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The Tribulation Period comes to a close in chapter 19 with the return of Christ to defeat His enemies and set up His kingdom. "The marriage of the Lamb has come" is one way the event is described. The New Testament church, absent from the Scriptures since chapter 3 is again brought into focus as she returns with Christ and arrayed in white. Upon His return riding on a white horse, Christ destroys His enemies with just the words from His mouth. The beast (antichrist) and the false prophet are thrown alive into the lake of fire. We read "Alleluia!" four times in the first six verses--the only times that word is found in the New Testament, and it represents the rejoicing in heaven for the return of Christ and the defeat of His enemies. "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb" is a tremendous statement about what we might call the great wedding reception that will take place on earth.

Jeremiah chapter 13 had Jeremiah being an object lesson to the people of Southern Judah. God told him to get a linen sash, or girdle, or belt, to wear it around his waste and not to wash it. Later when the sash was dirty, God told Jeremiah to go to the Euphrates and hide the dirty sash in a hole in a rock. Later he was instructed to go back there and get it. When he found it, it was ruined and profitable for nothing. God told him that the people of Judah were like that ruined sash--they were not profitable for Him because of their idolatry and sinful ways.

The Davidic Covenant is an "unconditional" covenant that will be forever. We look at three passages supporting the Davidic Covenant: 2nd Samuel 7, 1st Chronicles 17, and Psalm 89. The importance of the Davidic Covenant to us in our day is that it calls for the Messiah, a direct descendant of David, to sit on the throne of David forever. That means that Israel will again become the head of nations, at least during the Kingdom Age for 1000 years. The last eight chapters of the book of Ezekiel tell about nations of the earth sending representatives to Jerusalem at various times of the year to worship the King. Therefore, those in our day who believe that God is finished with the nation of Israel, and especially that the church has replaced Israel are in direct opposition to the Davidic Covenant.

Revelation chapter 18 tells of the destruction of Commercial or Political Babylon. The response from the kings of the earth will be wearing and wailing and sorrow, but the response from heaven will be joy and rejoicing. Religious Babylon in chapter 17 was destroyed by the 10 kings of the earth who give their allegiance to the Beast, the antichrist. But Commercial or Political Babylon in chapter 18 will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ when He returns to set up His Kingdom. The items listed in verses 9 through 19 are not symbolic but are literal things that were bought and sold by the kings and participants of the Beast kingdom for prophet and pleasure, but will be ultimately lost when Babylon is destroyed by Christ's return.

Jeremiah chapters 11 and 12 deal with Jeremiah speaking to the people about them having not kept the covenant they made to keep God's Word. They instead continued to worship idols, and God had Jeremiah tell them that judgment was coming unless they turned back to Him. Since they had heard from God's Word when the book of the Law had been found while the temple was being refurbished, they were now accountable for what it said. God again told Jeremiah not to pray for that people because He would not hear and not answer because of their disobedience. One day out in the future, God will bring a remnant of believing Jews back to their Promised Land and bless them, but this generation will be taken captive if they don't turn back to God.

We look at the Land Covenant today. Dr. Fruchtenbaum separates the Land Covenant from the Abrahamic Covenant. He presents them both as unconditional covenants. The Scripture passage he uses for reference to the Land Covenant is from Deuteronomy chapters 29 and 30, with particular emphasis on Deuteronomy 30:1-10. I usually combine the Land Covenant with the Abrahamic Covenant, but that's probably because my understanding is not as deep or thorough as Dr Fruchtenbaum's.

Revelation chapter 17 deals with the destruction of religious Babylon, or Ecclesiastical Babylon. The apostate false church is depicted by a harlot riding the beast. This is symbolic of the one-world false religion aiding the antichrist in bringing about the one-world religion, economy, and government. Then when her value to the beast (the antichrist) is fulfilled, he has the ten rulers who are over what may be ten regions of the globe, destroy the woman and the false religion so that only the antichrist will be the object of worship. There is much speculation and controversy over who and what and where the Babylon mentioned will be. Time will eventually tell. But just as Christ followers are to look for the True Christ to return for the Church and not be looking for the antichrist, we should be looking forward to the New Jerusalem instead of worrying about who and where the Babylon of Revelation is located.

Jeremiah chapters 7-10 deal with Jeremiah's ministry just after the book of the Law was found when the temple was being refurbished during the early reign of King Josiah in Southern Judah. The temple was back in use, and God told Jeremiah to go stand at the gate of the temple and declare God's message to the people. They were to amend their ways or judgment would come. The ways of the people had gotten so bad that God told Jeremiah not to pray for that people anymore because He would not hear. The people mistook growth in numbers to be spiritual growth. They thought they would be okay because they were going to the temple, but they had not completely turned their hearts to God and amended their ways. Jeremiah, known as the weeping prophet, was burdened over his people. Jeremiah told the people not to glory in their wisdom, or their might, or their riches, but to glory in knowing the LORD. We continue to see things in Jeremiah that remind us of the sins and problems of our own people and our own country in our day.

Today we look at the Mosaic Covenant. It is a "conditional" covenant between God and the nation of Israel, the Jewish people. It began with God giving Moses the Law, known as the Law of Moses or the Mosaic Law. The agreement of the Israelites to obey God's directions of the Law resulted in the Mosaic Covenant. It began with the Israelites exodus from Egypt to go the the Promised Land and was affirmed with the Jews at Mount Sinai, so we go to Exodus chapter 19 to begin looking at Scriptures relating to the Mosaic Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant has references in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It resulted in the religious leaders coming up with 613 commandments in the covenant. It is related to the Abrahamic Covenant in that it deals with the Jews and the Promised Land. The "conditional" part relates to them being told if they obey God's commandments they will enjoy the blessings of the Promised Land and become the head of nations and God's peculiar people, a nation of Priests to the rest of the world. However, if they are disobedient to the commandment conditions, they will be exiled from their land and their enemies will rule over them.

Jeremiah chapters 2 through 6 took place during Jeremiah's first five years of his ministry and was before the book of the Law had been discovered when the temple was being repaired and cleansed. Jeremiah presented two messages in these chapters. This passage occurred during the early years of King Josiah's reign in Southern Judah. Jeremiah gives God's word to the people. God desires that they repent and turn back to Him. If they do not, there will be just judgment come upon them. The passage reflects God's love and concern for the people, but they will not listen or heed Jeremiah's message.

We look at the Abrahamic Covenant from passages in Genesis chapters 12, 13, 15, 17, and 22. The Abrahamic Covenant is an "unconditional" covenant between God and the nation of Israel through Abraham. One of the great provisions of the Abrahamic Covenant is that God said those who bless Israel will be blessed, but those who curse Israel will be cursed. This covenant and provision has never been rescinded and is still relevant today as it was nearly 4000 years ago.

Revelation 15 is a prelude to the seven bowl judgments. In this chapter we see another sign in heaven; one of seven times we see the word "sign" referenced in the book. We see the tribulation saints standing on what looks like a sea of glass in heaven. They have had victory over the beast and have harps and sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Then the true temple in heaven is in view and seven angels come out from the temple and are each given a bowl of the judgment of God's wrath to be poured out upon the earth. This is during the last have of the tribulation period and takes us to the end of it when the Lord returns. The chapter ends with us waiting to see what happens when the bowls are poured out. We will see each of them next week in chapter 16

We begin our study in Jeremiah chapter 1. Jeremiah's ministry lasted over 50 years and through the reign of 5 Kings of Southern Judah and into the early part of the Babylonian captivity. Chapter 1 deals with God calling and commissioning Jeremiah. The good King Josiah was reigning at the beginning of Jeremiah's ministry. Jeremiah was to bring a message of coming judgment upon Judah, and it was not well received by the kings and people, especially after Josiah's reign ended. Jeremiah felt unworthy and incapable of doing the work, but God assured him that He would be with him and keep him from being killed. God told Jeremiah that the people would not listen to him or heed his message, but he was to give anyway. We will find similarities of Jeremiah and his mission and situation as ours in our day and in our country.

Genesis chapter 9 is the text for today's session that covers the covenant that God made with Noah, his family, and all living things on the earth. We call it the Noahic Covenant, and it is an Unconditional Covenant between God and all mankind and even all the earth. The sign of the covenant is the rainbow. Within this covenant are the following provisions: They were to repopulate the earth. They did not have dominion over the earth like before the Fall. Animals and all living creatures now have a fear of man. Man can now eat meat, but without the blood. Capital punishment was instituted. The world would never again be destroyed by a flood. The sign of the covenant and God keeping His word is the rainbow.

Chapter 14 of Revelation gives more information to help understand the events that have happened and some that are yet to happen. We can divide the chapter into at least three sections. The first references the Lamb (Jesus) and the 144,000 that are sealed with the name of the LORD on their foreheads. They even sing a song that no one else can sing. We discover they have not been married, they are virgins. My "opinion" on their not marrying is two-fold: they can devote all of their time and energy and concerns on their ministry, and they don't have to worry about a family living through the worst time in the history of mankind. The next sections presents the proclamation of three angels: one saying that the judgment of God has come, one foretelling of the judgment and fall of Babylon, and another saying that any who take the mark of the beast will suffer eternal torment. The third section is a preview of Armageddon with the coming of Christ and a reaping of the earth, the people being presented as grapes thrust into the winepress of God's wrath. The judgment and devastation and death will be so great that blood will flow up the the bridles of the horses for nearly 185 miles.

Chapter 5 of James is divided into three sections. The first dealing with rich unbelievers oppressing poor believers. Money and goods are the subject matter. It is important to remember that the Bible does not teach that having money or being rich is a sin. the Bible teaches, especially from Paul's writings, that the "love of money" is the root of all evil. The takeaway is that how we get our money and what we do with it become great tests of our spiritual condition. The second section of chapter 5 deals with having patience for the Lord's return. James uses the example of a farmer who patiently waits for the harvest to come after the early rains and the latter rains. The context of the chapter may indicate our being patient even in times of oppression for the Lord's return. He said that we are to "establish our hearts" which may indicate we are to commit ourselves not toe give up in times of persecution. The third section deals with various needs and praying. The example given was for one who is sick to seek prayer from the elders of the church and be anointed with oil in the name of the Lord. Some people take this to mean the James was against going to the doctor. Dr. McGee said his opinion based upon the meaning of the word "anoint" could be interpreted as we are to go to the doctor. He pointed out that the Greek word for anoint, means to rub or apply oil, which could be interpreted as applying it for medicinal purposes. He then interpreted the passage to mean that it is okay and even advisable to see a doctor. The last couple verses might also be considered a section in itself. They deal with restoring an errant brother from some sinful practice, which is very similar to what the Apostle Paul wrote in Galatians 6:1-2.

We look at the second of eight covenants recognized by Dr Arnold Fruchtenbaum, the Adamic Covenant. The Scripture reference for it is Genesis 3:14-19. We look at a chart that shows the covenants and how they are notated as being conditional or unconditional and whether they are for all of mankind or the Jews of Israel, and possibly including believing Gentiles. We also look at the comparison of the covenants with various dispensations

Chapter 13 of Revelation reveals two beasts; one coming up from the sea (representing Gentile mankind) who is the antichrist and one coming from the earth (representing Israel) which is the false prophet. The false prophet and the antichrist are empowered by the dragon (satan) to perform signs and miracles and lying wonders to deceive. There is an appearance of the first beast receiving a deadly wound but being revived to life (a mimicking of Christ's true resurrection). The false prophet causes all to receive the mark of the beast and to worship the beast.

Introductory session for a study of eight Covenants found in the Bible. In our study, we will be looking at some work done by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum from Ariel Ministries and some passages of Scripture from a dispensational view. We consider the first Covenant in today's study; the Edenic Covenant. We also talk about a couple ways to divide or compare the various Covenants; one is whether they are "conditional" or "unconditional" Covenants, another one being whether the Covenants are made between God and mankind in general or with Israel and the Jews.

The last verses of chapter 11 give us the sounding of the seventh trumpet. Chapter 12 presents us with five of seven personages or groups of people or angels that give us better understanding of why and what is taking place before we get to the bowl judgments. We discuss the timing and sequence of the opening of the Seals, the Trumpet Judgments, and the Bowl Judgments

James chapter 2 can be divided into two sections. The first section deals with instruction not to show favoritism to people. James gives an example of a poor man and a rich man entering services. We are not to give preference or special treatment to the rich man because he is rich. That is considered sin. He also taught that if we are guilty of one sin, then we are guilty of the entire Law. The second section deals with our works. James teaches that faith without works is dead. Many people think that James and the Apostle Paul are at odds with one another on this issue, but in fact, they are in agreement. James is talking about works of "faith", and Paul talks about works of the "Law".

We finish our study of The Beginnings in Chapters 11, 12, 13, and 15 of Genesis. We start with a review of the Scriptural principles found in the early chapters of Genesis, then look at the events of the Tower of Babel, and finish with the Abrahamic Covenant

Chapter 10, along with the first 14 verses of chapter 11, are between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments. These passages between the sixth and seventh seals, trumpets, and bowls are to give us information about who and what is going on in addition to the judgments taking place. In chapter 10, John sees another strong or mighty angel coming from heaven with a little book in his hand. The angel stands with a foot on the ground and a foot on the sea and cries out with a loud voice and seven thunders uttered their voices. John was told not to write the words of the seven thunders, but to leave them sealed. The angel swore by the Creator who made the heavens and the earth that there should be no more delay, but when the seventh angel sounded the mystery of God would be finished John is told to take the little book from the angel and to eat it. It would taste sweet but become bitter in his stomach. Then John was told he was to prophecy more to many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.

Obadiah is a small, one-chapter Minor Prophet book of the Old Testament that speaks of judgment upon Edom and a future restoration of Israel. It is relevant to us in our day because in the prophetic view of Israel's restoration and important part in the Kingdom Age, their current enemies will be destroyed similar to Edom being destroyed as foretold in Obadiah