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Numbers of the Bible”
One
The number one is for God. We must begin with number one or we cannot have number two or any other number. Mathematically speaking we cannot get anywhere without the number one. We must begin with God.
Two
The number two is for man. Man as an individual. God made man and Christ is “called the second man.”
Three
Three is the number for the Trinity. God is a triune God; Father, Son and Spirit. The atmosphere, which we live in, is a trinity of oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. The tabernacle was a trinity with its court, holy place, and Holiest of Holies.
The first chapter of Revelation is full of trinities of Truth.
V. 2 – The Word of God, The testimony of Jesus, All things that He saw.
V. 3 – Read, Hear and Keep.
V. 4 – Which is, Which was, and Which is to come.
V. 5 – The Faithful Witness, The First begotten of the dead, The Prince of the kings of the earth.
V.5, 6 – Loved us, Washed us, Made us kings and priests.
V. 7 – Every eye shall see him, They also which pierced him, All kindreds of the earth.
V. 9 – Tribulation, Kingdom, Patience
V. 18 – I am He that liveth, Was dead, Alive for evermore.
V. 19 – Things seen (Past), Things which are (Present), Things which shall be (Future).
Who would dare to contradict the trinity as these Ten appear in one chapter alone, chapter one of Revelation. Certainly no Spirit filled believer or student of scripture would not affirm its validity.
Four
Four is the number of humanity as a whole. There were four men in the Ark, four men in the fiery furnace, four on the mount of Transfiguration. The four points of the compass comprise the whole of humanity in all the earth.
Five
Five is the number for grace – grace accepted or grace rejected. There are five wise and foolish virgins.
Six
The number six is the number for evil. A man with six toes and six fingers is called a wicked man in the Bible. Nebuchadnezzra’s image was sixty feet high and six feet in circumference and six musical instruments called the people to worship. The number for the Anti-Christ is six hundred sixty-six. This is set forth the trinity of evil, the climax of wickedness, and the culmination of iniquity. There can not be anything worse than 666.
Seven
Seven is the number for perfection. This number is frequently mentioned in scripture: seven churches, seven stars, seven heads, seven horns, seven eyes, seven Spirits of god, the seven branches of the candlestick.
In Judges, the seventh book of the Bible, there are seven departures from God; seven times the people repented and seven times Jehovah delivered his people from their enemies.
Eight
Eight is the number for that which is New. There are eight beatitudes which set forth something entirely new. Everything good in this sinful world owes its presence and existence to the Word of God. The resurrection of Christ and of many of the saints took place on the eighth day. Here indeed and in truth was something new.
Ten
Ten is the number of completeness. Jacob’s wages were changed ten times, which sets forth complete disappointment outside the will of God and his Promised Land. Eliezer, the servant, took ten camels with him when he started from home in order to obtain a bride for Isaac. God gave his people Ten Commandments. Daniel and his three friends were proved ten days and at the end of the test were ten times better than the others. Christ gave the parable of the ten pounds and ten talents. Christ healed ten lepers. The dragon of Daniel and Revelation had ten horns, which represent ten kings. The tenth or the tithe is the Lord’s.
Jerry Falwell
I believe that God heals diseases. He is Jehovah Raphe, the One who is able to heal. Over twenty years ago I was in the hospital in York, Pennsylvania, when I heard that the doctor had asked Kathy Hughes to sign the donation papers for the vital organs because in their medical opinion Charles Hughes was functionally dead. His father, Dr. Robert Hughes, went to the hospital chapel to pray for him, and I got on the phone to ask the entire Thomas Road and Liberty family to pray. I called for a day of prayer and fasting, and today Charles Hughes is alive and pastoring a church in Madison Heights. He has come back from the "figurative dead" to complete his seminary degree, his doctor’s degree; and today he works for us at Liberty.
“Too Big To Miss”
The story’s told in the Bible about a mighty king. And how when he was just a little boy he played around with a sling. Well he got up early one morning and before the sun had set that day, a nasty ol’ giant had lost his head and his body lay cold on the clay.
When David went out to the battlefield his big brother said, “Stay away! You’ve got no business out here, David, so go back home and play!” David said, “Step aside, boys. I’m gonna take that giant on!” His brother said, “Obey your elders David; get back home where you belong!”
David said, “That giant ain’t gonna make fun of MY God and King! I’m gonna find me five smooth stones and play awhile with my sling! I’m gonna challenge that devil in the Name of the Lord; and when he’s dead I’m gonna take my sword, chop of his head and let the world know that Jehovah is the Lord!”
His brother said, “Listen little David, you ain’t thinkin’ straight. That giant up there’s too big to hit, and your body he will mutilate!” David said, “Listen big brother; I’ve seen worse than this. That giant up there ain’t too big to hit, that giant’s too big to miss!”
Well the rest of the story you all know, I guess it’s history. David took one smooth stone and that giant fell like a tree. So when a giant of trouble gets in your way, you remember what “little David” had to say: “I’ve seen worse than this! That giant up there ain’t too big to hit, that giant’s too big to miss!
A few years back, a Galveston church had a Tithing Demonstration Sunday for its members. On a designated Sunday everyone was asked to give a tithe of one week’s salary. They urged everyone … whether or not they usually tithed … to give a tithe that one time.
As you could imagine, the offering that Sunday was the largest ever given. In fact, it was 6 times the usual offering. The aftermath was even more exciting. Many who had never tithed before changed their attitude and decided if they could do it once, they could do again.
By the end of that year giving was up almost 3 times what it had been before the demonstration. The enthusiasm was up ...
Too many times I have played the part of Humpty Dumpty as I stayed on the wall, walked the fence between serving God and the Devil. Just like old “Humpty”, I fell off of the wall too. All my “king’s horses” of personal accomplishments, education, abilities and reasoning could not repair the damage to my life, and all my “king’s men” of self-righteousness and self-determination could not repair the damage to my spiritual life.
Thank God, what I could not do and what no Psychologist or Psychiatrist could do, what no human counselor could do, Jehovah-Nissi can do! He can take my scrambled egg and shattered eggshell of a life and put it all back together again and make it even better than before! His banner over me is Love and His love is powerful enough to go to the Cross and die for me that my ignorance and sin can be forgiven and washed away in His precious blood.
THE THESSALONIAN ERROR
The Thessalonian error was misunderstanding the purpose of end-time prophecy. The purpose is not to identify the anti-Christ or to inform us of events.
Others have misunderstood the purpose of second-coming prophecy. Many people have been identified as the anti-Christ. Early Christians suspected some of the Roman emperors who persecuted them. Victims of the inquisition suspected some leaders of the Catholic Church. Some of you may have heard sermons comparing Hitler, Mussolini, or Hirohito to the anti-Christ. In my lifetime, I have heard or read speculation about Henry Kissinger, Prince Charles, and, more recently, Barack Obama.
Do any of you remember a booklet, "88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988"? Matthew 24:36 says no one knows the day or hour. The writer ignored that by pointing to a 3 day period, the feast of trumpets, in October, 1988. He said we can’t know the day, but we can know the 3 day period. He was wrong.
The most famous group for setting second coming dates may be the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Charles Russell believed Jesus would return in 1874. In 1877, he taught Jesus returned invisibly, contrary to scripture that says “every eye shall see him.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses later predicted that in 1914 Armageddon would end. It had not even begun.
They said 1925 was a date firmly established in scripture, that they had more reason to believe the kingdom would be established in 1925 than Noah had to believe there would be a flood. Jesus did not return in 1925.
Jehovah’s Witnesses again expected Jesus to return in 1929. Before his return, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be resurrected to announce his coming. A house called Beth-Sarim was built for them to live in when they came. Judge Rutherford, then President of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, graciously offered to live in the mansion and supervise its maintenance until they arrived. They did not rise and Jesus did not return in 1929.
I have heard testimonies of ex-JWs who believed the prophecies of Jesus returning in 1975. They talked about going door to door in affluent areas, picking the houses they wanted to live in when Jesus came again. Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught only 144,000 will make it to heaven. Other faithful Witnesses will be resurrected to live forever in paradise on earth. Many thought nice houses left behind by people who were not Witnesses would be free for the taking.
Sometimes, men of great learning be great fools, and sometimes they suffer for it. Listen to this.
"In view of the short time left, a decision to pursue a career in this system of things is not only unwise but extremely dangerous... Many young brothers and sisters were offered scholarships or employment that promised fine pay. However, they turned them down & put spiritual interests first," (Kingdom Ministry, July 1969, p 3).
Some Jehovah’s Witnesses, graduating high school, turned down scholarships. Some graduating college turned down promising jobs. Why? Because their leaders told them Jesus was coming in 1975. When their leaders were proven wrong, again, those scholarships and jobs had been given to others.
"Reports are heard of brothers selling their homes and property and planning to finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer service. Certainly this is a fine way to spend the short time remaining before the wicked world’s end.” (Kingdom Ministry, May 1974, p 3).
Some Witnesses sold their homes and quit their jobs. They lived off the money from selling their homes while going door to door teaching a false gospel. In 1976, when their leaders were proven wrong, again, they had nothing left.
Many people and groups have committed the Thessalonian error. They misunderstood the purpose of end-time prophecies. Sometimes, they suffered for it.
(From a sermon by Mark Stepherson, The Purpose of Second Coming Prophecy, 5/29/2012)
PERFECT PEACE
In April 2010, clouds of ash spewed by a volcano in Iceland closed airports across the UK and Europe for 5 days. Nearly 100,000 flights were canceled and millions of passengers around the world found themselves in an enormous holding pattern on the ground. People missed important events, businesses lost money, and no one knew when it would end.
When our plans fall apart and there is no remedy, how do we deal with frustration and delay? Isaiah 26: 3-4 is an anchor for our souls in every storm of life: "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in [Jehovah], the Lord, is everlasting strength." Whether we're facing annoying inconvenience or heartbreaking loss, this rock-solid promise is worth memorizing and repeating every night when we close our eyes to sleep.
LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD
Hudson Taylor founder of China Inland Mission) used to hang in his home a plaque with two Hebrew Words on it: EBENEZER & JEHOVAH JIREH. The first word means ‘Hitherto hath the Lord helped us’ and the second, ‘The Lord will see to it or provide.’ One looked back while the ...
JEHOVAH IS STILL GOD
Gladys Aylward, missionary to China more than 50 years ago, was forced to flee when the Japanese invaded Yangcheng. But she couldn't leave her work behind. With only one assistant, she led a 100+ orphans over the mountains toward Free China.
During Gladys's harrowing journey out of war-torn Yangcheng - she grappled with despair as never before. After passing a sleepless night, she faced the morning with no hope of reaching safety. A 13-year-old girl in the group reminded her of their much-loved story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.
"But I am not Moses," Gladys cried in desperation.
"Of course you aren't," the girl said, "but Jehovah is still God!"
(Source: The Hidden Price of Greatness, By Besson and Hunsicker. as recounted in How to Start a Church Fire, Paul Powell published by Texas Baptist Leadership Center, Inc. Dallas TX.)
FLIP WILSON'S RELIGION
A person asked Flip Wilson about his religion and he replied, "I am a Jehovah's By-Stander."
"I never heard of that, what is it?"
Flip answered, "They asked me to be a witness but I didn't want to get involved."
