictions that far into the future is impossible apart from God.

Based on Bible prophecy, let’s review what I said last January, as we looked ahead to 2023.

Trend #1: The crisis in Europe will continue until a strongman arises to bring ten kings together.

And just as there were two legs and feet in Nebuchadnezzar’s image, so there will be two legs in this combine of nations. So,

Trend #2: Watch for a geopolitical realignment in the next few years between eastern and western Europe.

The invasion of Ukraine moved countries such as Germany to begin rearming—something we’ve predicted for decades. Several U.S. presidents put pressure on Germany to do more militarily—but to no avail. The invasion did it in a matter of hours. These two predictions WILL come to pass. A strongman WILL rise up in the very near future, and bring together ten nations or leaders in Europe, and this implies a geopolitical realignment. Therefore, watch Europe as there will likely be surprises along the way.

After giving those two trends to watch in Europe, I then shifted to the Middle East and to what to expect where you may live.

Even though we cannot know the exact timing, the stage for these biblical prophecies is being set. But also, let’s not forget what is happening in the Middle East. Jerusalem is at the center of many Bible prophecies. So,

Trend #3: Expect greater tension in the Middle East between Israel and her neighbors.

But what about where most of you live who are watching this telecast? Expect:

Trend #4: More chaos, confusion, division, and disasters (manmade and natural) for America and the British-descended peoples.

Yes, when you think it can’t get any worse, 2023 may once again prove that notion wrong. The United States, Britain, Australia, Canada, and other British descended peoples are on a downward spiral, and unless we turn back to God—and we see no evidence of that—no elected leader will save us. We will have ups and downs, but the trend will continue down.

The last four years saw optimism for peace in the Middle East. The Abraham Accords brought normalization of relations between Israel and several of its neighbors. And both Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were optimistic about normalizing relations between their two countries—possibly as soon as a few days or a few weeks. And U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan declared:

And the middle east region is quieter today than it has been in two decades (“National Security Advisor Sullivan Said Mideast Is ‘Quieter’ Than Any Time Since 9/11 -- Eight Days Before Massive Hamas Attack,” RealClearPolitics.com, October 8, 2023).

He did say that could change, and it did only eight days later with the barbaric attacks by Hamas.

Jacob’s Prophecy About the End Times

More than 3,700 years ago, the grandson of Abraham brought his twelve sons to him and said,

Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days….

“In the last days” is specific, but it is doubtful that Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, had any idea how far into the future that would be. Apart from a revelation from God, no human being could possibly know what to expect of his progeny so far into the future. Now here is the prophecy for his son Judah, meaning the Jews.

Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people (Genesis 49:8–10).

Note that the promised lawgiver—that is, the Messiah—would come from the Jews, and he did 1,700 years later. Many recognize this, but what about the part that describes the “time of the end” when the Jews would be as a lion that is best not roused? Is that not the history of the last 75 years and what we see even now? Dear friends, there are even more specific prophecies were given 2,500 years ago by the prophet Zechariah. Notice what God foretold through him in chapter 12 and verses 2–3:

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah [that is, the Jews] and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it (Zechariah 12:2–3).

Consider how specific and remarkable this passage is. Note these five points:

1. The Jews will be in Jerusalem

That was far from a given—it has not always been that way. The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD and expelled Jews from the Holy Land in 135 AD. For more than 1,800 years there was no Jewish state—not anywhere on earth. As Richard Ames explains in The Middle East in Prophecy:

… Jerusalem was in the hands of Byzantine rulers when it fell to a Muslim army led by Caliph Umar in 638. This crusade brought Jerusalem under Western control in the “Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem,” which held the city from 1099 to 1187, when Saladin reconquered Jerusalem for Islam. Later crusades brought Jerusalem briefly under Western control from 1229 to 1239, and from 1243 to 1244, when it was sacked by the Tatars. In 1247, the city fell to the Egyptian Mamluks, under whose control it remained until 1517, when Ottoman sultan Selim I conquered the city (The Middle East in Prophecy, p. 3).

In 1917, the British took control, and through a series of events, the Holy Land was partitioned, giving the Jews a portion of it. They declared their independence to form a Jewish homeland in 1948. Arab neighbors immediately attacked and tried to drive the Jews out, but the lion rose up and prevailed.

So while we may take it for granted that there is a Jewish state on the eastern end of the Mediterranean, it was not always so, not from 135 AD until 1948. But what else do we learn from Zechariah?

2. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples (Zechariah 12:3).

Now, is that true, my friends? When this was written, Christianity was more than 500 years in the future, and Islam nearly 600 years after Christianity. Yet today, Jerusalem is at the heart of three religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All lay claim to Jerusalem. It truly is a troublesome stone—the great sticking point in all peace talks.

3. … all who would heave it away [the heavy stone of Jerusalem] will surely be cut in pieces (Zechariah 12:3).

Remember Jacob’s prediction that in the last days Judah would be like a resting lion that is best not aroused? In 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nassar threatened Israel by moving troops to Israel’s border. Jordan and Syria would join the fight, but the Jews struck pre-emptively and defeated their enemies on all sides in a mere six days. In 1973 Israel’s neighbors attacked on the most sacred Jewish Holy Day—Yom Kippur—when the Jews were weak from fasting. But once again, they cut their enemies in pieces.

Predictions About Jerusalem, Judah, and Israel Coming True

What’s ahead in the Middle East as we enter 2024? What does the Bible have to say about it? As we are seeing, quite a bit. So far, we’ve seen three lessons from Zechariah 12.

1. The Jews will be in Jerusalem.
2. Jerusalem would be a very heavy stone in the world (Zechariah 12:3).
3. … all who would heave it away [the heavy stone of Jerusalem] will surely be cut in pieces (Zechariah 12:3).

Now let’s look at another point from Zechariah 12:

4. … though all nations of the earth are gathered against it [that is, Israel](Zechariah 12:3).

Are all nations gathered against the Jews? There are more United Nations resolutions condemning Israel than all other countries combined. And consider the massive demonstrations taking place all over the world against the Jews—in Russia, in China, in Germany, in France, in the United States, in Australia, in Britain.

The father of the Jews prophesied 3,700 years ago that they would be a powerful military force. They would be like a lion that is best not aroused. This is also confirmed in Zechariah 12:6:

In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:6).

This has hardly been the Jewish history until the last 75 years! So, we next read number five,

5. The Jews ability to wield great military might

Dear friends, these are remarkable prophesies, but there is more. Despite their military prowess, there is coming a time in the near future when Jerusalem will be overrun by the Jews’ enemies. What happened October 7, 2023 will happen in Jerusalem. Zechariah 14 gives the details.

Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city (Zechariah 14:1–2).

Note that Jerusalem today is a divided city, just as the prophet indicated when he said “Half the city shall go into captivity.” Again, Zechariah speaks of the world lining up against the Jews. Revelation 11:2 tells us that Jerusalem would be overrun by the Gentiles for a period of 3½ years leading up to the return of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months (Revelation 11:2).

The time setting of Zechariah 14 is yet future. It’s that 3½ year period of the Great Tribulation and the one-year day of the LORD when God’s wrath on rebellious mankind leads to Christ’s second coming. This is stated explicitly in verse 4:

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south (Zechariah 14:4).

And if that is not clear enough, here is what it tells us in verse 9:

And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—“The LORD is one,” and His name one (Zechariah 14:9).

Five Continuing Prophetic Trends for 2024

So where are we in the scope of end-time Bible prophecy? Those who have eyes to see recognize that we are on the edge of a worldwide war of catastrophic proportions, just as the Bible shows elsewhere. But the end is not yet.

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:34–36).

So here are trends to watch in 2024 and the immediate years ahead.

#1: Watch for increasing demand for international intervention and control over Jerusalem

World leaders are already wondering what to do in the aftermath of this current war. Who will administer Gaza, the West Bank, and yes, Jerusalem itself? Mr. Richard Ames writes in The Middle East in Prophecy,

As violence escalates in the region around Jerusalem, watch for more world leaders to join in demanding international control of this ancient city held dear by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.

#2: Watch for the forming of what the Bible calls “the king of the South” arising in the Middle East and northeastern Africa.

The eleventh chapter of Daniel gives a detailed history of intrigue and war between a king of the north and a king of the south. This interplay between the two covers a period of 2,500 years, all the way to the time of Christ’s return. Verses 40–45 tell us how it will end.

At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him (Daniel 11:40–45).

Psalm 83 speaks of a coalition of nations who conspire together against Israel. Is this not the attitude that we see right now?

They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You (Psalm 83:4–5).

This coming confederacy will include Assyria—modern day Germany— and the European Beast power. This will be the king of the North, and this is why we say:

#3: Watch Europe—especially Germany

Expect to see the formation of a German led group of ten leaders or nations that the Bible refers to as the Beast.

#4: Watch for animal sacrifices to begin in Jerusalem.

This does not require a temple. The Jews began sacrificing after returning from Babylonian captivity prior to building the Second Temple. And finally,

#5: Watch for a charismatic miracle-working religious leader to rise up in Europe.

We cannot know exactly when these events will happen, but according to Bible prophecy, they will. As we have seen on today’s program, the Bible is very accurate and specific, and many prophecies are coming to pass right before our eyes.

I hope you profited from this video.

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Thanks for watching! See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

The Mysterious Mark of Revelation…Solved?

The biblical book of Revelation tells us that there is a time coming when everyone will be compelled to receive a mark on his forehead or on his hand. Without that mark, you will not be able to buy or sell. But God’s wrath will be poured out on those who accept it. What is that mark? Do you know?

Many people look in all the wrong places to understand this mysterious Mark of the Beast. Speculations abound. The U.S. Social Security Number was once thought to be that mark. As was the Canadian Social Insurance Number with its acronym S.I.N. The bar code and the quick response code have also been contenders. Others expect tattoos of the number 666, or a computer chip to be placed on the hand or the forehead. And how can we forget the COVID-19 vaccine? But, none of these are the Beast’s mark.

On today’s Tomorrow’s World program, I’ll discuss from the pages of the Bible what that mysterious mark is.

I’ll be right back in five seconds to show you what the Bible reveals about the mysterious Mark of the Beast.

Daniel’s Prophecies Reveal the Beast

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World, where today I’m sharing with you what the Bible says about the mysterious mark of the Beast. The subject of a mark that controls whether one can buy or sell arises from the biblical book of Revelation, so we must look to that source to discover what that mark is. Here is the passage in question:

He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name (Revelation 13:16–17).

Now before we go running off into the sunset looking for this mark, let’s stop and consider the obvious and most fundamental point in understanding this mark.

The Mark is of the Beast.

Yes, it’s the Beast’s mark! Any mark from any other source, cannot be his mark. While it is popular to focus on bar codes, Social Insurance Numbers, tattoos and computer chips, we must first focus on identifying this Beast if we are to understand his mark.

So, who or what is this Beast? We begin our study in the biblical book of Daniel. There we read how King Nebuchadnezzar had an unusual dream, and how God revealed its meaning to the prophet Daniel. We’ll begin in Daniel 2:31:

You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay (Daniel 2:31–33).

You might be thinking right now, how can a king’s dream 2,500 years ago have anything to do with me? Isn’t this just a child’s bedtime story? This thought could not be more wrong.

Daniel explained to the king that this figure of a man represented four kingdoms. The head of gold was his Chaldean Empire. History shows that the three that followed were the Medo/Persian, the Greco/Macedonian, and the Roman Empires. Notice that this prophecy covers the time from Nebuchadnezzar all the way down to the second coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the setting up of His Kingdom.

And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this (Daniel 2:44–45).

Understanding the Beast of Revelation and Its Fate

Let’s now go to Daniel 7, where it elaborates further on these four worldly empires. This time, rather than an image of a man made of different materials, we find these same empires described as four wild beasts. The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings, the second like a bear, the third was a four headed leopard, and the fourth was… as we see in Daniel 7:7:

… dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns (Daniel 7:7).

Verses 17 and 23 clearly show that the words king and kingdom are used interchangeably, and as in chapter 2, this fourth kingdom ends at the return of Christ when He sets up His kingdom. Notice it in vv. 26–27:

But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever. Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him (vv. 26–27).

We need not speculate about the meaning as the Bible interprets its own symbols. Nebuchadnezzar’s image is explained as four kingdoms, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar’s and ending with God setting up a kingdom on earth. We are told that the four beasts of Daniel 7 represent four kings or kingdoms, and the fourth ends with God’s Kingdom. So, these beasts clearly represent the same four kingdoms as those mentioned in Daniel 2.

The Stone cut out of the mountain without hands is clearly a reference to the future, when the returning Jesus Christ sets up an everlasting kingdom. At that time, He destroys mankind’s empires by smiting the king’s great image on the feet and toes. Therefore, the feet and toes of iron and clay must be in existence at Christ’s return. Notice Daniel’s God-inspired explanation of the feet and toes, in Daniel 2, beginning in verse 41:

Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay (Daniel 2:41–43).

That’s the state of the Roman kingdom at the end of the age. As we shall see, there will be ten nations that do not adhere to one another, but they do so for a very short time out of necessity, and they have the strength of iron. But how can this be when Rome, the fourth kingdom, fell more than 1,500 years ago?

For the answer, we must turn to the book of Revelation, in the thirteenth chapter. Here we find another creature, but this time a single beast with the characteristics of those found in Daniel 7. Those characteristics are all combined into a single creature. Why? This is because John recorded this vision in the late 90s A.D.—at the time of the Roman Empire, which had absorbed the other three kingdoms. Notice this description:

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority (Revelation 13:1–2).

But again, Rome fell more than 1,500 years ago. How can it then be in existence when Christ returns? Note that this Beast has seven heads. Compare this with Daniel 7, where the four creatures also had a combined seven heads. Revelation 13:3 and 5 explain that one of the heads had a deadly wound that was healed. Since the only empire in existence at this time was Rome, the head with a deadly wound that is healed is that of Rome. A deadly wound and healing of the Roman empire is exactly what we find in history.

Rome fell in 476 A.D., but the empire was restored (or healed) by Justinian in 554 A.D. We now turn to Revelation 17, where the “healed” Roman Empire continues. There we find another seven-headed beast, but this Beast is different. It only refers to Rome after the healing, and it has one very significant difference. It is Rome ridden by an immoral woman. Beginning in verse 1:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 17:1–3).

The Mark of the Beast—A False Holy Day for a Counterfeit Christianity

In the Bible, a woman is sometimes used as a symbol of a church. Concerning the marriage of a man and woman, we read in Ephesians 5:32,

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

In Revelation 19:6–9, it describes the saved as the “bride of Christ.” But in the case of Revelation 17, we see a fallen woman, an apostate church, a “mother church” with her harlot daughters.

Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters. … And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Revelation 17:1, 5).

This Roman Empire, whose deadly wound was healed in 554 A.D., has seven heads and is ridden by an apostate religious system. Furthermore, we learn that, after the healing, it would continue 1,260 years:

And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. … and he [that is, this Roman Beast] was given authority to continue for forty-two months (Revelation 13:3, 5).

A prophetic month is made up of 30 days. Thirty days times 42 months comes to 1,260. Now, the Bible sometimes uses what is called a day for a year principle. In this case, the beast would continue after its healing for a period of either 1,260 days or 1,260 years. The context and history shows us it is the latter—1260 years.

History reveals that the Roman Empire, now ridden by an apostate church, was restored by Justinian in 554 A.D. The empire diminished and was revived four more times. The second restoration came in 800 A.D. when:

On Christmas Day, as Charlemagne… knelt before St. Peter’s altar in prayer, [Pope] Leo suddenly produced a jeweled crown, and set it upon the King’s head (Will Durant, The Story of Civilization: Charlemagne the King, pp. 468–469).

After Charlemagne, the Empire again deteriorated, but was revived a third time under Otto I.

Like Charlemagne, Otto received his throne through the Papal claim that the Roman Church had been the only Imperial elector since the early fourth century…. The Holy Roman Empire was thus to a large extent German in its ethnic and political base, [apostate] Christian in its moral justification, and Roman in its claim to legitimacy and universality (The Holy Roman Empire in the Middle Ages, ed. Herzstein, 1966, p. viii).

Charles V and Napoleon constituted the fourth and fifth restorations. From the healing under Justinian in 554 to the fall of Napoleon in 1814, we have [get this] exactly 1,260 years as foretold in Revelation 13 and verses 3 and 5. Revelation 17 tells us that there would be two more revivals after the five during the 1,260 years.

Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits [Rome is built on seven hills]. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen [that was between 554 and 1814], one is [that’s Hitler and Mussolini], and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time (Revelations 17:9–10).

The one to come will be made up of ten kings or nations with the strength of iron and the fragility of clay. This will take place in the near future and when it does, remember where you heard this!

God is not happy with those who take the Beast’s mark. It’s a sign of disobedience. It cannot simply be a computer chip or barcode. It’s the Beast’s mark and the beast fights against Christ at His return.

The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. … These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings (Revelation 17:12, 14).

It may surprise you to know that the Bible speaks of another mark. Few people realize that God gave a sign that identifies His people. Read it for yourself in Exodus 31:13.

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you [sets you apart]” (Exodus 31:13).

Some wrongly reason that Jesus changed the Sabbath to the first day of the week, but the Bible and early church history show that Jesus, His apostles, and the first century church of God continued to observe the day God sanctified at creation, long before Moses. As we read in Genesis 2:3,

Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made (Genesis 2:3).

And Jesus declared to those who were misapplying the Sabbath that:

The Sabbath was [not done away with, but it was] made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27–28).

Now think about this: You are not Lord of something that does not exist!

The Devil is a great counterfeiter. Speaking of false ministers, Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11,

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness… (2 Corinthians 11:13–15).

The True Sabbath Day Identifies God’s People

We’ve seen that God has a sign that identifies His people—the seventh day Sabbath. But Satan also has a sign, a mark, that identifies those who are his. Daniel 7 speaks of a stout horn, which can be connected to the woman who rides the beast of Revelation 17. Here’s what Daniel 7:25 reveals about this horn:

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High … and shall intend to change times and law (Daniel 7:25).

Notice that it says, “intend to change times and law.” It was not Jesus, or the Apostle Paul, who changed the day of rest set aside by God at creation. It was Roman Emperor Constantine who changed the Sabbath to Sunday. From Eerdman’s handbook to the history of Christianity,

The Christian Sunday was not made a “day of rest” until Constantine decreed it in AD 321 (Introduction to the History of Christianity, ed. Dowley, p. 123).

Constantine was a sun worshiper:

When in 321 Constantine made the first day of the week a holiday, he called it “the venerable day of the Sun” (Sunday) (p. 140).

But what about the mark being placed on the hand and in the forehead?

Doesn’t this suggest some kind of visible mark or computer chip? We must not read into the Bible our own ideas. We must let the Bible explain its own symbols. A sign in the hand and forehead does not suddenly appear in Revelation. Far from it. This symbolism is used as an identifying sign of obedience to God. Referring to an annual festival given by God and later kept by Jesus and the early church, we read in Exodus 13:9…

… [To] be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth…” (Exodus 13:9).

And after repeating the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5, we read in chapter 6:

You shall bind them [that is, God’s Commandments, note this] as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes (Deuteronomy 6:8).

Just as God places His sign on our hand and forehead, so the great counterfeiter’s Beast has his mark.

I hope you enjoyed this video.

If you found it helpful and want to learn more, be sure to get your free copy of our study guide The Beast of Revelation. Just click the link in the description or go to TWTV.ORG/Beast.

We here at Tomorrow’s World want to help you understand your world through the pages of the Bible. So be sure to like and subscribe to our channel so you can watch more videos on important biblical topics.

Thanks for watching! See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

The Meaning of Revelation’s Churches—Revealed!

The Book of Revelation is a mystery for many. Yet, the word revelation means “revealing, making known something previously unknown.” Are you intimidated by it, finding it impossible to understand, preferring rather to put it on that proverbial shelf? If so, today’s Tomorrow’s World program is for you.

Many are familiar with the four horsemen of Revelation, the book often referred to as “The Apocalypse,” but what about the seven letters to the seven churches in Asia, as recorded in chapters 2 and 3? These letters have puzzled scholars and lay members alike for more than 1,900 years. Do these letters have some special meaning for you and me?

The answer is, yes, and that is the subject of today’s program. Now stay with me, as I’ll be back in five seconds to explain the seven letters to the seven churches of Revelation.

Five Vital Questions for Understanding Revelation

A warm welcome to all of you from those of us here at Tomorrow’s World, where we bring you the good news that Jesus proclaimed of the Kingdom of God, explain the prophecies of the Bible, and make sense of the world in which we live. On today’s program, we’ll open the biblical book of Revelation, and discover the significance of the seven messages given to seven churches.

The first verse of this book gives us answers to five vital questions:

Who can open our understanding of the book?

What is the source of its message?

Who is the intended audience?

When do its prophecies begin?

And,

Who is commissioned to take the message to its intended audience?

So, let’s begin by reading Revelation 1, verse 1, where we read the answers to our five questions:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ [Jesus Christ is the One who reveals the message], which God gave Him [God the Father is the Originator of the message] to show His servants [so the message is not primarily to the world, but to the servants of God]—things which must shortly take place [the events prophesied would soon begin]. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John [the Apostle John is to take the message to God’s servants] (Revelation 1:1).

We see from these opening verses that Jesus Christ is the One who unveils the message, that the message comes from God the Father, that the message is intended for God’s servants, and that John is given the responsibility to carry the message to those servants. But, as rich as this opening verse is, it does not reveal the theme of the book. For that, we must turn to verse 10, where John writes:

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet (Revelation 1:10).

What is the meaning of being “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day”? Almost all translators and commentaries erroneously promote the idea that, “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day,” means that John was worshiping on Sunday; but there is a huge problem with this. To claim the expression “Lord’s day” means Sunday, is flawed on multiple fronts. If it were talking about a day of the week, which it’s not, it could not be Sunday.

If the Bible is our source, we find that not once does it identify Sunday, the first day of the week, as belonging to the Lord. On the contrary, it tells us three times that Jesus is “Lord of the Sabbath.” Notice:

Matthew 12:8—For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

Mark 2:28—Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.

and

Luke 6:5—The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.

So, according to the Bible, if the Lord’s day is a day of the week, it is not the first day of the week—not Sunday; but the seventh day—Saturday. However, the statement, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day,” has nothing to do with any day of the week. The book shows that John was projected forward in vision to the day of the Lord, a time referred to more than 30 times in the scriptures, in both the Old and New Testaments.

The first six chapters of Revelation set the stage for the theme. In Chapter 4, John sees a vision of God, the Originator of the Revelation, on His heavenly throne. Chapter 5 describes Revelation written on a scroll that is locked with seven seals. It also explains in this chapter that the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, is the only one capable of opening these seals. We then read in the sixth chapter how He opens six of the seven seals. The first four seals are the famous four horsemen. The fifth seal pictures a martyrdom of some of God’s servants. Then comes the sixth seal—the terrifying heavenly signs:

And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:13–17).

These six seals, all opened within a short chapter, are preludes to the theme of Revelation, the day of God’s wrath on rebellious mankind. This wrath is explained by the seventh seal, which is made up of seven trumpet plagues.

So we see in chapter 4 and 5 the Originator of Revelation, the One who can open the scroll to our understanding, and the opening of six seals that bring us to the theme of the book, but what about the servants of God? Who are they?

The Churches in Asia Minor—Their Symbolic Meaning

In this portion of the program, I’ll show that those servants are defined by the seven churches as described in chapters two and three.

William Ramsay wrote a highly respected book titled—The Letters to the Seven Churches of Revelation. There is a lot of excellent information in it, but Professor Ramsay missed the key element. Instead of realizing that the seven churches define that intended audience, and are an integral element for the entire book, he sees the letters as an afterthought. As he writes on page 35:

In this work, Jewish in origin and general plan… there is inserted this episode of the Seven Letters, which appears to be almost entirely non-Jewish in character…. The reason was that the form of letters had already established itself as the most characteristic expression of the Christian mind, and as almost obligatory on a Christian writer. (Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches, pp. 35–36)

Ramsay goes on to speculate as to the reason for inserting these letters, suggesting that they were an afterthought, rather than critical to understanding the book.

In the subsequent development of St. John’s thought it is plain that he had recognized the inadequacy and insufficiency of the fashionable Jewish literary forms. It seem highly probable that the perception of that fact came to him during the composition of the Revelation, and that the Seven Letters, though placed near the beginning and fitted carefully into that position, were the last part of the work to be conceived (Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches, p. 36).

He then makes this incredible statement on page 37:

The Apocalypse [Revelation] would be quite complete without the Seven Letters (Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches, p. 37).

In other words, Ramsay speculates that the letters were an afterthought, that John realized that the composition of Revelation lacked the most common means of transmitting information in the New Testament—that is by written letters. But were these letters an afterthought as Ramsay speculates? Is the book, as he wrote:

… quite complete without the Seven Letters?

John is told to take the revealed message to the servants of God. So, where are these servants to be found? Even if scholars don’t understand, you can! Does that sound too arrogant? Or is that not what Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:25:

At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes (Matthew 11:25).

Here are four keys that reveal the mystery of the seven letters.

Key #1: The servants of God and the Seven Churches are the same.

Notice once again John’s commission found in chapter one and in verse 1:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants [that is the audience]—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John (Revelation 1:1).

Yes, the message is to go to the servants of God. So where does John go? The answer is found in verse 4:

John, to the seven churches which are in Asia (Revelation 1:4).

So, even before we know which churches these are, John immediately addresses them. Furthermore, John is commanded to record in a book what he sees, and send it to these seven churches—that is, the whole message of Revelation, not the letters only.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,”

and

“What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea” (Revelation 1:11).

In other words, the message is to go to the servants of God, and John is to take it to seven churches in Asia. Is it not obvious that the servants of God and the seven churches are the same? This is confirmed in the last chapter of Revelation. In a sense, the connection between the servants of God and the Seven Churches is bookended by the first and last chapters. Notice Revelation 22, and verses 6 and 16:

Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place….

And then in verse 16:

I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches (Revelation 22:6, 16).

So, key #1 is:

Key #1: The servants of God and the Seven Churches are the same.

Servants and churches are used interchangeably—they are synonymous—but note that not all Christian congregations in Asia are mentioned. Nowhere does the book introduce any other congregation than these seven. Obviously, there is something special or significant about them.

So we must wonder: Why these churches? Why only seven if they are the servants of God? Does that mean that none of the other congregations of the first century were God’s servants? What about today? Are we somehow left on the outside of being God’s servants? Not at all.

Key #2: There is a special relationship between these seven and Jesus Christ.

We now come to a remarkable vision. Following a trumpet sound and the listing of the seven churches, we read, beginning in verse 12:

Then I [John] turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band…. He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength (Revelation 1:12–13, 16).

What does this vision mean? We can be thankful that we don’t have to speculate, because verse 20 explains it:

The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels [or messengers] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches (Revelation 1:20).

As we have seen, the churches and the servants of God are synonymous, and Christ is seen walking amongst them. Mysterious? Yes. Impossible to comprehend? No.

A Prophetic Message for Future Christians

In the previous portion of this program, we saw two vital keys to understand these prophecies.

Key #1: The servants of God and the Seven Churches are the same.

And it is evident from the vision of the glorified Christ walking in the midst of seven lampstands that represent the churches, that:

Key #2: There is a special relationship between these seven and Jesus Christ.

There’s a third key that should be obvious by now, something that William Ramsay, who speculated that the letters to these churches were an afterthought, clearly missed. So,

Key #3: The entire book of Revelation is addressed to the seven churches.

John is instructed to take the message of the book to the servants of God. As we’ve seen, the servants and the churches are the same. It therefore follows, that the whole book of Revelation is for the seven churches. This is confirmed, as we saw earlier, in the last chapter of Revelation. For review, I’ll repeat that here:

Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place…. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches (Revelation 22:6, 16).

There is a fourth important key, but before I give that, let’s notice two easy to understand lessons that are generally understood about these letters. The first one is that these were real church congregations and the messengers to each of them described conditions that existed at that time. So, when Ephesus is told that it had lost its first love, that was a problem in that first century congregation located in Ephesus.

The second takeaway is understood from this refrain that is given to each of them:

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (Revelation 2:7).

The admonition is not to that church alone, but to the churches—plural. A condition that exists in one congregation could also affect congregants in any of the others. The difference being that the condition mentioned dominated that church. In the example of the church in Laodicea, a lukewarm spirit prevailed, but the admonition to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” indicates that this same lukewarm attitude could be found among some in the other congregations. This is mostly how ministers down through the centuries have understood these letters. As a teenager, I remember a chaplain giving a seven-part series of sermons on this subject.

But, our fourth key is something that has not been generally understood and is perhaps the most important of all the keys. Let’s go back to the last part of verse 1 and all of verse 2, where John is given three sources of information that he was to record.

And He [God] sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who [#1] bore witness to the word of God, and [#2] to the testimony of Jesus Christ, [and #3] to all things that he saw (Revelation 1:1–2).

We have already seen that John was commanded to do number three—write in a book what he saw and send it to the Seven Churches. But he was also to record the word of God [that is, references to the Old Testament scriptures], and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

The testimony of Jesus Christ, is of course, what Jesus spoke, but what He spoke in Revelation is prophetic in nature. We read in chapter 19:10:

Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

If you have a red-letter Bible, the red letters are what the translators believe were the direct words of Jesus. And where do you find the overwhelming majority of Christ’s words in Revelation? If you guessed the letters to the seven churches—you guessed correctly. In other words, these letters have prophetic significance.

And it is evident from studying the book that the subject matter began in John’s day and yet ends in our future. So, in addition to recording conditions in the very real first century congregations, and warnings of attitudes that can apply to anyone,

Key #4: The letters to the seven churches are prophetic.

Why is this important to understand?

Living in the Last Days

Our resource—God’s Church Through the Ages—describes seven stages through which the true church of God would progress from the first century until the return of Christ. As the author of this resource, the late John Ogwyn, explains:

When we look at the context of the book of Revelation, we must recognize that it is primarily intended as a prophecy. Revelation 1:1 shows that the book’s purpose is to show to God’s servants things that would soon begin to happen. Thus the seven churches should primarily be understood as representing the entire history of God’s Church in seven successive eras (pp. 20–21).

Why is this not generally understood? It’s not that others have not tried to trace the history of the Church through seven distinct stages, but they fail in these efforts. Why? The answer is simple. They try to shoehorn mainstream Christianity into these scriptures, and mainstream Christianity simply does not fit. Put another way, they are looking for the answer in the wrong place.

We here at Tomorrow’s World want to bring you the good news that Jesus proclaimed, explain the prophecies of the Bible, and make sense of the world in which we live.

So if you found this video helpful and want to learn more about this subject, be sure to get your free copy of our study guide God’s Church Through the Ages. Just click the link in the description and it will be sent to you completely free of charge.

And remember to like and subscribe to our channel so you can watch more videos on different Bible topics.

Thanks for watching! See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

What Makes Us Afraid?

Fear is an emotion experienced by both man and beast. It can be a powerful motivator to escape danger. We often see this in nature films, where impalas and other herd animals flee from becoming a hungry lion’s dinner. Caribou instinctively run from wolf packs, sensing that it’s not a good idea to stick around to see what these canines are up to.

Fear also motivates us. We fear volcanic eruptions. Those who aren’t moved by fear may learn the danger too late. Such was the case when Mount Vesuvius erupted on August 24, 79 A.D., spilling hot ash into the city of Pompeii and turning those who failed to take warning into statues depicting first century life in the licentious Roman city.

Who or what do you fear? Heights? Water? Public Speaking? Death? Or are you one who claims to fear nothing? What about God? Do you fear Him? Should you fear Him? The answer may surprise you. Stay with me and I’ll give you the answer straight from the pages of the Bible!

Good Reasons to Fear

A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here at Tomorrow’s World, where we look to the God of the Bible for answers to life’s most important questions: What is man? What is the purpose of life? Why death? And where is our world headed? On this program, I’ll be discussing the important subject of fear, and specifically: Should you fear God?

There are many references that speak of the fear of God in the Bible, but what exactly does this expression mean? Psalm 111:10 tells us:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever (Psalm 111:10).

Note that the Psalmist connects fearing God with understanding God’s commandments, which results in giving praise to God. In Proverbs 1:7 it explains that:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction (Proverbs 1:7).

Note here that fearing God is contrasted with the rejection of wisdom and instruction. Clearly, the fear of God is depicted as good. It’s the very foundation for true wisdom and knowledge. God calls those who reject Him, who hate His commandments, and who refuse to acknowledge his rule in their lives, as fools. Note Psalm 53:1:

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none who does good (Psalm 53:1).

It should be obvious, even from these few verses, that fearing God has something to do with how we behave, how we conduct our lives. But what exactly does it mean to fear God? We often hear people soft-pedal the fear of God by saying it simply means to respect Him. Now while fear involves respect, we must not make the mistake of thinking that fearing God is limited to a nebulous “respect” for Him. The Bible, for very good reasons, makes the contrast between fearing God and fearing man. Notice Jesus’ warning found in Matthew 10:28:

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28).

Yes, it is God who has the power of life and death, and while it is natural to fear men, it is God that we must fear the most. When called before the council and threatened, we read how the apostles reacted to the questioning they were given in Acts 5:29:

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Another example of having right priorities is found in the book of Daniel, where King Nebuchadnezzar had set up a giant statue and commanded all his subjects to bow down before it. The penalty for not doing so was to be burned alive. Now what rational person would not be fearful of such a threat? It is our nature to fear getting too close to a fire, and for good reason. Probably all of us have made that mistake at one time or another and learned a painful lesson.

Three associates of Daniel refused to bow before the idol. Anyone who thinks that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did not have a natural fear of the king would be naïve. After all, Nebuchadnezzar held the power of life and death over them, and he gave them this choice that we read of in Daniel 3:15:

Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands? (Daniel 3:15).

What would you have done if you had been in their shoes? Remember, you know the end of the story. They did not! While they feared the king, they had a greater fear, and that was of God. Here is their bold response to Nebuchadnezzar’s challenge, beginning in verse 16:

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:16–18).

As I’m sure you can imagine, this reply was not what the dictatorial king expected. He was not used to anyone defying a direct command from him. We read of his rage in verse 19:

Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated (Daniel 3:19).

As any Bible student knows, Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t bluffing. The three young men were thrown into the furnace, but God supernaturally spared them. Do you believe this, my friends? Do you realize that many of today’s clergy reject Biblical miracles such as this, and even reject the resurrection of the One they claim to worship? No wonder many mainstream churches are teaching doctrines contrary to the Bible. One doctrine some reject is the law of God, claiming it no longer needs to be kept. Yet, as we have seen, Daniel and his three friends kept the law against idolatry.

Respect for God’s Laws

The late Dr. Roderick C. Meredith wrote the following in a 2004 Tomorrow’s World article titled, “The Fear of God”:

All professing-Christian churches and ministers know Jesus’ foundational teaching of living by every word of God…. Why do they directly contradict this inspired command [to live by every word of God]? … Why do they persist in calling themselves “Christian,” yet directly contradict dozens of the clear teachings of the very Founder of Christianity?

Why?

Frankly, they do this because God seems “far off” to most of them. He is an unreal or vague intellectual concept to many—including some who are highly educated in the colleges and seminaries of this world. Put simply, they do not have what the Bible calls “the fear of God” (Meredith, “The Fear of God,” November/December 2004, Tomorrow’s World).

Now, I must ask: Could that be you, my friend? Note this passage from the prophet Isaiah in the 66^th chapter and in verse 2, and ask yourself: Is this the way I study the word of God?

But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word (Isaiah 66:2).

In other words we fear to distort or take lightly what it says. Instead of trembling at the word of God, the vast majority of so-called Christians reason around clear and unambiguous statements. When Jesus said he was “Lord of the Sabbath,” they reason that He really meant that it is okay to choose whichever day we want to. When He said in Matthew 5:17,

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17).

They reason that He kept the law for us so that we don’t have to—the Law and the Prophets were nailed to the cross, they reason, and they effectively do the exact opposite of what He said. Anyone who reads the verses that follow should understand that, rather than doing away with the law, Jesus raised it to a higher standard, saying:

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.” But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment (Matthew 5:21–22).

Not only did He say it was wrong to harbor hatred toward another (the 6^th of the Ten Commandments), but He went on to explain how His servants would strive to keep the 7^th commandment, the one about adultery, to a higher standard:

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.” But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27–28).

How is it that many mainstream professing Christians, including ministers, certainly not all, but many, believe that the Ten Commandments no longer need to be kept? What is it about these commandments that people find offensive?

Fear God Above all Else

Dennis Prager makes this insightful observation in the context of the midwives who chose to go against Egypt’s Pharaoh by not drowning the Hebrew babies in the Nile River:

People fear those who are more powerful than they are. Therefore, the only way not to fear powerful people is to fear God…. Fear of God is a liberating emotion, freeing one from a disabling fear of evil, powerful people. This needs to be emphasized because many people see fear of God as onerous rather than liberating (Prager, The Rational Bible, Exodus, p. 11).

He went on to say:

Those who feared God saved Hebrew babies. Those who feared Pharaoh helped drown Hebrew babies (Prager, The Rational Bible, Exodus, p. 12).

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ showed us the importance of putting Him first in our lives above all others. I have often said Luke 14:26 is the most frightening scripture in the Bible. It separates the pretenders from the true followers of Christ:

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26).

We understand from many passages that we are not to “hate,” as is commonly understood today by that word. We can show that from scripture, but it should be obvious to anyone with an open mind and common sense that what Jesus was saying was that we are to put Him first above all others. He gives as examples, those who are closest to us—such as family and even our own life. Yet, how many put family, friends, business associates, neighbors, this world in general, and yes, even the fear of death, before Christ? Let me give you a simple example.

It is an easy task to show from the Bible that Jesus, His apostles, and first century Christians all set aside the seventh day Sabbath as the day of rest and worship, but for the sake of time, I’ll only mention two [examples]. The first is found in Luke 4:16:

So He [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read (Luke 4:16).

The second is found in Acts 13, where the Apostles Paul and Barnabas came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day. Both Jews and Gentiles were present—verse 42:

So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath (Acts 13:42).

This would have been a perfect time for Paul to explain that the Sabbath was replaced by Sunday and they could simply meet the next day, but neither Paul nor Barnabas did so. Now let’s continue with verses 43 and 44:

Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God (Acts 13:43–44).

Scripture after scripture demonstrates that it was the seventh day Sabbath that was kept by Jesus and the first century Church. It’s equally easy to prove from history that the change to Sunday came, not from the Bible, but from Emperor Constantine in the 4^th century A.D. The record is abundantly clear to anyone with an open mind. So why are there so relatively few willing to follow Christ’s example, and instead follow pagan tradition by choosing the day set aside by a heathen Roman Emperor? Note this quote from Eerdmans’ Handbook to the History of Christianity:

It is important to understand Constantine’s previous religion, the worship of the Unconquered Sun…. When in 321 Constantine made the first day of the week a holiday, he called it “the venerable day of the Sun” (Sunday)…. The Christian church took over many pagan ideas and images. From sun-worship, for example came the celebration of Christ’s birth on the twenty-fifth of December, the birthday of the Sun (Eerdmans’ Handbook to the History of Christianity, p. 131).

Sadly, many would rather follow Constantine than Christ. Why? Is it not because they reason around the Scriptures, thereby not going against family, friends, and society in general? Who is it that they fear? God or man? What about you dear friend?

Our free resource—The Ten Commandments—explains the spiritual intent of all ten of the commandments, not just eight or nine. As Dr. Roderick C. Meredith wrote in his introduction to this resource:

Even secular scholars recognize that the very first Christians based their lives on following the great spiritual law of God—the Ten Commandments. When they said, “The Lord Jesus Christ,” they recognized that the word “Lord” means “Boss”—the One you should obey! Jesus reminded them again and again of this vital relationship, as in Luke 6:46: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Meredith, The Ten Commandments, p. 1)

God’s Wrath Will Humble Mankind

I’ll show you two ways to fear God. The first way is to voluntarily and humbly submit our will humbly and voluntarily to our Creator by putting Him first in our lives—not only with our words, but also with our actions. That’s the best way, but you will not like the second way.

God spoke to Israel through His prophet Amos and showed how He tried to get their attention through weather upsets, plagues, war, and more; but they were stubborn. They refused to accept the message. Amos 4 explains, And let’s begin in verse 11:

“I overthrew some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; yet you have not returned to Me,” says the LORD. “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” For behold, He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth—the LORD God of hosts is His name (Amos 4:11–13).

God WILL get mankind’s attention. Jesus is very different from the way many see Him. Yes, He is loving, patient, and caring, and He gave His life for us, but He will not put up with rebellion and disrespect forever. Have we not read what is ahead for unrepentant humanity? Students of the Bible are familiar with what are called the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, but notice what follows. The next event is a future martyrdom of some of God’s people, followed by terrifying signs in the heavens and on the earth. Here will be the effect of those signs on rebellious mankind, as we read in Revelation 6:15:

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15–17).

Now, that’s a side of the Son of God that most fail to recognize! Yes, the Day of the Lord, the day of Christ’s wrath is coming. This day is also spoken of in the book of Isaiah. Notice how arrogant mankind will learn to fear God the hard way. Turn to Isaiah 2 and we’ll begin in verse 10:

Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, Upon everything lifted up—And it shall be brought low…. The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low…. They shall go into the holes of the rocks, And into the caves of the earth, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty, When He arises to shake the earth mightily (Isaiah 2:10–12, 17, 19).

Maybe the best way to understand the fear of God is to understand the relationship of a father and his son. Respect and fear go together. When a son respects his father, he obeys the rules of the house, he feels safe and comfortable, he understands his father’s love, he communicates freely with his father, and even asks favors from him from time to time. But, if he flagrantly breaks his father’s rules, becomes arrogant and forgets whose house it is, he may very well have reason for a different kind of fear. This is good, as children don’t always know what is best for them. It’s important for children to both respect, and at times, fear their parents. That can keep them out of a whole lot of trouble.

God has given us the rules of the house—ten easy to understand, but not always easy to keep—commandments.

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