The Second Epistle of

Peter

Chapter 1

"Exhortation, Positive and Negative: Apostles and Prophets."

This Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and made available with written permission by http://www.theseason.org

When we get to II Peter 3:1, we read that Peter identifies the people that he is writing this second letter to as being the same people that he wrote His first Epistle or letter to. Those are the ones of the diaspora, those that were scattered abroad. They were the offspring of the house of Israel, and not the Jews, but of the ten tribes that were uprooted by the Assyrians long before the Jews were taken captive by the Babylonians. These were the ones of God's election in these outlining areas.

All three chapters of II Peter deal with a different subject, and it is quite apparent that things were hard on the Christians at the time of this writing. The time is placed between 61 and 65 A. D., however the actual year is questionable, however this epistle or letter was written within a comparatively short time after the writing of the first letter. It is well know that many false teachers were beginning to enter into the different congregations, and teaching their false doctrines and traditions. So Peter is going to reveal in this first chapter just how important it is to chose God and stick only to His Word.

When you keep within the oracles of God's Word, you will gain the knowledge to arm yourself for the battles that will be discussed in chapters two and three. Chapter two reveals the fact that false teachers are even aided by a higher power then human beings. So we see that this first chapter is written to you personally, and it is beautiful.

II Peter 1:1 "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:"

Peter was an apostle, sent forth personally by Jesus Christ to serve teach and serve Him. It is important that we understand exactly what the word "obtained" means. It is # 2975 in the Strong's Greek dictionary. "lagchano, lang-khan'-o; a prolonged form of a prime verb, which is only used as an alternate in certain tenses; to lot, i.e. to determine, by the casting of lots." The lots were caste by God before the foundations of this earth age. It can only mean the selection by lot or election. This is said to show that this letter is written to the same people as the first letter of Peter's was. It is the election that it is directed to. This comes from Ephesians 1:4.

Ephesians 1:4 "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:"

The choosing took place in the first earth age, before the foundations of this earth age had begin. The elect were chosen because of the stand that they took when Satan drew one third of the angels with him.

Ephesians 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,"

II Peter 1:2 "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,"

"Grace" means "unmerited favor", it is something that you receive that you did not earn. It is given to you that someone else has paid for. Jesus Christ paid the price on the cross for the sins of all those that by faith in Jesus, repent to the Father in Jesus name and ask for forgiveness. "Peace" in Strong's Greek dictionary is # 1515; "Eirene, i-ray'-nay; from the prime verb eiro, meaning (to join), peace implies prosperity, quietness and rest."

Grace and peace implies a personal acquaintance with Jesus Christ our Savior, through the knowledge that we have obtained through His Word. This grace and peace is multiplied to you, through the knowledge that you obtain when you read and study His Word. The more you understand about a person, the closer you become to that person. You should have a very personal relationship to God for one very important reason, that is your family. Street knowledge will not bring you peace of mind, because it will lack the grace that comes with the peace that only God can give. With the peace and the grace of God comes the blessings of God which brings happiness and contentment.

II Peter 1:3 "According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him That hath called us to glory and virtue;"

God's "Divine power" is something that you don't see, but you posses that power when you are a child of God, and in the family of God. We posses that divine power that applies to the living of our lives here in the flesh as well as the things that pertain to our eternal soul, and the godliness comes by studying His Word and applying it to ourselves. He hath called us, those that stood against Satan at his rebellion in the first age. This divine power comes through knowledge that we obtain of God.

It is God's election that chooses to study more in depth in God's Word. When you have a personal acquaintance with the living God, and you have that knowledge of His living Word, you can't help but love those that love God also. Even though you have not met them personally, you share the same priorities that they have, and thus have a kinship to them through our family of God. The love of Jesus Christ that is in all Christians is the binding force that all Christians have to each other, and there are no borders or boundaries that limit that love. It is through the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit that we can feel the reality of God as we live our daily lives. Each of God's people are a people that are blessed above all people. The knowledge of God is a blessed gift for those that are called to God's glory and given that power.

II Peter 1:4 "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."

This then is how we get that divine power, and God's grace and peace. We are given those great and precious promises through God's Word. As we study His Word and obtain the knowledge of those promises, we then claim those promises, because God keeps His Word. When we repent of our sins in Jesus name, we are forgiven of our sins, we enter into the family of God, and we then have the right to claim all the promises that our Father has made to His children within His family.

The "divine nature" is the "supernatural nature" or power comes through faith and trust. It is the protection and help that comes to each of us by God's Spirit. When you are living in a world that is deep in the things of this world it is easy to take your eyes off God, but we escape that corruption and the lusts of this world when we stay focused on those precious promises of God's entire Word.

God did not say "divine will", but He said "divine nature", because God does things in a natural way. You cannot obtain this by human nature, but it must come through God's divine nature. Human nature brings on the lusts and sins of this world, while divine nature come from within you when you are a Christian. You still have two natures while you are in your flesh bodies as a Christian, one nature is of the flesh, and the other nature is of the spirit. One is of the flesh outward man, while the other is of the inner man, the spirit or soul man that is within you. When you become a Christian, then by your discipline, you force the flesh nature to be under the control of new nature, which is the divine nature that God's Spirit places within you.

After you have by faith in Jesus Christ repented and become a Christian, the flesh nature will continue to try to get you to do those thing your new nature tells you is wrong. The old nature will try to get you to go and do things that you use to do and say, however by God's power, He has put that new nature in you that can pull you away from those things of this world age, and give you protection as you get deeper into His Word. This is why it is very important that new Christians not only get the milk of the Word, but mature and grow into the meat of the Word also. God touches you, and He can change those things to strengthen you and pull you away from this world age. He can protect you in this earth age.

II Peter 1:5 "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;"

Even adding to our God giving you a new divine nature, He will give you the ability to care and add virtue to your faith, and with that virture, knowledge. "Virtue" as given here is very "manly" in the sense of strength. It is your ability to withstand much tribulation that should come your way. This does not apply to gender, but to mental ability to withstand problems and temptations that come our way as we live our lives in the flesh body. As you are tested and tried in your life and apply God's Word in your mind, your virture or strength will give you the knowledge that you learn by experience only. "Knowledge is intelligence, which is the ability to use what is learned in your mind. In other words, you become a doer of the Word, and not just a hearer only.

II Peter 1:6 "And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;"

"Temperance" is self control, while "patience" is steadfastness. Patience is the ability to stay with what you are doing, and not become a quitter. So it is from your knowledge that your gain your self control, and through self control that you remain true to the course that you have set for your life. Your patience brings on godliness, or the divine nature that God places within you when become a Christian and get into His Word.

The eye is a mirror of the soul, and when you take on godliness, you take on the countenience of a Christian. You lift people when they are down, and build them up when it is needed. This is because the very divine nature of God rests within you. This is not to say that you become to good for others and allow pride to take over, but dwelling within you will be the very nature of God. The people in the world around you will detect that you are different from them. These are gifts of the Spirit of God, Temperance, patience and godliness, and with them you will succeed for the sure way of being a success is just don't quit until you get there at your goal. If God gives you the power and the strength to get the job done, you will get it done.

II Peter 1:7 "And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."

Paul spoke of this in Romans 12:10; "Be kingly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;"

Romans 12:11 "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;"

Romans 12:12 "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Romans 12:13 "Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality."

The Christian always gives to the brethern expecting nothing in return, and when this is done, God blesses His children well. As you take His Word and grow personally acquainted with Christ, that brotherly love will grow in your heart and flow out to others.

II Peter 1:8 "For if there things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

For if you do something with those things that you have learned from studying God's Word, and apply those things to your lives, God is promising you that you will not be idle in your time. God is going to use you as much as you allow Him to use you. When you have all these things going for you, the knowledge, the patience, the virture, the godliness, the love and the brotherly kindness; you can't help but produce fruit for God's kingdom. Someone that is barren in the spiritual sense, is one that claims to be saved, yet refuses to study God's Word and is completely ignorant as to how it applies to him or her.

God foretold us all the thing that we can expect in our generation, and to know the prophecies of God, and what we can expect, keeps one alert and continually watching for the events of our generation. When one is barren of God's Word they are daily drifting in confusion, and know nothing as to the closeness of the end times. The events of the final days are taking place at record speed, as the new world order is tightening it's grip, through their four hidden dynasties, and yet those Christians can't recognize the good from the bad, the right from the wrong, and sin from godliness. When you know God's Word, you can take advantage of the world situation, and have God's blessings on top of that; for it is a great time to live in. Friend, you can't help but be fruitful when you are in the family of God, and are in and using the divine nature that God has placed within you through the promises of His Word. We are to work at His Word, and not be idle with our time.

II Peter 1:9 "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."

Peter is saying that if you can not see the truths of the things that he is telling you, you must be blind. Without the Word of God in your mind, there is no way that you can tell what the future will hold for you. You will continue to sin those sins that you have committed in the past, and when you do become purged of your sins, you will run right back to them.

It is an insult to God to run back to God over and over to repent for the same sin that has already been forgiven. It is a sign that you lack the faith to even believe God, when He has told you that once you repent He removes that sin far from His mind, so why in the world would you ever want to keep on dragging those forgiven sins before Him. It is a sign of unbelieve both in the saving power of the blood of Christ on the Cross, and your disbelief in the promises of His Word. You are telling God that you just don't believe what He has said in His Word. Many churches today don't ever get past salvation and baptism, When every person in the service has heard it over and over, and has come forward many times it is time to get to the meat fo the Word. That is blasphemy to God, and shows your unbelief that God simply cannot do what He says He can do. It is living on milk only, and staying a baby in Christ. Once you are saved and in obedience follow Christ in baptism, then it is time to get on in your Christian life and grow up and mature as a Christian.

You mature as a Christian when you get into the meat of God's Word. that is where you put on the full armor of God's Word that will protect you in your life as a Christian. Peter is telling us to grow up and stop being so blind to His Word. Learn what God expects from you, and be able to see for yourselves the events that are going on around you, so that you will not be deceived. Today most Christians stumble around in self pity, and in complete ignorance of the powers that is at their disposal, because of their lack of knowledge in the Scriptures.

While you are in the flesh, you will fall short from time to time, you will sin like everyone else, but when you do, that is the time to repent to the Father in Jesus name and get on with your life. That is the freedom that we have in Christ. You don't need to be saved and baptised all over, but you do need to repent. This is why you must die daily, or repent daily for those things that you have sin on that day. Where you spoke of others or gossiped when we should not have, or yielded to what ever temptation that came your way. When you live in the flesh body, sin will happen and that is no excuse to do it. However, when you do sin then repent to God and not to man, for it is our Heavenly Father that does the forgiving for sin. Once you repent, it is over and done with, and when you bring it back up, you have insulted God to His face. When God purges you of a sin, He doesn't want to hear about it again, because He blots it out from His records. You must learn to forgive yourself once you have repented.

II Peter 1:10 "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:"

Peter is telling us that when we repent of our sins, make it sure in your mind what you are repenting of, state it, then don't bring it up again. God has blotted it out forever. Make sure in your mind of your election to salvation, know for a fact in your mind that Jesus Christ blood is able to forgive and cover your sin, and you will never fall. The calling to memory of those sins when they are being truly repented for will help you from doing those same things again. However, while in the flesh you may still sin those sins again, and if so that requires your confessing them to the Father in repentance again. As long as you keep on working in gaining the knowledge of God in your mind, you will never fall all the way down again. You will continue to receive the blessings of God, for He loves you.

II Peter 1:11 "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

An "enterance" is an gate that you have to enter through. The gate to our everlalsting life and the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is there and the only way that you can enter into that kingdom is through that way. Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life, and any other path that you may chose is to destruction. Jesus said in John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, "I am the way the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." To approach the Father and have His ear, you have to have the credentials, and when you have the faith to believe in the Jesus Christ, and that His blood was able to cleanse you from your sins, then that is your credentials to approach the throne of the Father. And when you repent of sins "in Jesus Name", your are telling the Father that you are accepting the blood of Christ to cover the sins that you have committed. It is God's promise to you. Jesus paid the price, and you accept the gift that He has given to you.

If you think that you are going to take some other way, or gate of door to the Father, such as one of these new religious teachings of tradition, then God calls you a thief and a robber. John 10:1 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."

God is always there waiting for you to come to Him, and when you do, He is there to give you forgiveness and peace of mind. We have an assurance that God will be there to hear you, and give you an answer to your request when you come to Him through Christ. Sometimes, you may not like the answer He give, but God knows the future and what is best for you, and you must learn to accept God's answers. The warmth of the blessings and love that He has for you is always there when you call out to Him. Keep your eye always on the gate which is Jesus Christ, and is open to you.

II Peter 1:12 "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these thing, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth."

Peter is saying that He is going to keep on bringing these things up to you, even though you know it, because there is tough times ahead for you.

II Peter 1:13 "Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;"

I think it is proper that as long as I am in this flesh body that I jog your memory from time to time.

II Peter 1:14 "Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me."

Peter knew how his death would be, exactly as Christ died. Jesus told Peter this after Jesus had returned from His resurrection, just prior to His ascension it heaven. This is recorded in John 21:18. 19.

John 21:18 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee [Peter], When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thy wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not."

Jesus is telling Peter that when he is young you will be able to teach and get around real good, but when you are old, they are going to hang you to the cross, just like they hung Me.

John 21:19 "This spake He, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when He had spoken, He saith unto him, "Follow Me."

Jesus had just told Peter that He would work him all his life, and in the end Peter would hang on the cross just like Jesus did. Then Jesus made a statement, "Follow Me!" There was no choice for Peter to make, for Peter was one of God's elect. Peter was a chosen vessel of God.

II Peter 1:15 "Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance."

Peter left His writing to the church, and to this day those Words are remembered. In fact you are reading and studying them now. It applies with the same emotions, the same love and the same strength as when Peter first wrote them down.

II Peter 1:16 "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

The term "cunning devised fables", are the "traditions of men" and doctrines that go against God's Word. Most of the church world today are all wrapped up in those "cunning devised fables", and those fables and false doctrines are going to deceive those that are placing their hope of salvation in them. Peter is telling us that He was at that mount of transfiguration when Jesus allow him to witness the full Majesty of Who he is. This is recorded in Matthew 17:1-9 and the events were given to prepare you and I for the second advent, which ends the sixth dispensation.

Matthew 17:1 "And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,"

Jesus is separating these three disciples from the rest of the disciples and giving them what you might call a secret mission. This is a documentation of what it will be like at the second advent, or coming of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 17:2 "And was transfigured before them: and His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light."

Jesus Christ's transfiguration let these three disciples know that through the resurrection the flesh body will be transfigured, rather then left. These three have witnessed before the fact that Christ's body will be transfigured. Meaning that the flesh shall not be left in the tomb, whereby the unbelievers could say, He didn't go anywhere. There is His flesh body.

Every time a person dies there is an immediate removal of the soul back to the Heavenly Father, and the flesh is let to rot in the grave. The unbeliever simply can't understand this because the dead body is there before them. However the person's beautiful spiritual body returns to God that gave it. So in this case there had to be a transfiguration to stop the talk, and have witnesses to the fact, so no one could deny that Christ arose."

Matthew 17:3 "And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him."

Remember that Moses and Elias [Elijah] were mentioned in the last three verses of the Old Testament.

Malachi 4:4-6 "Remember ye the law of Moses My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments." [4] "Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:" [5] "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." [6]

Before the day of the Lord comes, the children hearts will be turned to their fathers, and those fathers will be Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Satan. There will be no fence straddling at that time, for you will be sold out to one or the other. If you are sealed in your mind with the Word of God concerning those events, they you know that the first christ that comes is Satan, and there will be no rush to accept him at the sixth trumpet. You will wait patiently for the true Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ and the sounding of the seventh trump.

These three disciples watched as these three men stood in their supernatural bodies, showing that Christ was supernatural. This revealed the body that Christ would posses after the crucifixion, and after the tomb. Jesus did this in a manner to where there would be no doubt to where His body was. It was changed.

Matthew 17:4 "Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus, "Lore, it is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

As Peter watched this supernatural event take place, he missed the whole point that Jesus was trying to show them. The first thing Peter wanted to do was to broadcast the event to everyone. Peter still is not aware of the reason Jesus brought them to this mount. Peter was brought here to witness this event of the transforming of Christ's body, to be a witness following the resurrection.

Matthew 17:5 "While he yet spake, behold a bright voice out of the cloud, which said, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased: hear ye Him."

While Peter is mouthing off to Jesus as to what he will do, God interrupt Peter to focus on what this is all about. To tell them that Jesus is truly the Son of almighty God. God is telling them to stop their nonsense and listen to His Son; what He has to tell you is very important. When the disciples heard God speak they became sore afraid.

Matthew 17:6 "And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid."

Matthew 17:7 "And Jesus came and touched them, and said, "Arise, and be not afraid." "

Jesus came to them tenderly and said, get back on your feet, and don't be afraid. I think He knew how mortal man would react, when in the presence of His Almighty Father. When things get tough, and the pressures of life cause you to be afraid; this same tenderness of Christ is offered to you, "Be not afraid." Remember in Matthew 11:28-30; "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." [28] "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." [29] "For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." [30]

Matthew 17:8 "And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only."

When the three disciples looked up into Jesus' face it was all over, it was past.

Matthew 17:9 "And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, "Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead."

Peter, James and John were ready now to get down to business and pay attention. They know now that what Jesus was telling them was far more than idle words. Before Peter was ready to fight to save the life of Christ, and now he had the insight that the others, aside from James and John, did not have. Then at the time when Thomas and the others would have their doubts, these three could safely say, Our Lord is risen."

So Peter is also telling us that He witnessed the power of Christ, and heard in person the detail of the about the coming or second return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

II Peter 1:17 "For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased."

Peter is telling us of that time when He witnessed in person the honor and glory that the almighty Father gave to His Son, and it must have been a spectacular sight. It is God Almighty that pointed this out, so there could be no mistake that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the mankind. Peter is giving us his personal report, testifying to the report we read of in Matthew 17:1-9, that we read above.

II Peter 1:18 "And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount."

Peter was with James and John on that mount of transfiguration.

II Peter 1:19 "We have also a more sure word of Prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, unto the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts."

Peter is telling each of us that it would be well for us if we also pay attention to what what Jesus, that light, has to say. This is in reference to the second advent of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus' first advent proved and documented that He was the Son of God and that there is hope in Him. However Peter is warning us that at Jesus second advent, it will be absolute, and His power from on high will be final. He will come then not as a Savior, to be crucified, but Jesus shall come with a rod of iron as a king to rule the people of the earth.

Revelation 19:11 "And I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse; and He That sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war."

This day is the "day of the Lord", and the one on the horse is Jesus Christ. "Faithful and True" is the name of Jesus as we see Him referred to at the end of Revelation. Unlike the one that comes on the white horse when the sixth seal was opened, as recorded in Revelation 6:1, 2, this white horse carries Jesus Christ who will come and judge and rule over the people of the earth.

The other white horse carries the counterfeit, who is Satan, who will come and deceive those looking for a rapture and are set in their minds to worship the rider of the first horse to come.

Revelation 19:12 "His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself."

When Jesus Christ comes at the second advent on the day of the Lord, His eyes are set on bringing righteousness to the earth, and to bring vengeance and wrath on those who have ruled and cheated His people. The diadems that Jesus will wear show that He comes as the King. He will remove all evil from the earth, and rule over His kingdom for one thousand years.

Revelation 19:13 "And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God."

The vesture He wore was stained in the blood from the cross, and the blood of the righteous saints who had shed their blood for the sake of Our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember that this is the day of vengeance, the day of wrath.

Revelation 19:14 "And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean."

When Jesus comes back to rule and reign on the earth, the marriage supper will be over for the saints that have passed on, and they shall return with Him in their fine linen, clean and white.

Revelation 19:15 "And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."

This verse refers to Psalm 2:9, Isaiah 11:4, 49:2, and 63:3. That sword that goes forth is a sharp, two edged sword, which sill smite the earth and bring down all nations. For then, the new kingdom to be set up will be a righteous one. It will be without Satan, the false prophets, and the locust army of fallen angels.

You may play around with God's Word now, and play church, however that will soon end. The rule of the Millennium age of Christ's kingdom is going to be a boot camp for learning and discipline for those that did not learn the truth in this age of the flesh. The teachers will be the saints, and you will be in your incorruptible [soul] body. For the elect of God, those sealed with the truth at the coming of Antichrist, it will be a time of receiving inheritance and rewards, and obtaining their incorruptible and immortal body.

Revelation 19:16 "And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

There will be no doubt to anyone who Jesus Christ is, for it will be written boldly, "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." There will be no one wondering at this time if Christ is a reality.

II Peter 1:20 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation."

II Peter 1:21 "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

This same Holy Spirit that touches you today, moved those prophets of old times to write what they wrote. This is their credentials that what they wrote did come from the Father. It was not a religion, but a reality of the walk or way, which is to say Jesus Christ. Isaiah and Jeremiah didn't just sit down and say, I think it is a good day to write a book today. No they wrote as the Lord revealed it to them, and when it was given them by the Spirit of God. Many of the prophets didn't even understand what they were writing, but they wrote anyhow.

After Daniel had finished writing he was frustrated for a lack of understanding when he sealed his writings, and said in Daniel 12:8; "And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, 'O My Lord, what shall be the end of these things?' " And God responded:

Daniel 12:9 "And He said, 'Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end."

Daniel's book is not to be understood until the final generation is living on earth, and those events are coming to pass. That generation is now, and the things and events of the parable of the fig tree and of Daniel's prophesies the are current events to our generation.

Daniel 12:10 "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand."

The wicked are those that refuse to study God's Word and prepare themselves for the coming of the wicked one, who is Satan. They just don't understand that Satan is the one who opposeth, and comes first. They don't understand the end times prophesies, and their lack of understanding will cause them to be deceived.

Daniel 12:11 "And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and five and thirty days."

After Christ's death of the cross, the "daily sacrifices" became what we call "communion"; the bread and the wine that are taken until the day of His return to earth, in remembrance of Christ's shed blood and His broken body and stripes that he took for our sins. When Satan the Antichrist comes to earth, he will be a counterfeit of the true Christ and those that do not understand the prophecies will run to Satan. That is the abomination that takes place, and it will be desolate because all except the elect will think Satan is Christ.

When time is given in days, it is written to the children of the light, to those with the seal of God in their minds. There is a three and one half year time of the rule of Satan and the saints of God will have the patience to wait for that coming day of Christ. We know from Revelation 9:5, 10 that Jesus said this three and one half years has been shortened to five months, however those putting their hopes in the rapture doctrine can't wait to welcome Satan, and run to his arms. The will be deceived by Him.

Daniel 12:12 "Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days."

God is saying that those that do understand and wait for the true Christ shall receive their blessing.

Daniel 12:13 "But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.' "

God is telling Daniel that what shall happen will be after his death, long after, and that it shall be after the resurrection and in the time of the end. We can read the Book of Daniel today and see the things events that were prophesied by Daniel as He was inspired by the Spirit of God.

The movement of the nations have started to move into their one world system, in other words there was nothing personal in the viewpoint that the different prophets took, for it was all given by the same Spirit that we have today. When you receive Christ, His Spirit touches your mind to give you the understanding that will give you the patience, the will and the strength that allows you to accomplish whatever God tells you to today. God is very much in control today, and He is allowing man to fulfill those prophesies both negative and positive that must come to pass before the end of this age.

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