The Biblical Theme of Urgent Escape from Evil Places, by Stephen D Green and ChatGPT

 Throughout world religious history and Scripture, there is a consistent theme: when a place becomes so corrupt and sinful, it reaches a point where the godly must flee to avoid sharing in its punishment.

1. Fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah

Sodom and Gomorrah were so wicked that God decreed their destruction. Lot, a righteous man, was warned to flee urgently to avoid being swept away in their judgment.

• Genesis 19:15-17 – "With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, ‘Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.’"

2. Fleeing Egypt

Egypt had enslaved the Hebrews, and its oppression provoked God’s judgment. Through Moses, God inflicted plagues upon Egypt, forcing Pharaoh to release the Israelites.

• Exodus 12:31-33 – "During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. ... The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. ‘For otherwise,’ they said, ‘we will all die!’"

3. Fleeing Babylon

The people of ancient Judah were exiled in Babylon as a punishment for their sins. However, Babylon itself was wicked, and prophecies urged the exiles to leave—not just to return to Judah, but to escape Babylon’s impending judgment.

• Jeremiah 51:6 – "Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the Lord’s vengeance; he will repay her what she deserves."
• Isaiah 48:20 – "Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, ‘The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.’"
• Jeremiah 50:8 – "Flee out of Babylon, leave the land of the Babylonians, and be like the goats that lead the flock."

The danger of staying in Babylon was not just cultural assimilation but also the risk of sharing in its sins and divine punishment (Jeremiah 51:6).

4. The Apostolic Church and “Babylon” as Rome

Centuries later, the apostle Peter wrote from a place he referred to as "Babylon":

• 1 Peter 5:13 – "She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark."

Many believe "Babylon" here is a coded reference to Rome, which had become a center of worldliness and persecution of Christians, just as ancient Babylon had oppressed Israel.

5. The Call to Leave Spiritual Babylon (Revelation)

Revelation expands the theme, presenting Babylon the Great as the ultimate wicked world system. God commands His people to flee, echoing Jeremiah’s warning:

• Revelation 18:4-5 – "Then I heard another voice from heaven say: ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.’"

This warning is not about literal Babylon but about any world system that opposes God, persecutes His people, and stands under divine judgment.

6. The Heavenly Homeland: The Final Escape

The book of Hebrews builds on this theme, portraying believers as pilgrims who seek a better homeland—the Kingdom of God:

• Hebrews 11:13-16 – "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ... Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one."

Paul echoes the call to separation from the corruption of the world:

• 2 Corinthians 6:17 (quoting Isaiah 52:11) – "Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’"

7. The Final Reversal: Jerusalem as a Place to Flee From

The theme comes full circle in Revelation 11, where Jerusalem itself—the former holy city—is described as a place of such apostasy that it is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt:

• Revelation 11:8 – "And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified."

This dramatic reversal shows that even Jerusalem, when corrupt, can become a place of judgment rather than refuge.

Jesus had already warned of Jerusalem’s impending destruction:

• Luke 21:20-21 – "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains."

And Hebrews 13:12-14 reminds believers that they must go “outside the city” to Jesus, rejecting earthly attachments for a heavenly inheritance:

• Hebrews 13:12-14 – "Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come."

8. The Ongoing Call to Escape the Corrupt World

The theme in Scripture is clear: when a place becomes so corrupt that it is under divine judgment, the godly must flee—not only physically but spiritually.

One day, perhaps in our own time or in the future, it will become vitally important for saintly believers to flee certain cities and their spheres of influence, just as God’s people had to flee:

• Sodom before its destruction
• Egypt before its plagues
• Babylon before its downfall
• Jerusalem before its devastation in AD 70
• Rome (Babylon the Great) before its final judgment

The ultimate escape is not merely from earthly cities but from sin and judgment itself—seeking instead the New Jerusalem, the eternal city of God.

Babylon

 There is a theme in world religious history and in scripture of a place being so evil that morally it warrants urgent escape endeavours by the godly.

Sodom and Gomorrah were being destroyed by God for their extreme ungodliness, and Lot, a righteous man, was helped to escape by God just before the destruction fell.

Egypt was so hostile to the Hebrews it had enslaved that God sent Moses to help the Hebrews escape, in a series of terrible plagues that forced the Pharaoh to let them leave.

People of ancient Judah had to escape exile in Babylon. There were prophecies urging them to leave and return to Judah.

Isaiah 48:20 – "Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians! Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth; say, ‘The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.’”

Isaiah 52:11-12 – "Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure, you who carry the articles of the Lord’s house. But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard."

Jeremiah 29:10 – "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place."

Jeremiah 50:8 – "Flee out of Babylon, leave the land of the Babylonians, and be like the goats that lead the flock."

Jeremiah 51:6 – "Flee from Babylon! Run for your lives! Do not be destroyed because of her sins. It is time for the Lord’s vengeance; he will repay her what she deserves."

Centuries later, the apostle Peter’s is believed to have used "Babylon" as a coded reference to Rome: 

1 Peter 5:13 – "She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark."

The idea of leaving Babylon is applied to the Church in:

Revelation (Babylon the Great as the wicked Rome system to be avoided)

Revelation 18:4-5 – "Then I heard another voice from heaven say: 'Come out of her, my people,' so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.’"

Hebrews (Believers seeking a better, heavenly homeland)

Hebrews 11:13-16 – "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ... Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one."

Paul (Calling for separation from spiritual impurity)

2 Corinthians 6:17 (quoting Isaiah 52:11) – "Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’"

The theme turns full circle in Revelation 11 where the city of Jerusalem is seen as a place to escape from, called prophetically Egypt and Sodom.

"And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified." (Revelation 11:8)

The theme is shown to be there in all scripture, that whatever the particular place, any place can become so evil that escaping from it is in the will of God as a matter of salvation, to escape association with its sins and therefore culpability warranting punishment from God.

Hebrews 13:12-14 – "Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come."

One day, perhaps years from now, it will become vitally important for the saintly believers to flee certain cities and their spheres of influence. Rome, and Jerusalem. 

Speaking in tongues

 It is widely known that speaking in tongues can be in an angelic language. When experiencing this myself, what I heard certainly did not sound like any human language. It was eloquent, though, and the words were powerful and inspiring, inspiring an interpretation as they were heard, perfectly matching the interpretation given later by the speaker of the tongue message. How does God use tongues? It is a seal of what He has previously revealed, typically proving the gospel to those who have not yet fully believed it, or who just need that final confirmation to lay to rest any last room for doubt. Those who believe the gospel message are thus given the tongues message to provide a seal of the gospel. 

There is more when the tongues message interpretation is shared openly. It provides the church of believers, united in their faith and their blessings of the Holy Spirit, to learn and appreciate insights from the very throne of God. They are built up, growing in assurance, wisdom, and knowledge of the truth that is found in the wisdom and learning of Jesus Christ himself. So God works like this, as His standard pattern in the giving of the gospel. The Father shares love, teaching love. The Son shows himself as the Son sent by the Father to give light to the world. The gospel message is spoken to those who need it. The message of the cross, the crucifixion of the Son, Jesus Christ, strikes home in a person receiving it with belief. Yet there may be uncertainties in even a sincere believer’s grasp of the message, plus others who heard the message might have little belief in it at all. So then there is the final step. The Holy Spirit is given and words come forth from those touched by the Holy Spirit influence: words of tongues. The same Holy Spirit may, especially in answer to prayer, provide a powerful influence on some of those present to hear in their own language, in their mind, the words that match the mysterious words in tongues. They might also be given understanding of what the words are intended to convey, allowing them to elaborate on them in some way. This interpreting accomplishes two things. Firstly it is yet further convincing miraculous grace to help remove the last doubts from those hearing all this, and for those still not believing, to act as a sign of rebuke of that unbelief, demonstrating that the message is nonetheless true. Secondly, it provides insight for those who believe into the wisdom of heaven, as water of life, flowing from the throne of God. It therefore builds up the church. 

Knowing Jesus Christ

 We are encouraged to get to know Jesus. Well today, since the Holy Spirit has miraculous manifestations more pervasive than ever, we have the chance to actually know Jesus - his dispositions, his likes and dislikes. The Holy Spirit makes Jesus known, even more than scriptures alone, although scriptures are a great tool for confirming what the Holy Spirit shows. We can know Jesus better than our teachers. We can know his likes and dislikes better than the Puritans and early Protestants knew his likes and dislikes, because the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are a direct link to Jesus, like a mirror reflection of him. We can even be given awareness of which scriptures Jesus believes in, and here we have more information to help back this up than those early Protestants and Puritans had who selected the books for the KJV Bible. This can give us depth of understanding of scriptures about Jesus. Even in times like the time of the first teacher of Dispensationalism, J N Darby, there were not the pervasive manifestations of the Holy Spirit that there have been since and to some extent still are today, giving light on how Jesus is disposed about things, letting us truly know Jesus’s views on things. Now we can know Jesus better than was available to these past leaders who never knew the miraculous manifestation gifts. We might ask what difference tongues can make. And a lot of what passes for tongues is very dubious. Well among all the dubious utterances, perhaps rare, but there, we can find true tongues messages of mystery of God, which, well, by the grace of God and manifestation of the Holy Spirit can be miraculously translated, like Daniel translated miraculously the writing on the wall. These translations, interpretations, are a window into the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ, his wisdom from the Father, from which the Holy Spirit gives us this living water of grace. By this we can gain insights into the wisdom and belief of Lord Jesus Christ himself in heaven. A door nobody can shut. Let it be given to all. Do not quench the fire. Do not cap the well head. On this foundation we can build a newly strong foundation. And we can understand far better, as Jesus himself understands them, the scriptures about him. We can come back to the mind of Jesus himself on what is yet to come. We must believe in him. He is the light of the world sent by the Father. Amen. 

The Ten Commandments and the Holy Spirit

 The Ten Commandments, along with other commands in the Law and the Prophets, ultimately minister death—because we must first recognize our need to die to ourselves in order to become aware of our need for life, the life given by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Ten Commandments and other divine commands may weigh on me, revealing my failures and even discouraging me, yet they remain good. Why? When I hear and believe that Christ died for me, I place my hope in Him for life. As a result, I seek this life through the guidance of the gospel ministry, reaching out to someone who can pray with me and perhaps lay hands on me. Then, through this, the Holy Spirit comes to me. The work I then see the Holy Spirit doing within me—this is the life I now realize I need. Why? Because the commandments first made me aware of my need. So, the commandments are good, and I seek to remember them. I seek to remember all the teachings of Jesus Christ who died for me, in order to remain in him, and to live in reverence for him. Then, joy unspeakable, I now have the ministry of the Holy Spirit within me, giving me life and empowering me to keep the commandments and all of Christ’s teachings. 

God can fix it

 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5

Isaiah hoped God might fix his problem: His speaking. If lying is the big problem most of us need to be fixed, well God can do that. Why would He do it for you? Because Christ died for you. He can use heavenly power to fix our evil habits. Ask and believe He will fix it. 

2025

 World events are very fast clarifying the prophecies of the Book of Revelation. 2025 looks like a year when much will become clear.

The truth in Revelation is not easy to openly discuss these days. Some things happening seem to confirm Revelation prophecies, yet these matters are quite sensitive because they concern nations almost on the point of war and technologies backed by huge investments. The Beast prophecy is one of these matters, as is the image that speaks and the ten heads of another Beast. Even in a few weeks, world events have changed how the Book of Revelation might become more and more widely understood.

Getting rid of lying habits

 In the Book of Revelation God utterly condemns lying (ch 21 v8). In seeking to be rid of lying, speaking truth as native language, being one body with brothers and sisters in Christ is important. It is important because speaking truth is most appropriate among neighbors, especially in the body of brothers and sisters in Christ, where you do not lie to those with whom you are one. Yet in the sayings of Jesus and in the Book of Revelation it is made clear that all lying is evil and God utterly hates and condemns all kinds of lying. It is, however, most powerful therapy to break with lying habits, to learn to speak truth to brothers and sisters in Christ, helped by the power of the Holy Spirit. Full of grace, among fellows, lies can be put aside, lying becoming a foreign language, losing familiarity, denormalised, and then even when in unbelieving company the grace and truthfulness in speech can then be continued.

Teachings of the light

 Great to be baptised into Jesus’s name and teachings. Hold to his teachings with faith in him, the light of the world. That is how to avoid dying in your sins. We see surveillance everywhere these days, even on the Internet watching our activities. It shows how we are prone to sin and that we do indeed sin so much. It is the sign of our wrongdoing and evil tendencies. Governments have to watch us, because we might, in our sins, harm others and damage society and endanger the vulnerable. They know we sometimes must be stopped, to protect citizens. So we are monitored. Then sometimes there is punishment. Even God might send judgmental events. Jesus presides over it, behind the scenes. Yet Jesus also came to create a way of escape for those who believe the Father sent him, the Son. His teachings, his sayings, his ways, the miracles the Father gives him, all to provide truth-giving light for us to learn, adhere to, and live by. It leads to a far less sinful life, free eventually from sin’s grip. It is up to us to follow, to hold to what Jesus has said, to let it instruct our lives. Far better this, than that we die in our sins. What goes unpunished now, in this life, catches up with us in the next. Jesus died to provide the sacrifice that turns aside the wrath of God against our sins, so God can forgive us, as we forgive those who sin against us. Jesus lives forever, raised from the dead. He ever lives and intercedes for us with the Father, in case we sin, if we are following his teachings. The Holy Spirit is provided too if we ask the Father, and by this power we can be taught not to sin: To speak truth instead of lying, to be humble, to live in the light of heaven, holding to the teachings of the light. 

Shun false or dodgy doctrines

 Are your denomination doctrines forcing you to lie? Do not set aside your Lord’s teaching against lying for the sake of manmade doctrines. If you are baptised, it is a baptism into the Lord Jesus’s sayings, rather than doctrines you know are false. Jesus commands truthfulness. Jesus could broaden some commands and tighten others. He broadened the false testimony command to forbid all kinds of lying. All liars will be in the fires (see Rev 21:8): We have it on God the Father’s own testimony. Jesus confirms it. Quit the false doctrines and be truthful. Fear God. His angel encompasses those who fear Him to protect them in their troubles. Do not be fearful of breaking with doctrines you know are false. Denominations might cause you trouble for abandoning any of their dodgy and questionable teachings, but they cannot do much more than that. If God condemns your lies, He can do so for all eternity.

Becoming more spiritual, less carnal

 To lose your carnality you should let sayings of Jesus transform your attitudes and actions. And first you must believe in him.

Maybe you were taught wrong. Maybe you were taught becoming spiritual is something that happens to you as if by magic. No. It is something you do. You are commanded to do it. You believe in Jesus and you hold to his sayings, letting them dwell in you, dwelling on them, letting them influence and guide you thoughts, words, plans, and actions. The Holy Spirit can powerfully help it along, yet it is your responsibility to commit to it and do your part. Sayings of Jesus and of those sent by Jesus must be something you adhere to, and keep adhering to, so they influence you and instruct your everyday life. Otherwise you do not have Jesus, nor the Father who sent him. 

How to be spiritual

 Let sayings of Jesus affect actions and thoughts and words, and be a renewing influence. The Holy Spirit extends the ministry of Jesus too. It makes us less inclined to disobey the commands, less inclined to steal, covet, kill, lie, cheat, commit adultery, be immoral. Being spiritual by being transformed by spirit words of truth frees us to no more sin like this. It makes our doctrines and sayings purer, less filled with error, less worldly. 

Get ready for the coming day

 Once the coming Beast empire is ruled by the proud, boastful blasphemer, a person without the Beast mark will be considered to be of questionable allegiance, perhaps an enemy. All this will also mean that the Christ coming will be only a few years away. Be ready now, in the short term, but also be ready for the long term, since it might be soon when all this starts, but most likely it could all be a few decades away. You may need to hold out, for all that time. Tip: daily encouragement of each other, like is done online. The scriptures are encouraging, as is sound instruction. But it needs to be sustained long term. Decades even. We do not know exactly when the severest trials will start. Like civilians living in territory likely to be soon taken by a hostile army, it could happen soon or after several years of waiting. When the territory is taken by the invader, they treat local civilians harshly with necessary suspicion. The Beast people will be harsh on those who do not take the Beast mark. They will use deadly tactics. Those accepting the heavenly council by refusing that mark, their lives will be in danger. For three and a half years until the Christ returns. It will be a severe test. Heaven will reward the faithful with a crown of life: a thousand year reign with the Christ and immortal eternal life. In a war soldiers wear a mark to show the side they are on. The mark of the Beast will show a person is on the side of man, not God. Man versus God. 

Miraculous faith with hope and love

 No matter what the future brings, faith and hope and love remain. Miraculous faith: when by love you hope for something to happen, you dwell on it and by God’s will that hope might become certainty within you and in that certainty of faith you can then speak it or pray it into happening. And it happens. This is commendable faith. And it is a forever thing, no matter what.

Sheep in a world of wolves - AI-edited

Can we manage the risks of blindly walking into the Mark of the Beast 666 system? Technology already seems to be taking on some characteristics of the Beast system as described in the Book of Revelation. Personally, I am trying to resist using the new AI versions of tablets, computers, and smartphones.

In my opinion, surveillance will gradually develop into something dystopian as the rise of the Beast empire and its Antichrist ruler draws nearer. I assume the Mark of the Beast will operate as a global technological system, coupled with the "speaking image" of the Beast, which might resemble [an awry] global AI system. Surveillance, I believe, will underpin this system.

Am I protected from surveillance merely by avoiding technology? Even without using the latest devices, I might still be very vulnerable because I communicate with people who do use these devices. Simply walking into a bank, government office, or shop might expose me, as my details could be entered—perhaps invisibly—into devices with advanced technology, such as RFID chips that track us as we leave a store.

Furthermore, emerging concepts like “companion” and “client-side scanning” suggest that privacy may soon be virtually nonexistent, even if you are not connected to the Internet.

I expect that, in the near future, almost all new devices will have AI built in, gathering comprehensive information about you even when you are offline. Phone providers may eventually offer only such devices, making it impossible to use a phone without them. Additionally, if companies develop their websites so that bill payments, debt settlements, and purchases only work on AI-enabled smartphones, computers, and tablets, we may all be forced into adopting these data-collecting devices.

At present, this is not yet the dystopia I anticipate. However, I believe developing technology will evolve far beyond what it is today. Smart cities, smart devices, and smart meters will likely converge with AI to form a "smart empire," where everything is AI-driven and government and corporate services incorporate client-side scanning.

From there, the introduction of political policies could label anyone outside this system as a liability or a danger to the globalized smart empire. Finally, a boastful and proud blasphemer [will] rise to preside over it all.

Perhaps years from now, the situation will be something unimaginable today. However, Revelation gives us glimpses of what it might look like just before Christ comes to override it all.

Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, for sheep must navigate a world of wolves.

Sheep in a world of wolves

 Can we manage the risks of walking blindly into the Mark of the Beast 666 system? Technology seems to be already taking on some characteristics of the Beast system as we find it described in the Book of Revelation. Personally, I am trying to resist use of the new AI versions of tablets, computers, and smartphones. Surveillance will, in my opinion, gradually develop into something dystopian, as the time of the rise of the Beast empire and its Antichrist ruler gets ever nearer. I assume the mark of the Beast will be run as a global technological system coupled with the ‘speaking image’ of the Beast,  which might be something like an awry global AI system. Surveillance will, I think, underpin this system. Am I protected from the surveillance, merely by avoiding technology? Even without using the latest devices, I might still be very vulnerable, because I might be communicating with those who do use these devices, even if I avoid technology as much as possible. Just walking into a bank or government office of shop, I will find my details being entered, perhaps invisibly (such as with RFID chips used today which ping us as we leave a store), onto devices with the technology. Note too, there are new ‘companion’ and ‘client side scanning’ concepts around today which might, apparently, mean virtually no privacy in the near future, even if you are not connected to Internet. 

I expect soon almost all new devices will have AI built in, which gathers comprehensive information about you even when you are not online. Your phone provider might only offer such devices, and they make phone use impossible without using them. Furthermore, if companies develop their websites for customers paying bills, paying debts, purchasing, etc., such that they only work on the AI enabled smartphones, computers, and tablets then we might all be forced to have these info gathering devices. Right now, all this is not yet the dystopia I am anticipating. I expect the developing technology will go far beyond what it is today. Smart cities, smart devices, smart meters will all, I expect, converge with AI and become a smart empire in which everything is driven by AI and everything has client side scanning in all government and corporate services. Then all that remains will be the introduction of political policies which regard anyone not part of all this as a liability and danger to a new globalised smart empire, and, lastly, a boastful proud blasphemer to rise to be a presider over it all. Perhaps years from now the situation is likely to be something unimaginable today, but Revelation gives us hints what it will look like, just before the Christ comes and overrides it all. Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, as sheep will need to be in a world of wolves.

These information gathering decades

 Tired of information about you being constantly gathered? Sin is the root cause. It justifies authorities watching all we do. But think how it will be under the shadow of the apocalypse Beast ruler and empires. When nobody will be able to buy or sell without its mark, and death will come to those who fear God and do not take its mark, think how much intelligence and information gathering that will entail. The systems will need to be in place for it. Looks like systems are already well on the way to being developed. AI will probably add even more smartness to it. Underneath this ominous eagle is our sin which drives it. God will be judging mankind for persecuting the saints and for destroying the world. Even today, as for the past few decades, the sin of the masses, and of God’s people too, has provided authorities with reason to watch every detail of our lives and gather data on us. It paves the way to the Beast dystopia. Love God and keep His commandments and stop sinning. Christ died for you. 

Two kinds of Holy Spirit gifting

 Two kinds of Holy Spirit gifting are present today: those with miraculous gifts that clearly manifest the Holy Spirit’s power, and those who, despite being taught that such gifts have ceased, are nonetheless gifted with prophetic abilities and use them to build up the church. Over time, these two groups of believers are beginning to merge in some circles, learning from and strengthening one another’s faith. However, they are still often found in churches teaching their respective distinct doctrines.

How to live

 Children (and adults) must be taught to live as God commands: not to steal, to love their neighbours, to honour their parents, to tell the truth and not lie, to not let their anger get out of hand and not to let it turn to harming hatred, not to covet, to be kind, to learn to be faithful to prepare them for life. If we love God, and we must love God, we will train them to keep the commands of God, and we will train ourselves to do this too, and it will be an example to them. Even without children in our lives and our care, we should be upholding and holding out God’s commands. If we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, we should keep the sayings of Jesus too. Then if we are incorporated by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ we should see how the Lord Jesus’ truth applies the commands of God in the context of life in the body of Christ. No lying between believers who are made part of this body together. No letting hatred and anger go too far. No adultery. No wronging each other in lustfully going beyond a brother or sister’s consent. No grieving each other or distressing each other. No coveting what belongs to each other. Keeping away from idols. No fornication, which is against our own body, which is become a temple of God in Christ. Paying lip service is not enough. We must learn to live like this, if we are in Christ, and it is towards our eternal wellbeing to live by such commands even before we find Christ. Jesus lived this way and he commands his disciples to teach all to do so too. This is how we can love God. The Holy Spirit teaches these things and enables this way of living by enlightening us in how best to so walk. Wrath is not far away, and sin gets constant surveillance and comes with sometimes dire results. Living by love for God is the safest path through the coming storms. The house built on sand is washed away in a storm but the house built on rock stands firm.

Bible is not in the Bible

 You will not find the word ‘Bible’ in the Bible, and you will not find the concept of the Bible there either. The ‘bible’ concept is a closed canonical set of authorised books of scripture, including some scriptures, excluding others. Councils of men decide which scriptures to include or exclude. That concept is not scriptural.

The promised Holy Spirit blessing

 We have the scripture ”Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”, in the Book of Acts, but what about the reality of it in actual experience? Cessationism is a belief that the miraculous way the Holy Spirit is given was not continued after there were no more apostles left alive. In the West, actually the miraculous giving of the Holy Spirit on laying on of hands did continue for at least another century, as writings of eminent church leaders attested, because there was apostolic succession, so God still was recognising leaders by giving the Holy Spirit with signs attesting to it after these leaders laid hands on disciples. It was not until later that this appeared to cease. Yet outside of the West it has continued to this day. Protestant leaders did not know it was only the West which had lost this divine recognition of succession. Maybe they assumed the miraculous Holy Spirit manifestations had ceased for all after the apostles had died out. This belief is called Cessationism. It is preeminent among many Protestant churches still today. Yet it did not cease forever. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries until the twentieth century, and perhaps in places still today, there were movement to firstly restore baptism of believers such that many church buildings became equipped with large baptistries and believers could be baptised whatever their age if they professed their belief openly. Then further movements restored gospel preaching to the masses in the open. Then further movements again led revivals of repentance and holiness. The preconditions of the promise of Peter in that verse in Acts were being fulfilled and the way was opening for receiving the Holy Spirit if you had believed and been baptised and had your life made more holy in readiness. Then in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, at last, first in Los Angeles, then New York and Calgary, Toronto, and from there across the West, people started to receive the Holy Spirit with miraculous evidence such as tongues and prophecy, along with all kinds of miracles and healings. It even spread to Catholic church groups, and made inroads into Protestant and Catholic mainstream churches. The teachings and church structures were put in place to bring in laying on of hands and those recognised by God to administer it, such that many could receive this gift, this seal, the mark of Holy Spirit. Is it available today? It depends on where you are, but if like Saul of Tarsus, you are called to this saintly life, God can send you where you need to be to receive it, as He sent Saul, who went to where Ananias the gifted disciple would reach him. So scripture can be fulfilled in lives across the West. Africa too, since missionaries took these blessings there as well, and all kinds of places not previously blessed with churches having this blessing. Unfortunately, this belief and experience is still denied by many Protestants and possibly Catholics too. Denominations formed before the Pentecostal movement started tended to have tenets of doctrines persisting their Cessationism stance, and they cannot easily change it, though some such as open Brethren are trying to embrace this miraculous blessing. On the other hand it seems many formerly Pentecostal churches are abandoning their emphasis on the miraculous gifts and calling themselves Evangelical instead. I hope the same dying out of this blessing seen in the third century does not happen again. The scripture remains, ”Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.

Protestant interpretative flaws

 Does Protestant Sola Scriptura allow for frameworks like dispensationalism while rejecting texts like the Book of Enoch? 

The Protestant and dispensationalist approach to Revelation, shaped by Sola Scriptura, excludes important interpretative resources like the Book of Enoch while accommodating extra-biblical frameworks such as those in the Scofield Reference Bible. This creates a tension between the principle of scripture alone and the practical reliance on systematic, extra-biblical interpretations. By narrowing the interpretative lens to exclude apocryphal texts and historical context, dispensationalist readings risk oversimplifying Revelation’s rich symbolism and theological messages. In contrast, Jewish interpretative traditions, which embrace a broader textual and traditional context, offer a more nuanced and flexible approach to apocalyptic literature. (ChatGPT) 

The books of the Bible

 During the Puritan era in England, the Westminster Confession defined a list of 66 books as the Bible for the Church of England, establishing it as canon law. This doctrine was taught as essential and given legal authority through the Westminster Confession. Are some now claiming that the Westminster Confession itself is scripture? It was never included as a 67th book. Was the list of 66 books intended only for the Church of England? Other churches had their own lists, and shortly thereafter, the Catholic Church formally defined its canon of scripture at the Council of Trent, which included more than 66 books.

Are many now asserting that the 66-book Bible is the definitive version for all, as if it were determined by God rather than by human decision? This could only be true if the list itself were found in scripture, which would effectively make the Westminster Confession scripture. Yet it is not one of the 66 books it endorses, creating a paradox.

It is more reasonable to acknowledge that human councils determine which books to include in their Bibles, and each church council may adopt its own list. As a result, there are many Bibles, reflecting the decisions of various church councils worldwide.

Pure living

 When the Father sent Jesus, it was to live the purest life necessary to be the sacrificial lamb worthy to provide atonement for sins for all. He had to live a very pure life indeed. We can learn about pure living from the records in the gospels of how he lived. He lived in such a way that the sins listed in Revelation 21:8 did not apply to him. He was courageous. He never lied. He never held a grudge but let his anger come and go quickly without letting it linger. He refused temptation to worship anyone other than the Father. He often had dealings with prostitutes to help them but never encouraged prostitution nor got involved with it. He was called the friend of sinners, yet it was only to help them turn for sin, and to encourage them in right and merciful living. He avoided drugs and avoided in his teachings any suggestion of others using them. The Good Samaritan story involved a man treating an injured stranger and he used only wine and oil and bandages, plus use of an inn to provide food and sleep for the injured man. At his crucifixion Jesus avoided a drug commonly used for those executed on hurt in battle, called gall. One account says he refused it completely. Another implies he might eventually have accepted it before he died, but clearly he was not inclined to take drugs. He preferred simple practical nursing and kindness, both in his life and his teachings. He was raised back to life by the Father after that crucifixion, because of his perfect living, and because he is the only begotten son of the Father. Look at the description of the impure in Revelation 21:8, and then look at how it was that Jesus did not live like that. We need to learn from him so that we too can escape condemnation and have eternal life through him. 

Learning truth from books

 Not everyone gets to experience the most important things such as things of God. So those who experience such things sometimes write them down for the benefit of those who don’t. Also, we might not experience advanced but valuable and necessary experiences until late in life, so it is good for the young to be able to read about such things in their youth, because the old have written what they know. This is how society and civilisation grows better with written records. Writing has downsides. It can be misunderstood. Most importantly, one downside is that people reading the writings tend to think they have done all they need to do to gain essential knowledge just by reading, but fail to go out there and find out for themselves what the writings are telling them to find or do. People read the writings academically, without incorporating their leadings into their lives. The Bible has books like this. You learn what you can from them, but still you need to go get the life and truth which is out there in Christ. It all points to Christ, but its point is that you need to go find him, not just read about him.

A developing end times scenario

 If the Beast empire described prophetically in the Book of Revelation as a lion, leopard, and bear is indeed alluding to the empires in the visions of the Book of Daniel, it will be historically surprising and unexpected to witness its development. Especially astonishing would be a coalition involving Iran (Persia/Medes and the Kurds), Iraq (Babylon), and Greece or the Balkans, as the prophecies appear to suggest. To see Iran and Iraq uniting would be particularly unexpected given current and historical tensions.

The prophecy, however, implies this outcome. In Daniel’s vision, the lion is identified with Babylon (modern Iraq) (Daniel 7:4), the bear with Persia and the Medes (modern Iran and the Kurds) (Daniel 7:5), and the leopard with Greece and Macedonia (modern Greece, the Balkans, and perhaps the western part of Turkey) (Daniel 7:6). Revelation 13:2 depicts the Beast as combining the lion, the bear, and the leopard, indicating an empire blending these components.

Such a coalition would indeed be extraordinary, not to mention a compelling sign that the end times may be approaching (Matthew 24:33). Historically, a similar empire existed during the reign of the Achaemenid Empire, which united Persia, Babylon, and parts of Greece. Revelation 17:12-14 hints that other nations could join this coalition, emphasizing its global scope.

Given the current political dynamics, the fulfillment of such prophecies could take several decades. This timeframe might suggest a prolonged period of preparation before the eventual emergence of the global Beast regime and, ultimately, the return of the Lord Jesus Christ with His saints to bring it to an abrupt end (Revelation 19:11-21; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

The brazen head that speaks

 Throughout the ages the idea of talking images has been a subject of legends, fables, some might say historic reality. It all seems to have started with wicked magic practices in which the wicked have kept heads of the dead and used black magic to make them answer questions, perhaps with yes/no answers of perhaps letting their own minds invent the answers and attribute them to the heads or skulls. This practice is mentioned in the apocryphal book of Jasher as an example of Canaanite wickedness, but through history it was often recorded that pagans practiced this. A variation of this theme is ascribed to a Middle Ages pope, Pope Sylvester II, who is said to have used a bronze statue head with the same effect, where he was able to get it to give yes or no answers to any question he asked it. Magician Roger Bacon is said to have had a similar device, back in the Middle Ages. In Revelation we have the foretelling of an empire being given global dominance by its use of an image which can speak. It speaks and what it says will cause the world to serve the empire and its blasphemous ruler called the Beast. Of course, we are no longer in the realm of fables and legends when we see how AI can make this a reality right now, and over a few more decades, could develop into a world empire based on what it says to everyone. I imagine they might call the empire based on it, a smart empire, but terminology and catch phrase jargon changes over the decades, so look out for a new catchy term to make it sound like something we should welcome. 

Sabbath keeping in the new covenant

 Grace is all about living by the Spirit. The biblicists’ law of living out life by the letter of scripture is weakened by the flesh, limited by human limitations, and can even be dangerous or deadly when we wrongly understand the letters on the page, so we need the stronger life-giving law of the Spirit. Note that Holy Spirit-filled living can include sabbath keeping. The two are not mutually exclusive. Jesus is real and his reality extends beyond merely human ideas. He is the lord of the sabbath who guides via the Holy Spirit. So if you have the Holy Sprit, you have Jesus guiding and he might choose to guide you to voluntarily keep the sabbath. It is up to him. The truth that is in Jesus is the truth the living Jesus teaches us when seen today: faith that moves mountains; neighbourly love. Taught by the Father too. They are one in their ways, their truth, and their life-giving teachings. Their commandments focus on such things and they give hope of eternal life. 

The truth that is in Jesus

 The truth that is in Jesus is the truth the living Jesus teaches us when seen today: faith that moves mountains; neighbourly love. Taught by the Father too. They are one in their ways, their truth, and their life-giving teachings. 

The Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse and World War Two

 In Revelation 6:7–8, the fourth horseman, named Death and followed by Hades, is described as being given power over a fourth of the earth to kill through violence, famine, plague, and wild beasts. Importantly, the text does not state that the fourth horseman directly killed a quarter of the earth’s population. Instead, it highlights a domain of influence, specifying that the rider's authority extends over a portion of the earth. This distinction suggests that the "fourth of the earth" refers to a geographical area or scope of impact rather than a precise fraction of humanity. Historically, some interpretations have drawn comparisons to global events such as World War II, during which significant portions of the earth’s landmass—particularly in Europe, Asia, and the Pacific—were directly affected by the conflict. When calculating the territories involved in or impacted by the war, this could approximate one-fourth of the earth's surface, aligning symbolically with the passage's description of power over a "fourth of the earth." This perspective emphasizes the scale and reach of the devastation, linking it to specific forms of destruction without requiring a literal interpretation of population numbers. (ChatGPT) 

The human with whom we can identify

 The important thing about Jesus is that we can identify with him in his humanity in flesh. Like us, he has to do the will of God the Father as a human in flesh. Yet he took that flesh humanity having been non-flesh divine spirit. Not being flesh, and an entity with nature like God’s nature, we can call it divine, a form of what we could call deity or, to coin a word, Godness. Yet he is not like that now, since taking flesh. He is a resurrected flesh and bone human. So or salvation is to identify with him as this. As being bound to flesh human state like us, yet now immortally resurrected in this state.

Free from sin

 As the Lamb of God sacrifice, Jesus could not be polluted with any sins mentioned in Revelation 21:8. No lying of any kind. No drugs. No idols. No spinelessly giving in to dread. No murderousness. No sexual immorality. No unbelief. As the Son of Man soon to judge us all, he still has to be free of all these things. His teachings are key to us becoming like he is too.

Autobiographical

 Here is my autobiographical account of how I know the Holy Spirit has not ceased to be given miraculously today. 

I started giving gospel testimony, and preaching a little, only a few years after starting to believe in Jesus, but then I only started prophesying when two missionaries laid hands on me, which was years later, around a decade after my believers’ baptism. It was before I went on a Christian experience trip with a group of around twenty young people my own age, just after university, to try to get some missionary experience. I was afraid of what might happen because the trip was in a dangerous area, so I went to see my Pentecostal missionary grandparents before going and they laid hands on me. I went away from their house feeling like I was walking a foot off the ground. I know now, looking back, that it was because I received the Holy Spirit from their laying on of hands, because I did miracles and prophesied a bit while away on the trip. I had never prophesied before, not like that, and I did it a few times and one time I got filled with the Holy Spirit and was kept lying on my face by this. Nothing to boast about; the same happened to King Saul and look how that ended up. It was nerve-racking too because I felt such Holy Spirit blessing on myself that I believed if I had at that time prayed for a dead person, they would have risen. Two other believers in the group were very happy to share the overflows of this blessing which was on me, but all the others seemed to resent it and one or two outright opposed it, though it went badly for them, and they later admitted they were wrong. The opposers seemed to be from the more Reformed and Closed Brethren Evangelical backgrounds, whose cessationalism beliefs were challenged by what happened. They hindered me from preaching the gospel too. It was sad to see. 

So, back to the beginning: I believed in Jesus, early on in life, from my mother’s teaching me his sayings, and a decade later I was baptised as a believer by my father, a baptist pastor. A decade later again, I had hands laid on me for receiving the Holy Spirit. This was by my grandparents, Pentecostal missionaries. About four years later a close friend of theirs sent me on an evangelist experience training trip, and there it was I ended up in a Catholic church confessing my faith after hearing the gospel “Christ died for you” and realising my sinfulness, and the power of the Holy Spirit came upon me again and freed my lips from lying. The power was so obvious to others there in the church about to take Mass that the bishop let me take it too and both the bread and the wine, body and blood of Christ. Only someone just minutes after miraculously receiving the Holy Spirit is allowed to do this, if not known to be a Catholic. Then around seven years later still I was given more grace from the Holy Spirit and commanded to build the Temple. I met Father, and later the Son, and later the Holy Spirit, and I was given interpretation of a message in tongues in a Pentecostal church. Then, later, I prophesied again but more powerfully and cleanly. It was around a decade after my receiving laying on of hands and the Holy Spirit. Three further decades have passed since then. Mainly these were filled with social media outreach.

Pentecostalism a nemesis of American Fundamentalist Evangelicalism?

 The rise of Pentecostalism, which emphasizes the continuation of spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues, prophecy, and healing, has significantly challenged the cessationist stance traditionally held by Dispensationalist theology. Dispensationalism, developed by John Nelson Darby, asserts that such miraculous gifts ceased with the apostolic age, serving only to authenticate the apostles' message. This theological conflict came to the forefront in the early 20th century with the Pentecostal movement's dramatic growth, highlighted by events like the Azusa Street Revival, which showcased widespread reports of spiritual gifts. Despite vigorous opposition from Dispensationalist and Fundamentalist groups, who questioned the authenticity of these experiences and viewed them as emotionalism or even demonic, Pentecostalism not only survived but thrived, becoming a global movement. Its influence extended into the broader Christian landscape, particularly through the mid-20th century Charismatic Movement, which spread Pentecostal-like practices within mainline Protestant and Catholic churches. This broader acceptance and integration of spiritual gifts into various denominations have led to a more diverse theological environment, challenging the dominance of cessationism and demonstrating the dynamic and evolving nature of Christian faith and practice. (ChatGPT, 2025)

Tribulation a year closer

 2025 brings the Tribulation one year closer. 

Personally I think the future Tribulation, thirty years away, will be more dire than the pandemic-related nightmare we all just went through, because the future nightmare will be completely AI-controlled: Controlled by a kind of smart global regime based on AI, under the auspices of a lawless despot, supported by a new empire similar to the Achaemenid empire of the past. This means coping with the ever-looming appearance of it will require a lot of comfort by the Holy Spirit. The churches receiving the Holy Spirit can then pray for mercy for everyone in the world, and for perseverance of the saints.