Wisdom In The Word Bible Studies

In this lesson we complete our study of the book of Daniel. Ironically, we are living in the very days that fulfill the writings of the last chapter in the book. All is about to be fulfilled and YOU and I are a part of it! What was hidden to Daniel is now open because Israel is back in her land, and the generation to see this is full grown and about to enter the Time Of Jacob's Trouble.

Join the class as we parse the end of Daniels prophecies and examine what it will be like when Micheal is sent to stand for Israel to save them out of the most horrific time in the history of Earth. 

If you are saved in Christ, you need to understand because we are to warn ALL about what is surely coming very soon. If you are NOT saved in Christ, and still refuse to receive God's provision - in truth - to make a way for your salvation, you should understand these prophecies because this is the time you will be entering into shortly.

Join us for the final part of this very timely lesson from the book of Daniel as we continue to learn the identifying characteristics of the rising final Antichrist of the last seven years of the Age. We'll examine the historical run-up to this final son of perdition. We'll look to Daniel's writings, other Scriptures and historical references  - even going back to the book of Genesis - to help us understand the Antichrist's lineage. You may be surprised to find out that one of the twelve tribes of Israel was actually prophesied to be the progenitor of the very bloodline through which the Antichrist will arise to bring about the seven-year Tribulation, the time of Jacob's Trouble. 

Join us for a very timely lesson from the book of Daniel as we continue to learn the identifying characteristics of the soon coming, final Antichrist of the last seven years of history. Make no mistake: He is certainly alive, an adult, and already rising to prominence and power in the world. 

God has revealed key historical information in the book of Daniel that was shut-up until this very time to identify the conditions and the persona that will lead you to understand the lead-up and unveiling of final Antichrist who will drive the world into its last seven years of history.

God gave Daniel detailed, verifiable future information that is now documented history. We are to take advantage of this as that final generation this is offered to for wisdom and navigating how the end plays out.

Listen to this lesson to learn details, and similarities of the history and types that tie together the two major Antichrists of this Age, Antiochus IV Epiphanies, and the soon-coming Antichrist that will cause the final abomination that causes desecration that Jesus warned about. 

You can sense it for yourself with the unprecedented drive to bring humanity into complete enslavement  and global devastation! We are at the undeniable edge of the end the age. YOU must understand what God had hidden but now reveals at this time!

The 69 weeks of years of the 70 Weeks of Daniel have already transpired. The Church age "gap" has arrived, and after 2,000 years, is about to expire; The official end of the church age, commencing with the rapture, is imminent. We - you - are of that final generation that Jesus Christ, Himself said would not pass away until ALL things be fulfilled. We are at the transition point, and ready to enter the final, 70th Week of Daniel's prophetic timeline of the end of this Age. 

The final 70th week of years of the prophecy is so important that, about 4 years after Gabriel visited Daniel, a very different "messenger" was sent to him. And, this was not though just a dream or a vision again, but a real-life encounter!

HINT: It took 21 days after Daniel's prayer for this most astounding visitor to arrive and deliver his message. Could this delay be indicative of the 21 centuries of the church age that separated the 69th Week of Years from this final, devastating 70th Week known as the Tribulation?

Join the study as we begin to learn more detail about the importance of this message of the soon coming final 7 years in the prophetic clock of God's people, Israel - and its wonderfully brilliant messenger!

This is just an announcement that my new podcast is online now. It's The Fundamentals Of Bible Prophecy! 

Why is it that most pastors will NOT teach Biblical prophecy and all that it entails? If you are hungry for understanding, this series is for YOU, at such a time as THIS.

Find it here: https://anchor.fm/michael-mendola

It is the end of the Babylonian captivity. The time for the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple has come, just as God promised. Daniel is starting to see a future again for his people! His heart is to know and understand, and he pleads with God to act on behalf of His people to free them as soon a His will allows. God quickly responds by giving him an astoundingly accurate timeline in coded form, called the 70 weeks of years. 

One of the key prophecies of the Scriptures for determining the coming of Jesus Christ and the disposition of the Jews and the end of the Age, the Prophecy of Seventy Weeks is given to Daniel by an angel. This messenger informs him that seventy "sevens", or sets, or weeks of years have been decreed, and through this, gives him a detailed but cryptic timeline chronicling the end of the Babylonian captivity to the first coming, and the sacrifice of the promised Anointed One (Jesus Christ) in AD 33, to the end of the Age.

Join us as we review and parse this amazing timeline of how God brings an end to the captivity, and his people back to Jerusalem. And even more, how He maps out for Daniel - especially for us at the end of the Age - the main events that lead to the very year Messiah is sacrificed on the cross, the church age, and the completion of judgment and final redemption of Israel very soon to come.

We continue in chapter 9, parsing Daniel's writings and the deep prophecies of world rule until our time now, the end of the age. 

The main point of this piece is using Daniel as a prime example of the most effective way of drawing close to God in prayer. We learn from his example, that the righteous and humble, fervent, from-the-heart prayer does avail much! We'll see the result of prayer that is weighted with evidence that we are fully aware of the God to Whom we are speaking, the great, one and only true God. Daniel prays from the standpoint that prayer is willful submission and worship of the One and only God, the One who only can answer prayer.

It becomes even more clear as we enter chapter 9 that we - you who are reading this now - are the only generation to have the ability to fully understand the book of Daniel's (and Revelation's) deepest and most mysterious secrets, now revealed to us - as part of this terminal generation!

Join us as we continue parsing Daniel's vision of Gentile world rule. Here, he describes the battle between a goat and a two-horned ram for supremacy. This imagery describes world rule being transitioned from the Medo-Persian to the Greek empire. It's describes the beginning of the end-times thrust of the Hellenization of the world. The modern world we live, in its final phase before the end of the Age, is very heavily based on this transition. 

What is Hellenism? Why is it considered the fulcrum point of world governance history? 

Hellenization is the historical spread of ancient Greek culture, religion, and, to a lesser extent, language over peoples conquered by the Greeks, or brought into their sphere of influence, particularly during the Hellenistic period following the campaigns of Alexander the Great in the fourth century BC. The result of Hellenization was that elements of Greek origin combined in various forms and degrees with local elements, and these Greek influences spread from the Mediterranean basin as far east as modern-day Pakistan. In modern times, Hellenization has been associated with the adoption of modern Greek culture and the ethnic and cultural homogenization of Greece - and the world.

Prophetically, the Hellenization of the world set the stage for the final act before the end. What is the final act? It is the crescendo of the Times Of The Gentiles through the follow-on Roman culture, and then it's rapid crash and destruction under the final Antichrist - who will be an export of this Hellenization/Roman system - when he comes on the scene. 

The stage has been set. The curtain has risen. The play continues...

Make no mistake: YOU and I are alive and in this theater by God's will, for such a time as this. We ARE witnessing the end of the Age and how it comes about. We ARE that terminal generation, And we have been assigned front-row seats! Keep you eyes open and keep watch! Christians are commanded to do so!

Join us In part 3 of this lesson as we continue to parse Daniel's key vision of the four beasts that rise up out of the sea of humanity.

Join us In part 2 of this lesson as we continue to parse Daniel's key vision of the four beasts that rise up out of the sea of humanity.

In this lesson, we move forward to Daniel chapter 7, which chronicles Daniel's vision of the four beasts that rise up out of the sea of humanity. The images of the beasts speaks to four Gentile kingdoms to rule, in turn, as the world runs through to the end of this Age.

If you have been learning with us, you understand that the chapters of the book of Daniel are not all in chronological order. Because of this, chapter 7 brings us back in time to before the the handwriting on the wall that officially ended Belshazzar's time, and that of the Babylonian empire. 

As we further allow Scripture to give the full truth and correct our worldview through it, learn with the class now, as we examine this major prophetic vision and its implications in history and for the end of the Age. The very time you and I live in now. 

Chapter 7 brings us back to the first year of Belshazzar's role as the king of Babylon. It is about 555 B.C. At that time, Daniel was given a highly prophetic dream as visions passed through his mind, while he was lying on his bed. God gave him this key vision and had him record the fullness of the dream. As he begins to write, we are immediately told that he sees four beasts rising out of the sea of nations of the earth:

DA 7:2~3... "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea (of nations). Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea...

There are only a handful of constants throughout history that affect all people. The greatest of these is persecution. This is especially true, and most intense for those who are of God's chosen, whether Jew or Christian. This being the case, it is no wonder that the Scriptures have much to say about persecution, exhaustively detailing what it is, how it works and how it is dealt with by God and all those of God.

Join the class as we continue in the book of Daniel and other places in the Bible to examine the why and how of persecution, its intended results and, most importantly, how God uses it to accomplish good in and for those affected by it. 

It is important that you and I learn about the 'how's' and 'why's' of persecution because, if you are of God's people especially, you will experience it - sometimes extremely severely - in this life.:

2Ti 3:12~13  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.  2Ti 3:11...But out of them all the Lord delivered me.  2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.   

Join the class as we encounter one of the most popular stories of the Bible, Daniel and the lions' den. Most people have heard of this, but very few actually know what took place and even fewer understand the what and why behind it. 

In this session we deeply examine and parse the entire important story. We review its greater meaning and purposes as one of a number of similar incidents in Scripture that help us understand a key, "scorched earth" battle plan of Satan. We'll learn what he still, to this very day, knows he must accomplish to win God's throne and destroy His rule forever. We already know that he will never be allowed victory. But more importantly, we learn through the Bible's historical documentation how God works in and through Satan's schemes to show His complete sovereignty and mastery over all. 

Continue to learn with us and experience God's heart, mind, character and power in using all things to His glory and to effect His perfect plan of this age.

We begin as Darius sets up his kingdom on behalf of the Persians and yet again, God bring Daniel into his "cabinet" as one of his top officials...

The handwriting is on the wall. Babylon's end has finally come. 

Join us as we learn in detail about how God timed and triggered the Gentile world government transition from the Babylonian kingdom "head of gold" to the Medo-Persian "chest and arms of silver".

In this session, we study in full the fascinating back story of Belshazzar, the final king of Babylon, who was unceremoniously ousted by God's decree, written in His own Hand. We'll let Daniel introduce us to the end of the line of ancient Babylon's kingdom:

Dan 5:23  But (you, Belshazzar) hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: 

Dan 5:24  Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 

Dan 5:25  And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN...

Join the class as we move forward in our study of the book of Daniel. We continue as Daniel describes the disposition of king Nebuchadnezzar as the time is growing close to the demise of ancient Babylon. 

We examine God's long-range plan for Babylon and its system as He brings king Nebuchadnezzar to insanity, but preserves him through it. We'll also continue to follow ancient Babylon's illustrious history through its decline and transition to the Medo-Persian empire - with its system still preserved.

Finally, we'll take a look at the view of the Babylonian system from Nebuchadnezzar, through to the end of the age, where we are today. We'll see how the the insane madness of Nebuchadnezzar continued as part of that system into the time of the end, as governments try to bring about the final, state of a one world “tree” of dominion and religion under their Babylonian system.

The key to understanding what Daniel offers requires two main things: A functionally Hebraic mindset of the reader, and to understand Babylon, the key player of the Times of the Gentiles chronicled in the book. We have already, and now spend more time preparing the class to get the most out of the book of Daniel as we do these things. Join us now, as we continue to parse Babylon, and more specifically, king Nebuchadnezzar, in part 3 of this teaching.

The key to understanding what Daniel offers requires two main things: A functionally Hebraic mindset of the reader, and to understand Babylon, the key player of the Times of the Gentiles chronicled in the book. We have already, and now spend more time preparing the class to get the most out of the book of Daniel as we do these things. Join us now, as we continue to parse Babylon, and more specifically, king Nebuchadnezzar, in part 2 of this teaching.

The key to understanding what Daniel offers requires two main things: A functionally Hebraic mindset of the reader, and to understand Babylon, the key player of the Times of the Gentiles chronicled in the book. We have already, and now spend more time preparing the class to get the most out of the book of Daniel as we do these things. Join us now, as we continue to parse Babylon.

If we consider that Babylon is to Satan as Jerusalem is to God, then we do well to understand Babylon, its culture, its system and its line of kings as it pursues domination the earth for Satan.  Join the class as we continue to "front load" our understanding to better grasp the prophecies in the book of Daniel, and the fullness in their timeless meaning across the Age.

Join the class again as we continue setting the stage for our better understanding of the key prophetic book for the times of the Gentiles, the book of Daniel. 

In this session we closely examine the Babylonian religious and economic system. The better you understand Babylon and its workings end-to-end, the better equipped you'll be to really understand the entire book of Daniel. The better equipped you'll be as you live your life as part of the final generation that is already seeing the now-open prophecies of this great book - and its mate, the book of revelation - come to pass!

Prepare yourself to have your worldview corrected and greatly enhanced! As you listen to this, and the following lessons in this book, the world around you, right where you are, right now, will start to make a whole lot more sense! It's time to open your eye wide!

What made God so very angry that He poured out such wrath upon Judah? They not only broke His weekly Sabbath, but...

LEV 25:1 The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: `When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a Sabbath to the LORD. 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4But in the seventh year the land is to have a Sabbath of rest, a Sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards…

The Sabbath is meant as a commanded restorative time. Not only for Israel, the people, but also for Israel, the land! The land cannot make a choice for itself, so God had to kick out the people to provide the Sabbath rest for the land, in spite of their disobedience.

He warned them before hand with all solemnity: 

LEV 26:14 " `But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, 15 and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: …

The "this" God used to punish Judah for breaking the land Sabbaths was to use Babylon to dispossess them from the land. 

Join the class as we continue our detail introduction to the times and seasons, and the evil Advisory of Babylon that set the stage for the book of Daniel.

Join the class as we continue our deep look into king Nebuchadnezzar's infamous vision of the statue of the "Times of the Gentiles". The vision is a prophecy of the march of the Gentile world governments from his time, all the way to the time we’re waiting for – the taking over of the Gentile-ruled world and the smashing of its legacy – The day of Jesus Christ!

Listen-in as we learn about how God greatly used king Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylon as a tool to punish his people of Judea. We'll allow Daniel to help us understand how God arranged Babylon to be His agent to thoroughly crush Judea, destroy the Temple and cut off the line of the kings of Israel until the end of the Age.

The times of Israel's burgeoning mastery of the world was paused in 605 B.C.  It was given over to what we still are in to today:  “The Times of the Gentiles”. And, it begins at the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.

There are two major prophecy books in the Bible: Daniel in the Old Testament, and Revelation in the New Testament. Both are very detailed and dovetail into each other by design; To understand one, you need to understand the other.

The book of Daniel and the book of Revelation are "book ends", in that the book of Daniel is a sealed Book until the time of the end, with the book of Revelation being the unsealing and the revealing of the complete general timeline of prophecy at the end. Indeed, we are told at the beginning of Revelation that the reader is particularly blessed if they read and understand this book.

Both these books are to be used together - especially by the end-time generation that now has the book of Revelation - specifically to know and fully understand what was, what is now, and what is soon to be.

It IS time. The sealed book of Daniel has been opened and we can know this. We are the final generation, actualizing Jesus' description of how to know this and what we are to do about it. YOU and I are meant to be here. Now. We are specifically blessed to be alive for such a time as this! God has given it to us to understand fully. So, we'll thankfully and soberly obey, taking advantage of this opportunity. 

Join the class as we embark on our intensive study of the exceptionally detailed, major prophetic book of Daniel... 

This is part 2 of our examination of the portion of Ezekiel that gives EXACT details of the design of the 4th Temple and its environs.

Our class enters the portion of Ezekiel that gives EXACT details of the design of the 4th Temple. There really is no excuse for anyone to plead ignorance about this! Even after all of the details God has given us in His Word, the Rabbis and Orthodox Jews still say they are unable to resolve this "puzzle"! Also just as unfortunate, most Christians have no clue of any of this at all! There is no excuse for any to not know.

God wants His own in Christ to know so much more that most of us want to know! Join us as we continue to seek knowledge and understanding and skill in the Word of God about this most fascinating subject. 

Let's now settle in with the class and get ready for a real "scripture burner"...

If you've been following along in our study of  the book of Ezekiel, you are aware that there will be a fourth temple. This final building will be erected for Jesus’ reign of 1,000 years, the Millennium. It has been given to Ezekiel by God to detail this final Temple as he describes the coming Millennium.

 As the world exits the invasion Gog and Magog invasion and its aftermath, the nations will have no choice but to acknowledge God’s hand in it all. They will know that it was the One they denied that crafted this and the deliverance of His people. Even more important, is that Israel will no longer be able to deny their God either. They will see and know His protective power and plan for them are still in effect and always has been.

Now, God begins to fulfill the remainder of his promises, just as he had restored them to the Land after two-thousand years. Hand-in-hand in this restoration, and an outcome of the invasion and God’s deliverance will be their renewed reverence for God and the forsaking of their idolatry.

Israel will finally acknowledge and accept that Yeshua, the one and only Jesus Christ of the Scriptures IS THEIR Messiah!

Join the class as we again allow Ezekiel to speak to us about the post-Tribulation world: Jesus has come back and He prepares to take His place on the throne of David as king of the Jews in the fourth and final Temple on earth.

Continue along with the class as we cover the final, and most fascinating chapters of the entire book of Ezekiel.  Join us as me move into chapter 39 and learn the details of the aftermath of the coming Gog and Magog invasion of Israel. 

Most people stop at trying to understand chapter 38. Let's ourselves not be so shortsighted! God gives us a complete snapshot of this major inflection point in history. The least we can do is take advantage of all He has freely given to us to understand! And here, we do!

Our study of the book of Ezekiel now moves past its historical coverage. From this point, we'll cover the final, and most fascinating chapters of the entire book. The final chapters detail what we, the final generation on God's timeline of this age, are witnessing as already in the process of coming to pass. It also details the cadence of events as the world exits the Great Tribulation and experiences the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 

Ezekiel describes Jesus coming back with His bride (the church) to quickly defeat His enemies. He'll details  Jesus stopping the destruction of Israel and the Earth and begins to settle in as the final King of Kings and Lord of lords. We are shown details of how Jesus will prepare the fourth Temple and begins to establish His 1,000-year reign and restoration of the earth during the Millennium.

Let’s begin this wonderful study of near-future prophecy concerning Israel at the world famous chapter 38 of this book. Here, God, through Ezekiel offers the Jews, and all alive in the final generation, understanding of the final, end-time invasion of Israel by modern-day Russia, Iran and the band of nations that follow them. Like a swarm of locusts they will in unison come into the land of Israel itself. They are seeking to be "the final solution" that Hitler failed to be.

Fasten your seat belts. It's gonna be a wild ride...

If you've studied with us so far,  you've learned that Ezekiel is a key prophetic book of retribution and restoration for Israel. As we approach the end of this amazing document, we have passed its transition from retribution and punishment into the promised, full restoration of Israel.

What is amazing, is that for us, the actual last generation, we are not only seeing these things come, but some of the key miles stones to watch for have already passed many years ago! The restoration of Israel - the land and then her people back to possess it - completed over 70 years ago. We've seen the retaking of their capital, Jerusalem over 50 years ago. Now, we're at the point of the greatly prophesied third, or Tribulation Temple that the Antichrist will move into during the Great Tribulation being loudly called and planned for. Even the sacrificial system that drives the Temple liturgy is being actively and openly practiced in anticipation.

As you join us in these final chapters of Ezekiel, consider all this! Consider how very prosperous Israel has become from literally nothing for 20 centuries, and that she is gaining in stature almost weekly as many nations are looking to moving to align themselves with her as the final days approach. 

The only main puzzle piece left to complete the fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecies for Israel is that she finally is made to see the True Messiah. The remnant will come to know that their Messiah has already come and they will look to Jesus and repent and morn and then accept Him with joy!

So, how close are we to the end of the age? How close are we to what the closing chapters of Ezekiel forecast? All I can say is: Lift up your heads (those truly in Christ only) - Your redemption draweth nigh! LET'S LEARN TOGETHER!...

If you've been studying God's Word through our Cover-To-Cover: Overview  Of The Bible podcast series, you'll already know that Jesus is coming back as King of kings and Lord of Lords at the conclusion of the seven-year Tribulation. His Second Coming will terminate the Tribulation before all life on earth is destroyed.

He will rule as the redeeming second Adam, taking back what the first king Adam lost to Satan. He also comes as the final King of the Jews in the line of king David. But where will he reign from? Where will His throne be situated?

It's almost certain that you've heard about the prophesied third Temple that is almost here. This is the "Tribulation Temple" that the Antichrist will attempt to rule from halfway through the Tribulation. It will be destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus. 

There is coming afterward a FOURTH temple that Jesus, Himself will build and reign from! It was given to Ezekiel to describe this 4th temple in detail and also how Jesus will arrange the Jewish people in their tribes around it, as He sets up His Millennial Kingdom to reign for the next 1,000 years. 

Join us as we examine the final chapters of this book and learn the wonderful and amazing details given specifically for us who are alive at the very end of the age!

Join the class as we continue our study of Ezekiel and God actually showing the hidden detestable things still being done against Him by the remnant in Jerusalem. As we move forward into chapter nine and beyond, we'll see the scene shift from warning, to God actively executing His judgment against the evil and vile people who remained in the city after the Babylonian captivity was accomplished.

As He did at the Passover when preparing to judge Egypt and set His people free from bondage, God first assigns a mark to those who remained faithful and grieve and are repulsed by the evil perpetrated against God:

Ezekiel 9:1 Then [in Ezekiel's vision] I heard Him cry out with a thunderous voice, saying, “Approach now, executioners of the city, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand.” 2 Behold, six men [angelic beings] came from the direction of the Upper Gate, which faces north, each with his battle-axe in his hand; and among them was a certain man clothed in linen, with a scribe’s writing case at his side. They entered and stood beside the bronze altar.

Then the glory and brilliance of the God of Israel (the cloud) went up from the cherubim on which it had rested, to [stand above] the threshold of the [Lord’s] temple. And the Lord called to the man clothed with linen, who had the scribe’s writing case at his side.

The Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, throughout all of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh [in distress] and grieve over all the repulsive acts which are being committed in it...

In this lesson, we continue to learn about the unique, intense way God uses Ezekiel to prophecy of what is coming to the captives in Babylon and now, even to those who stayed behind in the city of Jerusalem. 

In the fourth sign to the captives, God instructs Ezekiel to shave both his head and his beard. In that ancient economy, this indicated severe humiliation.  The hair was to be separated into four clumps representing the coming catastrophe to Jerusalem and how it would be played out among the population who did not go to Babylon. These would be the ones to experience the complete fall and deconstruction of the beloved city.

Join us as we read the description of how Ezekiel takes the model of Jerusalem that he built on a tile and uses it along with the hair that he is to remove from his head and his beard. We'll learn what he had to do to show the captives with him the hard destruction that those who they left in Jerusalem would soon experience.

In this lesson, we continue to learn about the unique, intense way God uses Ezekiel to prophecy of what is coming to the captives in Babylon. After following God's instruction to lay on his left, then right side, he is told to make bread and eat it according to the number of the days that he lay on his sides. This was to be done for three hundred and ninety days. 

Join us as we continue to learn and understand what these unusual activities were about and what God was doing through Ezekiel ministering to His people in this way.

We move our study into of Ezekiel chapter 3 in this lesson. We'll examine that Ezekiel is instructed by God to “eat” a two-sided scroll. He would find the Words on the scroll were sweet as honey to his mouth, but bitter to his stomach as he consumed it. Unconventionally, this scroll was written using both sides. This was probably to make it known that whatever was written on it was a very long, and detailed message.

Ezekiel is to completely and utterly consume this writing, making it a part of his very being. After this, he would bring it very personally - through his very soul - to the people of Israel in their captivity as the very Words of God that they are.

Join the class as we learn how God used Ezekiel to bring very hard words to his people of what was to come upon them. To make it more personal, the prophet was made to taste of the severe bitterness coming for that very rebellious generation.

Join us as we continue where our introduction to Ezekiel. We pick-up exploring and parsing the wondrous and glorious appearing of God into our physical time-space.

We started in our last lesson detailing a major and well describe inflection point in the Scriptures, when God decides to come "down" from heaven into our physical reality. And He shows all of this spectacular wonder to Ezekiel for him to document. Ezekiel does his best to describe the indescribable in his scroll. 

Nonetheless, God does travel into our reality in a sort of heavenly vehicle with technological attributes that enable it to transit dimensions and provide thrust and articulation in our physical time-space. Yet, his vehicle still seems to defy the immutable laws of physics that God created as part of this universe - this time-space. Even Ezekiel thought of this as a vehicle that is God's "portable throne". 

When the prophets or anyone else described something in their day whether it be things or nations or anything else, they were constrained to couch them in terms that were familiar to themselves in their time. 

A portable type of throne was already a realty in Ezekiel's worldview. The idea and style of fixed, or portable thrones or vehicles of the pagan kings - and the gods of mythology - was already well known.  

Introduced in the final lesson in the book of Lamentations, we continue our introduction of the book of Ezekiel. 

We'll being to observe how the book walks through God’s charges against His people and how he rebukes and forms his retribution. Just as much, we'll learn of the final, end-time restoration for Israel out of His love and covenant keeping, and for His holy name’s sake.

Join the class as we begin to cover the most important elements of this vast book. We'll seek to understand its full thrust and meaning for Israel - and the world - as it speaks prophetically to history and what is taking place even today.  

We, the final generation of this age, need to learn what God has prepared for us in this decidedly end-times focused book!

Join the class as we finalize our study of the book of Lamentations in chapter five. 

You’ll recall that the Hebrew alphabet has twenty-two letters beginning with Aleph and ending with Tav. You'll remember, that Lamentations chapters one and two consist of twenty-two stanzas, the first word of each beginning with the appropriate letter of the alphabet. 

Chapter five does not map into Hebrew letters at all, although the twenty-two verses could be considered representative of the twenty-two-letter Hebrew alphabet because of their number. Moreover, verses 19-20 are themselves a mini-acrostic used to express the highest praise for Yahweh in the entire book followed by a tentative, but hopeful cry for help.

Why this major difference between the final chapter and the rest book? Let's find out as we close our study of this heart-wrenching and doleful chronicle of Jeremiah, the weeping prophet.

In this lesson we begin our study of chapter three. Where chapter two deals with God’s judgment from the standpoint of how severe and all-consuming – and personal - His wrath is, chapter three speaks from the counter-point of God's mercy that tempers His judgments.

Chapter three's shows a change in observational standpoint. In what could be considered a "personal psalm", Jeremiah supposes that the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem would have been total, had it not been for the intervention of the mercy and faithfulness in God's nature, especially toward his covenant people. 

Join us as we see Jeremiah's chronicle start to change its tone from shear lamentation to that that of hope for him and his people.

In this lesson we move forward in chapter two, where this book starts to detail the effect of the judgment of God upon the remnant that remain. The emphasis in chapter two seems to be laid upon the very hand of God in the calamities which they were groaning under. 

The grief is not so much that these unspeakable things are being done to them, it is much more severe because it was that God, Himself had done this to them, that he appears so very angry with them. It is He that severely chastens them, and chastens them in wrath and in His great displeasure.

 Chapter two could be titled “The Lord Has destroyed Without Pity”, as it is a doleful lament of the effects of the severe judgement of God upon the remnant of Judah. Let's begin...

Join us as the class begins our study of the book of Lamentations. Where Jeremiah leaves off in the book of Jeremiah, he picks-up in this book, the book of Lamentations. It was written in the acrostic poetic form, and outwardly mourns the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and the captivity of the Jews. 

After delivering the most unwelcome message ever delivered to his people, and after being persecuted for it, Jeremiah writes again here out of extreme, heart-wrenching sorrow when what God prophesied through him had all taken place and been fulfilled. 

In this lesson we’ll take a look at the final thrust in the rise of Nebuchadnezzar to become the king of Babylon. We pick-up at the time where Nebuchadnezzar was already viceroy of his father's kingdom. 

Listen in as we learn what Jeremiah has to tell us about the rise of this fierce king. God was preparing him to eventually destroy the temple in Jerusalem, take its holy contents and drag Judah away into Babylon. This would also include the prophet Jeremiah. 

At the time Nebuchadnezzar was made viceroy, God revealed to Jeremiah that Nebuchadnezzar would become the master of Egypt.  He would take Egypt in two phases. First, he would defeat them at the Euphrates River, then in their own country:

Jer. 46:1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the [Gentile] nations. 2 Concerning Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated [decisively] in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: 3 “Line up the buckler (small shield) and [large] shield, And advance for battle!

 

Join the class as we embark on our study of the book of Jeremiah. 

Jeremiah was probably one of the bravest, yet hardest pressed figures of Biblical history. He had the most dismal task of proclaiming to his own people that they were headed for destruction. Known as “The Weeping Prophet”, he witnessed to his people for forty years yet never had a grateful or even favorable response from any of his kinsmen. 

Join the class as we continue to examine the details of the book of Isaiah's structure and thematic content.   

Join the class as we continue to examine the details of the book of Isaiah's structure and thematic content.  

Join the class as we continue to examine the details of the book of Isaiah's structure and thematic content. 

Join the class as we continue to examine the details of the book of Isaiah's structure and thematic content.   

Join the class as we continue to examine the details of the book of Isaiah's structure and thematic content.   

Join the class as we continue to examine the details of the book of Isaiah's structure and thematic content.  

Now that we've completed an overview, please continue with us as we dig into the details of this book's structure and thematic content. 

There are two main divisions, and we already understand this book as a virtual “map” of the final 66-book Scriptures containing the Old and New Testaments. In this lesson, we'll also examine the distinct change in style and message that logically separate the first part of the book, chapters 1 ~ 39, from the second part, chapters 40 ~ 66.

Because of the stark diversity between the first and second parts, some scholars assume that the second part, that which maps into the New Testament books, must have been written by a second Isaiah who lived as late as the fourth century BC. 

Listen-in and begin to discover these key differences in this book. You'll learn more about both parts of the book, and that the second part speaks more to God’s grace, comfort and prophetic completion that is the New Testament "Age of Grace" dispensation!

God arranged and inspired His purposes in the Bible to be preserved throughout the timeline of this 7,000-year dispensation. The final form is in 66-books. The book of Isaiah was written well before most of the canonized, final Scriptures to be contained in the Bible were themselves written! 

Because the Lord uses His Word to prove His mastery of the temporal dimension of time, and also the spatial dimensions of the physical universe, we can stand in amazement and awe at our great God and gain faith as we study and discover these wonders.

In the preceding lessons, we proved (and have been using) the dispensations model. It is the baseline for understanding the cadence of God’s master timeline. Through this view we have laid out before us the sure past and future history of the earth’s 7,000 year “creation week” temporal lifespan.

As Christians aware of the God Who created all things, and being entitled to know His plans for them, we wait for the ultimate renewal of this broken universe. We look forward to the prophetic promises found in God’s Word, the Scriptures.

Now, let’s begin our examination of the book of Isaiah as a “miniature Bible”!

Continue with the class as we discern more deeply why God's plan for the Age is based on, and articulated through the dispensations model. 

Continue with the class as we discern more deeply why God's plan for the Age is based on, and articulated through the dispensations model.

To aid our study of the greatly prophetic "miniature Bible" that is the book of Isaiah - and to better understand God's general plan for the Age, we need to know how God executes that plan. 

God's mind and heart creates and executes His desires in a most intentional way. He is the God of order and not of chaos. His plans and His ways reflect this. To get the most out of His Word and our relationship with Him, and to build our fund of knowledge about His Word with wisdom, we must understand how God executes on them. God clearly bases All He does in time in dispensations.

What does this mean? It simply means that God uses distinct, and sometimes recurring patterns in His dealing with His creation and the history of it, as based on the foundation of time. We can easily observe this, as it is seen many times and in many ways across His Word and its historical and prophetic story line.

God makes His use of the dispensation model clear to us:

Hebrews 1:1~2  God, who at sundry (different) times and in divers (various) manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days (the time frame of end of the Age) spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

We know that God, Himself does not change, but how He deals with the world and human beings through the age does modify as it rolls out on the linear timeline of this universe, according to what is required to accomplish His will. 

Join us to learn more about the importance of looking at the Bible in the revealing light of dispensations.

Our study moves forward to the book of Isaiah. This book was written by the prophet named Isaiah in the 8th century BC. His was a sixty-year ministry in the 740~680 BC timeline.   

Known as the “Messianic Prophet”, the name Isaiah means “salvation of the Jehovah”. This title was actually the underlying main theme of his ministry and the book he authored. The Gospel message is so comprehensively laid out in this book that it was even called “the fifth Gospel” by such as Augustine. 

Please continue along with us as we embark on this very prophetic and relevant book of of the Old Testament. You'll learn why this book, with sixty-six chapters was planned by God to map into the final sixty-six books of the Bible! You also find this, along with the book of Daniel, a key resource to understanding God's plans for the dispensation of the very end of the age, beginning with the Church Age at the coming of Jesus Christ and the Cross and the lead up to the very near Time Of Jacob's Trouble - The final 7-year Tribulation.

Are you ready to learn of Isaiah's broadcast of the complete Scriptures and the coming Messiah to Israel and all who would read and study his book?

In this lesson we summarize and conclude our study of the beauty and depth of meaning of the Song Of Solomon. As you study with us now, remember the what you've already learned as we plumbed the depths of this emotionally strong book. 

As you listen, and if you are truly saved in Christ, ask yourself how you personally map into this love story. Compare the desire you personally have for your soon-coming Lord and King as a called-out one, a member of the very body of Jesus Christ and His betrothed - the "Eve" to His Second Adam. 

His coming for His Bride won't be long delayed now. How ready are you to be brought home to be joined to him in his Father's house?  

Join us as we continue examining chapters three through five of this deeply profound message of Godly love and desire.

Very prominent throughout the Bible, especially in the emotion-provoking Song Of Solomon, is the use of metaphors. In addition to the face value of terms used to ascribe meaning and thrust to a dialog, metaphors are used for us to analyze in context and to cross reference. Metaphors are provided to help the reader understand the key meanings and nuances that the writer intends to be gained.

Listen-in as we define key metaphors used by Solomon in this book, beginning with the Lily, the apple, the apple tree, and the Fig tree.

Join us as we continue to examine this book's general story line and its basic chronology. We then move forward and find some very key comparisons to the truth of Jesus’ plans for His church, and God’s love and plan for His Old Testament bride, Israel. finally, we really start to dig in and parse the Song of Solomon itself in greater detail. 

We begin our study of the Old Testament book Song of Solomon. (In Hebrew, “Song of Songs”). This book, like Ecclesiastes, Job, Psalm and Proverbs is one of the Bible's five poetical books. The poetical books are also considered more personal and experiential in nature as opposed to the historical or doctrinal, etc. books of the Bible.

By its title we can easily know that it also was written by king Solomon. The Song of Solomon was the second of the three books of the Old Testament he wrote, which are Proverbs, Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes.

King David, who was Solomon's father wrote many of the Psalms which actually are songs. Being the wisest mortal that ever lived on this earth, history holds that Solomon composed many songs as well as wisdom-filled proverbs.

Join the class as we embark on our study of this beautifully poetic and emotional "love song". At first glance, it seems to be a romantic record of the deep and pure love developing between a man and woman. However, like so many passages in all of the books of the Bible, the true meaning of it lies below the surface. Continue along with us as we seek the wonderful truths that await those who study in the depths of the Song Of Solomon.

As we conclude our study of the book of Ecclesiastes you'll find it difficult to believe the end of the matter with Solomon. Prepare to be shocked if you're unfamiliar with the full history and final end of king Solomon. 

God gave and invested greatly in Solomon. He cultivated all of Solomon's works under the sun with the gift of the greatest amount of Godly wisdom a human being would ever have. He not only gave Solomon the honor of building the first temple instead of his father, David, doing so, but to write three of the most personally impacting books of wisdom in the Bible. With all of that, what kind of end would one anticipate for such a truly blessed and fruitful life?

The truth is stranger than fiction, and Biblical truth is not only so, but instructive even in its irony. 

Please join us and learn what happened with Solomon and why his life crashed and burned to destruction. We all will do well to learn the greatest of lessons about the human condition and take into account the full wickedness of our human heart. The Bible tells us that your heart, my heart. is so desperately wicked that we can't even plumb the depths of how evil we truly are.

Even with God's direct blessings, we are apt to fail, and that most miserably. Paul tells us to discipline ourselves in sanctification and run as if in a race for first prize! 

So, what can we learn through Solomon's life and his horrible end? God wants you and I to learn and know so that we can be warned and avoid disaster - even from under a fully blessed life under God's direct care!

 In this lesson we continue studying Solomon's research and documentation seeking to define the meaning of the human condition.  In this part, we examine Solomon's research on personal morality and its true meaning in our lives.  We also learn God's thoughts about various and vain philosophies.

Scripture has made clear in many other places that we should work to keep our name – our personal reputation – in this life spotless. For Christians who are the Lord’s property and profess His name, how we carry ourselves in In this world directly reflects our God’s reputation.

Man’s wrong conclusions and philosophies in his ignorance, without God’s word in His heart are then guided by his own ignorance, prejudices and false premises. This too plays a very large role in how our "name" is perceived. It is a big part of the reputation we build for ourselves among men.

Solomon finds that Keeping a good name is like – or even better than - a precious ointment. With such a comparison given, let’s allow the writings of the Ecclesiastes to help us really understand the meaning of a high moral character and the correct philosophical point of view in context of God's desire for those He designed and made to carry His image on the earth...

In this lesson we continue studying Solomon's research and documentation seeking to define the meaning of the human condition.  In this part, we examine Solomon's research on wealth.

Solomon finds that wealth is not wrong in itself. It is the love of it – the deep desire to attain it - a life's focus on gaining it and the emotional attachment to spending one's life to increase it – that is destructive. Continue with us in part 5 as we continue examining Solomon's research and the documentation that is the book of Ecclesiastes.

Listen-in as we continue to dig deeply into Ecclesiastes to maximize its benefits in our lives.   

We so much appreciate the time you spend studying God's true and perfect revelation about Himself, His nature and His plan of the age with our class! It is a blessing for us to be a blessing to you in learning the things of God. 

As much as we hope you are gaining great knowledge and wisdom as you pursue studying the absolute truth, no one can make the assumption that all who are learning the Word of God are going to spend eternity with him in Heaven. Even Satan knows the Word of God very well, but just that is of no eternal value to him. 

If you died today, your body would be buried or burned, but where will your eternal soul be headed? 

By default you - every single human being - is a sinner and under judgment, headed for the eternal hell that God has prepared for the fallen angels and all human beings who are sinners along with them. The book of Romans says about all human beings: Rom 5:12  "Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned". If you are a human being, you are a sinner and headed to hell by default. No exceptions. 

... BUT there is GOOD NEWS! God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son (Jesus Christ, who came to earth as fully God in fully human flesh 2,000 years ago) to pay the death penalty for ALL people who would in their free will call upon His name for the mercy and grace of eternal salvation! 

Listen to this very important message about the simple, but strict requirement of the Gospel of salvation. God made it simple and you can rest upon this assurance right now if you choose!

Are you saved? Are you sure?! Listen and learn NOW to find out the most important fact about yourself you'll ever need to know.

Special thanks to pastor J.D. Farag of Calvary Chapel Kaneohe for the elegantly simple and straightforward ABCs of salvation message! Calvary Chapel Kaneohe Website: https://calvarychapelkaneohe.com/

 Listen-in as we continue to dig deeply into Ecclesiastes to maximize its benefits in our lives.  

Listen-in as we continue to dig deeply into Ecclesiastes to maximize its benefits in our lives. 

Now that we’ve well established the rational and general structure and flow of the book of Ecclesiastes, It's time to take a detailed look into the research and documentation of this key instructional book. 

Join the class as we dig into the "nuts and bolts" to maximize this books benefits in our lives.

Spoiler alert! The meaning of life found! 

Join us as we skip to the end of the book of Ecclesiastes to the "end of the matter", the conclusion of Solomon's extended research into the meaning of life. 

Ironically, the "pay-off" to the exceeding amount of time and expense dedicated to finding the answer every single human being has asked since the beginning is almost disappointingly simple and straight-forward. It might seem that Solomon reached the wrong conclusion.

So, what is the true meaning of life for each human being? What is it for you? Listen-in to find the answer to the biggest question ever asked by man...

Unfortunately, Ecclesiastes is a misunderstood book in that most readers only understand it as a book of the futility of the hard labor and toil of the human condition. 

While it seems not more than a sad book detailing a pessimistic observation of the human condition, this is not only an incomplete understanding, but greatly diminishes the value of it. This diminished assumption relegates the book to just a miserable “vanity, vanity, all is vanity” treatise on life here. 

Solomon’s instruction to us in this book does not stop at death of the physical life. It looks beyond death in the physical life. In fact, the main thrust of the book is  – by design – instructive, considering that NOTHING makes sense and NOTHING has real value in this life unless one is saved in Christ!

Join the lesson to learn more about this most important aspect of the book of Ecclesiastes.

In this lesson we begin our study of the book of Ecclesiastes. This is one of the three books of the Bible that king Solomon – the wisest man that ever lived - wrote as a legacy for us. 

All three books, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon may be viewed as chronicling the course of person’s life from a young man or woman on through to the twilight years. As such, his observations are very helpful and most relevant for each of us as we walk through the physical life that we must travel through in this mortal frame.  

The most prominent phrase of this book is “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity”. Join us as we learn deeply form the wisdom of this book and allow it to prove to us how true this statement is, 

In this lesson we continue with our detailed look at the poetic structure of the book of Proverbs.  

In this lesson we continue with our detailed look at the poetic structure of the book of Proverbs.   

In this lesson we continue with our detailed look at the poetic structure of the book of Proverbs.  

    In this lesson we continue with our detailed look at the poetic structure of the book of Proverbs. 

   In this lesson we continue with our detailed look at the poetic structure of the book of Proverbs.

  In this lesson we continue with our detailed look at the poetic structure of the book of Proverbs.  

 In this lesson we continue with our detailed look at the poetic structure of the book of Proverbs. 

We begin this lesson with a detailed look at the poetic structure of the book of Proverbs. We examine this structure, recognizing that in Hebrew poetry, words do not necessarily rhyme, but it is how the the ideas interface and thread together in them that rhyme.

We examine the main structural devices used in the writing of the book: Titled contrasting, completive and comparative, these devices drive home a main point by using a sharply contrasting, vitally agreeing or analogous statement to help convey the full meaning and deeper intent of the proverb itself.

Listen-in as we begin to discover why the book of Proverbs is known as The Wisdom of Israel. This book contains a treasury of timeless practical wisdom for everyday living, showing that vast difference between those who are wise - those that follow God’s wisdom - and the fool, who does his own will in his own way and time, actually choosing to destroy their lives and in the end, themselves. 

Proverbs is arranged as a set of poetically constructed observations on life. Taken together, these are to be used as instruction which teach Godly wisdom, morality, success and practical truths to adhere to as life is lived on the earth.

Let's continue to endeavor to learn these most valuable and God-honoring truths in His wisdom. He wants to benefit His people - you, if you are His in Christ - and through the age with Godly wisdom. 

As you proceed to learn deeply from the Proverbs, you'll marvel at how anyone can neglect such a wonderful offer!

This lesson is the continuation of the introduction to the three books of the Bible that God inspired King Solomon to compose.

We begin our study of the books the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song Of Solomon. These are the books of the Bible that God inspired the wisest man to ever live - except for Jesus, of course, but He also was the very God who infused that wisdom into Solomon - to write. 

These three books "follow" Solomon through his life. They are included for our benefit as we navigate this physical life on the stage of the earth in this age.  More than offering information about Biblical history and the dispensations of God's plan, These are books of personal instruction to God's people of Israel and those who are His in Christ in the church age.  We do well in our lives and glorifying God in them, to deeply and personally study each of these books of instruction - especially the Proverbs.

As a chronicle of the life of the wisest man, son of King David and a king of Israel following him, these books follow Solomon:

 The Song Of Solomon (aka Song Of Songs): Portrays the “morning” of Solomon’s life as set in a poetic book of the exhilaration of love and sensual romance framed in Godliness.  

The Proverbs: The “noontime” of Solomon’s life. Fundamentally, a book of “heavenly rules for earthly living” from the stand point of the mature years in the life of the wisest man that ever lived.

Ecclesiastes: The “evening” of Solomon’s life, this book recounts from a regretful perspective the disillusionment in the waning years of life as Solomon revisits the wreckage of what resulted as a wasted lifetime on earth; This book pleads with us to be mindful of finishing well. 

Let's begin learning from the mind of God through the eyes of Solomon how to live the optimal that life He intends for each of us, and how to best glorify Him during our short stay on the Earth.

We continue to look closely at the prophetic Psalms in this lesson.  Here, we investigate the Psalms which seem to foretell a major inflection point in God's end-times plan to prepare the land of Israel for the return of her people, and the people for the return to their land.  

It strongly seems that the key event of the holocaust of the mid-20th century was foretold by God in the Psalms.  We know that nothing can happen to God's chosen unless it is actually done by God or allowed through His permissive will. We also know that, although we may not understand why, God allows certain events that are negative or downright evil in His peoples' lives to accomplish His good will in them.  We do know for sure that these events always are for the good of His people and for His glory. Always.

No doubt, the mid-20th century arrival of Hitler and the holocaust  was allowed as part of God's end-time plan that started manifesting in the mid-1800's through out the mid-20th century to get the land of Israel ready for the return of His people, AND to make the people ready for the return to their land as the reconstituted nation of Israel. It culminated in 1948 as they became a nation again, and in 1967 when they regained Jerusalem as their own and the Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) as well. 

The main thrust of this preparation of Israel commenced just after WWI with the General Allenby gaining Jerusalem back for the Ottoman Turks for the British Crown. Then came the Balfour Declaration and the British Mandate to beginning the process of bringing Israel back into her land.

.Just as God did for Israel with the peoples of Egypt at the Exodus, people from around the world in the 20th century were finding it in their heart to have compassion on the dispersed Jewish people, to give them their own nation so that they may stop wandering and “finally” have a “new” place to call their own country.  History is facinating and really does inform our understanding of God's plan and His Word that details it all!

This is part two of our study of Psalm 48. Join us again as we continue to learn of the beautifully poetic forward look to the surety of the final, restored nation of Israel in the 20th century. The valley of dry bones of Ezekiel were spoken of long before his time...  

We continue our study of the intrinsic prophecy written into the Psalms. In this lesson, we focus on Psalm 48. Join us as we see the beautifully poetic forward look to the surety of the final, restored nation of Israel in the 20th century. The valley of dry bones of Ezekiel was spoken of long before this time... 

EZE 37:11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, `Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' "

In this lesson, we continue our examining of the Psalms to those from the lesser-known, prophetic point-of-view.  We begin with Psalm 102 and its prophetic application to the key end-time milestone, the reconstituted nation of Israel of today, after 2,000 years of exile.

As your instructor, I want you to be assured that I am decidedly not a date-setter of the Rapture of the church nor the Second coming of Jesus at the end of the Tribulation period.  What I am fully convinced of is that prophecy is intrinsically built-in to the Scriptures end-to-end, and that prophecy is like a “clockwork” that keeps perfect time for us of the past as well as yet future events in great detail. To unlock this treasure of information, we must use this key:  All of Scripture relates God’s plan for the age and His purposes, and ISRAEL - the Biblical nation and its people - are the master "timepiece".

Let's continue to use all of the the Scriptures, including the Psalms, to help us - those alive right now, the final generation Jesus spoke of at the very end of this age - to watch for and anticipate the seasons and situations that mark the times in which all shall be fulfilled!

In this lesson, we continue to focus on the Psalms that point to Jesus' coming in His work on earth as the suffering Savior and as well as our living Shepherd and sovereign God.

Among these Messianic type Psalms, we'll look more closely at those that predicted, about seven-hundred years before crucifixion was even invented, that Jesus was destined to come to be the final, once-for-all, sacrifice through the horrific method of the Roman crucifixion, These Psalms show in a more experiential way, His sacrificial walk as He would cry out to the Father in the agony. Agony, not of the excruciating pain, but of the separation from the Father that the penalty of sin demands for all.

We also discuss Psalms that point to Jesus Christ in His true and always holy position as the exalted and sovereign God of all creation.

In this lesson we continue our study of the book of Psalms. This is part 2, where we continue to examine Psalms 139 in the Psalms that speak to Jesus coming through the kingly line of Judah, as the Son of David to hold the throne of the nation of Israel. 

In this lesson we continue our study of the book of Psalms. We'll take a look at Psalms 8 which looks forward to the nature of Jesus Christ coming in the fully human line of the first king of the world, Adam.  We'll also examine Psalms 139, which speaks to Jesus coming through the kingly line of Judah, as the Son of David to hold the throne of the nation of Israel.

In this lesson we continue our opening study of the beautiful and uniquely  personal book of Psalms. We'll take a look at both Psalms 45 and 102 which prophesy  in undeniable detail the future coming of The Word in the flesh as Jesus Christ and again later, in glory as the final King of kings and Lord of lords.

Listen in as we parse Psalm 45, which speaks to The Son of God as installed by His Father as the King, as well as the “final status” of the nation of Israel and also the church as His chosen possessions - specifically the church, as the King’s bride.

We'll conclude in the details of Psalm 102, which speaks to The Son of God coming as the Son of man – fully human in all aspects.

One of the books of poetry in the Bible, The book of Psalms intends to bring the believer nearer to the power, glory, and nature of God in a most deeply personal and experiential way. 

We'll study to learn about the book, as well as what is given to us through it. Approaching it in this way will afford us a better understanding of the surpassing greatness and value of the grace and mercy toward His own, that only our God is capable of. As you study the Psalms with us, you will marvel at God's nature from the high vantage point this book affords. 

Through the Psalms, we can actually sample the wonderful and holy nature of God and how He thinks, feels and moves, The Psalms is a major help for us as we learn more how to trust and exalt and worship Him in spirit and in truth.

His love, grace and overweening care for us is so much better seen when we are able to place it in contrast against the awesome wonder, majesty and power of God, Psalms does this. God's power is tempered by His love and willful state of being sinless. We can better see what God means when He says that He IS love! So, let's begin to really understand that God is not only great - He is good!...

This lesson is part seven of our study of the main portion of this book as God sets His countenance directly against Job's. 

We are taking our time walking through one of the most powerful sections in all of Scripture! Here, we are given the wonderful opportunity to learn deeply what God is laying open about Himself to us.

This lesson is part six of our study of the main portion of this book as God sets His countenance directly against Job's. 

We are taking our time walking through one of the most powerful sections in all of Scripture! Here, we are given the wonderful opportunity to learn deeply what God is laying open about Himself to us.

This lesson is part five of our study of the main portion of this book as God sets His countenance directly against Job's. 

We are taking our time walking through one of the most powerful sections in all of Scripture! Here, we are given the wonderful opportunity to learn deeply what God is laying open about Himself to us. 

  This lesson is part four of our study of the main portion of this book as God sets His countenance directly against Job's. 

We are taking our time walking through one of the most powerful sections in all of Scripture! Here, we are given the wonderful opportunity to learn deeply what God is laying open about Himself to us. 

 This lesson is part three of our study of the main portion of this book as God sets His countenance directly against Job's. 

We are taking our time walking through one of the most powerful sections in all of Scripture! Here, we are given the wonderful opportunity to learn deeply what God is laying open about Himself to us. 

This lesson is part two of our study of the main portion of this book as God sets His countenance directly against Job's. 

We are taking our time walking through one of the most powerful sections in all of Scripture! Here, we are given the wonderful opportunity to learn deeply what God is laying open about Himself to us. 

After all of Job’s friends give their opinions and make their respective cases, and after Elihu reminds all of them of the sovereignty of God, God Himself now directly addressed Job, placing him on trial.

Let’s begin our study of the main portion of this book as God sets His countenance directly against Job's. 

This is one of the most powerful sections in all of Scripture! And as such, we are given the wonderful opportunity to learn deeply what God is laying open about Himself to us. 

As you study this part of the book of Job with us, you will do very well to concentrate and think hard, and pray for the fullest impact God intends to convey to you about Himself.

Join us now as we begin... God now to take Job to task and in a most profound and pointed way. God is not allowing for a “pity party” at all here as He addresses Job (and, by extension his friends).

This is indeed one of the few places in the Bible where God comes and presents Himself before a human being and directly chides, saying “who do you think you are?!”. Do you dare to assume you know me and my thoughts?!

Don't miss any of this these lessons! -THIS truly is the “meat” of the book of Job!

We have studied Job's three friends and each of their thoughts as they each rationalized what was happening to Job. Unfortunately, Job still remained inconsolable as he endures his most painful affliction; None of what his friends said was of true value to him.

Finally, a fourth man who had been quietly listening to the exchanges between Job and the other three steps in and boldly offer his opinions on the matter. This man is Elihu, and is the youngest in this group of men.

Listen-in and learn of the wisdom offered by this younger man. The Biblical account shows that Elihu takes a somewhat different tack, and chides Job for being self righteous in all of this, stating that Job needs to turn his focus to God as the source and conclusion of all things rather than on himself and his situation and his suffering through it. Great advice for us today, too!

God shares so much about His heart, mind character and His point of view from the exchanges between these men and later,between Himself and them. We do particularly well when we study the entire book of Job deeply and cross-reference what is given throughout the rest of the Bible.

In the last lesson we concluded with this passage: JOB 19:26~27: And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

We easily see from what Job wrote that he already knew about and believed in God's plan of salvation. Most importantly, he was convinced of the key part of that Plan - the bodily resurrection of all believers at the end of the age. He somehow knew that the promised Messiah, God sojourning with human beings in the flesh, would be both the redeemer and the first fruits of this resurrection to come. As the Lamb of God, God with us would be the only acceptable sacrifice to purchase complete salvation - which includes individual resurrection into a gloried body as Messiah would have - for all who would believe in Him throughout history.

How is it possible Job knew of these truths before Abraham, Isaac or Jacob, or any other prominent people such as Moses came on the scene? No one had yet written the Torah or any part of the Bible. 

Continue with us as we learn how the Holy Spirit teaches even those who didn't yet have the Scriptures.

 As we continue our study of the book of Job, we'll see even more how Job suffers miserably and conveys his feeling that God has unfairly marked him out for suffering and that, in all of this, God won’t even hear his desperation and cries for relief..

The Scriptures make it clear that Job will find (as must we, as well) that God will makes Himself better known and draws closest to His own through suffering and personal tribulation – many times in a much deeper and more meaningful way - than through seasons of joy and delight. Although, make no mistake, God does also work through joy and the delight of His people when it best suits the overall good for us and His glory in it.

We will see much of this dichotomy exhibited in the wonderfully revealing account about God's heart, mind, character and point-of-view toward the human beings he has called into his Love forever as He fulfill His purposes, and takes His place in the midst of their suffering.

 In this lesson, we start to dig into our study of the book of Job. The book hinges not only on Job's experience, but also the three friends who came to sympathize and assist him.

JOB 2:11 When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

Let's continue our study by first examining Job's own, heart-wrenching description of his desperation and introducing his friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.

Join us as we allow the Scriptures to deeply teach us, in one of the most detailed case studies ever, about the very real and tangible aspects of spiritual warfare. 

As you listen, please consider: Do you think that what God allowed and accomplished through Job happened only once in all history? Are you and I sure that God as never, ever instigated this more than once? Could it be that there are many, many times God allowed others of His people - even now - in the church age - to be directly thrashed by the hands Satan and his spiritual forces?

JOB 1:13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

JOB 1:16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

JOB 1:17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

JOB 1:18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

In this lesson, we continue our detailed study of the book and the man it is named for, Job. Many people know of Job and his severe trials at the Hand of God, but unfortunately, most do not study to the level necessary that allows this book's greatest intent to come shining through.

The book of Job is intended to reveal to His people - both the Jew and, especially the Christian - the deeper parts of the heart and the character of God. Truly, God offers this to us in this book: To know the book of Job well, is to know God well. 

Even Job stated that what God allowed Him to go through accomplished this very thing in him. As God began to allow Satan to buffet him, Job said of His relationship with Him: JOB 3:25 What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.

At he end of the most severe trials that could ever allowed to befall a human being, Job admitted: JOB 42:5 My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. What a meaningful testimony to God best revealing Himself to those He loves through planned, targeted and well controlled trials. This works in the lives of all of God's people. We each have them. This is one of the key results God want to achieve in us through them!

Study with us, and please don't miss a lesson, as we allow this book to deepen our relationship with God we've heard about -  We want our eyes to see him, too!

In this lesson we summarize II Kings, which describes the final outcome of the kingdom becoming divided. We then move forward into an overview of the books of I and II Chronicles. These books mainly emphasize the life and times of the southern kingdom of Judah and the preservation of the Davidic line throughout it’s timeline. 

The first nine chapters of I Chronicles lists a genealogy from Adam to Jacob, Jacob to David, and David to Zedekiah. The last twenty chapters add more detail surrounding David’s reign in Jerusalem.

The book of II Chronicles includes a look-back into Solomon's time as king over the united kingdom, with more detail about his reign, building the Temple and his magnificence during his tenure. It also reviews the division of the nation, anticipates  Judah's exile, and the twenty kings of Judah and their deportation to Babylon.

After this, we begin our study in the deeply meaningful and revelatory book of Job.

As we move into the book of II Kings, this lesson continues as part two of the "I Kings: Examining The Fullness of Elijah's Ministry in God's Plan Throughout The Age" teaching. 

Elijah’s “rapture” was a strong fore type of the rapture of the church at the end of its commission (after which is scheduled the tribulation or “The Day of the Lord”). As we can see, Elijah’s ministry has “long legs”, What else about Elijah is important?

Appearing as one of the three in the transfiguration:  

MT 17:1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

MT 17:4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

Join this lesson to learn more about Elijah and his assignment by God as a general type of the prophets, in conjunction with Moses, and his function as the general type of the law.  We'll take a closer look at these two men as teamed together by God to represent the Old Testament, also called "the law and the prophets". 

 The Scriptures state that the spirit of Elijah shall come just prior to the Tribulation, the Day of the Lord. The point of  “the spirit of Elijah" is to prepare the way for Messiah - Jesus' Second Coming.  He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers to make a people prepared for God before that great and terrible Day of the Lord commences.

Join the class as we analyze the Scriptures to understand this spirit and power of Elijah. We discover that this end-time function may be compared to the church's function; Elijah came to prepare a way before the Lord, as did his spiritual descendant, John the Baptist. The church is the final extension of this prime directive. The function of the church is to accomplish the SAME THING as Elijah and John the Baptist did.

In this lesson we continue with examining Elijah, and God's main purpose for sending this key prophet to his people.  

MAL 4:5 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

Continue with us as we allow God's Word to reveal how this prophecy was fulfilled. As we study, we'll tie together the concept and purposes of Elijah's ministry and the coming of Jesus Christ with the intent as stated in last book of the Old Testament, Malachi.

The once unified kingdom of Israel has been split into two, Israel to the north and Judah to the south. As the political intrigue continues, Ahab is made king over the northern kingdom. Being an extremely evil man, he takes an extremely evil woman named Jezebel as his queen. This debauched rulership was so impacting, that it's horrible repercussions still ring in the earth to this very day.

Let's continue our study where Ahab, Jezebel and also Elijah come on the scene for such a time as this, a key juncture in the history of God's people - and the world.

The main focal point is Elijah, and the great and powerful works God performed through him. His legacy is a key inflection point in history and rings through into the Millennium. 

The study of the life and times and impact of Elijah greatly reveals God's heart, mind and character and His plans for His people - and the world -  into the coming Millennial Kingdom, where Jesus Christ will take His place as the final King of kings on the throne of David.

 In the last lesson, we learned that Solomon, even after the was filled with the wisdom of God, became an utter failure. God rejected him now, and Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, succeeded him as ruler over the nation, 

What God promised would happen because of Solomon's failure started to take hold through circumstances He planned to work through Rehoboam. There was about to be civil war in Israel. 

Join us in this lesson and learn about how the ignominious end of Solomon's became the beginning of a civil war in the nation of Israel that would  split the the kingdom into two pieces. The northern kingdom fell into idolatry and called themselves “The House of Israel” (depending on the context, “Israel” now meant either the entire nation or just the northern kingdom). The capital of the northern kingdom was in Samaria.

The southern kingdom still maintained Jerusalem as its capital and called itself “The house of Judah”.

 The Temple is complete and ready. Now is the time for its dedication to the Great God as His dwelling place on earth among His chosen people, Israel.  Listen to this lesson and learn of the magnificent ceremony that Solomon and all of the elders officiated over among all Israel. 

I Kings describes with great depth the dedication ceremony and all that was done as king Solomon and the leaders of Israel prepare for God to take ownership of, and begin to dwell in His Temple among His people.

 Solomon accomplished all he had set his hand to do. He and the nation were at the peak of prosperity and peace – and the pinnacle of this was that they now had the sovereign God of creation dwelling in the midst of them.

Join us for the dedication ceremony and also as we start to learn about the rest of Solomon's history as king over Israel...

We pick-up in this lesson with the Temple construction being completed:

1KI 6:14 So Solomon built the temple and completed it. 15 He lined its interior walls with cedar boards, paneling them from the floor of the temple to the ceiling, and covered the floor of the temple with planks of pine. 16 He partitioned off twenty cubits at the rear of the temple with cedar boards from floor to ceiling to form within the temple an inner sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 17 The main hall in front of this room was forty cubits long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with gourds and open flowers. Everything was cedar; no stone was to be seen.

 The physical Solomon's Temple was designed and furnished to God's EXACT specifications for the particular purpose of describing the path of Salvation that Jesus would traverse to purchase a people to be God's own possession. 

Amazingly, It also is designed in its layout to map into the real temple God desires to dwell in - the human beings, HE made in His very image for this purpose! These are only of the group that are chosen and called into into full fellowship with God for eternity, These people - the church - are to rule and reign as the bride of The Savior who became flesh among us - the 'Eve' to Jesus' 'Adam' - through the Gospel of salvation in Him alone. THESE people EACH become the Temple of God as God dwells in them permanently.

Enjoy this key lesson with us as we endeavor to properly understand the architecture chosen by God for His dwelling place, at first among, and then in the last days, in His chosen people on the earth. 

 With his position as the wise and prudent king over the nation of Israel firmly in place, Solomon begins the great work of building God's permanent dwelling place among His people, the Temple.  

  1KI 5:3 "You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet. 4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. 5 I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, `Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.'

Listen-in as we allow the Bible to reveal to us the truth and history about the preparations for, and the building of the first permanent dwelling place of God among His chosen people.

This is Part 2 of the teaching about the importance of Godly wisdom. 

God wants us to fully understand the unfathomable value of attaining and consistently growing in Godly wisdom. He offers much about this in His Word, especially through documenting Solomon's experience. 

Mastering ANYTHING, including ruling our own selves, even up to an entire a nation as its king well, requires nothing short than attaining a high level of Godly wisdom directly from the Hand of God. Proof of this is given in many, many places in the Scriptures, but particularly here, it is given is in Solomon’s reign over Israel. 

Solomon's time as king was the absolute zenith of the still fully unified kingdom of Israel.  During his tenure, the kingdom stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River and from the Red Sea and Arabia to Lebanon and all of the states within these borders where held in subjection.  Even the Canaanites were subdued during this time. 

However, we are also shown the dire results of the contrast, where wisdom is "traded in" in favor of foolishness and the pride that desires its own ways over Godly wisdom. Pride surely does come before a fall! It happens every time, and Solomon is our "poster boy" example for this

Learn with us as we delve further into the life and times of Solomon, from his peak to his ultimate low. We must each strive to deeply learn the contrast between a life based on Godly wisdom and that based on worldly "wisdom", centered in pride - the foolishness of this world. Which do you and I prefer? Which type of wisdom are we consistently yielding to as the captain of our own lives?

God wants us to fully understand the unfathomable value of attaining and consistently growing in Godly wisdom. He offers much about this in His Word, especially through documenting Solomon's experience. 

Mastering ANYTHING, including ruling our own selves, even up to an entire a nation as its king well, requires nothing short than attaining a high level of Godly wisdom directly from the Hand of God. Proof of this is given in many, many places in the Scriptures, but particularly here, it is given is in Solomon’s reign over Israel. 

Solomon's time as king was the absolute zenith of the still fully unified kingdom of Israel.  During his tenure, the kingdom stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River and from the Red Sea and Arabia to Lebanon and all of the states within these borders where held in subjection.  Even the Canaanites were subdued during this time. 

However, we are also shown the dire results of the contrast, where wisdom is "traded in" in favor of foolishness and the pride that desires its own ways over Godly wisdom. Pride surely does come before a fall! It happens every time, and Solomon is our "poster boy" example for this

Learn with us as we delve further into the life and times of Solomon, from his peak to his ultimate low. We must each strive to deeply learn the contrast between a life based on Godly wisdom and that based on worldly "wisdom", centered in pride - the foolishness of this world. Which do you and I prefer? Which type of wisdom are we consistently yielding to as the captain of our own lives?

As we continue in our study of I Kings, we are at the point of the transition of the throne of Israel. David, nearing his death, officially transfers the scepter to his son Solomon and gives him the final instructions:  

1KI 2:1 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 1KI 2:2 "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, 4 and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: `If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

Join us as we see Solomon's response as he prepares to follow David to be the next king over Israel.  The main attribute he asks of God as he takes the throne, is the gift of supernatural, Godly wisdom. 

We will see that Godly wisdom is the KEY attribute that ALL Christians should be asking our God for as we navigate this life, and as He trains and prepares us now to rule and rein with Jesus Christ forever!  Jesus will be the final King of kings and Lord of Lords - We who are His during the church age will sit beside him as His bride at his throne for eternity. We are to use this life to intentionally prepare for that destiny. Godly wisdom is a MUST for each of us!

God will grant wisdom to you if you have the wisdom now to desire it more than anything else here. The book of Proverbs speaks much about the shear value of wisdom! Asking for Godly wisdom with deep longing for it shows God that you understand its unmatched value in this, and the life to come in eternity. God wants YOU and I to be filled with Godly wisdom now! 

So, I ask, what's wisdom's worth to you?

We transition to the study of the book of I Kings in this lesson. The books of I and II Kings, like I and II Samuel, were originally one book. I Kings is the portion that serves as the written record of the history of God’s chosen people under its greatest kings – and also the failures of most of the kings who followed.

I Kings opens with King David nearing his death and facing the immediate and very hard circumstances that will ensue as the successor to the throne of Israel rises. We'll see how the intrigue and battle for the throne is partly David's own fault in raising and preparing his sons to correctly at heart serve God and by extension, the people of Israel. Join us as I Kings begins teaching us the shameful history of the transition of power from David to his successor.

In this lesson, we continue to build the case from the Scriptures that the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, must come through the line of King David. Actually, there are four key attributes that Messiah must be proven to have so that there can be no doubt in identifying Who the most important person to ever walk the Earth would - and is now known- to be.

This is the reason there are exactly four Gospels in the New testament: 

- The Messiah must be the Rightful King of the Jews - The book of Matthew proves this true about Jesus Christ

- The Messiah must be the most humble servant to God and man to ever walk the earth - The book of Mark proves this true about Jesus Christ

- The Messiah must be fully a human being - The book of Luke proves this true about Jesus Christ

- The Messiah must be fully God - The book of John proves this true about Jesus Christ

In this lesson we cover the Scriptural proofs from the Old Testament perspective and in that time-frame. It is absolutely key for Christians to know - and be able to prove - that Jesus Christ IS Messiah and the ONLY ONE to ever fulfill all four requirements exactly!

 This lesson is part 2....The Davidic Covenant is one of the most important passages of Scripture in the entire Old Testament because it affects all that follows in the history of mankind. It is the direct and divine confirmation of a throne in Israel and the eternal continuance of the Davidic Dynasty. God says that David’s dynasty will endure forever, and indeed it will. Why is it so important, and why should you and I care to understand this prime mover in the plan of God'?

As we’ve seen and will yet see as we move forward, Israel has had some very bad kings and a few good ones in its history, but God always preserved the kingly lineage as an unbroken thread because of His commitment to the covenant He made with and through David.

It will do all Christians well to learn the full scope of the Davidic covenant and what is means to the very bride of Christ during the church age and beyond, into the Millennium. Join us now as we learn the details of this key covenant preserved for us in the book of II Samuel.

The Davidic Covenant is one of the most important passages of Scripture in the entire Old Testament because it affects all that follows in the history of mankind. It is the direct and divine confirmation of a throne in Israel and the eternal continuance of the Davidic Dynasty. God says that David’s dynasty will endure forever, and indeed it will. Why is it so important, and why should you and I care to understand this prime mover in the plan of God'?

As we’ve seen and will yet see as we move forward, Israel has had some very bad kings and a few good ones in its history, but God always preserved the kingly lineage as an unbroken thread because of His commitment to the covenant He made with and through David.

It will do all Christians well to learn the full scope of the Davidic covenant and what is means to the very bride of Christ during the church age and beyond, into the Millennium. Join us now as we learn the details of this key covenant preserved for us in the book of II Samuel.

It is time for King David to bring the Ark Of The Covenant to Jerusalem. Although the intent is correct and he took great care in preparing it for transport, the first attempt resulted in God putting a man to death after he tried to stabilize the Ark as it was about to fall from its transport.

This incident sounds peculiar and it seems to us that it is unlike our loving God to react this way to an innocent desire to keep the Ark from falling to the ground. Even King David was angry with God for killing this man.  

Why would God react this way to this incident while carrying the Ark to its rightful home in Jerusalem? 

An excellent question that you and I would do well to understand. This is precisely why the account is preserved in the Bible! 

Join the lesson and discover for yourself even more about how God' thinks and how He comes to do what He does. Especially when it makes little sense to us! 

Yes, God really DOES want YOU to know Him VERY intimately, if you are His in Christ. Continue you with us as we allow His Word to bring us closer to Him - because that is His intention through it!

Join us as we examine these characters more closely, define who they are and their roles in history - and at this very time. There are a number of very important reasons why understanding these is vital for you and me. 

As you study God's Word and more deeply study the history and other facts surrounding the Scriptures that it supports, and that support the Scriptures, you cannot help but recognize why. 

Actually, if you've been studying with us since the first lessons in the Cover-To-Cover series, you are already understand more than you thought was possible for you to understand - and so easily! God's Word really does make perfect sense. 

For the true Christian (only), tutored by the Holy Spirit,  as you study and follow His lead on what and how to study, you see that the Scriptures, for the most part really are not "rocket science" and easy to understand. This is by design. God must equip us to serve Him and He must do this for His Glory and your good and usefulness to Him and others in this present age.

Also, we are at the very point at this time in earth's 7,000-year history where we will start to see the most blatant and striking manifestations of the things of Hades – and WE as the CHURCH ARE STILL HERE. We MUST understand what all this means…especially having the complete Old Testament as our guide. Understanding and wisdom in the things of God is NOT and option if you are truly His in Christ.

 Listen-in to this lesson as we continue learning about king David's early years.  God is greatly blessing David and greater Israel under him because David is God’s anointed king and his heart is for the Lord. Most importantly, he has proved that he truly desires to show his love and devotion through being obedient to God's will.

 Now that David has Jerusalem, he decides that this will be the capital of the nation of Israel and commences to have the king’s palace designed and built. Understandably, this is not sitting well with one of the fieriest enemies of Israel and one of the main groups of Satan’s forces, the Philistines…

2SA 5:17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;  

Follow along with us and learn what God desires and does through David, as he wholeheartedly follows God's will. Learn how David prepares to encounter these "special people", the Philistines, in the Valley of the Rephaim.

Join us as we will learn about the final fall of Saul and the beginning of the rise of David to replace him as king over Israel.   We visit a most grievous “indulgence” of Saul’s, the consulting of a medium to contact the dead prophet, Samuel.  Previously, we saw that Saul also used Samuel as sort of a “soothsayer” while he was alive. This problem of Saul’s – not consulting God, but other spirits – became even more amplified as his position as king was heading toward its final hours.  

Saul’s reign as Israel’s first monarch ends and has been transferred to David as he becomes king over Judah and later, king over Israel.

We close the book of I Samuel and transition to the next book of the Bible, II Samuel, which chronicles David’s forty-two-year reign as king over Israel. 

As with all Scripture content, the historical account of David and Goliath is pregnant with meaning that is deeper and wider than any of us could ever know in this lifetime. Yet, if we desire to truly understand as much as possible about God's purposes and plans, His mind and point-of-view, we are commanded to plumb the depths of Scripture to find the pearls of truth and gain wisdom.

Join us as we continue discussing the transition in the monarchy from Saul to David and his confrontation with the giant of the Nephilim race, Goliath of Gath. 

By the way, did you know that Goliath had brothers?  One of them, also mentioned in Scripture, had six fingers on each hand and was just about as huge, was eliminated later in the narrative: II Sa 21:19  And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 

Just why do the fallen angels even do this genetic chicanery? Why does God even allow these non-humans to come upon the earth at all? Are they among us now? What role did and do they play? Do they factor in at the very end of this age, the time we are in?

We continue in this lesson the discussion about David and the infamous Goliath. An abnormally large and strong man with six fingers on each hand. Why does the Bible make these facts clear? Why do these special attributes of the Goliath and those of his kind matter so much that the Bible speaks directly about them?

 We find that Goliath was not fully human as he was a descendant of the Nephilim – the fallen ones – which were not planned creations of God. They were specifically developed by Satan and his angels for their purposes. 

Join us in this lesson as we continue learning more about how Satan and his angelic and demonic hoards are setting about to destroy humanity, leveraging God's creations against Him and you and me.

Yes, this information is in the Bible, and historical fact, and Christians need to know this to understand better what God is allowing and why and how it affects us and this world even today as we enter the close of the Age and the world enter the Tribulation.

God said this would happen. He warned the Israelites through Samuel that having any human king over Israel would not go well for them. It sure was turning out that way, and this was Israel's first king! It did not take long for Saul to sour and fall into rebelliousness against God.

Continuing forward from the last lesson, we see Saul rebelling yet again. This time He does so in a major way that crosses the line of no return. Saul was to destroy all of the Amalekites, but he again decided to hold back from fully performing what God told him to do. This was the “final straw” that broke the back of Saul’s rulership. He's is soundly rejected by God and not only that, the Holy Spirit is removed from him as well.  

This went so badly, that God grieved He's selected Saul as a king over His people. Not destroying all of the Amalekites was not a rectifiable situation. It was to have "long legs" into Israel's future. God decreed that Saul was finished and was to be replaced.  

Join us in this lesson as we continue learning about the fascinating and very informative story of Saul's decline into almost a madness, as David, son of Jesse is hand-selected by God through Samuel to become the next king over Israel. The transition is not immediate. There is much richness and learning for us in the account of the selection and rise of David and the decline of Saul.

1SA 15:34 Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

1SA 16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his son to be king."

Listen-in as we continue to learn how God allows for the desire of the people of Israel and instructs Samuel to select and raise the first human king.  

The people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us". When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD. The LORD answered, "Listen to them and give them a king." 

Samuel has is orders, and as much as he is repulsed by what God is going to allow, he obeys. 

There was a man of the tribe of Benjamin, a man in good standing, who had a son named Saul. Saul was an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites--a head taller than any of the others.

We see that Saul had all of the “goods” of a kingly man: tall, dark and handsome. Human nature by default in prone to impart undue favor upon and assume higher intelligence, wisdom and character from those with physical beauty. We know this because we see beauty or other attractiveness used in advertising and propaganda, which seems almost always to work! We know this because even people today select leaders who "look" the part. 

Samuel locates and anoints Saul as the first king over Israel. Now, the people have what they aggressively demanded. As we see how the period of the monarchy rolls out for the nation, I hope it will instill in us the warning to be very careful to give way to God's will and never to demand anything from Him. He may just teach us a lesson by allowing us to have our way. Realize that you've asked for and will bet set up for trouble -  that God just might allow - to teach you a hard lesson, as He had to do to with Israel.

God had a point to prove to this people and this is exactly what was going to happen. Here, we'll start to allow the Bible to guide us down this hard, twisting road of pits and holes and traps in the period of the monarchy in the sordid history of Israel. 

Through disorder and chaos and losing battle after battle, Israel realizes that they again need have a king, establish a monarchy, to reign over their debauched nation. A monarch affords a single point of national administration, law, justice and judgement. 

Wait a minute! Didn't they accept God as their King a long time ago ? Didn't they willingly enter an unbreakable covenant with Him as He was to be their King? They had a choice and they agreed to "elect" God as their King forever. But,  they rejected their King a long time ago, too. 

Yes, they wanted a king again, but not God. They still rejected him. They wanted a human king this time, and that for the wrong reasons. This king was to go out and fight their enemies. 

They failed to fully realize and take to heart that God had been fighting their battles for them all along and when they were trounced, it was because they were out of fellowship with God. It was not because God was not able to win their wars. They knew this, but  wanted reject living under that King's laws! Rebelliousness is a knife to your own throat. (We all need to learn this well!). 

It is no different with human begins through time and today, even in this modern age. We as peoples in our respective countries want “kings” over us to fight our battles and protect us. Even worse, many today now want their kings to feed and cloth and give them prosperity, too! However, in demanding this, we relinquish more and more of our freedoms in trade for this so-called protection. We desire to be slaves and don't care about this as long as the king gives us what we need and want. (So, how's that working for us? Look around and give this some serious thought!).

The problem? Human kings, as all people, are evil. Not one is ever found righteous. Not one. History bears this out, but we, in our rebelliousness ignore this to our own peril time and time again because we are just as evil.

Samuel is very upset and complains to God about Israel's desire. Join us as the Bible gives us God's response and His instructions to Samuel about how to handle this situation and what to tell Israel on His behalf. This may surprise you! Even more, God's words to Samuel are absolutely applicable to all peoples and nations, even until today. You will learn much about us as we live today. 

Solomon was correct: there truly is nothing new under the sun!

Join us in this lesson as we learn about an incident that involves the holy Ark Of The Covenant. We learn how God allowed the Philistines to actually defeat Israel AND take the Ark Of The Covenant - for a time, that is... God makes a very strong point to all who were involved and all who learn of this from His Word. So, tune in...

"Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. 3 When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, "Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD's covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies."

So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

When the ark of the LORD's covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, "What's all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?"

When they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. "A god has come into the camp," they said. "We're in trouble! Nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the desert. Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!"

So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 The ark of God was captured..."

If you think this introduction is intriguing, listen in and learn how this all works out! If you have not studied this incident before, you may be amazed at what God does with the Philistines - and Israel - as He protects the honor of The Ark Of The Covenant.

Continue along with us as we begin to learn about a major inflection point for the nation of Israel. The time of the Judges is waning as God prepares the transition to a monarchy. God begins to assign kings to rule over Israel. 

We are moving past the time of the judges into the time of the monarchy in Israel. The books of I and II Samuel, I and II Kings and I and II Chronicles map out this transitional and impacting period in the history of the nation.     

We begin our study with an introduction to a man named Samuel, destined to be the last Judge of Israel.  Biblical history bears him out as a leader of the stature of both Abraham (the patriarch) and Moses (Warrior and lawgiver).

He also was the first great prophet to Israel and, although not of the tribe of Levi, was specifically called to be a priest. 

Samuel differed in his leadership as one of the judges of Israel in that his influence did not stand on military exploits, diplomatic skill or political shrewdness, but in personal integrity and unceasing loyalty to God. As the first great prophet of Israel, he established the “schools of the prophets” (I Sam. 19:20; I Kings 2:3~5; 4:38).

Samuel starts the great monarchy period by anointing both Saul and afterward, David as the first two kings of Israel, Samuel gradually relinquishes his position of authority as a Judge of Israel to the rising monarchy that God caused to commence.

RU 3:15 He (Boaz) also said (to Ruth), "Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out." When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and put it on her. Then he went back to town.

RU 3:16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "How did it go, my daughter?"

Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, "He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, `Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.' "

RU 3:18 Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."

As we continue in the book and story of Ruth, we see that there is a problem that Boaz must be deal with first. There exists a kinsman of closer relationship to Naomi, and he had to be given first right of refusal to redeem his relative. 

Understanding how all of this works, Naomi assures Ruth that Boaz would not rest until the matter was settled. She knew that Boaz was an influential man and that he also was sure that things would go his way. How did she know this?  because Boaz sent the extra provision to Naomi of six measures of barley via Ruth as a signal.

Join us in this lesson to learn more about these concepts and most importantly, what they mean prophetically in God's overall plan of salvation for Jew and Gentile.