1 Corinthians 5
1 Kings 18
Amos 2:1-3:2
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Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading
As we read the story of Elijah the prophet and the time of no rain (which lasted 3.5 years - and is a shadow picture of the 1260 days in the future), there are several prophetic comparisons which warrant our attention.
- Layer 1 - 1st application: there will be a prophetic application in the time of ancient Israel.
- Layer 2 - 2nd application: there will be a prophetic application in the time of Christ and/or the early Christian church.
- Layer 3 - 3rd application: there will be a final prophetic fulfillment of the prophecy which takes place at the end of the world.
The Feast of Passover - Passover is a prophecy. It involved events which were fulfilled on the exact day of this feast.
- Layer 1 - Passover was fulfilled in the time of ancient Israel - the Exodus from Egypt and the Death of the first born all took place on this first fulfillment of Passover.
- Layer 2 - Passover was fulfilled in the time of Christ - Yahshua, Who was our Passover Lamb, actually died on Passover in the second fulfillment.
- Layer 3 - Passover also has a final, future fulfillment. For when Yahshua ate the Passover supper (often called the Last Supper) with His disciples, He told them that He would not eat the Passover with them again until it was fulfilled in the Kingdom of God - at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
- Layer 1 - The 1260 days of trouble was fulfilled in the time of ancient Israel - Elijah's time of no rain lasted exactly 1260 days, or 3.5 years.
- Layer 2 - The 1260 days was fulfilled in the middle era also. In this middle layer it took place in figurative time (meaning it happened in a day for a year). Thus there were exactly 1260 years of the Inquisition, which was a terrible time of trouble.
- Layer 3 - The prophecy of the 1260 day timeline also has a final, future fulfillment. In the future, the 1260 days will be a Time of Trouble such as there never was before.
- Layer 1 - The Elijah Message was fulfilled in the time of ancient Israel - Elijah gave this Message himself on the top of Mount Carmel, calling all Israel to repent and turn from their idolatry.
- Layer 2 - The Elijah Message prophecy was fulfilled a second time in the time of Christ - in this application, John the Baptist gave the Elijah Message, again calling the people to repentance (Matthew 17:10-13). Scripture tells us that when the people received the Message of John, calling them to repentance, they were receiving the Elijah Message (Matthew 11:13-15).
- Layer 3 - According to Malachi 4, the final Elijah Message will be given just prior to Messiah's Return (Malachi 4:5).
The Enemy is Always the Same:
In the time of Elijah, Israel had mixed the worship of Baal in with the worship of Yahweh. Baal was the name of the sun god. But this false god has many names depending on the culture and language. In the picture is shown an altar stone of Baal. Notice the solar wheel, which was the symbol of the sun god from ancient times. Today the sun god is still worshiped. In much the same way Jezebel brought the worship of the sun god, Baal into Israel, papal Rome brought the worship of the sun god into Christianity. Today, Baal's sacred days are kept as sacred in Christianity, as a result. For example, Baal's sacred day of the week was Sunday. Baal's birthday was December 25, and so forth.Actually sun worship didn't originate in the time of Elijah. Sun worship was founded in ancient Babylon. And the original name of the sun god was Nimrod, of biblical fame (Genesis 10:8-9).
"Rome, from its earliest history has always been the implacable enemy of God's truth... It was that same sun worship system of religion that had been originally concocted in Babylon. Anciently, it had come to Rome in fragments and was known historically as Pagan Rome. But later, as the Imperial Roman Empire collapsed and Papal Rome took its place, Babylonian sun worship manifested itself in an almost pure and radical form," (The Grand Design Exposed, p 30).
The Characters are Always the Same - Ancient Israel:
When Elijah gave the Elijah Message back in the time of ancient Israel, the key characters were:Ahab - representing the political power who followed the lead of the ungodly woman, queen Jezebel.
Jezebel - the high priestess of sun worship who became the queen of Israel the manipulated and controlled the king.
450 prophets of Baal - these were servants of the queen, who did her bidding.
Apostatizing people - the professed people of God were on the fence about worship. They were accustomed to mixing the sacred with the profane by "worshiping" Yahweh in Baal-honoring ways. And by honoring Baal outright.
Elijah the prophet - standing alone Elijah called the people to turn back to Yahweh, stop the Baal-honoring practices, and repent.
Elijah delivers the Message of God, brings upon himself the ire of Jezebel, faces the threat of death and flees into the wilderness.
The Characters are Always the Same - John the Baptist:
When John the Baptist gave the Elijah Message in the time of Christ, the key characters were:Herod - representing the political power who followed the lead of the ungodly woman, queen Herodias.
Herodias - she was Herod's sister-in-law and his niece. When she became the queen she manipulated and controlled the king, bringing him to ruin.
Salome - daughter of the queen, who did her bidding.
Apostatizing people - the professed people of God who were mixing the sacred with the profane by "worshiping" Yahweh in Rome-honoring ways.
John the Baptist - standing alone John called the people to turn back to Yahweh, stop the idolatrous practices, and repent.
John delivers the Message of God, brings upon himself the ire of queen Herodias, faces the threat of death and is martyred.
The Characters are Always the Same - The Final Elijah:
In the End of Time, all of God's faithful people are called to give the Elijah Message. In other words, we are all on the Elijah Team. Our Message is the same as it has always been. And once again, the key characters are:Political Leaders (kings of the earth) - the political power who follow the lead of the ungodly woman, the Whore of Babylon, who rides the beast.
Papal Rome - the woman who rides the beast is the false queen who manipulates and controls world leaders, leading the world into "Christianized" sun worship.
Daughters of the Whore - Protestant churches, who do the bidding (follow the doctrines) of Papal Rome.
Apostatizing people - the professed people of God who are mixing the sacred with the profane by "worshiping" Yahweh in Rome-honoring ways.
God's faithful few - the ever unpopular, but highly needed followers of Yahweh call the people to turn back to Yahweh, stop the idolatrous practices, and repent.
The people of Yahweh will deliver the Message of God, bring upon themselves the ire of the Whore (whom Revelation describes as being drunken with the blood of the saints), faces the threat of death and will manifest both outcomes of the prior two Elijahs. In other words, some of God's End-time Elijah's will be miraculously protected from the threat of death - being protected and provided for in the wilderness - just as was the first Elijah. And some of God's End-time Elijah's will be martyred - just as was the second Elijah (John the Baptist).
The Three Elijahs (by Shauna Manfredine)
When first came Elijah, the king of the
land,
Had given the priestess of Baal his hand.
He’d broken the altar to the only true
God,
Upon all YAH’s
precepts he’d blatantly trod.
And Jezebel set up the worship of Baal,
While the people succumbed and just let
her prevail.
And profane, idolatrous, sun worship
stuff,
Did taint Israel’s worship til YAH had
enough!
So YAH
sent Elijah to set things to right,
To fearlessly clear up the people’s dimmed sight.
And Elijah spoke out and the false god
was fired.
“Yahweh, He is God” were the words he
inspired.
But Mount Carmel’s fireworks were too
soon forgotten,
As another, like Ahab, arose just as
rotten!
King Herod united the church to the
state,
With an unholy wedding that brought much
debate.
She was a claimed Jewess and he a claimed
Jew,
But they worshiped the sun when Sukkot
was through.
Once again pagan worship polluted the land,
And the people were tainted with
sun-worship’s brand.
So God sent out Elijah disguised as John.
He loudly exposed the Herodias con.
When Elijah spoke out the false god was
drowned.
And many beholding the Lamb were then
found.
Much time has passed since John preached
to men,
But all those same villains
are here once again.
The kings of the earth have a worldly
alliance,
With the Babylon woman who gives God
defiance.
Once again sun-worship from Babylon Rome,
Has tainted the people and defiled the
home.
The Nimrod Trees stand at the front of
each church,
And Easter egg hunts cast a Estre
church smirch.
The state and the church have indeed been
united,
The sun-worship filth stands thus far
un-righted.
Elijah? Where are you? Stand up, number
three!
YAH’s call
is resounding, “Reclaim men for Me!”
