During Bible History, a shrub variety of Juniper was known to the Hebrews as (pronounced in Hebrew) ar-awr. It was found existing ("growing" would not be an appropriate word) in dry, infertile places, which resulted in it being stunted and calloused. English-language versions of the Bible sometimes used the Anglo-Saxon word heath to translate the original Hebrew word, since heath referred to not just a similar shrub found in the countryside of England, but also because heath was a term used to describe the areas where heath was found i.e. uncultivated land with poor soil and scrubby vegetation. From this meaning of heath was derived the original term heathen - uncivilized people who lived out in the heath, but later it was used as a religious analogy for spiritually-stunted people who lived in a religious wasteland.
"Blessed is the man that trusteth in The Lord ... For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters"
The Lord used dry, scrubby heath as an analogy for those who look to themselves for Truth, rather than to the only genuine source of spiritual fertility - the literal Word of God in The Holy Bible. These verses were addressed to the people of Judah, but He was speaking to, and warning, "man" (see verses below) as an entire species:
"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is Graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your Altars; Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders."
"And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in Mine anger, which shall burn for ever."
"Thus saith The Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from The Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited."
"Blessed is the man that trusteth in The Lord, and whose hope The Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." (Jeremiah 17:1-8 KJV)
Fact Finder: What are the prophesied physical and spiritual meanings of "living waters" that give life to "dry" places?
See Living Waters
Praise the Lord
Hallelujah has become a very well-known Christian word. It's found in many of the languages that The Bible has been translated. Hallelujah is derived from the Hebrew Hallelu Yah, meaning, and also often translated as praise The Lord, praise Jehovah or praise Yahweh. It's found in the Old Testament numerous times, most often in the Psalms, of which Psalms 146-150 are sometimes known as the "Hallelujah Psalms."
"Praise The Lord"
"Praise The Lord! Praise The Lord, O my soul! I will praise The Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being." (Psalm 146:1-2 RSV)
"Praise The Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for He is gracious, and a song of praise is seemly. The Lord builds up Jerusalem [see Daughter of Zion]; He gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars, He gives to all of them their names." (Psalm 147-1-4 RSV)
"Praise The Lord! Praise The Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His host! Praise Him, sun and moon, praise Him, all you shining stars!" (Psalm 148:1-3 RSV)
New Testament
"After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for His judgments are true and just; He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants." Once more they cried, "Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever." And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!"
"And from the throne came a voice crying, "Praise our God, all you His servants, you who fear Him, small and great." Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying, "Hallelujah! For The Lord our God the Almighty reigns." (Revelation 19:1-6 RSV)
Fact Finder: What are some of the Names of God?
Living Waters
"And for the house of Israel there shall be no more a brier to prick or a thorn to hurt them among all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they shall dwell securely in it, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards. They shall dwell securely, when I execute judgments upon all their neighbors who have treated them with contempt. Then they will know that I am The Lord their God." (Ezekiel 28:24-26 RSV)
Living Waters From Where The Lord Rules
After The Return Of Jesus Christ, two kinds of "living waters" are going to flow from Jerusalem, one of literal fresh water which will give new life to a (now nearly) physically-dead Dead Sea, the other "living waters" of the Holy Spirit which will give new life to a (now nearly) spiritually-dead world.
New life to the Dead Sea:
"On that day His feet shall stand on The Mount Of Olives which lies before Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two [see Earthquake!] from east to west by a very wide valley; so that one half of the Mount shall withdraw northward, and the other half southward ... On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea [i.e. the Dead Sea, or The Salt Sea] and half of them to the western sea [i.e. The Mediterranean Sea]; it shall continue in summer as in winter. And The Lord will become King over all the earth; on that day The Lord will be one and His Name one." (Zechariah 14:4,8-9 RSV)
"Then he brought me back to the door of the Temple; and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the Temple toward the east, for the Temple faced east; and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the Temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me round on the outside to the outer gate, that faces toward the east; and the water was coming out on the south side."
"Going on eastward with a line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water; and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water; and it was up to the loins. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?"
"Then he led me back along the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw upon the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the stagnant waters of the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes every living creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish; for this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea; from Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets; its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing." (Ezekiel 47:1-12 RSV)
The "Living Waters" of The Holy Spirit, giving new life to humanity:
"For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring. They shall spring up like grass amid waters, like willows by flowing streams." (Isaiah 44:3-4 RSV)
"Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14 RSV)
"On the last day of the Feast, the great day [i.e. the 8th day of The Feast Of Tabernacles], Jesus stood up and proclaimed, "If any one thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in Him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:37-39 RSV)
"You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, The Lord, am your God and there is none else. And My people shall never again be put to shame. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even upon the menservants and maidservants in those days, I will pour out My Spirit" (Joel 2:27-29 RSV)
"And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; yea, and on My menservants and My maidservants in those days I will pour out My Spirit; and they shall prophesy." (Acts 2:17-18 RSV)
Fact Finder: Can anyone enter the Kingdom of God without the water (i.e. Baptism) and the Holy Spirit?
John 3:5, Mark 16:16
The Keys to the Kingdom
 "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel, that I may share in its blessings." (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 RSV)
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life" (Deuteronomy 30:19 RSV)
Creating The Evidence For Innocence Or Guilt
God is the Creator of freedom, the freedom to live, and the freedom to die. Our salvation is ultimately in our own hands, based on the choice that we each make for ourselves, that's what the Judgment means - God's verdict of our individual conduct. But to make that choice, that responsible choice that we will each be held personally accountable for later, by God, we must know the Truth, because God is the God of true justice. There will be no wicked rebels in the Kingdom of God, and there will be no truly repentant Believers in the lake of fire.
Throughout Bible History, God's servants experienced wonderful happiness when the message that God sent them to proclaim was accepted. Their joy was so often bittersweet however, because always along with those who accepted the Truth were those who rejected it, or who fell away later. Although their duty was done, and therefore their consciences were clear, God's servants had to live with the heavy burden of the knowledge that their ministries would provide much of the evidence for the later "separating of the sheep from the goats," that the purpose of their ministries, the fruit, was that one portion, by their choice that they made for themselves, would find glorious eternal life, while the others, by their choice that they made for themselves, will be cast into the lake of fire. A bittersweet feeling, indeed.
"Binding and Loosing"
Only God has the power to forgive or to condemn when it comes to salvation, so what is meant by God's servants "binding and loosing"?
In the New Testament, the translated English word bind is from the original Greek word pronounced day-oh, meaning to tie or be bound. The translated English word loosen is from the Greek word pronounced loo-oh, meaning to break up or melt.
God's servants were witnesses of the Gospel, teaching and preaching it. They were witnesses in terms of what they proclaimed, but they were also witnesses in terms of creating a record (that God alone holds in heaven) of how each person, that they came into contact with, accepted, or rejected, the Truth - the "evidence" for that individual, for good or bad, that God will examine on the Judgment Day:
"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it; from His presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done." (Revelation 20:11-12 RSV)
And where did Jesus Christ say what is "written in the books, by what they had done" on the Judgment Day will come from?
"Then He began to upbraid the cities where most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. 'Woe to you, Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of Judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it shall be more tolerable on the Day of Judgment for the land of Sodom than for you." (Matthew 11:20-24 RSV)
"As you enter the house, salute it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if any one will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the Day of Judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town." (Matthew 10:12-15 RSV)
The "keys to the Kingdom" is the Truth of the Gospel message, but the servant can only open the door for those who pass by; the actual power of entry is in the hands of every individual who hears it. It's up to each person, by their own free choice, to decide to accept or reject it, to enter while the door of their personal salvation is open, or to be left outside, not in the shivering cold, but in the blazing heat, after it has been shut.
Fact Finder: Is the entire earth going to be purified by fire?
See Planet on Fire
Matthew 16:19 reads in full, "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Such a glorious and awesome truth is expressed here! Let us examine it a little. "Keys" would be an instrument by which an entrance would be unlocked and opened into the kingdom of heaven. This is evidently the WORD and the SPIRIT of God. Jesus said in John 3:7, "...Ye must be born again" and in John 3:5, "...Except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." How is a person born again? I Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the WORD OF GOD, which liveth and abideth for ever." James 1:18 says, "Of his own will begat he us with the WORD OF TRUTH, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures." In I Corinthians 4:15 we read, "...For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." John 1:13 declares that those who receive Christ are born of God. In Romans 1:16 Paul says that the GOSPEL OF CHRIST is the power of God unto salvation.
All the above scriptures make it clear that access into salvation or the kingdom of God is through the gospel. But the gospel is a two-pronged thing. In Zechariah 4:6, we read concerning the two olive trees in Zecharaiah's vision "...This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." So the Gospel of Christ must be composed of both the WORD and the SPIRIT the Word anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. In John 6:63, Jesus said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Paul said in I Corinthians 2:4-5, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." God help us all at this point. II Corinthians 3:6 says, "Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." So we see the Word alone is not sufficient but it must be accompanied by the Spirit and backed by Holy Spirit anointing.
Therefore, we conclude that God's Word and His Spirit are the keys to the kingdom of heaven and open an access into Christ and salvation. Hebrews 5:9 says that Christ "...became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." So we see that as one obeys God's Word and meets the conditions laid down therein for being saved confession of sin (I John 1:9), repentance (II Corinthians 7:10-11; Acts 3:19; Luke 24:47; Mark 1:14-15), restitution (II Corinthians 7:10; Luke 19:8; Ezekiel 33:15), and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and the merits of His shed blood, the door swings wide open to him and he is accepted into the kingdom of God.
This is exactly what Jesus gave to Peter in this text and also to all the apostles, and further to their successors throughout this gospel age of time; even NOW to the holy, God-called, God-qualified, Holy Spirit filled ministry which God has in the Church and in the world at this present time. They also possess these keys to the kingdom of heaven.
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus said to His disciples, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." It is evident here that Jesus ordained and commissioned a perpetual ministry who would have the same power and authority (the same keys of the kingdom God's Word and Spirit) as those early ones had. This was to last unto the end of the world and just as God encouraged Joshua by telling him, "...As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee," (Joshua 3:7) he says the same to His true ministers today, "As I was with Peter, James and John and their immediate brethren, so am I with you." His promise was, "...I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20.) That reaches to us down here in this end of the gospel age the same as it applied to those disciples in the early beginning of this gospel age.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God
"Gospel" means good news. But the "good news" of what? As Jesus Christ said, "the Gospel of the Kingdom of God":
"Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel." (Mark 1:14-15 KJV)
For what ultimate purpose is Christ returning? Just as there are those who are preparing the way for the Christ, Who is the Christ Himself preparing the way for? (See What is Jesus Christ doing right Now?)
 "And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:2-4 KJV)
Despite the reality that the present world is awash in troubles, there is absolutely certain reason for hope and joy. The good news, the Gospel, is that everything that is wrong with the world is going to be made right. The earth is destined to become a literal paradise, and you can make it there, if you choose.
"we shall reign on the earth"
Jesus Christ is coming back, just as He said that He would (see the return of Jesus Christ), not to be again brutalized and killed, but to seize control of the entire world and then rule it with absolute authority as "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16 KJV). I deliberately left "rejected" out of the previous sentence because there are still going to be some people who reject Him, of all nations and religions, as Prophecy plainly says, but whether they are the recipients of the Messiah's love, or the Messiah's wrath, is everyone's choice. God invented freedom at the very beginning when He told Adam and Eve "you are free" (Genesis 2:16), but as the first humans discovered, the hard way, their God-given freedom did not include the right to defy Him or His Word.
Jesus Christ is going to rule with absolute authority, "He shall rule them with a rod of iron" (Revelation 20:15 KJV) as a peacemaker, a provider, a defender, of those who obey Him. Everyone, everywhere, will have complete freedom however, to be the recipients of The Lord's love, or The Lord's wrath. Everyone will know the Gospel, and everyone will know The Lord. All of the confusion and nonsense will end. Everyone will be without excuse.
"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His Judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."
"And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb" (Revelation 14:6-10 KJV)
In the Messiah's own words:
"And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work [see Works Means Obedience] shall be I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." (Revelation 22:12-15 KJV)
The world is a big place. Jesus Christ will be the Supreme Ruler, but He will assign sub-rulers from among The Elect, who together will be either resurrected to spirit on the day of His return, or changed to spirit if alive that day:
"Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10 KJV)
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6 KJV)
When the preparations for God's arrival have been complete (the ultimate purpose of Christ's first and second comings is to prepare the way for God's coming, God is coming to earth:
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:1-4 KJV)
Fact Finder: How will Christ's return begin to change the world?
Planet on Fire!
"And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh." (Genesis 9:12-15 RSV)
 After The Flood that God sent upon the earth to destroy all that was evil, God promised that never again would there be another flood, of water, that will cover all of the earth. But another flood is coming, not of water, but of fire. It will be a planet-wide ocean of fire that will purify, but not destroy, the entire earth, once and for all, after all Judgment has been completed. The only survivors will be those who have been found worthy, by repentance and obedience to God, and made spirit. Here's what your Bible plainly has to say about it:
"First of all you must understand this, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own passions and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation." They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the Word of God heavens existed long ago, and an earth formed out of water and by means of water, through which the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men."
"But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with The Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."
"But the day of The Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up."
"Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be kindled and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire! But according to His promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:3-13 RSV)
Fact Finder: How is the new earth described?
Revelation 21:1-5
What is Jesus Christ doing right Now?
"Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a High Priest, one Who is seated at the right hand of The Throne of the Majesty in heaven, a Minister in the Sanctuary and the true tent which is set up not by man but by The Lord." (Hebrews 8:1-2 RSV)
"But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until His enemies should be made a stool for His feet." (Hebrews 10:12-13 RSV)
Since the time that He left, having successfully offered Himself as the ultimate atoning sacrifice, Jesus Christ is fulfilling the office of High Priest that was merely symbolized by Aaron and the Levitical priesthood in The Tabernacle In The Wilderness and later in the Temple in Jerusalem:
"But when Christ appeared as a High Priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, He entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred which redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant." (Hebrews 9:11-15 RSV)
From High Priest To The King Who Will Judge The World
Prior to His return, Jesus Christ will be crowned as King. This ceremony was described by the prophet Daniel, although, because Daniel wrote centuries before Jesus Christ was born as a human, he uses "Ancient of Days" for The Father (because God had not yet begotten the human Jesus in Daniel's time), and "one like a son of man" for Jesus Christ (again, because God had not yet begotten the human Jesus, "one like" the son of man i.e. the descendant of Adam):
"I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14 RSV)
And then, the return of Jesus Christ:
"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a Name inscribed which no one knows but Himself. He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the Name by which He is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed Him on white horses. From His mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; He will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords." (Revelation 19:11-16 RSV)
"Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever. And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, "We give thanks to Thee, Lord God Almighty, Who art and Who wast, that Thou hast taken Thy great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but Thy wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, for rewarding Thy servants, the Prophets and Saints, and those who fear Thy Name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth." (Revelation 11:15-18)
Fact Finder: What event is satan living in fear of?
How much oil is in your Lamp?
In the parable of the "Ten Maidens," or "Ten Virgins," and their lamps, Jesus Christ described "five who were foolish and five who were wise." All ten had lamps, but the wise ones had plenty of oil to make their lamps do what they were created for, while the unwise ones had nearly-empty lamps that did almost nothing to overcome the darkness.
 The lesson of the parable is that Christians should be diligently preparing for The Return Of Jesus Christ, regardless of when that happens from their own perspective, and not wait until "the last minute" (i.e. later in life, or if Christ's return actually seems imminent) to become serious about their religion. The "oil" is the study of God's Truth and the good behavior that makes the "lamps" of the five wise maidens "shine," while the five foolish maidens had lamps (i.e. they claimed to be Christian) but very little oil (i.e. they didn't diligently study or live according to Christ's teachings).
The Parable Of The Ten Maidens
"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept."
"But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'"
"Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'"
"But the wise replied, 'Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'"
"And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut."
"Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.'"
"But he replied, 'Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'"
"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:1-13 RSV)
Fact Finder: Are Christians to "let their light shine"?
Matthew 5:14-16
Be Fruitful in the Knowledge
"His divine power [i.e. the Holy Spirit] has granted to us all things that pertain to life and Godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory [see Children Of God] and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:3-8 RSV)
Those Who Know Better Must Do Better
There is an old saying that "those who know better should do better," and from the Christian perspective, this is sometimes known as "bearing fruit," good fruit, because even the finest looking tree, if it bears not good fruit, may find itself one day good only for firewood.
"In the morning, as He was returning to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside He went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And He said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once." (Matthew 21:18-19 RSV) (figs on a fruitful fig tree are shown in the photograph)
"Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit that befits repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:7-10 RSV)
"You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits. Not every one who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and do many mighty works in Your Name?' [see I Did It My Way...] And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers.'" (Matthew 7:16-23 RSV)
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of Mine that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the Word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:1-6 RSV)
Fact Finder: What is meant by the Biblical term "Believer"?
See Believers
Believers
A "believer" can be defined as "a member who accepts something as true." Although their original meanings differed (faith was an intellectual process, while belief involved action), belief and faith are interrelated, in that, from a Christian perspective, a believer is defined as "someone whose actions are based on their faith." The English word faith came from the Latin word fides (from which also came fidelity - an act of being faithful) which meant "active loyalty to whom one is bound by promise or duty." True believers don't just "talk the talk," they "walk the walk" - see The Way.
Believers and Unbelievers
Many became believers in the early days of the church:
"And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits [see Casting Out Demons], and they were all healed" (Acts 5:14-16 RSV)
Note: while many miracles were performed by Peter and all of the other apostles, Peter and the others made it very clear that the power was not their own: "why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?" (Acts 3:12 RSV)
From ancient times to the present, believers and unbelievers are often found within the same family:
"To the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is consecrated through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is consecrated through her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner desires to separate, let it be so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. For God has called us to peace." (1 Corinthians 7:12-15 RSV)
Speaking in tongues (i.e. other languages - see Speaking In Tongues) was a tool for bringing the Gospel message to unbelievers, while Prophecy was useful only if and after they became believers, who would believe the Truth:
"Thus, tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers." (1 Corinthians 14:22 RSV)
While believers should make every effort to help unbelievers understand, believers were not to unnecessarily associate with unbelievers, who would drag them down, morally and religiously:
"What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? What agreement has the Temple of God with idols? For we are the Temple of the living God; as God said, "I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:15-18 RSV)
Fact Finder: (a) Does true faith, being a true believer, involve active obedience to the Truth? (b) Is faith without "works," or action (which to a Christian means obedience to God's Law - see Works) a dead, useless faith?
(a) 1 Peter 1:21-22 (b) James 2:17-26
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