Hi Senecharnix,
Thank you for your input Brother.
Indeed, it is difficult to discern the preachers who preach Christ in sincerity or of contention
.envy and strife
which comes from covetousness.
(Phil 1:15 KJV) Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:
16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
Covetousness knows no political boundaries
.it is universal in its affliction
and it is ancient in origin. It is prevalent in many churches today around the world. It is the abomination of desolation
.the idol that is placed in the holy place where it should not be. Covetousness is idolatry. Many are in search of church growth today
.they are mainly interested in growing numbers
.they preach Christ of contention. They covet each others growth
.riches
.thoughts. And it is currently difficult to know what is in their hearts
.for they are preachers preaching Christ. Yet, they have led many astray
the lost sheep.
But this is where the preaching of the Word of Truth comes in at the last day. They shall expose what is in their hearts by their vocal opposition to it. The man of sin shall be revealed by his evil speaking out against the Truth in his religious, covetous, stubborn pride. They shall be many and not just one man as many suppose. The man of sin will be many
.united in their opposition to the Truth. To sin is to speak out against the preaching of the Word of Truth in defense of their own evil works. The man of sin SPEAKS what comes out of his evil heart. The sin is with the tongue of evil opposition.
(Psa 39:1 KJV) To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David. I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.
Having a common enemy unites many men who would not be united otherwise. They will be corporately known as the man of sin by their unified opposition of the revealing of the Truth
.just like the Pharisees and Sadducees were unified against Jesus in their vocal opposition. They feared for their power, their glory among men, their traditions, their money
..because the Truth was setting people free from their influence. History will repeat itself in the Christian churches.
(John 12:19 KJV) The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.
Out of the heart of man comes evil speaking. Evil comes from within. The heart is the bottomless pit. The beast comes out of the bottomless pit to make war with the preaching of the Truth.
(Mark 7:21 KJV) For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Out of the abundance of the heart
.the bottomless pit
shall the mouth speak
.the wild beast.
(Mat 12:34 KJV) O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Out of the evil that is in the heart of the corporate man of sin shall he speak out in this last day. He shall speak evil of the Way of Truth and against those who will do the Truth.
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
The tongue is the beast
a wild beast
that can not be tamed.
James 3:2 KJV) For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
The tongue of the man of sin shall speak what evil is in his heart. The beast shall ascend (the tongue shall exalt itself) out of the bottomless pit (the evil that is in their hearts) and go into perdition (the judgment for doing so.) He will judged by his own evil words against the preaching of the Word of Truth. It shall set his life on fire of hell as judgment for his sins
his speaking out against the Truth.
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
The beast is the tongue that can not be tamed by the preaching of the Truth. For every kind of beast in nature is tamed
.but the wild beast of the man of sin can not be tamed. Their tongue will be unruly, evil and full of deadly poison
.the wild, venomous beast that shall ascend out of the hearts of men (the bottomless pit) in this last day. It will be a wild "beast" against the Truth.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Paul fought with beasts at Ephesus. He did not fight literal beasts
.but fought a war of words against men who opposed his preaching of the Truth. Some had mocked him for his preaching.
(1 Cor 15:32 KJV) If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue
.and those that love it shall eat the fruit of it.
(Prov 18:21 KJV) Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
The Pharisees spoke out against the testimony of Jesus. They demonstrated that they did not truly believe in the testimonies of Moses and the prophets by their opposition to the Truth.
(Rev 11:7 KJV) And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
It was their "hour"...the power of darkness. They had only won the "war" temporarily...to their own detriment.
(Luke 22:53 KJV) When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
They had Moses and the prophets to listen to
.their testimonies to truly believe in
but they did not.
(Luke 16:29 KJV) Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Since they did not TRULY hear the testimony of Moses and the prophets, how would they believe in the preaching of Jesus?
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
And so they had been judged for their unbelief
their speaking out against Jesus
the Truth. The tongue shall set those who will oppose the Truth on the fire of hell. Their opposition has continued against Jesus to this day.The unbelieving "tongue" has set them on "fire"...the judgment.
(Luke 16:24 KJV) And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
For a fools mouth is his destruction
..
(Prov 18:7 KJV) A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.
Their house had been left desolate
..until the time comes when they will SAY
.
(Luke 13:35 KJV) Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
.
(Phil 2:11 KJV) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
But first the wild beast must be destroyed
..leaving those who have opposed Him over the Truth
humbled and broken. The proud, evil speaking man shall be humbled. This humbling process will be severe for those who will rise up against the preaching of the Word of Truth in this last day.
(Isa 2:11 KJV) The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
The gates of hell shall not prevail
..the MOUTHS of prideful religious men shall not prevail against the preaching of the revealed Truth in this last day. Their religious glory and all of their church wealth shall descend. They shall be brought down and the might men of the churches shall be humbled. All those who will exalt themselves against the Truth shall be humbled
.in a severe manner. Their own mouth shall invite tribulation and anguish into their own lives.
(Isa 5:14 KJV) Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
15 And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled:
16 But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.
It is better to keep the tongue from evil when one hears the Truth. It is better to depart from evil and do good. It is better for one to be slow to speak and quick to hear His revealed Truth. Slow to wrath against it
for the wrath of man works unrighteousness.
(Psa 34:13 KJV) Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
It is better to seek Him EARLY
.and not LATER after one is judged for their unbelief in the Truth.
(Psa 63:1 KJV) A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
We should LONG for His Truth
.to see His power and glory in the sanctuary
in His Scripture of Truth. We are to see His knowledge in the Scriptures being revealed to us
.it is better to seek His knowledge with all of our hearts FIRST thing.
2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
It is better to praise Him with the lips than oppose His Truth. It is better to preach His Word of Truth
which is the meaning of praising Him
.blessing Him. Preaching His wonderful works is the true praising of Him.
3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
When we hear the preaching of the revealed Truth in this last day
.and will then know our sins
the knowledge of our ignorance of the preaching of erroneous things, we are to offer a young bullock for the sin. We are to put away our preaching of falsehoods that have kept the congregation in the yoke of bondage to religious mans ways and thoughts.
(Lev 4:13 KJV) And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty;
14 When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation.
15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.