The Conclusion of the Matter
At last dear readers we come to the end of this light ride through the meat of the Bible. You’re first taste of solid spiritual food, and I imagine this was far from your expectation whether you are a young Christian making Christianity yourself or a recent convert who knows little about the Bible.
Still, the Bible and her writers are what they are. We shouldn’t view them from our perspectives, but attempt to view their meanings from the context of their writing. We fight a war not against flesh and blood, we fight against enemies far more ancient and powerful than we can imagine, yet our God is older and far more terrifying.
Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many, and call upon the name of your god, but put no fire to it.”
And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar that they had made.
And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.”
And they cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.
And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered; no one paid attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that had been thrown down.
Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD came, saying, “Israel shall be your name,”
and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD. And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two seahs of seed.
And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.”
And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time.
And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water.
And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.
Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”
Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God.”
And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.
1 Kings 18:25-40
In future semesters we will explore just how petrified of The Almighty and his impending vengeance his enemies are. So much so that just the mention of Jesus Christ’s name, and the demons shudders (James 2:19). There is power in the name, and as stated in God’s prophecy all the way back in Genesis the power of the Devil and death have been shattered. He has crushed the head of the serpent, but this snake has just enough life in it to strike his heel. The body of Christ.
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[fn] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
The heel being struck in Genesis 3:15 are those murdered children in Bethlehem, the delayed plans of The Almighty God of Heavens’ Armies, the Pharaoh's murderous reign, the endless procession of golden calves, the martyrs, and every one you can think of slaughtered by the poisonings of the Covid Vaccines. God warned us from the beginning that there would be casualties as his chosen vessel, Jesus Christ, crushed his enemy.
The sacrifices of all those who came before, all those women sent into sexual slavery by Muslim slavers, all those slaughtered in the pointless Christian Civil wars known as World War one and two, all the modern martyrs in Indonesia, and those many nameless deaths of the upright by the Mongols are all known, and their pain will be remembered by the Earth and creation itself.
And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.
And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
Genesis 4:10-11
Vengeance is of the Lord, and he has broken his enemy and holds the date of his demise over the Devil head. A cosmic slap ever present in the back of evil’s minds gnawing at their quiet moments giving them no peace. There will be justice, and all those who refused to search out forgiveness in Christ, and thus who refuse to choose the one true God of gods will see no more mercy. The day of the Lord will be terrible to behold yet cathartic when you look at the horrid sins perpetrated by the corrupt of this world. Surely, even creation cries out for their destruction. Just be careful not to be one of those casualties as the serpent’s death throws thrash around you.
Be mindful, and pray like your life depends on it because it does. The idea is terrifying to know not all is set in stone, but remember your God is stronger so get on your knees and pray against the evil that boils around you. Most of all, plan, build your families, you nations, and land and give it over to the Kingdom of Heaven. Be in God’s territory, and publicly declare it be so. As Jesus said himself:
What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Mathew 10:27-33
And do not be surprised if you are called, as was Moses in Numbers 31:1-7, to enact God’s vengeance on Earth against those who mock Heaven. Be strong and courageous like Joshua and Caleb when all others were too terrified to fight the giants, and abominations in Canaan.
And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!
Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel.
And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes
and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.
If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.
Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.
And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?
Numbers 14:3-11
So in this New Year I encourage a heart of iron and strength in the Lord. We come to more turmoil in our modern age by the day, and we shall not fear it.
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say[fn] to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge[fn]—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Psalms 91
God protects his own, but as seen in the Isrealites example sin breaks your protection from God. Be as holy as you can, when possible live peacefully, but do not hesitate to purge the evil in your midst for you will stand responsible for what the corrupt do in your lands, communities, and houses. If you refuse to confront evil in your families, churches, towns, cities, nations, and kingdoms you will always be culpable for the sins you enabled within the territory God has given you to stewart over for the Kingdom of Heaven. Never forget God’s commands, and remember to come back for part two next year where we watch the crushing of the snake commence and the death throes of the rebellious watchers revealed.
Go and make this year a year of intolerance for evil, for bravery of strong men in Christ, of men who respect every aspect of the body of Christ, for men who don’t hesitate to enact the Lord’s will at his command, and who redeem their nations for the sack of the Kingdom of Heaven and their descendants. Be strong and courageous men of God! For the Almighty God of Heavens’ Armies has mustered his forces all around you for the fight to come.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Mathew 6:33
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