It came out of a clear blue sky, and it changed the world…
COVID-19
“Just five years ago, our leaders doomed us to a spiral of decline by failing to stand up to lockdown fanatics
What were we thinking?
Five years ago, we were sliding towards the most expensive mistake ever made by a British government, a mistake that led to our financial ruin, the annihilation of our basic freedoms and the obliteration of public trust.
Never before had our civil liberties been so blatantly disregarded. We were subjected to house arrest on the basis of unsupported conjecture, our property rights were violated, our freedom of expression repressed, even our ability to leave the country denied.
Where were all the human rights lawyers when they were needed? Where were the Doughty Street types, so vocal in their defence of illegal migrants, convicts, and terrorists? The one time that there truly was a national human rights violation, they were cheering it on.
Meanwhile, the British state told lie after lie after lie. Just three weeks! Facemasks are dangerous! One more month! Facemasks are essential! Squash the sombrero! Young people are at risk! Just two more weeks! Wait for the vaccine! Wait for the second vaccine! Your jab protects others! It’s the third shot that really works! Dangerous new variant! One last lockdown! Just three more weeks!
As we approach the fifth anniversary, we don’t like to admit that we destroyed our economy, took away part of our kids’ childhoods, permanently aggrandised the state and indebted ourselves for a generation – ALL FOR NOTHING.
The careful protocols of our own scientific advisers, as well as of the World Health Organisation (WHO), counted for nothing when set against hysterical newspaper headlines, panicky opinion polls and feverish rants by Piers Morgan.
Five years ago this Tuesday, Jenny Harries, then the deputy chief medical officer, gave an illuminating, though now neglected, interview. It was not neglected at the time. On the contrary, it took place in Number 10, and the interviewer was the prime minister himself, Boris Johnson.
Dr Harries – who has since become Dame Jenny and been put in charge of the UK Health Security Agency – was impressively level-headed. She explained that, ‘for most people, it really is going to be quite a mild disease’.
Facemasks
She advised against wearing facemasks unless told otherwise by your doctor. She explained why Britain, unlike many countries in Europe, was not banning large meetings or sporting events. There was, she reminded us, a plan in place, and it provided for the gradual spread of the disease through the population in a way that would not overwhelm hospitals. Try to suppress the spread too vigorously, she said, and there would be a peak later on (which, indeed, is exactly what happened).
Lockdowns
Dr Harries was absolutely right, but she was only repeating the global consensus. A little earlier, the WHO had looked at lockdowns and concluded that they were ‘not demonstrably effective in urban areas’. Its researchers had carried out a study of 120 US military camps during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, and found ‘no statistical difference’ between the 99 camps that had confined men to quarters and the 21 that had not.
The Real Problem
Dr Harries knew all this. And so did Boris, who spoke what was, in retrospect, the most telling line of the entire interview: ‘Politicians and governments around the world are under a lot of pressure to be seen to act, so they may do things that are not necessarily dictated by the science,’ he said.
Five days later, Boris took to the airwaves to tell people ‘to stop non-essential contact and travel’. A week after that, we were in lockdown.
Why The Sudden Change??
Well, on March 16, Neil Ferguson and the team at Imperial College published an apocalyptic report based on modelling that estimated that if no measures were put in place deaths over the following two years could reach more than half a million.” (telegraph.co.uk)
The Pandemic Predictor
“Neil Ferguson, through his institute at London’s Imperial College, can call the shots on a major percentage of the global population. He’s Mr Genius, when it comes to projecting computer models of epidemics. Fellow experts puff up his reputation. According to the Business Insider (4/25/2020), ‘Ferguson’s team warned Boris Johnson that the quest for “herd immunity” [letting people live their lives out in the open in the UK] could cost 510,000 lives, prompting an abrupt U-turn [massive national lockdown in the UK]… His simulations have been influential in other countries as well, cited by authorities in the US, Germany, and France.” Not only cited, not only influential, but swallowed whole.
Business insider continues: ‘On March 23, the UK scrapped “herd immunity” in favor of a suppression strategy, and the country made preparations for weeks of lockdown. Ferguson’s study was responsible.’ There’s more. A lot more. Same BI article: ‘Dr Deborah Birx, coronavirus response coordinator to the Trump administration, told journalists at a March 16 press briefing that the Imperial paper [Ferguson’s computer projection] prompted the CDC’s new advice to work from home and avoid gatherings of 10 or more.’ Ferguson, instigator of LOCKDOWN. Stripping away of basic liberties. Economic devastation.
Business Insider: ‘Michael Thrusfield, a professor of veterinary epidemiology at Edinburgh University, told the paper he had “déjà vu” after reading the [Ferguson] Imperial paper [on COVID], saying Ferguson was responsible for excessive animal culling during the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak. Ferguson warned the government that 150,000 people could die. Six million animals were slaughtered as a precaution, costing the country billions in farming revenue. In the end, 200 people died.’
‘Similarly, he [Ferguson] was accused of creating panic by overestimating the potential death toll during the 2005 Bird Flu outbreak. Ferguson estimated 200 million could die. The real number was in the low hundreds.’ HELLO? ‘In 2009, one of Ferguson’s models predicted 65,000 people could die from the Swine Flu outbreak in the UK — the final figure was below 500.’
So you have to ask yourself, why would anyone believe what Ferguson has been predicting in this COVID hustle?” (nomorefakenews.com)
Why Was Ferguson Taken Seriously?
“The grisly truth is that we wanted to believe Ferguson. Although we sometimes now imagine that Boris wrenched our freedoms from our unwilling hands, it was the other way around.
We have forgotten the ‘Go Home Covidiots’ banners… the terrified phone-ins… the YouGov poll showing that 93 per cent of voters wanted a lockdown.
NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME, PEOPLE WERE DEMANDING, AGAINST ALL REASON, THAT THEIR POLITICIANS DO SOMETHING – ANYTHING.
The tax hikes, the devaluation of our savings, the uncontrollable national debt – these things were inescapable consequences of paying people to stay home for the better part of two years. The rise in conspiracy theories, the belief that the world is run by Davos illuminati who aim to phase out cash, inject us with microchips and conscript us into the Ukrainian army: that came directly from the lies that we were told in 2020, above all the nonsense about vaccinating young people to prevent transmission.
For years to come, Britain will be poor, indebted and repressive because, in early March 2020, no one wanted to stand in the way of a stampede. We did this to ourselves.” (dailymail.co.uk)
Never Forget What The Lockdowners Did To Us
“‘We’re approaching 1 million US deaths from COVID-19, but the numbers can’t capture how these deaths occur: ALONE. Patients take their last breaths amid the alarms of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), without their families,’ wrote Helen T D’Couto, who in 2022 was an attending physician in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Georgetown University Hospital when she wrote a powerful column detailing her heart-breaking experiences during Covid and its accompanying irrational — and unscientific — lockdowns.
‘This near-universal policy of forced isolation in the ICU is not conclusively supported by data and is clearly traumatic to patients, their families, and clinicians like me caring for the dying in the ICU,’ D’Couto stressed in the column, headlined, ‘Forcing my Covid patients to die alone is inhumane — and unnecessary.’ The piece was published on March 7, 2022, about two years after a Rockford, Illinois, hospital locked out my uncle from seeing his dying wife.
It’s hard to believe we’re now five years from the beginning of all of that madness. Of all the terrible things the ‘experts,’ the groupthink scientists, the power-drunk unelected bureaucrats, and the evil politicians did to us in that unconscionable lockdown of our liberties, forcing people to die alone was the most inhumane.
Five years after the madness began, American can never forget what insane lockdowns — and the people behind them — did to our republic and to its citizens.
Remember, too, that many of the same politicians who are now moaning and protesting about federal bureaucrats losing their jobs pushed for and cheered on the lockdowns that drove millions of private-sector workers from theirs. How many of those same politicians stood up for the federal employees who faced losing their positions through the stroke of President Joe Biden’s pen for refusing to get an ineffective and potentially dangerous Covid vaccine?
The same people who are shedding tears over violent illegal immigrants being rounded up and jailed or deported are ones who created tip lines to rat out Americans who violated lockdown orders. The same people who are lying to you about Trump and Republicans cutting Social Security benefits to actual beneficiaries remained silent when nursing home patients were forced die alone in the name of Covid fear, politics, and ‘following the science.’ What a cruel and unnecessary way to die. What an awful time in America.” (thefederalist.com)
Get Vaccinated - Or Else!
“Dr Ajaz to have declared that the COVID jab mandates ‘were ethically and scientifically unsound…’” (stationgossip.com)
“AstraZeneca pulls Covid vaccine after admitting potentially deadly rare side effect.” (express.co.uk)
“The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled unvaccinated people a ‘major killing force globally’ in a new campaign being promoted on social media.” (thinkcivics.com)
“The UK government now oddly admits that vaccines have damaged the natural immune systems of those who have been double-vaccinated. It goes on to say that this drop in antibodies is essentially permanent.” (brutalproof.net )
“FDA finally admits Pfizer Covid vaccine causes blood clots… Pfizer’s President of International Developed Markets, Janine Small, admitted that the vaccine had never been tested on its ability to prevent transmission, contrary to what was previously advertised.” (thegatewaypundit.com)
Politics vs Science
“The global lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic ruined the lives of millions of people, especially the most vulnerable. Now the globalists responsible admit they issued their decrees solely on the basis of politics. The World Health Summit held a three-day conference in October with the World Heath Organization (WHO). Approximately 300 speakers and 3,000 participants attended to discuss the world’s COVID-19 response and how to approach future pandemics. Reporter Alexandra Lavoie spoke with Razak Gyesi Issahaku, a member of the German-West Africa Center for Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC) and pressed him on the globalist elite’s decisions related to the pandemic.
Here are some of his answers:
‘In the heat of the pandemic, most of the decisions were not based on science like I said. They were just reactionary. Anything that would help,’ said Issahaku. ‘Now, with the benefit of hindsight, we can tell that some of those decisions is not backed by science.’
Issahaku then admitted the vaccines do not stop COVID from spreading. Last year, Pfizer claimed their vaccine reduced the spread of the virus by 90%. ‘The vaccines do not stop the spread of the disease. But now we know,’ he said. ‘At first, nobody knew so it was political, yes, but we think it helped in flattening the curve as well. A lot of the decisions were not backed by science,’ said Issahaku.
Scientists across the political spectrum sounded the alarm on the harm of lockdowns from the beginning of the pandemic. Media and political elites, however, derided them as conspiracy theorists and reckless. The few politicians who actually followed the science, like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, saved their economies from ruin and countless lives in the process. Amazing what happens when governments prioritize protecting the vulnerable and allow healthy adults to make a living.” (thegatewaypundit.com)
“Next Time Perhaps We Shouldn’t Shout Down The Pandemic Pariahs”
“I no longer believe that, overall, lockdown saved a single life, and it may indeed have caused the deaths of many, not least the section of the population most vulnerable to Covid, the very elderly and the chronically ill — isolated in their care homes, unvisited and often untended. The cost to the country has been staggering — £400 billion and counting. Not to mention the medical problems which arose from the extended seclusion, the undetected cancers and heart disease, and the damage to the education of millions of children.
What we also sacrificed during Covid was an appetite for the truth. Those who challenged the official edicts were censored, harried and pilloried, caveated by the BBC if they were allowed on air at all, signposted as disseminators of that quixotic thing ‘fake news’ if they were on social media. And this happened long after their points of contention were proven to contain a certain truth, whether it be about masks, social distancing, lockdowns or indeed — and here I worry that we may have a scandal brewing for the future — the dangers of vaccines.
There will be another, similar scare one day not too far distant.
My only request is that we keep our critical faculties about us and do not treat as pariahs, to be disparaged, those who beg to differ from the approved paradigm. We should remember that the greater the consensus, the more doubting we should be.” (thetimes.com)
We Need To Keep In Mind Where We Are In The Panorama Of Prophecy
We are told in Matthew 24:7 that there will be pestilences at the end of the age…
2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak.
2005 Bird Flu outbreak.
2009 Swine Flu outbreak
2020 Covid-19
Interesting that the computer models for all these disasters came basically from one man. Proven facts were ignored, “people demanded that their politicians did something – anything”. With Covid-19, the YouGov poll showed that 93 per cent of voters WANTED a lockdown.
So instead of following the true science, hysterical newspaper headlines, panicky opinion polls took over. The face masks, the lockdowns, the vaccines … ALL FOR NOTHING.
“WE DID IT TO OURSELVES”!
These Events Should Be A Warning Of Things To Come
The world is being prepared for the coming Great Tribulation - a time of trouble that is going to be so intense that unless Jesus Christ intervenes, mankind would be exterminated! (Matthew 24:22)
We are now in the time just before a “United States of Europe” restores the “Holy Roman Empire,” under the Papacy, in a union of Church and State. This could happen SUDDENLY, leaving the whole world aghast in WONDER.
Matthew 24 In Action
Right now the world totters on the brink of WWIII - with the crisis in Ukraine.
Iran is still striving to make nuclear weapons and supporting terrorist groups.
China is rearming as fast as it can - to become a world power.
Taiwan is under constant threat from China.
Israel is living through an ongoing hostage crisis - and continuing war.
Europe is rearming to counter the threat from Russia.
Terrorists are becoming even more daring. Reports are coming in that the Houthis launched an attack comprising of 18 ballistic and cruise missiles, along with drones, targeting the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier and its accompanying warships in the northern Red Sea on Sunday.
America is living through an upheaval, due to all the changes being made by the new administration while Britain goes deeper into debt than ever before.
Now: End Time Action In The Religious World
The King Of Modern Day Ephraim Wants To See “Mother And Daughter” Reunited!
“King Charles is going to meet the Pope to heal the rift between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church.” (telegraph.co.uk)
“Catholic bishops have been reminded that ecumenical work is not an option but an obligatory part of episcopal ministry.” (anglicancentreinrome.org)
The Catholic Church In Prophecy
Mr Armstrong explains:
“Where, then, did human church government derive its present form? ‘The first pope, in the real sense of the word, was Leo I (440-461 AD),’ says the Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, volume 7, page 629. To him the form of government of the Roman Empire was the most marvellous thing on earth. He applied its principles to the church, organized the church into a government, forming the papacy.
This church government or organization is the IMAGE OF THE BEAST.
Says Myers’ Ancient History: ‘During the reign of Leo I, the Church set up, within the Roman Empire, an ecclesiastical state [government] which, in its constitution and its administrative system, was shaping itself upon the imperial model.’ This church government, then, according to this historical authority, is in fact a model, a counterpart, an image of the beast which is the Roman Empire government.
This image – man-designed and man-ruled church government – compelled people to worship the church! And since the church was organized into a worldly government, this was worship of the image – false worship – idolatry!
But this church became a mother, and daughter churches came out of her in ‘protest,’ calling themselves ‘Protestant.’ And all have worldly, political church government. ‘Upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS’ (Rev. 17:5). Her daughters are called ‘harlots.’ Together, they are called ‘BABYLON.’ They are pagan, teaching pagan doctrines and customs, cloaked in the name of Christianity! And all nations are deceived!” (Who or What Is the PROPHETIC BEAST? - Part 1)
As Mr Armstrong warned:
“The WHOLE WORLD is now ON FIRE! This is not the GREAT TRIBULATION, but is certainly preliminary to it.
It’s time for intensive FASTING AND PRAYER!”
A Gospel Written for Us (#2)
And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:30,31)
In the previous Pastor's Report I highlighted the fact that of the "many other things that Jesus did" (John 21:25), the apostle John saw fit to record in some detail just seven of the miracles Christ performed. The initial miracle of turning water into wine gave us an insight into God's approach to timing – which is flexible and accommodating, depending on the various circumstances. (John 2:1-5). The next miracle was what we might term 'distance healing' – which gives us an understanding of Christ's authority over disease (John 4:46-54). The third was also concerned with healing, but clearly illustrated the fact that sickness and disease is the result of sin and can be forgiven. (John 5:2-18,14)
At the time John compiled his gospel account, the false church was well on the way to snuffing out the real gospel message – a message which included the 'incredible human potential'. John was inspired to record these specific seven miracles for those called to understand that potential and be part of the ruling Family of God, and it takes a spiritual mind and approach to understand the message in each one. All of these last four miracles contribute to a greater understanding in THE key area in our lives: The need to be transformed – converted – from human to God:
- Unlike manna – the 'daily bread' that only sustained OT Israel temporarily, THIS bread – the Living Word of God – will sustain us eternally.
- We are encouraged by the fact with God ALL things are possible – even walking on water!
- Our conversion process is accomplished by washing off the 'human clay' and so removing the blindness. (II Corinthians 3:14, II Corinthians 4;4)
- This in turn will be completed at the resurrection – the hope for ALL mankind.
4) God Must Call
In regard to these specific miracles, the apostle John wrote; "these are written – that believing we might have life in His name" (John 20:31). John's intent was not just what we these days might call a 'blog', or a record of what he witnessed while with Christ. There's more to his gospel than first meets the eye, and that's certainly true with the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
- And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
- When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
- And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do ...
- ...there is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
- And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
- And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
- When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
- Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. (John 6:4-6,9-13)
But the many thousands who not only witnessed this miracle, but also participated in it could not grasp the spiritual content of what Christ pointed out a day or so later in the synagogue in Capernaum – as their minds were 100% on the physical. (John 6:31,34) Christ stressed twice that it's only those whom God is working with can understand the deep spiritual meaning:
- No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day ...
- ... And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. (John 6:44,65)
- From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
- Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
- Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
- And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. (John 6:66-69)
The vast majority of mankind are currently deaf and blind to the 'mystery of the ages' that seems perfectly clear and straightforward to us. And furthermore, those of us who have been called are encouraged to go to the source of this nourishment, understanding that "...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4)
- "This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." (John 6:58)
5) ALL Things are Possible
After feeding the multiple thousands as recorded above, there was a need for Christ to make a sharp exit!
- When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
- And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
- And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
- And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
- So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
- But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
- Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went. (John 6:15-21)
Not only did Christ walk on the water, but also changed the time frame – what today we might call the ETA – of the actual journey! Since only His disciples witnessed this particular miracle, why did John feel it was important to be recorded for us, at the end time?
This was an unforgettable and vivid demonstration of the power of Christ over all physical things – all reality. He was the Logos, who spoke and it came into being. John uses this miracle to help us understand that even when there might seem no possible way out of our troubles, with God, ALL things are possible. (Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27). He can work out the problem, surmount any obstacle, suspend the laws of the universe if necessary ... "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth" (Mark 9:23)
There are numerous examples in the Old Testament where God manipulated reality for the benefit of mankind. One of the most amazing is "Joshua's long day":
- And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
- And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel. (Joshua 10:13,14)
When you have created time itself you can control it any way you want to. You just have to 'modify the code'. In the example given of Hezekiah, when he was at the point of death and needed some encouragement, God altered time in a way we cannot grasp:
- And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
- And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
- And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz (II Kings 20:9-11)
6) Humanity's Blindness
- And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
- And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
- Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. (John 9:1-3)
This astonishing miracle went way over the head of the Pharisees, (verses 16-34) and is a very clear example of the spiritual blindness of the vast majority of humanity. In the booklet "Just What Is an Apostle?", I stress how such spiritual blindness can be removed, by referring to this particular miracle in John 9:
Christ graphically illustrates this process of enlightenment through one of His most spectacular miracles. In doing so, He also clearly indicated how the way someone was to be initially enlightened was through those God sends (grk: apostello). The incident is where a man who was born blind is allowed to see for the very first time by being totally healed. Notice what Christ did: "he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent [grk: apostello]). He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing" (John 9:6-7).
The Hebrew word “Adam” for man, comes from the Hebrew "adama" which means ground or earth "And the LORD God formed man [adam] [of] the dust of the ground [adama]" (Gen 2:7). What Christ did symbolically through this miracle, was to illustrate how humans – under the sway of Satan – are blinded by their humanity from birth. For us to see, God’s Spirit must wash off this “human clay” that is covering our eyes.
The interesting thing is from where the water must come. Only one source of water is suitable – the waters of Siloam (which means sent – or apostle). This is the source God has decreed for removal of human blindness for all of us. Apostles are the human vehicles sent to us, empowered by the living waters of The Holy Spirit. Through His Holy Spirit God works this incredible miracle of removing human, spiritual blindness for the very first time in our life. For the man born blind, it was Christ Himself. For all of us, it is the human apostle sent by Christ with Spiritual revelation specifically for us. ("Just What IS an Apostle" Chapter 4, Removing Blindness for the first time)
When we consider how these words penned by John were destined to guide the true people of God from the close of the first century, down through the Middle Ages till today, it's important that we understand what Jesus Christ was illustrating in this miracle. He was not suggesting God's Truth comes from someone merely claiming the rank and title of apostle. The apostle Paul warns the church even back then of "false apostles, deceitful workers..." (II Corinthians 11:13-15) – and its one of the many titles of the Pope! Rather, it is very much that the meaning found within the word 'apostle' is key. It must be one who is "sent" by God for a specific purpose, and whose life clearly shows he's subject to God's authority and willingly led by the spirit of God. THAT is what is all important.
7) Sure Hope of the Resurrection
There is more than one incident recorded in the gospels of Christ raising the dead – for example the only son of the widow, mentioned in Luke 7, and the young daughter of Jairus (Luke 8, Matthew 9) – and He even gave His disciples the power to raise the dead, as was mentioned to the disciples of John the Baptist. (Matthew 10:8, 11:5) But there is obviously something special in this particular account of the death and resurrection of Lazarus, not least that Christ knew Lazarus would soon die and then waited until he'd been dead four days before visiting the family.
- Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
- (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
- Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
- When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. (John 11:1-4)
- Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died ...
- ... And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
- Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
- Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
- Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
- Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
- And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
- And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
- And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. (John 11:32,37-44)
We know this wasn't to prove Christ's Messiahship – He specifically said only one sign would be given for that, and that was the sign of Jonah and the 3 days and 3 nights in the grave. (Matthew 12, Mark 16, Luke 11) So who were – or are – "the people which stand by ...that they may believe that thou hast sent me".?It certainly wasn't the chief priests or the Pharisees, because when they heard the news ...
- Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
- If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation...
- ... Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. (John 11:47,48,53)
And they also schemed to kill Lazarus if given half the chance! As unbelievable as it seems, 'just' witnessing the dead being brought back to life isn't the key to conversion or belief in Christ. This is explained graphically in the parable Christ told of "Lazarus and the Rich Man", specifically mentioning a dead Lazarus being raised back to life! But as Christ pointed out ...If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:31) Many thousands during Christ's ministry – and even at His death – would have seen and heard of such miraculous happenings (Matthew 27:51-53). But seeing is not necessarily believing – it takes a great deal more than that. The answer is in this account in Luke:
- And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
- Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, (Luke 24:44,45)
Back then, it was obvious they didn't 'hear' Moses and the prophets, but having been called by the Father and having had OUR understanding opened, we DO believe God the Father sent Christ (v42) and the validity of the OT scriptures, including the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel 47. And totally trusting the biblical accounts of Christ resurrecting the dead, we can have total assurance that we willv "bear the image of the heavenly ... and we shall be changed" (I Corinthians 15:49-51) when the time comes:
- If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
- Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands. (Job 14:14,15)
Conclusion
While we struggle through this physical life, and "groan inwardly as we continue waiting eagerly to be made sons – that is, to have our whole bodies redeemed and set free." (Romans 8:23 Complete Jewish Bible) we can have confidence in God's help on a daily basis, as John brought out in the specific miracles recorded in his gospel account.
There will be times when we plead with God to intervene – using His perfect timing – to cut short trials and heartaches in our life. We have the confidence to request healing, either for ourselves or a loved one. And knowing ALL things are possible with God – as He controls reality – we can ask Him to 'move mountains' or whatever type of obstacle might be in our way. Having had our minds opened and given eyes to see spiritual truths, it's clear to us who Christ used to restore all things at the end time, and therefore have a solid foundation on which to stand, and a yardstick to measure everything by.
And above all, regardless of what life might throw at us, we know the purpose of this human life and that our trials are merely temporary and an incredible future awaits us in a few short years. And not just us, but also for all those over the past 6000 years, who will live again and be taught God's precious Truth – including Truth that we can learn from the seven miracles found within the gospel according to the apostle John.
- But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life – [eternal life, and joy unspeakable] – through his name. (John 20:30,31)
Latest Audio - 2025-03-15
“Just what is an APOSTLE?”
Today we find the Church of God in a “wilderness of religious confusion!”
The confusion is not merely around the Church – within the religions of the world outside – but WITHIN the very heart of The True Church itself!
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