Blog Archives

Genesis 6, Nephilim 2 of 6; 2nd rebellion?

6/24/2023

Hi all,
Last week we looked at how the books of Enoch were not considered inspired by God and therefore not included in the Old Testament. They were written around the time the Old Testament was compiled, roughly 100 years before Jesus was born.

Today we start by thinking through the possibility of a 2nd angelic rebellion in the days of Noah.

A 2nd rebellion of the angels?
Since we reject Enoch as not being inspired, agreeing with the rabbi's who compiled the Old Testament, we look at scripture only, as our source. We see in scripture there is only 1 angelic rebellion with one leader of that rebellion mentioned throughout Old and New Testaments.

There are 2 main scriptures used by those who think there was a 2nd angelic rebellion, interpreting 'the sons of God saw the daughters of men were pretty...' to mean there was a 2nd rebellion. Later, I'll show you the 'sons of God' were not angels, but first let's examine the 2 passages used to justify the belief in a 2nd rebellion.

II Peter 2:4-5. The context starting in v1 is false prophets and their ultimate fate in hell. Then he writes:"For if God did not spare the angels that had sinned, but cast them to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved until judgement. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the preacher of righteousness..."

Some would read this to think Peter is referencing an angelic rebellion right before Noah. The context of that verse, if you read verses before and after, shows Peter is making comparisons between judgement and grace, not putting things in a chronological order of events

But remember, because Enoch was rejected as not being scripture, Peter did not have that belief - he was taught what the sons of God really were - which wasn't a 2nd angelic rebellion. No, Peter was talking about Lucifer's fall from heaven, the 1 and only angelic rebellion. It was he who was rebuked in Matthew 16 for suggesting Jesus not go to the cross; 'You get behind me Satan...' Peter knew Jesus was tempted by Satan before He started His ministry, not Satan and a 2nd leader from another angelic rebellion.

Notice the angels were delivered into chains of darkness.
If I were to make chains of paper, I would say you were bound by chains of paper - paper is the chain. So 'chains of darkness' means being bound to darkness, forever forbidden from entering God's light, is what it says.

They cannot escape the chains that are the darkness of Satan's kingdom. They can never again enter into God's light. Does Satan walk about like a roaring lion as Peter wrote, yes, but within the realm of darkness that is his chains - and he seeks to pull others into the same bondage of darkness. "(Father) who has delivered us from the authority of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." Col 1:13

The 2nd passage is Jude v6:"And the angels which did not keep their place, but left their home, He has reserved under chains of darkness until the judgement of the great day." Jude, Jesus' brother*, agrees with Peter, the angels that rebelled are kept in darkness, bound to the darkness, it being their chains, confining them to that realm. *Mt 13:55

Throughout the Old Testament
From Job to David, to Isaiah 14:12-15 which calls Lucifer by name, to Ezekiel 28:12-19 where we learn Lucifer was at the first a cherub, one of the multi-winged angelic beings around the throne seen in The Revelation 4 and elsewhere, there is 1 rebellion, 1 leader named. There is never a hint of a 2nd angelic rebellion.

Jesus was there to witness Lucifer being cast out of heaven
Think about this:In Luke 10:18 when the 70 came back so excited they could cast out demons using the name of Jesus, Jesus told them essentially, to calm down because He witnessed Satan cast out of heaven, so rejoice that they are citizens of heaven, not that they could cast out demons. (He obviously wasn't saying He saw Satan fall out of heaven on that day, but was stating He was preexistent and witnessed Satan's rebellion and fall - Satan had already fallen when he tempted Adam and Eve.)

Jesus didn't say He saw Lucifer cast out of heaven and 'Oh yeah, I witnessed that 2nd rebellion in Noah's day as well."

When Isaiah 14:13-14 talks of Lucifer's 5 'I will' statements*, Isaiah doesn't say, 'And also the leader of that 2nd rebellion in Noah's time also said..." No, only Lucifer is named. In Ezekiel 28:12-19 he mentions he was a one time cherub before the throne who was lifted up for his beauty and authority, but never says 'and that other angel too, who rebelled in Noah's time."

(*I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the angels of God, I will sit in the place of control, I will ascend above the clouds, I will be like the Most High.")

And in The Revelation 12 when talking of the war in heaven, there is no mention of a 2nd war of angels that hate God and Israel and God's people - just the one, Satan.

Conclusion - There was 1 rebellion of angels in heaven, for that is all scripture mentions, and Jude and Peter's statements, coming from an education and theology that dismissed Enoch as not inspired to the level of the canon of scripture, understood that.

Visitation:What Jesus said about angels and demons...
What I'm sharing here is in part, things I learned in visitations with the Lord. One of the things I asked the Lord about is proof - for I have seen many, many demons (I just don't talk about them) and many more angels. Demons are very different in appearance than angels, and I asked the Lord if any of that was related to the (1) rebellion.

He asked me:"When you see demons, what do they look like?" I responded that they are always naked, no matter how big they are, they are always naked, and many are like shrunken individuals, shrunken by sin and darkness like a shell of a former self.

The closest thing I can compare it to in the natural...
...is a person who is older, and so world-weary their skin and countenance looks old, tired, wrinkled before their time, worn out. That is a tiny part of what demons look like - all look world-worn and worn out ugly.

When I said:"They are always naked and world-worn", He asked:"And what do angels look like?" And I said they are always clothed in some beautiful clothing, robes, baggy slacks over which robes are worn, various colors and decorations, and so on. He said:"Angels like people had free will, and those who chose Me have been sealed with robes of righteousness, while the angels that fell were stripped of all righteousness. That is why they are naked and in appearance look as they do."

That we in the Spirit are clothed in robes of righteousness is seen in several places.
Ephesians 5 talks about a husband and wife as a type of the Lord wanting to present us to Himself 'not having spot or wrinkle or blemish' on our robes. The Revelation 6:11, 19:8, 14 tell us the robes of fine linen clean and white is the righteousness of saints.

He specifically mentioned The Revelation 3:15-19...
...and what He said to the lukewarm church at Laodicia. They said they needed nothing for they were rich and prosperous, but He told them they were spiritually naked, and called them to repent 'lest the shame of your nakedness be exposed' and counseled them to repent and receive white clothing of righteousness. He used those verses to explain why demons are naked and angels are clothed - and a larger teaching about righteousness that isn't relevant to today's subject.

Side note:People ask me if they might in 10,000 years or so, rebel and fall away from the Lord though they love the Lord now - and I explain that no, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and especially once we received glorified bodies made of heavenly material which means no sin nature, and with no Satan to tempt, having made our choice, our whole being is 100% for God without the ability or will to ever again rebel.

Our glorified bodies, being made of heavenly material, can therefore only long for the things of God. By contrast, our earth bodies being made of the earth, long for the things of the earth and sensual realm, which is why people wonder about this. But we've made our choice and have been given robes of righteousness, as did the angels that stayed with God rather than go with Lucifer.

Next week - why God would have to have been involved in a 2nd angelic rebellion for it to happen. Until then, blessings,

John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

0 Comments

Genesis 6; Nephilim 1 of 6, Enoch

6/17/2023

0 Comments

Hi all,

Genesis 6, Nephilim, UFOs and such is a very popular subject now, and there is much confusion and error 'out there'.

The scriptural and logical explanation of the truth will take longer than my usual 2 to 4 part series. But to keep each segment now longer than 3 pages for easier reading and thought, it will run 6 weeks. I hope the subject is of interest to you.

Popular teaching is....
...the belief there was a 2nd angelic rebellion in heaven in the time of Noah; that angels left heaven to mate with human women in the days before the flood. From that there has arisen much false teaching, including:Satan conceived with Eve, producing lizard-eyed half breed humans who now run the world. Some say the illuminati is comprised of these half breed people, and/or that UFOs are from this 2nd rebellion, and much more.

This series will separate fact from fiction and bring balance. After showing the errors I will show you chapter and verse what scripture really says.

More than that, it will provide readers with logic and scripture, with sound and balanced understanding of what was really going on in the days before Noah's flood.

I always tell people it's not so important that they agree with me, rather that they think through what they believe and why, and are able to explain why they believe what they believe. In other words, if you say you believe something, be able to defend how you arrived at your belief and why.

School days - book reports, bibliographies
I remember the very first time in school we were assigned to write a paper with a bibliography attached. A bibliography is when a person is writing a letter or paper and they quote someone else to help make their point. Whatever the source was of that quote was listed at the end of the report or paper. Remember those days?

The practice of citing outside sources, borrowing a quote here and there, is centuries old.

That's why Matthew 7:29 notes the people observed of Jesus:"...He taught them as one having authority, not as the scribes." The scribes rarely gave their own opinions - They always quoted others. When asked a direct question a scribe would respond:"Rabbi (so and so) says...." (You can still see this in Jewish articles and books today)

It should come as no surprise then...
In the 66 books of the Bible the authors often quoted from others if it helped make their point. The same way even in an argument, a wife might say to her husband after telling him what she thinks, "Even your mother agrees with me..." (lol ) She is quoting another source to strengthen her point. A boss may confront a worker about something, citing someone in another department, using their quote to support their point.

In Luke 13:32 Jesus called Herod a sly fox, which was a term commonly used in that day (even among Romans) to describe Herod. By using that common description of Herod, Jesus was showing His agreement with the Roman comments about Herod's character. But He wasn't endorsing anyone, merely using common terms so all could understand.

In Acts 17:28 Paul quotes the Greek prophets 'In him we live and move and have our being', which to the Greeks meant Apollo. But Paul told them it was true of the Creator, who was not Apollo - but he was quoting someone familiar to them to make a point.

In Titus 1:12 Paul quotes the pagan prophet Epimenedes saying Cretans are always liars and lazy...and in I Corinthians 15:33 he quotes Menander (Greek playwright) saying "Bad company corrupts good manners." Paul pulled from outside and familiar sources for his readers, to strengthen his message to them.

Enoch and Jude
There are literally dozens of examples of the authors of the Bible quoting others to make their point, just like school children and adults do in papers and reports today. But by using a quote here and there doesn't mean the authors are elevating that other author to the level of scripture. When a person writing a thesis or school child writes a report, just quoting an outside source doesn't mean they agree with everything that person wrote - they are just using a single line or paragraph that suits their need.

Paul quoted a pagan prophet because 1 thing he said helped make Paul's point, but he wasn't suggesting that prophet was a prophet of God.

Enoch is quoted in Jude 1:14-15, prophesying the Lord is coming with thousands of His saints to execute justice and judgement on all. Quoting Enoch doesn't mean Jude was elevating the book of Enoch to the level of scripture - he was just using a tiny part of (the 3 volumes) it to make his point.

Today, there is a stream of teaching...
...that elevates the book of Enoch to a level equal with scripture, usually justifying it by saying Jude quoted Enoch, and from that building a whole teaching around Enoch being right and accurate about a 2nd rebellion of angels and such.

People who build their belief system on that one quote from the book of Enoch fail to consider that many authors quoted many sources outside of scripture to make their points, are in no way elevate their sources as equal to scripture.

The 3 books of Enoch are not old books
The 3 volumes were written in 3 parts by unknown authors between 300 BC and 100 BC - about 100 years before Jesus was born. Consider that in about 1400 BC Moses wrote Genesis through Deuteronomy. That's 1,200 years +/- before the books of Enoch were written by a unknown people over roughly 200 years.

It wasn't written by Enoch. Think about that fact. Others compiled oral tradition and stories about what they believed Enoch said or saw, and called it after the subject, Enoch.

Also consider
The books of Enoch had just been written when Rabbi's were compiling the Old Testament scripture. Rabbi's who are wiser than us in terms of who wrote what and when, decided when compiling the Old Testament canon of scripture, that the book of Enoch was not inspired literature.

Consider that. Men who lived long ago, closer to the actual authors, and part of that culture, determined the books of Enoch were not inspired literature. That's huge.

Why do people today think they know more about what is inspired writing than those who compiled the OT?

So that is the first point of logic - Enoch was quoted by Jude about the Lord returning to execute vengeance, which other verses in our Bible also say.

But just quoting someone outside of scripture does not elevate that quote to the level of the Word of God. And, those chosen by God to compile the Old Testament rejected the Book of Enoch, which is why it is not in our OT today.

What about a 2nd rebellion of angels?
That's where we pick it up next week. Until then,
blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

0 Comments

Pentecost 2 of 2, Why tongues?

6/10/2023

0 Comments

Hi all,

When I was a teenager back in the 1970's, my mom told me of a meeting she attended. She was part of a leadership team in a women's ministry from several Episcopal (Anglican) churches. The opened the meeting with prayer as they sat around a large table.

When done, one of the women asked another woman across the table how she knew Swahili? She replied she didn't, she was just praying in her prayer language. The first woman told her she was raised a missionary's daughter in Kenya, and had not heard Swahili since she was about 12 years old. She said the woman was praising the Lord in Swahili, to which all rejoiced.

In the early 1960's
An American Christian business man was asked to speak at a business conference in Tokyo held by a Christian businessman's organization. The meeting was open to all, and American Christian W.E. Deming had helped rebuild Japan's industrial capabilities after WW2 using principles found in scripture. So any business meeting involving Christianity was appealing to business leaders there.

When the man was about to speak, it was explained his interpreter had fallen ill, and they had no one to act as interpreter. Again, this was in the early 1960's when English was not as wide-spread as it is today.

He panicked
The thought of speaking to 2,000 Japanese business leaders in English who wouldn't understand him, panicked him. Instantly the Lord told him:"Just speak in tongues". Nervously, he did so, explaining he started out in his prayer language, but then it quickly changed into what proved to be Japanese. After nearly an hour it trickled off and the man stopped speaking. Suddenly, over 200 Japanese businessmen rushed the platform, and just as suddenly the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking in tongues.

Testimonies like these abound, and it is clear that just as it was on the day of Pentecost when the 120 spoke in languages they had never learned but others understood, these things still happen today.

Why tongues?
Romans 8:26-27 says in the Greek:"Likewise, the Holy Spirit helps our weakness, for we don't know how to pray as we should. But the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with sighings that baffle words."

The Greek word for 'help' is very interesting. It is 'synantilambanetai', a compound word meaning 'takes hold together with us against'. Paul said:"The Holy Spirit takes hold together with us against our weakness of not knowing how to pray as we should."

Jesus explained tongues to me
During the visitation when the Lord taught me about angels and demons, I asked a question that took Him on a side trip to answer. I asked, "Can we command angels? Some say we can, and it is common, but it has never felt right in my spirit about it so you know I've never done that." He replied:

"You don't even know how to pray as you should! What makes you think you know how to tell an angel what to do? Besides, the angels belong to the Father." His comment about not knowing how to pray was a direct reference to Romans 8:26 and tongues, but I would come back to that, for the idea the angels belonged to the Father was something new to me.

"I need chapter and verse on that Lord." "Have you not read in the days of my flesh, in the garden, where I said I could have asked the Father and He would have sent 12 legions of angels? Have you not read what I told Sardis, of those who over come I will not blot their name from the book of life, and confess them before the Father and His angels? The angels belong to the Father. Even now." (Matthew 26:53; Revelation 3:5)

So that settled it for me. But I wanted to get back to not knowing how to pray as I should, and how tongues plays a part. "Lord. Why tongues? It's so controversial to some, so why have something like that as part of our lives?"

He paused as if to weigh His words carefully. "If you can receive this:For the most part, we function by invitation in the earth. But retain our right as Creator." I understood that - He didn't become involved in my life until my mother started praying for me, and more so when I decided for Jesus as well - I invited Him to take control of my life.

When I asked for help understanding, He continued:"The earth has been delegated to man, so a person must invite us into their life. Yet the Father wants His will to be done on earth, but man doesn't know how to pray. His knowledge is limited."

"The Father had to find a way to by-pass man's limited knowledge so He could impart His unlimited knowledge and will into a person, so that person could pray it back to Him, closing the loop and making it a legal transaction."

"For on that Day, no one, no being, will be able to bring accusation against us, saying we were not fair and just and right in all things. All things will be revealed and it will be found we have been faithful and true in all things. So the Father gives a person a language they never learned, and fills it with His will and His thoughts and His emotion, allowing man to pray it back to Him, accomplishing His perfect will on earth."

This answered SO much - everything from feeling the Father's or Lord's emotions in intercessory prayer for someone, to causing us to cry or laugh in joy, to understanding why tongues is so beneficial, why it feels so good inside. I can say, "Father, I pray for my sister this morning...and then go to tongues, knowing I am praying His perfect will for her life this day."

Realizing the earth had been delegated to mankind explained why people can be so cruel to others while He does nothing. He is on the outside looking in with millions of people down through history, who never asked Him to take charge of their lives.

I understood how in Genesis 6:12 the Lord observed 'all flesh had corrupted His way on the earth' - it got down to Noah's family who retained the Lord in their knowledge. He was about to be on the outside looking in to a planet that didn't want Him. So He started over, retaining His rights as Creator.

Suddenly so much made sense. It's why when I pray for that ambulance racing by with lights flashing and siren blaring, I may be the only one in that patient's life praying for them - my prayer is a legal invitation asking the Father to become involved in their life - and on that day they will see it was legal and right, even if that person ends up in hell - they will see all things were done properly. More on that below

There is so much more, but there is enough to chew on here to last a long time, lol - I'll end with that as we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, which celebrates all that I've covered this week and last - and so much more.

Enjoy the Holy Spirit in your life! Next subject next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
www.kwowi.org

0 Comments

The original Pentecost, Why Pentecost?, 1 of 2

6/3/2023

0 Comments

Hi all,

Most people know the day of Pentecost from Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 who had been praying. They spilled into the street, speaking languages they had never learned, but were confirmed to be languages common around the Roman Empire by those who heard them.

Why was there a feast of Pentecost in the first place? And why did they speak in languages they had never learned? To answer those questions we need to have a basic understanding of the 7 God-given festivals, including the 1st Pentecost.

The festivals are rehearsals for the real
Leviticus 23 details the 7 festivals God gave to Moses, 6 feasts and 1 fast. There are 4 in spring and 3 in the autumn. The 4 spring are:Unleavened Bread, Passover, First Fruits, Pentecost. All 4 have been fulfilled on their exact day(s). The 3 autumn are:Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles. These have yet to be fulfilled.

Each is called a 'moed', pronounced 'mow-ed', in Leviticus 23. The root of the word has to do with setting a wedding date. When a couple sets a date, it is an appointed time, a consecrated, special appointment. A 'moed'. These are the feasts of Israel.

By the very nature of these 7 being divine appointments, it has been understood each one will have a literal fulfillment. In a wedding there is a rehearsal before the real. In theater there are rehearsals for the actual appointed time of the 'real'. There is much written in Judaism that these festivals are rehearsals until the true happens.

Lots and lots of rehearsals
This means when they celebrated the original feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover by killing the lamb and being under the blood, it was a rehearsal until Christ fulfilled it.

First Fruits was celebrated the Sunday morning after Passover, and was fulfilled on its day by Jesus being the first to be raised from the dead. He is the first fruit of those to be raised from the dead. Pentecost was 50 days after First Fruits.

The autumn festivals
In the fall it means when they celebrate the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh haShanah) in the new moon phase and blow the 'last trumpet' to celebrate the resurrection of the righteous dead, they are rehearsing for that 'natzal' , what we gentiles call the rapture.

It means when they fast on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) to repent for their sins, giving account to God, they are rehearsing for the day Messiah will come and bring the nations before Him to account for their sins.

When they celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles and build little shelters to overnight in as they celebrate God living with man, they rehearse the literal fulfillment of Messiah living with man. We are told in Zechariah 14:16 Tabernacles will be celebrated annually in the Millennium to celebrate the Messiah King ruling earth from Jerusalem.

What were they rehearsing at Pentecost?
The word 'pentecost' means 'fiftieth' (50th). It is the celebration of God giving His Word to Moses when Israel was 50 days out of Egypt. The first Passover we are told, they killed the lamb at 3pm (literally, between the evenings) on Thursday the 14th, and Egypt made them leave immediately, arriving in the early morning Friday at Succoth*, then Friday night in Etham*. On Saturday night the Lord made them camp on the edge of the Sea*.
*Exodus 12:6, 27. Exodus 13:20, 14:2

They spent 3 days in the wilderness after the Passover lamb had been killed, as a type of the Messiah spending 3 days in death.

(Thursday crucified 9am/died 3pm, all day Friday/Saturday. Because the Thursday evening/Friday day they ate the lamb started a ceremonial Sabbath, and the next day was the normal Saturday Sabbath, it means 2 Sabbaths in a row, not allowing the women to go to the tomb until Sunday morning, the Feast of First fruits. Not understanding Judaism's 2 consecutive Sabbaths centuries ago caused the church to think Jesus died Friday.)

Back to Exodus
On Saturday night a strong wind blew* and the Sea was parted and sea bed dried, allowing Israel to be baptized into death from Egypt through the water, and coming out the other side Sunday morning as a first fruit from the dead, a brand new 'man', the new nation Israel. The enemy's army was dead and they were free. The enemy could no longer threaten them. *Exodus 14:21-22

They traveled 47 days to the foot of the Mount, and prepared themselves 3 days* to be brought before the Lord, for a total of 50. On the 50th day God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. *Exodus 19:11

When God gave the 10 Commandments, the Midrash, a Jewish commentary, says:"When God gave His Word, they not only heard the Lord's voice but saw the sounds as waves as they came from the mouth of God. It was a fiery substance. Each commandment that left His mouth traveled to each Jew individually asking if they would obey."

Another rabbi says:"God's voice as it was uttered, split up into 70 languages, so that all the nations understood."

In that first Day of Pentecost, God's voice was divided into the then 70 languages of the earth besides Hebrew, and gave all nations the 10 Commandments. There is now a deep knowing within everyone a day of rest is needed, and it is right to honor parents, wrong to utter God's name in vain, steal, murder, lie, commit adultery, or lust for what isn't yours. Also within everyone to worship the Creator and not make idols.

The commentaries on the original Pentecost are confirmed as seen in Acts 2:1-12. We see the 120 receiving the Holy Spirit, having fire upon them as they spoke languages of the earth they had never learned, in direct fulfillment of the original Day of Pentecost.

We still walk in them
When a couple is married on their 'moed' day, they live within the fulfillment of that day the rest of their marriage. They don't need to re-do their vows every year on their anniversary for they are walking in the fulfillment of that date every day. They now possess that day and walk in it.

When a person pays off a car or home, they now possess the contract. They don't need to keep making payments as rehearsal for the last payment. They made the last payment so now own the contract, own the mortgage.

Jesus was the Passover Lamb, so you can hold a Passover if you wish, but we walk in the reality of its fulfillment on the cross. Our new birth is proof we continue to walk in the provision from that Passover.

He was the first raised from the dead as per the Feast of First Fruits, and we still walk in resurrection power. The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, and we are still walking in all it brought - the Holy Spirit to man, tongues, healing, and more!

And that's where we'll pick it up next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

0 Comments