The American Wisdom Series

Presents
Matthew #2564

Teach a man how to eat the Bread of Life and you feed his soul for all eternity.

Jesus Christ came to this earth to pay the price for our sins and show us the way by bringing the light of truth whereby men and women could absorb that light and become the children of light (day), thereby separating themselves from darkness and the children of darkness (night). That was God's Plan from the beginning when He sent the Light into the world which had become "dark" after the rebellion of Satan when he drew 1/3 of God's children away from our Father's truth and justice (Rev. 12:4). It is always good to review the beginning.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
The reason God created the earth was to provide a beautiful habitation, a home for His children, and it was just that! Isaiah documents it for us in chapter 45:18, "For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else." Make no mistake about it. The earth was NOT created "in vain", which is "tohu" in Hebrew and means "wasted" or "desolate" like we find it in verse 2! In fact, it was so beautiful when He created it that the "morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy (Job 38:7)"! But because of the darkness that ensued following Satan's rebellion, God destroyed that first earth age (2 Pet. 3:6), the age of the dinosaurs to which the fossil remains belong, and it "became" without form (tohu) and void (bohu) which is what Gen. 1:2 tells us. You can also read of that destruction in Jer. 4:19-27.
[2] And the earth was (became) without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

[3] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

This light is not the sun for the sun does not appear until the fourth day. This is "true light" that shineth in darkness (Jn. 1:5).
[4] And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Again, this is the plan from the beginning... to separate and divide the light from the darkness, even to separate and divide the children of light from the children of darkness.
[5] And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Jesus Christ is the only true light there is. The sun itself is actually only a "type" of light which allows our flesh eyes to see the difference between light and dark and day and night and feel the difference between warmth and cold. We learned in a previous study that when that "true Light" returns in all His glory that the brightness of His coming will overpower the sun and the moon and the stars. Of course the wise know we will be our spiritual bodies at that time. Nevertheless, John lets us know of that true Light which God sent into the world.
John 1:1-5
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

[2] The same was in the beginning with God.

[3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

[4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

[5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Even when Jesus Christ, the true Light, walked this earth in a flesh tabernacle, most men did not see the light that was standing before them!  Most just saw a good man, a prophet, etc., etc. (Mat. 16:14), even as they "see" Him today! But Peter knew who He was (Mat. 16:16) and was even later taken to the mount of transfiguration where he was privileged to see Him in all His glory!
[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

[7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe.

Have you separated yourself from the darkness of this world and from the children of darkness? Those who walk in darkness are going to be in for a big surprise when the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, the true Light, comes to this earth, for the brightness of that Light will consume all that is dark and iniquitous.
1 Thes. 5:2-5
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
[3] For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
There is a separation coming in the Millennium when the true Light returns to this earth, followed by the final separation at the great white throne judgment when the dividing will have been accomplished and the wicked shall perish by His consuming fire while the righteous enter into eternal life. Watch therefore and continue to do your Father's will lest you fall asleep.
[4] But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

[5] Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

When Jesus Christ returns at the sound of the 7th Trump in all His glory with His elect, He shall take over the reigns of the one world government Satan has established and ALL the kingdoms of this world shall submit to His supreme authority (Rev. 11:15)... like it or not... and many won't like it (Rev. 11:18).
Rev. 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.
Babylon the Great is coming down, never to rise again "and the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning (Rev. 18:9)". Yes, the nations shall be angry, but too bad... the party's ovel!
Rev. 11:18
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
It is written in the great Book of Joel that the LORD shall come with His mighty saints and "sit to judge all the heathen round about". Whereas this flesh age is called the "valley of the shadow of death" where we walk in the flesh with clay upon our eyes whereby most cannot see the light, the Millennium age, the Lord's Day, is also called the "valley of decision" (Joel 3:14) for now "every eye shall see Him" and "all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen (Rev. 1:7)". And so it shall be that if one doesn't get his or her act together by end of that day, the Lord's Day (2 Pet. 3:8), i.e. the Millennium, it will be curtains for certain. Here is that excerpt from Joel:
Joel 3:11-15
Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
Jesus Christ is coming with His saints to take the kingdom and set up His Millennial reign. Everyone will "wake up" then, or else.
[12] Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
"Shaphat" means to judge in Hebrew.  "Jeho-shaphat" means "Yahveh Judges".
[13] Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
There is going to be some great spiritual "squeezing" take place when Jesus Christ returns.
[14] Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
The light will be right there, my friend, and His truth and justice shall finally flow like a mighty river (Amos 5:24) from His throne of glory!
[15] The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
With that background in mind, let us complete the 25th chapter of Matthew where Christ is explaining the finale to His disciple's question concerning "the telos", the end of the world (age) (Mat. 25:3).
Matthew 25:31-46
When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of his glory:
Remember back in chapter 19 He told His disciples that when He comes in His glory, they shall also sit in authority with Him.
Matthew 19:28
And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
You can read that same thing in the Book of Revelation.
Rev. 20:4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
As we read in Joel 3:11, ALL the nations (ethos) shall be gathered round about. Here it is again, spoken by the Lord Himself.
Matthew 25:32
And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
There shall be a separation among peoples both nationally and individually.
[33] And He shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
There shall be a great division, a separation and cleansing, when Yahshua returns to this earth. And it shall be a time of great teaching and He shall rule with a rod of iron, which means all nations and peoples and languages and tongues shall strictly adhere to the truth and justice of His Word. Here is what is written in verse 19 of Joel chapter 3 that we were reading earlier:
Joel 3:19
Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence  against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
"Violence" means injustice, oppression, corruption. Egypt is symbolic of captivity and oppression, while Edom, the land of Esau, means "red" as in communism and socialism, i.e. all those on the LEFT! In other words, there shall be NO MORE oppression and NO MORE "red" nations and leftists permitted to promote their agendas of liberalism and socialism and communism which are all unholy and ungodly! So it's DECISION TIME in the valley of decision! People on the left will either learn to tell the difference between the holy and the profane and then discern between the clean and the unclean, which God's elect will teach them to do (Ezek. 44:23-24), or if they still choose to follow Satan at the end of the Millennium when he is released for a short season, they will follow him right into the lake of fire and perish alongside him. Then the final separation shall be complete and we will go on into the eternity where there shall be no more darkness enter therein!

Now Jesus is going to show us the difference between the RIGHT and the LEFT, the JUST and the UNJUST, the RIGHTEOUS and the UNRIGHTEOUS, the BLESSED and the CURSED!

Matthew 25:34
Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

"foundation of the world" doesn't mean what you think it does!
G2602
?????????
katabole?
kat-ab-ol-ay'
From G2598; a deposition, that is, founding; figuratively conception: - conceive, foundation.

G2598
??????????
kataballo?
kat-ab-al'-lo
From G2596 and G906; to throw down: - cast down, lay.

G906
??????
ballo?
bal'-lo
A primary verb; to throw (in various applications, more or less violent or intense): - arise, cast (out), X dung, lay, lie, pour, put (up), send, strike, throw (down), thrust. Compare G4496.

G4496
???????
rhipto??
hrip'-to
A primary verb (perhaps rather akin to the base of G4474, through the idea of sudden motion); to fling (properly with a quick toss, thus differing from G906, which denotes a deliberate hurl; and from ?????? teino? (see in G1614), which indicates an extended projection); by qualification, to deposit (as if a load); by extension to disperse: - cast (down, out), scatter abroad, throw.

The "foundation of the world" is the "katabole" in Greek which means the "casting down" of that first earth age.



The "foundation of the world" is the "katabole" in Greek which means the "casting down" of that first earth age. God's elect, the blessed children of light from that "world that then was" (2 Pet. 3:6) were chosen before that "katabole" (Eph. 1:4) and predestined to conform to the image of His Son and inherit the kingdom.By the way! Do you know what brings the blessings of our Father upon His children. Pay close attention... for here it is:
[35] For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Jesus is not talking about humanitarian acts even though God's elect certainly are generous in helping those who are down and out and need a helping hand... which does not mean they support entitlement programs that give people a free ride for life. Those who sit on His right hand know the principle of the old adage which says "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed for a life time." Think of the fish as Christianity because on a spiritual level it works the same way. Give a man a loaf of bread and you feed his body for a day. Teach him how to eat the Bread of Life and you feed his soul for all eternity.

You "see", it is the true manna, the "bread from heaven" which came down from heaven and the "living water" which flows from the Rock, Jesus Christ, the Word of God", that gives one eternal life and the promise of His inheritance. Have you read the ensamples (1 Cor. 10:11) and what He gave to the children of Israel?

Neh. 9:15
And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.
Let's continue.
Matthew 25:36
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
It is the work, the labor, of those blessed brothers and sisters who follow Jesus Christ to plant seeds of truth and do their part in helping to bring His salvation to those who are blind and in need of "eyes to see" whereby they can "see the light", to those who are naked and are in need of the gospel armor to cloth and protect them, to those who are sick because the spiritual famine and drought (Amos 8:11-13), to those who are imprisoned by the traditions of men and thus are held captive by man's religion. Jesus Christ came to heal the blind, the lame, the sick, and to set at liberty those who are bound in prison. You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Remember what it was that Jesus Christ said was fulfilled by His first advent when He stood up in the temple and read from the Book of Isaiah (see Luke 4)?
Isaiah 61:1-2
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

[2] To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,...

He then stopped in the middle of verse two... for the second part of that verse shall be fulfilled at His second coming.
...andthe day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
And so it is that when one feeds the truth to his or her brothers and sisters who are in dire spiritual condition, they do so unto Christ because they help build up and add to the body of Christ.
Matthew 25:37
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
The word "righteous" means "just" as in the "just ones".
[38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

[39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

[40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

You know James ("Jacob" in Hebrew), the brother of Christ, defined what "pure religion and undefiled before God" is:
James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
The "fatherless" James is talking about are the lost, orphaned, children of the house of Israel. Can you show them the way back home to their Father's house? Can you bind and espouse those widows who have no husband to the true bridegroom as Paul did in 2 Cor. 11? Such are the "good works" of those who have helped the least of these His brethren and so shall they sit on His right hand!

And now here is what is LEFT!

Matthew 25:41
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
"Everlasting fire" is simply that eternal fire that consumes until there is nothing left, as in whatever or whoever it is perishes and is gone for ever and ever. You "see", our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29"). Remember, fire has the unique ability to purify gold while at the same time consuming away stubble. To wit, Satan has been sentenced to perish by fire and when he does he will "be no more"! Ezek. 28:18-19 documents both his sentence (vs. 18) and his everlasting demise (vs. 19) which has been prepared for him at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:14).
Ezekiel 28:18-19
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
When something is turned to ashes, it's gone for ever and ever and thus shall be no more (next verse)!
[19] All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.
Likewise Satan's angels, those fallen angels of Gen. 6 who left their first estate and came to this earth and took to wife the daughters of Adam, are reserved to perish! However, we know from Rev. 11:13 that they shall be slain at the sound of the 7th Trump when Jesus Christ comes to the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Yahveh Judges).
Jude 1:6-7
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
They shall be just like those wicked fornicators and idolaters of Sodom and Gomorrah... now you see them, now you don't!
[7] Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
The point is, you never want to hear the words "Depart from me, you cursed" spoken by He who has all power in both heaven and earth. The "cursed" do the exact opposite of the "blessed". All you need to do to document that is to review the 8 Beatitudes of the "Blessed" in Mat. 5 and compare them against the 8 Woes of the "hypocrites" in Mat. 23.
Matthew 25:42
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Instead of feeding our people they withhold from them the true life giving bread and living water. Matthew 23:13 "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."
[43] I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
They actually "bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers (Mat. 23:24)". Welcome to the LEFT! Welcome to liberalism and socialism whether it's in politics, economics, education, or religion! It is soon going to STOP when the King of kings and Lord of lords come to this earth.
[44] Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

[45] Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

[46] And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

When the 7th Trump sounds and the world sees the two witnesses in Rev. 11 rise from the street of the great city Jerusalem, which is spiritually called Sodom (symbolic of spiritual abominations and idolatry) and Egypt (symbolic of captivity and oppression), and be blessed by the Lord, in contrast with the already cursed fallen angels who shall be slain and perish at His coming (Rev. 11:13), it will get the Millennium started with the proper perspective. It will now be decision time... and there shall be many "dead" (i.e. spiritually dead) that shall walk through that Valley of Decision for 1000 years. Hopefully they will get their act together and be blessed and enter into life at the second resurrection, else they shall be cursed and experience the real death, the second death, the death of the soul in the lake of fire.

Joel 3:9  Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
10  Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
11  Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
12  Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13  Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14  Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
15  The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
16  The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
17  So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

The good news is that the True Light is with us now, for those who have eyes to see, and shall be with us from the sound of the 7th Trump throughout all eternity for those who choose to walk in His ways.

Rev. 7:16-17
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

[17] For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Where do you stand now in relation to the true Light? The answer to that is key to where you will be when Jesus Christ comes at the sound of the 7th Trump... on the Right or on the Left?

... to be continued.

To study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.

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