Bible Questions & Discussion PAGE 190

Part 6

3. It is a great city; an overspreading city, a city that overspreads the earth. As Sion was a vast city, a city that did overspread the nations (how did the faith of the gospel over-run the world in the apostles' days!) so this city hath also over-run the world. Indeed it hath taken up the whole territories and dominions of the other city (and hath enlarged itself further), and Sion hath been laid in the dust, and trodden under foot. And though many witnesses, prophets, and martyrs, have mourned over her, yet none have been able to raise up the tabernacle of David, which hath fallen down, nor to recover Sion to this day; but Babylon hath had the power over her. Look with the true eye, and behold how all nations, kindreds, tongues, and languages, have been drunk with some or other of the mixtures of this false woman's cup (some of them over, and over, and over again), and have been inhabitants of this city, crying her up (though not all in her gross habit, but some in her more refined shapes and transformings) for the true church, for Sion; whereas, alas! she hath only Sion's dress, Sion's shape, Sion's outward garment (which is the likeness wherein she lies in wait to deceive), but not Sion's spirit.

Part 5

2. It is a spiritual or mystical city. It is not an outward building of earthly materials, but an inward building of inward materials. As the outward Sion, the outward Jerusalem, is passed away in its use and service; so the outward Babylon is out of date too. (Ye need not look so far for it.) And as God hath built up an inward city, a spiritual building; so hath the king of darkness likewise. He could never have tempted from the city of the living God, from the city of the mystery of life, but by the city of the mystery of deceit. And as God builds his city of hewn stones, of squared stones, of living stones; so also hath the king of darkness his hewings, his squarings, his preparations, his qualifications for his buildings. If the light break forth, and make it appear too gross to have the whole nation a church, or to admit a whole parish to ordinances, he will gather a church out of the nation, and select some of his choicer stones out of the parish; yea, he may grasp in some of the stones of the true temple, if they come within his reach and circle; that is, if they look abroad, if they step forth, and keep not close to the anointing within, which is the great and only ordinance of the saints' preservation from antichrist's power: for if they step forth but so much as into a prayer against antichrist, out of this, they are caught in his snare, and are serving him in that very prayer, which they may seem with great earnestness and zeal to put up against him.

Part 4

1. It is a city. This is a proper parable, to discover the mystery of iniquity by in this state; it is just like a city, in its kind it is a city. In a city there are several streets; in the streets, houses; in the houses, several rooms, to which families and persons appertain; and to all these there are laws and governments. Thus it is here; there are many streets in this city of Babylon, many houses in every street, many rooms in every house; and the houses and rooms have their several families and persons appertaining to them; and they have their laws and governments, their knowledge of God and Christ; their order, their worship, their discipline in which they walk, and by which they order themselves in their several services, places, offices, and employments, under the king of Babylon.

Part 3

A DESCRIPTION OF BABYLON

FOR THE SAKE OF THE DAUGHTER OF SION, WHICH AT PRESENT DWELLETH IN THE MIDST THEREOF

Now, though the world be deaf and blind (even all sorts of worldly professors, from the highest to the lowest), yet open your ears, and hear the joyful sound; open your eyes, and see the city of desolations, and of all the abominations of the earth (both of flesh and spirit); and feel in yourselves what it is which is to be led out, and what is to lead you; that your feet may be guided to, and set firm upon, Mount Sion; where the life rules over all her enemies.

BABYLON is the spiritual fabric of iniquity; the mystical great city of the great king of darkness; built in imitation of Sion, painted just like Sion, that it might be taken for Sion, and be worshipped there, instead of the true, eternal, ever-living God, and King of Sion.

This is the seat of the man of sin: where there is a building framed in any heart, or in any society of men, like Sion; there he lodges, there he lives, there he sits as god, there he reigns, there he is worshipped, there he is exalted above all that can truly be called God in that heart, or in that society.

Part 2

but the substance, the truth, the virtue of all these is wanting to her; and she herself is found persecuting that very thing (where it is found in truth) the image whereof she cries up.

This, this is the woman that hath bewitched the whole earth for these many generations, and is still changing her dresses and paints, that she might still bewitch people, and sit as a queen reigning over their consciences; but blessed be the light which is arisen to discover, and the power which is able to overthrow this stately, this lofty, this mighty city, and all that take part with it.

The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth in Sion; and antichrist, with his city Babylon, falleth. Sing praises, sing praises, O inhabitant of Sion! to him who subjecteth Babylon, with all her glory, under thy feet.

For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust. The foot shall tread it down; the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy. Isaiah 26:5-6.

Part 1,,,,,,,,,,,,,by Issac Penington

BABYLON THE GREAT

THE CITY OF CONFUSION IN EVERY PART WHEREOF ANTICHRIST REIGNS

WHICH KNOWETH NOT THE ORDER AND UNITY OF THE SPIRIT, BUT STRIVETH TO SET UP AN ORDER AND UNIFORMITY ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM OF THE FLESH, IN ALL HER TERRITORIES AND DOMINIONS

HER SINS, HER JUDGMENTS WITH SOME PLAIN QUERIES FURTHER TO DISCOVER HER; AND SOME CONSIDERATIONS TO HELP OUT OF HER SUBURBS, THAT HER INWARD BUILDING MAY LIE THE MORE OPEN TO THE BREATH AND SPIRIT OF THE LORD, FROM WHICH IT IS TO RECEIVE ITS CONSUMPTION AND OVERTHROW

That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find out? I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason; and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness. And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, her hands bands. He that is good before God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. Eccl. 7:24-26

He that is born of the pure, immortal seed, and lives in the anointing, escapes the golden cup of fornication, and all the painted beds of fornication, and is not defiled with women; Rev. 14:4. but remains chaste to the bridegroom.

Lo this is the city which is built up of and filled with images and likenesses of the ways and truths of God, without the life and power.

On her outside there is the likeness of a church, the likeness of a ministry, the likeness of the ordinances, duties, and ways of holiness.

On her inside there is the likeness of the good knowledge, the likeness of repentance and conversion, the likeness of faith, the likeness of zeal for God, the likeness of love to God and his saints, the likeness of the Lamb's meekness and innocency, the likeness of justification, the likeness of sanctification, the likeness of mortification, the likeness of hope, peace, joy, rest, and satisfaction, etc.

hello, actually yes.. as in all kingdoms will fall and be destroyed, the stone cut out without hands as explained in Daniel ch 2.

Chris,

In my Strong's Concordance:

1 Corinthians 15:55 O death,(G2288 thanatos) where is thy sting? O grave, (G86 hades) where is thy victory?

Regarding both Acts 2 and Acts 13. When I allow the Bible to be its own interpreter, these passages are a commentary on the OT passages referenced, clarifying and giving us additional information. They are not suggesting that David, or any OT Believer, went to a place called "hades" as a stop over awaiting Christ's Atonement to become effective.

They are in fact teaching important truth regarding Christ's Atonement and the Nature of Salvation as Christ endured the Wrath of God in full payment for the sins of those whom He is saving, as does the entire Bible. David is, of course, a great type of Christ. In fact the name "David" appears over 1000 times in the Bible, sometimes referring only to Christ Himself, and not David the man.

This discussion, I think, as others unfortunately further demonstrates that we have quite different views regarding the fundamental Nature of the Bible and how to go about its interpretation. And that leads us to a very different understanding of many critical doctrines such as the Spiritual condition of Mankind, the Nature of God's Judgment and Salvation, the Kingdom of God, the future of National Israel and the Church, End Time events, and where we are in the timing of God's Plan for all of these things.

May the LORD in His Mercy open our understanding and give us ears to hear as we search out these things, comparing scripture with scripture. Looking to the Bible Alone and in its Entirety as our ultimate Authority.

That's interesting Giannis. I guess the rendering I have must be taken from other Bible versions (which might be the majority) that show it as: 'pou sou thanate to nikos pou sou thanate to kentron'. Though one version shows it as 'death' but also giving 'Hades' next to it in brackets. I will have to keep a watch on that. Thank you.

Good afternoon!

The angels attended the Son of man by the door to heaven.

Hello Chris

My bible writes, 1 Cor 15:55, "pou sou(where yours), thanate(death), to centro (the sting), pou sou(where yours), hade(hades), to nikos(the victory)?"

Oh Chris, i was not thinking that you were giving support to RC at all. Rather, I think that you were simply using known words to describe what you thought the OT saints were sent to when they died.

And as for me, I just wanted to clarify the RC teaching about purgatory and limbo. People us these words in phrases as I mentioned that speak to an earthly situation. But in RC, these terms are used for the two places saved people go to upn death until they are "fit for heaven". I don't believe these teachings at all.

Bro dan,

You're welcome, and thank you for taking the time to read all of them.

Blessings to you also!

Isaiah 17:1 speaks of the destruction of Damascus. I am told that the Assyrians did that destruction a very long time ago. Will there be a second destruction that leaves Damascus in a ruined heap and no longer a city? Is that possible for the prophecy to occur twice?

Jesse,

Thanks so much for all of your effort that you put forth on this project!

It was an amazingly good read, and so much information to glean, including the timelines and history associated with all of this scripture presented. Well done, and many Blessings!

That was very deep teaching. You are blessed to obtain such wisdom. I have yet to gain that knowledge.

Sister in Christ, always

When someone dies his spirit goes back to God (which is his breadth of life) and body goes back to the dust, when Christ comes the second time according to I Thessalonians the dead in Christ will rise first.

Hi David0921

Greetings in Christ JESUS

Yes, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of GOD: and they that hear shall live, and we which are alive shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord, and so shall we ever be with the Lord, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the ARCHANGEL, and with the trump of GOD: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms OF THIS WORLD(Devil's world) are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15

And the NATIONS were(WLL BE) angry, and thy wrath is come(GOD'S WRATH has already started), and the time of the DEAD, that they should be Judged, and that GOD should give reward unto His servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear His name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth- Revelation 11:18.

Daniel 12:1-3 (combined with Isaiah 26:19-21. Take a look.)

1 At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

An another of the disciples said unto JESUS: Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But JESUS said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. (let the dead bury their dead? What is your understand of this?)

Chris

Allow me to comment something more on replys exchanged between you and David 0921,something about 'death as confined to the grave'; something like cause and efect. By the way,death is an enemy, how to fight with him and defect him?

To deeply analyze and understand this terrible biblical theme, we need to start from the beginning of a mortal process that has existed since the beginning.Where does the dying process of man begin? Well, the Word of God reveals to us where it begins, by the way, the Word is GOD, understand?

Here's the source and the beginning of the mortal process:

Prov.18:21KJV:-Death and life are in the power of the TONGUE...

James 3:5-6:->5 The TONGUE is a little member, and boasts great things.Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6The TONGUE is a fire,A WORLD OF INIQUITY:so is the TONGUE among our members, that it defileth(and kills)the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature(as in days of Noah and Lot);and it is set on FIRE of HELL.

What is the MOUTH of the grave and how is it seen?Well,what does the Word of GOD say?Rom.3:10-18

10 As it is written,There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understand,there is none that seeks after GOD.

12 They are all gone out of the way,they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good,no, not one.

13 Their THROAT is an open SEPULCHRE;with their TONGUES they have used deceit;the poison of asps is under their lips:

14 Whose MOUTH is full of cursing and bitterness

15 Their feet are swift to shed blood

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways

17 And the way of peace have they not known

18 There is no fear of GOD before their eyes

You said:'death as confined to the grave',death caused by a THROAT(an open sepulchre)and a satanic TONGUE,so the dead body is placed in the grave because of the bad smell that exudes from the dead(spiritually the stench of the sin),and you are obliged to get rid of it by burying it in an open hole in the earth

Thanks very much brother Jesse, for sharing from your studies & insights to the background of these NT books. I'm sure they will be very useful to many, as they have been to me, to learn more of NT history & of the authors & people they lived & ministered amongst. I can well imagine, even after reading all your input here on the various Book Introductions, how long the actual series of studies must have taken when you shared them with others. Maybe, you haven't got to the end of it yet!! So brother, thank you again & I would like to read more from you on these pages, as time permits. Blessings.

Hello Chris and Jema,

John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

John 5:28,29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

These passages, I believe are talking about two Resurrections:

The First Resurrection ( John 5:25) in which God applies Salvation to the life of a True Believer in causing them to become Born Again, in giving them their Resurrected Soul, in raising them from Spiritual Death to Spiritual Life, Eternal Life.

And then the Resurrection of the Last Day ( John 5:28,29) when True Believers will be given their Spiritual Bodies in which they will live an reign with Christ Eternally as a complete personality in the New Heavens and New Earth.

I think, David0921, that I missed your comment: "I'm not catching your point regarding 1 Corinthians 15:55. The word translated "grave" in this verse is the Greek "hades", or you might have deleted it.

In case I missed it, my Lexicon shows: in 1 Corinthians 15:55, the word given for death (twice mentioned, unlike the KJV), is 'thanatos', & this is not Hades, Hell, etc. This refers to death, so the rendering should be, "O death, where is thy sting? O DEATH, where is thy victory". For their own reasons, the KJV translators placed 'grave' there, which of course, isn't wrong, as the grave is also the place of the dead.

To Psalm 16. I read this Psalm as David's personal song of Trust in His God: vv1-8 (the LORD to be his portion in life) & vv 9-11 (to also preserve him in death). So David was speaking of himself & not of Christ, BUT in doing so, the Spirit guided his words & prophetically applied those words (in vv 8-10) to Jesus, Who as the 'Son of David', would fulfil that perfectly, so that those, like David, might yet have hope in the resurrection.

The Apostle Peter cites this portion (as Paul does in Acts 13:34-37), that Christ would not be restrained in Sheol, nor suffer corruption (body decay through death). But David in writing this Psalm, speaks of himself 'not being left in Sheol, nor will God suffer His Holy One(s) to see corruption'. The Hebrew here for Holy One is 'hasideka', having the same letters & inflections added giving the plural of that phrase (Holy Ones); cf Psalm 52:9 & Psalm 79:2 (both, 'your saints' - same 'hasideka'). So David does speak about himself that he won't be 'left to rot' if you will, but ultimately, this could only apply to Jesus, Who saw no corruption of flesh.

Unlike your understanding of this Psalm, I clearly see that David fully expected to enter Sheol ( Psalm 16:10), but only Christ, the Son of David, would not have the tomb or the underworld restrain Him (to these important points, both Peter & Paul referred to the Psalms).

Murder is sin! (Thou shalt not kill! This includes yourself.) If you are dead, you cannot repent and be forgiven of a sin once you are dead. Christ gives life. Why would a child of God want to destroy the life God has given them. There is no problem or situation in this world worth taking the life that God has given you. Turn your situation over to God in Jesus name, He will work it out. Live and glorify God!

Amen

Heavenly Father, I agree with RicoUS. Amen

Thank you GiGi, I appreciated that explanation about 'Limbo'. I had never known that 'other' meaning in relation to the RC teaching of their young ones, yet unbaptized (under the RC system), were held back (in limbo) from Heaven. So, I can see where the use of the word, though I innocently expressed concerning the OT faithful being kept in Hades, actually has a more sinister meaning & application. So thanks for that info & apologies again to Jema & anyone else who might have thought I was giving support to an RC teaching.

I did notice that Jema. In fact, as you know, Jesus repeated this Truth twice (also in John 5:25), where He adds, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, AND NOW IS....". I wonder if Jesus is also referring to one of the great signs at His coming Crucifixion, when He would yield up His Spirit, & when 'the graves were opened, and many of the bodies of the saints which slept arose, & came out of their graves...'. So, two mighty events: at His Crucifixion & then at His Coming. Lifeless, corrupt bodies might lie in the grave, but the spirits of just men made perfect ( Hebrews 12:23) & to the Church of the Firstborn, are promised to live forever in the presence of God their Father.

Brother Spencer,

You are very welcome. As I mentioned at the beginning, I led a bible study of the New Testament a few years ago. I put together and presented these introductions before covering each book.

My original plan was to cover 2-3 chapters a week. The studies I presented were quite detailed and took longer than originally planned.

I ended up only going over 1 Chapter a week, sometimes 2 if I had the time. As you can imagine, it took a few years.

I'm glad to hear that you are keeping these for future reference. And yes, by all means, please share as the Lord leads!

Blessings to you also my brother!

Giannis,

Thanks for your reply. My NIV says gospel, not good news, so perhaps you have a different edition. But I know that gospel and good news mean the same thing.

Hi Fun girl.

The bible is not one book.

The bible is 66 books written approximately 1,500 years

The books of the Bible were written at different times by about 40 different authors.

But that is not to say that it took 1,500 years to write the Bible, only that it took that long for the complete canon of Scripture to be written as God progressively revealed His Word.

Jesus was asked a similar question in John 7:15-17.

'And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

IF ANY MAN WILL DO HIS WILL, HE SHALL KNOW OF THE DOCTRINE, WHETHER IT BE OF GOD, or whether I speak of myself.

If we desire to do the will of God, he will make his word true to you. However, you have to read his word to know his will!

May I ask, have you began to read the Bible?

If not, you would have to read it. There is not a book written that you can tell if it's true or not unless you begin to read it.

God's word will authenticate itself in your life!

And there is fulfilled prophecy and archeology in the areas mentioned in the Bible that authenticates these areas is consistent with the stories presented in the Bible.

Fun girl, A loving Father wouldn't leave us without his word!

Hopefully this helps and others can add .

God bless.