Daily Devotional, Year 3 – October 26 (Apocalypse NOW! Part 23: “Tormented With Fire!” CONTINUED)
By admin On May 30th, 2024.
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Daily Devotional, Year 3 – October 26
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Apocalypse NOW!
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Part 23:
“Tormented With Fire!” CONTINUED
To read Part 1, click here…AUGUST 3 (Apocalypse Now! Part 1: “Silencing The True Gospel”)
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“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice,
If any man worship the beast and his image,
and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without mixture
into the cup of His indignation;
and he (who has the mark) shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels,
and in the presence of the Lamb:”
Revelation 14:9, 10
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Mark of the beast – pub. dom. – Wikipedia
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The so-called “orthodoxy” in the church-world has been hammering the notion into the minds of Christians and church-attendees for the many decades, even centuries, the notion that the punishment of the wicked is only for the unsaved of the world.
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And of course, there are many Bible references which seem to support this idea.
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Unfortunately, the Christian community has been content to accept this notion far too readily, while ignoring other passages which tell us that true worshippers of God will be likewise afflicted.
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“THOU IN FAITHFULNESS HAST AFFLICTED ME”
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Listen to Psalm 119:67, 71, 75…
“Before I was afflicted I went astray:
but now have I kept Thy Word…
It is good for me that I have been afflicted;
that I might learn Thy statutes…
I know, O LORD, that Thy judgments are right,
and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.”
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There is no purpose for God to afflict those who are eternally lost. Listen to this next verse from Psalm 73:3-5…
“For I was envious at the foolish,
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For there are no bands in their death:
but their strength is firm.
They are not in trouble as other men;
neither are they plagued like other men.”
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In this above passage is revealed that affliction is not for those who are of the world.
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But this same Psalmist saw that the wicked seem to have such a nice peaceful existence, while this Psalmist complained about his own self…“For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.” Psalm 73:14
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Yes, the Psalmist was envious at those who prospered in the world, while he himself was afflicted seemingly every morning!
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Hands Toasting Drinks – Cheers! cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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GOD’S AFFLICTIONS FOR HIS OWN PEOPLE AND NOT FOR THE WORLD!
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And so, with this truth in mind, (that God’s people, and not the world, are the ones to be afflicted) the 14th Chapter of Revelation begins to take on a completely different application…
“…and he (that has the Mark)
shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels,
and in the presence of the Lamb:”
Revelation 14:10
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No, God has no desire to needlessly punish those who will have no part in Christ’s eternal inheritance, even as it is written…
“For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
But though He cause grief,
yet will He have compassion
according to the multitude of His mercies.
For He doth not afflict willingly
nor grieve the children of men…
Let us search and try our ways,
and turn again to the LORD.”
Lamentations 3:31-33, 40
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Here is revealed that God’s punishments are not merely for the sake of inflicting pain, but are expressly given for the purpose of bringing that afflicted one to repentance and restoration back to Heaven’s ways.
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Christian and Apollyon – Pilgrim’s Progress – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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JOB’S SUFFERINGS
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Nearly everyone is familiar with all the sore afflictions which the man, Job, suffered (Job is commonly pronounced with a long, “o”).
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But listen to Job’s assessment of those afflictions…
“Then Job…said…Even to day is my complaint bitter:
my stroke is heavier than my groaning…
But He knoweth the way that I take:
when He hath tried me,
I shall come forth as gold.”
Job 23:1, 2, 10
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Yes, Job looked forward to the day when he would come forth as purified gold!
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Job (oil on canvas) by Bonnat, Leon Joseph Florentin (1833-1922) – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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“THE OLD MAN” AND “THE NEW MAN
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What most Christians and churchgoers do not take into account is that the Bible reveals a spiritual truth that there exists two men in the lives of true Christians: “The Old Man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;” (Ephesians 4:22), but also, “The New Man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him:” Colossians 3:10.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Battle for the heart – www.signsofheaven.org
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“THY WRATH LIETH HARD UPON ME!”
Psalm 88:7
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Now, today’s devotional is by no means saying that our afflictions are something to enjoy…
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness
unto them which are exercised thereby.”
Hebrews 12:11
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Yes, our afflictions are grievous, to say the least! But by faith we endure them, knowing that they will yield a wonderful harvest of spiritual fruit, as long as we faint not because of those afflictions!
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Munch – Det Syke Barn – 1896 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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“FOR THE FLESH LUSTETH AGAINST THE SPIRIT & THE SPIRIT AGAINST THE FLESH…”
Galatians 5:17
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And so, there exists a struggle within the heart and soul of every true worshipper of God! And though the true Christian hates his or her old nature of sin, which “The Old Man” creates, nevertheless, that Christian just seems to continue to fall into sin.
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This is where the Lord begins to work in that Believer’s life, even as it is written…
“But who may abide the day of His coming?
and who shall stand when He appeareth?
for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi,
and purge them as gold and silver,
that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.”
Malachi 3:2, 3
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Gold smelting – Public Domain – wn.com
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OUR “OLD MAN” IS MARKED WITH BEAST’S IMAGE!
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Yes, God has chosen His New Testament people to become, “a royal priesthood” (1st Peter 2:9). And yet, that chosen group of kingly priests must be purified, even as gold and silver are purged and purified in the “refiner’s fire”, so that, “they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.”
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And so, even though God’s people have been implanted with the seed of “The New Man”, they nevertheless must be purged and purified from that “Old Man with his deeds” who still has the Mark of Satan’s character, i.e., the Mark of the Beast’s image and likeness.
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Mark of the beast – pub. dom. – Wikipedia
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VERY GOOD NEWS!
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But the very Good News is found in the following words…
“and he (with the Mark) shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels,
and in the presence of the Lamb:
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever:”
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Here is revealed that those who are still indwelt by the cursed “Old Man with his deeds” are by no means left alone in their afflictions!
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No, the Lamb of God, the very One who suffered intensely on our behalf is right there, living out His life as, “The New Man”, dwelling within them and through them, suffering right alongside of them, partaking with them in their many fiery afflictions, so that they may eventually, “come forth as (purified) gold”, even as Job eventually came forth as purified gold at the culmination of his long months of suffering! (see Job 23:10)
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And the smoke of all this affliction ultimately “ascends up for ever and ever” in praise and gratitude to our merciful God!
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Girl Praying – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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“GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES”
2nd Peter 1:4
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And so, with all these truths in mind, we may rejoice in our sufferings, all the while clinging to the following great and precious promise…“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6
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Sign of the Son of Man Constellation – made of the various constellations on this website
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“Being confident of this very thing,
that He which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
Philippians 1:6
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TO READ PART 24, CLICK HERE…
“February 11 (Apocalypse NOW! Part 24: “Ellen White On God’s People Being Delivered”)”
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Strengthen my faith that I may endure the fiery trials which are just now coming upon the horizon for God’s people…
Woman Praying – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… April 7 (Apocalypse NOW! Part 16: “Perfect Peace In The Fire!” (CONTINUED)), or you can also read this next article…AUGUST 9 (Apocalypse Now! Part 2: “Tormented With Fire!”) or you can also read…October 26 (Apocalypse NOW! Part 23: “Tormented With Fire!” CONTINUED)
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
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THE WOMAN ON THE ALTAR CONSTELLATION
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“Let my prayer
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be set forth
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before Thee as incense;
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and the lifting up
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of my hands
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as the evening sacrifice.”
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Psalm 142:2
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LOCATING THIS CONSTELLATION…
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This “Golden Altar” Constellation is only seen in winter through spring, in mid-sky. It is to the south of the “Fleeing Woman Constellation” (AKA Ursa Major or The Big Dipper).
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The “Fleeing Woman of Revelation 12” Constellation is in the northeastern sky in this sketch. You would be facing east and looking very high up almost to mid-sky to see this constellation group this way. The altar is farther south but still in the eastern sky. This altar itself is commonly known as “Leo Major“, with the smoke rising being “Leo Minor“.
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Woman of Revelation 12, (“The Woman on the Altar”)“
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TOMORROW…
October 27 (Noble Bereans, Part 23: “The Messages of the Three Angels of Revelation 14″)
3 Angels Message – Wikipedia via www.pri.org – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
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The Open Forum Talk Show with Harold Camping
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CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS 90-MINUTE TALK SHOW – – The Open Forum Harold Camping January 14, 2003
Harold-Camping – courtesy Family Radio
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