Words of Truth

Edited By: Brian A. Yeager

e-mail: brianyeager@wordsoftruth.net

Volume VI    Issue XXXV  May 28th, 2006

http://www.wordsoftruth.net

A Thought to Consider…

Sometimes people are very willing and quick to jump to conclusions about matters and even about the actions of others before knowing the facts.  Solomon warned against this by writing: “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him” (Proverbs 18:13).  We can rightly judge individuals and situations (John 7:24).  In fact, we must test individuals to know who is of God and who is not of God (I John 4:1).  However, we must be sure that we have the facts to make those proper judgments.

Making proper judgments about individuals is simple.  Jesus tells us to become fruit inspectors: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).  Of course, our trying of individuals to see if they are of God requires us to use the word of God as our standard of judgment (Galatians 2:14; cf. Acts 17:10-11).

To properly exercise judgment on situations we must possess wisdom.  Not necessarily that which cometh of age, but that which cometh forth from God (Proverbs 2:1-2; 7:1-4).  Notice the following biblical example of using wisdom to rightly judge a matter: “Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.  And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.  And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.  And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it.  And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.  And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.  And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.  Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.  And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.  And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.  Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.  Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof” (I Kings 3:16-27).

If we are going to judge a person or a situation, let us make sure we have the facts.  Let’s be sure to allow God’s word to be our standard of what is right and wrong.  After all, it will be the word of God that judges all mankind in the end (John 12:48).  – B.A.Y.

 

Studies in the Book of Revelation
By: Brian A. Yeager
Chapter Nine
Introduction Thoughts:

In chapter eight we concluded the opening of the seals with the seventh one revealing the seven trumpets.  We concluded chapter eight ending the warnings concerning the judgment of God that would have an effect on the earth.  We observed the following: “The works of God against the natural resources of Rome are significant, but the remaining three trumpets are yet to sound.  The inhabitants of the earth will be directly affected through these messages.  Thus, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth.”  This chapter is full of sharp imagery and symbolism.  Let us be careful in examination of these things lest we try and make something more than what God has had written.

9:1 “And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.”

9:2 “And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.” 9:3 “And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.  9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.  9:5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.  9:6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” 9:7 “And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.” 9:8 “And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.” 9:9 “And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.” 9:10 “And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.” 9:11 “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” 9:12 “One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.” 9:13 “And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God.” 9:14 “Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” 9:15 “And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.” 9:16 “And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.” 9:17 “And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.” 9:18 “By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.” 9:19 “For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.” 9:20 “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk.  9:21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”
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References

1. All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise noted.
2. Joseph H. Thayer, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, (Reprint by Hendrickson, 2002, original copyright 1896).


© 2006 May be used if proper acknowledgment as to the authorship of this material is made and if the material used from these works are not used in a way to make a profit. - B.A.Y.

What must one do to be saved (Acts 2:37)?  Hear and believe the Gospel (Mark 16:15-16), repent of their sins (Acts 3:19), confess Christ (Acts 8:37), and be baptized (immersed) for the remission of sins into the church (Acts 2:38, I Corinthians 12:12-13, and Romans 6:3-5).  One must then remain faithful (Revelation 2:10).