The last invitation in the Bible:
"Let him who thirsts come. Whoever desire, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17).
After reading, searching, and studying this lesson I have truly searched my heart once again. It was not a good feeling in going into deep study concerning the end times, but it was needed to refocus on my life. Dr. David Jeremiah made this statement, in his study book "Agents of the Apocalypse," which I think is a very good conclusion; "As we conclude this study of the movers and shakers in the book of Revelation, only one question remains. Where do you fit into the story? Have you accepted the living water God offers in the person of Christ? If so, you can be assured that no matter what you may encounter in the day ahead, your earthly life and your eternity are in His hands. As a result, you are an overcomer. Let the book of Revelation be a glorious confirmation of the fact that you will never thirst again. If you have not taken a drink of that water, I encourage you to do so today. The Bible says, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13, emphasis added). Call upon Him and quench your thirst, both now and forever. As I read these books by Dr. David Jeremiah, I was so intrigue by the knowledge God gave to this man concerning the prophecy of the end time. There are so much to learn, but I couldn't cover it all in this study. Things such as, the anticipation of the Kingdom, the coronation of the King, the incarceration of Satan, the administration of David, the participation of the Saints, the elimination of war, the realization of prosperity, the integration of Holiness, the prolongation of life, the celebration of joy, and the continuation of the Kingdom of God. So what talk about, to learn, and to get and keep deep in our heart. That was about our King. What about the Judge of Revelation 20:11-15? In this lesson he talked about the judgment awaiting those who have not responded to God's Gospel of grace. That will be a horrible time, especially for those who didn't accept Jesus as their Savior. The place of the Great White Throne, the Person on the Great White Throne, the People before the Great White Throne; There will be many books open during this time, such as the book of law, the book of works, the book of secrets, the book of words, the book of conscience, and, last, but not least, the book of the Lamb Book of Life. The book everyone should want their name written in, amen. But if their names not found there, then the punishment at the Great White Throne is awaiting them. The book of Revelation is like all prophecy; it is an accurate foretelling of future events to provide an opportunity to prepare for and respond to that which will unfold. Those who hear and believe God's Word will not "come into judgment, but [will pass] from death into life" (John 5:24).
One more thing to share, quoted by the author of "Agents of the Apocalypse," "The old saying, "You can't tell the players without a program," originated in the early days of stadium sports before players' names appeared on the back of their uniforms. But programs are still important in many areas of life-including the study of the end times.
A varied cast of "players" will populate the playing fields of the coming seven-year Tribulation and the thousand-year Millennium. Keeping the cast of characters straight in the dramatic and graphic book of Revelation can be a challenge apart from in-depth study and correlation with the rest of Scripture. "Agents of the Apocalypse," will identify and explain the roles of the most important characters soon to come upon the world stage. Ten agents, one of whom is John, the author of Revelation, are identified; the Christian martyrs of the Tribulation, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, God's two witnesses in Jerusalem, Satan, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and Jesus Christ-Victor, King, and Judge. We must set our hearts and minds on the Coming of Christ. AMEN.
I have enjoyed reading this material! God bless every one of us.
PRAYER:
Father God, we are so honored and elated to know You and all that has been revealed to us through this study. We ask that You bless the author, and those who hear Your Word. We also ask that You blessed those who have not made Jesus their Savior. Help the effort to share Your Word with other so they can know Jesus. Help us to keep this study in our hearts today and always. Lord, through this study we can see that the prophecies of Daniel show us what time it is; the hand on the prophetic clock are moving toward midnight. The warning has been sounded, so Lord, please help us to take heed to it in Jesus' name. Father, as we can see things are getting worse. Thank You for the restraining influence that is holding back the evil and the darkness of this world. You have the power to restrain Satan, only You, Lord. We thank You for keeping us and for the protection You have given to us. Thank You for the third person of the Trinity Who draws the line today and keeps the ocean of evil at bay. We give You praises and honor always. God, Your time clock is wound up and spinning. We are being swept along the path of history by a swift wind at our backs. Our individual ability to weather the storm will come from understanding Your Word. We need only heed what has echoed through the centuries: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches" (Revelation 3:22). Bless those who do not have an ear to receive an ear to hear the Spirit in these last days. And bless more to open the of their door of the hearts as You knock on it (Revelation 3:20) "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." As Apostle John said, "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen; (Revelation 22:20-21).
Knowing the Bible is one thing, but knowing the Author is another!!!
Sharing Point:
The Kings of Judah and Israel:
In the period that preceded the monarchy, Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit (Judges 21:25). God raised up Samuel to lead the people (1 Samuel 3:4). All of Israel knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord (1 Samuel 3:20). Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life, and when he was old he made his sons judges over Israel (1 Samuel 8:1). Israel rejected the sons, refused to obey Samuel and demanded a king (1 Samuel 8:19–20). When Samuel reported their request to God, the Lord answered, "Listen to them and give them a king" (1 Samuel 8:22). Why?
Saul was the first king. He was of the tribe of Benjamin, which, in the days of the judges, had almost been annihilated. Tall, handsome and humble, Saul began his reign with a brilliant victory over the Ammonites. Any misgivings about the new "kingdom" disappeared. But success rapidly went to his head, and humility gave place to pride. He offered sacrifice, which was the exclusive function of priests, showing his presumed self-importance. He deliberately disobeyed God, causing God to tell Samuel, "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions" (1 Samuel 15:10). Saul reigned unsuccessfully from 1049 BC to 1009 BC, then he "took his own sword and fell on it" (1 Samuel 31:4).
David, although anointed as king when just a boy, did not "take the throne" until after Saul's death (2 Samuel 2:4). David was short of stature, ruddy, of beautiful countenance, handsome, of immense physical strength and great personal attractiveness. He was a man of war, prudent in speech, very brave, very musical and very religious. His most recognized "claim to fame" was God's promise that David's family should reign forever. "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse [David's father] and from his roots a Branch [Jesus] will bear fruit" (Isaiah 11:1). After Saul's death, David was made king over Judah, and seven years later he was made king over all Israel. He was 30 years old when he became king and reigned from 1009 BC to 969 BC.
Solomon became king in 971 BC, possibly two years before his father David died, and reigned until 931 BC Solomon was born of Bathsheba, and, though not in line for the succession, he was chosen by David and approved by God to be David's successor (1 Chronicles 23:1). Solomon had inherited the throne of the most powerful kingdom then existing. It was an era of peace and prosperity with vast business enterprises and literary attainments. God told Solomon to ask what he would, and Solomon asked for wisdom to govern his people. That pleased God, who richly rewarded him with wealth, wisdom, power and the important task of building the temple (1 Chronicles 28:2–6).
After the death of Solomon, the kingdom was divided. Ten tribes formed the Northern Kingdom, called Israel; Judah and Benjamin formed the Southern Kingdom, called Judah. The date of the division of the kingdom is approximately 931 BC. The following dates are approximate, due to overlapping reigns, associated sovereignty, intervals of anarchy and parts of years referred to as full years. Some of the reigns were, in part, concurrent. All the kings of Israel practiced idolatry; the worst served Baal. Many of the kings of Judah served idols; few served Jehovah faithfully. Some bad kings were partly good; some good kings partly bad. The kings, the approximate dates of their reigns and their dispositions are listed below:
KINGS OF ISRAEL: Jeroboam I, bad, 930—909 BC
Nadab, bad, 909—908 BC
Baasha, bad, 908—886 BC
Elah, bad, 886—885 BC
Zimri, bad, 885 BC
Tibni, bad, 885—880 BC
Omri (overlap), extra bad, 885—874 BC
Ahab, the worst, 874—853 BC
Ahaziah, bad, 853—852 BC
Joram/Jehoram, bad mostly, 852—841 BC
Jehu, not good but better than the rest, 841—814 BC
Jehoahaz, bad, 814—798 BC
Joash, bad, 798—782 BC
Jeroboam II (overlap), bad, 793—753 BC
Zechariah, bad, 753 BC
Shallum, bad, 752 BC
Menahem, bad, 752—742 BC
Pekahiah, bad, 742—740 BC
Pekah (overlap), bad, 752—732 BC
Hoshea, bad, 732—722 BC ………Went into exile to Assyrians
KINGS OF JUDAH:
Rehoboam, bad mostly, 933—916 BC
Abijah, bad mostly, 915—913 BC
Asa, GOOD, 912—872 BC
Jehoshaphat (overlap), GOOD, 874—850 BC
Jehoram/Joram, bad, 850—843 BC
Ahaziah, bad, 843 BC
Athaliah (queen), devilish, 843—837 BC
Joash/Jehoash, good mostly, 843—803 BC
Amaziah, good mostly, 803—775 BC
Uzziah/Azariah (overlap), GOOD mostly, 787—735 BC
Jotham (overlap), GOOD, 749—734 BC
Ahaz, wicked, 741—726 BC
Hezekiah, THE BEST, 726—697 BC
Manasseh, the worst, 697—642 BC
Amon, the worst, 641—640 BC
Josiah, THE BEST, 639—608 BC
Jehoahaz, bad, 608 BC…..Went into exile to Babylon
Jehoiakim, wicked, 608—597 BC
Jehoiachin, bad, 597 BC
Zedekiah, bad, 597—586 BC
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