Jesus Christ is my God!
Issued 08.07.2008
The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven
The reconciliation with God opens the gate of the Paradise for you. You cannot be reconciled with God if Jesus Christ doesn't give it to you. He once atoned your sins on Golgotha! This knowledge is the key of the salvation. He lives and is waiting for you to come with your key to Him so that He could let you come in to the grace of God.
The door and its keys
The Paradise is closed to us, because we have rebelled against God. The borders of the Kingdom of God are barred. If someone wants to come in, he must go in through the gate. Because the gate is locked due to sin, it can be unlocked only because of the atonement of sin.
The atonement work Jesus did on the cross is the key which can open the gate of the kingdom of heaven for you. God has sent His servants to deliver this key to everyone who wants to receive it. Most people have refused to receive it. Only few have allowed it to push into their heart and even fewer have allowed God to unlock the door for them.
The witnesses of Jesus offer the key of the gospel to you, but only Jesus Himself in the Holy Spirit can let you enter in. No priest or no preacher can give you access to the kingdom of God, for "salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Re.7:10
God has no mediator priests, but Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and men. The priesthood of the citizens of the Kingdom of God means that we are witnesses of Jesus. We want to set all people face to face with Jesus Christ.
Thus the keys of the kingdom of heaven are freely available for everybody and Jesus is closer to you than the nearest church. The knowledge of how to be saved is the key message. Do not despise this key, and let nobody prevent you from turning to Jesus.
The Paradise is closed to us, because we have rebelled against God. The borders of the Kingdom of God are barred. If someone wants to come in, he must go in through the gate. Because the gate is locked due to sin, it can be unlocked only because of the atonement of sin.
The atonement work Jesus did on the cross is the key which can open the gate of the kingdom of heaven for you. God has sent His servants to deliver this key to everyone who wants to receive it. Most people have refused to receive it. Only few have allowed it to push into their heart and even fewer have allowed God to unlock the door for them.
The witnesses of Jesus offer the key of the gospel to you, but only Jesus Himself in the Holy Spirit can let you enter in. No priest or no preacher can give you access to the kingdom of God, for "salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Re.7:10
God has no mediator priests, but Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and men. The priesthood of the citizens of the Kingdom of God means that we are witnesses of Jesus. We want to set all people face to face with Jesus Christ.
Thus the keys of the kingdom of heaven are freely available for everybody and Jesus is closer to you than the nearest church. The knowledge of how to be saved is the key message. Do not despise this key, and let nobody prevent you from turning to Jesus.
Ruling with keys
Power-seeking people are all the time seeking instruments which they could use for lording over other people. They are very interested in gaining power with the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore they claim that they have received the key with which they could let others enter in heaven. Actually they themselves have not entered in the kingdom of God, although they are sure to be insiders.
They themselves have given themselves access to the Kingdom of God. They have not experienced the forgiveness of God, but they themselves have forgiven themselves. Therefore they believe they can proclaim forgiveness of sins also to others and thus rule them with the key. The priests of the time of Jesus had done just this. Therefore Jesus said to them: "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered." Lu.11:52
They had stolen the key of knowledge by stressing the right knowledge in a wrong way. Thus they hid the knowledge that tells how the salvation happens. They didn't stress that everybody should personally get reconciliation with God. They should have given their people this knowledge: 'Jewishness doesn't save you, but the just shall live by his faith.' Instead they stressed the religious ceremonies as the keys of the kingdom of heaven. They should have spoken as John, the Baptist who urged people to repent their evilness and to turn their heart to God.
They couldn't set people face to face with God, because they wanted people to be face to face with them. They wanted to be lords of people and not their servants. They believed the Bible to be literally true only in order to strengthen their authority as 'men of God'. That's also why they often had to interpret the Bible in such a way as not having to live according to it. They were proud of their biblicalness which gave them so great self-confidence that they even dared to arrange the killing of Jesus.
In the same way Jesus says to many Christian teachers of our time: "Woe to you priests and preachers! For you have taken away the key of the kingdom of heaven. You have not entered in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."
They proclaim the correct gospel, but they proclaim it in such a way that people would receive it before them and not before Jesus. If you did your decision of faith before them, they use their keys and say to you: "I proclaim to you the forgiveness of your sins in the name and in the blood of Jesus Christ."
When they bind forgiveness of sins to their own religious authority, they bind you to themselves and to their church. If someone says 'in the name of Jesus Christ' it doesn't guarantee that Jesus would be involved. Jesus says that "many will come in my name and they deceive many." The deception is that actually they work in their own name although they say they work in the name of Jesus.
If someone truly comes in Jesus' name, he will not be received so easily. Instead if someone seeks his own glory with the name of Jesus, he will be received. In the same way it was with Jesus who came in His Father's name: "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive." Joh.5:43
The Jews will receive Antichrist because he will come in his own name. If the assurance of your salvation is based on human words, you have been born into the antichristian faith. It is good if you lose your wrong assurance. Your false salvation experience hinders you from receiving the genuine salvation. Your wrong peace makes hearing forgiveness difficult from the mouth of God. So do not believe these key lords but listen to the gospel and turn to Jesus until He proclaims the forgiveness of your sins.
Key lords hate the believers born by the Holy Spirit, because they are independent of their lording. They complain that believers have not common faith. They disapprove of individualism and they want community faith. They don't speak in this way, because they got worry about people getting saved, but they worry about having little power. They want you to come into their community to be in the sphere of their influence.
If you are longing for strong religious authority you are in danger of becoming a victim of a religion. God wants to set you free from the fear of man. Don't scare of their bindings and don't honor their loosing.
If you truly entered in the gate of the kingdom of heaven, you came into the sphere of the influence of Jesus. Let Jesus Christ be your LORD! What the LORD Jesus opens that lords cannot close, and what He closes that the lords are not able to open.
Power-seeking people are all the time seeking instruments which they could use for lording over other people. They are very interested in gaining power with the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Therefore they claim that they have received the key with which they could let others enter in heaven. Actually they themselves have not entered in the kingdom of God, although they are sure to be insiders.
They themselves have given themselves access to the Kingdom of God. They have not experienced the forgiveness of God, but they themselves have forgiven themselves. Therefore they believe they can proclaim forgiveness of sins also to others and thus rule them with the key. The priests of the time of Jesus had done just this. Therefore Jesus said to them: "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered." Lu.11:52
They had stolen the key of knowledge by stressing the right knowledge in a wrong way. Thus they hid the knowledge that tells how the salvation happens. They didn't stress that everybody should personally get reconciliation with God. They should have given their people this knowledge: 'Jewishness doesn't save you, but the just shall live by his faith.' Instead they stressed the religious ceremonies as the keys of the kingdom of heaven. They should have spoken as John, the Baptist who urged people to repent their evilness and to turn their heart to God.
They couldn't set people face to face with God, because they wanted people to be face to face with them. They wanted to be lords of people and not their servants. They believed the Bible to be literally true only in order to strengthen their authority as 'men of God'. That's also why they often had to interpret the Bible in such a way as not having to live according to it. They were proud of their biblicalness which gave them so great self-confidence that they even dared to arrange the killing of Jesus.
In the same way Jesus says to many Christian teachers of our time: "Woe to you priests and preachers! For you have taken away the key of the kingdom of heaven. You have not entered in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered."
They proclaim the correct gospel, but they proclaim it in such a way that people would receive it before them and not before Jesus. If you did your decision of faith before them, they use their keys and say to you: "I proclaim to you the forgiveness of your sins in the name and in the blood of Jesus Christ."
When they bind forgiveness of sins to their own religious authority, they bind you to themselves and to their church. If someone says 'in the name of Jesus Christ' it doesn't guarantee that Jesus would be involved. Jesus says that "many will come in my name and they deceive many." The deception is that actually they work in their own name although they say they work in the name of Jesus.
If someone truly comes in Jesus' name, he will not be received so easily. Instead if someone seeks his own glory with the name of Jesus, he will be received. In the same way it was with Jesus who came in His Father's name: "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive." Joh.5:43
The Jews will receive Antichrist because he will come in his own name. If the assurance of your salvation is based on human words, you have been born into the antichristian faith. It is good if you lose your wrong assurance. Your false salvation experience hinders you from receiving the genuine salvation. Your wrong peace makes hearing forgiveness difficult from the mouth of God. So do not believe these key lords but listen to the gospel and turn to Jesus until He proclaims the forgiveness of your sins.
Key lords hate the believers born by the Holy Spirit, because they are independent of their lording. They complain that believers have not common faith. They disapprove of individualism and they want community faith. They don't speak in this way, because they got worry about people getting saved, but they worry about having little power. They want you to come into their community to be in the sphere of their influence.
If you are longing for strong religious authority you are in danger of becoming a victim of a religion. God wants to set you free from the fear of man. Don't scare of their bindings and don't honor their loosing.
If you truly entered in the gate of the kingdom of heaven, you came into the sphere of the influence of Jesus. Let Jesus Christ be your LORD! What the LORD Jesus opens that lords cannot close, and what He closes that the lords are not able to open.
The keys of Peter
Jesus promised Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Mt.16:19
Many have had a lust to own these keys. Because of their lust for power they have wanted to be loosing and binding people. Because of their pride they have misunderstood this text of the Bible.
Peter got these keys together with the other apostles when Jesus showed himself to them after His resurrection: "So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'" Joh.20:21-23
Did Jesus do something in His own name, although He was the only Son of God? No! He came to the world as sent by His Father and He did everything in the name of His Father. He bound and loosed only what the Father caused in Him. Does a Christian do something in his own name, although he is a child of God? No! Jesus has sent him to this world in the same way as the Father sent Jesus. A Christian binds and looses only what Jesus causes in us.
To point out that only the Holy Spirit can proclaim forgiveness of sins on behalf of God Jesus starts His speech: 'Receive the Holy Spirit..." The Spirit of God can speak to you through a believer who says to you: "Jesus has forgiven you your sins!" If the words had been spoken in the Holy Spirit, your heart also experienced peace from God. However God has not limited Himself to utterances of believers, but He saves everybody who in truth turns to Him.
If you read the Acts, you don't find Peter and Paul proclaiming forgiveness but proclaiming the gospel. They understood how to use the keys of the kingdom of heaven. The message about the atonement of sins in Jesus Christ is the key message. If this message fits the heart of a listener, it is there for the Holy Spirit to turn the key and let the person come in the grace of God.
"Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified." Ac.13:38-39
They themselves didn't proclaim the forgiveness of sins to people, but they told it is proclaimed to them through Jesus, that is: Jesus will proclaim it to them. They respected the work that the Holy Spirit did in the heart of people. They allowed God to open His door for people. "When they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." Ac.14:27
Only God can open the door of faith to you. If a man of spirit, claiming to have a ministry from God, proclaims to you that now you have the faith and you are saved, do not believe him. Come near to God for the sake of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Ask Him to give you access to His Kingdom. Through the Jesus-door you will enter in the grace of God.
Jesus promised Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Mt.16:19
Many have had a lust to own these keys. Because of their lust for power they have wanted to be loosing and binding people. Because of their pride they have misunderstood this text of the Bible.
Peter got these keys together with the other apostles when Jesus showed himself to them after His resurrection: "So Jesus said to them again, 'Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.'" Joh.20:21-23
Did Jesus do something in His own name, although He was the only Son of God? No! He came to the world as sent by His Father and He did everything in the name of His Father. He bound and loosed only what the Father caused in Him. Does a Christian do something in his own name, although he is a child of God? No! Jesus has sent him to this world in the same way as the Father sent Jesus. A Christian binds and looses only what Jesus causes in us.
To point out that only the Holy Spirit can proclaim forgiveness of sins on behalf of God Jesus starts His speech: 'Receive the Holy Spirit..." The Spirit of God can speak to you through a believer who says to you: "Jesus has forgiven you your sins!" If the words had been spoken in the Holy Spirit, your heart also experienced peace from God. However God has not limited Himself to utterances of believers, but He saves everybody who in truth turns to Him.
If you read the Acts, you don't find Peter and Paul proclaiming forgiveness but proclaiming the gospel. They understood how to use the keys of the kingdom of heaven. The message about the atonement of sins in Jesus Christ is the key message. If this message fits the heart of a listener, it is there for the Holy Spirit to turn the key and let the person come in the grace of God.
"Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified." Ac.13:38-39
They themselves didn't proclaim the forgiveness of sins to people, but they told it is proclaimed to them through Jesus, that is: Jesus will proclaim it to them. They respected the work that the Holy Spirit did in the heart of people. They allowed God to open His door for people. "When they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." Ac.14:27
Only God can open the door of faith to you. If a man of spirit, claiming to have a ministry from God, proclaims to you that now you have the faith and you are saved, do not believe him. Come near to God for the sake of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Ask Him to give you access to His Kingdom. Through the Jesus-door you will enter in the grace of God.
Do you consider me a true believer?
Although no man can proclaim us forgiveness of our sins the acceptance of other believers is almost the same to us. If Jesus has given us His peace, we give our testimony of it to other believers. When they reply to us that they understand Jesus has forgiven us, this promise of Jesus comes true in their statement: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them." Our brothers and sisters in Christ confirm to us the forgiveness we got from Jesus.
Of course it is possible that you have experienced something different from what Jesus of the Bible gives, and therefore the believers didn't accept your testimony. They then offer you the experience in Jesus through the gospel as the condition for their acceptance. In this way the promise of Jesus comes true: "If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." The Church of God proves to those who have rejected the gospel, what is the consequence of their deed.
If you gave a genuine testimony of your love for Jesus to those who you considered true believers, but they didn't accept you, it is important that you are not dependent on their acceptance, but your faith is based on the peace you received from the Holy Spirit. If you then doubt what you have got from Jesus and start to seek for assurance of your salvation in the acceptance of people, you are losing your faith of Jesus.
Already in the days of the apostles there appeared people among believers who wanted to rule believers claiming that they had authority to forgive sins, because they had the knowledge and the anointing from God. This caused that many started to doubt the salvation they had got from Jesus. They started to think that they are not saved if they have not received an absolution from these "anointed ones". John, the apostle says that these anointed ones (anointed = Christ) are antichrists and warns believers not to submit to their power.
"You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him." 1Jo.2:20,27
The gospel produces love to Jesus. Those who have this love have fellowship with one another in the Spirit of God. If we sin it weakens this fellowship. Therefore we have been urged to pray for each other and confess our sins. The Bible never urges to proclaim forgiveness of sins, but to proclaim the promise that God will forgive us if we repent. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1Jo.1:9
Although no man can proclaim us forgiveness of our sins the acceptance of other believers is almost the same to us. If Jesus has given us His peace, we give our testimony of it to other believers. When they reply to us that they understand Jesus has forgiven us, this promise of Jesus comes true in their statement: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them." Our brothers and sisters in Christ confirm to us the forgiveness we got from Jesus.
Of course it is possible that you have experienced something different from what Jesus of the Bible gives, and therefore the believers didn't accept your testimony. They then offer you the experience in Jesus through the gospel as the condition for their acceptance. In this way the promise of Jesus comes true: "If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." The Church of God proves to those who have rejected the gospel, what is the consequence of their deed.
If you gave a genuine testimony of your love for Jesus to those who you considered true believers, but they didn't accept you, it is important that you are not dependent on their acceptance, but your faith is based on the peace you received from the Holy Spirit. If you then doubt what you have got from Jesus and start to seek for assurance of your salvation in the acceptance of people, you are losing your faith of Jesus.
Already in the days of the apostles there appeared people among believers who wanted to rule believers claiming that they had authority to forgive sins, because they had the knowledge and the anointing from God. This caused that many started to doubt the salvation they had got from Jesus. They started to think that they are not saved if they have not received an absolution from these "anointed ones". John, the apostle says that these anointed ones (anointed = Christ) are antichrists and warns believers not to submit to their power.
"You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him." 1Jo.2:20,27
The gospel produces love to Jesus. Those who have this love have fellowship with one another in the Spirit of God. If we sin it weakens this fellowship. Therefore we have been urged to pray for each other and confess our sins. The Bible never urges to proclaim forgiveness of sins, but to proclaim the promise that God will forgive us if we repent. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1Jo.1:9
The eternal gospel
Through the ages all people have had the possibility to be saved through the same gospel, because the gospel is the eternal truth. The death and the resurrection of Jesus happened in time, but it has an effect in eternity. Therefore its power worked already before Jesus was born into the world.
"Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth - to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people." Re.14:6
When the gospel has been made to serve the power of Christian churches, a wrong message has been given to the whole world. People think that their salvation is bound to the influence of churches. Therefore they are asking how every person could be saved, if churches are not present everywhere. The gospel can be everywhere and therefore whoever can receive the salvation anywhere.
"We give thanks because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth." Col.1:5-6
The gospel is an eternal matter that has been available for all people in all times. Abel, the son of Adam heard the gospel of reconciliation when he was repenting his sins. He sacrificed a lamb and got through that the connection to the sacrifice of Jesus on Golgotha. Time doesn't matter in eternity. The sacrifice of Jesus had its power also before the Christian Era. Only God knows how many were saved through the sacrifice of Jesus before He came to the world. We only know the few of them who are mentioned in the Bible.
Jesus is the only way to God, because He is the only sacrifice for our sins. Many rebel against this and they claim that God has become man also in other religions. They believe that there are many gates to heaven. Has Buddha died for you? Did Muhammad atone your sins with his death? Has God raised them from the dead and so proved that He accepts their atoning sacrifices? No, none of them even claims that they would have atoned your sins except Jesus of the Bible.
Many religions have taught the similar good rules for life, but you know that those don't open the access to God for you. Of course the moral laws are similar in all the religions through ages, because God has written them to our hearts. Of course all people have in some way understood that the Son of God exists, because the gospel is eternal.
Your sins must be atoned, your evilness must be purged away from you and your heart must be recreated. If only you humbled yourself before God and allowed you to be reconciled to God. You can be sure that eternal gospel works without the presence of any priest or a preacher.
Through the ages all people have had the possibility to be saved through the same gospel, because the gospel is the eternal truth. The death and the resurrection of Jesus happened in time, but it has an effect in eternity. Therefore its power worked already before Jesus was born into the world.
"Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth - to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people." Re.14:6
When the gospel has been made to serve the power of Christian churches, a wrong message has been given to the whole world. People think that their salvation is bound to the influence of churches. Therefore they are asking how every person could be saved, if churches are not present everywhere. The gospel can be everywhere and therefore whoever can receive the salvation anywhere.
"We give thanks because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth." Col.1:5-6
The gospel is an eternal matter that has been available for all people in all times. Abel, the son of Adam heard the gospel of reconciliation when he was repenting his sins. He sacrificed a lamb and got through that the connection to the sacrifice of Jesus on Golgotha. Time doesn't matter in eternity. The sacrifice of Jesus had its power also before the Christian Era. Only God knows how many were saved through the sacrifice of Jesus before He came to the world. We only know the few of them who are mentioned in the Bible.
Jesus is the only way to God, because He is the only sacrifice for our sins. Many rebel against this and they claim that God has become man also in other religions. They believe that there are many gates to heaven. Has Buddha died for you? Did Muhammad atone your sins with his death? Has God raised them from the dead and so proved that He accepts their atoning sacrifices? No, none of them even claims that they would have atoned your sins except Jesus of the Bible.
Many religions have taught the similar good rules for life, but you know that those don't open the access to God for you. Of course the moral laws are similar in all the religions through ages, because God has written them to our hearts. Of course all people have in some way understood that the Son of God exists, because the gospel is eternal.
Your sins must be atoned, your evilness must be purged away from you and your heart must be recreated. If only you humbled yourself before God and allowed you to be reconciled to God. You can be sure that eternal gospel works without the presence of any priest or a preacher.
The battle of the gospel
Those who belong to Jesus have been set to defend the gospel so that religious people should not steal it for the instrument of their superstition. Paul fought a spiritual battle for the gospel against those who had veiled the gospel of God.
"But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus sake." 2Co.4:3-5
For to everyone, who wants to do in the same way as Paul previously described, it has been granted to suffer for the gospel like sheep for the slaughter. "For your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Ro.8:36
In the last days this lot of sheep for the slaughter has a special meaning. God has spoken about it in the eleventh chapter of the book of Zechariah. There God speaks about the judgment which will meet all nations. "And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD." Zec.11:10-11
The gospel is a beautiful message for all nations. The time during which the gospel is preached is called God's covenant with all peoples. One day He Himself veils the gospel to people by breaking the staff of Beauty. The poor of the flock are those Jesus believers who have suffered while defending the gospel. Then they will understand that the coming of Jesus is near when they see those who considered them sheep for the slaughter deserting Christianity.
God will send Antichrist to the world. First he is a shepherd of God's flock. He deserts Jesus and after that he deserts His sheep. In this way God has predicted about the thoughts of Antichrist: "I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other's flesh. Then I said to them, 'If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.' So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver." Zec.11:9,12
One part of this prophecy was fulfilled in Judas Iscariot, because he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. However Judas had no flock that he could desert as Antichrist will have. Judas is a pattern of Antichrist in whom this prophecy will be fulfilled completely. He is the false anointed, the false prophet and the man of lawlessness.
Jesus prophesies about the same moment in this way: "I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work." Joh.9:4
If God doesn't proclaim you forgiveness of your sins, you are not able to be saved. Woe to the world at that dark time when He hides Himself from people! Then those believers, who have not "the anointing from the Holy One" but their faith is based on assurances of other believers, will turn to the Jesus believers and ask: 'Our faith is dying. Proclaim us forgiveness of our sins.' Then they will reply: "We cannot give you it. Go and seek Jesus. You can get His anointing only from Him.' So they will go and seek for the salvation, but they will not find.
Thus be not foolish and live on the salvation that people have proclaimed you but be wise and seek the LORD while He may be found. Therefore God says to you now: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2Co.6:2
Those who belong to Jesus have been set to defend the gospel so that religious people should not steal it for the instrument of their superstition. Paul fought a spiritual battle for the gospel against those who had veiled the gospel of God.
"But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus sake." 2Co.4:3-5
For to everyone, who wants to do in the same way as Paul previously described, it has been granted to suffer for the gospel like sheep for the slaughter. "For your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Ro.8:36
In the last days this lot of sheep for the slaughter has a special meaning. God has spoken about it in the eleventh chapter of the book of Zechariah. There God speaks about the judgment which will meet all nations. "And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD." Zec.11:10-11
The gospel is a beautiful message for all nations. The time during which the gospel is preached is called God's covenant with all peoples. One day He Himself veils the gospel to people by breaking the staff of Beauty. The poor of the flock are those Jesus believers who have suffered while defending the gospel. Then they will understand that the coming of Jesus is near when they see those who considered them sheep for the slaughter deserting Christianity.
God will send Antichrist to the world. First he is a shepherd of God's flock. He deserts Jesus and after that he deserts His sheep. In this way God has predicted about the thoughts of Antichrist: "I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other's flesh. Then I said to them, 'If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.' So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver." Zec.11:9,12
One part of this prophecy was fulfilled in Judas Iscariot, because he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. However Judas had no flock that he could desert as Antichrist will have. Judas is a pattern of Antichrist in whom this prophecy will be fulfilled completely. He is the false anointed, the false prophet and the man of lawlessness.
Jesus prophesies about the same moment in this way: "I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work." Joh.9:4
If God doesn't proclaim you forgiveness of your sins, you are not able to be saved. Woe to the world at that dark time when He hides Himself from people! Then those believers, who have not "the anointing from the Holy One" but their faith is based on assurances of other believers, will turn to the Jesus believers and ask: 'Our faith is dying. Proclaim us forgiveness of our sins.' Then they will reply: "We cannot give you it. Go and seek Jesus. You can get His anointing only from Him.' So they will go and seek for the salvation, but they will not find.
Thus be not foolish and live on the salvation that people have proclaimed you but be wise and seek the LORD while He may be found. Therefore God says to you now: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2Co.6:2
The Bible version used in references is NIV