Fellowship

14 June 2020

Dear Phyllis,

As I have mentioned several times, morning devotions have been unusually good lately. The other day John corrected me and told me the proper noun to use. The biblical term is not devotions but FELLOWSHIP. The other morning I read, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ”. When I read that I thought, yes he's right. This is fellowship. In the spirit world time and space are not a factor. Things that happened 2,000 years ago may be present tense. The things that John wrote to his contemporaries in the 1^st century are just as applicable today as they were when he wrote. I don't know how many kilo meters (miles) he was separated from the brethren he was writing to, but certainly space didn't matter. He spoke in specific terms saying that the reason he was writing that letter was that they might have fellowship with him (them). Today we have fellowship by telephone and email. But he spoke of real fellowship with distance believers in his day. More than that he said that. The fellowship he was enjoying was with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

If we could talk with John today we might say, “John, you had the most unique opportunity. You knew Jesus three different ways. You knew Him when you traveled and worked with Him for three years in Galilee and around Judea. You spoke with Him several times after the resurrection.. And now you are talking about present tense fellowship with Him after Pentecost. Of the three periods which has been the best fellowship?”. I am sure there would be no question, he would answer, “Oh, you can't compare it. Before we knew Christ after the flesh; now we know Him by the Spirit.. This is much better.” May I say from personal experience, he's right. It's real. I know what he is talking about and I enjoy it.

There is a fundamental difference between Bible study and fellowship. You can go in a library and read a book. You can take notes and compare various books. But fellowship is sitting talking to someone over a cup of coffee. It is not a monologue. Fellowship is a dialogue. It is a two way conversation. It has frequently been said, “When we have devotions we should do more listening than talking”. Amen. Oh, the fellowship is terrific. This is the difference of what I have enjoyed for 63 years. I have always profited much from devotions. I have learned a great deal about the Bible. But now I am enjoying more fellowship. Oh it's good! Enough said.

Last week I wrote about bones. That is not too spiritual. I would like to just share a couple things I have seen in the Scripture that is more doctrinal than spiritual. I have felt for several years that Revelation is not lineal. It doesn't go in a straight line. I have never heard this from any preaching or books – I don't know, maybe it is there – but I don't recall hearing it. But I am totally convinced that the 6^th Seal (Rev. 6:12-17) and final 7^th Vial of wrath (Rev. 16:17-21) are the same event. I don't know how you can come to any other conclusion. They are describing the same thing – earthquake, mountains and island disappearing. More than that; the 6^th Seal talks about stars falling on the earth and the heavens departing like a scroll. You mean to tell me this is the start of the seven years of tribulation? Beyond that we see that the terrible destruction of natural phenomenon in the seven trumpets and the seven vials do nothing to alter mens reaction to move them towards repentance. After six trumpets we read “they repented not”. After four vial the scripture says twice that they blasphemed God and repented not (16:9,11). And after the 5^th and 7^th vial they still blasphemed God. The 7^th vial is the last one when it is all over. But what we see with the 6^th Seal is totally different, Here we see everyone looking for a hiding place and crying to the rocks and mountains to fall on them to hide them from the face of Him that sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. If the 6^th Seal and 7^th Vial are the same thing, why the difference? Jesus is here. Earthquakes and tsunamis don't move men to repentance, but when Jesus shows up in person then they change their tune and start looking for a place to hide. The 6^th Seal has got to be Jesus coming back as told in Rev. 19:11-21.

There is another eschatological argument that I would like to consider. There is a great deal of debate about dating Ezek, 38 and 39. There are three positions – at the beginning of the seven years of tribulation, in the middle, and at the end. For years I have leaned more towards the beginning because it take seven years to clean up the mess (39:9).

But from 39:17-20 there is an unusual statement. The Lord said, “Speak unto every feathered foul and to every beast of the field, come to My sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you: even a great sacrifice that ye may eat flesh and drink blood.”. This is almost the same thing that we see in Rev. 19:17,18. “An angel cried saying to all the fouls that fly in the midst of heaven, 'Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God that ye may eat the flesh of kings...'.” Further more Jesus said, “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together” (Mt. 24: 28; Lk. 17:37).

In the Bible the most insulting thing that can happen to a person is to have their body eaten by buzzards and wild dogs. This is what Goliath said to David. “I will give thy flesh unto the fouls of the air the beast of the field”. And David said exactly the same thing back to Goliath (1 Sam. 17:44,46). This is what Elijah said to Ahab; “The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that deith of Ahab in the city shall dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fouls of the air eat”. This is what Rizpah did not want to happen to happen to her sons (2 Sam. 21:10). This is the most insulting thing that can happen.

No one questions Rev. 19:11-21 is Armageddon (Rev. 16:16). This is the ultimate battle. This is where the anti-christ will gather all the armies of the earth to fight against Jesus. Everyone is agreed that Rev. 19 is the final battle and the ultimate 2^nd coming of Christ. This is where it all ends. The devil will have his man on top for seven years to run the world. This is the anti-christ. We all know about him. And the final conflict will be when he has all the armies of the world gathered together to physically fight against Jesus. This is Armageddon. And on the basis of what Ezek. 39 and Rev. 19:11 it seems to me that this is what God calls His great sacrifice to the buzzards. I find it difficult to separate these two event. To me they are exactly the same thing. That means that Ezek. 38 and 39 is Armageddon. This is what God has saved for the armies of the earth – to get fed to the buzzards and dogs. And, man howdy, are we close. It could be well within the next ten years.

This is what Dan. 2:35,44 is talking about when the little stone will hit the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar's dream image: “And in the days of these kings (the ten toes) will the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed” (verse 44).

On a personal note, we are asking Jesus what He wants us to do about my eye. I have three options: return to the states to go to a VA hospital, have surgery here, or let Jesus take care of it by Himself. For a year we have had the first option of VA at the top of the list. But three doors have been closed. The states are shut down, no discharge papers, and the Institute has been closed for me to stay there. That leaves surgery here or just keep waiting on Jesus. I am open to either. We are seriously considering going to a hospital here soon, or maybe just keep looking unto Jesus if He wants to deal with it by Himself. In the mean time I remain in excellent health and rejoicing in the Lord more every day. Oh Jesus is wonderful and I greatly enjoy His fellowship every morning.

And thank you for yours, bill