Introduction to Advent Bible Study

Jesus teaches how to understand all parables. I was excited to find this study method recorded in Mark’s Gospel and had to write a book showing how Jesus explained each step in a series of lessons following the parable of the sower. Now you have it. Proof from the Bible simple study rules do exist. Locked away in God’s Word…. all you need is the right key.

One of the comments I often hear about Seventh-day Adventists is that they know their Bibles. But how well do we know the Bible? I was told the following story by a very close and dear friend who saved my life. You see, he is the one that taught me how to study the Bible.

I felt a deep need to study the Bible. I went from pastor to pastor asking if they could show me how to study the Bible? Sadly none of them could show me how to study. The only thing any of them could do is share a set of printed Bible studies. This was not enough to satisfy the fire I had inside of me. I searched book after book on Bible study. None of them offered any type of help. The desire of my life was not being fulfilled.Eventually my friend began to notice a pattern emerging from the writings of Ellen White. I have also discovered these patterns. One of the details that sets Ellen White’s writing apart is her use of metaphors. She uses a lot of them and there is a reason for that. Like many others I believe God wanted to guarantee this information would not be forgotten. Ellen White preserved these metaphors within her books for generations to come. God knew that as distractions increased, the Bible would be laid aside. Ellen White’s books do not take the place of the Bible nor add to the Bible but help to teach us how to gain a deeper understanding of it’s parables and prophesies.Ellen White explained many of these metaphors such as, “The parable of the unfruitful tree represented God’s dealings with the Jewish nation.” (CG 27) and “The foul leaven of idolatry, thus brought into the church, continued its baleful work.” (GC 43)

Unfruitful tree = Jewish nation

leaven = idolatry

The more you read Ellen White the more you will notice these patterns emerge. At times she will include the Bible text where these metaphors are found.

It was Christ that had brought Israel as a goodly vine out of Egypt. Psalm 80:8. His own hand had cast out the heathen before it. (GC 19)They had been seeking the knowledge of God more than all hid treasures, counting it “better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.” Proverbs 3:14. And the Lord revealed to them the great things of the kingdom. “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him; and He will show them His covenant.” Psalm 25:14. (GC 312)

Vine = Israel

Hidden treasure, gold , silver = Knowledge of God

How can these metaphors be used? These metaphors can be used to explain verses in the Bible that may be difficult to understand. Following is an example of a word study.

KJV Ezekiel 17:24

24. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.

What is God talking about here? Is there a reason God is referring to trees? What do these trees represent? To find the answer you need to look up other verses in the Bible that use the word tree.

KJV Isaiah 61:3

3. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

KJV Psalms 37:35

35. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

KJV Psalms 52:8

8. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

The Bible tells us a tree is used as a metaphor for people. Now that we have learned that a tree can represent a person we can rewrite the text to see if it agrees with the context and teachings of the Bible.

And all the people (trees) of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high people (tree), have exalted the low people (tree), have dried up the green people (tree), and have made the dry people (tree) to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.

There are other examples and detailed steps on how to use this method of study on the Seven Steps to Doing Your Own Bible Studies link.

This is the same type of Bible study uses and taught by William Miller. More information can be found under the link William Miller.

In her writings Ellen White quotes William Miller’s Rules of Interpretation.

Those who are engaged in proclaiming the third angel’s message are searching the Scriptures upon the same plan that Father Miller adopted. In the little book entitled “Views of the Prophecies and Prophetic Chronology,” Father Miller gives the following simple but intelligent and important rules for Bible study and interpretation:– {RH, November 25, 1884 par. 23}

“1. Every word must have its proper bearing on the subject presented in the Bible; 2. All Scripture is necessary, and may be understood by diligent application and study; 3. Nothing revealed in Scripture can or will be hid from those who ask in faith, not wavering; 4. To understand doctrine, bring all the scriptures together on the subject you wish to know, then let every word have its proper influence; and if you can form your theory without a contradiction, you cannot be in error; 5. Scripture must be its own expositor, since it is a rule of itself. If I depend on a teacher to expound to me, and he should guess at its meaning, or desire to have it so on account of his sectarian creed, or to be thought wise, then his guessing, desire, creed, or wisdom is my rule, and not the Bible.” {RH, November 25, 1884 par. 24}

The above is a portion of these rules; and in our study of the Bible we shall all do well to heed the principles set forth. {RH, November 25, 1884 par. 25}

The early Adventists used word studies to prove doctrine and establish fundamental beliefs. Other evidence is covered in other sections of this site including examples from books written by early Adventists. Word studies are indeed the lost jewels in William Miller’s dream.

This site is dedicated to collecting and providing evidence of the use of word studies by early Adventist. More importantly this site has been established to teach you how to use this method of study to enhance your relationship with God.

KJV John 21:2525. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

KJV 1 Corinthians 2:10-16

10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Chapter 12 God’s People are Sealed

Chapter 7 is where the Book of Revelation begins to take a turn. The sixth seal was just opened and described. It is by far the strangest seal with twists and turns all its own. Trying to figure out what a darkened sun, blood moon, falling stars, and an earthquake have in common is not an easy thing to do. For some people it is so easy, they pass through that seal in a nanosecond without ever giving it another thought. But that’s not what we learned from the first five seals, or the first five chapters in Revelation. We learned to take our time. To allow the Bible to provide each and every explanation. We learned how the Bible points us in one direction to find the answer and more than confirmed the answers and interpretation for every symbol.

The Book of Revelation is not much different than any other literary work. Like every other book, it follows a theme. Like every other author, Jesus has His personal style of writing, and sticks to it. Like many other books, Revelation uses symbols to add back ground and meaning to the story. And like every author who uses symbols, those symbols are explained within the story. The author explains what those symbols mean. Why does this world have respect for every other classic novelist, but when it comes to Jesus, that respect flies out the window. It doesn’t make any sense to take any book or novel, take out a few choice sentences, then offer long winded explanations on what they think it means. Or what they think the author should have written. Or what they think the author should have added. Or tell people how some strange culture effected the thought pattern of the author. That explanation is totally ridiculous. But I’ve heard it before. People try to identify John as the author of Revelation. They take Jesus out of the picture. Then they try to present themselves as the authority on the times and society John lived in. Then they try to play psychologist. They make it sound like John had some type of disorder or suffered from illusions. Then they try to tell people what John meant to write. For one thing, they never lived in the time or society John lived in. How could they be the expert they claim to be? To claim Jesus choose a man suffering from some mental illness is utterly ridiculous. Jesus could have cured any type of illness in a second. To make the claim, “John misquoted Jesus,” is the greatest mistake I’ve seen people make. Jesus is the Author of Revelation. Jesus proof read and checked every jot and tittle John penned. There are no mistakes. The inspired Word stands perfect. That is exactly what people have a difficult time understanding. How can this sinful world hope to identify and recognize perfection when it appears? What does this world have to measure against perfection? Nothing. So this world invents new ways to pick apart Revelation and other books in the Bible. This world invents new ways to pick apart, dismantle, question, criticize, and critique each and every word throughout the Bible. No one stands a chance of standing up against an entire book in the Bible. No one can argue with any book in the Bible when it is taken as a whole. So they cut it into little tiny pieces like they are preparing to view it under a microscope. That is nothing but a distraction.

The most difficult thing for people to do when they approach the Bible is to forget everything they have been taught about the Bible. People cannot lay doctrines, ideas, and concepts aside long enough to read an entire story or scene in the Bible and accept it in the literary form it was written. One popular Bible Study method is called higher criticism. It is so popular and common, they don’t try to hide the fact their study methods are meant to criticize the Bible, its Author, and every inspired word.

I don’t claim to be an expert on higher criticism, nor do I want to be. Talk to twelve people using that method and you’ll wind up with twelve different explanations. They hardly agree with themselves. How are they ever going to agree with God? Take a critic. Any critic. No two critics are going to write the same review on a restaurant, motel, plane flight, book or any product in existence. Why expect a hoard of critics to agree on God’s inspired word?

That form of study is based on human nature, personal experiences, and views. Many of those circumstances are products of the critics choices in life. They created their own life, their personal environment, and life style. They claim to be experts on ancient Hebrew, Greek, Roman, and other cultures. But they never lived in that period or experienced those cultures. Their concepts and ideas are based on books they’ve read, and in many cases, stories based on a few artifacts dug from the ground and accompanied by long winded explanations with few facts to back them up.

Take a rich man. A man who tasted the best in life and excepts the best in every phase of life. Sit him down and put a burger from a fast food chain in front of him. Have him taste that burger, then write a review. Take a homeless man. A man who searches a dumpster for his next meal. Give him the same burger. Will he write the same review as the rich man? No. Views on the Bible based on the higher criticism method show the same results. Whether or not they admit it, their comments are based on the culture they live in. Not some culture they claim to be experts on.

To accept any story in the Bible, we have to know how to leave all the concepts, ideas, and doctrines forged into our heads over the years behind in Egypt and Babylon where they belong. Those were empires famous for forcing religion upon people. Modern Christian religions do the same thing today. They repeat the same ideas over and over again until the masses are convinced, it is the truth. And there is never any reason to research the matter any further. But let’s look a little deeper for a moment. Are those concepts based on scripture? Do they in fact allow scripture to support and verify scripture? Or do they use the age old approach of using one example to show how scripture identified a symbol. Then they switch over to the critical method of their choice, and use methods outside the Bible to make whatever point they want you to believe. It happens all the time. The old bait and switch trick. To be on the safe side, you have to put all of that behind you whenever you open the Bible. You are approaching God’s throne for answers. And this world and its opinions no longer matter.

Revelation 7:1-4 MKJV And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth so that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (2) And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, (3) saying, Do not hurt the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (4) And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousands, having been sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel.

Between the sixth and seventh seal, Jesus inserted another story. Why is there a chapter between the sixth and seventh seals? That has stunned and confused people for a number of years. It confuses me. Some authors use this form of writing to highlight important points they want to emphasize. Why would Jesus be any different?

This chapter begins with the words, “after these things.” Which can be taken in a number of ways. If chapter 6 ended with a sequence of events, this would be the next event to follow. If it was a comment by the author, it would mean that after John saw the vision of the six seals opening, the scene changed and he was introduced to a new vision. That explanation reminds us how Jesus is in control of everything John sees and hears.

John is in Heaven. Looking over the edge of Heaven, so to speak, John sees the earth. Four angels are at four corners holding back something we can’t see, the wind. We can’t see the wind, but we can see effects winds have on this planet. Will there be winds in Heaven? Just a question to ask to help get your mind off what you have been taught about this chapter.

Those winds are identified as, “winds of the earth.” They surround the earth and are placed there to effect the earth. How John was able to see winds, without seeing their effect is a mystery. We can’t see the effects winds have on this world until after they pass. Then we see how the wind moves flags, trees, and at times causes mass destruction. We can feel wind on or skin. At times we can hear wind moving objects. But those winds are being restrained. How do you restrain wind? No man can. So how can any man possibly translate the meaning of those winds based on personal experience? All of mankind’s experiences with wind are based on after effects. John is being shown a scene that includes wind before it is allowed to do its thing. No one on earth has any experience with any type of wind before its creation. We have no choice but to place the interpretation of those winds in Jesus’ hands. What an introduction to a new chapter.

Sticking with the subject of wind, the symbol is interpretated and identified using the simple rule of repetition. The phrases, “to hurt the earth and the sea,” and, “ Do not hurt the earth or the sea or the trees,” identified the four winds. Somehow John caught a glimpse of the damage those winds were about to cause on the earth.

Now that we’ve seen how Jesus arranged this story to introduce and define a symbol, we can look at one of my favorite symbols, God’s seal. It has long intrigued me. Not the symbol itself but the fact, most people waste countless hours studying the mark of the beast, while ignoring God’s seal. It makes me wonder whose side they are on. What is God’s seal? Can we see it?

We have to look at, examine, and respect Jesus’ literary style. He first introduced wind. Something we can’t see, but we see the effects. Jesus then introduced God’s seal. In effect, Jesus defined that seal as something we can’t see, but we can see the effects. That makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is the inability of theologians to explain the simple literary process Jesus used, and how to study and accept that style over all the gibberish we receive from this world.

How do we explain God’s seal? There doesn’t seem to be a lot written about that seal. But when we accept that seal as a symbol of something we can’t see, but we do see the effects, that may be enough to lead us to another story in the Bible. My choice is found in John chapter 3.

John 3:5-8 NLTse Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. (6) Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. (7) So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ (8) The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

Like everything else, when we look at the full story, we get the answers we are looking for. In this case I didn’t include the full story. But I did include Jesus’ answer to one of Nicodemus’ questions.

We are questioning God’s seal. What is God’s seal? We know that seal identifies people who will make it to Heaven. When we looked at another story about wind, we found that story is based on the same context as the Revelation chapter 7, who will enter Heaven’s gates. In John chapter 3, Jesus tells us who. Those who are born of water and the Spirit. We are going no where without the Spirit. As for water. That is another symbol all together. But we can see why the angels are told to hold those winds back from harming the water while the sealing process is on progress. The water has something to do with those who receives God’s seal.

Revelation chapter 7 has a rather long list of tribes with a designated number from each tribe who received God’s seal. Did you notice sealed written in the past tense. Does that mean those people were sealed before the vision? Or does the way it is written give us a new clue?

I know there are a million people who think they figured out what those numbers represent. With so many guesses out there, which one is right? Which one can explain exactly how Jesus defined those numbers. They are His people. Jesus should know. But we have all those people insisting they have an answer. At times they act like those people numbered in Revelation chapter 7 are their people. Some even make that claim. But right after those numbers are listed, Jesus introduced a new number.

Revelation 7:9-10 NLTse (9) After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. (10) And they were shouting with a mighty shout, “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!”

How could any number of those interpretations be correct when they ignore the sentence directly after that mysterious number? And most of them are not Jews. They are, “from every nation and tribe and people and language.” When people remove facts, they can make anything from the Bible appear as if it supports their concept.

At the very least those people know something about salvation. Wasn’t that what Nicodemus went to talk to Jesus about? Nicodemus knew there was more to salvation than what he had been taught. There was more to salvation then Nicodemus taught. The Spirit was able to make a connection with Nicodemus before that meeting with Jesus. Something was working inside Nicodemus. Something he couldn’t explain. But something Jesus was able to explain. Important facts we have to consider whenever we read the Bible.

Those people from that mass number knew about God’s throne, and were able to sing praises in front of God’s throne. Something a lot of people have a difficult time explaining. Something a lot of people never experienced. But something the Bible explains and John saw scenes of. In this case the number is once again symbolic. The crowd John saw was symbolic. Everything in Revelation chapter 7 is symbolic. And everything is explained when you approach God’s throne.

Revelation 7:11-12 NLTse (11) And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. (12) They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Jesus added a countless number of angels to that countless number of people in front of God’s throne. Then Jesus listed a specific number of elders and living beings? Why did Jesus use such a wide variety of numbers in such a short space? It could be showing the countless number of people who do know and follow God. It could remind us not to number, and for lack of a better phrase, judge people, or try to determine who is sealed and who isn’t. Those numbers are designed to remind us about a lot of facts.

The song they sung shows us those angels, elders, and beings know something about God. It is very different than the song people from this world sang. A reminder that we have to learn to work with those from Heaven to get the full story.

Revelation 7:13-17 NLTse (13) Then one of the twenty-four elders asked me, “Who are these who are clothed in white? Where did they come from?” (14) And I said to him, “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. (15) “That is why they stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And he who sits on the throne will give them shelter. (16) They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. (17) For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

To emphasize the cooperation between Heaven and this world, Jesus included an example. John had no idea who those people were. One of those elders had to explain it to John. We have a reliable explanation and interpretation direct from God’s throne. How many times does Jesus have to explain this before it hits home? Jesus knows how difficult it is for some people to let go of this world. Jesus has first hand experience with people like that. They killed them. Jesus had to die to show how He knows about those people and understand them. Jesus also forgave them. There are so many points we had to learn before that seventh seal was opened.

One Spiritual View of COVID-19

Not only Heaven, but people on earth will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked. And that is one of the spiritual lessons we have to see and understand about the coronavirus. What happened at the beginning of that virus? As soon as people heard about that virus, many people ran to the stores to hoard, of all things, toilet paper. Toilet paper became a symbol of that virus. Pictures of white toilet flashed all around the world. Toilet paper marked the wicked. People hoarding toilet paper showed their greed. They marked themselves. The world could tell who was looking out for themselves and days later could see those who placed the welfare of others before themselves.

Source: One Spiritual View of COVID-19

Description of Jesus

The Description of Jesus This is one of the most amazing lessons in the Book of Revelation. This small section in chapter one is a rather lengthy description of Jesus. What a lot of people don’t realize is, this description is broken down and distributed among the seven churches. Why is it broken down and distributed? That repeats the lesson we have already read about and covered in the previous chapter. Gather all the facts and study them. Here we will list the example Jesus gave us to study. Revelation 1:12-16 MKJV (12) And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. (13) And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the seven lampstands I saw One like the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and tied around the breast with a golden band. (14) His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And His eyes were like a flame of fire. (15) And His feet were like burnished brass having been fired in a furnace. And His voice was like the sound of many waters. (16) And He had seven stars in His right hand, and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. And His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

Source: Description of Jesus

John Chapter 8

John Chapter 8 What does a misunderstanding of the commandments have to do with Jesus’ return? John covered the subject in detail. Preachers today fail to make the connection. Why? Preachers today teach one subject at a time. They fail to cover material designed to lead into the next subject. Once they miss the introduction to a subject, they miss the entire spiritual message contained in the next story. That is one general rule of Bible Study many people miss. Why? There are factions in this world who stand against Jesus’ return and are working hard to spoil that return in any way they can.

Source: John Chapter 8

Johns Description of God’s Throne

Johns Description of God’s Throne It may come as a surprise to some people when they read the literally progression Jesus used to write the Book of Revelation. Jesus used the same literally progression all successful writers use. Jesus first described a scene, then the events that occurred in that scene. Of course we are supposed to compare the Tabernacle built on this planet to the actual Heavenly Sanctuary containing God’s throne. The Tabernacle consisted of symbols. People have been studying those symbols for generations. So why not study John’s eyewitness account of Heaven?

Source: Johns Description of God’s Throne

A New Earth Revelation 21

Like most of what you find on this site, this story is from one of my books. This one is from the series titled, The Tabernacle, Temple, and Heavenly Sanctuary: Revelation. This book takes a verse by verse look at Revelation focusing on the timing, and points out which visions John saw in sequence and which were reviews of the past. In other words, outlining the timing in Revelation. A New Earth Revelation 21

Source: A New Earth Revelation 21

Johns Description of God’s Throne

It may come as a surprise to some people when they read the literally progression Jesus used to write the Book of Revelation. Jesus used the same literally progression all successful writers use. Jesus first described a scene, then the events that occurred in that scene. Of course we are supposed to compare the Tabernacle built on this planet to the actual Heavenly Sanctuary containing God’s throne. The Tabernacle consisted of symbols. People have been studying those symbols for generations. So why not study John’s eyewitness account of Heaven?

Source: Johns Description of God’s Throne

Parallels in Revelation: Chapters 13 to 22

Parallels in Revelation: Chapters 13 to 22 $3.99 $0.00 Did you ever think there was something about Revelation you should know before your name comes up for judgment?

Source: Parallels in Revelation: Chapters 13 to 22

Your Split Second of Judgment

I hear people complaining about a delay all the time. Well when your name comes up for judgment, how much time will God need to consider your case?

Source: Your Split Second of Judgment

Your Split Second of Judgment

If there were 108 billion people in this world, how long will it take to judge them? The judgment process began in October 1844. This is 2019. That period covered 175 years. In terms of minutes, the total would come to 175 years x 365 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes = 91,980,000 minutes. We had better look at seconds. 91,980,000 minutes x 60 = 5,518,800,000 seconds. So how much time has been spent on each of the 108 billion people who have lived in this world? 5,518,800,000 seconds / 108,000,000,000 = 0.0511 seconds. That is 1/20th of a second to judge each person who ever lived in this world. I know we are talking about God who obviously thinks a lot faster than us, but give His a break. I hear people complaining about a delay all the time. Well when your name comes up for judgment, how much time will God need to consider your case?

Source: Your Split Second of Judgment

Your Split Second of Judgment

If there were 108 billion people in this world, how long will it take to judge them? The judgment process began in October 1844. This is 2019. That period covered 175 years. In terms of minutes, the total would come to 175 years x 365 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes = 91,980,000 minutes. We had better look at seconds. 91,980,000 minutes x 60 = 5,518,800,000 seconds. So how much time has been spent on each of the 108 billion people who have lived in this world? 5,518,800,000 seconds / 108,000,000,000 = 0.0511 seconds. That is 1/20th of a second to judge each person who ever lived in this world. I know we are talking about God who obviously thinks a lot faster than us, but give His a break. I hear people complaining about a delay all the time. Well when your name comes up for judgment, how much time will God need to consider your case?

Source: Your Split Second of Judgment

How Big is the City New Jerusalem?

If the city is 1500 miles around, it would be 375 miles across and 375 miles high. When we cube 375 miles we come up with 52,734,375 cubic miles. If we divided that by a billion people, each person would have 0.052734375 cubic miles of space in that city. That may not sound like much, but it is in fact 7,762,392,000 cubic feet per person. Now we have to make an educated guess at how tall each room may be in that city. If the rooms are 10 feet tall, that would leave each person 776,239,200 square feet of living space. That is much larger than the average 1200 square foot home today. If the ceiling height was 20 feet, that would reduce the living space to 38,811,960 square feet. That is if the city held a billion people.

Source: How Big is the City New Jerusalem?

Matthew Chapter 13 The Sower

Matthew Chapter 13 The Sower Matthew 13:1-23 MKJV In that day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside.

Source: Matthew Chapter 13 The Sower

Mankind Outside the Garden

How quickly did man digress? To find a clue all we have to do is look at the next story in the Bible. Adam and Eve had two sons. The first was Cain and the second was Able. Long before God formed Adam in His image, God had a plan. If and when sin entered this planet, God would send His Son to die for man’s sins. Cain and Able were told about that plan. They were told to offer a lamb as a sacrifice. That lamb was a symbol pointing to the sacrifice of God’s Son. That was all rather simple to understand. But Cain, the older brother decided to substitute some fruit and grains. Was that a proper symbol for the sacrifice of God’s Son? No it wasn’t. But Cain was stubborn. He thought he could make a few changes and those changes were as good as God’s original plan. Cain wanted to prove his point. He was so infatuated with his idea, he killed his little brother Able in lieu of admitting he was wrong. In a sense, Cain was a spiritual symbol of modern day science dedicated to destroying God at any cost. In one generation mankind wanted to change God’s plan of salvation. Mankind wanted to alter God’s plan, come up with a better plan, and forget everything God taught. That is how fast mankind was able to digress. Was mankind able to do anything with the skills God gave to Adam? I want to point out a few very important passages in Genesis.

Source: Mankind Outside the Garden

Exodus 12:5 Lamb Without Blemish

Before Jesus began His public ministry, John identified Him as the lamb of God. Many people look at this symbol as Jesus’ sacrifice. What about Jesus as the

Source: Exodus 12:5 Lamb Without Blemish

God’s divine order of revelation.

God’s divine order of revelation. As a new believer I have to wonder if Luke knew the significance of what he was writing and why he placed it in such a particular order. If we look at it in a reverse order we can see the interpretation. Luke 3:4-6 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, “He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming! Clear the road for him! (5) The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth. (6) And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’”

Source: God’s divine order of revelation.

John Chapter 12

Jesus had a choice. He could have ridden the donkey, the colt’s mother, or the little colt. Jesus chose the little colt. The disciples were so embarrassed, the their their coats over the beast to cover it up. They didn’t want people to think that was the best they could do for their Teacher. We have to approach God’s Word in much the same way. Whatever we bring to a Bible Study is small and embarrassing compared to what God can provide, or what He has to reveal. As we pray and look deeper into this series of stories, we see another order revered. People expected Jesus to crown Himself King. But that’s not the order in God’s plan. Jesus was first to serve as High Priest before receiving His crown. Jesus’ first ministry in Heaven is to conduct the judgment. Look at the previous chapters to see how often Jesus tried to teach that point. Now you can see the need for those examples of a reverse order. We didn’t understand the messages when they were presented, but when new details are added and we look back, we can clearly see why Jesus used that specific order.

Source: John Chapter 12

Mark 5:21-43 Jesus Heals an Issue of Blood and Raises a Girl From Death

This seems like a long day for Jesus, but He is doing what He loves, teaching and healing. The day before Jesus began His journeys and lessons on the shores of the lake. Crowds became so thick, He launched out a short distance in a boat. This also helped call attention to what Jesus was teaching, a parable about a farmer scattering his seed. Some landed on the road. Other seed landed on stony ground and among thorns, and of course the farmer made sure plenty of seed landed on good soil. Later, the disciples asked Jesus to explain the meaning of the parable. Jesus told them what the symbols were and what they represented. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. (Mark 4:15-19 NLTse). Of course Jesus also explained, seed represented God’s Word. He also explained how the good soil produced more seed.

Source: Mark 5:21-43 Jesus Heals an Issue of Blood and Raises a Girl From Death

Mark 9:1-13 Some Will Not Die Before They See The Kingdom of Heaven

Before we can understand chapter 9, we have to look back to see how it relates to chapter 8 where Jesus repeated a lesson the disciples failed to learn the first time Jesus fed a large group. To illustrate His point, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” (Mark 8:15 NLTse). Observing the blank looks on their faces, Jesus asked, “Don’t you understand yet?” (Mark 8:21 NLTse). For some reason the disciples were having a difficult time understanding the lessons Jesus was teaching, information they needed to carry on the ministry once Jesus was gone. To show the disciples how much they were missing, Jesus healed a blind man. Sooner or later the disciples were bound to make the connection. Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. (Mark 8:31 NLTse). Jesus tried to explain the prophecies concerning His ministry in this world, but the disciples could not understand. They had a difficult time putting away concepts taught by the religious leaders. Jesus knew it was time for a change. If He was going to reach His disciples, He had to explain everything in a whole new light. Jesus told them. “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:35-38 NLTse). Jesus knew it was time for a new beginning. In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:1-5 NLTse). The lesson Jesus was teaching continued. Jesus was not about to give up. It was time to introduce a new phase, another chapter of their education. Jesus went on to say, “I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!” To draw attention to the importance of the next lesson, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone.

Source: Mark 9:1-13 Some Will Not Die Before They See The Kingdom of Heaven

Back In Heaven Revelation 14

As soon as John saw a vision of the world and those beasts, God immediately switched the scene back to Heaven. What a contrast between Revelation chapter 13 and 14. Which is in fact another rule God used in scripture, contrasts. Contracts may be one of the most difficult things for people to see, but they are used throughout the Bible. In this case, the previous chapter ended with the mark of the beast, while chapter 14 begins with the Lamb standing on Mount Zion. The previous chapter showed visions originating on earth, and from the earth. John is then taken to a vision of 144,000 with His Father’s name in their foreheads. If that isn’t a contrast, I don’t know what one is. The Tabernacle, Temple, and Sanctuary: Revelation Now you can purchase this eBook direct from the author The first word in chapter 14 pointed us back to the previous chapter. The word, “then,” tells us, we can’t hope to understand this chapter unless we review the previous chapter. As soon as we do, there is no mistake, John is shown a series of contrasts. Angels don’t have trouble seeing contrasts. They see them everyday. They see the splendor and peace in Heaven, then they look at this world to see what is going on. In this world, angels see people running around trying to solve problems. In Heaven, there are no problems. That leaves plenty of time to praise God. There is a lesson there we should pay attention to. People also waste a lot of time trying to explain what the number 144,000 is, and who those people actually are. Is it a literal or symbolic number? As usual, people go to the world for answers. I don’t know any two numbers in the Bible that have received more attention than the numbers 666 and 144,000. The Bible shows those numbers are a contrast. 666 points us to the rule of repetition. Comparing the number 666 found at the end of chapter 13 to the number 144,000 at the beginning of chapter 14, tells us to use the rule of contracts. The rule of contracts is an extension of the rule of repetition. Words can be the same, similar, related, or contracts. Contracts have something in common with other related words. It is relatively simple to see contrasts on the surface between Revelation chapter 13 and 14. Chapter 13 is all about this world, is viewed from this world, and takes place in this world. Revelation 14 suddenly shifted to Heaven, a good place to split John’s letter into a new chapter. Beginning a new chapter does not mean it is no longer related to the previous chapter. John wrote one long letter that was broken into chapters generations later.

Source: Back In Heaven Revelation 14

The Beginning of the Judgment Sequence

There may be no better Bible Study Rule than to gather all the information on a subject BEFORE you come to a conclusion. That is an interesting rule. One I wish everyone followed. One of the reasons people find the Bible difficult to understand is the fact, they have to forget so much before they are ready to take a look at what the Bible is actually saying. With that said, let’s see what this chapter is telling us, and how the chapter explains what all those signs, visions, and symbols actual represent. This chapter of course deals with a series of seven seals. The seals are of course symbolic. The Lamb is symbolic, and of course everything in the vision John saw is symbolic. There is no doubt, John saw those visions in Heaven. There shouldn’t be any doubt, that after each of those visions, someone in Heaven came to John to explain what those symbols represented. Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple; and he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:13-17 RSVA). At times an angel in Heaven explained one detail. Other times an angel had to go back in history to explain how certain events unfolded, and why the world is going to find itself in some rather precarious positions. The key to understanding Revelation is to pay attention to each vision, and the beginning of each explanation. The entire book follows a pattern of, visions then an explanation for each vision. Common sense tells us the angels provided John with a detailed explanation of the vision he just saw. Why would an angel in Heaven begin a conversation about some unrelated series of events when John expected to hear an explanation for the question at hand? But that’s what some people believe and teach. John saw a vision, then an angel in Heaven came to John and began a conversation about some unrelated event. On the contrary. John did not record a book with the idea of hiding or withholding any information. John did not record a series of events placed in some random, hidden, or coded order. The book of Revelation was recorded with every detail John saw in the order those events unfolded in Heaven. The conversations John experienced in Heaven illustrate Heaven’s perfect order and ability to answer questions. God’s intention was to tell this world what will happen and the sequence those events will follow. God did not lie, and neither did any of those angels. The only deceivers are those people who claim John’s book is a set of events presented in some unknown, mysterious order, and God left this world on its own to figure out the proper sequence. In other words, the visions John recorded in Revelation are events that would happen in the future, after John wrote his book. Most visions were followed by an explanation. Those explanations backed up in history, then led to the time frame of the vision John had seen. With that in mind, the Book of Revelation begins to clear up. For some reason that seems to confuse people.

Source: The Beginning of the Judgment Sequence

Noah

Chapter 3 Noah In about the ninth generation from Adam, (based on the bloodline of Seth) God decided to destroy the earth. Only one man his wife,his three sons, and their wives were chosen to survive. That’s not to say only eight people were worthy to survive. Other people found God’s favor, but were not allowed to see the other side of the flood. How much information and technology made the journey across that flood? We really can’t answer that question. But we can look at what it took to build that one ship and get a tiny glimpse of the technology and skills involved. I’m sure most people reading this book have been brainwashed into thinking Noah used a few wooden tools to make that huge ship. It may be difficult or even impossible for some people to see Noah living in an advanced society. Maybe more advanced than the society we live in today. I’m not talking computers and cell phones. We have not doubts, people in those days were blessed with great memories. Adam could remember the name of every animal on this planet. I’m sure those memory skills made it to and past the ninth generation. What about other skills? Mathematics is one of them. Let’s take a look at the ark to see mathematics come alive in the Bible.

Source: Noah

New Testament Books

New Testament BooksThe collection of New Testament Books is of course all the New Testament books following the four Gospels. This includes Paul’s books, Hebrews, James, Peter, John, Jude, and of course Revelation. I’ve written a book on Romans which turned out to be a guide or manual telling us the step by step process to becoming an apostle of Christ. But based on the almost non-existent sales of that book, I’m not inspired to write too much more on Paul’s books. Or other books about the Bible. Who wants to read a manual straight out of a book in the Bible when they can pick and choose a set of compromises until they find one that agrees with their particular life style? The Tabernacle, Temple, and Sanctuary: RevelationI’ve also written a book on Revelation. That is also not a best seller. Although it looks at Revelation from a completely new and interesting view. My book on Revelation looks at John’s book exactly how it was written. It is a verse by verse look at Revelation not based on the wisdom of the world, or views the world has already placed upon it. My version looks a Revelation, its stories, symbols, and visions based on a view from Heaven. How do you get a view from Heaven? John showed us when he wrote Revelation. John explained how and where he received each of those visions. Then John explained exactly how he was given the definition of each of those symbols. Each and every vision and symbol was explained by someone in Heaven. No one in Heaven had any trouble knowing what those visions revealed, and what those symbols pointed to. Heaven never had to guess. And no one in Heaven ever got any of those symbols wrong. John explained all of that and more when he wrote his book. All we need to do is take the book in its entirety, and look at it as a whole. After all, it is one book. John’s book does cover a major portion of earth’s history. And that past history was explained by a Heavenly being who watched every event unfold. There was no guess work. Every tangible event was included. Why not take John’s book the way it was written and study that book using the facts John was instructed to record? When we do that, we remove all doubt. We also remove all the guess work and fabricated interpretations we’ve been spoon fed over the past few generations.Taking a fresh look at the New Testament based on what is recorded in the New Testament is not a popular subject. Nor does it seem to be a popular way to study the New or Old Testament. People like to see facts from archaeologists and other scientists mixed with scripture to draw upon a conclusion. People like to see news reports interpret future prophecies. People prefer to have the world establish Bible Study methods, predictions, and interpretations to provide answers. People have been trained to doubt the Bible. We see people questioning the Bible everyday. We see people arguing about what one line or another verse means. We’ve grown use to accepting conflicts and questions about the Bible. Each of those has establish a network of doubt surrounding the Bible like a wall. People have been trained to accept institutions as the ultimate authority on the Bible and accept interpretations without questions. Churches have been training people to defend those interpretations, but failing to train people how to study the Bible, take each book as a whole, look at each story, and allow the stories to explain themselves. We live in a society where pride out weighs truth and common sense is defined by personal choice.

Source: New Testament Books

1 Kings 19:5-8: Elijah Fed by an Angel

In this acted parable Elijah finds himself asleep under a juniper tree. He had just been through the highest and lowest day of his life. Elijah was sent by God to challenge the prophets of Baal. In this scene he was out numbered four hundred and fifty to one. As the nation of Israel looked on, the prophets of Baal called out to their god to send down fire from the early morning until the time of the evening sacrifice. Dressed in their priestly attire, Baal’s prophets made a spectacle of themselves jumping, shouting, dancing, chanting, and cutting themselves until they were covered in blood. Elijah sat back and observed with so much confidence in the Lord, he went as far as mocking Baal and his prophets. He asked them if their god was too far away to hear, or possibly sleeping. As time drew close for the evening sacrifice, Elijah began assembling a broken altar dedicated to God. The mass of bloodied and worn out prophets stood by watching as Elijah surveyed the area. He walked around the area, waiting to hear the still small voice of God he had come to recognize. Twelve large stones were scattered about. As Baal’s prophets observed Elijah’s every move, the sons of Israel also lingered close to the scene. No one stepped forward to offer aid to Elijah. After circling the area a number of times, Elijah chose one stone, setting it in place. He carefully choose the next stone, placing it next to the first one. Everyone stood in silence as Elijah finished the foundation. Now Elijah had to lift the next set of stones to place them upon the first. Baal’s prophets mumbled amongst themselves, wagering on Elijah’s ability to lift the heavy stones. The setting sun cast shadows on Elijah’s arms highlighting every muscle as they strained against the massive weight of the first stone. The sons of Israel drew closer to witness the display of super human strength. A spark of confidence began to flow through the spectators. At the same time a fire began to burn in Elijah’s heart to match the fire he felt in his body as it strained against the weight. This feat was repeated until all twelve stones were in place. After the altar was repaired, Elijah began digging a trench around it. This perplexed Israel, and brought out a number of comments from Baal’s prophets. Once the trench was completed, Elijah arranged the wood upon the altar, cut the ox into pieces and arranged in on the wood. Elijah then called for a large amount of water to be poured over the ox, wood, and altar, not once, but three times. With doubts and criticism at an all time high, “Elijah the prophet came near and said, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your Word. Hear me, O Jehovah, hear me, that this people may know that You are Jehovah God, and that You have turned their heart back again. And the fire of Jehovah fell and burned up the burnt sacrifice and the wood, and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.” 1 Kings 18:36-38.

Source: 1 Kings 19:5-8: Elijah Fed by an Angel

E-Sword

E-Sword
What began as a chapter on e-Sword in a book about Bible Study developed into a post on my website to show some of the features e-Sword has to offer. The attached screen shots show only a portion of the features e-Sword has to offer. If you have any questions, leave a comment or e-mail me. I can add future posts that will explain how to download and add features to e-Sword. I can also explain how to use advanced features in e-Sword. Hope to hear from you soon.

Here is a Bible Study tip you want to learn:

I use a free Bible Study program called E-Sword. With this free program, you can add a number of free Bibles. One Bible you have to download is called the KJV+. This is the version containing Strong’s numbers and words with the Strong Concordance, a very important Bible Study tool containing Hebrew and Greek dictionaries. One of the Bibles you may want to buy is the NLTse (New Living Translation, second edition).

You can download e-Sword here.

E-Sword is a free Bible program you can download online. It is designed to work on a Windows operating system with an option for an Apple operating system download. I’ve been able to convert the Windows edition to work on a Linux system with the use of a few programs. One of them is called Wine. The other that works much better is PlayonLinux. There are many fine articles on the Internet where Linux users can learn how to download and use E-Sword.

E-Sword has dozens of free Bible downloads in many different languages. E-Sword also has a number of premium Bible versions you can pay a small fee for. E-Sword has a number of commentaries, pictures, and other useful features you can download.

The basic E-Sword download comes with the King James version, the King James plus version with Strongs numbers, and the Strongs Hebrew and Greek dictionaries. E-Sword has search features, editing windows you can add your own studies and comments, a feature that allows you to create your own chain links, and many other features found only in state of the art Bible programs. Keep in mind, E-Sword is a free Bible program.

Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries
Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries

E-Sword has a windows feature you can customize. You can increase or decrease the size of the Bible window, the Commentary window, and the Editor window. Off the shelf E-Sword comes with a Dictionary window showing Strongs Hebrew and Greek information. The KJV+ Bible version has the Strongs numbers along side the words. The Dictionary Window can be unpinned or closed and slides over to the left as a pull-out. The Dictionary window will pop back up when you click on a Strongs number, or you can click on the Dictionary slide out to view the Hebrew and Greek definitions of words in the Bible.

One if the main features E-Sword has to offer is its search feature. You can search different Bibles. You can search sections of Bibles. You can search with options such as words and phrases. The search results reveal a list of verses. You can click on any verse link and move quickly to the Bible verse in the Bible window.

Source: E-Sword