An Amazing Fact: In the vacuum of space’s extreme temperatures and near-nothingness, astronauts need special clothing to survive. Their spacesuits supply oxygen, maintain pressure, regulate body temperature, and remove humidity and carbon dioxide. Astronauts must place enormous trust in these suits—lifelines only fractions of an inch thick in places. It’s truly important, lifesaving clothing!

When it comes to clothing, humans are different from most other creatures.

Animals are usually “born with their clothes on.” Their coverings grow from the inside out, and many even shed and regrow them. Mankind alone must be clothed from the outside.

Scripture says our dependence on artificial clothing began after the fall: “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (Genesis 3:7). The KJV uses the word “aprons”—meaning belts or girdles.

Relying on their own resourcefulness, Adam and Eve stitched fig leaves into belts to hide their shame. Having never witnessed death, they likely expected the leaves to serve as a lasting disguise, but as the leaves shriveled, the fallen pair’s homespun solution failed.

God showed them that true covering would require sacrifice: “For Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them” (v. 21). The Creator explained that the death of another living creature would be needed for them to be properly dressed. In contrast to their skimpy fig belts, God provided them with durable tunics. Humanity fashioned flimsy “miniskirts”; God supplied lasting robes of skin—signaling that sin’s shame cannot be covered by human effort.

Why Do We Wear Clothes?

Thus, clothing began as God’s gracious covering, but is clothing still an important biblical principle some 6,000 years later? Let’s explore this issue and see what we discover.

1. The reason why God instituted clothing was to cover Adam’s and Eve’s nakedness, which remains the main reason we wear clothing today: modesty.

Today’s fashion trends lean toward more exposure and less modesty. With scantily clad bodies featured on billboards and even on “family-friendly” websites, it’s easy for Christians to become desensitized and accept and even adopt immodest clothing in everyday life.

We must resist these trends, but especially when we come to worship the Lord! We need to ensure that everything we wear is high enough, low enough, and loose enough to cover our bodies, because we are in the presence of a holy God. Remember, the angels surrounding the throne of God, who minister in His presence, veil their faces and their feet and cry out, “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:2, 3).

2. Another reason we wear clothing is to protect us from harsh weather and climates. In certain parts of the world, clothing is used to keep us warm; in other parts, it must keep us cool and protect us from excessive sun or wind.

When the apostle Paul was in prison, he knew that his remaining days were few. In a letter to his dear friend Timothy, he wrote, “The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:6, 7). At the end of the letter, he included several special requests: “Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments” (v. 13).

Back then, the only luxuries a prisoner might enjoy had to be supplied by friends and family. Paul was getting old, and he was susceptible to the cold. I deeply empathize when Paul says to bring his cloak quickly (v. 9), before winter! (v. 21). For me, it’s easier to endure heat than cold, so I’m thankful that God gave us clothing to protect us from the elements.

3. We also wear clothing as a show of respect. What we wear says something about what we are doing, where we are going, and whom we are planning to see.

Different clothing is appropriate for different occasions. For instance, you wouldn’t wear the same outfit to go picnicking with your family as you would to go work on a construction site. Likewise, when you come to worship before the Lord, you wouldn’t wear the same clothes that you’d don if going to the beach.

You might say, “It doesn’t matter what we wear to church, because God looks on your heart.” It’s certainly true that some congregants or guests might not be able to come in church-appropriate clothing; I hope they come anyway, because God will bless them!

But many congregants purposely come to church dressed as though the occasion were just a casual gathering, even if they have more appropriate clothing hanging in the closet. Most people, if invited to the governor’s house for dinner, wouldn’t wear jeans. How sad to show more respect for an earthly ruler than for the King of the universe! When we come before the Lord, we should wear our best—whatever it happens to be.

4. We also wear clothing as identification. For example, it’s essential to be able to recognize police officers, and they typically wear uniforms for that reason. When they are undercover, you can’t spot them in a crowd. If you were in trouble, you would have to rely on them noticing you.

During a war, it’s important for the U.S. soldiers to wear uniforms identifying them as Americans so that they don’t get hit by friendly fire.

In Bible times, Jacob gave Joseph a multicolored robe (Genesis 37:3), which was an ancient symbol of royalty reserved for special children. King David’s daughters also wore coats of many colors (2 Samuel 13:18), identifying them as royalty.

In the New Testament, John the Baptist stood out in the crowd because he wore simple, modest clothing, a stark contrast to the ornate attire favored by the religious leaders of his day. Mark 1:6 states that the prophet wore a robe made of camel hair and a belt of leather. The Jews who saw John were reminded of the prophet Elijah, who also wore a garment of hair and a leather belt (2 Kings 1:8).

It is said that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but most people do. If a publisher wants a book to sell well, it had better have a good cover. Likewise, while people shouldn’t judge others merely by the clothes they wear, they likely will to some degree. So, as a Christian, you don’t want to wear anything that might identify you as someone who isn’t following Christ, because your witness may be compromised.

So, What Shall We Wear?

The Bible mentions several things we should remember to wear.

One thing that Christians should put on is a smile. I’m not kidding!

Job 9:27 says, “I will put off my sad face and wear a smile.” God’s people should want to put on a cheerful countenance. Many of us could do a lot more to advertise for Jesus simply by being happier. Too many Christians go around looking like they’ve been baptized in lemon juice; then they wonder why their friends and family aren’t interested in hearing their testimony. Many more seekers would want to be Christians if we looked joyful in our relationship with Jesus.

We also need to put on the armor of God. In Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” two swindlers flatter a vain ruler with fake fabric that’s “invisible” to anyone unfit or foolish. The emperor, unable to see it and anxious about his reputation, pretends to admire its supposed fine workmanship and colors. The fraudsters dress him in the “garments” and urge a public parade. Courtiers and townspeople, also fearing embarrassment, echo fake admiration. At last, a child blurts the truth: The emperor is wearing nothing at all.

When we talk about the armor of God, we are not describing imaginary clothes. Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” The Bible instructs us to wear the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the sword of the Spirit, the belt of truth, and the gospel of peace (vv. 14–17). Like He did in Eden, God supplies these garments for us—but you and I must make time to put them on each day.

We do this, for example, by putting the Word of God in our hearts and our minds and by taking it wherever we go. These various implements are exactly what Jesus used to combat the devil in the wilderness (Luke 4:1–13), and they are available to us.

If we’re going to be effective in helping Jesus save others, we need to be properly clad. Romans 13:12 tells us, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Jesus said that people ought to look at us and see that we have a light. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Do Our Clothes Matter?

In Matthew 22, Jesus tells a parable about a king who plans a wedding feast. It would have been understood by His listeners that when the king had to go out into the highways, byways, and hedges to call people to the wedding banquet, the people who would have responded were too poor to own suitable garments for a royal wedding.

Therefore, the king had to provide the clothing at his own expense.

Incredibly, however, someone showed up without the wedding garment. The person had no excuse (v. 12); he simply didn’t take the time to don the garment that had been provided. Consequently, “The king said to his servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (v. 13).

Likewise, we need to be wearing the right type of clothing when Jesus comes.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25–27).

You might be thinking, “How do I get garments that are without spots or wrinkles?”

In Revelation 3:18, Jesus says, “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.” Our pure white garments come from Jesus. The great news is that He does not charge a price for them; salvation is a free gift (Romans 6:23). The Lord wants nothing but the gold of our faith and the silver of our love.

The next question you might have is, “Once I get the garment, how do I keep it clean?”

Revelation 7:14 gives us the answer. Our garments are washed in the blood of the Lamb. When you come to Jesus, He gives you a spotless white robe. This is justification, which means that you come to the Lord just as you are and He covers you with His perfect robe of righteousness.

What follows is sanctification, a process in which you learn how to keep that robe clean and during which your character is cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Just remember that while His blood is readily available, we don’t want to carelessly soil the pure robes He gives us.

Take Action

Many of us have had easy access to a washer and dryer our entire lives. I’ve discovered that when you have these appliances at hand, you’re less likely to be particular about keeping your clothes clean.

One time when our washer and dryer broke at our cabin in the hills, I wore the same coverings for several days because I didn’t want to go to the trouble of washing them by hand. I was also more careful to keep my clothes clean.

I believe the Lord is now trying to teach us how to keep the spotless clothes He gives us forever clean. Many of us are waiting for some sort of special prescription to be handed out in the future that will enable us to live victorious lives, but that has already been given to us!

Today, the grace of Jesus is always available to wash away our sins when we ask Him. We often forget, however, that it won’t always be that way. A day is coming when Christ will proclaim that the laundromat is closed. “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still” (Revelation 22:11).

Perhaps, like me, you’re filled with amazement at God’s generosity and can’t comprehend how a life that has been so scarred and filthy can be suddenly washed and clothed in pure white. Remember that with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Finally, the Bible says to …

· Put on the armor God has granted to you.

· Wear the white garments Jesus has given you.

God is inviting you to take action today—to don the things He has provided. In doing so, you will embody the characteristics of Christ and serve as a powerful witness to others of God’s love and mercy.

BONUS MATERIAL

The Bride and the Harlot. Two important women are mentioned in Revelation chapters 12 and 17. One woman represents God’s church, while the other represents a fallen church. Not once are they said to speak! Yet we can identify who they are because the Bible tells us what they are wearing (Revelation 12:1; 17:4, 5) and what they are doing (Revelation 12:2, 5, 6; 17:1–3, 6).

Kids, Culture, and Clothing. Having attended 14 schools, public and private, as a child, I noticed a clear pattern: Where uniforms were required, students spent less energy worrying about clothes and more on friendships and schoolwork. Uniforms lowered the social pressure to “dress to impress,” reduced distractions, and helped level the playing field. In today’s image-driven culture, that simple consistency can free kids to focus on what matters most: learning and character development.

Jehovah’s Gift. In the Old Testament, Saul’s son Jonathan, the crown prince, took off his armor, robe, and belt and gave them to David (1 Samuel 18:4). Jonathan means “Jehovah’s gift.” Isn’t it interesting that Jehovah’s gift gave David his armor and his robe, along with a sword and bow? Jesus gives us these same things to wear today!

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The Birth of the Ministry: 1965–1966

The story of Amazing Facts begins in early 1965, when a small group of faithful pastors gathered in Baltimore, Maryland, to discuss a problem that was heavy on their hearts: Their churches were stagnating, and traditional outreach efforts had become ineffective.

What could be done?

For the next few weeks, these men prayed earnestly for divine guidance. Then God answered their petitions with a surprising idea: a radio broadcast that would grab secular people’s attention. It seemed impractical. They had no equipment, no experience, and no money. But they knew God was leading, so they moved forward in faith.

Cyril Miller and Bill May took the lead in developing the new ministry. The first step was to find a host for the radio broadcast. They decided on Joe Crews, a successful pastor and evangelist. But Joe turned them down! He knew about pastoring and evangelism—but radio? That was out of his expertise.

However, Bill was sure that Joe was the man God wanted, so he didn’t give up. And in time, Joe caught the vision and came on board with the new ministry: Amazing Facts!

Joe went to work and developed the Amazing Facts 15-minute radio format. He would start with an interesting historical, cultural, or scientific fact to catch listeners’ attention and then follow it with a vital Bible message.

They were ready to begin, but they still had no recording or broadcasting equipment …

Again, they went to their knees and asked God to intervene. The Lord did not disappoint! A few days later, a local physician offered the use of his personal recording studio—absolutely free!

So, on March 7, 1966, the first Amazing Facts broadcast hit the airwaves on WBMD in Maryland. On that day, a car salesman in Essex happened to hear the broadcast. Convicted by the truth, he contacted Amazing Facts and was soon baptized. Ever since, untold thousands have been brought into God’s fold by the Holy Spirit’s work through Amazing Facts.

A Growing Ministry: 1967-1993

Along with that first broadcast in 1966, God blessed the ministry substantially, expanding its outreach efforts. While Joe Crews was sharing amazing facts on the airwaves, Bill May began writing a new series of Bible studies. Dubbed “Information Folders,” each study focused on a Bible doctrine. Intriguing titles and eye-catching designs enhanced the appeal of these life-changing studies.

The goal was to offer the Information Folders free of charge at the end of each radio program to encourage listeners to study God’s Word. Where could the young ministry come up with the $20,000 needed for initial development and printing?

God provided through the generosity of His people, just as He has for the past 60 years. A local camp meeting group raised the money in a matter of minutes. Within a few months, Joe was offering free Bible studies at the end of each broadcast.

In 1972, Amazing Facts launched its Bible School with a redesign of the Information Folders, now called Amazing Facts Study Guides. It quickly became one of Amazing Facts’ most important evangelistic endeavors.

Step by step, God opened more doors, and Amazing Facts expanded its literature ministry. It published dozens of pocket-sized books, including Joe’s “Library of Sermons.” In the late 1970s, Joe started training Bible workers to help with public evangelism.

Soon, the growing ministry needed more space. After a day of fasting and prayer, a generous supporter donated a large plot of land in Frederick, Maryland. Just a few months later, enough donations came in to construct a new building entirely debt-free.

In the mid-80s, Allen Hrenyk, an evangelistically minded young businessman, became the vice president of finances. He saw an opportunity in an area that Crews had been hesitant to tackle: television.

Again, God’s leading was clear as donations began pouring in for TV evangelism. By the fall of 1986, Amazing Facts became the first Sabbath-keeping ministry to record a full-length prophecy seminar and broadcast it on television.

God was expanding the story of Amazing Facts!

New Leader, Same Vision: 1993-1996

For nearly 30 years, Joe Crews prayerfully led the ministry of Amazing Facts. His innovative evangelism and visionary leadership grew the ministry from a single radio broadcast to a multimedia broadcasting and soul-winning powerhouse. Thousands of people met Jesus and gave their lives to Him through Joe’s loving ministry.

Then, in 1994, tragedy struck when Joe died suddenly. The ministry was in deep mourning.

Yet all was not lost. God had already led Joe to choose a successor with a likeminded passion for evangelism. Doug Batchelor was a senior pastor and evangelist with a big heart for media ministry. Together with his wife and partner in ministry, Karen, Pastor Doug had shown an unusual ability to communicate with both churchgoers and secular-minded skeptics.

Like his predecessor, Pastor Doug had never planned to lead a media ministry, and he and Karen initially turned down the invitation to join Amazing Facts. But after much prayer, they accepted the call for Pastor Doug to become the ministry’s next leader.

It didn’t take long for Pastor Doug to launch two new TV programs, The Everlasting Gospel and Central Study Hour. He also brought his energetic style to radio in 1995 with Bible Answers Live, a broadcast in which he’d answer Bible questions from callers live on the air—it has since become a hallmark of Amazing Facts programming in both radio and TV formats.

The television version began in 2021 and broadcasts on AFTV, YouTube, Good News Network, and various other private TV stations. The radio version is still heard on over 400 stations, including SiriusXM, LifeTalk, 3ABN Radio, Strong Tower, and Salem Radio Network.

Not long after Pastor Doug joined Amazing Facts, the church next to the ministry’s headquarters burned down, and the ministry needed to move. After much prayer, leadership voted to relocate Amazing Facts to Northern California in 1996.

To New York and to the World

Driven by a deep love of the gospel and bold evangelism, Pastor Doug began leading Amazing Facts’ expansion across multiple platforms—television, radio, the internet, outreach training, literature, and live evangelism.

In 1999, Pastor Doug was asked to go to New York City, his boyhood hometown, to host the Net ’99 evangelistic series to proclaim the everlasting gospel. Millennium of Prophecy was a broadcasting milestone. Uplinked by satellite and translated live into multiple languages, Millennium was seen around the globe and put Amazing Facts and the three angels’ messages on the map in a way never seen before.

Over the next 20 years, Pastor Doug and the Amazing Facts team traveled the world, visiting over 60 nations to preach the everlasting gospel. With Karen at his side, Pastor Doug has presented soul-reaping series in Washington, D.C., India, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia, Africa, and Central and South America. Recent trips have taken him to New Zealand, Pakistan, and Cuba.

In 2022, Pastor Doug was visiting with Ted Wilson, General Conference president, and asked, “If you could choose anywhere in the world to host a series of meetings that would be broadcast around the world, where would it be?”

Without hesitation, Wilson said, “New York City.”

That conversation was the genesis of Prophecy Odyssey, Amazing Facts’ most recent evangelistic series broadcast to the world. Amazingly, God opened the doors for Amazing Facts to return to the same venue used in 1999, this time broadcasting via the internet and TV to a potential audience of billions. Utilizing advanced artificial intelligence for live translation and virtual reality graphics, Prophecy Odyssey presented timeless truth in an up-to-date format that any church can use to host their own evangelistic series.

AFCOE: Training Evangelists for the World

By the end of the 1990s, God had led Amazing Facts to become a recognized leader in worldwide evangelistic ministry for His remnant church. Many churches, conferences, and laypeople were coming to Amazing Facts asking how to do evangelism more effectively.

Amazing Facts staff prayed for God’s direction in meeting this growing need, and ministry leadership felt called to place the best resources into the hands of those seeking wide-ranging Bible knowledge. They sought out the best teachers and methods for achieving kingdom-growing results.

They soon designed a comprehensive curriculum that would not only transmit a wealth of biblical knowledge in a four-month program but would also teach how to share that truth with others. This new initiative was launched in 2000 as the Amazing Facts Center of Evangelism (AFCOE).

Over the past 25 years, AFCOE has trained thousands of students to become effective Bible workers who can lead people to Jesus. Many graduates have gone on to become full-time evangelists, Bible workers, missionaries, and pastors.

AFCOE Online was launched in 2018 so that people who cannot attend in-person classes can still gain the knowledge and skills needed to share Christ effectively.

God has also opened doors for AFCOE programs to launch around the world. AFCOE classes are now offered in Brazil, Africa, Indonesia, Oceania, Europe, and the Philippines. Dedicated local leaders teach students how to do evangelism in their unique cultural context, and students spend time in intensive Bible study. They even learn skills like natural health remedies and how to do children’s programs. Each student also holds evangelistic meetings in their communities.

Thousands have given their lives to Christ because of your enthusiastic support of our international AFCOE students.

The W.O.R.D. Center

When Amazing Facts headquarters moved from Maryland to California in 1996, an office was established in Roseville and video production took place at the Sacramento Central Church. While it was a workable setup, it was far from ideal in that it limited the ministry’s capacity to develop complex media projects to reach the world.

Pastor Doug and the Amazing Facts team began to dream of building a media-ready church and new ministry headquarters. God began the process in 2007 when Pastor Jëan Ross, vice president of evangelism, and others prayerfully planted a church in Granite Bay, a suburb of Sacramento. Shortly thereafter, Amazing Facts was miraculously able to acquire 75 acres of prime land for the future church and headquarters.

But while the team was eager to get started, obstacles delayed the project for a decade. All the same, through the generosity of faithful ministry donors, God provided ample funds so that Amazing Facts didn’t need to rely on loans, miss a payment on a bill, or stop broadcasting God’s truth.

Finally, God opened the doors to construction. The World Outreach, Revival, and Discipleship Center (W.O.R.D. Center) was specifically built for media ministry. Dedicated recording studios are located in the Amazing Facts building, and the church facility next door seats over 1,400 and is specially wired for recording and broadcasting seminars and church services.

Amazing Facts staff moved into their new offices in 2019, and the church held its first services in the new facility on October 22, 2020. Twenty years of prayer, planning, and sacrifice culminated in dedicating the new campus, debt-free, on April 2, 2022.

Ever since, the W.O.R.D. Center has hosted multiple summits and four evangelistic seminars. The Amazing Facts Youth Conference also began here in 2021, bringing together young people from around the world who are seeking the Lord. Every church service, outreach program, and evangelistic meeting has been recorded for broadcast, helping to spread the good news to all the world!

Glory to God: What He Has Done Through You!

Over the past 60 years, God has grown Amazing Facts into a dynamic, multifaceted evangelistic organization that is sharing truth all around the globe. But that growth would not have been possible without your dedication—our faithful co-laborer in evangelism.

Because God worked through you—Amazing Facts International now has offices in Canada, China, Indonesia, Africa, Europe, Australia, Brazil, and the Philippines.

Because God worked through you—Amazing Facts radio has reached millions since our first broadcast in 1966. Our flagship radio program, Bible Answers Live, broadcasts on over 400 stations, including SiriusXM, LifeTalk, 3ABN Radio, and the Salem Radio Network, while also having expanded to television.

Because God worked through you—Amazing Facts launched into television in 1986. Today, ministry programming can be found on cable, satellite, and streaming services around the world, reaching a potential audience of billions. Amazing Facts broadcasts on 17 TV stations in the USA, including History, TBN, 3ABN, and Hope Channel.

Because God worked through you—every Amazing Facts program ends with a free offer to help listeners learn more about God and His Word. Tens of thousands of hungry people contact us to receive these offers every year.

Because God worked through you—Amazing Facts launched its first website in 1998, allowing us to share the good news of the gospel online. Today, Amazing Facts hosts 57 websites that proclaim God’s truth in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, and many other languages. 

Because God worked through you—over 600,000 prisoners have access to Amazing Facts’ truth-filled materials on the PANDO app, and thousands of inmates have made decisions for Christ.

Because God worked through you—Amazing Facts launched its first social media account in 2009. Today, our ten social accounts have hundreds of thousands of followers and serve as a key way to interact with people seeking hope in these last days.

Because God worked through you—our media and publishing departments have produced 13 sharing magazines, four full-length documentaries, the Amazing Facts Prophecy Study Bible, plus multiple Bible studies, books, and DVDs.

Because God worked through you—6.5 million individual Bible lessons have been sent to seekers over the past 60 years. More than 118,000 people have graduated from Amazing Facts’ internet and mail-based Bible Schools. Our staff and volunteers answer scores of Bible questions every day. The virtual mountain of mail we receive each week tells story after story of blessings in the lives of the students.

This testimony of Amazing Facts International proclaims the God who loves His children and is passionate about their salvation. It is the story of sacrifices made to hasten the return of Christ—and prayers answered for the cause of evangelism. It is the record of miracles touching millions of people around the globe. Thank you for being a part of the Amazing Facts story!

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The ancient historian Josephus recounts a fascinating encounter between Alexander the Great and the Jewish people during his conquests. As Alexander advanced toward Jerusalem after defeating the Persians, the Jewish high priest, clad in sacred garments, led a procession of priests and citizens to greet him outside the city. Instead of attacking the parade, Alexander showed the high priest reverence, claiming he had seen a similar figure in a dream before beginning his campaign. The Jewish leaders then presented him with prophecies from the book of Daniel, which foretold that a Greek ruler would overthrow the Persians.

Deeply impressed by this revelation, Alexander, rather than imposing Greek customs on Israel or demanding tribute, granted them religious freedom and allowed them to continue following their own laws. He also extended privileges to Jewish communities across his empire, particularly in Alexandria, fostering positive relations between the Greeks and the Jewish people.

This isn’t the first time the accuracy of Bible prophecies has impressed those outside the Holy Land. When Jesus was born, “wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him’” (Matthew 2:1, 2). How did they know of this star except that they had studied prophecies in the Old Testament? (See Numbers 24:17.)

Does prophecy intrigue you—but also baffle you? You might be wondering how you can dive in and faithfully interpret end-time prophecies in Scripture. In this brief article, we’ll look at some keys to help you do that.

Types of Bible Prophecy

What is Bible prophecy?

Generally speaking, the word “prophecy” is defined as the inspired words of a prophet. Such revelations from heaven are often thought of as being always predictive. But prophets frequently spoke messages from heaven that didn’t “foretell”—but would “forthtell” a divine word of comfort, teaching, or chastisement.

Predictive prophecy, on the other hand, is designed to foretell future events to warn and build faith. Predictive prophecies can be divided into “classical prophecy” (found in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Minor Prophets) and “apocalyptic prophecy” (found in Daniel, Zechariah, and Revelation).

Classical prophecies are specific to the nation of Israel. For instance, Balaam’s prophecies, found in Numbers 23 and 24, speak of God’s plans for the local people of Israel. Samuel prophesied how a king would relate to Israel (1 Samuel 8:10–18).

Apocalyptic prophecies, however, are universal in scope. They speak beyond the local nation of Israel and address worldwide issues. Daniel 2, for example, deals with world history from Daniel’s time till the end.

While classical prophecy is conditional—meaning fulfillments depend on people’s response to God’s directions and rebukes—apocalyptic prophecy is not. It reveals God’s control over history itself. This is shown in Bible passages like Isaiah 46:9, 10—“Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.’”

Characteristics of Apocalyptic Prophecy

The word “apocalyptic” found in the first verse of Revelation comes from the Greek word apokalypsis, which means “unveiling” or “revelation.” The word has come to refer to any type of prophecy that focuses on the end times and speaks to the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom.

Messages in apocalyptic prophecy are given in visions, as though the prophet were watching a fantastical movie. They are typically presented with mysterious and profound symbols carefully designed to present a specific message for people throughout all times.

We see this in Daniel’s visions in chapters 2, 7, and 12. Each of these is concerned with the end of the current age and the beginning of God’s kingdom. Daniel’s evocative symbolism contains images and animals representing different kingdoms, while John’s visions in Revelation cover church history and end with the earth’s destruction and the creation of a new world. Again, both writers are focused on the “big picture”—the overarching theme of the great cosmic war between good and evil.

Four Ways of Interpreting Apocalyptic Prophecy

With so much symbolism to figure out, it can be easy for Bible students to come up with wildly divergent understandings of end-time prophecy. Go to any Christian bookstore, find the section on prophecy, randomly grab eight books, and you’ll see, for example, how many ways scholars explain the trumpets of Revelation 8. You will probably find 12 different interpretations!

However, there are generally four schools of interpretation when it comes to deciphering apocalyptic prophecy. Preterism, for example, is a method of interpretation that sees all apocalyptic events as having occurred in the past. Revelation, for instance, is believed to be speaking only about the first-century AD, depicting pagan Rome as the beast power and Nero as the antichrist. It was created in the 17th century by Luis de Alcazar, a Jesuit friar, to counter the Reformers who identified Babylon with the Roman Church.

Futurism was the brainchild of Spanish Jesuit Francisco Ribera and was again designed to distract from the Reformers’ attack on the Roman Church—teaching that all the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation apply to the future. Futurism was later refined by John Nelson Darby and teaches that Christ will rapture the church before the tribulation and establish a millennial kingdom before His coming in glory. Futurism, a comparatively recent interpretation method, has become the prevailing view among evangelicals because of books and movies like the Left Behind series.

Another school of interpretation is idealism, which sees the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation as being merely spiritual lessons, suggesting that the symbols in them have no connection to actual history or any specific events. Undoubtedly, this method is favored among non-believers who doubt the miraculous power of Scripture.

Last but not least is historicism, the first and oldest school, a system that sees an overarching unfolding of history across the Bible’s apocalyptic prophecies—some have come to pass, while others are still on the horizon. It was the method used by Protestant reformers and is best illustrated in Daniel chapters 2 and 8. Daniel interprets the symbols of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:31–45) as successive kingdoms, beginning with Babylon (Daniel 2:38), while an angel later identifies the ram and goat as Medo-Persia and Greece (Daniel 8:20, 21). This establishes that the animal symbols in Daniel’s visions refer to successive kingdoms. This method is best seen as prophecy unfolds across real-world history, and it has been so successful that skeptics accuse Daniel of having written down its many stunning prophecies after the fact, a claim that the Dead Sea Scrolls refute.

In my view, historicism is the most trustworthy and proven method for unveiling apocalyptic prophecies because it has plainly demonstrated its accuracy and deeper meanings many times over. The grand time prophecy of Daniel makes sense only when seen through the lens of historicism.

Proper Ways to Interpret Apocalyptic Prophecy

As you are no doubt aware, countless books have been written to help people understand apocalyptic prophecies, but how can you study these on your own and draw your own conclusions about which school of interpretation works best? Here are some key tools to keep in mind.

Always begin with prayer. Just as the Holy Spirit guided the prophets of old, we should ask for God’s help. Remember, “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Jesus promised that the “Spirit of truth … will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

Let the Bible be its own interpreter. A careful Bible student will acknowledge that Scripture usually interprets itself. One Bible verse will often tell us the meaning of another verse. For instance, the ram and goat in Daniel 8:3 and 5 are explicitly named as the kingdoms of Medo-Persia and Greece in Daniel 8:20, 21. And when we read about the harlot sitting “on many waters” in Revelation 17:1, we find the meaning of waters in verse 15: “peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.”

Learn the meaning of images. Daniel and Revelation are filled with symbols. To correctly interpret them, first consider interpretations within the passage in which they are found. For instance, the “great, fiery red dragon” of Revelation 12:3 is explained in verse 9 as “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan.” Using a concordance, you can sometimes find explanations of symbols in other parts of that book or even in other books of the Bible. For example, Revelation 5:6 describes a lamb that was slain. We read in John 1:29 that when Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized, John the Baptist identified Him as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Learn the meaning of numbers. Most numbers in Daniel and Revelation (but not all) have symbolic meaning. For example, the number six in Revelation symbolizes the number for man. Adam was created on the sixth day. We see this realized in Revelation 13:18, where the “number of the beast … is the number of a man: His number is 666.” Seven is the number of perfection or completeness; this is often seen in Revelation’s many sevens—seven churches (chapters 2 and 3), seven seals (chapters 5 and 6), seven trumpets (chapters 8 and 9), seven thunders, seven plagues, etc.

The Day-for-a-Year Principle

Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 are vital clues to understanding symbolic time periods in Daniel and Revelation. Both verses explain that when interpreting prophecy, one day stands for one year. Many Bible students have used this principle to properly interpret the 70 weeks of Daniel 9, which refers to the 490-year span between the Medo-Persian reign and the time of Christ’s baptism (70 weeks X 7 days = 490 days = 490 years).

A word of caution when it comes to understanding as yet unfulfilled prophecy: The focus of prophecy is to build faith. Jesus’ desire for His followers is that “when it [prophecy] does come to pass, you may believe” (John 14:29). Before a prophecy comes to pass, we may not always understand every detail perfectly. Looking back on fulfilled prophecy often does more to strengthen our faith that unfulfilled prophecies, such as Christ’s return, will surely come to pass.

Warning Against False Prophets

When studying prophecy, also remember Christ’s warning: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). God told Jeremiah, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision” (Jeremiah 14:14). 

We can’t trust everyone who claims to speak for God. Thankfully, the Bible provides us with four tests of a true prophet:

1. “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). The “law and testimony” was an Old Testament expression for the Bible. When people claim to have a word from God, it should be compared to Scripture. A true prophet will align with what the Bible already says.

2. “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God” (1 John 4:2). A prophet of God must acknowledge and teach the truth about Jesus—that He was God in human form. True prophets will exalt Jesus, not themselves. Most false prophets seek to draw attention away from God’s Word toward their own ideas.

3. “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). While it is true that God’s prophets have human flaws, there should be consistency in their teachings and how they live their lives.

4. “As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent” (Jeremiah 28:9). A true prophet will not make false predictions—the things he or she says will come to pass. However, accuracy alone does not automatically qualify a person as a true prophet. Deuteronomy 13:1–3 warns that false prophets can give signs that will come to pass and then use their influence to lead people to follow other gods. A true prophet must lead people to worship God according to the Bible.

Dual Prophecy

When studying Bible prophecy, it’s important to recognize that some prophecies have dual applications—they are fulfilled more than once. A well-known example is when David desired to build a temple for the Lord. The prophet Nathan told him that his son would build a house that would endure forever (1 Chronicles 17:11, 12). On one level, Solomon, David’s son, fulfilled this by constructing the physical temple. Yet the prophecy pointed beyond Solomon to Jesus, the “Son of David,” who established a spiritual temple that will last forever—His church. Jesus declared, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19), speaking of His body.

Another example is found in the prophecy of Joel, who foretold that God would pour out His Spirit in the last days (Joel 2:28, 29). The apostle Peter explained that this prophecy began its fulfillment at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit empowered the early church (Acts 2:14–18). Yet its complete fulfillment will come in the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit—the Latter Rain—just before “the great and awesome day of the LORD” (Joel 2:31).

Similarly, in Matthew 24, Jesus described both the coming destruction of Jerusalem and events leading to His return. These parallel prophecies were intentionally blended, as many of the warnings and fulfillments would apply to both the Jewish nation and Christian believers throughout history.

The Main Purpose of Prophecy

Why has God given us prophecy? The primary purpose of prophecy is redemptive. It is to reveal Christ, the center of all prophecy. The book of Revelation does not begin with “The revelation of secret future events,” but rather, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1). The book of Daniel is not about Babylon’s success in overthrowing Judah, but rather God’s sovereignty. “The LORD gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand” (Daniel 1:2).

Bible prophecy shows us that God is deeply involved in the affairs of our world. As Sovereign of the universe, the Lord wants us to be aware of His plan to end sin and establish justice. His prophetic words are not empty predictions like astrology quips in the newspaper. Bible prophecy reveals supernatural authority and tells us how to live holy lives in light of Christ’s soon return.

The divine predictions of Scripture help us know that Jesus’ coming is soon and that we should make ourselves ready in faith. Prophecy is not meant to discourage us or make us afraid but to reveal how much God loves our fallen world and wants to save us. Properly understood, Bible prophecy shows us we can trust God’s Word.

Abraham Lincoln, known for his unwavering honesty, earned the nickname “Honest Abe.” During his career as a lawyer, Lincoln once represented a client in a case where he realized mid-trial that his own argument was incorrect. Instead of proceeding with the case in bad faith, he immediately informed the judge that his position was wrong and withdrew. This act of integrity demonstrated that his word was not just rhetoric but a principle he lived by.

Later, during the Civil War, Lincoln repeatedly assured the American people that he would see the conflict through to preserve the Union. Despite immense pressure and personal hardship, he kept his promise, guiding the nation through its darkest days and ensuring that his word remained solid.

When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the first thing He did was to direct their attention to the fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah’s suffering and resurrection (Luke 24:27). Later, when Christ appeared in the upper room to the apostles, once again He opened their understanding to the prophecies (Luke 24:44–48). This understanding turned their sorrow into joy and their doubt into unwavering faith. Prophecy reminds us that in our darkest moments, God is still on His throne, His Word can be trusted, and He will deliver His children. 

An Amazing Fact: Every minute of every day, the earth is struck by approximately 6,000 lightning strikes. The average lightning bolt travels about 30,000 times faster than a bullet and can reach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit—hotter than the surface of the sun! However, it is a myth that lightning never strikes twice in the same place. For instance, the top of the Empire State Building averages over 20 hits per year. In like manner, the Bible predicts the Holy Spirit will come upon the church again in the last days with the same light and power as in the days of Pentecost.

Whenever I teach on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, I can get a little overwhelmed because the topic is so big. It’s infinite in scope! At the same time, I’m saddened and even burdened by the fact that so many churchgoing Christians are confused about the nature and role of this absolutely real—but admittedly mysterious—person of the eternal Godhead.

To put it mildly, the Holy Spirit is under attack by self-identifying Christians like never before, and I don’t think this phenomenon is a mere coincidence considering our place in end-time events. In these last days, we’re going to need God’s Spirit to energize us like a lightning bolt from heaven, so it’s not surprising that the devil has chosen to sow confusion among the church about this subject. It’s important for us to take the time to dive into the Word of God and get to know the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit: A Who or a What?

Some teach that the Holy Spirit is a mere influence or force that comes from God, but Scripture portrays Him as having a distinct personality within the Godhead. I admit, sometimes in a sermon, you might even catch me sounding as though I’m speaking of the Holy Spirit like He’s some mystical energy floating in the air. But the Bible is clear that the Holy Spirit is a real being—a vital one, too, because He’s found throughout the entire book. 

In fact, you’ll find Him more than 500 times in Scripture. He’s mentioned in just the second verse of the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. … And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:1, 2). You also find Him in the last chapter of the Bible: “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’” (Revelation 22:17). 

The Spirit is also not, as one might say, an “it” or a “thing”—He is a “He,” a being with His own identity, personality, and purpose. The Bible provides many clues to this unique personhood:

Ephesians 4:30: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” The Holy Spirit feels sorrow when believers act in ways contrary to God’s will. Can an unthinking force feel anything?

Romans 15:30: “I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me.” The apostle Paul indicates here that the Holy Spirit possesses and expresses love—something an unthinking force cannot do.

1 Corinthians 12:11: “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” The Holy Spirit has a unique will and makes decisions, revealing to us that He possesses His own agency. Of course, His agency aligns with the Father and Son!

Furthermore, in John 14:16, 17, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “another Helper.” The word for “Helper” in the original Greek is parakletos, which means “one called alongside to help.” Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would “teach you all things” and “bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26). Teaching and reminding imply an active intelligence.

The Holy Spirit and the Godhead

In Acts 5, Peter confronts Ananias for lying about the earnings received for selling property:

Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? … Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God (vv. 3, 4, my emphasis).

Do you see that Peter initially accuses Ananias of lying to the Holy Spirit? But then, in verse 4, Peter clarifies that by lying to the Holy Spirit, Ananias has lied to God. This shows that the early church considered lying to the Holy Spirit equivalent to lying to God the Father.

Does this mean there is more than one God? After all, Scripture says, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:4, 5).

Yes, Christians worship one God! Yet, before Deuteronomy, Genesis 1:26 says, “God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image’” (my emphasis). But how can you have one God in plural form?

Well, in Genesis 2:24, a man and a woman are said to cleave to one another in marriage and become one. Why one? It doesn’t mean they are sharing DNA; it means they are united in their purpose for life.

Interestingly, Jesus once prayed that the 12 apostles be “one” in the same way the three persons of the Godhead are one: “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21).

So when the Bible says there is one God, it’s not speaking of numerical quantity. Rather, it speaks to God’s unity. Many pagan religions have different gods, but for Christians, there is just one God, with three perfect personalities and unique roles, perfectly united in one—and all three are cooperating for our salvation. Consider further these telling passages:

1 John 5:7: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word [Jesus], and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”

When Jesus said, “I and My Father are one,” religious leaders took up stones to kill Him for blasphemy, “Because You [Jesus], being a Man, make Yourself God” (John 10:30, 33). Here, John calls the Holy Spirit one with God and Christ, meaning the apostle believed that the Holy Spirit is God.

Matthew 3:16, 17: “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ’This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”

Notice here that just after Christ was baptized, the Spirit of God descended and a voice from heaven sounded. That’s the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit acting independently of one another in one place and time but for the same purpose!

Jesus also believed the Holy Spirit was God because He lumps in the Holy Spirit with Himself and with God the Father: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

What Does the Holy Spirit Do?

When Jesus walked the earth, He left footprints. The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave footprints.

That’s why when Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit, He compared Him to the wind: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8).

Do you believe there is wind? Even though you can’t see it, you can see its effect in the trees and feel it on your being. Can we see the Holy Spirit? No. Sometimes God does allow the Holy Spirit to appear in different forms to help us to understand Him better. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit took on the form of a dove. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire. Is the Holy Spirit a tongue of fire or a wind? No. In these cases, the form the Holy Spirit took was a metaphor for His work in our lives. 

Whereas God the Son took on the form of a human and was restricted geographically to one place at a time, the amazing thing about the Holy Spirit is that He can be everywhere at one time. This is one reason why Jesus said, “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper [Holy Spirit] will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).

But you might now be wondering, what exactly does the Holy Spirit do?

1. He Helps Us Understand God’s Word. One of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is to open our minds to understanding the Scripture—the most vital work in these last days. In fact, you cannot understand anything spiritual without the Holy Spirit! He is the One who takes the words of God and makes them spring up in our hearts.

John 6:63: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”

John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

In 1 Corinthians 2:10, Paul further explains, “God has revealed [truths] to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” Without the Holy Spirit, spiritual truths remain hidden. But with Him, the Bible becomes a living guide, providing direction, wisdom, and encouragement.

2. He Helps Us Pray. Many times, we may struggle with what to pray or even how to express our deepest concerns to God. Romans 8:26 says, “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Do you see that? The Holy Spirit translates our emotions into prayers that align with God’s will, interceding on our behalf! Even when we can’t find the words, the Spirit is there praying through us and presenting our needs to the Father.

3. He Helps Us Obey. Obedience to God’s commands is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His disciples, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper” (John 14:15, 16). This Helper is the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to follow God’s laws, including honoring His true Sabbath day when doing so isn’t popular, and live according to His will.

The apostle Paul also emphasizes in Romans 8:13, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” The Spirit enables us to overcome our sinful tendencies and to walk in the newness of His life. Without Him, we would be unable to resist temptation or make lasting changes. With Him, we find the strength to live in a way that genuinely honors God.

4. He Provides Comfort and Peace. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter, a title Jesus ascribed to Him in John 14:16–18 when He promised His disciples that they would not be left “orphans” (KJV). This role is crucial, as the Holy Spirit brings peace that transcends circumstances. When we face trials, we can rely on Him to provide inner calm and assurance. As Paul writes in Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

The Spirit’s comfort goes beyond simple reassurance; it anchors us in God’s love and gives us confidence that we are not alone. His presence reassures us, reminding us that God’s promises are sure and that we have access to a supernatural peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

“How Can I Have the Holy Spirit?”

So, we’ve established that the Holy Spirit is God, that He is a person, and that He has a vital work in these last days. As we close out, you might be wondering how you can invite this amazing Spirit into your life.

1. Ask and Seek Earnestly. Jesus encourages us to ask for the Holy Spirit: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13). God is willing to fill us with His Spirit, but He waits for us to actively seek Him. This is more than a one-time request; it’s a continual pursuit of God’s presence in our lives.

2. Be Born of the Spirit. Jesus made it clear in John 3:5 that “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” This rebirth signifies a transformation that only the Holy Spirit can bring, turning us from old ways and setting us on a new path. Baptism represents the cleansing of our sins, but the filling of the Spirit signifies empowerment for a life of holiness.

3. Yield to God’s Will. The Holy Spirit fills those who are willing to surrender their own desires for God’s purposes. Romans 12:1 encourages believers to “present your bodies a living sacrifice” to God, allowing the Holy Spirit to take control. A life filled with the Spirit is marked by humility, obedience, and a readiness to follow wherever God leads.

4. Abide in Jesus Daily. To be filled with the Spirit, we must remain connected to Jesus. In John 15:5, Jesus teaches, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” This daily abiding involves spending time in prayer, meditating on Scripture, and seeking God’s guidance. The Holy Spirit flows in the lives of those who stay close to Christ.

The Holy Spirit is essential for every believer. He opens our understanding of God’s Word, intercedes in our prayers, empowers us for obedience, and brings peace and comfort in every circumstance. Perhaps members of your church are trying to convince you otherwise, but the Bible makes it clear that Jesus left us with a Helper, the Spirit of truth, to guide us through life and to prepare us for His return. Don’t let anyone take that promise from you!

And if you haven’t experienced the fullness of the Holy Spirit in your life, Jesus invites you to ask. In John 7:37, 38, He said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink … out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 

Would you like to receive the Holy Spirit today? As we open our hearts to His presence in these final days, He fills us with the strength, wisdom, and peace needed to walk faithfully with God, come what may. I encourage you to invite the Spirit into your life daily, allowing His power to transform you and to shine as a light in a world that desperately needs His truth.  

Today, we take for granted that a potato, which would typically take 55 minutes to cook in an oven, takes just five minutes to bake in a microwave. That is invisible power at work—something most of us in this modern world of technology accept without a second thought.

But beyond radiation, there are other kinds of invisible realities with just as real an impact on our physical dimension. This spiritual realm is as real as microwaves, yet it often goes unnoticed or is completely disregarded by our modern world.

First, what do I mean by “invisible realities”? The word “invisible” describes something that cannot be seen with the naked eye or detected by the usual means of perception. It can refer to entities, like angels or the Holy Spirit, or phenomena that are hidden from humanity’s five physical senses. 

In light of this brief definition, the apostle Paul asserts: “For since the creation of the world His [God’s] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead” (Romans 1:20).

Of course, most people today struggle to believe in the spiritual realm. But what concerns me is that even faithful churchgoers are more prone than ever to believe that the angels and demons so often mentioned in the Bible aren’t real—that they are nothing more than metaphors.

I don’t believe this was always the case. Before Adam and Eve sinned, they had the spiritual equipment necessary to perceive and communicate with angels. Their spiritual receivers were fully functional, allowing them to interact with the supernatural dimension. However, after sin entered the world, humanity lost this ability. We became spiritually blind, losing our capacity to tune into the unseen realm surrounding us.

However, don’t miss this—Paul says that those who don’t believe in the spiritual realm are actually “without excuse” (Romans 1:20). But why is this so important to address in our everyday world?

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

The Bible really does want us to believe that angels and demons are actual realities because belief or unbelief in them will affect how we act in our physical realm. So let’s take a brief look at some examples of these invisible realities and what it all means for you today.

The Invisible World

One of the most thrilling examples of seeing the invisible is found in 2 Kings 6, a story featuring Elisha, the prophet who asked for and received a double portion of Elijah’s spirit.

This story begins with the king of Syria making war against God’s people. He devises a plan to ambush Israel’s army and discusses it with his council. However, we’re told how his plans are foiled: “The man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, ‘Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are coming down there.’ Then the king of Israel sent someone to the place of which the man of God had told him. Thus he warned him, and he was watchful there, not just once or twice” (vv. 9, 10).

Elisha, “the man of God,” often warned the king of Israel about an enemy ambush, allowing the Israeli army to evade the trap. This happened multiple times, deeply frustrating the king of Syria, who began to suspect that there was a spy among his servants. 

But one of the king’s advisors, perhaps someone who knew what happened to the leper Naman a few chapters previously, explained, “‘Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.’ So he [the king of Syria] said, ‘Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him'” (vv. 12, 13).

Determined to capture Elisha, the king of Syria sends a massive army to Dothan, the small village where Elisha is staying and where only a tiny regiment of Israeli soldiers would have been stationed. The Syrian army surrounds the city at night, intending to seize the prophet the next day.

Early in the morning, Elisha’s servant wakes up and, upon seeing the Syrian army surrounding the city, panics. He rushes to Elisha, exclaiming, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” (v. 15). Isn’t that what we do? We see overwhelming obstacles in the gospel work and believe that the devil has already won!

But notice how Elisha responds. He says calmly, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (v. 16). 

Doesn’t this remind you of what the New Testament says? “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

I believe that’s why Elisha prayed, “LORD, … open his eyes that he may see” (2 Kings 6:17). At that time in history, God’s people needed a special revelation so that they could rely on Him. Thus, God immediately answered Elisha’s prayer, and the servant’s eyes were spiritually opened to see the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding them.

This heavenly army was invisible to the servant until his spiritual eyes were opened. The same thing must happen to us, especially as we navigate the reality of the last days of Earth’s history.

Modern-Day Encounters With the Invisible

The reality of the invisible affecting the visible is not limited to biblical times. God’s people today are still experiencing the impact of these unseen spiritual forces.

For instance, the book God’s Smuggler tells the story of “Brother Andrew,” a Dutchman who became known for smuggling Bibles into communist countries until his death in 2022. When attempting to transport Bibles into Soviet-bloc nations, he would pray for God to blind the eyes of border guards to the Scriptures hidden in his vehicle. His prayers were answered in astonishing ways, allowing him to continue his soul-saving outreach without detection. 

Notice that in spiritual warfare, God will open some eyes and close other eyes to fulfill His will.

Just about every time I speak in a new city, I hear stories from believers who attest to the reality of the spiritual warfare in their lives. Whether it is feeling a sudden urge to pray for protection, experiencing an unexplained sense of peace during a crisis, or sensing a warning, these encounters with the invisible realm remind us of the active role it plays in our daily lives.

Let’s take a look at Daniel chapter 10, where we find another dramatic account of spiritual warfare. Daniel, while fasting and praying for understanding, receives a vision. An angel appears to him, explaining that he had been delayed by the prince of Persia, a demonic force, for 21 days until Michael, the chief prince, came to help (v. 13). Again, the Bible doesn’t hesitate to highlight the reality of spiritual battles occurring behind the scenes of our visible world. 

Why would God stop doing this for His people today? But notice that Daniel prepared his body (fasting) and his heart (praying) before God could unveil the otherwise invisible world to him!

To be clear, God uses the invisible world for more than just His people’s physical protection. Another amazing account of the invisible world influencing human actions is found in Numbers 22. Balaam, a prophet for hire, had been summoned by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse the Israelites. Despite God’s warning not to go, Balaam stubbornly set out on his journey. Along the way, however, Balaam’s donkey saw an angel of the Lord standing in the path with a drawn sword. The donkey turned aside, but Balaam, unable to see the angel, beat the donkey for its disobedience.

So God opened the donkey’s mouth, speaking through it, and then opened Balaam’s eyes to see the angel. The angel warned Balaam of his dangerous greed and instructed him to speak only what God told him. God will use the invisible world to deter His wayward prodigals from taking the wrong path. Are you listening for God’s correction?

The Need for Prophetic Insight

In our modern age of Balaam-like religion, the gift of prophecy, a gift unseen by the vast majority of people, is essential for God’s church. It provides guidance and insight into spiritual realities and the plans of the enemy. In the story of Elisha, the prophet’s ability to foresee the enemy’s plans and warn the king of Israel was crucial for the nation’s survival. Prophecy helps us navigate the challenges of our faith journey by revealing God’s plans and the enemy’s strategies.

However, many Christians today give little regard to prophecy, viewing it as irrelevant to their daily reality. Yet the Bible teaches that without prophetic vision, people are in danger. “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). Prophecy equips us to avoid invisible spiritual pitfalls and align ourselves with God’s will, which is revealed in His law. The rest of the text says, “Happy is he who keeps the law.”

Indeed, ignoring these prophetic insights can lead to spiritual blindness, making us vulnerable to the deceptions and attacks of the enemy. Just as the king of Israel heeded Elisha’s warnings to avoid ambushes, we must pay attention to the prophetic messages given to us through Scripture and God’s last-day messages. 

Remember, you will know the truth of a prophet by the fruits of their work. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them (Matthew 7:18–20).”

For What Purpose?

We’ve seen that the story of Elisha and the Syrian army demonstrates the power of God to protect and deliver His people. But there is a purpose in God’s course of action—to reveal His character in a world that can perceive Him only “dimly” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Back to our story … 

When the Syrian army approaches Elisha, the prophet prays for God to strike them with blindness. God answers, and the army becomes confused and disoriented. Elisha then leads them into the heart of Samaria, where they find themselves surrounded by Israeli forces.

But notice what happens: Rather than ordering their execution, Elisha instructs the king of Israel to feed them and send them back home! This act of incredible mercy magnificently reflects the teachings of Jesus, who said, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head” (Romans 12:20).

Elisha’s actions demonstrate the principle of overcoming evil with good. And get this—by blinding the army physically, God opened their spiritual eyes so that they could see the utter power of His goodness and be transformed! 

God’s power is not limited to dramatic interventions; it is also manifested in His still small voice, guiding us through everyday decisions. Many believers, and even former non-believers, speak of God’s guidance in making crucial life decisions or discerning the right course of action in challenging situations. This guidance often comes through an inner conviction or a sense of peace, but this must always be confirmed from Scripture and, hopefully, through the trustworthy counsel of fellow believers.

Understanding the Invisible Kingdom

Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is not something that comes with visible observation: “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21).

This invisible kingdom of God is real and present here and now, influencing our lives and actions by His Holy Spirit. As believers, we are called to live and participate daily in this kingdom, guided by Bible truths and the presence of Christ within us.

The spiritual realm is as real as the physical world we see. Just because we cannot perceive it with our physical senses does not mean it does not exist. Our part is to faithfully embrace the reality of this invisible world, understanding that it shapes us and our relationship with God.

Understanding the invisible kingdom requires living with an eternal perspective. This means prioritizing spiritual growth, seeking God’s will, and investing in eternal values over temporal gains. By focusing on the unseen, we align our lives with God’s purposes and prepare ourselves for the eternal life promised to us—indeed, the eternal life we already have.

Faith is the key to perceiving and engaging with the invisible world. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith isn’t believing that God exists—remember, for Paul, that’s a given. Rather, faith is trusting in God’s promises and the reality of the spiritual realm even when we cannot see it with our eyes. This faith is built through studying God’s Word, prayer, and experiencing God’s presence in our lives.

By developing a deeper understanding of the spiritual realities around us, we can navigate the challenges of this physical dimension with confidence and faith. Discernment is essential in distinguishing between the influence of the Holy Spirit and the deceptive tactics of the enemy (and our own hearts). By seeking God’s wisdom and testing spiritual experiences against Scripture, we can ensure that our engagement with the spiritual realm aligns with God’s truth.

Recognizing the reality of spiritual warfare calls us to actively engage in it through prayer, worship, and living a godly life. Ephesians 6 outlines the armor of God, which equips us to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. By putting on this armor and relying on God’s strength, we can resist spiritual attacks and advance God’s kingdom.

Embrace God’s Reality for Your Life

The invisible world is a reality that the Bible calls us to acknowledge and embrace. Like the microwave’s invisible power, the spiritual realm profoundly impacts our lives, even though we cannot see it. By recognizing the reality of angels and demons, spiritual warfare, and prophecy, we can navigate life with a deeper sense of purpose and confidence in God’s will.

Elisha’s story reminds us to pray for spiritual insight, to see beyond the visible, and to trust in the unseen forces of God’s kingdom. As we live by faith and not by sight, we become more attuned to the spiritual realities that shape our lives and our relationship with God. May we, like Elisha’s servant, have our eyes opened to see the chariots of fire that surround us. 

An Amazing Fact: Water striders are incredible insects that walk on water. They are found in ponds, lakes, streams, and even oceans across the Northern Hemisphere. The ends of their feet contain thousands of microscopic hairs that trap air, giving them buoyancy on the water. Water striders are so buoyant that they can support 15 times their weight! 

Like a water strider, the disciple Peter once walked on water. Responding to the Savior’s invitation, “When Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus” (Matthew 14:29). This is a radical picture of what God can do in our spiritual life, enabling us to rise above sin instead of allowing it to pull us under.

However, it’s a sad reality that Christians are prone to repeat the same mistakes and fall into the same sin more than once, but that does not mean God has forsaken us. Many scholars believe that Mary Magdalene had the same struggle: “And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven demons” (Luke 8:2).

This does not necessarily mean that Jesus cast out seven demons at one time; it could also be understood that seven times Mary slipped back into the old patterns of sin and He forgave her each time. For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (Proverbs 24:16). “He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you” (Job 5:19).

Do not become discouraged if, like Mary, you find yourself repenting over the same failures multiple times.

After all, we know that Jesus said, ”Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him” (Luke 17:3, 4).

Notice that the number seven is often associated with God’s long-suffering mercy: “Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven’” (Matthew 18:21, 22).

If God commands us to forgive each other seven times in one day or seventy times seven, would He turn around and do less for us? No, He will forgive us every time we sincerely repent!

However, there is a danger that we can come to the place where we presume upon His grace and, through abusing His forgiveness, harden our hearts and lose our conviction for sin.

“If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26).

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1, 2).

There is real effort involved in denying self and living the Christian life. The Bible says we war, wrestle, run, fight, and strive. This is called the good fight of faith. We must strive to trust God’s plan and will for us rather than our own desires and plans. We must fight to stay close to Jesus. Mary was safe from sin when she was with Jesus. “Whoever abides in Him does not sin” (1 John 3:6).

Christians Follow Christ

The bottom line is that Jesus came to this planet for three primary reasons.

First, to show us the Father (John 14:9, 10). Second, to die as our substitute for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 4:10). Third, to give us an example of how to be victorious. 

Notice the ways we are invited to mirror Jesus:

“As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).

“Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21).

“I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15).

“Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:13).

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).

We are sent as Jesus was sent, commanded to walk as He walked, do as He did, forgive as He forgave, and love as He loved! In light of these principles, why would a professed Christian resist the truth that we are called to be holy, loving, and perfect as He is holy?

Once again, I certainly do not claim to be perfect, and we will never be exactly like Jesus because He lived a sinless life while we are all scarred by sin. But every Christian should be striving to be like our perfect Savior. Jesus left us with His perfect example. And just as soon as we say that God cannot keep us from sin, we are giving glory to the enemy by default. In essence, we are saying, “Satan is powerful enough to tempt me to sin, but Jesus is not powerful enough to keep me from sin.” But the Bible tells us that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

He who attempts to justify his sin also negates his justification. The central issue of Jesus’ mission was to save us from sin’s penalty and power. 

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).

The undisputed work of the devil is to tempt us to sin, but Jesus came to shatter those shackles that bind us and set the captives free (Isaiah 61:1).

Consistent Obedience

When you think about it, you realize that everybody obeys God sometimes—at least while sleeping. But the Lord is looking for a people who will obey Him consistently. That’s why He told Moses, “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever” (Deuteronomy 5:29).

Notice that the Lord asks us to always keep all of His commandments, not to make us miserable, but for the ultimate happiness of us and our children!

King Darius said to Daniel, who had just been thrust into the lions’ den, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you” (Daniel 6:16). Keep in mind that the ones who obey God consistently are often the last ones to be aware of it. In fact, I would be extremely wary of anyone who claims perfection. When Daniel had a vision of God, he said, “My comeliness was turned in me into corruption” (10:8 KJV). While he lived a life of consistent obedience, Daniel also acknowledged that he was a sinner: “Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel” (9:20). This is because the closer we come to the light of God, the more aware we become of our imperfections. 

In the book Steps to Christ, we read, “One ray of the glory of God, one gleam of the purity of Christ, penetrating the soul, makes every spot of defilement painfully distinct, and lays bare the deformity and defects of the human character. … He loathes himself as he views the pure, spotless character of Christ” (p. 29).

Promises of Power to Obey

The Bible is overflowing with “exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4 KJV). Here are just a few:

“Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; for the future of that man is peace” (Psalm 37:37).

“We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

“Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

“He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him” (He-brews 7:25).

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24).

“The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11, 12).

Those who refuse to believe that we can live victorious lives are essentially accusing God of a cruel injustice in asking us to do the impossible—and then punishing us for not doing it! That would be something like a father asking his young toddler to touch the ceiling, and, as the little child is straining to reach up seven feet on tiptoes, the father smacks the child to the ground and yells, “I told you to touch the ceiling, and you disobeyed me!”

An ugly picture—I know.

But suppose that I ask my toddler to touch the ceiling and, as he is straining and stretching to do the impossible, I gently reach down and lift him up to his goal. This is how the Bible pictures God! Within every command of God, there is the inherent power to obey it. For example, God says,

“You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).

“As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:15). 

Notice the word “be” in the two passages above. When the Lord created the world, He said, “‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). When Jesus cleansed the leper, He said, “Be cleansed”—and he became clean! (Matthew 8:3).

Likewise, when Jesus said, “You shall be perfect” (Matthew 5:48, emphasis added), the enabling power itself was in the divinely spoken word “be.” I know that when God asks us to live a holy life, it can seem unattainable, but remember, when God asks us to cross an ocean without a boat, He will either part the sea or enable us to walk on water. 

Remember that Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5), and Paul added, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

Perfect Love

So, what is the true essence of Christian perfection? 

Looking at Matthew 5:43–47, we see Jesus speaking of loving our enemies. When we reach verse 48, and Jesus says, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect,” it becomes clear that He is talking about perfect love. 

Further proof for this concept is borne out in Luke 6:36, where Jesus words it differently: “Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” So, what is Christian perfection? 

It is perfect love and perfect mercy. Perfect love is demonstrated in a willingness to obey. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). For example, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego loved God more than their own lives and were willing to go into the fiery furnace rather than dishonor Him. And Daniel was willing to go to the lions’ den rather than be ashamed of his God. Though this type of love is rare, it is real and attainable for all who believe! It is the born-again heart that loves God supremely—a Spirit-filled life.

Faith in the Victory

Sin is more than a single offense; it is a lifestyle. Before Jesus saves us, we are slaves to sin. After Jesus saves us, we may still slip, but “sin shall not have dominion over you” (Romans 6:14). For the Christian, where sin once sat enthroned and unchallenged, Jesus now sits as Lord on the throne of our heart.

“Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts” (Romans 6:12). This does not mean genuine Christians will not make mistakes. There are too many examples in the Bible in which they do. This is why John said, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

However, the mistakes should be the exception, not the rule. “The character is revealed, not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts” (Steps to Christ, p. 57).

During World War II, General Jonathan Wainwright was captured by the Japanese and held prisoner in a concentration camp. Cruelly treated, he outwardly appeared “a broken, crushed, hopeless, starving man.” Finally, the Japanese surrendered, and the war ended. A U.S. Army colonel came to the prison camp and announced personally to the general that Japan had been defeated and that he was free and in command.

After Wainwright heard the news, he returned to his quarters, where he was confronted by some Japanese guards who began to mistreat him as they had done in the past. Wainwright, however, with the news of the allied victory still fresh in his mind, straightened his body to its full six feet two inches, and declared with authority, “My supreme commander has defeated your commander. Now I am in command here! These are my orders.” From that moment on, General Wainwright was in control of the camp.

General Wainwright had received word from a higher power, and he acted in faith on that word such that it became real. He would no longer acknowledge the authority of his tormentors. Likewise, when we accept the truth that Jesus defeated the devil on the cross, now reigns, has “all authority,” and is with us always, we can be free indeed!  

“Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4).

One night in a hotel room, I tossed and turned while trying to get a good night’s sleep on a lumpy, high-mileage hotel bed. I awoke from my troubled sleep the next morning to discover that, in the process of thrashing around all night, I had managed to expose the mattress corner and revealed the bed’s brand name: “Perfect Sleeper.”

Laughing within, I thought, I wouldn’t call that a perfect night’s sleep!

Most people agree that the word “perfect” is open to interpretation. So what exactly did Jesus mean when He said, “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect”? (Matthew 5:48). After all, even we Christians say that “nobody’s perfect,” let alone as perfect as our Father in heaven! And doesn’t the Bible say:

“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10);

“Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
for in Your sight no one living is righteous” (Psalm 143:2);

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8)?

Most Christians understand that when we turn to Christ, we receive perfect justification and are declared sinless because of Christ’s sacrifice. But what I want to discuss in this article is sanctification and whether God expects Christians to perfectly obey Him after we receive justification.

Matthew 5:48 has been an ongoing source of both irritation and inspiration for various Christian camps and a catalyst for much debate. What exactly is Jesus saying when He commands us to be perfect?

The phrase “perfect Christian” can conjure up images of people who have become some kind of sterile, stainless-steel, sanctified robots that have a direct cable to heaven from which they receive their automated signals.

But perhaps a closer look at several words would provide a more complete picture. In the King James New Testament, the word “perfect” appears 42 times and is usually translated from the Greek word teleios, meaning “complete in labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc., of full age.” Here are a few other examples where teleios is used:

“I in them, and thou in me,
that they may be made perfect in one” (John 17:23 KJV).

 “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect,
be thus minded” (Philippians 3:15 KJV).

“If any man offend not in word,
the same is a perfect man” (James 3:2 KJV).

The word “perfect” is found in the King James Old Testament more than 50 times, and it is usually translated from the Hebrew word tamiym, meaning “entire, integrity, truth, without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely, sound, without spot, undefiled, upright, whole.”

“Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations,
and Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9 KJV).

“The LORD appeared to Abram,
and said unto him, I am the Almighty God;
walk before me, and be thou perfect” (Genesis 17:1 KJV).

“Thou shalt be perfect
with the LORD thy God” (Deuteronomy 18:13 KJV).

The Taboo Topic

The subject of Christian perfection is such a volatile issue among Christians that most preachers don’t venture anywhere near it—it’s a theological quagmire. If a minister is reckless enough to admit that he believes that God wants us to stop sinning, then he becomes an instant target for the question, “Have you stopped sinning?”

Well, here I go: I believe that God wants us to stop sinning!

So now is your chance to ask, “Pastor Doug, have you stopped sinning?”

No, I haven’t. But I’m also in good company. 

1. The Bible says that Noah was perfect and walked with God. Yet it also says that he drank wine and stumbled around drunk (Genesis 6:9; Genesis 9:20, 21).

2. Zacharias and Elizabeth are said to have been “both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Luke 1:6). But in the same chapter, it tells us Zacharias did not have faith in the promise of the angel and was struck speechless for his unbelief.

3. Elijah was so connected with God that when he prayed, fire and then rain poured down from the heavens. But a few verses later, we see him running away—fearful, discouraged, and praying for death (1 Kings 19:4).

4. Daniel is a man described as beloved of heaven and filled with the Holy Spirit, yet in Daniel 9:20, we see him confessing his sins.

5. Paul said that he did not consider himself perfect: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12–14). 

Maybe this is the key for us when it comes to understanding Christian perfection—looking at the examples of God’s people throughout the Bible. They certainly made their fair share of mistakes, but after they fell and repented, they would forget the things that were behind them and then press on to be Christlike. Like Daniel, they would confess their sins and then press on toward perfection. 

This is why, at the end of his life, Paul could tell Timothy with confidence, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day” (2 Timothy 4:7, 8). 

We need to guard against the popular mindset among Christians that we are saved with our sins and not ultimately from our sins. 

Countless times, I have heard people say they believe that most politicians lie on a regular basis as though it were part of the job description. So that means when it comes time to vote, we are essentially just choosing the most likable liar. In the same way, because there are so many counterfeit Christians in the world, most people have come to believe that the concept of a consistent Christian is as remote as finding an honest politician.

The Lord has made it clear that this consistent obedience is rare, but it is also possible.

“The LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job,
that there is none like him on the earth,
a blameless and upright man,
one who fears God and shuns evil?’” (Job 2:3).

“Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life,
and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14).

Because there is so much failure and imperfection in the world and in the church, many have concluded that God “grades on the curve” and is content for the saints to wear crooked halos until Jesus comes. But I believe that, although we are not called to be robots, we are commanded to be perfectly surrendered. 

I like the way Dr. A.J. Gordon puts it: “We gravely fear that many Christians make the Apostle’s word, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,” the unconscious justification for a low standard of Christian living. It were almost better for one to overstate the possibilities of sanctification in his eager grasp after holiness than to understate them in his complacent satisfaction with a traditional unholiness. … If we regard the doctrine of sinless perfection as a heresy, we regard contentment with sinful imperfection as a greater heresy.”

Does God Want Perfection?

Of course He does!

How could a perfect, holy God be content with an imperfect standard? Or how could a perfect Creator, who originally made a perfect creation, be satisfied with an imperfect one?

Here’s the next question: Does God tolerate imperfection? Once again, of course! Otherwise, He would vaporize you and me on the spot. In fact, the whole world would be instantly destroyed if God did not at least temporarily tolerate imperfection.

Although it is clear that Jesus did not come to condemn sinners, neither did He come to condone sin. Remember the story about the woman caught in the act of adultery? She was about to be stoned according to the law. Many believe that this woman was Mary Magdalene and that this was her first encounter with Jesus.

As Mary stood trembling before Jesus awaiting her sentencing, Jesus began to write in the dust. Then, one by one, her accusers left. When Jesus stood up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” (John 8:10).

I believe Mary could see the genuine love and compassion in Jesus’ face. She believed in His grace, and she received it when He said, “Neither do I condemn you.” But lest we misunderstand the deadly nature of sin, He added, “Go and sin no more” (v. 11).

Is Jesus asking us to be sinless? Absolutely. Jesus could never ask for anything less. Why? Sin was the disease destroying Mary! What would you have Jesus say instead? “Go and sin a little less”? Or, “Go and cut back on your life of sin”? Again, Jesus did not come to save us with our sin but from our sin (Matthew 1:21)—that means from the penalty and from the power and ultimately the presence of sin in our lives.

Real Repentance

Some have suggested that when Jesus told Mary that He was not condemning her and that she was to go and sin no more, it proved that the law had been set aside.

In fact, the opposite is true! “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4 KJV). Jesus was actually telling Mary, “I will take your penalty because I love you. Sin hurts you, and sin hurts Me. I will be a sacrifice in your place—now, go and break the law no more.”

In Scripture, real repentance calls for a sorrow for and a turning away from our sin as a condition for mercy.

“He who covers his sins will not prosper,
but whoever confesses and forsakes
them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

“If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

A woman named Sarah was a wonderful Christian who had a rare and deep relationship with the Lord. But her brother George was the proverbial black sheep of the family, and his selfish life was the antithesis of his sister’s kind and generous conduct.

George also had a severe alcohol problem. After years of abuse, his body began to rebel from his constant drinking—his kidneys were failing fast. The doctors told Sarah that George would need constant dialysis or would surely die soon without a kidney transplant, but it was doubtful that he would even qualify to be placed on the waiting list for a kidney because of his history of drinking.

Sarah asked if she could give one of her kidneys to her ailing brother. The doctors responded, “If your blood types match, you could, but this is an expensive operation, so we question the wisdom of putting your health at risk for a person with such a self-destructive habit.”

Well, it turned out that their blood types did match, but George had no insurance, so Sarah mortgaged her home and promised that she would pay the bill. With some persistent urging, she finally persuaded the hospital to perform the surgery.

The transplant surgery went fine for George, but there were some tragic complications for Sarah. She had a severe allergic reaction to the anesthetic and was paralyzed from the waist down. Still, Sarah was able to bravely bear the tragic news a little better when she was told that George was doing well. She said, “If I am able to buy my brother a few more years of life to find the Savior, then it was worth it even if I can never walk again.”

Here is the point of the story: How do you think Sarah felt when her brother never stopped by her hospital room to thank her for her costly sacrifice? And how do you think Sarah felt when she learned that the first thing her brother did after leaving the hospital was to go celebrate at a nearby bar?

Most of the world eagerly takes the blessings of God and then selfishly squanders them like the prodigal son. But how do you think Jesus feels when a professed Christian walks away from Calvary, where they have just seen Him hanging, beaten and bloodied, on a cross for their sin? Through His mercy, He purchased eternal life for them. But then they take the gift and turn back to the very thing that cost Him such suffering. You would think that when we truly see and understand something of how much our sins have cost Jesus, we would no longer want to embrace the monster that ravaged our Lord.

Jesus did not come and die in order to purchase us a license to sin. He came to save us from our self-destructive sins. That love is the power that enables us to turn from sin. “Do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

“Should Christians Be Perfect? Part 2”
will be available in the next Inside Report later this year.

An Amazing Fact: The Guinness World Record for the longest fast is held by Angus Barbieri of Scotland. According to the British Medical Journal, Barbieri went without solid food for 382 days—from June 1965 to July 1966. While under medical supervision, he survived on tea, water, and vitamins. At the beginning of his fast, he weighed 456 pounds, and by the end, he weighed 180 pounds.

Most Christians get a little uncomfortable when they hear the word “fasting.”

I don’t blame them for getting antsy; eating is a very personal thing. Savory food seems to satisfy us at our very core, which is why most of us enjoy eating. I certainly do!

However, fasting is a subject that you find cover to cover in the Bible. It was a high-priority discipline for Jesus. In His Sermon on the Mount, He said, “When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites” (Matthew 6:16, my emphasis). Notice that He didn’t say, “If you fast.” This implies that He expected His people to be practicing the discipline of fasting. 

Let’s look at the full passage: “When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (vv. 16–18).

Three times Jesus addresses His disciples not about whether they should fast, but how they should fast. But not too many churches today are teaching that fasting is a Christian essential. 

Some people even cite this passage in Matthew to show that Jesus doesn’t really ask us to fast today: “The disciples of John came to Him, saying, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast’” (9:14, 15).

Notice that John the Baptist was calling his followers to fast, but Jesus wasn’t disputing that call. Just like He had addressed the manner of fasting, here He is speaking of the timing. If I said you’re invited to a great celebration at my house where we will be fasting, would you come? Probably not! God being in the flesh among His people was a time of celebration, not fasting.

It’s clear that Jesus put a premium on fasting in His own experience on Earth, so it’s worth the effort for His followers to study it out.

What Is Fasting?

“Fasting” means to voluntarily abstain from or consume very little food and/or drink for a specified period of time, usually as a religious or health discipline. That’s simple enough. 

The next question is, “Why does God want His people to fast?” We begin answering that question by addressing the wrong reason to fast—see Matthew 6:16–18 above. There we learned that fasting is not a way to advertise your piety to other sinful humans; that’s why Jesus said don’t go around parading to everyone that you’re fasting. Fasting is primarily an act of devotion and faith between you and God.

However, fasting is also not a tool to win God’s audience by manipulating Him through torturing yourself. No. It is really about building trust so that the desires of the flesh melt away into a desire to be more like Christ.

One reason Jesus can be our High Priest is that He experienced a deep hunger that few experience. This suffering kickstarted His ministry. The devil’s first temptation was centered on getting Jesus to eat that which He shouldn’t when He was literally starving to death. 

The human race fell into sin when we ate something we weren’t supposed to eat even though we had plenty of other satisfying options.

In this light, we can see that fasting allows us to practice concentrated self-control, building up our spiritual muscles so that we can overcome the things of the flesh. That is a powerful discipline for Christians to develop!

 “To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6–8).

A constant battle rages between the spirit and the flesh. When we fast, we are exercising self-denial. Matthew 26:41 says, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (NIV). Many today are now struggling with diet issues, something best seen in the light of a battle between the spirit and the flesh. That’s why fasting can be a powerful aid in overcoming sins of a physical nature. When you fast, you move from the physical realm to the spiritual, trusting God to care for your body as you deny its physical desires.

Types of Fasting

Christians have many reasons to perform a fast. Let’s examine a few of them now.

Seeking forgiveness. At one point, God’s people were intermarrying with pagans, whose practices were leading them into backsliding. Nehemiah 9:1, 3 says, “The children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. … They confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.” Many times in the Bible, repentance is accompanied by prayer and fasting. After his conversion experience, the apostle Paul went three days without eating or drinking. He realized that he had been persecuting and killing God’s people—overwhelmed with repentance, he performed a severe fast.

Seeking clarity of mind. When you deny yourself food, you may experience a clearer mind. When you eat, your body begins to process the food, and much of the energy that would otherwise be directed to thinking and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit is redirected to digestion. Eating can make you a little clouded mentally and spiritually. Often on Sabbath mornings, when I’m praying and studying, I will get tired after I eat, so I often skip breakfast or eat something light. It’s easier for me to understand and explain the Word if I haven’t just consumed a big meal.

Seeking comfort when mourning. When Saul and Jonathan died, the people “mourned and wept and fasted until evening” (2 Samuel 1:12). If you’re mourning a loss or facing a difficult circumstance, submitting to the rite of fasting can draw you closer to Jesus and His suffering on your behalf, opening your heart to His comfort and hope.

Seeking guidance and protection. Before God’s people left Persia on their way back to the Promised Land, they asked for the Lord’s guidance and protection. “I proclaimed a fast … that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions” (Ezra 8:21). When faced with making a difficult or important decision, like whether to marry a certain person or take a certain job, many people skip fasting when they’re praying for God’s direction. Don’t skip it!

Seeking intercession. In Mark 9:17–29, we learn that the devil had been tormenting a young boy. The father brought his child to the disciples, who prayed—but the evil spirit only mocked them. Later that day, the disciples met with Jesus, who explained, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” When we get serious about seeking after God through prayer and fasting, God will do for us things that otherwise would not be done. Have you been praying for a loved one or for someone who is sick and struggling? When was the last time you had a season of special prayer and fasting that God would intervene? Try it and see what the Lord will do!

Seeking to avert judgment. Jonah said that in 40 days, Nineveh would be destroyed. The people prayed and fasted to avert their doom, and God relented. We see this often in the Bible—every time Israel responded to God’s rebuke by humbling themselves in fasting and prayer, God either gave them more time or completely suspended His discipline. “Says the LORD, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’ … For He is gracious and merciful” (Joel 2:12–14).

Seeking spiritual resolve. We know that at some point in the last days, the beast power will persecute those who do not receive his mark by not allowing them to buy or sell (Revelation 13:17). One of the first places that will hit home is the refrigerator. If we’ve not gained victory over our appetites, many, as it was with Esau, will sell their birthright for a bowl of beans (Hebrews 12:16).

Other Ways to Fast

Other than not eating for a season, there are other ways to fast in which you meaningfully deny yourself pleasures in order to draw closer to the Lord. Some of God’s people may also have medical conditions that prevent them from even limited food fasts. (Many have asked me if fasts are only meaningful if they deny themselves food for as long as Jesus did. I personally don’t believe so and counsel them that a fast of one to three days is sufficient for Christians today.)

There are also types of fasting that limit eating to simple foods. The prophet Daniel determined to avoid rich foods when trying to understand a vision. “I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth” (Daniel 10:3). If you need to keep your energy levels for physical work but want to engage in fasting, consider a “fruit-only fast” or “juice fast.” 

Other ways to fast include denial of entertainment, like fasting from electronic media, which is especially good for children who need to eat to keep their bodies growing strong—but to whom you want to introduce the blessings of fasting. These are all good ways to dip one’s toe into the practice of fasting, and any kind of fasting will help us build self-control in other areas of life.

The Most Important Reason

What’s the most important fast in which every Christian should be engaged? It’s explained in Isaiah 58, one of the most powerful passages in all of literature on experiencing a meaningful life of faith: “‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high” (vv. 3, 4 NIV).

In other words, God’s people were saying, “Look, we’re going through this ritual and You, Lord, are not paying attention.” But the Lord explained to them that they needed more than just a fast from food: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” (vv. 6, 7 NIV).

The people were fasting as they were walking down the road, stepping around those who were hungry and naked. They didn’t care about their fellow man, yet they were flaunting their abstinence from food while demanding that the Lord bless them. God told them that they were missing the point because they didn’t love Him and their neighbors. Are you picturing this?

A real fast is not about wresting what we want out of God. It’s about denying ourselves so that the Lord can work His wonders through us to reach those outside His camp. As they see Christ’s power in our lives, they will be attracted to Him and be transformed. 

Romans 12:1, 2 says, “By the mercies of God, … present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Fasting is about seeking after God. It’s not about living for the flesh or for personal pleasure, but finding out what pleases the Lord and doing it, regardless of the sacrifice.

Fasting is not always easy, but it’s always worth it when done in the right spirit. Let’s pray for grace and wisdom regarding how to fast. The process and experience may be a little different for each of us, but I firmly believe that we as a church family need to rediscover the blessings of this forgotten discipline. So I urge you to ask Him how to apply what you’ve learned today.  

An Amazing Fact: In 1971, infamous cult leader Charles Manson was found guilty as the mastermind behind multiple murders in Los Angeles. At his sentencing, he showed up with a swastika tattooed between his eyes, what he called his “devil sign.” To his death at age 83, Manson remained unrepentant of his crimes, bearing the mark of his allegiance on his forehead.

Most people know that the mark of the beast is something they must not get, even though many have no idea what the mark is. Some think it’s a tattoo, a microchip implant, or something else out of the latest sci-fi film. Yet even fewer have heard of its counterpart: the seal of God. Before the coming of Christ, every human will be identified with one of these two marks—how and by whom we are marked will have direct implications on our eternal destiny.

The more you read about the Second Coming in Scripture, the more clearly you realize there will be only two kinds of people at the end of time. When Jesus told a parable about “the end of the age” (Matthew 13:39), the two kinds were represented as “wheat” and “tares” (v. 25). In another parable, they are labeled “sheep” and “goats” (25:32). Every person will ultimately belong to one of these two groups, entering through either the wide or the narrow gates. There is no neutral zone—no Switzerland.

In the last book of the Bible, this concept comes into sharp focus through the following angelic warning: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God” (Revelation 14:9, 10, my emphasis).

And Revelation 7:3 reads: “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads” (my emphasis).

The mark you receive indicates to which of the final two groups you belong. We are solemnly told that those with the mark of the beast will be subject to God’s unmitigated wrath, which includes “the seven last plagues” (15:1) and, ultimately, eternal death (14:10; 20:10–15). On the other hand, those with the seal of God will be divinely protected (Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1) and, ultimately, receive everlasting life (Revelation 7:15–17; 21:3, 4; 22:3–5). 

In which group would you like to be? The Bible reveals that it is your free choice as to which mark you receive. Let’s prayerfully study this out.

The Hand and the Forehead

First, notice where people will be marked: foreheads and hands. While some view this literally, the Bible often uses these body parts as symbols. And don’t forget that Revelation draws most of its symbols from the Old Testament. 

In Exodus 13:9, we read: “It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in your mouth” (my emphasis).

In Deuteronomy 6:6, 8, God says: “These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. … You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes” (my emphasis).

What’s between your eyes? It’s your forehead—your brain. Right behind your forehead is the frontal lobe, which manages your decision-making. In Scripture, the forehead represents not what’s on but what’s in your head—your thoughts and beliefs. “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them” (Hebrews 10:16, my emphasis). Notice here that the heart and mind are interchangeable.

The hand represents action: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). “Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands” (Isaiah 59:6).

What you do comes from how you think and who you are, that is, your mind and heart (Proverbs 23:7; Matthew 15:18, 19). Thought and action typically harmonize.

Notice that the mark of the beast can be in the hand or the forehead, whereas the seal of God is only in the forehead. Why? Some will receive the mark of the beast in the forehead, meaning they fully believe in and worship the beast. Those who receive the mark in the hand represent those who likely do not believe in the beast but who cooperate from fear or seek some personal advantage. The seal of God is found only in the forehead because it springs from worship and faith as opposed to works.

These marks are not some external, visible symbol, such as a tattoo; they identify whom your heart worships, obeys, and serves. They denote what kind of character—or name—you have (Revelation 14:1, 11). One thing is certain: Even though the marks will be invisible, God will know who has which mark (2 Timothy 2:19).

Understanding the Marks

Did you catch what God wants in our minds and hearts? The Bible states over and over that it is God’s law, the Ten Commandments, His Word. Yes, God’s seal is found in obeying His commandments in heart, mind, and action. The Lord says, “Seal the law among my disciples” (Isaiah 8:16). “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

How is keeping God’s law a seal? A seal guarantees authenticity, an official stamp of approval. Seals have been used throughout history and are still used today. For instance, Great Britain updated its seal when King Charles III ascended the throne in 2022. Seals typically have three main components:

1. The name of the official

2. The official’s title of authority

3. The official’s territory

You might be surprised to learn that all three components of a seal are found in a single commandment—indeed, at the very heart of the Ten Commandments. It’s the fourth commandment, the Sabbath, which governs our worship of God. 

It is also the only commandment where you find the word “holy”: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God [His name]. In it you shall do no work. … For in six days the LORD made [His title, Creator] the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them [His territory], and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8–11).

The Sabbath command authenticates God as the creator of the universe. It is also a sign of His sanctifying power because He made this day holy and also wants to make us holy. No wonder the Sabbath is targeted by Satan! His rebellion is based on overthrowing God’s authority and seating himself on heaven’s throne. (See Isaiah 14:12–14; Ezekiel 28:2, 6.) It is Satan, symbolized by a dragon (Revelation 12:9), “who gave authority to the beast” (13:4). The power behind the beast and his mark is the devil. Now, notice how concerned this beast power, a symbol for a nation (Daniel 7:17, 23), is with worship (Revelation 13:4–8). 

This is Satan’s rebellion in action. In order to eclipse God, the devil is exalting his own laws, his own authority, his own character: “He [a second beast also given authority by Satan] was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (vv. 15–17).

Through these two beast powers, the devil fabricates a counterfeit system of worship, one based on the principles he cherishes. Following Satan’s system will mark you as one of his. And he will place front and center in his worldwide mandate a counterfeit “holy day”—his so-called “Sabbath” on which he, “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV), will be worshiped.

In these last days, when obedience to God will be threatened with certain death throughout every nation, one’s allegiance will be signaled by which day one keeps holy. By keeping the Sabbath, you confirm your allegiance to your Creator’s law of love, life, and liberty (Matthew 22:37–40; Romans 8:2; James 1:25). By obeying the laws of the beast, Satan’s counterfeit, you will confirm your allegiance to the world’s archvillain and his reign of terror, selfishness, and sin (John 8:44; 1 John 3:8).

You will choose which mark you receive.

Sealed by the Spirit

You now might be asking, “How can I be sure to be marked by God?” We certainly know that it’s not by outward works. Merely wearing a cross around your neck or having a Bible on your bookshelf—even going to church on Saturday—doesn’t make you God’s. Motives matter.

The Bible says, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9). When we ask Him, the Holy Spirit “dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). It is the Holy Spirit who convicts individuals of their sins (16:8), which leads them to repentance (1 John 1:9), which, in turn, allows God to transform their characters into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). In other words, it is the Holy Spirit who writes God’s law—exemplified in Christ, the Word made flesh (John 1:14)—in our hearts. David wrote, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. … Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:10, 11). It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to live in obedience to the Ten Commandments, to live the same life that Christ lived (Matthew 5:17).

Furthermore, we learn in 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22, that it is God “who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 

Ephesians 1:13, 14, adds, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (my emphasis).

Let’s briefly consider Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Virgins, an illustration of the Second Coming (Matthew 25:13). The 10 virgins are split into two groups (sound familiar?)—those with enough oil for their lamps and those without (vv. 3, 4). In Scripture, oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 16:13; Zechariah 4:2–6). The virgins who didn’t have enough oil did not enter with the bridegroom into the wedding (Matthew 25:10–12). We may have the Holy Spirit to some degree, but if we do not allow Him full access to our hearts, to cleanse us of all sin, to dwell in us without measure (John 3:34), we will not enter with Christ into His heavenly kingdom. (See also Mark 2:18–20; Revelation 19:7, 9.)

Preparing for the Latter Rain

The sealing of God and the marking of the beast are completed by the time probation closes at the end of the world. Just before God’s people are sealed, the Bible prophesies that the Holy Spirit will come in full force, a special event called the latter rain.

The prophet Joel wrote of the former and latter rain, known in agriculture as two periods of heavy rainfall crucial to crop growth and harvest (Joel 2:23). Joel paralleled these times to a special outpouring of the Spirit (vv. 28, 29) just before “the great and awesome day of the LORD” (v. 31). 

The apostle Peter identified Pentecost as the former rain (Acts 2:14–21). The latter rain is yet to come.

Joel’s prophecy states that the Holy Spirit will be poured out “on all flesh” (Joel 2:28), to every person living on Earth. But look at what occurred during the former rain: There were those who were “confused” (Acts 2:6) and “perplexed” (v. 12) at, even “mocking” (v. 13), the working of the Holy Spirit. That is, they did not receive the former rain at its outpouring. Likewise, not everyone will receive the latter rain. Given what we’ve learned, we know that those who reject this second outpouring of the Holy Spirit will not receive the seal of God. If you are living at the end of time and do not receive the latter rain, neither will you be marked to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Christian author A.W. Tozer said, “If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.” We could learn a few things from the early church. What did those disciples do to ensure they received the former rain?

Studied God’s Word (Acts 10:44): One of the Holy Spirit’s duties is to “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13), but how can He if you don’t give Him the opportunity to do so? (See also 6:63.)

Persisted in Prayer (Acts 1:14): Remember, God will never force you to do anything against your will. If you want the Holy Spirit, ask for Him! (Zechariah 10:1; Matthew 7:7).

Were Willing to Obey (Acts 5:32): You cannot obey God without the Holy Spirit, but you can be willing to surrender your will to His. (See also John 14:15–17.)

Gathered to Worship (Acts 4:31): This doesn’t mean that you must always physically be with other believers in order to receive the Holy Spirit. Rather, God’s blessings fall upon us particularly when we honor Him together. (See also Matthew 18:20; Hebrews 10:24, 25.)

Were United in Truth (Acts 2:1): Divisiveness, which results from pride, envy, and resentment (1 Corinthians 3:3; James 3:16), turns away the Holy Spirit; a merciful, humble, and repentant attitude makes room for Him (Ephesians 4:30–32).

The disciples allowed the Holy Spirit to prepare their hearts beforehand—and He made them ready to receive Him in full abundance!

The Time Is Now

By no means are these truths less relevant now. Our choices today affect who we become. Though some reading this may go to the grave before Jesus returns, they also, in a sense, will be marked as either loyal to God or Satan. Everyone makes this decision, whether during their lifetime or at the end of time.

“Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2, my emphasis); “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15, my emphasis). Don’t allow your decisions to cause you, like the foolish virgins, to miss out on eternal life. Invite the Holy Spirit into your heart today and every day. Be prepared to receive the seal of God. 

An Amazing Fact: Multiple studies are finding a powerful link between “civilization diseases”—like diabetes, obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular issues—and the so-called “civilized” culture of developed countries, described as a highly stationary life of ease. This “easy” lifestyle consists primarily of addictive entertainment; desk jobs; and a diet of highly processed, refined fast foods.

It’s the life that everyone wants—or more accurately, the life they think they want. It’s a life that includes such terms as “same-day deliveries,” “binge-watching,” and “couch potato.” Ask a search engine, “What makes life easier?” You’ll get multiple lists promoting multiple products to purchase, all for the sake of convenience. Must-haves include robot vacuums, a self-grooming tool for your pets, even an automatic cocktail maker.

You’ll notice a trend. In today’s “civilized” world, what makes life easy is figuring out how to do everything with less effort and less time, or else not at all. Now, there’s certainly nothing wrong with being effective and efficient. Time management is a healthy—not to mention godly—principle. But that’s not all our modern-day society is directing us to do. What happens to all that extra time we saved?

According to a U.S. Department of Labor survey for 2021, Americans spend, on average, a solid 5.27 hours in daily leisure; the majority of those hours are spent watching television. To put this in perspective, the same survey reported an average of only 3.5 hours per day spent on work. Even more alarming is our youth, who “spend, on average, a whopping 7.5 hours in front of a screen for entertainment each day.” Other than sleep, leisure is the activity to which Americans devote the majority of their time.

Whatever You Want

We live in a society where apps spoon-feed content tailored to user preference; where candy bars are deliberately positioned for an impulse buy; where everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with the urge to indulge. How many have clicked on a video only to wonder two hours later where the time has gone? This type of life is not only being portrayed as beneficial for you; it’s practically being forced upon you. This is a life that nurtures instant gratification and aspires to complacency; it’s a life fueled by a single principle—selfishness. This is the world’s definition of the “easy” life: one that revolves around you, your wants, your ease.

But there’s a problem: Easy does not equal good. Not everything you want is good for you. A candy bar may go down smooth as silk, but all its sticky sweetness doesn’t do your health any favors.

And as ubiquitous as this “easy” way of life is, you can be sure that your spiritual life is not immune. Perhaps you’ve heard some of these popular teachings in Christianity:

Once you’re saved, you’re always saved.

You’re saved in your sins, not from your sins.

Everyone is going to be saved.

These are incredibly tempting teachings to swallow. According to these doctrines, anyone can live however he or she likes and still receive the reward of eternal life in paradise. At the heart is the same worldly principle: Do whatever you want.

But these smooth sayings that sound and feel good are actually lies. A person who once accepted Christ’s gift of salvation can indeed be lost: If “a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity … [and] shall die in his sin, … his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered” (Ezekiel 3:20). The angel told Mary that Jesus would save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21); He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24). And sadly, there will be some lost in the final judgment: They will “come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:29); “some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2).

These are only a few of the many Bible verses teaching the clear truths about salvation. Yet those who are supposedly preaching from the very same Word are telling their flocks the opposite. “Those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:18). Those who make an idol of appetite are actually doing the work of Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44).

When Evil Becomes Good

It has been said, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while truth is putting on its shoes.” We are living in a world in which people would rather hear a lie that suits their own fancy than the truth which doesn’t. The Bible foretold this would happen: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3, 4).

So we see that the “easy” life leads to one of self-indulgence. And what is at the end of that road? It’s on the horizon today, a vehement voice taking the world by storm. It is the voice of “those who call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20), of those who “say, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them’” (Malachi 2:17). Have you seen it? Have you experienced it? Have you heard it?

It’s the voice that suggests that obedience to God is legalistic and calls those who follow Him intolerant, haters, and bigots, that “[thinks] it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:4). Most concerning, this voice is often proceeding from professed Christians. These are the ones the Bible calls “a rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD; who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits’” (Isaiah 30:9, 10).

Yet this is nothing new. Throughout history, the lives of those surrendered to the will of God have rebuked ease-lovers, provoking them to murderous rage—“righteous Abel” (Matthew 23:35), faithful Stephen (Acts 7:51–58), the stalwart John the Baptist (Mark 6:17–19), and most of all Jesus Christ Himself (John 8:45–59).

Are we seeing the tide of persecution rising once more? “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21); what you love, you will protect. How much do people love that “easy” life? Are they willing to die for it? To kill for it? Paul asked, “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16).

Preach the Word

Yes, it is a hard fact that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). But, friend, this does not excuse us from our high and worthy calling to proclaim “the everlasting gospel” (Revelation 14:6). God says, “I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me” (Ezekiel 33:7). We are charged: “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1).

Let us be as Micaiah, that courageous prophet of God in the time of Ahab, king of Israel. Micaiah alone stood fearlessly against a throng of 400 false prophets. Despised by Ahab “because he [did] not prophesy good concerning [the king], but evil” (1 King 22:8), the prophet nonetheless boldly declared, “As the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak” (v. 14).

Our duty is to tell the truth from the Word of God, whatever the consequences may be. “Preach the word!” (2 Timothy 4:2). Today’s false prophets have turned the Bible into a consumer gadget to be used for our convenience. But the Word of God does not pander to the deceitful human heart (Jeremiah 17:9). “The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12); it is meant to transform. And it is to be more precious to us than political correctness, than popularity, than our rights.

One Christian author summed it up: “The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall” (Education, p. 57).

Saving Truths

Just as important—though often overlooked—is how we tell the truth. Do we rebuke with the aim of proving a brother or sister wrong, to make ourselves feel or look better? If we do, then we are just like those who lust after the “easy” life. No! We are instructed: “If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). True Christians are always “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), ever representing Jesus, who said, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten” (Revelation 3:19). The motive makes all the difference.

[PQ HERE] God’s motive is love. God rebukes you because He loves you; and because He loves you, He has saved you (Ephesians 2:4, 5). Said the Lord to smooth-talking prophets, “With lies … you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life” (Ezekiel 13:22, emphasis added). The purpose of rebuking sin with truth is to save life. It is not to win an argument—but to win souls to God’s kingdom!

Our conduct must have this same imprint, always keeping in mind that an individual’s eternal destiny is at stake. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6).

But take care: Neither should we count ourselves exempt from getting caught up in this lifestyle of ease. The same Scriptures apply to us. How will we respond when shown our sins of reckless leisure, forbidden pleasure, and lazy craving for convenience? Will we repent and humble ourselves before an Almighty God, or will the persecuted become the persecutor?

The “Other” Sin of Sodom

Jesus foretold that conditions in the world before His return would be similar to the time of Lot, who lived in Sodom (Luke 17:28–30). While “sexual immorality” was one of the Sodomites’ obvious sins (Jude 7), it was not the only one for which they were judged.

Ezekiel tells us that they were preoccupied with a selfish love of leisure: “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49).

Is this not a parallel to Laodicea, the church of the last days? “You say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). Soothing lies have cocooned a people who think they are safe and secure. In reality, they are in a fatal free fall. The “easy” life makes just one thing easy: buying a one-way ticket to the grave.

God warns us, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. … They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the LORD. They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said, “You shall have peace”’; and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you’” (Jeremiah 23:16, 17). How wrong they are, “for when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them. … And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

And neither will those who believe their lies. There is a fast-approaching final judgment that will cause the “sudden destruction” of all those cherishing their easy-breezy platitudes. Our gracious God is asking, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?” (Jeremiah 5:31).

I urge you, friend, to take these four steps to guard against being lured into that easy life of self-destruction:

KNOW the Word: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). Instead of feasting on the fast foods of falsehood, find nourishment in the wholesome Word of life.

LOVE the Word: “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12). Instead of becoming addicted to the fanciful and fictitious, learn not to live without the law of God.

FOLLOW the Word: “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). Instead of languishing in a Laodicean daze, serve the Lord with all your heart and all your might.

SERVE Your Neighbor: “Share your bread with the hungry[;] … bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, … cover him, and [don’t] hide yourself from your own flesh” (Isaiah 58:7). Instead of serving self, share the love of God with your fellow man.

In doing so, “then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard” (v. 8). You will cease to be the self-gratifying consumer enslaved to your own desires.

Bible truth may hurt now; it may be uncomfortable and require more than just a push of a button—but it is the only way you will ever experience real peace. “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30), Christ declared. Will you take Him at His word?