I am pretty sure that everyone can relate to a brother or a sister whom we have at home. I have had the Judgment Day signs on my car for quite some time. My brother has never said anything about this to me until recently. As the time is getting closer, maybe he is getting a little uneasy about this. He said to me that no man could know the day or the hour, which is typical of most people of the world.
So I would like to go to 1 Corinthians 2. This is a little detour from my study, but I wanted to bring this out because my brother does not really study the Word of God or show any appearance of being saved. This is something that I have been thinking about, so I wanted to point this out. We read in 1 Corinthians 2:9-11:
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
This phrase, “Even so the things of God knoweth no man,” is one of the things that I thought of when my brother said that we could not know the things of God that pertained to the end times; but as we read on, it says in 1 Corinthians 2:12-13:
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
God has instructed us that no man knows the things of God, but God reveals these things to us through the Holy Spirit. This is what I tried to emphasize to my brother. I tried to say that no man knows the things of God, but God reveals things to us through the Holy Spirit; and that we are in the time when God is opening up the Scriptures, like we read about in Daniel. When Daniel wanted to know about end-time things in Daniel 12:4, God said:
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
God is revealing many things to us in this day and in this time that we are living in.
Let us go to Revelation 14:7 and we will begin our study. We read in Revelation 14:7:
Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
God is saying in this verse that we are to fear God. When I searched this word “fear” out, it has to do with being afraid. In many other verses, this word is used in the context of being afraid.
God says that we are to “give glory to him.” How do we give glory to God? We honor and praise God through our obedience as God is working in us. We read about this in Philippians 2:13:
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Let us now go to Matthew 14:27 where the word “fear” is used in a different context, but it is still illustrating to be afraid. We read in Matthew 14:27:
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
This is the Greek word phobeo and it is the same Greek word that is also translated as “fear.”
Let us also go to Matthew 28 where we read about Mary Magdalene as she went to see the body of Jesus. We read in Matthew 28:6-10:
He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid…
Here again we see this same Greek word that has been translated as “fear.” It continues:
…Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
In these verses, God is illustrating the word “fear.” It is not a bad thing to be afraid. As God’s people fear God, this initiates action in our lives. We will see this in our lives.
Let us also look at Luke 12:4, which says:
And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
This is also the same Greek word for “fear.”
At this time of great tribulation, God puts a fear in His people. We see a lot of things that are going on in the lives of God’s people. People are going on tract trips. As Ezekiel 33 says, they are sounding the trumpet. God’s people have this fear that He has put in them. As a result of God putting this fear in them, we see that they show obedience to God.
Let us now go to Jeremiah 32:40. We will see here that God talks about the fear that He puts within His people. God says here:
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
We see here the fear that God puts within His people. God tells us that He will not depart from us and that He will put this fear in our hearts so that we will do what He will have us to do.
Let us go to Genesis 22:1-2. We read here about the story of Abraham when he went to offer up his son Isaac. We read here:
And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham…
This word for “tempt” means “to test.” It continues:
…God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
I am not going to read through this entire account. Let us move down to verse 11. We read in Genesis 22:11-12:
And the angel of JEHOVAH called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God…
God had instructed Abraham to offer his son Isaac up for a sacrifice. Abraham took a knife and was ready to plunge it into his son. Then we see here that God sent the angel of Jehovah who instructed Abraham not to lay his hand upon the lad. Then God said, “I know that thou fearest God,” because Abraham was being obedient unto God.
Then we read in Genesis 22:18 where God said to Abraham:
And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
The true believers obey the Word of God. They act in obedience to God, but there are some accounts of when true believers were not obeying God. We see then that God chastened them, like He did to David. He chastened Jonah because he fled from God to Tarshish. Jonah tried to flee as far away as possible. We also read of how Jonah offered himself to be thrown overboard. I believe that this was God’s way of chastening Jonah. In the account of David, David suffered great chastisement when he committed fornication. God chastened him and then David repented. We know this story of David who was a child of God and how he repented.
Let us also go to Exodus 9:12-21. We read here:
And JEHOVAH hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as JEHOVAH had spoken unto Moses.
Before I move on, this verse says:
And JEHOVAH hardened the heart of Pharaoh…
Many people try to use this verse to say that God caused Pharaoh to sin; but, by nature, mankind is in rebellion against God and God restrains sin in mankind. God also lifts His hand of restraint off of man. Because man wants to sin by nature, when we see a phrase like “Jehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh,” we know that God did not cause Pharaoh to sin. I just wanted to point this out because some people read this verse and think that God caused Pharaoh to sin.
It continues:
And JEHOVAH hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as JEHOVAH had spoken unto Moses. And JEHOVAH said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith JEHOVAH God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
We see in this verse that God is saying that He raised Pharaoh up that He may be “declared throughout all the earth” and be glorified. God is the One who raises people up. He raised EBible up and He raised Family Radio up to use for His own purpose that He may be glorified.
It continues:
As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go? Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
What do we see in this verse? We see time and judgment. Many people say that we cannot know time and judgment, and yet God has illustrated this all throughout the Bible. We see this in Genesis when God told Noah, “For yet seven days…and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.”
He is saying here:
Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now. Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die. He that feared the word of JEHOVAH among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: And he that regarded not the word of JEHOVAH left his servants and his cattle in the field.
We see that “he that feared” had his servants flee, but there were some who “regarded not the word of Jehovah.”
As we read on, we will see that God rained hail down on them. We read in Exodus 9:24-26:
So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.
I was looking at Exodus 9:20, which says:
He that feared the word of JEHOVAH among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:
I was trying to find some evidence that these people were saved because it says that they “feared the word of Jehovah,” but I could not find any evidence that suggested that they were saved people. They were servants of Pharaoh. I looked for this but I was not able to find any evidence that they were saved.
Let us read another account of God’s people who trust in God. They have a fear of God to where they trust in God. Let us go to 2 Chronicles 20:2-4:
Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek JEHOVAH, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of JEHOVAH: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek JEHOVAH.
We see that there was a great multitude that was coming against Judah. Jehoshaphat feared and the first thing that he did was he looked to the Lord for help. In our times of trouble, I believe that God is letting us know here that we are to spiritually go to Him.
In 2 Chronicles 20:12, we go on to read:
O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
Jehoshaphat is trusting in the Lord that the Lord would deliver them. He said:
…for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us…
We see that God says in 2 Chronicles 20:15:
And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith JEHOVAH unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
We are familiar with the song, “The Battle Is Not Yours.” God is showing us this here:
…for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
In this great multitude that was coming against Judah, we will see that neither Jehoshaphat nor any of the people of Judah had to lift a hand.
God says this in 2 Chronicles 20:17:
Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of JEHOVAH with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for JEHOVAH will be with you.
Let us go to verse 22 where God talks about how He delivered them. We read in 2 Chronicles 20:22:
And when they began to sing and to praise, JEHOVAH set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
We see that as the true believers go out into the world to spread the Gospel, sometimes we might feel like there is a lot that is battling against us; but we know that we can always go to the Lord. We do not have to lift a finger. God will fight our battles for us. He teaches us that the battle is not ours; it is His.
Let us go to Job 1:1:
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
This word “eschewed” is the same word that is used in Job 28:28 where it is translated as “depart.” We read in Job 28:28:
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
God gives us a Biblical definition for the “fear of the Lord.” He says that this is “wisdom.” Then He says that “to depart from evil is understanding.”
There is another verse that is somewhat in the same context as Job 28:28. We find this in 2 Timothy 2:19. It says:
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
This is a somewhat similar context to Job 28:28:
…the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
There are great blessings in the lives of true believers who are obedient to God and faithful to God’s Word as God works through them.
Let us look at a couple of these verses. We read in Psalm 115:13:
He will bless them that fear JEHOVAH, both small and great.
God gives us assurance that His people will be blessed, those that fear Him. God has placed this fear in those who are His.
Let us also go to Psalm 145:19:
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
God is going to move in His people. His people will cry out to Him and God will save them.
I am pretty sure that we are all familiar with the account of Noah in Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11:7 says:
By faith…
We know that Christ is faith.
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world…
Noah “moved with fear.” Noah understood what was going on. He received this message from God and this was what was actually seen in his life. Noah built the ark and warned people. We know that he was a “preacher of righteousness.” Because of this, we can know that he was warning people.
This says that Noah “moved with fear.” As a true believer, we should be moving with this same fear that Noah was moved with. We should be like the ant and not like the sluggard. A sluggard is slothful and lazy, but we should be like the ant and be busy handing out tracts or doing whatever we can. God’s people are going to do this because God is going to move in them. God is going to accomplish His will and He is going to will them to do the things that He wants them to do.
I am going to close with reading Revelation 14 again. We read in Revelation 14:6-7:
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come…
We are in the time of great tribulation where God is commanding us to spread His Gospel to all nations, kindreds, and tongues. God is using a lot of means to accomplish this. He is using shortwave radio and the Internet. His people are getting busy. They are putting signs on their cars. His people are doing a lot of things and God is magnifying even the smallest thing. We know that His will is going to be accomplished.
Let us close.