JOHN, Chapter 9 – To see the glory of God

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

To see the glory of God

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8, see also Hebrews 12:14)

Remaining in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle, we have come to the Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1-10), which speaks of the praise, thanksgiving and worship which go up to God and His throne like incense (Matthew 5:16).
By the inner, sanctifying effects of Word and Holy Spirit, the two revelation forms wherein Jesus Christ comes unto us, we undergo a justification in such a way, that His divine nature is poured out into us in ever increasing measure, after that the old, sin-sick “I”-nature has been burned away, again by Word and Spirit (Jeremiah 23:29; Isaiah 4:4; Romans 3:21-26; 2 Peter 1:4).
The direction of our thoughts is sealed by these works of faith, by these justifying and sanctifying works of God (Revelation 7:3), namely it is focused on Him, and our spiritual eyes are opened unto Him. Then we will see His holiness and glory, His mercy and loving being, and at the same time His justice (Revelation 3:18). Then a holy fear and deep respect for Him will enter our hearts, but simultaneously, gratitude and praise. From deep within our hearts an adoration, a worship, for our God will rise ever higher until we lose ourselves completely in this worship…

John 9 verse 1-6: “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.”
We should see the story of the healing of the man that was born blind in the light of above text. Spiritually we all were “born blind”, and must be healed of this spiritual blindness, “that the works of God should be made manifest in us” (verse 3; Romans 8:20-21).

John 9 verse 7: “And (He) said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.”
This man which was born blind, and who received his sight, had to wash himself in the pool Siloam. Translated, “Siloam” means “Sent (out)”. It is His servants, called and sent by Himself, that the Lord sanctifies, justifies and glorifies most (Romans 8:29-30). It is to them, that He reveals Himself most. It is especially those that see Him with their spiritual eyes, and therefore worship Him.

John 9 verse 8-12: “The neighbors therefore, and (all) they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged (regularly)? Some said, This is he: (yet) others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.”
This man, born blind, gave Jesus all honor for the opening of his (formerly) blind eyes. God’s servants, those that can see Him spiritually, also give Him all honor for this spiritual (eye-)sight!

John 9 verse 13-14: “They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.”
These will continue to live in a spiritual (Sabbath) rest. With (and by) their freed and sanctified spirit they continually see God in the heavens (Matthew 18:10b).

John 9 verse 15-17: “Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.”
Unspiritual leaders cannot very well place this (spiritual) sight and this worship (in the Spirit) of God’s blessed sons and daughters, and, due to this, often protest against them and their worship, which they then call too loud and not of God.

John 9 verse 18-23: “But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents; He is of age; ask him.”
For fear of the Jewish leaders even his parents kept their distance, and left their son out in the cold. Spiritual, blessed people often stand alone with the Lord!

John 9 verse 24-34: “Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, where-as I was blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth (answers) not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out (of the synagogue).”
Carnal leaders take up a hostile attitude against spiritually sighted Christians. God’s children should forgive such leaders, but the powers of darkness, that lead them (the leaders) we must bind and condemn (Isaiah 54:17).

John 9 verse 35-38: “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped him.”
From Jesus, however, such will experience protection, and streams of grace for them to stand firm in the midst of all hatred and division (John 16:33; 1 John 4:4).

John 9 verse 39-41: “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not (spiritually) might see; and that they which (think they) see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were (spiritually) blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.”
Jesus brings division between all sincere and hypocritical Christians (Luke 12:49-53).

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 8 – Light-bearers of God in this world

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

Light-bearers of God in this world

In the light of the Israelitic tabernacle, this new chapter is in the sign of the candlestick, God’s Menorah (Exodus 25:31-40). This sevenfold candlestick  of pure gold had a shaft and on either side three arms. The shaft could be divided into 4×3=12 parts, and the six arms in 6x3x3=54 parts. Thus the candlestick consisted of 66 parts in total. And, the so-called canon of the Scripture, the Bible, also consists of 66 books (letters). In fact this candlestick symbolically shines forth the light of the whole Bible of God by the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. We are to walk in this light, and to live of this light (Psalm 119:105 and 129-136; John 5:39). As the Table of Showbread speaks of this living Word on the table of our heart, and our being formed (i.e. delivered and renewed) by this living Word (Romans 1:16); so the sevenfold gold candlestick speaks of the expression (the sharing) of the effect of this living Word to (with) others by the power of the Holy Spirit in word and deed. Thus, it is the Holy Spirit of God working inside us, Who uses us as His sounding board or channel to share with others God’s sanctifying Word, that they, too, may be saved and preserved by it.

John 8 verse 1-11: “Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none (of the accusers) but the wo-man, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
The first working of God’s Spirit on earth is to convict men of sin (John 16: 8-11; Isaiah 4:4). So Jesus, Who was the Word made flesh, convicted this woman of her adultery. This conviction of sin was not to judge her, but that it should bring her to repentance, to confession of sin (1 John 1:9), to conversion unto God, that He might forgive and deliver her hereby, unto her eternal salvation. The Lord was sharply (directly) opposed to her accusers, who only were out to judge her lovelessly (Matthew 7:1-5; Isaiah 58:9b), and to corner Jesus, because He would not have obeyed the requirement of the law; namely to stone her (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22). But the Lord Jesus was come to deliver people from the snare of the devil (1 Timothy 1:15; 1 John 3:5 and 8; Colossians 1:13), and not to condemn them (John 3:17; 8:15; 12:47). He was come to sanctify them from their sins (Matthew 1:21; Hebrews 7:25). Therefore we, too, should not judge, but try and lead our neighbors to Jesus and to Calvary (Matthew 7:1-2), to the point that they, too, might leave their old, sinful life behind (die to it)!

John 8 verse 12-20: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour (to die) was not yet come.”
For us Jesus is the Light and the Life (John 1:4), given to us by the Father. And, 2000 years ago, He was given to us by the Father as Lamb of God, That took away the sins of the world (John 1:29; Isaiah 9:5 a; 53:5), but today He is given to us as our Deliverer (Healer), Savior and Baptizer with the Spirit (Ephesians 1:17-20; Hebrews 7:24-25).

John 8 verse 21-29: “Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way (namely to the Father), and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath (= earthly); I am from above (= heavenly, from heaven): ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the (people of this) world those things which I heard of him. They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up (namely on the cross) the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”
Jesus here hinted at His death and resurrection for the salvation of humanity. He also reproached the Jews on their unbelief, but when they “would lift up (namely crucify) the Son of man, they would understand (Who He was)”.

John 8 verse 30-32: “As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word (= His Word, and thus obey [Him]), then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Believing in Jesus must lead to continuing to live in His Word (in order to experience the sanctifying effect of His Word). So the believers themselves, by the effect of the Light of God in them, will also become the light of this world (Matthew 5:13-16; Isaiah 60:1-3), namely when the Word of God will have freed man completely from satan and (the powers of) sin (Romans 1:16-17; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:14 and 1 John 3:8-9). Then the Word, living within us, by the power of the indwelling Spirit, will make us witnesses of Christ by word and deed (Colossians 1:27; 3:16).

John 8 verse 33-59: “They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed (= offspring), and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free (from every [power of] sin), ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth (and obeys) God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil (or: are possessed by an evil spirit)? Jesus answered, I have not a devil (or: I am not possessed by an evil spirit); but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil (or: that you are possessed by an evil spirit). Abraham is dead, and (also) the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our (fore)father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets (also) are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing: it is my Father that honoreth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. Your (fore)father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was (born), I am (= I was there already). Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by (them).”

The children of God and the children of the devil (Verses 33-59)

Children of God		Children of the devil
verse 35	They are sons of God (Rom. 8:19-21 + 29)	They serve sin (the devil)	verse 34
verse 36	They are truly free from sin and satan	They try to kill Jesus	verses 37-41+ 59
verse 42	They love Jesus	They do not understand Jesus	verse 43
verse 47	They obey God’s Word	They are murderers and liars	verse 44
verse 51	They shall not taste death for ever	They do not believe in Jesus	verses 45-46
Note: Compare this also with 1 John 3:7-11		They seek to dishonor Jesus, to defile His Name	verses 48-53
		They do not know Jesus	verse 55

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By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 7 – The enemy hates this Godly life

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

The enemy hates this Godly life

John 7 verse 1-9: “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles [1] was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he (or: she) himself (or: herself) seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast (of tabernacles): I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.”
Jesus experienced deadly hatred among the Jewish, spiritual leaders, and unbelief concerning His (divine) mission among His own brothers (among whom James, who only after Jesus’ resurrection came to belief in Him; he later became a church leader in Jerusalem, and author of the general pastoral letter, which is taken down in the canon [i.e. the list of bible-books recognized by the church] of the Bible).
This story of Jesus took place about the time of the Feast of Tabernacles, the last harvest feast of each Jewish year (about September-October). The Feast of Tabernacles also points to the last great, worldwide revival (Joel 2:28-32); the great harvest of souls, the Church of Christ will experience in the end-time, whereby the Christ-life will be gloriously revealed in His Body, the then purified Church (Isaiah 60:1-3; Romans 8:8-21; 1 Peter 1:5; Revelation 12:1). In connection herewith a divine Marriage will be contracted also here on earth (Matthew 25:1-13; Luke 14:15-24; Revelation 19:6-9) we also call the “Latter Rain” (Joel 2:23-32).
But then the hostile hatred will also escalate, and there will be persecutions, strong deceptions, and unrighteousness will be multiplied; and all this with generally occurring destructions. Then many (all, who are not firmly grounded in Christ) will desert the faith (the great desertion: 2 Thessalonians 2:3; Matthew 24:1-13, especially verses 9-12; Revelation 12:4 and 13-17). This mobilisation of satan’s forces has been prophesied (predicted) by the Word, and is sure to come; therefore we must prepare ourselves hereto and, in faith, put on the strength of God’s power, so God will bless us with the omnipotence of His Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-12; Revelation 12:7-11). In the Old Covenant we have a parallel in the story of Haman in the Book of Esther (see chapters 3 to [and including] 9). In the end-time God will as it were give satan authority to attack His Church with all of his deception and strength, to (as it were) press His children in this way, to, in faith, put on His powers in the Holy Spirit, that He might clothe them with this overcoming divine power!

John 7 verse 10-18: “But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast (of tabernacles), not openly, but as it were in secret. Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. Howbeit no man spake openly (freely) of him for fear of the Jews. Now about the midst of the feast (of 7 days in total) Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. 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. He/she that speaketh of himself (or: herself) seeketh his/her own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”
In spite of the deadly threat around Him, Jesus, unafraid as God’s Prophet, continued to teach and the foe did nothing against Him, because “His hour (to die) had not yet come”. Among the people there was fear of people, which is why the people murmured, for fear of the Jewish leaders. In the end-time we, too, as His Body, will (have to) testify under a deadly threat (Revelation 12:3-4; 13-17). Then, too, many will come to believe in Christ (Revelation 7:9 speaks of “countless (multitudes)”; see also Revelation 14:14-16), but many will harden in their antichristian attitude to life as well. In those (last) days many people will live in fear of people, but Scripture teaches God’s children, that the Spirit of God “is greater than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4; Matthew 24:13).

John 7 verse 19-24: “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the Law? Why go ye about to kill me? The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil (or: Thou art possessed by an evil spirit): who goeth about to kill thee? Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work (of healing), and ye all marvel. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the [fore]fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day curcumcise a man. If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; (why then) are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
The point of contention the enemy used to kill Jesus, was the alleged violation of the Law of Moses regarding the sabbath, the Jews lived up to the letter. The enemy (namely satan) used the Jewish religious leaders to kill Jesus, for religious reasons. In the last days the enemy will also use the religious world church (the World Council of Churches), the so-called “great whore” (Revelation 17:3-6), and, through her, try and kill/destroy the true Church of Christ (Matthew 24:9-10; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 12:17;Revelation 13:7).

John 7 verse 25-31: “Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he (the one), whom they seek to kill? But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am (come) from him, and he hath sent me. Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.  And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?”
The preachings of Jesus brought division between believers and unbelievers. These sermons worked, because He preached with power. He confirmed His Word by miraculous signs; for that reason many of the crowds believed on Him. His Body, the purified Church, will in the end-time also be clothed with divine glory (Isaiah 60:1-3; Revelation 12:1), and will proclaim the Word of the Kingdom with signs and wonders and mighty deeds (2 Corinthians 12:12), for it is written in Obadiah verse 21 that, on the day of the Lord, saviors (deliverers) will come up on the Mountain of the Lord. In the power of the Holy Spirit, they will then deliver converts from satan’s possessions, and bring in the Harvest (of souls), and add countless (multitudes) to the Kingdom of God (Revelation 7:9-14; Revelation 14:14-16).

John 7 verse 32-39: “The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come? In the last day, that great day of the feast (of tabernacles), Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He/she that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his/her belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given [poured out]; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”
When Jesus and His (believers) will reveal themselves thus with power, the enemy, too, will mobilize all his powers. But Jesus preached, before the menacing enemy’s face, on His death on the cross (verses 33-36), and on His resurrection power in us, which have arrived to the (true) faith (verses 37-39). Thus we shall also do this; and just like the enemy could then no more prevent Christians to overcome in and by Jesus Christ by sharing in His victory, then he will not be able to do so either later on (Psalm 23:5).

John 7 verse 40-43: “Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed (offspring) of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was (born)? So there was a division among the people because of him.”
Many arrived at the (true) faith in Him, others (spiritually) did not grow, because they doubted.

John 7 verse 44-53: “And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. And every man went unto his own house.”
Even His enemies were impressed, so nothing was undertaken, because God did not allow it then (Luke 21:17-19).

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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[1] From the Bible Encyclopedia: This “Feast of tabernacles” is also called “the Feast of gathering (harvest)”. The regulations for this feast are written in Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Leviticus 23:34-36; 39-43; Deuteronomy 16:13-15. It took place on the fifteenth till twenty-second day of the month Tishri (the seventh month of the Israelitic religious year, the first month of the civil and economical year; with us: about September/October). On the tenth day of this month was the great Day of Atonement. Besides the celebration of the harvest feast, after the gathering of the fruit of the labor, the produce of field, threshing floor and winepress, there was the specific regulation that Israel was to live in tabernacles/huts, made of branches of graceful trees. The hut was an image of protection, given to them in the past (think a.o. of the journey through the desert) by the Lord, and today is proved extensively. Daily a burnt offering was offered unto YaHWeH, while on the first and the last day a holy meeting was held. Slave labor was then prohibited. The nation was to rejoice before YaHWeH’s face.

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 6 – The Bread of His presence on the table of our heart

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

The Bread of His presence on the table of our heart

In the light of the Israelitic tabernacle this chapter as well as the next, are seen in the light of the Table of Showbread, which speaks to us of the walk with Christ, of a walk of life led and motivated by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:16 and 25; 1 John 2:6).

John 6 verse 1-15: “After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth (i.e. a Roman coin worth approximately 40 cent) of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of the disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a(n earthly) king, he departed (avoided them) again into a mountain himself alone.”
How important is this living (heart) relationship, this living contact, of the child of God with his/her Savior, expressed here by the eating of the multiplied bread and the two fishes. This took place around the Easter celebration/Passover, and involuntarily we connect this food with the eating of the Passover lamb behind the bloodstained door (Exodus 12:1-14; 21-23), which tells us of an inner growing of the Redeemer, and the deliverance work within us, that the shape of Christ, and His resurrection life be complete in us (Galatians 4:19; Ephesians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11; Exodus 12:15-20). As they were filled/satisfied, so we, too, must be satisfied with this new Christ-life within us (Philippians 3:10-14; 1 Corinthians 2:16; 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
Moreover, after the first multiplication of the loaves, much bread was left over; namely twelve baskets full. This leftover symbolizes the New-Testament bible, we received from the first Church unto the edification of the Church of Jesus Christ, the so-called “foundation of the apostles” (Ephesians 2:20 – The so-called “foundation of the apostles” is formed by the Old Testament). This event of the “first multiplication of the loaves” also formed an indication towards the First of Former Rain of the Holy Spirit, of which the first Church is a fruit; as the second multiplication of the loaves (Matthew 15:29-39) symbolizes the Latter Rain, namely the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the end-time. The 5000 men of the first multiplication of the loaves point to the first Church, won by the reconciliation, worked by the five wounds and the death of Jesus Christ. The 4000 men of the second multiplication of the loaves tell us of the worldwide Church of the end-time as a result of the outpouring of the Spirit, at least His light, over all flesh (Joel 2:28 – The number 4 speaks to us of the four quarters of the earth), A Church, which will have grown unto God’s full power and glory, expressed by the leftovers of the seven baskets (7 in the Bible is the number symbolizing fullness/completion).
In Mark 6:39-40 we read, that Jesus wanted the multitude to sit in groups of  50 and 100 men. Do not these groups form a terrific indication of the local congregations of Christ’s Church on earth? Here is a lesson for the “larger” Churches to divide up their congregation into groups of 50 to 100 under the leadership of their own group leaders.

John 6 verse 16-21: “And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea, And entered into a ship, that went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew. So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs (= old Greek linear measure at 182 metres, thus in total approx. 5 kilometres) they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid. But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.”
This part prophetically refers to the Church period between the Former and the Latter Rain (compare Matthew 14-15). In fact it was a period without Jesus, the so-called “dark middle ages”, a stormy period of inquisitions (religious persecutions), and martyrdoms (tortured and killed) for the sake of the truth in Christ, by the doings/actions of the (catholic) church of Rome. When Jesus, in and by the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, will return to His Church – as happened in the twentieth century (about 1906-1960) -, then He will be seen at first as a “phantom”, a satanic manifestation (Matthew 15:26).

John 6 verse 22-27: “The day following, when the people, which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and (they knew) that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone; (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:) When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi (i.e. Master), when camest thou hither? Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”
An admonition of Jesus not to seek Him for the sake of earthly things; for the sake of earthly happiness and prosperity which will perish, but for the sake of the heavenly food He is for us. (Many Christians in their lives do not get any further than praying for, and thus longing for, all things concerning the natural, earthly life.)

John 6 verse 28: “Then they said unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”
This is the great question which must also ring in us, the desire to do God’s work as His instrument, as an extension of esus, right here on earth.

John 6 verse 29: “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him (Jesus) whom he (God) hath sent.”
Here Jesus points the way for us to come to that situation, wherein we, in and by Him, will do God’s work; namely by believing in Him, by opening ourselves unto Him, in faith, that He, in and through us, may work His sanctifying powers in others (Titus 3:4-7; Ephesians 1:19-20; Revelation 3:20).

John 6 verse 30-47: “They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? What dost thou work (i.e. What are you going to do? The Jews, namely, in that time expected, that He would take action to overturn the Roman authority over them)? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger (spiritually); and he that believeth on me shall never thirst (spiritually). But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him (or: her) that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him (or: her) up at the last day. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man (or: woman) can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him (or: her): and I will raise him (or: her) up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man (or: woman) therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is (has come) of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He (or: she) that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
At the question of the Jews what sign He would give concerning His political action against the Romans, He gave them, in a metaphor, the “sign of the cross”. The Lord also predicted that the majority of the Jews would not believe on Him and His sacrifice on the cross. Only a “remnant” would (verse 37).

John 6 verse 48-59: “I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh (i.e. body), which I will give for the life of the (people of the) world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him (or: her) up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He (or: she) that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him (or: her). As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he (or: she) that eateth me, even he (or: she) shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your (fore)fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he (or: she) that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These sayings said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.”
Only by sharing His death and resurrection (Romans 6:5) would we be able to do God’s work, as extensions of our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ, because we would then live and work in all eternity of and by Him.

John 6 verse 60-66: “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear (listen to) it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up (to heaven) where he (already) was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh (namely carnal, worldly man) profiteth nothing (in no way): the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
The preaching of dying with Christ, namely the complete dying (off) to the old, sinful person, is not popular, and is shunned by the insincere Christians (Isaiah 33:14; 4:4). The “good-for-nothing” flesh (namely the old, sinful life) must be laid as a burnt offering on God’s altar of the cross (Romans 12:1), that He might burn it to ashes (Psalm 20:4; 51:19-21); that He, by the fire of His Holy Spirit, may “burn” it “out” of our heart and life; that He could replace it with His righteous life (2 Corinthians 4:10-11).

John 6 verse 67-71: “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.”
With the sincere Peter, all sincere Christians will chose the way of the cross as the only way to heaven!

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 5 –The personal experience of Jesus’ death and resurrection

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

The personal experience of Jesus’ death and resurrection

Do the three previous chapters hold the promise for us, which lies in Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection (Hebrews 9:12-14; 10:14; Isaiah 9:3), a promise we should embrace in faith; this fifth chapter invites us to share personally and in truth Jesus’ death and resurrection (Romans 6:5; Isaiah 9: 4; Psalm 24:7-8); to experience in truth His sanctifying works of grace (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:11; 3:4-7; Psalm 24:9-10; Isaiah 9:5-6). In the light of the Israelitic tabernacle we here pass the laver, and enter, purified, through the door the Holy Place. The laver, which also typifies the sacrament (i.e. the means of grace) of the water baptism, tells us of the washing in (and thus the cleansing by) the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 1:5; 7:14); of the being planted together with Him in His death, namely the dying and being buried with Him of the old, sinful “I”-life. On the other hand, the door tells us of the entering into, and growing together with Him in His resurrection life (John 10:9; 11:25).

Being planted with Him in His death, the experience of our deliverance from the old man.

John 5 verse 1-15: “After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda (i.e. house of mercy), having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he/she had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day [1]: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.”
We learn in this story, Who healed the sick, and will thus heal us too (Luke 2:14) in the covered (indoor) pool “Bethesda”, namely Jesus Christ alone. This man, who had lain paralyzed for thirty-eight years, here typifies sin-sick man, who waits for the merciful stirring of the water (i.e. the anointing of the Word of God) to be healed (made whole) (from his/her sins) by this God’s act of grace. He was indeed healed by Jesus, and was able to stand up whole, take up his bed, and go home. All this happened on a Sabbath day. And, if Jesus has forgiven and delivered us from our unrighteousness (1 John 1:7 and 9) there will be indeed Sabbath, Sabbath rest, in our soul (Matthew 11:28-30). We then experience peace with God! Then our conscience is cleansed of sins! The baptism of Naaman in the Jordan speaks of this (2 Kings 5:14). That this cleansing/deliverance/ sanctification is a process, which must take place in our Christian life after our rebirth, with our complete willingness, and cooperation to achieve this, we see in 2 Corinthians 7:1. Nothing happens automatically in God’s Kingdom.

Born again of God: developing new, divine (Christ) life.

In this purified state – and this already begins at God’s forgiveness at our confession of sins (1 John 1:9) – in this state of reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) the new, divine Christ life can be planted in us, be poured out into us, and it will then begin to develop; something Scripture calls rebirth (John 3:3 and 5; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 3:9). We then form part of the divine nature developing within us (2 Peter 1:4). Because of this act of grace of God, we then stand in the same relationship towards the Father as Jesus has by virtue of His eternal birth out of Him (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 6:18).

John 5 verse 16-21: “And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.”
From now on we only are to do “the works of God” (John 6:28-29) by our faith in, and devotion to, Jesus; that we solely do and speak that which Jesus wants us to do and speak. In short, from now on we should only live in and of Him. If we have thus devoted ourselves unto Him, then He will work in our new being both the will and the works of God (Philippians 2:13). He does this the same way the vine makes the lifegiving sap to flow to the branches, that they might grow further out of the vine and bear fruit (John 15:5). Thus the divine life of Jesus makes us mature in Him. This new life of Christ is only able to flourish when our experience of deliverance be deep, wide and complete (Matthew 13:8).

God’s judgment if we reject this life.

John 5 verse 22-30: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 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. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 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. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”
Jesus is not simply and solely our Savior, but, when the period of grace is past (and for us personally this is at death, see Ecclesiastes 11:3; Hebrews 9:27; for humanity as a whole this is at the resurrection of damnation, see Matthew 25:31-46; Romans 8:34; Revelation 20:11-15), He is also the Judge, Who judges and condemns (John 5:22; Romans 8:34a). Therefore it is a good thing to honor and praise Him in our life, as long as we are still in this mortal flesh (John 5:23; Psalm 50:23; Hebrews 13:15); as proof of our faith in Him and of our submission unto Him; and it is good to hear, believe and keep His Word, the Bible, in our heart (2 Corinthians 4:10-11), and to do what is written therein; that we, by Jesus, might enter in into the (new, eternal) life, into His abundant life (John 10:10).

The threefold testimony that Jesus saves and sanctifies us.

John 5 verse 31-35: “If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent (some priests and Levites) unto John (the Baptist), and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He (i.e. John the Baptist) was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season (a short while) to rejoice in his light.”
The testimony of John the Baptist.
In Malachi 3 verse 1 John the Baptist is also called an “angel” of God, because he would be made subservient to God, just as the seven leaders of the seven Churches in Revelation 2 and 3 are called “angels”. The subservient, glorified person of Revelation 22 verses 8-9 is also called “angel”. Here John the Baptist, and all other “angels of God”, functioned in and by the true Angel of the Blood Covenant, namely the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ.

John 5 verse 36: “But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.”
The miracles Jesus performed, testified of His mission.
In answer to the question of John the Baptist (Matthew 11:2-5; Isaiah 61:1-3).

John 5 verse 37-39: “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
The Scriptures form the testimony of the Father concerning Jesus.
Jesus testified of Himself from the Scriptures to the two travellers to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-31)

This testimony was not accepted by the Jews of Jesus’ time.

John 5 verse 40-47: “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honor from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”
In the end-time the Jews will temporarily accept the testimony of the anti-christ, that he is the Christ (John 5:43; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). This is because the Jew (but also people from other nations) seek the honor of people, and not the honor that comes from God.

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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[1] a: From the Biblical Encyclopedia.
The Hebrew noun “shabbat” means: rest. The Hebrew verbe shabbat means: to rest, enjoy rest, stop doing something, and also: celebrate the sabbath (i.e. the day of rest). On the sabbath one stops work. This is, because God Himself rest on the seventh day from all the works He did (Genesis 2:2; Exodus 20:8-11). On that day God stopped creating. God blessed and sanctified His seventh day. Accordingly, the seventh day was also to be sanctified in a special way for His service by His people (Exodus 16:25). After the Babylonian exile the celebration of the sabbath had degenerated, because the Pharisees established all possible stipulations of what was and was not allowed on the sabbath. The Lord Jesus repeatedly clashed with them about exactly this part of the sabbath (Mark 2:27; John 5). Jesus fulfilled, as the promised Messiah, all the shadowy things in the Old-Testament sabbath. The sabbath was a shadow of the coming reality: Christ (Colossians 2:16).
b: This God-given law in the Old Covenant to keep the sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:2), we do not find again in the perfected Ten Commandments of God’s Kingdom of heaven on earth, which Jesus gave us in His sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17 to 7:29), because the sabbath day forms a shadow-image of a spiritual condition the believer of the New Covenant must keep (Colossians 2:16-17). In the New Covenant we are not allowed to disturb the spiritual sabbath or rest in God’s grace by falling into sin again.

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 4 – The promise of the living water comes unto all nations on earth

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

The promise of the living water comes unto all nations on earth through Samaria.
(Acts 1:8)

John 4 verse 1-14: “When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Smaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings (here: contact, association) with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then has thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him/her whall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him/her shall be in him/her a well of (living) water springing up into everlasting life.”
“Jacob’s well” is the type for the blessing of the new life, the Christ-life, that has been (and is) poured (planted) into us by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). For Jacob is the image of the Holy Spirit, just like Abraham and Isaac are, respectively of the Father and the Son; this is also the reason why Isaac, Abraham’s son, had to be sacrificed symbolically, because he was the image of Jesus, the Son of God.By His death and resurrection for all men, thus not only for the Jews, Jesus is the Life-giver (Hebrews 9:12; 10:14). He is this for us by the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 16:4; Titus 3:5; Ezekiel 47:1-5). This divine (Christ) life, which is given unto us by grace, and which makes us the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:19-23; 4:16; 1 Corinthians 12:27), is ever increasing in power and fullness (John 4:14; Ezekiel 47:3-5) – and no power in the world could prevent it (Romans 8:31-33) than we ourselves alone by unfaithfulness to our Lord – until we are completely submerged in Him (Ephesians 3:14-19; 4:12-16; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Zechariah 4:2; but also Genesis 1:26, but then taken in the fullness of the Word). This divine (Christ) life is for all men, who are willing to (completely) live of God, and thus no longer according to their own will (Romans 8:1-4;Revelation 22:17). Therefore this experience demands an act of will from us: we must drink this water of life; we must take Jesus unto us, and make Him King of our heart, thinking and life.

John 4 verse 15-18: “The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me (of) this water, that I thirst not (anymore), neither come hither to draw (anymore). Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.”
Besides being willing to receive this eternal life, we must also repent and put off (surrender) our old, sinful “I”-life upon the Altar of the cross of Calvary (Romans 12:1-2), that He might burn that old life to ashes (Psalm 20:4; 51:19-21; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11). This is the price we have to pay for this new (Christ) life. And this surrendering of our old, sinful life is a (voluntary) process, which takes place and continues daily, after our rebirth (Luke 9:23; Colossians 3:1-17). This new Christ-life within us reveals/expresses itself in righteous-ness, peace and joy (Romans 14:17), and in love and mercy (Galatians 5:22).

John 4 verse 19-24: “The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Here worship (namely the praise, glorifying and exalting of God – see Psalm 50:23; Hebrews 13:15) is brought in connection with the receiving, drinking, of the new life in Christ, because worship of God holds, for us, a burning/passionate longing/desire for the fullness/perfection of God. This new life takes us into the same relationship towards the Father as Jesus has (Romans 8:29), for this new life in Jesus makes us children, sons of God (again remarking that spiritually mature/perfect daughters, spiritually seen, are/will be sons of God too) (Romans 8:14-16); makes us members of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23). When we experience this relationship towards the Father, then we will, as a matter of course, at the discovery of His glory, worship and praise God.

John 4 verse 25-26: “The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”
This new Christ life is poured (planted) into us in increasing measure; it will grow within us, when we admit Jesus daily as our Messiah, our Savior and Sanctifier, in our heart and life (John 1:12; Revelation 3:20); when we (as it were) have taken Him “on board”, and have given the helm of our life-boat into His hands. In this way we, more and more, will be part of the Kingdom of the Son of God’s Love (Colossians 1:13).

John 4 verse 27-30: “And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come (with me), see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.”
Our living faith in Jesus Christ (the Messiah) automatically produces testimony and fruit (as the proverb says: what the heart thinks, the mouth speaks), so that they, too, who at first where afar off (namely from Samaria, type of those that have strayed because of false and wrong teachings) could be added unto the family of God.

God seeks instruments for passing on this (new) Christ life to others.

John 4 verse 31-38: “In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields (spiritually: the countries / nations); for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.”
Once one has been born again into this new life, and has put on the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:48-49; Acts 1:4 and 8), then one also must obey the will of the heavenly Lord in this respect; namely testify, under the leadership and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of this new heavenly life in Christ unto others; either the sowing (the initial testimony of this); or the mowing (the bringing in of souls into the Kingdom of God).
In the salvation and the recovering (winning back) of humanity from the enemy (satan [1]), the Lord God limited Himself to being the Vine (type of the Father), and to the care of the Husbandman (type of the Lord Jesus) (John 15:1). The work of fruit-bearing (bringing new souls into the Kingdom of God) He left to the Church, to the children of God, to the branches that, for this purpose, are to remain in the Vine that the sap-stream of God’s Spirit and the divine life will continue to flow through them; Also for the bearing of fruit, much fruit (John 15:4-5). By fruit-bearing not only the actual labor of testifying to the world is meant, but also the effective prayer-life of intercession and spiritual warfare against the powers of satan and his hordes. But above all our renewed life must bear testimony that we are indeed God’s children. Although God Himself is powerful to send an army of strong laborers into the work-field, He limits Himself to the answering of prayers for laborers, because He made the Church the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23); the branches of the Vine (John 15:1).
Therefore He waits for us to pray for laborers who are to bring in the harvest (Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:1).
John Wesley once said that God will do nothing unless we pray for it!

John 4 verse 39-42: “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
So this Samaritan woman was a wonderful witness of Jesus Christ (the Messiah), for by her testimony “many Samaritans of that city believed on him” (verse 39).

The new life of Christ also has a healing effect on (the health of) the body, by faith in Jesus and His Word.

John 4 verse 43-46a: “Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country. Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water (into) wine.”
In the area where Jesus grew up, faith in Him was small (Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6). And so each laborer of God, in his/her ministry, has to struggle against the unbelief of his or her own relatives and/or acquaintances (Proverbs 18:19).

John 4 verse 46b-54: “And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down (on his way home), his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee.”
Faith in Jesus and His Word, that works salvation and new life, also works out healing in the body (Romans 8:11). When we hear His Word, and keep it in our heart as a divine gift, the fulfilment thereof by the Lord is a sure result! Jesus gave us the promise that “by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24); that the prayer of faith, together with the anointing with oil, will raise up the sick (James 5:14-15); that we, by the laying on of hands by them, who believe in Him, will be healed (Mark 16:18). His Word also says in Romans 8 verse 11: “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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[1] We write the word satan not with a capital, as it is not a name, but a word meaning opponent or adversary, accuser.

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 3 – Promises for a new, perfect resurrection life by the cross

The book about the life of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book,
explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

The cross (sacrifice) of Christ, and thus also the Altar of Burnt Offering, speaks also of the promises for a perfect resurrection life, of sharing the perfect Christ life (Hebrews 10:14; Romans 6:5b). By allowing His (complete) deliverance and renewal into our heart and life we flee the destruction which is in the world because of the lust (2 Peter 1:4).

John 3 verse 1-7: “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi (i.e. Master), we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man/woman be born again, he/she cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man/woman be born when he/she is old? can he/she enter the second time into his/her mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man/woman be born of water and of the Spirit, he/she cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
The Lord leads us into a new birth of God; namely by His Word, which speaks to us of the sharing in Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6:5; 1 Peter 1:23-25), and by His Spirit (Titus 3:4-7; James 1:18). This new divine life, which, of course, must be strong and perfect, because it is of God (Romans 8:38-39; 1 John 3:9-10), is also compared to a fruit, growing and ripening (Galatians 5:22); or to the rising of the sun (Malachi 4:2); or to a natural birth; or to a vine (John 15:1-5). The expression “water and Spirit”, mentioned in verse 5, does not refer to the “water baptism” and the “baptism in the Spirit”, as is sometimes maintained, but to the divine workings of God’s Gospel Word (Ephesians 5:26), and the overshadowing anointing of God’s Spirit (Luke 1:35; Titus 3:4-7). It is solely this resurrection life which forms a “passport” for the Kingdom of God, even if it is only present within us as a tender beginning.

John 3 verse 8: “The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
One born of God is under the protection and leadership of the Holy Spirit, Who cherishes this life as a mother until it has become big and strong (John 15:1), and we then will experience this cherishing.

John 3 verse 9-12: “Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?”
The bible gives us revelation knowledge of God, and if these things are sometimes beyond our understanding, let us yet believe God, for with Him nothing is too miraculous (Genesis 18:14; Luke 1:37); and He means what He says. The rebirth of God is a spiritual experience of God’s dealing with repentant man, but also heavenly things await us, because a heavenly door will then be opened unto us (1 Corinthians 2:7-10).

John 3 verse 13: “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”
Jesus is a true Witness, because He came down from heaven to become man among us (Philippians 2:5-7).

John 3 verse 14-16: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the (people of the) world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
In order to be able to save us, Jesus had to take the sin of (all) humanity upon Himself (Isaiah 53:4-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He was the Passover Lamb, That had to be slaughtered/slain on the 14th Nisan (see note 5, at the bottom of the second page of Chapter 12) (Exodus 12:5-6; 1 Corinthians 5:7). We share His routing (i.e. the defeat) of satan’s [1] power over and in man (1 John 3:8), His victory by the faith in Him and His Word of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18), which will only work if it involves a sincere repentance and yielding to Him, Who is, also for us, risen from the dead, and is therefore alive to make us holy (Hebrews 7:24-25).

John 3 verse 17: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
God is no policeman, who catches us sinning and condemns us, as some will have us believe. He knows, we have been born in sin, but He wishes that all people repent unto Him that He might heal them (Isaiah 6:10; 1 Timothy 2:4; Romans 8:20-21; 2 Peter 3:9). This is why He does not want us to judge our neighbor, and by so doing condemn him/her (Matthew 7:1-5), but that we treat them mercifully (Mark 11:25-26; Luke 6:36-37). Just as we need God’s mercy, so we are to grant others the same, even if they misbehaved towards us.

John 3 verse 18-21: “He/she that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his/her deeds should be reproved. But he/she that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his/her deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”
Unbelief keeps us under God’s judgment, because the whole world lies in wickedness (1 John 5:19). Unbelief is fed and nourished by love for darkness, by favorite sins! This love of evil makes us hate the light of God, which reveals our sins, and convicts us of these sins (John 16:8). But if we fear God, we will come to Him to be saved (Psalm 111:10).
We also come to Him in order to be able to live His life in this mortal body (2 Corinthians 4:6-11; Romans 8:11).

The Water Baptism

John 3 verse 22-24: “After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Enon (which means fountains) near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison.”
The water baptism is the confirmation of the grace we receive in and by Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:15; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38); it is also a prayer to God to be saved by Him through the sharing in Jesus’ death and resurrection (1 Peter 3:21); a prayer to be allowed to die to the old, sinful life; and a prayer to receive renewal of life by the Holy Spirit, namely the sharing in Jesus’ resurrection life (Romans 6:5; Titus 3:5). Jesus, Himself, did not baptize (John 4:2), because this baptism must be in His Name… (Acts 2:38). The water baptism is the official insertion / introduction into the Body of Christ, into the Book of Life (Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3), with regard to God, devil and people.

True devotion to Jesus that many may come to this new life

John 3 verse 25-30: “Then there arose a question between some of John (the Baptist)‘s disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John and said unto him, Rabbi (i.e. Master), he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him/her from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth (by) and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase (i.e. come to [spiritual] growth within us), but I must decrease.”
Evangelical laborers should not work for their own honor, power or wealth, nor for that of their denomination (Isaiah 42:8; 48:11). They are not allowed o seek gain for themselves or for their own local church, nor build a little kingdom for themselves (Matthew 20:1-16). They are to completely dedicate themselves to the service of King Jesus and the Kingdom of God; serve the Body of Christ, which cannot be served without the true leadership and anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit (John 15:5; Psalm 127:1). They must seek the honor of Jesus Christ, and bring the souls, which are entrusted to them, in touch (in a personal relationship) with Jesus as soon as possible, that they may receive the new life of Him (John 15:5), after that they are delivered from the old life, which is (and will be) spoiled by carnal and worldly lusts (2 Peter 1:4).
Jesus, namely the life of Jesus, must grow in us. The old life, our “I”-life, has to decrease in us and must completely die (Psalm 20:4; 51:19-21; Galatians 2:20). The old, worldly and carnal soul must be discarded as a dirty, stained garment (Ephesians 4:22), and the new life must be put on as a pure garment, received from heaven (Ephesians 4:23-24; 5:27; Revelation 19:8; Isaiah 61:10).

Jesus is Life for us

He is for us the Gift unto Life from the heavenly Father.

John 3 verse 31-36: “He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure (even without measure) unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (or: her).“
In order to receive eternal life, man, which is fallen in sin, must accept Jesus and must admit Him in his/her heart, in his/her spirit and soul, and in his/her body (John 1:4; 11:25; 14:6; 17:3; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Psalm 24:7-10; Revelation 3:20).
This divine (Christ) life, which will break through with strength (in the end-time), is the greatest power in the world. He is the Light of the world, working in that world with His minus and plus forces (deliverance and salvation powers), that His Light may also live/shine in this world unto the salvation of many (Matthew 5:14; Isaiah 60:1-3).
We open ourselves up for Him when we offer Him praise (Psalm 50:23); when we, in faith, thank and praise Him, and also offer ourselves unto Him, namely submit ourselves to Him as a burnt offering, that He may “burn” our old, sinful life to ashes; may burn it away by the fire of His Holy Spirit until nothing is left of the sin in our heart and life!

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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[1] We write the word satan not with a capital, as it is not a name, but a word meaning opponent or adversary, accuser.

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 2 – The great promises for (complete) deliverance in (and by) the cross of Christ.

The book about the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book, explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle.

In the light of the Israelitic tabernacle we may view Chapters 2 up to, and including, 4 as the Altar of Burnt Offering. This altar, before all else, speaks to us of the great promises of deliverance, which are in the finished work of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross; in the shed blood of the Lamb of God (Hebrews 9:12-14).

Called unto the Marriage of the Lamb.

John 2 verse 1-12: “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins (i.e. approx. 40 litres a firkin) apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and (He) manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.”
This chapter begins with a marriage at Cana in Galilee, unto which also Jesus and His disciples were invited. This marriage forms an indication to the introductory marriages, namely the one in the noon hour of time (Matthew 22:1-7), and the one in the evening hour of time (Luke 14:15-24; Revelation 19:6-9), and to the great eternal Marriage of the Lamb of God (Revelation 21:9-27).
The great purpose of His dying on Calvary is the total hallowing, the total deliverance from sins, the sanctifying of all, who accept God’s invitation to this divine Marriage (Matthew 1:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7): that this sanctified humanity enter into an eternal marriage relationship with the Lamb of God “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:4-7); in order to, together with the eternal Son of God, form a spiritual dwelling place in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22; Colossians 2:9), the Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 27), whereby, of course, He is and remains the Head and the Principal of His Body.
Central in this story of the marriage at Cana are the “six stone waterpots”. They depict that part of humanity, which is willing to be sanctified by Jesus. With the Jews they (the pots) were for the washing of hands and feet (Mark 7:3-4; Luke 7:44), thus for cleansing. God also wants this willingness to be cleansed by the bathwater of His Word (Ephesians 5:26-27) to be present in His disciples, until He has made them into a Bride, “having no spot or wrinkle, or such”: that they, too, might lead others into God’s Holy Place (Revelation 12:11). These “pots” had to be filled to the brim with the bathwater of the Word (John 17:17; Ephesians 5:26). They had to be full of the Seed of the Christlife (Mark 4:26-29). Then, by the renewing, overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; Luke 1:35) this spoken Word would bring forth something new of God in these people, which would grow out unto the perfect life of Christ. Then this purifying Word of God in them would have become the heavenly wine of the new life; than the Seed would sprout in them, and would grow into the perfect Christ life (2 Corinthians 4:10-11). So, Word and Spirit will also make us into the pure Bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 21).

Sometimes chastisement is needed thereto.

John 2 verse 13-17:  “And the Jews’ passover (feast) was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and (where even) the changers of money (were) sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up (or: will consume me).”
There is not always willingness and (spiritual) hunger among the Christians to be cleansed and sanctified by Christ. Sometimes He must use chastisement (Isaiah 26:8-9; Hebrews 12:5-11) to lead us there, because our hearts have let themselves be tempted/entangled by the devil to craving for gain (i.e. an extravagant desire for profit, and thus for much money, verse 16), or to hatred against the neighbor (Matthew 21:13) instead of deep (prayer)communion with our Father-God and Christ; His house ought to be a “house of prayer”. Sometimes He must take the unwilling, the disobedient, into Jonah depths (Jonah 2:1-7; Matthew 12:39-40) before they are willing to, by the grace of Christ, leave their wicked path, and submit completely to their Savior, Deliverer and Sanctifier.

John 2 verse 18-22: “Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things (at God’s command)? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up (namely from the dead). Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.”
The Jewish leaders then called Him to account, and asked Him why and by what right He performed these chastising acts. Jesus pointed out to them, by a parable, His atoning death on Calvary, where He would ransom us from satan [1], paying for it with His own blood.
Let us never call the Savior to account for things we, as Christians, must endure/suffer, because He always has our salvation in mind (Psalm 18:31), because His will for us is always good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2), even if we do not always see this immediately, because He is our Lord and Savior! May this Lordship of Christ over our heart and life be perfect!

John 2 verse 23-25: “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew (as none other) what was in man.”
Let us always rest in Him, and leave all to Him (Romans 12:1-3) with confession of sin and debt, and trust Him with everything, all our problems and all that we are, and have (Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:23; Hebrews 13:5b). He is mighty to deliver us completely and make us holy (Hebrews 7:25).

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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[1] We write the word satan not with a capital, as it is not a name, but a word meaning opponent or adversary, accuser.

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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JOHN, Chapter 1 – Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only Gate (Entrance) to eternal, Godly life.

The book about the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God

“Verse by verse”, the deeper meaning of this Bible book, explained in the light of the Israelitic tabernacle

Introduction

This last of the four gospels was written at approx. 90 A.D. by the apostle John, a son of Zebedee (Matthew 4:21), and Salome, a devoted one of the Lord (Mark 15:40; 16:1): The Lord Jesus called him, together with his brother, the apostle James, “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). Was this because of their spirit, which (initially) called for judgment (Luke 9:52-56)? And yet this apostle was later called pre-eminently “the apostle of love”. The Spirit of Christ had changed him that much by His sanctifying works of grace. His nickname became later on “the disciple whom Jesus loved” or “who loved Jesus” (John 13:23; 21:7).
Did Matthew describe Jesus in his gospel as the King of the Kingdom of heaven; Mark described Him as the Servant of God, “Who let his ear be bored through with an awl” (Psalm 40:7-9; Exodus 21:5-6), and Who had served God as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Luke described Him as the New Man, the second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45-47), Who was to defeat satan [1] for man – by His obedience unto God, even unto death (Philippians 2:7-8). John, on the other hand, described Him as the Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:14), the Lord of heaven, Who would fill the, by Him, purified person Himself with godliness and perfection/ fullness (2 Peter 1:4; Ephesians 1:23; Isaiah 60:1-3), sharing with him/her His own body (Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 12:2 and 27). Because of this, this Gospel is pre-eminently the Gospel for the last days, thus the time wherein we now live; the time wherein God, already here on earth, will fill His Church, temporarily at least part of it, with His perfection, namely His Bride(church) (Revelation 12:1; 14:5; Ephesians 5:27; 1 Peter 1:3-5). Therefore it is not surprising that John, after having introduced Jesus as the incarnate (i.e. the becoming man or flesh) Living Son of God (see chapter 1), involves this Son of God in a Marriage (see chapter 2:1-12).

Chapter 1

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only Gate (Entrance) to eternal, Godly life.

The sevenfold introduction of Jesus Christ

I.  The first introduction:
Jesus was God’s Word before His carnation; He was with God and was God.

John 1 verse 1-2: “In the beginning (of creation) was the Word (already), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same (Word) was in the beginning with God.”
Jesus was and is and will (always) be the express image of God’s autonomy (Hebrews 1:3), the only begotten Son of the Father (John 1:14 and 18; 3:16 and 18), originated from the eternity of the past; the visible Part of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15; John 1:18); the Firstborn of all God’s children (Romans 8:39). And God’s children received their son-ship, because they have become members of His Body (Ephesians 1:23). And Jesus, after His atoning death on behalf of man, is seated at the right hand of God as the Head of the Church, and as High-priest (Hebrews 1:3; Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 5:6; Daniel 7:13-14).

II.  The second introduction:
Jesus was the Creator of heaven and earth.

John 1 verse 3: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
Jesus was also the Creator of all visible and invisible things (the world of the angels – see Hebrews 1:10); Who in the beginning, with the Father and the Spirit, created heaven and earth as the second Person in the Godhead (Genesis 1:1), as the spoken Word of God (Psalm 148:1-6), Who works through His sent-abroad Spirit (Psalm 104:30; Revelation 5:6).

III.  The third introduction:
Jesus is our God-given Savior.

John 1 verse 4: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”
For men Jesus is the resurrected Lord from heaven, and has been given to man by the Father for his/her Light and Life (John 11:25), for his/her only Savior (Acts 2:36; 4:12; 5:31; 1 Timothy 2:5).

God offers man grace through Jesus Christ.
John 1 verse 5: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness (namely mankind surrounded / enveloped and controlled by darkness) comprehended it not.”
John 1 verse 9-11: “That was the true Light, which (as the Son of man) lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”
God’s outstretched hand unto salvation is not accepted by the majority of the people, wherefore this majority unfortunately is condemned (i.e. will have to be sentenced to hellish punishment), because they prefer to remain in the darkness, in sin, that is in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19), whereby they irrevocably come under the judgment and condemnation of God (Romans 2:12).

John 1 verse 6-8: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a (divine) witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He (himself) was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”
John 1 verse 15: “John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred (was always already) before me: for he was (here) before me.”
John the Baptist, as His herald (i.e. someone, who in former days announced a prince, and made announcements, and such like, in his name), was to announce the first coming of the Savior, namely His coming as Man and Lamb of God (Malachi 3:1), that men might believe in Him. For man only receives salvation simply and solely from God by his/her faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16) – Who, by His death and resurrection, has won the victory for him/her over the sinful nature, the spiritual death, the nature of satan, wherein he/she was born – by opening his/her heart, his/her life, his/her being, completely for the Spirit of this resurrected Lord unto the salvation of his/her being (Titus 2:11; 3:3-7), unto the sharing of His death and resurrection (for it is a gift, a present from Him to share in this) (Romans 6:5).

John 1 verse 12-13: “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe (sincerely) on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
But all, who accepted Him, all, who open their sinful being repentantly unto Him, and yield to Him, will receive Him in the Spirit (Revelation 3:20). He has all power in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) and will destroy, if we sincerely desire this, also in us all powers and influences of satan (1 John 3:8), our completely sinful old “I”-life, and will them come in us with His life (2 Corinthians 4:10-11). His Spirit is the Power, Who will make us children of God, yes sons of God (whereby noted, that spiritually mature/perfect daughters also, spiritually seen, are/become sons of God), truly born of God, and will so be filled, saturated, in the Spirit of this resurrected Lord!

John 1 verse 14: “And the Word was made flesh (and thus Man), and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”
That eternal Word of God was made Man among men to die, for the reconciliation of man, as their sin offering, as God’s requirement for the salvation of men from before the foundation of this world (1 Peter 1:18-20; Revelation 13:8b). He came as, and was, God’s spoken Word with regard to sinful man: He was full of grace and truth!

John 1 verse 16: “And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.”
From Him we receive grace for grace, for there is not a single merit of ours. We receive this from His limitless fullness, until we have become His equal (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:13; 1 John 3:2) by the redemption and renewal, and the filling with His quickening Spirit (Ephesians 1:23) and Word (Hebrews 4:12).

John 1 verse 17: “For the law (of the Old Covenant) was given by Moses, but grace and truth (of the New Covenant) came (in force) by Jesus Christ.”
In the Old Covenant God gave the Law, wherein was stated the way man was to live before the face of his/her holy God. In the New Covenant God gave us Jesus. By Him, that is: by His Spirit, we too are filled with grace and truth (after that we have believed His Word, and let it work in our heart and life) that He could saturate us with His Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13) and His Word.

John 1 verse 18: “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him (made Him known).”
We get to know intimately, and taste, the Being of God by the indwelling fullness of the Bringer of grace, the Lamb of God; and this knowledge is eternal life (John 17:3). Then we live His life instead of our life, and lead also a life full of grace and truth, just like Him. So we will be made unto a dwelling of God, a dwelling for His Spirit (Ephesians 2:22).

More about the witness of John the Baptist.
John 1 verse 19-23: “And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. and they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.”
John testified that he was not Elijah. Elijah was to return in order to do a (divine) work for the Lord in the end-time (Malachi 4:5-6). This will be in the politically restored Israel, the Israelic state in the end-time. Scripture also says when Elijah will return: “before that great and terrible day of the Lord (namely the so-called ‘battle of Armageddon’) will come”. Elijah will return together with Moses (Revelation 11:4, see also the verses 3-13). Yet Jesus said of John, that he was Elijah, by which He meant that he acted in the same Spirit, Which urges to repent, just like Elijah did. Besides, Jesus said, that Elijah was still to come “in order to re-establish everything” (Matthew 17:10-13).
John testified that he was not the prophet, whereof Moses testified, that a “Prophet like him” was to come (Deuteronomy 18:15-22), namely the Christ. John testified of himself, that he was “the voice (of God), calling in the wilderness” (Isaiah 40:1-11), namely the wilderness of the human heart. In Malachi 3:1-6 it is also prophesied of him as being the forerunner, the herald, of the coming Messiah-King.

IV.  The introduction as Baptizer with the Spirit:

John 1 verse 24-28: “And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Ilias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.”
Read the verses 24-28 in connection with Matthew 3:11-12. John baptized, by order of and in the Name of God, in water, like every servant of God would do later on, but then in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, the Lord Jesus would confirm this act, this water baptism, which in itself is a pointer towards the baptism with the Spirit, by that baptism with the Spirit itself. This baptism with the Spirit is a process; an ever increasing saturation with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ezekiel 47:1-5). Indeed, only Christ Himself, the Baptizer with the Spirit, can perform this act. As an introduction unto this baptism with the Spirit, meant and sanctioned (i.e. confirmed) by God, John baptized his baptism unto repentance in water, and later on all servants of God would do this also, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

V.  The introduction as Lamb of God:

John 1 verse 29-34: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin (of the people) of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me (has always been before me): for he was (already) before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.”
John announced Jesus as the Lamb of God, That was to die for the reconciliation of the sins of man, the ministry whereunto Jesus came unto earth.
The first ministry on earth of Jesus was that of prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15). That happened during His 3-year wanderings in Palestine.
The second ministry is that of the Lamb of God on earth during His suffering and His death on the cross, “His three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40). He was anointed hereunto, during His water baptism by John, with the Holy Spirit, in the shape of a dove, by God the Father. In Israel a dove was a sacrificial animal (Genesis 15:9), and thus it was the confirmation that Jesus, too, as the Lamb of God, would (have to) be sacrificed. In this way He was strengthened by the Holy Spirit in His ministry as Lamb of God (Hebrews 9:14). After this the Holy Spirit has not descended on anyone else (but Jesus alone) in the shape of a dove, for there is only one Lamb of God. Upon us the Holy Spirit may come as “tongues of fire” (Acts 2:2-3); these are fiery tongues of testimony, but they also form an indicator of the purifying working of God’s Spirit in the willing convert (Malachi 3:1-2; Matthew 3:11-12).
The third ministry of Jesus is that of High-priest (Hebrews 8:1-3). He has this ministry during the bestowing of grace (this is the estowing of the Holy Ghost on earth); namely the period between His ascension and His return to earth (Hebrews 7:21-28). Unto this we could also link His ministry as the Founder/Builder of the Church (Matthew 16:18).
The fourth, last and eternal ministry of Jesus is that of King-Bridegroom of the Church in the Millennium and thereafter (Psalm 2; Revelation 19:16; Isaiah 9:6; 1 Corinthians 15:25).

The first introductory steps of Jesus unto the forming of His Church.
John 1 verse 35-37: “Again the next day after John stood (at Bethabara), and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.”
John again announced Jesus as the Lamb of God, That takes away the sin of the world, as The One unto Whom every sinner must come to be cleansed and renewed. This is the task of every evangelist: proclaim Jesus (i.e. make Him known) to the people, and not himself, not his own church or denomi-nation. Not to seek one’s own honor or gain, no self-devotion (thus: not making oneself the centre of attention), but to glorify Jesus as our almighty Deliverer and Savior, that the souls may chose for Jesus as soon as possible. Thus, we should not draw souls unto ourselves! No gathering of souls unto ourselves; no wishing to establish a little kingdom of one’s own! John the Baptist gave the following testimony about this: “Then there arose a question between some of John (the Baptist)‘s disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi (i.e. Master), he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth (by) and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase (i.e. come to spiritual growth in us), but I must decrease. (John 3:25-30)

John 1 verse 38-39: “Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was (according to the Jewish manner of reckoning) about the tenth hour (i.e. four o’clock in the afternoon with us).”
The disciple’s question: “Where do You live?” is nothing else but wanting to be where Jesus is; not willing to stay any longer in the darkness of satan, but wanting to be led, by God’s grace, into the Kingdom of the Son of God’s Love (Colossians 1:13).

VI.  The introduction as heavenly Bridegroom; the first steps to the forming of His Bride.
The first four disciples (Basic characteristics of true discipleship)

John 1 verse 40: “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him (Jesus), was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”
Andrew. The so-called “St. Andrew cross” is linked to his name, because of the way he was crucified and died a martyr. This thought speaks to us of: wanting to die to our old, sinful life, with Jesus; thus, not wanting to live in sin any longer, but being planted together with Jesus in His death (Romans 6:5). To put it differently: Andrew speaks to us of a life in (complete) conversion unto God.

John 1 verse 41-42: “He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”
Simon Peter speaks to us of a solid faith in Jesus (Matthew 16:15-19).

John 1 verse 43-44: “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida (which means: fish house), the city of Andrew and Peter.”
Philip, because of his prayer: “Show us the Father!” (John 14:8-10), tells us of a hunger for God, to a life in God (Psalm 42:2-3).

John 1 verse 45-50: “Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi (i.e. Master), thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.”
Nathanael (also called Bartholomew). Jesus called him a man “without guile (deceit)” (verse 47). His nature tells us of sincerity. One of the characteristics a Christian should have from the start. The name “Nathanael” means: God has given.

VII.  The introduction as King of the Kingdom of God:

John 1 verse 51: “And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending (to heaven) and descending (from heaven) upon the Son of man.”
Through Jesus the repentant congregation of people, whom the bible calls the Kingdom of heaven (on earth), or the Church, knows again the alliance with the Kingdom of God in heaven. God’s hallowed servants (angels) form the spiritual Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28:10-15), the connection with heaven, where the divine High-priest and King is seated at the right hand of the Father, praying for the repentant church members (Romans 8:34).

By E. van den Worm
A Dutch Bible teacher

To be continued

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[1] We write the word satan not with a capital, as it is not a name, but a word meaning opponent or adversary, accuser.

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P.S. :
Translated from Dutch into English
See our Dutch site https://eindtijdbodeBijbelstudies.wordpress.com with far more studies you can translate by Google etc.

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Brief summary of how we see the end-times scenario

Endtime-scenario

Phase 1	Problems in the world are increasing.[1] Think of problems in the field of environment and various natural disasters, but also all kinds of (growing) economic, political and problems of spiritual nature. [1] See our studies: “God  shall shake the Church and the world…”, “The Day of YaHWeH”, “The 7 thunderclaps”.
Phase 2	Mental (and spiritual) preparation of the Bride.[2] The Bride will be made similar –in the spirit– to her Bridegroom. First hidden. Later revealed and, visible for others. (This is the real: Participation at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb[3] – see Rev. 19:9 of the KJV. Meaning: Being prepared to let all the old and sinful ways COMPLETELY die in our hearts and lives!). Just as we should not take on an unequal yoke in marriage, the same and even more so applies to Christ (read Rev. 19:7b-9 and  Eph. 5:26-27). [2]  See our studies: “The 5 wise and the 5 foolish virgins…”, “The victors”, “The perfection in Christ…”, “Soon there will be a Divine Wedding”, “Sanctification”, “The Divine healing work…”, “What God has prepared for those, who love Him”, “LUKE – The book of the NEW MAN in Christ”. [3] See our study: “Called by the Spirit of God unto the marriage supper of the Lamb”.
Phase 3	War of Gog and Magog. Read Ezekiel, Chapter 38 and 39. With Gog, Magog, Tubal and Meshech we refer to Russia and China (and presumably North Korea and Iran). With Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish and all their young lions  we refer to all ‘Christian’ countries.
Phase 4	A ‘great’ man (or woman) will appear on the world stage posing as a world leader who apparently will solve a lot of problems in the world. See for further explanation Phase 6 and 7.
Phase 5	The latter-rain revival begins.[4] The outpouring of the Holy Spirit into the hearts and lives of the Bride will cause a great revival resulting into a bountiful harvest of souls (see Joel 2:23b and 28-29). [4] See our study: “The wonderful works of the Holy Spirit”.
Phase 5a	The Wedding of the Lamb.[5] Just before the great tribulation Jesus will come back (INvisible) for his Bride –in the spirit– to marry her. The marriage of Christ and his Bride (or Bride church) is called “the great Mystery” (see Eph. 5:32). [5] See our study: “Soon there will be a Divine Wedding ”.
Phase 6	Start of the 1st period of 3½ years reign of the earlier mentioned world leader, who seemingly seem to bring peace to the world. This will be the 1st period of 3½ years where the Antichrist is already ruling but where most people see him (falsely) as peace ruler or Messiah, as the world leader who seems  to solve a lot of world problems. This will be followed by the 2nd period of 3½ years (see Phase 7) in which the Antichrist will show his true face. Think of the biblical warning: “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them” (see 1 Thess. 5:3).
Phase 7	Start of the great tribulation of 3½ years.   The  aforementioned world leader is now FULLY owned by satan, and so transformed  into a VERY CRUEL world leader, the Antichrist (the opponent of Christ  and Christians). And this will be clearly noticeable to all sincere Christians.They will be persecuted (and many of them will be slain). But… God will come to rescue many of them. See the next stage. . (For the Jews / Israelites God has another plan – see Phase 7c).
Phase 7a	The caught up (unto God) of the 144000 and the fled of the Bride Just after the start of the great tribulation, the male son –the 144,000 from the 12 tribes of Israel[6]– will be taken into heaven (see Rev. 12:4b-5). Soon after that the Bride will be taken away –the so-called removal– to the desert, where she will be kept and fed by God for 1260 days (see Rev. 12:6 and 14). [6] See our study: “Thou, people of Israël, wake up”.
Phase 7b	Martyrdom of the remaining Christians during 3½ year great tribulation. Christians (the so-called forecourt Christians – see Rev. 11:1-2), the ones who will NOT participate in the fled of the Bride, and due to deficiencies and/or imperfections in their faith [7] NOT belong to the Bride of Christ, will –if they refuse the sign of the beast– die the martyr death during the great tribulation, the 3½ year reign of the Antichrist. The 42 months (or 3½ years or 1278 days) of Revelation 11:2. [7] See our study: “The 5 wise and the 5 foolish virgins…”.
Phase 7c	The 2 witnesses of God in Israel (see Rev. 11:3-12). During the great tribulation of 1260 days, 2 special witnesses, personally sent by God (probably Moses and Elijah) will come to Israel. This will convince many Jews / Israelites to a conversion to the true faith in Jesus Christ, THE Messiah.
Phase 7d	The sign of the beast. All the other people in the great tribulation will adopt the sign of the beast, which will make them possessed (fully taken in possession)  by the Antichrist. This is irreversible for them. Those who adopt the sign of the beast can NEVER repent and have a conversion.
Phase 8	Christ is coming back to earth [8] – visible to all people – with His army of 144,000 soldiers. This return signals the end of the great tribulation. Desiest Christians of all ages (and the Old Testament believers) are raised from the dead. The Bride –who until that moment has been kept alive on this earth– will now, together with the ones resurrected from the death, in a point of time be changed (see 1 Thess. 4:14-17). [8] See our study: “A closer look at Christ’s Second Coming”.
Phase 9	The start of the Millennium (the 1000-year reign of God).[9] During  this Millennium  of God’s Peace, ALL Christians will be brought to the same spiritual level: This applies to the ones who barely made it into the Kingdom of God and the so-called saints of all ages, the perfect Bride and everything –in the spiritual sense– in between. The Bible clearly states that “no flesh and blood” will inherit the Kingdom of God. So there will be no conversions during the Millennium. Besides, all living godless people – those who adopted the sign of the beast – will be slain by Jesus (and the 144,000) at His return (see Rev. 19:11-21). [9] See our study: “What Scripture teaches about the Millennium of King Jesus”.
Phase  10	The new heaven and new earth. After the Millennium, the Government of God will start on the new earth(s), the (new) habitable planets created by God. In this new world(’s) we will reign with Christ over the then created mankind. He as THE King and we as kings. He as THE Lord, we as lords. See also Luke 19:17b and 19 “you shall have authority over ten or five cities.” [10] [10] See our study: “The New Jerusalem, the Bride of God’s Lamb…”. . .