2 Peter 3

In our Bible study, we are in 2 Peter 3. We're going to spend a lot of time with these verses here. In 2 Peter 3, beginning in about verse 6. 2 Peter 3 and verse 6. We'll try to go into depth in a teaching sense as much as we can. One of the things that I've continually tried to remind all of us about is that one of the great challenges in rightly dividing the word of truth has to do with sorting out what is literal and what is symbolic, especially when it comes to prophecy. Distinguish between what is literal or physical and that which is symbolic. The writers of the Bible used metaphors, allegories, parables, types, symbols, figures of speech. Most of these were taken from nature, the heavens, the moon, the stars, the weather, the wind, various elements of the weather. Taken from agriculture, planting, sowing, reaping, harvest, and everyday life experiences. And using these concrete physical things to illustrate, in many cases, that which is symbolic or spiritual. For example, the third hymn that we sing here today, Glorious Things with the Earth Spoken, Zion, O City of Our God, is taken from Psalm 87. And that is, you're really singing about yourself, the church, because of the Hebrews 12, 22, 23, that you've come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the church of the firstborn, the general assembly, and so on of the church. So being able to distinguish what is symbolic, what is figurative, what is a type, and all of that is one of the great challenges, especially when you are studying prophecy. I don't know if this, I don't know if we experimented with this, or yet, or not. In 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 6, we read down through, I think, 13 last time, and I'm going back because I said we're going to spend a little bit of, well, quite a bit of time. Maybe the whole time on trying to understand some things here. In verse 6, 2 Peter 3, 6, whereby the world, now it's important to know which Greek word is used when you look at the word world in the New Testament. In Matthew 24, 3, where it says, tell us what shall be the end of the world, the Greek word is aion, a-i-o-n, meaning age. Now, in this particular case, whereby the world is cosmos, it means the order of things, the order of the universe, whereby the world that then was, was being overflowed with water, perished. Now, that world perished. The order of things perished, but the earth and the heavens did not perish. But the governmental structure, the societal structure, perished. And it says, wherein few souls were saved, that is eight, Noah, his wife, three sons, and their wives. So, to use this word perish, in this case, it doesn't mean that the literal world, the cosmos, the order of things, was destroyed. Because it wasn't. But the societal structure was destroyed. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word, are kept in store, reserved under fire against the day of judgment. And, of course, the judgment is coming. And it, in a sense, you could say it begins with the opening of the six seals in Revelation chapter 6. And then, of course, after those trumpet plagues, those seals are open. The seventh seal is divided into seven trumpets. And that begins in Revelation 7 and 8. Whereby the world it then was, was being overflowed with water perished. But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word, are kept in store, reserved under fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years is one day. Now, remember the first part of this chapter says that some are saying that the Lord delays his coming. They say, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as from the beginning. Now, this verse here is used to illustrate that it may be two thousand years, four thousand, or any thousand you want to name with regard to God. For him, it is like a snap of the finger.

A thousand years is as a day and a day as a thousand years. Now, we have had those in the church, and basically it's sort of been the oral tradition of the church, to go around and say that there is a seven thousand year plan, and it has been superimposed. It is not in the Bible. It's been superimposed because of the seven day week in which the seventh day is a day of rest. So, the millennium is considered a day of rest, and some say, well, the seven thousand years when we come to the year six thousand and one will begin the millennium.

Well, we have had several dates that have been set for the day of recreation early on in the church back in the sixties. I have charts that I would say very few people have. I have the charts from back in the fifties and the sixties. A lot of them are hand drawn. The date of recreation was given as one time at 425 or so, and then it was moved forward a few years, according to trying to calculate the genealogy of Genesis and come up with when was recreation.

Basically counting back or forward from the creation of Adam and Eve and the generations up to the flood. Then Bishop Usher, his chronology, I mentioned this last time, the Bible study, the one that Mr. Armstrong usually quoted was Bishop Usher's, which was 4004. All of the dates that have been used have been exceeded by quite a lot. That date is not in the Bible anyhow. What Peter is saying, look, it may be a long time in your mind, but in God's mind, it is a short time and God is not slack concerning His promises. The Lord is not slack, verse 9, concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to us, we're not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Now we want to compare verses 10 and 12. A lot of people in the past have tried to make a distinction between the day of the Lord and the day of God. Let's see if that really exists in the Scripture. In 2 Peter 3, verse 10, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with great noise, and the elements, the stoichiia, shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up.

Now does that mean that there is a literal burning up of the earth itself? And the stars that you see, they are gaseous balls of fire already. So we have to look at this. Now you look at verse 12. Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of the Lord, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the element shall melt with fervent heat. Is that talking about two different events? Let's first of all examine the word elements. The word elements. And it may take me just a moment.

I'll be talking about this as we bring it up. The ancients looked at the world and they tried to decide, well, what is the world made of? What are the building blocks? And they came. I wrote this article. I don't know if this displays up there. I wrote this article way back 10 or 12 years ago.

It was in the ministerial journal titled Galatians Revisited. So we want to look now at the Galatians chapter 4. I believe this word stoichiya is used seven times in the New Testament, and it has a wide range of meaning. So if you would, Galatians chapter 4 will begin reading in verse 1.

The Elements of Galatians 4. So what about chapter 4 and Paul's reference to the Galatians desire to turn again to the weak and beggarly elements? Now, if you read the commentaries, the commentaries will associate this with the law of God. The weak and beggarly elements associated with the law of God. We have had those in the church who say, well, Paul is talking about the whole law, but as we shall see as we go along here, if he is talking about the whole law, we continue here, is the bondage that Paul refers to associated with the law of God, or is it something else?

In view of what Paul wrote about the laws being holy, the commandment holy, just, and good in Romans 5.12, would he dare contradict himself and denounce the laws being the weak and beggarly elements? If one insists that the only problem in Galatians centered on the heresies of the Judaizers, there were the Judaizers who said you had to be circumcised in order to be justified, and Paul makes it clear that you're justified by faith in the sacrifice of Christ, repentance, and faith.

He would be forced to conclude that Paul caused the law of God weak and beggarly, but there was another problem in Galatia which hearkened back to their pagan practices before they were converted. And so we're going to read now 12 verses, I believe it is, here, and then we'll continue with this. Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, differs nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all, but is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

Even so, when we were children, we're in bondage under the elements of the world. And what we're trying to identify here are the elements of the world. As we'll see in a moment, the ancients said the elements of the world were earth, air, water, and fire. Four things. They further said that each one of these elements, earth, water, fire, and air, had unseen elements that make them up. And that generally it was the priest who were able to see these unseen elements. They said, well, just the ordinary person can't see these.

And so they were heavy into hallucinogenic drugs. Where the hallucinogenic drugs says, oh yeah, there's one of the elements right there. And they came to the point that they worship the creation more than the creator. And we'll keep that in store that they looked at the world, the ancients, as composed of four elements. And these four elements had unseen essences that composed them. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the sonship, hoea othasia. We are sons, literally, of the same essence, the same spirit that's in God as in Christ as in us.

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of His Son in your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. I mean, He is literally, in the spiritual sense, our Father, because He is the one who begets us with His Spirit.

Howbeit then, when we knew not God, you didn't service unto them, which by nature are no gods. When you knew not God, you did service unto them, which by nature are no gods. But now, after that you have known God, or rather are known of God, it was God who initiated the process, who called us, who begat us.

How turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto you desire again to be in bondage. Now verse 10, you observe days and months and times and years. Okay, if you're going to say they turn to the weak and beggarly elements, and that was the law of God, then the commentators immediately say, well, this is referring to the Jubilee year, it's referring to new moons, it's referring to Passover, it's referring to the Holy Days, and it's referring to the Sabbath.

You observe days and months and times and years. Is Paul saying, okay, you don't keep the Holy Days? You don't keep the Sabbath? I'm afraid of you, lest I bestowed upon you labor in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am, for I am as you are, you have not injured me at all. So we, oh brother, I'm going to scroll down again.

So we're going to go through here and examine this part about the elements. In the ancient world, we've already talked about how they divided it into the earth, water, fire, air, and that there were unseen things behind it. So we will trace it back to... ... ... one insists that the only problem in Galatia centered on the heiresses of the Judaizers, it would be forced to conclude that Paul caused the law of God. We can beggarly, but there was another problem in Galatia which hearkened back to their pagan practices before they were converted. And we read those verses. The Galatians were steeped in paganism before their conversion to the true gospel. Some of them were not only Judaizing, but they were returning to these former practices. These practices were part of the mystery Babylonian religion, and a brief review of these will help us understand what he meant when he said, "...do not return to the weak and beggarly elements." So the origin of the worship of the elementals, Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah, founded Babel after the flood, organized a combination of religion and politics. He was successful to some degree in organizing world government, and that's what they're trying to do today. And with the technology that is present, it is basically the world has been returned to Babel, to the Tower of Babel.

His claims about himself gave rise to the teaching that he was a promissory to the woman that would come and save mankind from the results of Adam's transgression. Remember the prophecy in Genesis 3.15 that God would send one, the seed of the woman, who would bruise the head of Satan.

He was called the Zeroister, which in the Babylonian Caledon means the seed of the woman. Nimrod's doctrines and rituals of worship thus became known as religion of Babylon, or mystery Babylon. From there, his religion spread into Egypt, India, China, and later into all parts of the world. The Jesuit missionaries were amazed to find the Madonna, the mother-child figures, when they arrived in India and China and Tibet.

Nimrod and all his priests taught a false interpretation of the religious history of Adam and Eve and of the nature of man. And since the entire educational system in ancient Babylon was controlled by Nimrod's priesthood, the educated class of peoples were soon all well indoctrinated in the misinterpretation of the first three chapters of Genesis.

Nimrod combines Semitic monotheism with animism. Animism means that each object of nature is inhabited by a different spirit to produce pantheism. Pantheism literally means God is all and all is God. That God is in everything and that nature, that is God, since nature and God were equated, consisted of four elements. The earth that brought forth life, the water which moistens the earth, the air, ether, or spirit that gives life and of life, the fire of sun which gives light and heat, thus creation itself was worshipped as God or the universal soul. And Paul announces this in Romans chapter 1. So, as was previously stated, each one of these, earth, water, air, and fire, each of these natural elements was assigned an invisible elemental or nature spirit. The earth was inhabited by gnomes, dwarves, and elves. From some of this comes the tooth fairy theme, the elf theme. And when I was a boy, regularly practiced, it was talked about, Grandma would say, the boogeyman's going to get you, boy, I mean, it's like there's some unseen things out there that are bad that you better be aware of. And, of course, pull the tooth and put it under the pillow, and the tooth fairy gives you the reward, and snow white, and the seven dwarfs, and the various fairy tales that were told. All of these had a basis going back into ancient history.

So, all of these things were inhabited by imaginary mythological creatures. It says, fire was inhabited by imaginary mythological reptiles that were able to live in fire. So, when you see a picture of the devil, or a picture of a dragon supposedly representing Satan, well, what's coming out of his mouth? Fire.

So, these things go way back in history, and were carried a fourth. So, each class of nature's spirit was said to be composed of one of the four elements, and at death, they simply disintegrated into that particular element. Now, this comes up more to what it's some of the practices of the day of Nancy Reagan consulting the astrological charts, and advising Ronnie on what actions to take in the governing of the world.

At death, they were integrated. They were said also to have personalities corresponding to one of the four fixed astrological signs, Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius, Leo, and so on. The elementals were thought to live up to a thousand years. So, to the Babylonians, God was nature as a whole, consisting of numerous gods called elementals. Now, the priests taught that the elementals, or elements, were invisible under most circumstances because the elements lived at a different vibratory rate. But the elementals were thought to be visible to those who took certain drugs. So, you look at Revelation 18 and verse 23, and one of the great signs here when Babylon comes into judgment and is destroyed, of course, there's no telling how many people have died with regard to taking drugs, both legal and illegal. And I'm not saying you don't take any prescription drugs, okay? In Revelation 18 verse 23, And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in you. The voice of the bridegroom of the bride should be heard no more at all in you, for your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your pharmakea. Now, that Greek word that's translated Sores. It's Sores there. It is pharmakea from which we get pharmacy or the drug store today. And by your pharmakea, by your deceptions, where all nations deceived. And, of course, Satan is the author of deception. Satan is the author of the lie, the immortality of the soul. Now, here's what Hyslop writes, They were also anointed with magical ointments of the most powerful kind, and these ointments were the means of introducing into their bodily systems such drugs as tended to excite their imaginations and add to the power of the magical drinks they received, that they might be prepared for the visions and revelations that were to be made to them in the mysteries from the two Babylon's from Hyslop.

The belief in the elementals was probably a result of the hallucinations that came up about because of the drugs. So, with this background, we have a frame of reference as to why Paul so forcefully warned the Galatians not to return to their former practices.

So, the Galatians were in bondage by those invisible imaginary elementals that inhabited the elements. Remember that each of these elements was assigned personalities according to the fixed signs of the zodiac. Now, note what Vine's Bible dictionary states concerning the Stoachean or Stoachea, either singular or plural. It is used as the substance of the material world, and he quotes here 2 Peter 3.10.12.

But is that referring to the material world? The delusive speculations of Gentile cults and of Jewish theories treated as elementary principles, the rudiments of the world. This word is used in Colossians 2.8 and translated rudiments of the world. The rudiments of the cosmos, or the world order. It is spoken of as philosophy and vain deceit. These were presented as superior to faith in Christ at Colossae. The worship of angels mentioned in verse 18 in Colossians 2 is explicable by the supposition held by the Jews and Gentiles in that district that the constellations were either themselves animated heavenly beings or were governed by them. Notice that animated heavenly beings or were governed by them. The rudimentary principles of religion, Jewish or Gentile, also described as rudiments of the world. I mean Colossians 2.20. And the weak and barely elements are rudiments in Galatians 3 and verse 9. So it is clear that vine includes the elements as representing heavenly beings or beings that govern the constellations. And it's interesting to note that he assigns the meaning of elements in Galatians 4, 3, and 9 to the rudimentary principles of religion. So we want to look now at the Bible speaks of the host of heaven. The heaven and the earth have an order. Heaven and earth have an order both physically and spiritually. Let's say that again. Heavens and the earth, the universe, has a physical order and it has a spiritual order. Now the physical universe is controlled by physical laws and the movements of the heavenly bodies are controlled by those physical laws. Now in the spiritual order of things, there are two main spirits, the spirit of God and the spirit of Satan and the demons. You look at Isaiah 44 and verse 6. Isaiah 44 and verse 6.

That which is, I guess you would say, our word for everything that exists, universe, and universe may not be correct because universe implies there is a boundary. But the heavens and more and more they are discovering the expanse and how it's expanding. They call it the expanding universe. Maybe it's not expanding, they've just reached that point. There's more out there. Probably the word that corresponds to that is host. And so in Isaiah 44 and verse 6, that says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer. This is one of the few places where you'll see both personages in the Godhead delineated and other places clearly delineated. There are other places, but clearly delineated. Psalm 110 verse 1 does so where it says, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit you on my right hand. Thus says the Lord, the Yahweh, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts. The Lord of Hosts is everything. I mean, there's nothing that is above the Lord of Hosts. I am the first, I'm the last, and besides me there is no God. There is a spiritual order. And to some degree it is hierarchical, hierarchical-ly, hierarchical-ly ordered.

There are the archangels and there are lesser angels. So God has a spiritual order, and of course we are begotten sons of God. Now you look at Ephesians, on the other hand, on the other hand you look at Ephesians chapter 6. All of this, every step, is important to what we're trying to communicate here. In Ephesians chapter 6, the warning that is given there shows that there is another order. In Ephesians chapter 6 we'll begin in 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, in the power of his might, put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. So there is another order in the spiritual sense. You could go to Ephesians 2, which I've already paraphrased, in Ephesians chapter 2, verse 2, where in times past we walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. So there is a physical order of things, and the word cosmos is used for the world, or the physical order of things, governed by physical laws. But then, when it comes to the government over the creation, and especially human beings, there is God in his spirit, the holy angels, and begotten sons and daughters of God. And then there is the spiritual realm that is headed by Satan the devil and the demons.

But God is, overall, he is allowing Satan now, 2 Corinthians 4, 4. Satan is a God of this world. It says that the gospel is being hid, it's hidden because the God of this world has blinded their eyes.

Now, with all of that said, with regard to this other spiritual power, you look at Colossians now, Colossians chapter 1, and Colossians 1, verse 12. Follow the entities, giving thanks unto the Father, giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us fitting to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints and light, who has delivered us from the power of darkness, the prince of the power of the air, wicked spirits in high places, had translated us, of course this is figurative, in the kingdom of his dear son. We're not literally there in the, what we would say the physical sense, but it says in Hebrews chapter 4, therefore, brethren, having boldness to come before the throne of God. So we are able to come before the throne of God and live in the Holy of Holies in the spiritual sense, in whom we have redemption buying back through his blood in the forgiveness, even the forgiveness of sin. So the sacrifice of price, the wages of sin is death, therefore he went in our stead, paid the price for us. He redeemed us, he bought us back. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature? Of course, Jesus Christ was the first born from the dead to have lived in the flesh and to become a spirit being.

By him were all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible. There is an invisible world, wicked spirits in high places, God and the holy angels. God and the holy angels, the angels can manifest themselves at times. Whether they be thrown to the minions or principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him. For he is before all things and by him all things consist and he is head of the body of the church who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all do at the fullest well.

So hopefully we can see very clearly that there is this physical world that is ordered and then there's another world, a spirit world. It's good spirit, bad spirit to deduce it to its simplest turns. When the flood came and destroyed the world, the cosmos, it did not destroy the physical world, it destroyed the cosmos, the governmental, societal, the order of how the world was governed and structured. The new cosmos will consist of the government of God. There will be a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. Now notice again, let's go back to 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse 10. Once again, we'll look at 10 and 12.

As we go there, remember the stoichiya or stoichiya eon, the elements, and that some came to worship. And still, many people still check their astrological charts every day and there are still a lot of people who are so superstitious and worship that which they don't know. 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse 10.

Not 2 but 3. I said 2 then, it's 3. 2 Peter 3 10. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Then verse 12. If one were to contend that these are separate events, that the heavens and the earth were literally burned up, the day of the Lord merges into the millennium and the government of God being established on the earth. Well, if the earth was literally burned up during that time, the life would have to be suspended. It'd have to be somewhere out of the fire and then brought down back to the earth. So there must be symbolism involved in this.

Then, according to the understanding of the some who've never really so much, and one of the things we've tried to move to in the whole church and trying to get people to not just say, well, I've always heard a lot of things that are not true. Now, I've always heard or I've always been taught or I say, you know, okay, but be like the Bereans. Go to the Scripture. See whether or not these things be true. And a lot of the things that we parrot, we really have not dug into the Scriptures and proved them for ourselves. So according to the understanding of some who've never really understood or studied the whole scenario and the consequences of the position they hold, the heavens and earth would have to be burned up twice. Once during the day of the Lord and once during the day of God. And some would say, well, the day of God happens after the millennium.

Let's notice, it is my conviction that the day of the Lord and the day of God are one and the same. Let's see if the Scripture bears that out. Let's go to Revelation 6, verse 12. The sixth seal is opened.

Revelation 6, 12.

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell to the earth. We've talked about that two or three times. We've talked about it in the weekly Bibles, in the monthly Bible studies.

All of the stars that are out there are larger than the earth, so all of the stars cannot fall to the earth. It must be symbolic. Now, what does Revelation 1 say? What does Jesus Christ say? And the stars that I hold in my hand, they are the angels sent to the seven churches.

And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together.

This is symbolic language. The heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together. And every island and mountain moved out of its place. There would be tsunamis that you cannot even imagine. One earthquake kills hundreds of thousands. And the kings of the earth and the great men, the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man hid themselves in the dens and the rocks and the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks fallen us, hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne. That is God and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? The climactic battle at the end of this age is the battle of what?

Let's go to Revelation 16.

In Revelation 16, the seven trumpet plagues are poured out called the vials of wrath.

Verse 12. The six angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water there was dried up that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. I mean, if every star had fallen to the earth, literally, there ain't no way.

Still got the water being dried up, and the trumpet plagues have also smitten the waters we can read in Revelation 8. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth and the whole world. Together them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. The battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief, blessed is he, that watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together in a place called, in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon. See, the world goes around and talks about Armageddon, the battle of Armageddon. Now, what's the battle of the great day of God Almighty? They gather at Armageddon. But the battle is the battle of the great day of God Almighty. And then the seventh angel pours out.

Now verse 15, Behold, I come as a thief, blessed is he, that watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Once again, scriptures that describe God's judgment on the earth, there is a great deal of symbolism involved. And as I said, the metaphors, the figures of speech, the types, the symbols, are drawn from a wide array of things. But to a large degree, the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars, the weather, agriculture, sowing, reaping, harvesting. Now we're going to look at some of these scriptures that deal with God's judgment, day of the Lord, and coming on up, we'll start in Isaiah 13. Isaiah 13.

There are some people, some of the fundamental evangelicals who still think that ancient Babylon in Iraq is going to be restored, and that's what this is talking about in Isaiah 13. It's not talking about Babylon in Iraq. It is talking about the end of the age and the day of the Lord. So in Isaiah 13, and in that day you shall say, O Lord, this is 12, 13, the burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Hamos sees, lifts you up, banners upon the high mountain, exalts the voice unto them, shakes the hand that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I've commanded my sanctified ones. I've commanded my sanctified ones. Do you ever just focus on that? What does that really mean?

I've also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. Of course, the angelic realm praises God around God's throne. We read that from Revelation 5, last Sabbath. The noise of a multitude in the mountains like as of a great people, a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together. The Lord of hosts musters the host of the battle. They come from a far country. Is that just parallel to what we read from Revelation 16, verses 12 through 14? They come from a far country from the end of the heaven, even the Lord and the weapons of his ending nation to destroy the whole land. How you, for the day of the Lord, is at hand, and it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Therefore shall all hands be fainted. Every man's heart shall melt. Does that mean you literally did your heart? Of course, it's figurative. I mean, your heart has been melted before, I'm quite sure, by various events in your life. There's one author wrote, says, my heart is bound to be wrinkled because it's been wrung out so many times. Verse 11, I will punish the world for their evil. Verse 12, I will make a man more precious than fine gold. And this is one key one I wanted to get there. Therefore, will I shake the heavens and the earth shall remove out of her place in the wrath of the Eternal of Hosts.

The Eternal of Hosts we read from Isaiah 44.6 and his Redeemer. And in the day of his fierce anger.

Now, look at Isaiah 34 and verse 4. Isaiah 34 and verse 4.

And Isaiah 34 and verse 4, And all the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved. And the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. Very similar to what you read in Revelation 6. The heavens rolled together as a scroll, and all their hosts shall fall down.

In Revelation 6 it uses, and the stars of heaven were cast down as a fig tree sheds its untimely figs. And all their hosts shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine to a different metaphor, but then as a falling fig from the fig tree. From my sword shall be bathed in heaven. Behold, it shall come down upon the Edomio, the principal city of Edom, of all the peoples. And God begins to exact his vengeance, it seems, in Edom.

Edomio, and upon the people of my curse to judgment, the sword of the Lord is filled with blood. It is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of kidneys of rams. For the Lord had the sacrifice in Bathra, which is another principal city of Edom, and a great slaughter in the land of Edomio. Verse 8, for it is the day of the Lord's vengeance and the year of recompense for the controversy of Zion. And the physical, literal sense says in Zechariah 12 too, that I will make Jerusalem the trembling cup of all nations, and though all nations be gathered against it, of course, God is eventually going to intervene and save them. Look at Isaiah 51.6. Isaiah 51.6. From this, you should begin to see the amount of figurative, metaphorical kind of language that is used, but it has to do with events that happen, some of them physical, and some of them in the spiritual realm. Isaiah 51.6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath, for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax, oh, like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. But my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. The garments of the heavens and of the earth are going to be changed. And the Bible speaks of the new heavens and the new earth, which we will turn to right now. Isaiah 65. We had about it. It's been over a year to the Doctrine Committee. A lady wrote in, and she was so wanting the Doctrine Committee to make a, quote, judgment ruling, whatever word you want to use, that concerning children that are miscarried or children that are aborted, for us to say that the Bible clearly says that they will be resurrected.

Well, we can't find a place that says that they'll be resurrected. Now, the strongest indication of that would probably be where it says, and I think it's Leviticus where it says that if anyone harms a woman when she is with child and causes her to miscarry, that he has to pay a price. It does not say that he'd be put to death necessarily.

Well, we got into this 100-year thing and all of that, and I wrote it, but of course, this only went to this woman. It didn't go to the church at large kind of thing. In Isaiah 65 and verse 17, There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that has not filled his days, for the child shall die a hundred years old. Now, see, this one verse is what some came to develop from it, a teaching of doctrine that after the millennium there's a hundred-year period, the second resurrection. But if you continue reading in the context with regard and some say, well, no more children to be born and all of that. This says nothing about a hundred-year period of judgment. It says that you won't die prematurely, that you'll have a hundred years, but the center being a hundred years old shall die a curse, and they shall build houses, inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards, eat the fruit. They shall not build in another inhabit. They shall not plant in another eat, for as the days of the tree are, the days of my people and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bring forth for trouble, for they are the seed of the blessing of the Lord, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass that before they call. I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear the wolf and the lamb, the millennial symbols. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and thus shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy, in all my holy mountain, says the eternal. In Psalm 66-17, in Isaiah 66 verse 17, in verses 7, 8, and 9, talks about the church coming to birth. It talks about emissaries going out over all the world to bring the nations into relationship with God.

Verse 15, For behold, the Lord will come with fire and with chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many. They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst thereof, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination in the mouth shall be consumed together, says the eternal. For I know their works and thoughts, it shall come, it shall come, that I will gather all nations in tongues, and they shall come and see my glory. Now, the Isaiah 2 verses 1 through 4, that all nations will come up to Jerusalem to be taught of the Lord, and the Word of God will go forth from Zion and from Jerusalem. And I will set up a sign among them, and I will send those that escape them unto the nations, to Tarshish, to Paul, to Lud, to draw the bow, to Baal, to Javen, to the isles afar oath, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the nations. So there's this work of bringing all peoples into relationship with God. They shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord, out of all the nations, upon horses, chariots, and litters, upon mules, upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain. Jerusalem says, the Lord, as the children of Israel, bring an offering in a clean vessel, and a house of the Lord. And I will also taketh them for priests, and for Levites, says the Lord, for as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, says the eternal. So shall your seed and your name remain, and it will come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, says the eternal. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me. So this is the valley of Hinnom, the pit. The center, who is a hundred years old, shall die a curse. I assume he'd be thrown in the pit. And the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever. Of course, they only burn till they are burned up. Ashes under the soul of the feet of the righteous. Neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be abhorring unto all flesh. This, I'm reading from the Bible. I'm not making this up.

In Jeremiah chapter 4, this is speaking about the end times and what the Bible actually says about the day of the Lord and the day of God. In Jeremiah chapter 4, beginning in verse 23, I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void in the heavens. And they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate, yet I will not make a full end. You see, the language that is used, if you didn't read that last part, you'd say, well, there's nothing left. It's all gone. For this shall the earth mourn in the heavens above the black, because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not change my mind, neither will I turn back from it. The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They shall go into thickets, climb upon the rocks. Every city shall be forsaken, not a man dwell therein. And when you are spoiled, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with crimson, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you rent your face with painting, in vain shall you make yourself fair, your lovers will despise you. They will seek your life. For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail in the anguish of her that brings forth her first child. Of course, the church will be in mourning, and to a large degree it seems that the prayers of the saints, when they are poured out before the throne of God, really makes the difference when God begins to intervene directly. The voice of the daughter of Zion that bewails herself, that spreads her hand, saying, Woe is me now, for my soul is weary because of murderers. In Jeremiah 10 and verse 11, in Jeremiah chapter 10 and verse 11, thou shalt say unto them, the gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens. See, that's the garment of vesture that's going to be changed. The spiritual order of the heavens will be changed, and there will be a new societal structure and governmental structure on earth and in heaven. The model prayer says, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Of course, eventually all things will be gathered together in one. We'll read that verse here in a minute. In Joel 3 and verse 16. In Joel 3 and verse 16, it is amazing what one can learn by just taking a topic and tracing it through the Bible and to see as many references as you can find that relate to it, instead of just pecking here, there, and everywhere, and to a large degree, quoting it out of context and not putting the whole picture together. In Joel 3 and verse 16, The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake. But the Eternal will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel. In Matthew 24 and verse 29, there are many, many other places. I just picked out some of the what I would consider some of the main places. It's not by any means inclusive at all. In Matthew 24 and verse 29, Immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall be given not her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. What are the powers of the heavens? Well, it is the spiritual realm.

Now, let's go back to 2 Peter. We have seen the elementals, what they are.

We have seen the day of the Lord and the day of God.

We've seen that God is going to create a societal structure in which righteousness will reign forever and ever. So, in 2 Peter 3 verse 13, the Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul, also according to the wisdom given unto him, has written unto you, as also in his epistles, speaking in them of those things, in which are some things hard to be understood. But if you accept what the Bible says and not try to do isogesis, isogesis means reading into the scriptures, which is not there, and you exegete, you read out of the scriptures what is really there, as we read through those scriptures, made by almost no comments, a few comments along the way, and let them speak for themselves. Let you study, because you will never come to an understanding that really God and Christ wants all of us to come to unless you dig in these scriptures and you dig in the Bible. Because even the apostle Paul says we see things dimly darkly now, and it's almost like at times we're going through motions and we are assembly line Christians, and if we show up and do this and do that and do the other, well, eventually we'll come to the assembly line. Christ will come and we'll roll out glorious radiant spirit being like a new shiny car.

Or like an, you know, it's osmotic. Surrounding the kneecap, there is a sac that contains a synovial fluid that lubricates the joint. And through a process of going from a semi-permeable membrane into a less to a cavity-like structure as knee is, this fluid through osmosis goes through this synovial snack and lubricates the knee. So fellowship can help lubricate, but in and of itself it won't do it.

And in and in it and we can serve, we can fellowship, and we need to do it. And almost everybody that I hear that knows about this congregation that has visited here talks about the friendliness, the service, and all the good things that everybody does here. And it's wonderful, but we have to do more than that. And I just encourage you to really dig in the scriptures and to look at the scriptures and try to put them together. Ask questions. Be bold. The apostles were bold.

Some things hard to be understood, and I'm sure we still don't really grasp the total significance of what Paul taught. Because in the Jewish world, up until the time of the New Covenant Church, the righteousness was of the law, and circumcision was a great seal in sign, where now righteousness is of faith in God and Christ. And then what the world has done is say, okay, if that is the case, then the law is done away with. It is not. But the law could never purge the conscience of dead works. The law could never, even though perfectly kept, could never pay for sin because the wages of sin is death. Somebody had to die. And Jesus Christ was accounted worthy to die for all of humanity, which they that are unlearned in unstable rest, as they do also the other scriptures under their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware, lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. So dig into this Bible. Be as a Berean. If you wrote down every scripture we read today, study it. Try to put the whole picture together. Try to understand. But grow in grace.

Now, I don't know. The ministry can help to some degree in growing in grace and trying to teach, well, what does that mean? Well, grace, the Greek word is charis, and it means divine favor. And because of the grace of God, we exist because of His divine favor. And His love, He wanted to share who He is and what He is with us. He created us. And because of His divine favor and His love, He created the plan of salvation. And we could go on and on with because of His love and His grace. We grow in grace when we do those things that are pleasing in His sight. I think, well, I'm sure I'll turn to this when we did. We talked about this. We'll review it briefly in 1 Peter.

1 Peter 2.

Verse 17, Honor all men, love the brotherhood. This is 1 Peter 2. Verse 17, Honor all men, love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. Service be subject to your masters with all fear, not only the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is, the Greek word of the translated thank-worthy, is charis. This is grace. If a man for conscience sake toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. See, God is, if you do what He says to do, whatever it is, He will fight your battle for you. He will give you grace, divine favor.

For what glory is it when you be buffeted for your faults, you take it patiently. But if when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, this is acceptable. What is that Greek word translated acceptable? Charis.

When you take it patiently, this is grace with God. This is one of the ways that you grow in grace. To do, to handle life's situations in the way that He said to handle them. And of course, you could just, drouble it all, obey God in the way that He says to obey God, and you grow in grace. And it's, and the, this is written in the form of a command, and by growing grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him be glory both now and forever. Amen. Okay, our next epistle then will be 1 John. And 1 John, to a large degree, especially the first chapter, was written to combat Gnosticism. A few months ago, I don't remember, two or three, we had the board on, and I went through aesthetic Gnosticism, and how that the Gnostics claimed there is a band that is all light, which represents God, lesser bands, and that you come to know God, merge back with God, through going all through, through all of these various steps, these degrees and genealogies. And the fraternal orders of the day, masonry, elks, knights of Columbus, many of those are patterned after that, the Gnostic system. Anyhow, that's where we'll take up next time.