Tag Archives: Bible

He is Risen!

Posted on 20/04/2025 | Leave a comment
By George Christensen
Not just a line from Scripture. Not just a tradition we repeat once a year. But the most earth-shattering, darkness-defeating, soul-freeing truth the world has ever known.

Christ is risen—and that changes everything.
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For those of us who look around and feel the weight of the world right now… for those burdened by a culture gone mad, by a political class drunk on power, by the relentless attack on life, family, and faith…

Easter isn’t just a celebration. It’s a lifeline.Because in the Resurrection, we don’t just see a miracle—we see the final word on everything evil tried to destroy.Death has been conquered. Lies have been exposed. Fear has been disarmed.

And if Christ can walk out of the tomb, then there’s nothing—not censorship, not persecution, not corruption—that can hold back the people of God when they walk in truth.

But Easter is not a call to comfort. It’s a call to courage.

The empty tomb is a rallying cry. A summons to every believer to stand up—unafraid, unashamed, and unbending.

At CitizenGO, we believe this world needs a bold Christian voice now more than ever. And that starts with each of us: living the truth, speaking the truth, and defending the truth.

Not tomorrow. Today. Because Christ is not just risen in history—He is risen in you.

So rejoice! But do not rest.Celebrate!

But do not forget.The same power that raised Christ from the grave is alive in you.

That’s not just theology—it’s your mission.

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful, powerful, and purpose-filled Easter.In Christ our King,

George Christensen and the team at CitizenGO

Re-posted from the Thomsons,

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Posted in Discipleship, Famous persons, Good versus evil, miracles, politics, Government

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Will You Be Left Behind?

Posted on 17/04/2025 | Leave a comment

People who follow dispensational and ‘rapture’ doctrine invariably follow the ‘left behind’ teaching,  popularised by authors and movie makers like Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, which fictionalises the idea of a secret rapture where Christians are suddenly removed from Earth, leaving others behind to face a period of tribulation.  They apply it to the ‘rapture’. They and others like Hal Lindsey and Jerry Falwell teach that some will be taken up to heaven (the floaters} and the rest left behind on earth.

Millions of young people in the 70s joined the ‘Jesus People‘, a wonderful movement of passionate Christians all over the world. Many of these devoured the book by Lindsey, ‘The Late Great Planet Earth‘. In his book, Lindsey warned that planet earth would cease to exist within a few years. More than 15 million copies of this book were sold, and it was named ‘the bestseller of the decade’.

Sadly, it’s actually the truth that is being left behind. The ‘rapture’ doctrine does not accord with scripture. It was not taught by Jesus or by the apostles.

The passages these teachers use for their ‘left behind’ doctrine are actually only a small part of a passage which we refer to as the Olivet Discourse.

Here, Jesus was answering the questions of His disciples. It’s about the terrible time when the Romans would besiege Jerusalem (which we now know from history took place in AD 70).

These teachers take these passages out of context. How crazy is that for good interpretation?

We will look first at Matthew 24:32-41 and then relevant verses in Luke 17:26-36.

Matthew 24:37-41—Jesus was teaching the disciples about the suddenness of His coming.

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Now, looking at those relevant verses in Luke 17:22-36.

Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.

I have seen this verse used as a proof text by dispensational teachers to prove that Jesus said the disciples would never see His coming. Talk about a text taken out of context!

 . . . . . . 25  But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

What generation is that? Of course it was the current generation of Jesus and His hearers that He said would not pass away before ‘all these things’ occur (Luke 21:32, Mat 24:34).

26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

You can see this is similar to the Matthew passage, but Luke adds this to Jesus’ reported words:

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 

34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 

In both these passages, Jesus told the disciples that before his coming, people would live like they did in the days of Noah (Gen. 6-9). They conducted regular business. The flood came, and Noah and his family got into the ark. The ones who were left after the flood were Noah and his family, who survived the wrath of God, while those who were taken away went through judgment and didn’t survive for the flood waters took them away.

Similarly, that as Lot escaped with Abraham, the ones who are left behind and escape survive the fire and sulphur, while those who do not survive it are the people of Sodom. They were “taken away” in judgment.

Jesus said that people who surrender to his call to obedience will escape the dreadful final judgment, but they must get out of Jerusalem and flee to the hills without delay. Luke 21:20-24.

Note how these passages show a persistent Judean and a thoroughly 1st-century and Jewish context. That makes it impossible to interpret the event as happening in the future.

It is illogical to think these things will occur in modern times: it is those in Judea who must flee.  People will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world, and Jerusalem will be trampled down. History.

No. Jesus has already come and gone!

And no, you won’t be left behind!

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Posted in Bible Study, Eschatology, Olivet Discourse

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Will You Face The Great Tribulation?

Posted on 16/04/2025 | Leave a comment

Jesus spoke of a terrible time that would occur just before the time of His second coming. He referred to this as ‘the great tribulation’.

When do you expect the great tribulation to happen?  Soon?

C’mon, let’s see what Jesus told the disciples about the great tribulation in the ‘Olivet Discourse’, 2000 years ago (Matthew 24:20-22).

In that discourse, He was answering the disciples’ questions. They remembered his words and these were recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke, in the New Testament for readers of all generations.

Verse 20: “When you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ . . . .  then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains . . . Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

Jesus told the disciples they would see the Abomination of Desolation—a sacrilegious defilement of the holy temple in Jerusalem—as the signal for them to get out of Judea and escape the Great Tribulation.

Note the references to Judea and the mountains, to the winter (when Judea gets very cold) on the Sabbath (the limits of travel on that day). The warning is for the people of the generation he is addressing—it is ‘your flight’. Not a warning for people 2000 years hence, but to people who observe the Sabbath, Jews.

Jesus does not know the timing of this (see v.36) so he warns the disciples of his own generation.

So, it has already happened, right?

It is impossible to conclude otherwise. Unless you think that Jesus was mistaken—perish the thought!

Stop worrying.

Verse 21: For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 

Jesus said this time of utter devastation would never be repeated. His term nor ever will shows this will not be the end of the world—again, no one could flee then!

This terrible time is one of the things that would happen before ‘this generation passes away’ (v34).   

22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

We know that the Jews who believed Jesus, the ‘elect’ left Judea and fled to the mountains, following His instructions, and were saved.

But the people remaining in Jerusalem and Judea were cut down not only by the Romans but also by one another in a terrible civil war—bringing the unprecedented horror events of 68-70 AD, described in great detail by the Jewish eyewitness historian Josephus in his War of the Jews, book 6, chap. 5, sec. 3.

On His way to the cross, Jesus said to weeping women “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are those who cannot bear and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have not nursed.” (Luke 23:27-31) They must be very concerned for terrible events would happen in their own generation.

History records several temporary cessations of the assaults by the Roman army when the elect, those who followed Jesus, would have had the opportunity to escape from Judea. That’s history.

Thus all this talk about the great tribulation happening in the future and who will face it or who will escape it with some ‘rapture’ event is totally irrelevant. Paul’s letter (Thessalonians 4:16-17) has no hint of anyone fleeing anything but rather people being united with Jesus forever. Right?

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Posted in Bible Study, Eschatology, Israel

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What is the Millennium Reign of Christ?

Posted on 04/04/2025 | Leave a comment

The phrase ‘the millennium reign of Christ on earth, is a form of eschatological speculation that contradicts the Church’s historical teachings on the nature of Christ’s reign. The apocalyptic passage of Revelation 20:4-6 is usually quoted by many teachers in support of this idea These writers include the popular online series ‘Got Questions?’.

These people claim that Jesus Christ will return and will establish Himself as king in Jerusalem, literally sitting on the throne of David.  They quote Luke 1:32–33 as one of their proof texts:

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

No mention of Jerusalem here! He will reign not just on earth but in heaven for ever and ever. And we Christians today are enjoying His reign! For we are the true ‘Israel of God’ as Paul declared (Galatians 6:16).

Sending His disciples He said “all power is given unto me in heaven and earth.” (Mat 28:18)

Rev 1:5. John wrote: he is the ruler of all the kings of the world.

Rev 11:15 . . . . the seventh angel sounded  . . . . saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever'”.

Daniel 7:27: And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Revelation 20 just does not connect with the idea ‘while Christ reigns over the earth.’ It says ‘They reigned with Christ for a thousand years.’ Yes, but on earth? No. They have died and they have received their resurrection and will reign with him where He is, in heaven. (Revelation 20:4-6)

See John 14:3: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Let’s interpret the obscure, apocalyptic passages of scripture by text that is perspicuous—a sound hermeneutic. Jesus has ascended and is reigning now and is seated at the right hand of God. To say He will take up residence in earthly Jerusalem is junk theology—believed by millions in a cult.

These teachers claim that unconditional covenants demand a literal, physical return of Christ to establish the kingdom.

These covenants don’t ‘demand’ a physical return. A physical return cannot be proved. Why do people think He would be optically ‘seen’ at His coming in judgment hidden in clouds of glory? He whom no one can see and live? Christian, we walk by faith, not by sight!

He told Pilate ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’

They claim that the Abrahamic covenant promises Israel a land, a posterity and ruler, and a spiritual blessing quoting Genesis 12:1–3. But what does it say:

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

God covenanted with Abraham (you/thee, sing.) not Israel. All people will be blessed because of Abraham’s seed, which is Christ! See Galatians 3:7-9:  Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

They claim that the Palestinian covenant promised Israel a restoration to the land and occupation of the land (Deuteronomy 30:1–10).  

True. But then the passage goes on, see verse 18: But if to other gods and [you] worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

They made the wrong choice, again and again and again. Consequently, they were certainly destroyed when Judea, Jerusalem and people were ravaged by the Roman armies in 66-70 AD after the real Jewish followers of Christ had escaped just as He instructed them. “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfilment of all that has been written. (Luke 21:20-22).

They also claim that the Davidic covenant promised Israel a king from David’s line who would rule forever—giving the nation rest from all their enemies (2 Samuel 7:10–13).

When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 

That was fulfilled at the birth of Jesus as we saw above in Luke 1:32–33.

See also Daniel 7:13-14: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom will never be destroyed.

In conclusion, let me say that this whole idea we have looked at here, rather briefly, is not reflected at all in the pages of the New Testament. Their proof texts are mostly from the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation.

All of this goes along with the obsession millions have about the nation-state of Israel founded not by God Almighty but by politicians and global elites like the wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish banking family Rothschilds.

We are the people of God as Peter wrote to congregations of Jews and Gentiles (1 Peter 2:9).

Repeating, God covenanted with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3):

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Today, we believers in Jesus are that ‘great nation’, not the Israeli state. We are blessed and will be a blessing, and all peoples on earth are being blessed by us!

Let’s do it!

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Posted in Bible Study, Covenant, new, old, Eschatology, Israel

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The Tadros Miracle

Posted on 30/03/2025 | Leave a comment

Let me share an amazing story, truly miraculous, which unfolded a few years ago.

One of my sons has an IT business with Egyptian-born Atef. Atef and his Philippine-born wife, Emelie were living on the Central Coast of New South Wales (Australia) with their three young boys when she became pregnant again.   

In November 2020, Emelie was given the most distressing news by doctors at the local hospital. She faced the most dangerous possible outcome because of the baby’s position. The placenta was growing in a verticle crevice left by a previous caesarean delivery. The thin wall of the placenta could easily puncture.

When my wife Joan and I heard this terrible news from Atef, we began praying and then we recruited others praying day and night for the blessing of God upon them, for a miracle. It had to be a miracle.

She was then referred to the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney where she was told that the doctors would be assembling a team of specialists (not just obstetricians) to be on hand for a March delivery as the lives of both mother and baby would be in grave danger due to potential haemorrhaging“.

An all-day procedure would be necessary. When they asked the specialist about the odds of having a successful outcome, the doctors gave no reply. Could the situation be rectified naturally? The specialist said that was impossible. They were told that even if the delivery was successful the growth of the child could be compromised.

Well, our prayers were about to be answered mightily.

On the 7th of January, Atef and Emelie went to Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital for a scheduled scan of the pregnancy. Then they were told the most astonishing good news.

The scan at the Sydney Hospital revealed that Emeiie could expect to have a completely normal finish to her pregnancy. The specialist was stunned and said this was totally unexpected. He said the womb was completely normal and “it didn’t even look like she had undergone three previous C-sections”.

A few weeks later, the parents made another scheduled visit expecting Emelie to undergo an MRI scan.

But after an Ultrasound was performed, the specialist they saw confirmed total normality! He had no explanation but had to acknowledge this was a miracle.

There was no need to have the scheduled MRI, nor another visit to Sydney, and she was told she could have the baby at their local hospital.  Wow!

When they made the necessary arrangements for a March delivery at the local hospital, the medical staff sounded very concerned that the procedure would not be without very serious results despite the recent scans at the Royal North Shore Hospital.  

So they proceeded to have a team of specialists ready for the worst-case scenario, an all-day procedure. We kept trusting God and encouraged Atef as well.

The big day arrived. On 11th March, Emelie and Atef proceeded to the local hospital and there a beautiful, perfect baby girl weighing 3.5 kg was born by normal C-Section. There was no abnormal bleeding and the condition of the womb did not look as if there were any previous C-sections.

They said, “There was not even any bad scarring visible!”

The climax of an amazing miracle.

Isn’t God wonderful! Atef and Emelie were over the moon. Excited. And so thankful to God and to all who joined in prayer. God loves us so very much. To God be the glory.

Surely, God intended the arrival of this precious little life and He intends many blessings for this family! Today this little girl, Emery, is now 4 years old.

Atef says “Rejoice with us and be encouraged in your faith and prayer life.”

Keep on asking!

Our great Father does such fantastic things for us–but we must ask! Don’t doubt His wonderful love and power. Stop thinking He doesn’t do creative acts like we read here or in the Bible!

Start thinking He loves you as His son or daughter and see miracles today!

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Posted in Health and Healing, miracles

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Let’s look at the ‘Rapture’ Passage

Posted on 15/03/2025 | 3 comments

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

The Lord descends from heaven

Paul expected the Lord to descend but he was silent as to just where. Not the earth, and certainly not to Jerusalem.

Who are the ‘still alive and remain’?

The word ‘and’ is not in the original text. That could mean the ones who are still alive will remain in the world and not taken away supernaturally (see John 17:15). Or the term “remain” could also indicate those who continue to hold on to their faith despite trials and tribulations.

What does ‘caught up’ mean? 

The phrase “caught up” (Greek harpazō) and derivatives occurs 14 times in the New Testament. It can mean to seize (John 6:15), catch, pluck (John 10:28), pull, forcibly take (Mat 12:29, Acts 23:10). It does not have to mean “up”. The YLT translates the Greek harpagesomethain 1 Thes 4:17 as “caught away.” Does it convey the sense of any abduction here? No, “it combines the ideas of force and suddenness seen in the irresistible power of God” (Leon Morris, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Rev Edition, 1984, p. 94).

Paul wrote to the Corinthians of his experience of being “caught up (or away) to Paradise” (2 Cor 12:2-4). He told them about a supernatural experience he had fourteen years prior –that’s around AD 41-42. He describes being caught up to the third heaven, the dwelling place of God and angels, hearing things that cannot be revealed. He was caught into the spiritual realm. But he remained on the ground.

Meaning of ‘in clouds’

Not the clouds we see daily in the sky, but clouds of God’s glory in the spiritual realm—see Daniel 7:13, Matthew 17:5-8, 24:30, 26:63-64, Acts 1:9, Rev 1:7, 11:12, etc.  The text in v17 mentions clouds and air for the meeting site, not Earth. Note also that heaven is not mentioned—simply “in the clouds.” The destination of this “forceful catch” must be supplied by the larger biblical and theological contexts.

Meaning of ‘to meet the Lord’

The word Paul used for meet is very significant. The Greek apantēsis occurs only four times in the NT. The other places are Matthew 25:1 and 6 and Acts 28:15.

Matthew 25:1, 6. . . . . .  ‘Look the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him

When Christ returns they will not rise up into heaven from where he came, but will be escorted to earth where he will set up his eternal spiritual kingdom.

Acts 28:15a. [They] had heard we were coming and they came to meet us at the Forum . . . .

They did not go back to where Paul had come from, then disappear for years.

The Greek word used for ‘meet’ is most often synantó. However apantēsis is used by Paul. In the papyri it describes a newly arriving magistrate. “It seems that the special idea of the word was the official welcome of a newly arrived dignitary” (Moulton, Greek Test. Gram. Vol. I, p. 14). The citizens of the city would go out to meet the dignitary and joyfully bring him back with them to the city, not back to where he came from.

The dignitary in Mat 25 is the bridegroom (Jesus) and in Acts 28 it is Paul. But in 1 Thes 4:17 it is the Lord. This ‘meeting’ is not up in heaven but movement across the land on earth and not upwards is indicated!

In the gospels we read about many followers of Jesus went outside the city of Jerusalem with palm branches to greet Jesus as he entered the city. This was the ancient custom in welcoming someone important by going out and then escorting them back into the city.

What is meant by ‘air’                                                                                       

The Greek word aer is not the air we breathe but the spiritual realm. See also Ephesians 2:2 in which satan is described as the ‘prince of the power of the air’. In that spiritual realm both those raised, together with those remaining at his coming will be with the Lord forever.

The word aer is infrequent in the NT. Paul could have used the Greek οranos which has a different meaning than aer.  The word aer refers to the lower, dense air as distinguished from the higher and rarer air, the “heavens” as οranos can also be translated heavens, heavenly, and heaven (218 times).  Paul chose to use the word that refers as a rule to the lower atmospheric region—where people live and breathe!

It’s time to think logically, rationally

If all the apostles believed in a literal ‘rapture’ event, it would be mentioned in all of their letters. But out of all the over 100 references in the NT which mention Jesus’ imminent return, only this letter, mentions anything like a so-called ‘rapture’. Surely that is enough evidence to show that this teaching is spurious.

If I tried to make a teaching that was based on just one passage in the New Testament I would be mocked, ridiculed and ignored.

Since 1 Thessalonians 4:17 is the only clear and direct reference rapture teachers can use, why do people accept it? Peer pressure? If 90% of Christians believe it, then it must be OK? Whole denominations, churches, bible colleges, pastors, authors, movies seemingly deploy any manner of manipulative, dramatic emotionalising in order to promote this notion. There’s a price to pay if one dares to go against the mob. You can be called crazy, a heretic, or be excluded from fellowship, or lose friends. I speak from experience.

Are you expecting Jesus to return? That is logically impossible if you trust Paul’s letters are the Word of God. If his coming was near, soon, for Paul’s readers, how can it near for us?

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Posted in Bible Study, Discipleship, Eschatology

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The Man of Lawlessness

Posted on 08/03/2025 | Leave a comment

Introduction

Shortly after writing 1 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul received a report (2 Thess. 3:11) that the Thessalonian church had accepted the strange claim that “the day of the Lord has come” (2:1–2). Paul sent them a second letter in A.D. 49–51. He was probably in Corinth at the time. This letter was addressed to the Thessalonians.2000 years ago when these people and Paul were expecting Jesus’ imminent return in their lifetime. It was seriously relevant to the Thessalonians. It is not relevant for us as 2000 years have passed but it useful for our studies and the truth is always relevant.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-9

  1. Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him.
  2. Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. 3 Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the son of destruction.

Paul here assured the Thessalonians that a great rebellion against God and therevealing of a man who opposes God and exalts himself above everything that is called God must occur before Jesus’ return. Jesus told the disciples in the Olivet discourse (Mat 24:10-12) about this falling away.

4 He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

Paul described this “man of lawlessness” as being empowered by Satan, performing signs and wonders, and deceiving many (verse 9).

Who was this son of destruction? Was it the Roman general Titus who entered the Jerusalem temple?

Josephus wrote that Titus entered the Holy of Holies with his generals in A.D. 70. (Wars, 6.4.7.) Shortly thereafter, Titus was worshipped in the Temple as was customary of someone declared imperator. As Josephus wrote, “And now the Romans . . . brought their ensigns to the temple and set them over against its eastern gate; and there did they offer sacrifices to them, and there did they make Titus imperator.”(Wars 6.6.1)  A metallic image of Vespasian and Titus was also worshipped at that time. Images of the emperor and his favourites were regularly attached to the Roman ensigns at that time. 


5. Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes.

Jesus had spoken about these things to the disciples in the Olivet discourse, Matthew 24:15-16: “So when you see the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place, then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains”. Daniel, during the Babylonian captivity, had written about this happening just before His return. Jerusalem and the temple were to be destroyed and countless numbers of Jews would perish at the hands of the Romans.

Paul had told the Thessalonians about all this when he visited them previously. They already knew so he didn’t have to repeat what he had said. But Paul didn’t repeat it in this letter so it is difficult for us to know what was ‘holding him back’ from his appearing. We are left to assume that Paul never bothered to record this information in writing.


7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendour of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie

Paul wrote to them about this lawlessness being already at work—the hidden, evil Satanic forces at work in the world opposed to God and His people.

So who or what is the one holding the man of lawlessness back? Many attempts have been made to identify this person or entity.

I believe the only possible explanation is that God is the restrainer, as He is the only one who can restrain Satan. God restrains evil and eventually turns unrepentant sinners over to indulge in evil (Romans 1:20-24, 26, 28). And Job reveals that God prevents Satan from certain activities (Job 1:10-12). Only God can restrain evil and the man of lawlessness.  

Paul said the one who is holding it back would step out of the way. When that would occur then the man of lawlessness would be revealed and the Lord Jesus would overthrow him and destroy him by the splendour of his coming. 

But does it really matter that we today know the identity of the one who Paul believed restrains him? That wasn’t Paul’s issue in this letter. His concern was that the Thessalonians were worried they had missed the Lord’s coming and to reassure them that they would not miss out.

We may be curious of course. And for those today, even after 2000 years, who believe the Satanic lie that Jesus is yet to return, it arouses a lot of comment. The man of lawlessness has indeed been revealed and the Lord Jesus long ago overthrew him.

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You Ignore My Son

Posted on 03/03/2025 | 1 comment

“You have ignored my Word, my plan, my purpose. Above all you have ignored my Son. My Son, who has given His life for you, my Anointed One, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

You have not listened but have continued with your traditions and useless religious programmes.

You have ignored what He taught, what He demonstrated as your example, to follow Him and His lowliness.

You have ignored His way, neglected His power always available from the Holy Spirit.

What did my Son start on the earth? What did he command his followers?

Make disciples!

Instead you have trusted in what the world has to offer. How can you treat Him like this? You should be ashamed of your apathy, of your lifeless sermons, keeping your seated membership in ignorance and in straightjackets, bound up in practices I never intended.

Who told you to build ‘churches’?—that word is an abomination to me.

You give yourselves a name, an identity, a constitution, an incorporation. You build buildings and spend money on things that are perishing. You rely on money and serve it as your master when I have called this Mammon and warned you that you cannot serve me and mammon at the same time.

Like the world, you use their marketing strategies, and thus compete with rival pathetic pseudo-religious corporations. You appoint CEOs and call them ‘senior pastors’. Where is this in the teaching of my Son or in the doctrines of the apostles?

Like the world, I see jealousy, ambition, merchandise, control, titles, vainglory.

You try hard to follow me in YOUR way but not in MY way. So you end up doing it YOUR way.

You strive when my yoke is easy, my burden light. You are labouring for wages and not out of love for me.  

You ignore Truth and prefer to believe lies like expecting some future rapture experience after my Son actually returned 2000 years as He promised!

And the lie that you believe about this nation you call Israel when you are the chosen race, the holy nation, My own people.

Yet I still love you even as you ignore me, as my love for you is forever and inexhaustible.”

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Posted in Assembling, church, Discipleship, Eschatology, Go Forth, Israel, Make disciples

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How Jesus’ first disciples learned about ‘the End’

Posted on 27/02/2025 | Leave a comment

Jesus took the disciples up on Jerusalem’s Mt Olivet (Matthew 24) go discuss the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. What eschatological understanding would the disciples already have understood?

Jesus would have expounded many OT scriptures that pointed to end times. Also He would have given them His own direct teachings. Matthew recorded many of these He gave them before the Olivet discourse. I was surprised how many there were. This article shows what I discovered.

The disciples would know about John the baptiser warning the Jewish leaders of the wrath to come.  Mat 3:1-2, 7-10: . . .  John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” . . . . . But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? . . . .   And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

The disciples would also have heard Jesus announcing the nearness of the kingdom–Mat 4:17. From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

They heard Him declare “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfil. Mat 5:17. 

They heard this:  I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Mat 8:10-12. 

They witnessed Isaiah 53:5 fulfilled: He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This happened so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled: “He Himself took our illnesses and carried away our diseases.”  Mat 8:16.

He warned them what to expect as he sent them out on their mission to the Jews.

“When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel”. Mat 10:23.

Clearly, here He gave them then a time frame when He would return. This would hasten them to finish the preaching of the coming Kingdom of God to the Jews while there was still time for them to repent. This was a very urgent mission—a race against time. There was no time to waste in towns especially where they would be persecuted. We can read in the Acts account and in the letters of Paul how they quickly went from town to town and brought results e.g., Rom 1:8, Col 1:6.

Jesus told them His coming would be “soon”, in their generation. “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”  Mat 16:27-28.

The disciples asked Him to explain the parable of the weeds. He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Mat 9:36-43.

And to explain the Parable of the Net: . . .   the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Mat 13:47-50. 

He promised them: Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. He referred to the future time when God will restore creation to its original perfection. His “glorious throne” symbolizes His authority and rule over the restored creation. Mat 19:28. 

They will have positions of authority and leadership in Jesus’ kingdom. This is not a literal judgement, but rather a way of expressing their role in governing and guiding God’s people.

They heard Him declare to Jewish leaders:  . .  Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.  . . . . .   When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. Mat 21:33-45.

In the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, Jesus gave more information to the disciples :

 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.  “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Mat 22:2-14.

Here they learnt about Jesus’ eschatological marriage to His assembly (Greek ekklesia – church) of believers who follow Him. The guests at the feast that are clothed in the proper wedding garments are clothed in Christ’s righteousness provided by God through faith in Jesus. The man without the proper wedding garments is about the unbelieving Jews. It symbolizes a lack of proper preparation or acceptance of the invitation on God’s terms—that is, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally in the week of Jesus’ passion, they heard Jesus’ final words of declaration of judgment on the whole house of Judaism: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . .   Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”  Mat 23:37-39.

Their house is left to them ‘desolate’—solitary, lonely, uninhabited unfit for anyone especially by the Lord; replaced by the Household of faith in the Blessed One who comes in the name of the Lord.  

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Peter’s Jerusalem Temple Speeches

Posted on 23/02/2025 | Leave a comment

In this article we look at part of Peter’s great speech recorded by Luke in Acts 2:14-21. This event was the inauguration of the New Covenant which took place in Jerusalem during the Jewish feast of Pentecost when thousands of Jews from many countries joined the locals. The New Covenant means the END of the Old Covenant! Forget Israel. Forget Jerusalem!  Luke 2:14-21:

Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this.  These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, said God, I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved”.

V 16. Joel’s prediction

Peter was referring to the phenomena of supposedly drunken people which was the evidence of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the 120 disciples gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. He affirmed that “this” supernatural phenomena was the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28) in the Old Testament. Fulfilment means fulfilment. Done.

The Book of Acts goes on to this describe how was fulfilled: God certainly poured out his Spirit on all sorts of people–sons and daughters prophesied, young men saw visions and old men had dreams: Even on servants and handmaidens, God poured out His Spirit in those days. Luke describes many stories of miraculous healings and many other astounding gifts of the Holy Spirit.

This was the inauguration of the New Covenant which we enjoy to this day with the continued pouring out of the Holy Spirit. It was the birth of the movement we call Christianity. It marks the change from the Old Testament to the New Testament. And from a focus on the Jews and Israel as a piece of land to the true focus of the Israel of God—the ekklesia, spiritual Israel. This is exactly what Jesus spoke about to the Samaritan woman in John 4:

“. . .  it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem.  . . . .   But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.

V 17. the last days. The biblical writers used these expressions “the last days” or “the end” to mean the last days of the Jewish economy and the end of the Mosaic religious era and the time of the second coming of the Son of Man and the day of God’s wrath.  They did not mean the end of the world. Not the end of history.

Vs 19-20. Some think that verses 19 and 20 are describing the results of global nuclear war as they believe they are living in the last days. They are sorely mistaken because the New Testament records that Jesus promised his disciples that he would come again before his generation has passed away as recorded in Matthew 16:27-28 and 24:34).

These verses 19-20 describe the signs of the coming of the Son of Man in the familiar terms of judgment using non-literal expressions.  This was a common motif we find in the Old Testament prophets —the collapsing of cosmic entities in their judgment prophecies, e.g. Isa 13:10, 19:1,24:18-20, 34;8-15, Ezek 32:7–8; Joel 2:28).

These cosmic signs are not descriptions of the results of global nuclear war or the end of the world. These would take place ‘before the great and notable day of the Lord comes.’ So what great and notable day is this? The answer is found in the next chapter of Acts (3:18-21).

We find Peter addressing another crowd curiously attentive after the healing of the crippled man and the ensuing sensation:

But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah—that he must suffer these things. Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.  Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.

Fulfilling the prophecies. Because God now at last was fulfilling the prophecies told about Jesus, this was the most significant time in Jewish history and for the whole world as well. All was fulfilled! (also see Luke 21:20-22).

Repent. Their repentance would guarantee the presence of the Lord in their lives. No more squeezing stale refreshment from the Law or the sacrificial system. Now they would experience wonderful refreshment from the presence of the Lord in their lives. Relationship not religion.

God will again send you Jesus. God will again send Jesus to redeem them. Peter addresses them, ‘you’ (not us today). He wil gather his people back to himself and that will be the completion of His atoning sacrifice. See Hebrews 9:11-15 and 27-28: He will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. His re-appearance means completed salvation—just as the appearance of the Jewish high priest on the Day of Atonement meant the sacrifice was successful.

He must remain in heaven until. So there was still more to come for those believers—God will again send them Jesus for the final restoration (Greek apokatastasis), completion, or filling up of all things, as God promised long ago through his prophets (Deut 18:19).

For us today as we read Luke’s account this apokatastasis is long past. For He did return as He promised His disciples (Mat 10:23, 16:27-28, 24:30-34. This assured His people of a completed atonement.

If you doubt His second coming then you should be pleased that He came 2000 years ago to complete your salvation. Good news!

But if Jesus did not come in the generation of Peter and his listeners, then that’s bad news—you still await the consummation, your completed salvation.

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