Here is a bit more out of the Book by Ezekiel's Fire. To get the complete message, please click into the url at the bottom. Thank You. Gerlinda

For Fair Use Discussion and Educational Purposes

Because the Bible was meant to be read. You’re supposed ask God for direction, submit yourself to the Holy Spirit, and then drink in His words for YOU. Do that long enough, and the Bible will make sense.

I did that thirty years ago, and quickly ran into trouble. My soul was being laid bare, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. And, this verse kept hammering away at me:

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. – Matthew 7:20

That verse was painful to read, because I had no fruit. All that I had was intellectual knowledge – and proud of it too. (And, God HATES pride.)

Reading my Bible turned my life upside down. It opened my eyes, and I could never go back to what I was. And, years of reading the Bible, cover-to-cover, has deepened my understanding of God and His intentions – something that a library of commentaries could never have done.

http://www.ezekielsfire.com/chapter-one/twisting-the-bible/

Mark Of The Beast Heresy

This is turning into a pulpit-pounding sermon, so let me get to the point that sent me into a fit of outrage, in July. It has to do with this verse:

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Rev. 14:11

You can parse that verse any way you like. You can look at original Greek and try to argue about conjunctions. But, it will still say the same thing:

If you take the Mark of the Beast, YOU WILL GO TO HELL.

No exceptions. Period.

If you accept it, and then remove it later… you would still go to Hell.

Why?

Because it is the act of receiving it that condemns you. It’s what the verse says.

Pastors Are Preaching This ****able Heresy
And, there are pastors preaching that you can take the Mark of the Beast, and still be able to go to heaven. And, I am so outraged by this, that I can hardly contain myself. The fact that a pastor would dare to say such a thing is a true abomination.

The Lies We Embrace Are Destroying Us
It is this ‘outrage’ that plays a part in what drives me to write almost every day. We have been set up for the coming of the Antichrist and his vile system, and it makes me ill to see it. And, we have gladly embraced this deception.

However, my outrage is tempered by the understanding of why we would do this. Truth is unpleasant, and obedience is difficult. And, we are ALL creatures of pride and self-indulgence. And yes, I really do place myself in those categories.

The problem is that the lies that we have embraced are destroying us. Now is the time to embrace the truth and obey God. It is almost too late.

One day, in July of 2014, Steve Quayle posted a link to a page on Nathan Leal’s website, watchmanscry.com. It was a part of his ‘Show Notes’ for his interview on Hagmann & Hagmann. Nathan was talking about the coming ‘Mark of the Beast’, and when I got to the end of his post, I saw him say this:

"Why is all of this happening? It is a demonic campaign to desensitize our culture in preparation to accept the “mark” of the beast??

And then, I dimly remembered a controversy over a pastor saying something about taking the Mark of the Beast – and still being able to go to heaven. In fact, I couldn’t quite remember his name. It was John-somebody. John… MacArthur.

The Evidence
Yes, that was it. John MacArthur.

So, I did a search for “John Macarthur” mark of the beast. In fact, that is a link to the same Google search that I did that day. If you do that search again, in third place on the search results will be this video:

Well known Bible teacher John MacArthur says take Mark of the Beast and be saved

YouTube shortlink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1dVmBzA1Us

(That clip tends to get taken down on a regular basis.)

I clicked the link and listened to the video. When I got to the main point, it took a moment for John MacArthur’s words to sink in – before the the shock hit:

He said WHAT?!?!

John MacArthur actually said that you can take the Mark of the Beast and not go to Hell. I was so horrified, so shocked… well, I just don’t have words to adequately express how I felt.

Proof Of Abominable Heresy
This is a true abomination.

Here is a preacher that is revered by many, openly denying the words of the Book of Revelation. Here is the relevant verse:

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Rev. 14:11

You can parse that verse any way you like, but when you say “and whosoever” you are making an and/or statement. You are not saying that just both will go to Hell. You are saying that either one OR BOTH will go to Hell.

To put it another way, there are two conditions that will send you to Hell:

Worship the beast and his image

Receiving the mark of his name

Just ONE of those will send you to eternal punishment. Doing both is just icing on the cake. THAT is the syntax of this verse in English. It’s even stronger in Greek:

καὶ εἴ τις λαμβάνει τὸ χάραγμα τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ.

Transliterated, it says:

…and if anyone receives the mark of the name of it.

If you want to look at it for yourself, the link is here:

http://biblehub.com/interlinear/revelation/14-11.htm

For a reverse view, notice in Rev. 20:4-5 that NO ONE who stands before the Lord in the First Resurrection has taken the Mark of the Beast. I quote this verse later on in the article, but you can click the link if you can’t wait.

John MacArthur In Text
For those who want the text of this abomination that John MacArthur said in the video, you can find it here:

HTTPS://www.gty.org/resources/Print/Sermons/1301-I

Here’s the relevant question and John’s answer (about a third of the way down the page of the above link):

QUESTIONER: Oh, my question is in regard to the latter half of the Tribulation period, when…when men will be required to have the mark of the beast in order to buy or sell. My question is once the person takes the mark, is there possibility of Him coming to Christ?

JOHN: Yes, I think, you know, in the seven-year Tribulation coming in the future, we’re gonna get into this, so probably a week from Sunday night, maybe this Sunday night, maybe a week, I’m not sure. But the Tribulation is a seven-year period, right? The Rapture of the church, seven-year Tribulation, then Christ returns, sets up His Kingdom.

Now, in that seven-year period, really two things happen. God begins to judge the world in…with a series of holocausts; and, at the same time, He begins to redeem His people Israel; and in the process of this, the antichrist establishes his rule; and in order to function in the economy of the antichrist, you have to take the mark of the beast.

The mark being the number of a man, Revelation 13, 666. Six is the number of man, right? Seven is the number of perfection, and man always falls short of perfection, 666, always sixes, never seven. So the number man, and apparently what’s gonna happen, you take the mark on your hand or on your forehead; and we’ve talked a lot about that, you know, that…that that’s kind of the computer situation.

We’re now moving fast toward the time when we’re going to have to do everything we do by cards and by numbers and all of that, and those number…the thing about a card that’s a problem is you lose it, and they’ve already devised systems to put the number on your hand and on your forehead, and you go through a scanner and, you know, that’s how you buy and sell. It’s automatically deducted from your bank account

Now, the question is, if you’re living in the Tribulation period, and you take this mark, in other words, you identify with the beast’s empire, will you still be able to be redeemed? And I think the answer to that is yes. Yes, otherwise there would be no salvation of anybody in the end of the Tribulation; and you’ve got to have the salvation of folks in the end of the Tribulation.

You’re gonna have the Jews redeemed. You’re gonna have, according to Revelation chapter 7, “An innumerable number of Gentiles redeemed, so many they can’t even be counted across the face of the earth.” So I don’t think the fact that someone takes that is a sentence to…to permanency anymore than you being a part of this world system once in your life means you have to be a part of the system all your life. Well, especially when 144,000 don’t start their ministry till the second half..

QUESTIONER: Yeah, that’s true, yeah.

JOHN: That’d make it a little tough.

Now, in case you are wondering whether John MacArthur has backtracked on the above, think again. Here’s a member of his staff, Phil Johnson, doubling down on it:

http://www.gty.org/Blog/B131030

My answer to this foolish article is that yes, God COULD forgive the sin of taking the Mark of the Beast. God COULD do that.

But, He’s not going to.

Please get this right. God CAN forgive this sin. He really can. But, He’s not going to. It’s His choice, and He’s warning us ahead of time that this is a line that you had better not cross.

Please get this right. God CAN forgive this sin. He really can. But, He’s not going to. It’s His choice, and He’s warning us ahead of time that this is a line that you had better not cross.

Why John MacArthur Believes This
Now, why does John MacArthur preach AGAINST the words of Revelation 14:11?

He doesn’t have a choice. Wait… He doesn’t have a choice? Yeah. He’s stuck with this position because it is dictated by a fraudulent theory that he passionately believes in:

The Pretribulation Rapture Theory

If he had said something else, like ‘you cannot go to heaven if you take the Mark of the Beast’, he would have had to tear up the Pretribulation Rapture Theory AND Dispensationalism. In fact, he’d have to tear up decades of false teaching, and he’s NOT going to do that.

The Pretribulation Rapture Theory Requires It
Now, I see that you have a question, so I’ll ask it for you: Why does the Pretribulation Rapture Theory require people to take the Mark of the Beast before getting saved?

Well, MacArthur DOES know what the Bible says, and here is the key point:

And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: – Rev. 13:16

That means that The Beast makes everyone take the Mark of the Beast. Everyone. (Well… except for those who are already saved.) And, since he believes that the Rapture took away all the saved people… well, all that’s left are those who will take the Mark of the Beast.

With me so far?

So, according to the Pretribulation Rapture THEORY, since everyone takes the Mark of the Beast…

…this means that everyone saved during the Tribulation has ALREADY taken the Mark of the Beast.

John MacArthur acknowledged this when he said:

Now, the question is, if you’re living in the Tribulation period, and you take this mark, in other words, you identify with the beast’s empire, will you still be able to be redeemed? And I think the answer to that is yes. Yes, otherwise there would be no salvation of anybody in the end of the Tribulation; and you’ve got to have the salvation of folks in the end of the Tribulation.

It’s logic. And, I understand that.

Two HUGE Problems
But, wait… Houston, we have a problem… There’s this verse:

And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. – Revelation 16:2

And then, there’s this verse (which I linked to earlier):

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. – Revelation 20:4-5

You CANNOT fit those verses in with John MacArthur’s interpretation of Revelation.

Why?

Because, the wrath of God would be poured out on those who are saved, because all the saved people would ALSO have the mark. But, the second verse that I quoted condemns John even more.

Revelation 20:4-5 is describing the first resurrection, and not a single one of the people in the first resurrection has the Mark of the Beast on him/her.

NOT. A. SINGLE. ONE.

Not a single person who stands before the Lord in the First Resurrection will have EVER received the Mark of the Beast. PERIOD.


Pastor David Lankford & Steve Quayle – Twisting the Word of God

YouTube shortlink: http://youtu.be/nfLNUCXVzYM

MacArthur Chooses Poorly
This Pretribulation Rapture Theory has put John MacArthur in a difficult position. He’s stuck between this fraudulent theory of the Rapture…

…and the Bible.

What did he choose?

Well, he chose the theory. Does this sound like a teacher that you should be following?

Not to me.

Now, there’s another dimension to this. It’s bad enough that John MacArthur is preaching abominable heresy. It’s bad enough that Brannon Howse and Jimmy DeYoung are doing the same


John MacArthur OUTRAGE Take Mark of Beast, still be saved 2014

YouTube shortlink: HTTPS://youtu.be/fwaiH-LhVpA

So, now we add to more voices to this heresy – Brannon Howse and Jimmy DeYoung. However, I find it interesting that there is an added wrinkle to this.

Brannon Howse Threatens To Sue Chris White
Chris White was the one to put that video together for us. He runs a website called:

http://bibleprophecytalk.com/

And, he does excellent research. He’s really a top-notch guy who escaped the US and moved to Costa Rica. His discussion of The Blood Moons is excellent.

Such clear thinking is wonderful to hear.

Well, when Chris White posted his excerpt of that conversation between Brannon Howse and Jimmy DeYoung – the one that played John MacArthur’s point about the Mark of the Beast… When Christ White did that…

Brannon Howse threatened to sue Chris White!

Here’s the video describing what happened:



That is sick. Brannon Howse, you should be ashamed of yourself!

It’s just another example of how low some will go to protect a fraudulent theory.

However, I’m not done yet. We’ve got more Bible twisting to talk about.

Non-Dispensationalist Bible Twisting
It should be clear to all of you by now, that I am NOT a Dispensationalist. In fact, I didn’t really understand what dispensationalism was, until a friend ambushed me one day in church – demanding to know if I followed such an idea.

In fact, I’m not sure what ‘ism’ that I do ‘follow’. A friend once called me a Biblicist, and I was confused by that, because I thought that all Christians should be ‘Biblicists’. Not long ago, I heard RC Sproul go through all the -isms and -ists and ended his discussion with something that he called classical premillennialism.


His description sounded pretty good, so I guess that’s me:

http://www.ezekielsfire.com/chapter-one/twisting-the-bible/

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